Social media technology
Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have proved enormously popular, and while they are consumer focused, the principles of collaboration and information sharing that they embody are highly relevant for corporate IT. We analyse the latest trends in social media technology, social networking and explain how they can be applied to enterprise IT strategy.
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News
20 Nov 2024
Government issues strategic priorities for online safety regulator Ofcom
Technology secretary Peter Kyle sets out the government’s strategic priorities for how Ofcom should approach regulating online safety, including embedding safety by design and supporting innovation in technologies to help protect people online Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2024
RealWear looks to reshape industrial AR with Almer acquisition
In what is said to mark a pivotal moment in a key part of the spatial computing sector and boost frontline worker productivity, industrial wearable technology firm acquires manufacturer of ultra-compact, user-friendly AR headsets Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2019
Facebook engaged in ‘calculated’ campaign to eliminate competition, claims businessman
A US businessman is seeking damages from Facebook after accusing the social media company of unfairly blocking “humorous” Facebook pages which generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2019
Spyware targets WhatsApp users
Social media platform issues update after it discovered a flaw being exploited by commercial spyware Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2019
Facebook co-founder: ‘It is time to break up Facebook’
Co-founder of Facebook, Chris Hughes, has published an op-ed in The New York Times calling for Facebook to be broken up, as it faces investigations from the US Federal Trade Commission Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2019
Physical stores – the place to meet your tribe
In a digital world, stores still have a place as community hubs, representatives from Lego, Vans and M&Ms told Retail Expo Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2019
Early adopters expect to pay 32% premium for 5G
Potential early adopters of 5G say they expect, on average, to pay more for their devices and services, but they expect measurable improvements on 4G from the get-go Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2019
Brighton Dome theatre gets access to city’s 5G mobile testbed
Brighton Dome & Festival is to deploy a 5G network to explore future applications for the technology in the arts Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2019
Facebook faces fresh privacy actions from regulators
Facebook faces legal action from Canada after it dismissed regulators’ findings that it failed to protect customer privacy. The firm has set aside $5bn to settle a privacy action in the US and faces a new investigation in Ireland Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2019
Public becoming more aware of privacy abuses and unethical tech
Widespread abuses of privacy, biometric information and artificial intelligence mean the internet is in poor health, but growing popular awareness of its problems gives some cause for hope, says the Mozilla Foundation Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2019
Online fashion brand Boohoo sees year-on-year revenue growth
Online fashion retailer Boohoo.com has seen a spike in revenue over the past year across all of its operating brands, and has announced the completion of several digital projects Continue Reading
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Blog Post
23 Apr 2019
Sorry Cadwalladr, I misunderstood
Carole Cadwalladr has used her TED talk to highlight Facebook’s obfuscation regarding political adverts on its site, calling for Mark Zuckerberg to hold a TED talk of his own or risk finding ... Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2019
Apple spends upwards of $30m a month on AWS during first quarter of 2019, report claims
According to US media reports, Apple is spending upwards of $30m a month on procuring cloud services from Amazon Web Services Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2019
Facebook leaks: Zuckerberg turned data into dollars in ruthless battle with competitors
Facebook’s CEO ruthlessly exploited personal data shared by its users to turn Facebook into the biggest social network, but internal documents show that privacy appeared to be an afterthought for executives Continue Reading
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Blog Post
17 Apr 2019
Cutting off the internet is a TERRIBLE idea, whether or not you agree with Extinction Rebellion
Many people using the London Underground today will likely have noticed that the usual Virgin Media-run Wi-Fi service is not working. Some might even have been mildly inconvenienced by not being ... Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2019
TfL suspends Wi-Fi service as Extinction Rebellion spreads
Transport for London has cut off its public Virgin Media Wi-Fi service to disrupt climate change protests Continue Reading
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Blog Post
17 Apr 2019
Facebook shutters Messenger payments in UK as Brits just not into it
Facebook is closing its peer to peer payments service within Messenger in the UK because of limited take up Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2019
Facebook takes extraordinary legal steps to contain document leak
Facebook targets journalists and news organisations for computer searches Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Apr 2019
Lush gives up on social media
Since the birth of social media platforms, brands have been carefully adapting their marketing strategies to reach the cool kids on whatever their chosen channel of choice. From MySpace, to ... Continue Reading
