The PM’s talk of ‘fluorescent-jacketed chain gangs’ had a similar effect to that of a misfiring new Oxford Street attractionEarlier this week a pile of mud was dumped at the west end of Oxford Street. Then some squares of grass were stuck on the mud. T…
Listen up: why indie podcasts are in peril
As big spenders such as Amazon and Spotify fill our ears with more commercial, celebrity-driven fare, can grassroots, diverse shows survive?Miranda Sawyer picks 20 indie podcast gemsThe British Podcast Awards were different this year. Held in a south L…
Big tech’s big week raises fears of ‘Blade Runner future’ of mega-company rule
Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft all reported record-breaking profits amid a pandemic bonanza but recent Biden administration moves suggest US tech’s easy ride is overBig tech provided the world with some startling numbers this week. In the last thr…
3G-only Kindles begin their long, slow death this year
The 2021/2022 3G sunset will affect even 8th-gen (2016) Kindle devices.
White-label SaaS shipping startup Outvio closes $3M round led by Change Ventures
Outvio, an Estonian startup that provides a white-label SaaS fulfillment solution for medium-sized and large online retailers in Spain and Estonia, has closed a $3 million early-stage financing round led by Change Ventures. Also participating were TMT Investments (London), Fresco Capital (San Francisco), and Lemonade Stand (Tallinn). Several angels also joined the round including James […]
EU hits Amazon with record-breaking $887M GDPR fine over data misuse
Luxembourg’s National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) has hit Amazon with a record-breaking €746 million ($887m) GDPR fine over the way it uses customer data for targeted advertising purposes. Amazon disclosed the ruling in an SEC filing on Friday in which it slammed the decision as baseless and added that it intended to defend itself […]
Amazon’s Fire TV Cube now supports Zoom calls on your TV
Late last year, Amazon launched support for two-way calling that worked with its Fire TV Cube devices. The feature allowed consumers to make and receive calls from their connected TV to any other Alexa device with a screen. Today, the company is expanding this system to enable support for two-way calling with Zoom. Starting today, […]
Facebook will require employees to be vaccinated before returning to campus
Earlier today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company will require employees to be vaccinated before returning to work on-site. It was part of a larger letter sent to Google/Alphabet staff that also noted the company will be extending its work-from-home policy through October 18, as the COVID-19 delta variant continues to sweep through […]
Walmart to sell its e-commerce technologies to other retailers
Walmart’s investments in software and retail technologies it used to transform its business from a brick-and-mortar to one that combines both in-person and online shopping will now be made available to other retailers for the first time, the company announced today. Through a strategic partnership with Adobe, Walmart will integrate access to Walmart’s Marketplace, as […]
Don’t expect post-Brexit Britain to match EU’s fight against big tech | Phillip Inman
Profits for America’s tech firms continue to soar and there are few signs they will face tougher rulesIf anyone needed convincing that the pandemic would turbo-charge sales at America’s largest tech firms and send profits soaring, this week’s quarterly…