Google and Virgin Galactic in talks over space tourism business stake June 12, 2014 Google is in late stage talks to acquire a stake in Richard Branson's space tourism venture Virgin Galactic, Sky News reports. The deal is likely to see Google pay £17.8m for a 1.5 per cent stake in the holding company and a cash injection of "hundreds of millions of dollars into a joint venture" to [...]
Barclays fears Amazon and Google threaten traditional banks June 10, 2014 Customers will soon use tech firms like Amazon, Google and PayPal instead of banks, Barclays’ chief Antony Jenkins said today, promising to innovate more to compete with digital giants. The sector is already being shaken up by new banks being established, and big firms like Tesco offering current accounts. But Jenkins believes the [...]
Google investing up to $3bn in satellites to connect the world June 2, 2014 GOOGLE is reportedly planning to spend up to $3bn (£1.8bn) in its push to bring internet access to unconnected parts of the world using a fleet of 180 low-orbit satellites. The search giant is poised to spend between $1bn and $3bn on the project according to a report in The Wall Street Journal which said [...]
Samsung to reduce dependence on Google with first Tizen phone June 2, 2014 SAMSUNG will launch its first smartphone running its own Tizen mobile software instead of Google’s Android platform. The South Korean firm will officially announce the Samsung Z, which comes with a 4.8in high-definition display and offers features such as a fingerprint sensor, in San Francisco today. The phone will first be made available in Russia [...]
Google to put driverless cars on the roads May 28, 2014 GOOGLE is rolling out 100 self-driving cars in California, in a trial the tech giant hopes will pave the way for widespread global use. After clocking up 700,000 miles of autonomous driving in adapted cars, Google is ready to put its specially-built driverless vehicles onto the streets. The prototypes have space for two passengers, operate [...]
How Google’s driverless cars could save your life – and make you money May 28, 2014 WHEN the man behind the Segway, the battery-powered personal mobility scooter, died after riding one of his products off a cliff, it seemed like a grim end to yet another transport fad. After the Sinclair C5, the hovercraft, the poweriser and the Segway, it’s easy to be sceptical about the next sci-fi “leap” in transportation. [...]
In Pictures: The evolution of Google’s driverless car May 28, 2014 It’s here, it’s finally here. Well, not actually here, Google’s hallowed driverless car is still in Silicon Valley – still, we imagine, driving around the Mountain View-based, Googleplex car park. But we’ve seen photos, so we know a fully-fledged prototype exists. Google's Sergey Brin calls it “chauffeur.” The car has had mixed reviews, with [...]
Brand Index: Google could gobble up big slice of comparison market May 27, 2014 WITH Google making tentative steps into the price comparison market, the sector could well undergo a shake-up over the coming year. Using YouGov’s BrandIndex tool, I have assessed the main players in the market currently – Gocompare, Comparethemarket and MoneySupermarket. So competitive is the sector that the brands rely on high-profile advertising campaigns to make [...]
Google has set aside $30bn as it mulls foreign takeover targets May 21, 2014 GOOGLE has set aside a warchest of up to $30bn (£17.8bn) overseas in order for the US search giant to pursue foreign takeovers according to a regulatory disclosure made in December and published on Tuesday. The disclosure also revealed that Google’s hunt has already led it close to a purchase worth $4bn to $5bn for [...]
Google takes a bite out of Apple as world’s most valuable brand May 20, 2014 GOOGLE has dethroned Apple as the world’s most valuable brand, as its total value soared to nearly $160bn (£95bn) this year, according to new global research. The online search giant’s rise is due to its booming financial performance – Google’s revenues last quarter grew nearly 20 per cent to $15.42bn – and Apple’s lack of [...]
