Tag: Microsoft
Tech Digest daily roundup: Apple’s British sales bounce back to record £1.5bn
Apple’s UK sales have bounced back to a record £1.5bn amid strong demand for its top-of-the-range iPhones. The company’s UK retail arm, which includes its British bricks-and-mortar stores, reported a 61pc surge in revenues in the 12 months ending in September 2022. The uptick represented a sharp recovery after sales fell during the pandemic. Revenue dropped from…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Skilled professions at biggest risk from AI, warns OECD
Major economies are on the “cusp of an AI revolution” that could trigger job losses in skilled professions such as law, medicine and finance, according to an influential international organisation. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the occupations at highest risk from AI-driven automation were highly skilled jobs and represented about 27%…
Tech Digest daily roundup: UK restricts Microsoft, Activision from buying interest in each other
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has restricted Microsoft and Activision Blizzard from "acquiring an interest" in each other. It published an interim order stating they would need "prior written consent" from the UK regulator before making acquisitions between the companies. The order applies to the businesses as well as their subsidiaries. It comes two…
Tech Digest daily roundup: AI ‘godfather’ Geoffrey Hinton quits Google
A man widely seen as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) has quit his job, warning about the growing dangers from developments in the field. Geoffrey Hinton, 75, announced his resignation from Google in a statement to the New York Times, saying he now regretted his work. He told the BBC some of the dangers…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Alerts tell people NHS Covid-19 app has closed
People who installed the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales have been receiving alerts informing them the platform has now shut down. It was launched in 2020 as a tool to help fight the spread of Covid-19 by warning citizens if they had been near to someone who was infected. It was downloaded around…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Block of Activision purchase ‘bad for Britain’, claims Microsoft
Microsoft has been blocked from buying Call of Duty publisher Activision by the UK's CMA Microsoft's president has attacked the UK after it was blocked from buying US gaming firm Activision, saying the EU was a better place to start a business. The move was "bad for Britain" and marked Microsoft's…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Amazon to close Book Depository
UK-based online store Book Depository is being closed down by its parent company, the US technology giant Amazon. Book Depository has told customers it will cease operations later this month after almost two decades in business. It comes after Amazon announced plans to cut thousands of jobs as it shakes up its businesses globally. The…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Oppo Find X6 and X6 Pro launch with cameras galore
We were left impressed with Oppo's Find X5 Pro last year, so naturally, we have high expectations for its successor. As announced earlier, the upcoming Oppo Find X6 Pro meets the basic requirements you'd expect from a 2023 flagship: Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, Sony's IMX989 "1-inch" sensor for the main camera, a bright 6.82-inch 3,168 x…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Spotify rolls out AI DJ
I’m listening to Radiohead’s Creep on the radio. “You may not know this,” the DJ coos patronizingly, “but this song turns 30 this year.” So far, so titbit of trivia on FM drivetime. The only difference is this DJ is not a real person. AI DJ is the next move in Spotify’s never-ending goal to…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Google axes more key features from Fitbit
Fitbit has announced that its community features Adventures, Challenges, and open groups are being discontinued from March 27, as part of a ‘streamlining’ effort to integrate the Fitbit app with Google. Owners of any of the best Fitbit watches or fitness trackers will no longer be able to take part in group challenges with other users. Step count, distance…