Rude Baguette
After losing billions last year, Uber now says it could become profitable in 2020
Uber says it could become profitable by the end of the year, even as it reported another quarter of heavy losses in 2019, according to The Verge. The ride-hailing firm posted losses throughout 2019. Last week, they reported $1.1 billion in fourth-quarter losses, down from second-quarter losses that reached $5.2 billion. The company says it lost […]
France fines Apple €25m, for slowing performance on older iPhones
French regulators have issued a €25 million fine against Apple, for slowing the performance of older iPhone without notifying users—the result of a probe that began in 2018, according to Tech Crunch. Apple will also be required to display a notice on its website for a month, informing users that regulators had found it had carried […]
Europe’s parliament says it won’t use facial recognition, in response to leaked memo
The European Parliament has clarified that it won’t use facial recognition technology, responding to the leak of an internal memo suggesting it could be used for “biometric-based security and services to members,” according to The Guardian. The page has been removed from the parliament’s “digital transformation programme,” and a spokesperson said there “is no project of facial […]
Danish startup JumpStory raises €900k to build Netflix-style subscription service for stock images
The Danish startup JumpStory has raised €900 thousand for its Netflix-style subscription platform providing stock images for marketers, according to EU-startups.com. JumpStory was founded to make it quicker and easier for marketers to find high quality, relevant images. In addition to subscription-based access to 15 million photos, videos, and other images, JumpStory uses AI to match […]
Skymind Global Ventures launches London office and an $800 million fund to back AI startups and research
Skymind Global Ventures is opening a London office, and launching a new $800 million fund to back AI startups and research, according to TechCrunch. As an extension to its current Hong Kong office, the London office will help support research, development, and business ventures across Europe and Asia. According to a statement from founder and CEO […]
British startup uses AI to develop new drug compound, in a world-first breakthrough
A British startup has used artificial intelligence to create a new drug molecule that will soon enter clinical trials, in an unprecedented breakthrough for the use of machine learning in drug development, according to BBC News. Designed to treat patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the drug was created in a collaboration between the Oxford AI startup […]
Indian ride-hailing firm Ola will launch in London, where Uber faces the loss of its license
The Indian ride-hailing firm Ola will launch in London this February, after transit authorities revoked Uber’s license to operate in the city last year, according to Business Insider. The service launched in other UK cities in 2018, and was granted a 15-month license to operate in London last July. To gain a foothold in the UK’s […]
Facebook launches tools for users to track and control third-party data collection
Facebook has launched its “Off-Facebook Activity” tool in the UK and other regions, giving users more transparency and a degree of control over data collected on their activities beyond the social media platform, according to BBC News. Many websites and apps collect data on a user’s activity and send it to Facebook, where it’s linked to […]
French startup ManoMano raises €125 million for its DIY home improvement platform
The French startup ManoMano has raised €125 million in a Series E funding round, to further develop its online marketplace for home improvement and gardening products, according to EU-startups.com. Founded in 2013, the company has now raised a total of €310 million. Last year was a banner year for ManoMano. The company grew 50 percent in […]
UK will allow Huawei to build 5G networks, but with key restrictions
The UK has announced that it will allow Huawei to develop certain elements of the nation’s 5G network, rejecting calls from US officials to ban the Chinese firm entirely, according to BBC News. However, the company’s participation will come with restrictions. Huawei will be prevented from working on certain sensitive, or “core” elements of the […]