A Banksy mural in Finsbury Park, London, has been covered up with plastic and wooden boards by the building's owner after being vandalized with white paint. This has caused visibility issues and resident concerns. Islington Council is now managing the site, aiming to allow public enjoyment while considering local disruptions.
Thursday, March 28, 2024The London Stock Exchange is launching Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded notes at the end of May, available to professional investors only. It will start accepting applications for trades from April 8. The move follows approval from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority for Recognized Investment Exchanges to create listed market segments for ETNs. It is part of wider efforts to position the UK as a crypto-friendly hub.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024UK graduates from top universities tend to favor stable jobs over riskier startup ventures. This is probably due to a cultural difference, with the US embracing a more positive-sum mindset towards risk and business growth.
Harley Davidson is suing UK retailer Next over a children's t-shirt design that allegedly copies its logo, claiming it could cause consumer confusion. The disputed t-shirt features a winged badge motif with flames, which Harley Davidson argues “essentially replicates” its motorcycle branding. The case is currently in the High Court, with Harley Davidson demanding the removal and destruction of all infringing materials.
"AI Steve," created by Sussex businessman Steve Endacott and backed by Neural Voice technology, is running for office in the UK general election, promising constant connectivity with constituents via AI. Endacott aims to revolutionize democracy by allowing voters to directly influence policy on a weekly basis using technology. While some see this blend of AI and politics as radical, Endacott insists it enhances human involvement in democratic processes.
A boy in the UK received a neurostimulator device in his skull to control seizures. The device has reduced his daytime seizures by 80%. The patient has a treatment-resistant form of epilepsy that sometimes causes him to suffer hundreds of seizures every day. He suffers a range of seizures, some of which require emergency medication to resuscitate him. The device, which can be recharged wirelessly, emits a constant pulse of current that aims to block or disrupt abnormal signals. While the device is not a cure, it has improved the patient's life significantly.
The UK public went to the polls yesterday after a six-week election run. Unlike past elections, there was no defining ad from a political party. Instead, campaigning was marked by memes, bizarre TikToks of dancing members of parliament, and cat videos. Only time will tell if this meme-culture will become a bigger feature of Westminster political communications.
Researchers from Japan and the UK have smashed the world record for fiber-optic communications through commercial-grade fiber by producing data rates four times as fast as existing commercial systems. They achieved this by using optical amplifiers to boost signals across less frequently used communication bands. The system can push 402 terabits per second (Tbps) through the kinds of fiber-optic cables that are already in the ground and underneath the oceans. The researchers believe that it may be possible to push even further and reach up to 600 Tbps speeds.
91% of online consumers in the UK feel overwhelmed by social media ads and 35% have blocked or unfollowed brands due to them. 79% of online shoppers who begin their product searches on retailers' websites or apps typically browse by category, while 65% begin their search using the search bar or filters. Brands should assess their social media campaigns to avoid negative reactions and continuously improve website categorization and search features.
Apple implemented a deceptive dark pattern in iOS to make it harder for users to change their default browser from Safari. This issue was initially reported by Ars Technica and later fixed by Apple, though the specific iOS version containing the fix was not disclosed. Despite solid evidence from multiple sources, Apple recently denied the existence of the issue in a formal response to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), leading to accusations that the company was potentially misleading regulators.
Felix International (OnlyFans) is probably the most successful UK company founded since DeepMind in 2010 and the most significant dedicated economy platform ever.
The U.K. government has introduced a bill to clarify the legal status of digital assets like crypto and NFTs. The bill will establish them as personal property, which will help with legal disputes and improve protections against fraud and scams. It introduces a new personal property category, strengthening legal clarity for digital asset ownership and protection.
Society is increasingly divided, with 47% of the UK and 49% of the US concerned about societal breakdown. Gaps persist in the representation of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and older adults in advertising. Active inclusion, where diverse characters are portrayed with respect and nuance, has been shown to drive both short-term sales and long-term brand equity. Brands are encouraged to lead with empathy, enrich their storytelling, and address broader issues such as climate change, food security, and societal divisions.