- 10 Apr 2019
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News
10 Apr 2019
Skype blocked in UAE will hit businesses as well as people
Skype has been blocked to users in the United Arab Emirates, and its effects will be felt by businesses as well as citizens Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2019
Social inclusion unit aims to expand diversity in IT conversation
New unit at startup hub wants to explore how technology can be applied to address the barriers many people face in participating in society Continue Reading
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Blog Post
04 Apr 2019
Remembering Google+
We remember Google not letting us comment on a YouTube video until we signed up to its barren and now extinct social media platform like it was yesterday, if only in the sense that it’s one of the ... Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2019
Marie Claire develops platform to encourage in-magazine shopping
An in-house team at Marie Claire has developed a platform to encourage readers to shop while browsing the site Continue Reading
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02 Apr 2019
Europe passes controversial Copyright Directive
On the face of it, the European Parliament’s new Copyright Directive aims to ensure the media industry does not lose out financially to behemoths, but certain articles could see users’ internet freedom stifled. Continue Reading
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Podcast
02 Apr 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 10
In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team discusses Twitter spats, the long-running legal saga between HP and Mike Lynch, Asos’s retail tech strategy, G-Cloud 11 and how machine learning is shaking up the healthcare sector Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2019
Fidor founder leaves as parent bank plots future
The founder of digital challenger bank Fidor leaves company as traditional banking parent company tries to sell business Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Mar 2019
What are the options for regulating internet companies?
The UK – and other countries – are likely to introduce new regulations for internet and tech companies like Facebook and Google. We consider what sort of rules they might introduce Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2019
Europe passes controversial Copyright Directive
The European Parliament has passed a new Copyright Directive, including a number of highly controversial articles Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2019
Nominet urges SMEs to register .uk domains to thwart squatters
The automatic right of .co.uk domain name holders to register the shorter .uk domains ends in June Continue Reading
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Blog Post
20 Mar 2019
Vote Leave’s early bath
Vote Leave’s band of zip-wiring cowboy builders has been handed another fine: this time for sending out nearly 200,000 unsolicited texts to the poor sods who entered their contest to win £50m if ... Continue Reading
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News
20 Mar 2019
Government can make better use of tech to tackle loneliness
Report produced by Vodafone urges the government to exploit the potential of technology to alleviate loneliness among older people Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Mar 2019
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 8
In this week’s episode of The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team reminisces over 30 years of the World Wide Web, gets the low-down on what happened at this year’s Cloud Expo and digs a little deeper into the user IT implications of Brexit Continue Reading
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Photo Story
11 Mar 2019
Web @ 30
It has been 30 years since Sir Tim Berners-Lee's initial proposal for the World Wide Web Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2019
House of Lords committee calls for creation of a digital authority to oversee regulation
The proposed regulatory framework would coordinate regulators, assess rules and make recommendations to respond to developments in digital services Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2019
Zuckerberg commits to Facebook becoming privacy-focused
After a storm of controversy and criticism over the way Facebook fails to protect users’ privacy, the company’s chief says he plans to transform it into a privacy-focused platform Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2019
UK among most expensive countries for mobile data
The UK ranks 136th in the world for the average cost of 1GB of mobile data, according to new statistics Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2019
Facebook asked George Osborne to influence EU data protection law
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg invited one of the chancellor’s children to Facebook’s office as part of a intensive lobbying programme to influence European data protection legislation Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2019
Facebook facing 10 GDPR investigations in Ireland
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has revealed it has 10 active probes into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as Apple, LinkedIn and Twitter, on its books Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2019
Most UK consumers say Facebook should be regulated
Nearly three-quarters of UK consumers feel the social platform is damaging people’s mental health, survey shows Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2019
Cyber criminals earn $3bn a year exploiting social platforms
