Understanding competitive advantage

Apple's App Store is being investigated by the UK competition watchdog over concerns about possible unfair practices that could ultimately mean consumers are paying higher prices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its probe into the iPhone and iPad maker was partly prompted by complaints from app developers. Apple's terms mean that developers can only distribute their apps on its devices via the App Store and some of them are required to use Apple Pay to charge for add-ons or upgrades. Each time a consumer buys an app or makes one of these in-app purchases, Apple charges a commission of up to 30%. Several developers reported that the company's terms and conditions were unfair and could break competition law, the CMA said. Advertisement The watchdog's chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: "Millions of us use apps every day to check the weather, play a game or order a takeaway. "So, complaints that Apple is using its market … [Read more...] about Apple’s App Store investigated by UK competition watchdog

T here can be no excuses for England after this performance. The pitch or grumbles about umpires cannot be used to distract from a poor batting display that gifted India the upper hand. It is not a flat pitch but better than the past two Tests with pace and carry that should have suited England’s top order. With an extra batsman in the side , there was a great chance to make a total that could give them control after Joe Root won his third toss out of four. Instead England were bowled out for 205, narrowly avoiding a sixth successive total under 200, as batsmen spooked by spin walked to the crease accompanied by demons from past failures. Ben Stokes made a good fifty fired up by chirping close-in fielders but there was no substance from England, who were bowled out an hour into the final session. … [Read more...] about England’s batting woes continue: Tourists can only blame themselves as poor play gifts India advantage

MERCEDES have released images of the car they hope will power Lewis Hamilton to a record eighth world title. Hamilton , who is currently tied on seven with Michael Schumacher, will be going all out in 2021 to move into a class of his own. The Brit already has the most wins (95), pole positions (98) and podium finishes (165) in F1 and can now go on to become the undisputed champ. He said: "The launch day of a new car is always a really exciting one. It's great to reveal to the world the result of everyone's hard work at the factories and to see some of my team-mates in person, which has been so rare during the past year. "I've been in touch with the engineers through the winter, keeping track of their preparations as I prepare myself for the season ahead. "The excitement has been building and building, so now I just can't wait to get out on track in the W12." The car - or to give it its full title the Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance - is an evolution of last … [Read more...] about Mercedes release images of Lewis Hamilton’s new F1 2021 car which Brit helped engineers build to go for another title

Check-in data from hundreds of millions of people who visited pubs, restaurants and hairdressers before lockdown was barely used by Test and Trace, according to a confidential report obtained by Sky News. The report admits that the failure of the £22bn service to use the data for alerts or contact tracing meant "thousands of people" were not warned they might be at risk of infection, "potentially leading to the spread of the virus." Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world To make matters worse, when coronavirus data from venues was used, public health officials encouraged pubs and restaurants to contact customers directly - a breach of data protection law which could leave businesses facing legal action. The report says that lack of guidance from Test and Trace for local public health teams on how to use the data left businesses "being asked to, or volunteering, to contact customers and visitors". Advertisement It adds: "This is a … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Test and Trace ‘barely used’ check-in data from pubs and restaurants – with thousands not warned of infection risk

KATE Middleton's mum Carole Middleton pulled out of a publicity drive for her business because she didn’t want to be “insensitive” to Prince Philip. After liaising with Prince William and Kate , she asked publishers of Good Housekeeping magazine not to promote her cover interview because she didn’t want to upset the royals whilst the 99-year-old remains in hospital. Carole's decision comes in the wake of mounting criticism for Harry and Meghan whose explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey is scheduled to air on Sunday night in the US and Monday night in the UK. Whilst their controversial two hour TV special will be aired despite the Duke's condition, Carole refused extra promotion for her business Party Pieces following the interview which was conducted in January. The news comes as Prince Philip recovers in hospital after undergoing a "successful" operation for his pre-existing heart condition. He is undergoing testing for his pre-existing heart problem … [Read more...] about Prince Philip latest – Meghan and Harry Oprah interview will STILL air despite Duke’s heart condition surgery