Samsung share price slides as disappointing sales of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge force tech giant to slash prices July 30, 2015 Samsung is dropping prices on its flagship smartphone models after a dip in sales caused the Korean tech giant’s profits to slide for the seventh consecutive quarter. The company reported operating profits falling four per cent to 6.9tn won (£3.9bn), in line with guidance released earlier this month, which warned sales of high-end smartphone Galaxy [...]
One in four millennials would rather bank with a tech company like Apple or Google than their current bank July 29, 2015 Fed up with your bank? You’re not alone. Just one in three millennials (that's people born after 1980) actually think their bank meets their requirements, and in fact, quite a few of them think Apple or Google would do a better job. It seems out of touch banks risk losing millennial business, as just 32 [...]
Alibaba invests $1bn in cloud computing arm Aliyun to compete with Amazon Web Services July 29, 2015 Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is planning a $1bn push into the cloud, taking on Amazon by expanding its cloud computing unit Aliyun into international markets. The company, often described as the “Chinese Ebay”, is expanding its cloud computing arm from its current bases in China and Silicon Valley to the Middle East, Europe and Japan, [...]
John Lewis is opening an in-store beauty spa called &Beauty July 29, 2015 Have we just hit peak middle class? John Lewis has unveiled plans for an in-store beauty spa. After all, what better way to recuperate after a hard day’s shopping? If you get too exhausted from all your purchases, just book yourself in for a relaxing massage… It seems simply going to buy things is no [...]
ING Netherlands bank uses voice biometrics to allow customers to log in to online banking using just their voice July 29, 2015 Online banking can be a chore, largely thanks to the process of remembering complicated pin codes, secret questions or passwords. Shouldn't there be an easier way? If you live in the Netherlands, there is, after a bank in the country introduced a system which allows customers to log into online banking using just their voice. [...]
The London commuter is a man in his forties working in finance or insurance July 28, 2015 Who is the average London commuter? He’s a man, probably working in finance or insurance, and likely to be in his thirties or forties. Thanks to new data broken out from the 2011 Census, we know a little more about who’s making those daily round trips – and how far they’re travelling. If you work [...]
HSBC and First Direct customers can finally use Apple Pay July 28, 2015 The mobile payment system launched in the UK in mid-July to great excitement, but not all banks supported it from the start. Although HSBC was supposed to be a launch partner, when the day came, customers were told the service had been delayed, and that the bank was “working hard” to get it running by [...]
Citymapper is showing Londoners how much time commuters will save with Crossrail, by suggesting journeys that don’t exist yet July 28, 2015 Citymapper is planning well ahead, offering commuters Crossrail journeys that won’t be available for another 41 months or so. If you’ve planned a journey across London lately and you own a smartphone, chances are you’ve used Citymapper, the cult transport app that’s won commuters over in 27 different cities since launching in London in 2012. [...]
US corporations including Apple and Google pledge billions to help Obama administration combat climate change ahead of Paris summit July 28, 2015 US corporations are pledging billions of dollars to green finance, as the private sector supports the Obama administration in securing a strong global deal on combating climate change. Thirteen top US companies, including Apple, Walmart and Google, teamed up with the White House to launch the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. The campaign is [...]
Best UK mobile network: EE crowned fastest and most reliable mobile operator against Vodafone, Three and O2 in study by RootMetrics July 28, 2015 Here’s some news that’ll put a smile on any EE customer’s face: the operator has been crowned the best-performing mobile network in the UK in an independent study by RootMetrics. EE won a clean sweep of all categories, providing customers with both the best speed and reliability. But competitor Three proved a strong rival, coming [...]