Businesses urged to respond to research findings that the ready availability of hacking tools, wildfire spread of malware and proliferation of cryptocurrency mining has seen a 300-fold increase in social media-enabled cyber crimes in two years Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2019
Facebook planned to spy on Android phone users, internal emails reveal
Facebook planned to use its Android app to track the location of its customers and to allow advertisers to send political advertising and invites to dating sites to ‘single’ people, confidential documents show Continue Reading
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Blog Post
19 Feb 2019
WWW at 30: the worldwide swamp
Next month will be the 30th anniversary of the world wide web. In 1989, who would have thought the web would touch every aspect of people’s lives - not only in a good way but also in ways that seem ... Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2019
Six experiential retail businesses chosen for Jlab
The businesses and startups that will take part in John Lewis’ 2019 Jlab programme have seen selected following a pitch day Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2019
DCMS Select Committee claims Facebook ‘deliberately frustrated’ fake news inquiry
Facebook’s UK public policy manager defends its participation in MPs' inquiry into the spread of fake news and disinformation online, which concludes by declaring an end to self-regulation by social media firms Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2019
Central Saint Martins hosts Three’s 5G trial for London Fashion Week
Three’s trial 5G network will enable the world’s first augmented reality fashion show at Central Saint Martins, while consumers can test out a prototype network at its flagship store Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2019
Apple Business Chat powers Npower’s smart meter switch
Energy supplier is using Apple Business Chat to help users through the process of switching onto new smart gas and electricity meters Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2019
London and Helsinki digital partnership challenges big IT platforms
CDOs of London and Helsinki meet at London’s City Hall to sign a city-to-city digital declaration around AI, open data and digital innovation Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2019
Telegram bot gets users hooked
Popular social media service provides a rich set of features for cyber criminals, RSA warns Continue Reading
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Blog Post
07 Feb 2019
Baddiel and Jones unedited
For years now, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been hounded to add a feature that allows users to amend their typo-laden tweets, but do we really need more ways to take the platform so seriously? Take ... Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2019
Innocent people arrested following surveillance blunders, IPCO reveals
Interception of communications commissioner Adrian Fulford warns of “grave” repercussions for people wrongly identified as suspects due to errors made when government bodies access email, phone and telephone data Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2019
Facebook’s objections to court concerns over privacy more about ‘optics’ than facts
Facebook’s challenge to a High Court ruling that raises serious concerns about data transfers between Europe and the US is more about appearance than facts, lawyers for the Irish Data Protection Commission told Dublin's Supreme Court Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2019
Marks & Spencer introduces photo search for online shopping
British retail brand Marks and Spencer has introduced a photo searching capability to its mobile site to help people find products they like using other images Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2019
Facebook: US government does not engage in mass and indiscriminate surveillance
Social media giant challenges a ruling by Dublin’s High Court over a judgment that it says made ‘extraordinary and incorrect’ findings about the US legal system Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Jan 2019
Facebook’s high-stakes privacy gamble goes to Dublin court
A high-wire gamble with billions in compensation at stake for European internet users – part of a complex case between Facebook and the Irish information commissioner – hides challenge to the unlawfulness of US state internet surveillance Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2019
Mobile and broadband markets fail digitally excluded groups
Financially vulnerable people, disabled and mentally ill people and elderly people all face significant challenges in accessing appropriate communications services, according to a new Ofcom report Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2019
More than half of customers will shop for food online by 2021
Just over 40% of customers currently do their grocery shopping online, but with that number expected to rise to more than half by 2021, are retailers doing enough to meet customer expectations? Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jan 2019
Interview: Andy Berks, digital product director, Asos
Asos’s digital product director Andy Berks talks about how the online retailer has used AI and machine learning technologies – and why the needs of the customer have to come first Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2018
'Serious' Twitter flaw allows hackers to post on other people's accounts
A vulnerability in Twitter allows hackers to send tweets, private messages, post images or videos, and turn off security features, says British security researcher Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Dec 2018
Fashion retail’s sustainability challenge and how technology can help
