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Spotify Q1 beats on sales of $2B with monthly active users up 31% to 286M

The coronavirus may be decimating some corners of the economy, but the impact on the digital music, as evidenced by the world’s biggest music streaming company, appears to be minimal. Today Spotify reported its earnings for Q1 with revenues of €1.848 billion ($2 billion at today’s rates) and an inching into a positive net income […]




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Bosch warns of ‘significantly’ steep recession for auto industry

Volkswagen and Daimler report billions of dollars in lost profits due to impact of coronavirus




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Bonds and equities remain on different paths

Mike Mackenzie’s daily analysis of what’s moving global markets




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Shopify’s swift ascent stirs talk of Canadian ‘curse’

Online retailer hopes to avoid fate of non-banks whose value surpassed country’s biggest lender




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Facebook to add gift cards, jobs and donation tools to its COVID-19 Community Help hub

Facebook is expanding its Community Help hub to better serve local communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The hub has already seen significant usage by those requesting food, supplies and information about local resources, as well as use by volunteers and groups willing to lend a hand. Now, Facebook is adding more features to the hub […]




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What happens if my broker fails?

I use an online stock broker to purchase shares in quoted companies 




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Should I make my wife a director of my company?

I would like to pay her but am worried the IR35 tax changes in April could complicate matters




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Apple and Google release sample code, UI and detailed policies for COVID-19 exposure-notification apps

Apple and Google are providing additional resources for developers working with the first version of their Exposure Notification API, the development tools the companies have created and are working on in order to provide a cross-platform way for public health agencies to notify individuals of a potential exposure to a person with a confirmed case […]




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Marx, Gramsci and strikes: life at Tony Benn University

Thinking up the most leftwing ideas imaginable is tricky when several were in the last Labour manifesto




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Home working’s fine — if you’re home alone

’I’m on my second day, drinking too much coffee and feeling I’d enjoy it more if everyone else wasn’t here too’




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Robert Shrimsley: After the coronavirus phone tracker, a few other life-saving apps

Post-lockdown, technology could help us contain Covid-19. But why stop there?




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GitHub launches a mobile app, smarter notifications and improved code search

At its annual Universe conference today, Microsoft -owned GitHub announced a couple of new products, as well as the general availability of a number of tools that developers have been able to test for the last few months. The two announcements that developers will likely be most interested in are the launch of GitHub’s first […]




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Apple Watch designer reveals the device’s origins on its fifth birthday

Update: We mistakenly noted in an earlier version that Chaudhri had been a part of Microsoft’s Hololens team. The story has been updated to remove the reference.  In his two decades at Apple, Imran Chaudhri worked on many of the company’s most iconic product lines, including the iPhone, iPad and Mac. The designer left the […]




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In search of an investment to last a lifetime

Investment trusts pass the longevity test and could provide the answer 




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Silicon Valley could be Biden’s funding lifeline post South Carolina

Presidential candidate Joe Biden is likely to throw a fundraising lifeline to Silicon Valley after his commanding South Carolina victory and heading into the next wave of primaries. A pro-Biden Super PAC, Unite the Country — whose past backers include senior tech figures — is picking up efforts to tap wealthy donors, Treasurer Larry Rasky […]




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Powerful House committee demands Jeff Bezos testify after ‘misleading’ statements

Amazon is in hot water with a powerful congressional committee interested in the company’s potentially anticompetitive business practices. In a bipartisan letter sent Friday to Jeff Bezos, the House Judiciary committee demanded that the Amazon CEO explain discrepancies between his own prior statements and recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal. Specifically, the letter addressed […]




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Apple Watch designer reveals the device’s origins on its fifth birthday

Update: We mistakenly noted in an earlier version that Chaudhri had been a part of Microsoft’s Hololens team. The story has been updated to remove the reference.  In his two decades at Apple, Imran Chaudhri worked on many of the company’s most iconic product lines, including the iPhone, iPad and Mac. The designer left the […]




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Apple and Google release sample code, UI and detailed policies for COVID-19 exposure-notification apps

Apple and Google are providing additional resources for developers working with the first version of their Exposure Notification API, the development tools the companies have created and are working on in order to provide a cross-platform way for public health agencies to notify individuals of a potential exposure to a person with a confirmed case […]




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Nintendo collects lockdown power-up as sales shift online

Jump in downloads helps Japanese video game group score 41% rise in profit




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Annoushka looks to resume China growth as lockdown lifts

Founders plan for further expansion in Wuhan and beyond




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With voter verification, Brigade becomes a more legitimate platform for political debate

Kim-Mai Cutler Contributor Kim-Mai Cutler is an operating partner for Initialized Capital, an early-stage venture firm and was previously a journalist covering technology, finance and policy issues at TechCrunch -- best-known for her long-form work on the Bay Area. More posts by this contributor The outlook for Bay Area startup space in 2017 OpenVote launches […]




