Will London's mayor put the brakes on Uber?

It is the new technology superpower, promising to transform the way we travel and much else, and London is one of its most important bases. But now the car service Uber is at the centre of a major political battle, and the new Conservative government has a tricky choice to make.

London's mayor Boris Johnson, who has until recently been seen by taxi drivers as far too kind to Uber, is now backing new laws which could put a stop to its growth. The newly elected MP for Uxbridge is pushing for the inclusion in next week's Queen's Speech of a proposal to cap the number of minicab licences in London.

In the last year, the regulator Transport for London says the number of private hire vehicle licences has risen from 52,000 to 77,000, and most of that increase is made up of new Uber drivers. Another 1,200 private hire drivers are swelling that total every month, according to the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), which lobbies for the traditional black cab drivers.

The LTDA applauds Johnson for tackling what it says is becoming a pollution problem affecting the lives of all Londoners. Its chief executive Steve McNamara says the capital is suffering growing congestion as an increasingly desperate pack of Uber drivers move constantly from one resident parking space to another as they wait for a customer.

Uber, of course, sees it very differently. The Californian firm is lobbying hard against what it believes is simple protectionism. It cites the average speed of Uber cars through London, up by 9% since it arrived in 2012, as proof that it is not responsible for congestion. And it says further growth in its network is needed so that it can launch its UberPool service here, allowing several customers to share the same car, cutting congestion and costs.

McDonald's faces worker pressure as shareholders meet

                     

Fast food giant McDonald's is facing pressure from both workers and investors, who are increasingly unhappy with the firm's business strategy.

Hundreds of fast food workers and supporters converged in front of McDonald's corporate headquarters on Thursday morning before the company's annual shareholder meeting.

They demanded the fast food giant raise wages to $15 per hour, from $9.

Separately, investors voted to change how board members are elected.

They are unhappy with the firm's slumping sales.

McDonald's - the once invincible-seeming US corporate food giant whose arches are seen across the globe - is struggling, as health-conscious consumers eschew its food in the US and workers stage day-long protests against the company.

That has made this shareholder meeting - the first since British-born chief executive Steve Easterbrook took over the firm in January - a crucial focus of both worker angst and investor frustration.

McDonald's banned media from attending the event, and has sought to dismiss both worker complaints and investor efforts to change the management of the firm.

Airbus chief says future investment at risk if UK leaves Europe

The head of Airbus in the UK has said the aerospace and defence giant would reconisder future investment in the UK were it to leave the European Union.

Paul Kahn, president of Airbus UK, has used a speech in London to make a strong stand in favour of Britain’s EU membership.

“The UK has to have the right competitive environment for investment compared to other countries,” he said.

“Now is the time for industry to speak out and to remind people of examples of success; and we recognise the responsibility to have to be at the forefront of this debate”

Airbus employs 16,000 people in the UK and has annual revenues of more than £6bn.

“If Britain were to leave the EU, would we suddenly close our factory in Broughton? No. With the barriers to entry that exist; and the need for people with skill, passion and commitment, demanded by this type of advanced manufacturing. It would be impossible for us to start making our wings somewhere else for a number of years," he said.

“I believe that it is vital for a company such as Airbus to come out, and make a stand in favour of Britain remaining in the European Union.”

“With a referendum perhaps less than 18 months away…Now is the time for industry to speak out and to remind people of examples of success; and we recognise the responsibility to have to be at the forefront of this debate," he continued.

Mr Kahn’s comments follow those of Sir Mike Rake at last night’s CBI annual dinner, where he called on British industry to speak out on the need for the UK to remain in a reformed Europe.

Marc Bolland, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, used the retailer's results to say that Europe is “important", but said he would need to see what any reforms are “before making a decision.”

Meanwhile Carol Fairweather, chief financial officer of Burberry, said it was a “proudly British company...but we are also a global business and we always have a global outlook.”

Developers 'uninterested' in tweaking iOS and Android apps for Windows

Developers are said to be reluctant to modify iPhone and Android apps for Windows Phone over doubts over app quality and how easy the process will be

Microsoft's plan to make its new version of Windows a mobile hit by letting it accept tweaked Apple and Android apps has met an obstacle: some of the software developers the company needs to woo just aren't interested.

Windows phones accounted for just 3 per cent of global smartphone sales last year, compared with about 81 per cent for devices with Google's Android system and 15 per cent for Apple and its iOS system, according to research firm IDC. One reason is that Windows doesn't run as many or as attractive apps as its rivals.

