Month: June 2021

Losses almost double last year despite growing demand for crypto trading pushing up revenues 34% Losses at the British fintech firm Revolut nearly doubled last year, despite cashing in on the year-end cryptocurrency boom. The company – founded by the former Lehman Brothers trader Nik Storonsky and chaired by the ex-Standard Life Aberdeen boss Martin …

Cryptocurrency boom fails to stem losses at UK fintech firm Revolut Read More »

My friend Maureen Donnelly, who has died aged 71 of cancer, was a successful and creative businesswoman with socialist ideals and a belief in public service. She was also a rambler, adventurer and lover of Irish literature, and managed to be active in all these fields while also being a devoted single parent. Born in …

Maureen Donnelly obituary Read More »

Nature is full of examples of biology adapting to its surroundings. Technology may just be about to catch up From the bottom of the oceans to the skies above us, natural evolution has filled our planet with a vast and diverse array of lifeforms, with approximately 8 million species adapted to their surroundings in a …

Robots may soon be able to reproduce – will this change how we think about evolution? | Emma Hart Read More »

Chief scientific adviser will head new government body looking at big bets in science and technology The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, has been asked by Boris Johnson to investigate whether the UK’s successful vaccine procurement programme can be replicated in other areas of technology. Vallance, who has become a household name following …

Sir Patrick Vallance handed tech role to build on vaccine success Read More »

Recent changes have driven down pay for drivers, including a reduction in minimum pay for long distance trips Socializing, parties and late night trips are all coming back as the coronavirus pandemic recedes in the US and along with them has come a surge in the price of calling a cab. It’s good news for …

Uber and Lyft fares surge as pandemic recedes – but drivers don’t get ‘piece of pie’ Read More »

AirPods rivals have top sound, battery and translation features but cost significantly less Google’s latest AirPods competitors, the Pixel Buds A-Series, get a big price cut and a slightly more comfortable design. The new Bluetooth earbuds take a cue from Google’s cheaper but great A-Series phones, cutting a few features to cost £100 (US$99) – …

Pixel Buds A-Series review: Google’s cheaper but good earbuds Read More »

The Booker prize-winning author on Mare of Easttown, her favourite lockdown park and the fearsome power of folk music Born in Dublin in 1962, Anne Enright studied English and philosophy at Trinity College Dublin and received an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. Formerly an RTE television producer, she has written …

On my radar: Anne Enright’s cultural highlights Read More »

Owner of video-sharing app also reports a 93% increase in gross profit to $19bn in 2020 ByteDance, the Chinese parent of TikTok, more than doubled its revenues last year as usage of the hugely popular video app boomed. The company, which last year weathered pressure from Donald Trump to sell its US operation as part …

ByteDance revenues more than double on back of TikTok boom Read More »

Meet the man trying to pick up the pieces after being brutally fired by Hanks. Plus: an extraordinary investigation into sinister goings on at the British military training camp MotherhackerThe second season of this bingeable podcast opens with Bridget (Carrie Coon) caught up in even more chaos since the pandemic hit. Her Tesla has been …

Tom Hanks ruined my life! – podcasts of the week Read More »

Auto regulators have opened probes into crashes involving 10 deaths where the company’s Autopilot system was in use US safety regulators have opened 30 investigations into Tesla crashes involving 10 deaths since 2016 where an advanced driver assistance system was suspected to have been in use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a …

Thirty Tesla crashes linked to assisted driving system under investigation in US Read More »