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Thyssenkrupp warns on proceeds from lifts unit sale

Group says virus will hit restructuring, while private equity seeks to offload risk




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Shopify launches Shop, a new mobile app

While Shopify is best-known for powering the online stores of more than 1 million businesses, the company is launching a consumer shopping app of its own today, simply called Shop. The app is actually an update and rebrand of Arrive, an app for tracking packages from Shopify merchants and other retailers, which the company says […]




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Biloba lets you chat with a doctor if you have questions about your children

Meet Biloba, a French startup that wants to leverage tech to make it easier to keep your children healthy. The company recently launched a new mobile app that lets you chat with a doctor whenever you want between 8 AM and 8 PM. This way, if you have questions about your kids, you can get […]




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‘Gamified’ investing leaves millennials playing with fire

Slick stock-trading apps skip over the risks for inexperienced investors




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Facebook’s redesign goes live with simplified navigation and dark mode

After months of testing, Facebook’s redesign is finally official. Announced last year at F8, the more minimalist approach to its desktop design has been rolled out in waves. In March, the company added an option to try out the new version. Users could switch back and leave feedback for why they had done so. This […]




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California turns to vote-by-mail to keep residents safe come November

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday that his state would issue a mail-in ballot to every registered voter for November’s election. Newsom issued the decision as an executive order in coordination with other California officials. The order will require all county election officials to provide mail-in ballots to voters, but it also provisions for in-person […]




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Apple and Google release first seed of COVID-19 exposure notification API for contact tracing app developers

Apple and Google have released the first version of their exposure notification API, which they previously called the contact tracing API. This is a developer-focused release, and is a seed of the API in development, with the primary intent of collecting feedback from developers who will be using the API to create new contact tracing […]




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Apple and Google release sample code, UI and detailed policies for COVID-19 exposure-notification apps

Apple and Google are providing additional resources for developers working with the first version of their Exposure Notification API, the development tools the companies have created and are working on in order to provide a cross-platform way for public health agencies to notify individuals of a potential exposure to a person with a confirmed case […]




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IRL pivots into virtual event calendar In Remote Life

What do you do if you’re an event discovery startup and suddenly it’s illegal to attend events? You lean into the cultural shift and pivot. Today, $11 million-funded calendar app IRL is morphing from In Real Life to In Remote Life. It will now focus on helping people find, RSVP for, plan, share and chat […]




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IMF and WTO heads call for lifting trade restrictions on medical supplies and food

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo issued a joint call on 24 April for governments to refrain from imposing export and other trade restrictions on key medical supplies and food and to quickly lift those put in place since the start of the year.




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EIF sets up web page, hosts webinars to examine trade impacts of COVID-19 on LDCs

The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) has set up a dedicated webpage and will be organizing webinars to examine the trade impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on least developed countries (LDCs).




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Tech for good during COVID-19: Sky-high gifts, extra help and chips

When Roger Lee, the co-founder of Human Interest, heard that San Francisco imposed shelter-in-place orders, he started blogging about layoff news and posting crowdsourced lists of employees who were laid off. His goal was to increase awareness about layoffs and give recruiters a place to search for candidates. However, one week and 40 startup layoffs […]




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Daily Crunch: Apple and Google begin releasing their exposure notification API

Apple and Google ask for developer feedback on their contact tracing efforts, Facebook sees a “significant reduction” in ads and Microsoft makes life easier for IT managers. Here’s your Daily Crunch for April 30, 2020. 1. Apple and Google release first seed of COVID-19 exposure notification API for contact tracing app developers This is a […]




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U.S. electricity fuel mix continues to shift

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported continuing changes to the fuel mix for U.S. electricity generation. Over the past decade, the share of U.S. electricity generation supplied by natural gas-fired power plants increased from 23% of total generation in 2010 to an estimated 37% in 2019. This increase was offset by a reduction in the share of generation from coal-fired power plants from 46% in 2010 to an estimated 24% in 2019. EIA expects the share of coal generation to continue its decline to 21% in 2020, while natural gas's share of generation stabilize between 37% and 38% in 2020 and 2021 as renewable energy sources continue to gain market share. In its January Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA estimated that the expected share of generation from renewable sources will increase from 17% in 2019 to 19% this year and to 22% in 2021. The increase in the renewables share is the result of an increase in electricity generation from wind and solar. The share of generation from hydropower is expected to remain the same through 2021.




