China starts major trial of state-run digital currency
By: The Guardian April 28, 2020 China will begin trialling payments in its new digital currency in four major cities from next week, according to domestic media. In recent months, China’s central bank has stepped up its development of the e-RMB, which is set to be the first digital currency operated by a major economy. […]
UK’s lowest paid most at risk during Covid-19 crisis, report finds
By: The Guardian April 28, 2020 Britain’s lowest-paid workers, women and young adults have jobs with the biggest health and economic risks during the coronavirus lockdown, according to a report into the uneven impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than a month into the UK’s lockdown, the Resolution Foundation thinktank said jobs in shutdown parts […]
Apple and Google will shut down coronavirus tracing app when pandemic ends, companies say
By: Fox News April 24, 2020 Apple and Google say they will shut down their coronavirus contact tracing app after the pandemic is under control, as the tech giants strive to address ongoing privacy concerns about the effort. The two Silicon Valley giants on Friday announced a series of adjustments in the effort that they’ve […]
Microsoft embraces big data
By: the Economist April 23, 2020 TWO DECADES ago Microsoft was a byword for a technological walled garden. One of its bosses called free open-source programs a “cancer”. That was then. On April 21st the world’s most valuable tech firm joined a fledgling movement to liberate the world’s data. The company plans to launch 20 […]
Chinese bank publishes first-ever banking blockchain white paper
By: Cryptopolitan April 22, 2020 A major Chinese bank has published the first-ever banking blockchain white paper showcasing the potential of blockchain tech in finance. The blockchain-based financial application white paper by The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is grabbing eyeballs. It is rare to see white papers associated with blockchain technology being […]
Denmark Extends Business Aid to Increase Spending By $15 Billion
By: Bloomberg April 18, 2020 Denmark extended the duration of its aid programs to businesses and workers and added some new measures to increase spending by about 100 billion kroner ($15 billion). The government agreed with all parties in parliament to keep aid measures available until July 8, a month longer than previously planned, according […]
NHS in standoff with Apple and Google over coronavirus tracing
By: The Guardian April 16, 2020 The NHS is in a standoff with Apple and Google after the two tech firms refused to support the UK’s plans to build an app that alerts users when they have been in contact with someone with coronavirus. Apple and Google are encouraging health services worldwide to build contact-tracing […]
Which firms should pay dividends?
By: The Economist April 16, 2020 Over the next month the toll that lockdowns are inflicting on businesses will become more visible as big Western companies report their first-quarter results and start to give investors a steer on what to expect for the rest of 2020. For some, bankruptcy beckons—this week America’s banks warned of a […]
UK government using confidential patient data in coronavirus response
By: The Guardian April 12, 2020 Technology firms are processing large volumes of confidential UK patient information in a data-mining operation that is part of the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Palantir, the US big data firm founded by the rightwing billionaire Peter Thiel, is working with […]