easyJet seem to be taking an interesting, if not pioneering, approach to disruptive tech. While fintech has mostly absorbed the wave of startups that went after the financial industry from about 2011, travel startups initially went after the middlemen, creating a host of algorithm-based disintermediators, and put a lot of travel agents out of business. … Read More »
Here’s a Reuters piece I wrote on a hitherto uncovered area of blockchain potential — helping law enforcement and others collaborate and collect evidence better, among other things. For security agencies, blockchain goes from suspect to potential solution By Jeremy Wagstaff, Byron Kaye (Reuters) – Police and security agencies have so far only taken an… Read More »
Lucas and his killer robots. Photo: JW (This is the transcript of my BBC World Service piece which ran today. The original Reuters story is here.) I’m sure you’ve seen those cute little humanoid robots around? They’re either half size, or quarter size, they look like R2D2, and if you believe the ads, they… Read More »
(updated to include Grab’s response, edits) Grab, Uber’s rival in Southeast Asia, is putting up an impressive fight against the ridesharing company. Both have deep pockets, and offer incentives to both drivers and riders. But Grab is either struggling to phrase its promos correctly or something more sinister afoot. Today riders were in uproar when… Read More »
Snake on a plane! Don’t panic, it’s probably just a (soft) robot My piece on soft material robots for Reuters. Original story here: I’ve added links in this piece. SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Robots are getting softer. Borrowing from nature, some machines now have arms that curl and grip like an octopus, others wriggle their way… Read More »