The UK neobank wants to broaden its presence in Australia, including adding the ability to receive deposits. It’s got a decent shot at breaking through, but it needs to offer its full product suite to impress consumers.
Revised rule guidelines mean online merchants and payment gateways won’t be allowed to save card details, limiting the ability to market products to consumers and potentially adding friction for customers—but it could benefit UPI and mobile wallets.
The smartphone giant acquired AV startup Deepmotion for $77.4 million. Xiaomi could use its consumer electronic experience to create compelling entertainment-focused vehicles, but it will have to overcome manufacturing challenges and potential regulatory scrutiny.
Pentagon gives Intel a needed boost: Intel will lead a DOD program to bolster the US domestic semiconductor supply. The deal will benefit Intel and could have long-term strategic benefits for US manufacturing, but it will likely do little to alleviate the short-term chip crisis.
China catches up in data privacy: Its new laws give consumers similar levels of data protection in the private sector as the EU's GDPR, which could help streamline data usage guidelines worldwide.
The year 2021 marks a new era for retail and ecommerce. The pandemic drove a massive shift in almost everything digital, and while 2020 will remain an anomaly in terms of the frenzied pace of adoption, consumers’ new behavior is here to stay. Over the next five years, digital activities will continue growing from today’s accelerated base.