Technology

I’m wrapping up predictions for 2015 with a touch on technology in banking, as that’s my space.  Although most people are talking about the internet of things and wearables as hot, hot, hot, they’re not.  In fact, I was reflecting upon the fact that the biggest game of 2014 was Candy Crush.  Before that was…

I’m wrapping up predictions for 2015 with a touch on technology in banking, as that’s my space.  Although most people are talking about the internet of things and wearables as hot, hot, hot, they’re not.  In fact, I was reflecting upon the fact that the biggest game of 2014 was Candy Crush.  Before that was…

So Apple Pay finally launched in the USA on October 20 and there’s been mixed reviews.  Some people couldn’t make payments, whilst some found they were double-charged.  However, these are just teething issues and the overwhelming reports are positive.  Even former Apple CEO and Financial Services Club keynote speaker John Sculley: I think Apple Pay…

I’ve been talking about the hot new start-ups targeting the banking markets for a while.  There are literally 1000’s of them – the Fintech Awards had over 750 firms to review this year alone – and sifting the wheat from the chaff is hard.  There are a few standouts however, and these are the ones…

I noted the disconnect between the bank community and the technology community sometime ago in my Red Pill moment, and as the year passes it becomes more and more obvious to me that we are going through a sea change in finance. Almost every day, I encounter a new start-up who wants to change some…

In the third Financial Services Club meeting last week (the other two took place in London and Warsaw), we had a conference in Edinburgh: Fintech2014, in partnership with Scot-Tech. Our checkin folks are real apparitions these days? The conference was ably chaired by Mark Stephen of BBC Scotland, and had myself speaking alongside Susanne Chishti, a…

I had a realisation over the past two weeks of conferences.  Having attended Finovate, SIBOS, Innotribe, a Financial Services Club meeting on cryptocurrencies and several dinners with bankers, we are at an impasse. It’s the meeting of two tribes, and the tribes do not mix well. One tribe is full of suits, fine wines, Michelin-star…

Like many of you, I’m an Apple user in some form.  In my case, my telephone as well as a mini iPad. The iPhone5S (must upgrade to 6!) is an essential in my life. “Who’s the actress who starred in that film?”  IMDB app on my iPhone. “How long has Switzerland been called Switzerland, and…