UK fashion retailers were grilled in Parliament last month on sustainability, so how might technology like blockchain or online recommendation tools help as they look to improve their green credentials? Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2018
Billions missing out on digital society as internet use soars
As global internet usage continues to soar, billions of people around the world are missing out on the potential benefits of getting online, according to Cisco Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2018
Unprecedented actions by Commons committee augur badly for Facebook
House of Commons’ serjeant-at-arms effectively arrested the CEO of a US software company and frogmarched him to Parliament, where he was told he would be imprisoned if he failed to hand over papers on Facebook Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2018
ASOS launches digital assistant to help customers find right size
Online fashion retailer ASOS has launched an artificially intelligent assistant to help consumers find the right size of clothing before they place an order Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2018
Police challenged over refusal to disclose files on WikiLeaks staff
Lawyers will challenge the Metropolitan Police Service today to confirm or deny whether it holds correspondence with US law enforcement about three WikiLeaks staff – including two UK citizens – in a freedom of information tribunal Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2018
Government considering dedicated internet regulator, says digital minister
An upcoming white paper is likely to set out proposals for an internet regulator, a House of Lords committee has been told Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
Information commissioner calls for stricter regulation on political use of data
Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s investigation into the use of data in elections and campaigns, finds "a disturbing disregard for voters’ personal privacy" Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2018
Smart Dubai platform is the backbone of the city's transformation
Aisha bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, talks about the Smart Data platform and soon-to-be-unveiled UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature which is being touted as one of the foundations a city needs to transform Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2018
IoT R&D projects missed out on £10m of government funding
A series of delays and disruption caused chiefly by changes in project ownership meant the government’s IoT UK Research and Innovation Programme failed to use a quarter of its allocated budget between 2015 and 2018 Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2018
Facebook emphasises security drive during third-quarter earnings call
Social media giant admits it has a lot of work to do to keep on top of security as it looks to extend payment option to Messenger Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
Hammond’s digital services tax is a big risk, say experts
The tech industry is not impressed with the chancellor’s plan to tax web giants, saying it can stifle innovation, while tax lawyers warn that it is a very risky move that could lead to US retaliation Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Oct 2018
Manchester’s evolution from rag trade to e-commerce riches
As Amazon and Moonpig plan to open Manchester hubs, the focus once again turns to the city’s in-demand digital and e-commerce scene Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2018
Firms will use AI to automate HR processes within two years
Companies are gearing up to automate HR processes with artificial intelligence and machine learning, while at the same time battling with outdated IT systems Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2018
Tech companies should not be under legal duty to remove terrorist material, says watchdog
The internet should not be a safe place for terrorists, but making it compulsory for technology companies to trawl for radical content risks interfering with the rights of innocent people, says Max Hill QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2018
Ofcom says government should lead on internet regulation
Representatives from the telecoms regulator tell House of Lords that the government should build a framework for internet regulation that other bodies can follow and enforce Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2018
Consumer Google+ dumped in favour of enterprise focus
Google+ will no longer be offered to consumers, following a security audit. Instead, the company plans to flesh out an enterprise social media strategy Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Oct 2018
How does FacexWorm malware use Facebook Messenger to spread?
Researchers at Trend Micro found a new strain of malware -- dubbed FacexWorm -- that targets users via a malicious Chrome extension. Discover how this attack works with Nick Lewis. Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2018
Diversity key for innovation, says Carnival Corporation CEO
The CEO of travel brand Carnival told Splunk.conf 2018 that having diverse teams is the best way to drive innovation throughout a business Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2018
UK will unilaterally tax web giants, says Hammond
Chancellor threatens to go it alone on tax reform for digital services businesses if an international agreement cannot be reached Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2018
Mobile will be more disruptive for retail than online, says Facebook representative
Facebook’s retail industry head says mobile technology is likely to cause a bigger shift in retail than online shopping did Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Sep 2018
How can live chat widgets leak personal employee data?
