Image of the week: Tech comes out the valley
"First daughter" Ivanka Trump, officially an "assistant" to the US president, is sitting next to professional wrestling magnate Linda McMahon, who heads Donald Trump's Small Business Administration, at an event titled "Conversations with the Women of America" (those who haven't run a mile) in Washington. The president himself later made an appearance. But it's the statistic quoted in the background that catches the eye: More than two-thirds of all technology jobs in the US are now outside the tech sector, meaning they are found at banks, retailers, manufacturers and other businesses that don't have elaborate, starship-sized headquarters in Silicon Valley.
In numbers: The Meghan effect
€564 million
Alleged boost to the UK economy that will be provided by the wedding of actor Meghan Markle to Britain's Prince Harry in May, according to an estimate by Brand Finance.
€113 million
Included in this figure is the round £100 million that the UK is forecast to earn in “free” advertising, lending a boost to future tourism. (The weak pound will probably help a bit too.)
€56 million
Estimated spending by consumers on commemorative Meghan-and-Harry T-shirts, hats, banners and other related items by firm monarchists and fence-sitters who indulge in an ironic merchandise purchase.
The lexicon: Digital pills
Digital pills will be able to smell your farts. Probably. But what are they? Late last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its first-ever digital pill, a version of pharma company Otsuka’s drug Abilify. This “tattletale” version included an embedded sensor that would track if patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression patients who were prescribed Abilify were taking their medication on schedule. This instantly raised a whole heap of ethical questions, and saw it dubbed a “biomedical Big Brother”. Less controversial, perhaps, is recent testing by researchers of gas-sensing capsules that can assess the chemical composition of the human gut and – the idea goes – pinpoint which of those pesky foods or medical conditions is the culprit for a patient’s excessive flatulence or that horrid bloating.
Getting to know: Richard Howson
In 2016, Richard Howson earned £1.5 million (now worth €1.69 million), including £591,000 in bonuses. What lucrative employment was he engaged in? He was chief executive of the UK construction giant Carillion, which has collapsed amid a heap of political recriminations (it was involved in major government projects and public services) and a potentially fat taxpayers' bill. Howson (49) wasn't in situ until the bitter end. He stepped down last July after a surprise profit warning. But he continued to work for the company until last autumn and will stay on the payroll – receiving a salary of £660,000 (€745,000) until October of this year. Nice work, etc. The British press is now duly giving its readers a precise count of how many bedrooms Howson has in his Alpine ski chalet.
The list: Davos attendees
Sweep the aerial cars: US president Donald Trump is off to Davos for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, where he will be surrounded by ski-clad security types that look like they've just chased James Bond off the side of a mountain. But what other far more attractive people are going to be rocking up to the high-altitude, high-powered shindig this year?
1. Cate Blanchett. The actor is one of three recipients of the Crystal Awards, which "celebrate the achievements of leading artists who are bridge-builders and role models for the global community". (She has raised awareness for refugees.)
2. Justin Trudeau. The Canadian prime minister's domestic honeymoon may be over, but he continues to play well away from home.
3. Al Gore. Still inconveniently right about climate change.
4. Will.i.am. The musician and Black Eyed Pea is a regular attendee at Davos, which he says is important for his philanthropic work. "It just so happens that the people who are in the mountain are the 1 per cent."
5. Elton John. The musician will be given a Crystal gong in recognition of his contribution to the fight against HIV and Aids. Please, can he sing Rocket Man for Trump?