To boost sales of its phones and new operating system, Microsoft said last month that it would provide tools to software developers to make it easier to design apps for Windows based on apps that run on Android or Apple. But because so few people use a Windows phone, most developers remain focused on the more popular systems and don't see a need to develop apps for Windows. They also said they doubt how easy the new tools will be to use.

"Windows phone will have to gain a significant share of the market before this becomes something that saves us time and/or money," said Sean Orelli, a director at app development firm Fuzz Productions in New York, which makes apps related to Citibank, the New York Post, and Conde Nast, among others.

For Microsoft, the world's biggest software company, there's a lot at stake this summer as it rolls out Windows 10, the first operating system designed to run on PCs, tablets and phones. If developers don't embrace the new platform, it will seriously damage the prospects of the new operating system, which Microsoft hopes will power one billion devices in two or three years.

Interviews with more than a dozen developers found just one planning to move an app from Apple or Android to Microsoft. That's King.com, which ported its popular Candy Crush Saga game from iOS to Windows 10 "with very few code modifications" and will be installed automatically with upgrades to Windows 10, according to Microsoft. King.com confirmed the move but declined to comment further.

Eight developers said they aren't planning to develop for Windows 10 at all. Four who already have Windows apps said they would continue to do so.

Gucci Takes On Alibaba Over Chinese Fakes

                             

Leading fashion brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) have accused Alibaba Group of continuing to profit from the sale of counterfeit designer goods.

The Chinese e-commerce giant previously pledged to combat the trade in fakes.

However the latest lawsuit from France's Kering, the holding company of brands including Gucci and YSL, indicates that Alibaba has failed to convince luxury goods manufacturers that they have done anywhere near enough to keep counterfeit products off its online sales platforms.

According to the wording of this new lawsuit filed in the US federal court in Manhattan, Alibaba has "knowingly" encouraged, assisted, and profited from the sale of counterfeits.

It accuses Alibaba of permitting merchants on its platforms even if they openly say they sell unlicensed copies.

The 144-page complaint says Alibaba's computer algorithms were "intentionally designed" to offer counterfeits when consumers search for genuine brand names. It argues that that when the term "knockoff" - meaning fake - was typed into a search, Alibaba's system added "handbag".

Alibaba insists the complaint from Kering has "no basis" and has vowed to fight the action.

In an official statement the company responded: "We continue to work in partnership with numerous brands to help them protect their intellectual property, and we have a strong track record of doing so.

"Unfortunately, Kering Group has chosen the path of wasteful litigation instead of the path of constructive cooperation."

Alibaba’s defence is that it has 2,000 employees dedicated to anti-counterfeiting and consumer protection work and spent around £1bn in this area in 2013-14.

Inflation Below Zero For First Time In 55 Years (UK)

                            

The British economy has entered into negative inflation for the first time since 1960, according to today's figures from the ONS.

UK's annual rate of consumer price inflation (CPI)  fell to -0.1% down from 0% previously.  It is the first time that the CPI figures have been in negative territory since official records for the CPI index began in 1996.

However, according to the ONS, comparable estimates going back further indicate that is the first time consumer prices have showed deflation since 1960. 

Responding to the latest figures, Chancellor George Osborne told Sky News that this was not "damaging deflation" and insisted that though the government would remain vigilant to any risks that might arise and was "well equipped to deal with them if they did".

Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned last week that the central bank believed inflation could enter negative territory - albeit briefly.

Hackers Dip Into Accounts Using Starbucks App

                        

Hackers are using the Starbucks smartphone app to take money from customer credit cards, bank accounts and PayPal accounts.

The app lets people pay for drinks and food using their mobile phone if their account is linked to an online payment service.

But hackers have found a way to get into the app and take advantage of the cash auto-reload function and online gift cards that many customers use.

The hackers can then transfer customer funds to themselves.

Starbucks has acknowledged the problem but said there is no flaw in the app, and weak passwords could be to blame.

However it says customers will not be held responsible for any charges they did not make.

The issue - which has seen up to hundreds of dollars syphoned from accounts - appears to be confined the US.

Customers affected received repeated emails telling them that there was a financial problem, but they were unable to stop the transfers.

Starbucks said in a statement: "If a customer believes their account has been subject to fraudulent activity, they are encouraged to contact both Starbucks and their financial institution immediately.

"Customers are not responsible for charges or transfers they did not make. If a customer's Starbucks Card is registered, their account balance is protected."

Consumer rights experts recommend changing the password for the app, and disabling the auto-reload feature.