Project Insecurity researchers found live chat software leaking personal employee data. Learn how attackers can use this leaked information and data to hurt organizations. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2018
Finland’s e-retail sector driven by international growth
Finland has a fast-growing e-retail industry as a positive consequence of the huge job cuts at Nokia Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Sep 2018
Delivered and read
If you were to make a list of things least worthy of your tears, the wistful tale of a man who sold his soul to Facebook for billions of dollars would surely nestle somewhere between, say, Tim Cook ... Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2018
Mobile-first strategy rings true for jeweller
Mobile has played a key role in how London jeweller Taylor & Hart has changed the rules for buying a ring Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2018
Asda outsources app development to support digital future
Supermarket chain Asda is outsourcing its application development to HCL to access and build skills and experience in agile development methods Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2018
Santander plans UK tech hub in Milton Keynes
Santander is opening a UK tech hub in Milton Keynes that will have 5,000 staff Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2018
BMW innovation lab bears fruit with insurtech deal
BMW has struck a deal with one of the tech startups that participated in its innovation incubator Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2018
Nationwide Building Society adds over a billion pounds to IT spend
Nationwide is increasing the budget for its latest multi-year IT project Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Sep 2018
Capitalism too short-termist? The tech sector suggests otherwise
Many observers criticise businesses and stock markets for being too short-termist – but if that was the case, how did Amazon, Uber and their ilk ever come into existence? Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2018
GCHQ mass surveillance regime was in breach of human rights law, European court rules
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled that the UK’s collection of bulk interception of communications data lacked adequate oversight and safeguards and was in breach of human rights law Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2018
Why AI should assist humans, not replace them
At the 2018 Disruption Summit in London, BT’s lead of customer insight and futures said artificially intelligent systems should be there to assist humans, not get rid of them Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2018
The fintech startups to watch in the UK
Tech Nation’s choice of fintech companies to back reflects the changes expected to hit financial services IT Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2018
Heineken and Oracle create chatbot helper for polo events
Beer brand Heineken has enlisted the help of Oracle to create a chatbot to assist people attending the annual Heineken Urban Polo events ahead of expansion in 2019 Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2018
Corbyn suggests tech tax to fund BBC
Labour leader says big technology companies and ISPs should contribute to a fund for public interest journalism Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2018
CIOs being welcomed back to marketing
The role of CIOs in shaping the technology buying decisions of marketers is being reinstated as more marketers realise the importance of integrating their services with IT systems Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2018
Sweaty Betty revamps website to cater for digital customers
Activewear brand has partnered with e-commerce firm Tryzens to launch a responsive site that is better suited to its increasingly digital customers Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2018
Consumers spend less cash on connectivity, but more time online
The total amount of money consumers are spending on fixed and mobile connectivity services has fallen for the first time in five years Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2018
Why Pinterest pinpointed features for the visually impaired
Ideas curation site has developed features for people with visual impairment. Its lead designer explains what has been changed and why it matters Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2018
Briton ran pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign that helped Trump deny Russian links
A British IT manager and former hacker from Darlington ran a disinformation campaign that duped former US intelligence agents and provided Donald Trump with manufactured “evidence” to deny that Russia interfered with the US election Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2018
Facebook stock price falls on slowing growth forecast
Facebook’s stock price has fallen dramatically in response to a forecast of slower revenue growth in 2018 and lower-than-expected user growth for the second quarter Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Jul 2018
Smart cities face challenges and opportunities
IHS Markit analysts Noman Akhtar and Kevin Hasley assess the way forward for smart city technology projects around the world Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2018
Cisco and UCL to open AI research unit in $100m digital economy boost
Cisco has extended its ongoing Country Digital Acceleration programme in the UK with a further $100m investment, part of which will go towards a new AI research centre Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2018
Google record fine could lead to Android fork
Amazon’s Android was one of the operating systems mentioned by the European Commission as it imposed a record €4.34bn fine on Google Continue Reading