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Decreased demand and increased supply lead to significant increases in global liquid fuels inventories

As a result of the global economic slowdown related to COVID-19, the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that global petroleum and liquids consumption will average 95.5 million barrels per day in 2020, down 5.2 million barrels per day from 2019. EIA forecasts that U.S. oil consumption will decline 6.5% in 2020 to average 19.1 million barrels per day, which would be the largest percentage decline in U.S. consumption since 1980. At the same time, in its April 2020 Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA expects global oil supply to increase in the coming months from first-quarter 2020 levels. Total world liquids supply will average 98.7 million barrels per day through the third quarter of 2020. These supply and demand developments are contributing to a significant increase in liquid fuels inventories. EIA estimates that second-quarter 2020 global petroleum inventories will increase an average 11.4 million barrels per day. Within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the most stocks recorded in historical data were in July 2016 at 3.1 billion barrels. EIA forecasts inventories will surpass this level as production continues to outpace consumption. EIA expects these large stock builds will put downward pressure on crude oil prices for several months. Brent crude oil prices averaged 32 dollars per barrel in March, the lowest monthly average since January 2016. EIA forecasts Brent crude oil to average 23 dollars per barrel during the second quarter of 2020 before increasing to an average 46 dollars per barrels in 2021.




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Big City thinking needs Big City analytics: Identifying Sydney's Centres of Gravity - 7 Apr

Greater Sydney generates 23% of the Nation's GDP and will be a city of 8 million, up from 4 million, in the next 40 years.




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Facebook to add gift cards, jobs and donation tools to its COVID-19 Community Help hub

Facebook is expanding its Community Help hub to better serve local communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The hub has already seen significant usage by those requesting food, supplies and information about local resources, as well as use by volunteers and groups willing to lend a hand. Now, Facebook is adding more features to the hub […]




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Facebook’s redesign goes live with simplified navigation and dark mode

After months of testing, Facebook’s redesign is finally official. Announced last year at F8, the more minimalist approach to its desktop design has been rolled out in waves. In March, the company added an option to try out the new version. Users could switch back and leave feedback for why they had done so. This […]





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Don’t wait to plan your exit, even if it’s years away

Startup founders have a million things to worry about every day. Finding product-market fit, great talent and and a sustainable plan for constant growth are top of mind, but perhaps most importantly, they need to keep the lights on, whether it’s by raising venture capital or managing cash flows while bootstrapping. The flip side to […]




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Persona raises $17.5M for an identify verification platform that goes beyond user IDs and passwords

The proliferation of data breaches based on leaked passwords, and the rising tide of regulation that puts a hard stop on just how much user information can be collected, stored and used by companies have laid bare the holes in simple password and memorable-information-based verification systems. Today a startup called Persona, which has built a […]




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Germany’s COVID-19 contacts tracing app to link to labs for test result notification

A German research institute that’s involved in developing a COVID-19 contacts tracing app with the backing of the national government has released some new details about the work, which suggests the app is being designed as more of a “one-stop shop” to manage coronavirus impacts at an individual level, rather than having a sole function […]




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Stop Wasting Email Sends on Non-Verified Addresses. This Tool Promises 99 Percent Deliverability.

Run more effective email marketing campaigns and hit more leads with a verified list.




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Daily electricity demand impacts from COVID-19 mitigation efforts differ by region

Recent business shutdowns and changes to normal routines related to mitigation efforts for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have caused daily weekday electricity demand in the central region of the United States to decrease by 9%�13% in March and April compared with expected demand, after accounting for seasonal temperature changes. This decrease is similar to declines seen in New York. In contrast, other areas of the country, such as Florida, have not experienced significant changes, which may partly be caused by regional differences in how much electricity each end-use sector consumes and the varying effects of COVID-19 mitigation efforts on the sectors.




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The First Question to Ask Yourself If You Want to Be an Entrepreneur but Don't Know Where to Start

And how the answer will help you determine the idea for your new business.



  • Starting a Business

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Downton Abbey movie: Allen Leech's wife Jessica debuts her baby bump at the London premiere

Allen Leech's wife Jessica Blair Herman debuted her baby bump as the couple hit the red carpet for Downton Abbey's world premiere, held in London on Monday.




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Downton Abbey Movie: Hugh Bonneville is joined by wife Lulu Evans at star-studded London premiere

The pair looked every inch the happy couple as they attended the world premiere of Downton Abbey in Leicester Square on Monday.




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Jim Carter, 71, walks the red carpet with wife Imelda Staunton, 63

The actor, 71, cut a dapper figure as he posed with wife Imelda Staunton, 63, at the Downton Abbey movie premiere at Cineworld in Leicester Square, London on Monday.




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The family feud at Downton Abbey: Earl's second wife 'forces his two children to leave estate'

Lady Fiona, second wife to the Earl of Carnarvon, requested his children leave Highclere Castle, Hampshire, the famous home of the Crawley family in the ITV drama, it was claimed.