With conferences canceled indefinitely, companies are increasingly reliant on online events to hype product launches. As they prepare to release a next-gen console before the end of the year, expect plenty of live streams and blogs from both Microsoft and Sony in an attempt to flesh out all that their respective systems have to offer. […]

Microsoft and Amazon are at it again as the fight for the Defense Department JEDI contract continues. In a recent series of increasingly acerbic pronouncements, the two companies continue their ongoing spat over the $10 billion, decade-long JEDI contract spoils. As you may recall (or not), last fall in a surprise move, the DoD selected […]

The original Go was a mostly well-received addition to the Surface line when it arrived in late 2018. It was a nice, pint-sized alternatively, positioned fairly well to serve as a secondary device for some. It did the convertible double duty and traveled well, but otherwise was lacking in guts and versatility. Launching at the […]

Renewed friction between Washington and Beijing adds to coronavirus concerns

Profit forecasts ditched as coronavirus disrupts operations

First New York listing by a Chinese company since Luckin Coffee debacle

Investors anticipate boost in energy demand as economies start to reopen

Brent crude slips back below $30 a barrel after a six-day run of gains

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

Equities rise but some Treasury yields hit record lows as investors weigh economic outlook

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

Contrary to some fears, equity calls on the London market have been relatively orderly

Impact of lockdown weighs on company earnings but stock markets look for optimism

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

Facebook is today rolling out a tool that will allow users in the U.S. and Canada to export their Facebook photos and videos to Google Photos. This data portability tool was first introduced in Ireland in December, and has since been made available to other international markets. To use the feature, Facebook users will need […]

Mobile app market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, which provides data-driven insights about the app economy, has raised $45 million in new funding from Riverwood Capital. This is the first significant investment the now-profitable company has seen since its $1 million seed round in 2013. The investment speaks to the growing demand for data about the […]

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 […]

Tumblr is making a change to how it deals with hate speech on its blogging platform. The company announced today it will also remove the reblogs (repostings) from any blogs that were suspended for violating its policies around hate speech. Already, the company says it’s identified nearly 1,000 blogs that were banned for blatant violations […]

Free streaming service Pluto TV is expanding. The company has today gained access to streaming sports network CBS Sports HQ as a result of the ViacomCBS merger. It has also forged new distribution deals with Verizon and TiVo, both of which were detailed this week. The free streamer had been acquired by Viacom for $340 […]

Twitter announced today it’s introducing a new layout for replies that will use lines and indentations to make it easier to understand who you’re replying to and how the conversation is flowing. The company will also test putting engagement actions — including likes, Retweet and reply icons — behind an extra tap to make replies […]

Pinterest is introducing new features that make it easier for those planning recipes, virtual events and other quarantine activities. These include the ability to add a date or notes to a board as well as automated ways to better organize your pins on a given board, with the aid of machine learning technology. The company […]

Tinder will add a video dating feature in the second quarter of this year, parent company Match announced on Tuesday as part of its Q1 2020 earnings report. The company also detailed the coronavirus impact, which slowed Tinder user growth in the quarter, as social distancing requirements and government lockdowns went into effect. Match didn’t […]

Google today is launching a new app, Read Along, that aims to help elementary school students practice their reading skills and stay educationally engaged amid school closures due to coronavirus. The new Android app is based on Google’s existing application, Bolo, which launched in India last year with a catalog of read-along stories in both […]

A rebranded and expanded version of the CBS All Access streaming service will arrive this summer, ViacomCBS announced this morning. The service, now run by ViacomCBS following the merger, today offers a mix of live TV, on-demand video, original programming, streaming news, local broadcast stations and sports. Now the company is accelerating its plan to […]

Target, which already owns on-demand delivery service Shipt, is in the process of acquiring technology assets from same-day delivery service Deliv. The retailer is characterizing the deal as more of an R&D type of acquisition and not one that will have an immediate consumer-facing impact. Deal terms were not disclosed, but we understand the deal […]

When currency traders are nervous, they don’t head for the hills, but for the mountains

The idea of dropping bank notes from planes to stimulate inflation will be forever associated with Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke

The eurozone’s problems run far deeper than anything that can be solved by a splurge of foreign cash

Shares in the educational IT provider rose 4.2 per cent

Metal offers protection from sledgehammer approach to quantitative easing

If the UK stock market is in for more of a hiding, the FTSE 100 is likely to outperform the FTSE 250

Investors seek safe haven from stock market volatility

What the experts are forecasting for next year

HMRC has sent an email saying that my tax code has changed

I am concerned about inheritance tax if my husband and I were to die prematurely

I am in the process of getting divorced from his mother

I own a flat in London but I am looking to buy a house further out and commute every day

We would like to extend it beyond its current period of 70 years

I employ 10 people and also own a couple of buy-to-let properties

My mother has early onset dementia and her health is deteriorating rapidly

He has taken money from them and frittered it away over the years after promising he would invest it

HMRC’s letter says I might have to withhold tax from my rent 

My pension will provide for my needs so I won’t need the money

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

I am approaching retirement age with very little pension to live on

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

I’m still worried about being investigated by HMRC despite the 12-month postponement

We’re in our seventies and want to get our affairs in order quickly

Quarter after quarter, familiar stories have appeared. The smartphone market, once seemingly bulletproof, has suffered. The list of factors is long, and I’ve written about them ad nauseam here, but the CliffsNotes version is: costs are too high, innovation is too incremental and most people already own a device that will be plenty good for […]

Valve is calling it quits on macOS support for its virtual reality platform. A Valve employee posted an update to the company’s SteamVR forums, noting that “SteamVR has ended macOS support so our team can focus on Windows and Linux.” Apple introduced “Metal for VR” back in June 2017 and highlighted a partnership with Valve. […]