<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images News</span></p><p class="caption">Zac Goldsmith</p></div><p></p></div></div>Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate to be the next mayor of London, has just launched his "Blueprint for Business" mini-manifesto that details his plans to support London's Business community.</p><p>The manifesto, which describes London as "the most Googled city in the world," contains some interesting ideas for meeting the three big challenges facing London's startup community - high rent prices, bad broadband, and a shortage of high-skilled workers.</p><p>Business Insider <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> caught up with <span>Goldsmith</span> as he visited Fab Lab, a creative space in the City that helps people learn about digital fabrication and rapid prototyping, to get some more details on his plans to help London businesses.</p><p>We started our conversation just after Connecting Neurons, a business that uses Fab Lab's space, had shown <span>Goldsmith</span> how to burn an image of his face onto the wooden tiles for their new game "Pegged In." <span>Goldsmith</span> looked very happy with his personalised gaming pieces and was keen to talk about the potential for places like Fab Lab to change society. He said (emphasis ours):</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">It's an absolutely amazing environment. I mean, I've more energy and dynamism and excitement in a place like this. You can't come here and not believe that this is the future. It's extraordinary, and all these young people - it's not just young people - but these young people next door showed me things I've never seen before. Completely fluent with technology and things that are cutting edge. It's absolutely brilliant - and I can imagine that places like this, and there's lots of them all over the place. <strong>They are going to create, you know, the society changes of the future.</strong> It's very impressive.</p><p>One of the biggest problems facing the creative startups that <span>Goldsmith</span> thinks are so important to the future is the increasing cost of renting office space in London. <span>Goldsmith</span> has an unusual solution to this problem - he wants to make unused space in Tube stations available to startups. He also thinks Croydon could be the next big thing in London tech (again emphasis ours).</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">The problem at the moment, is that even though we have this magnificent tech cluster here, there's another one emerging in Croydon as you know. Just as residents are being priced out of the market, it's almost impossible to get on the housing ladder, so too are businesses. There are three components to this that we need to tackle, one of them <strong>is to ensure that TFL [Transport for London] infrastructure is made available to startups</strong>, not on a permanent basis, but on a short-term basis, you've got some of the most valuable retail space in the world in the TFL underground stations. When you develop mayoral land, GLA [Greater London Authority] land, TFL land, where appropriate, which would be most of the time, you ensure you create space for small businesses, startups - not just tech startups - just startups generally. That would enable a lot more capacity if you did that.</p><p>As wells as letting startups operate out of unused, publicly-owned space, <span>Goldsmith</span> also wants to set up something he calls a "match-making service" to bring large companies with space and expertise and smaller businesses together. While he doesn't have any exact details on how it will work, <span>Goldsmith</span> told us that as Mayor he would essentially work as a middleman, striking deal between businesses. He said (emphasis ours):</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">This is based on the Google project, Google Campus, which is effectively a mentoring scheme that allows small startup businesses to benefit from existing large-scale infrastructure. And I think there's a lot more we can do about that - we're working that up at the moment.But actually from a legislative point of view, or from the point of view of the mayor him or herself, it's more about using the position as a convener, trying to make deals between big business and up and coming small businesses. <strong>That's why it's called a match-making service</strong>, it's not something that can be mandated by the Mayor.</p><p>Goldsmith clearly thinks that TFL property is the key to solving a lot of the problems faced by London's startups. Not only could the land solve rent problems, he also says it could be used to help create a superfast broadband network.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">We have massively valuable infrastructure in London that could be put to use. <strong>TFL has 560 km of network, of tunnels, of bridges of roads and so on. And if that were made available, in order to create a superfast broadband network for London</strong> - it could be one internally and it would generate a lot of money for TFL. Or it could be done by outsourcing and it would therefore not cost us a penny, in fact, TFL would earn an income from renting out the space. but that's something that could happen very, very quickly.</p><p>Business Insider also discussed the problems businesses face in securing visas for highly-skilled, non-EU workers. While issues surrounding visas are set by the Home Office, Goldsmith says he would still try to negotiate a deal with the government on behalf of London. He's also a big fan of the government-backed <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/tech-city-uk-endorsed-just-28-visas">Tech City's failed scheme</a> to bring exceptionally talented technology workers from outside the EU into the UK.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">I think the mayor's job is to intervene where there is a sector specific problem. So if there if a sector that is struggling to recruit the brightest and the best because they don't qualify - they don't sort of reach the threshold in order to get the visa - then <strong>the job of the mayor is to try and negotiate a deal for that sector from government</strong>. And the best example of that was Tech City, there are fast-track visas, that is the technical term for them, which were welcomed and highly effective</p><p>Goldsmith was pushed for time and needed to nip off in a taxi for his next meeting at Runway East, a "tailored community for the UK's top innovators and entrepreneurs." But before he went, BI managed to get in one last question. What was his favourite London tech startup?</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>backzac2016</span></p><p class="caption">Zac Goldsmith with "Pegged In," a game made by his new favourite London tech startup. It will be on kickstarter soon.</p></div><p></p></div></div>He replied: "Tech startup? I don't know. But FabLab, does that qualify? Probably not. But I think these guys, are maybe ... Did you see my board? It's an amazing, it's a very impressive setup. I wish them all the best and I will be enjoying playing that game after this campaign when I have a few minutes to do so. But they haven't got a name yet have they? Kate? Have these guys got a name? I'm sorry, the business, the gamemakers. Connecting Neurons? That's the name of the company? OK, well that's my favourite tech startup, it's got to be it."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/presidency-ages-you-admnistration-barack-obama-george-bush-bill-clinton-2016-1">Here's how much the presidency ages you</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VqMmE1MDE6F7KDLqrmSpersKacqMu2bu" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Zac Goldmsith wants to fill London's disused Tube stations with tech startups

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><p class="source">AP</p></div>Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh.</p>
<p>That's my reaction to stories like this from Quartz that say <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-apple-the-new-microsoft-2013-4">Apple is the new Microsoft</a>.</p>
<p>The New York Times said the same thing earlier this week, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nyt-why-tim-cook-is-like-steve-ballmer-2013-4">when it said Tim Cook was the new Steve Ballmer</a>.</p>
<p>You know what? I thought the exact same thing back in December. I was going to write it out. I was going to be so clever. I was going to point out that <keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword>'s stock is probably going to trundle along, stuck in a $400-$500 range for the next ten years, just like Microsoft.</p>
<p>I didn't write it though. The simple reason I didn't write it? Apple is not the new Microsoft.</p>
<p>There is a very important difference between the two companies: Microsoft has totally whiffed on the innovations that changed the technology industry, whereas Apple produced the industry-defining innovations.</p>
<p>In the last ten years, there have been two major changes in the technology industry. The first is the rise of the Internet. And the second is the rise of mobile.</p>
<p>Google has been the biggest winner from the rise of the Internet. For many people, Google's search engine the entry way to the Internet. All surfing on the web is done through Google. This is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-has-a-magic-money-making-machine-2012-6">very powerful, and highly lucrative</a>.</p>
<p><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Kamelia Angelova /Business Insider" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51705d3a6bb3f77037000001-960/sai-cotd-041813-1.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Kamelia Angelova /Business Insider</p></div>Microsoft noticed Google's power a little too late. It tried to catch up with Bing. It failed. Instead, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-microsoft-online-income-2013-4">Microsoft has burned over $12 billion on its online operations</a> in the last seven years. What does it have to show for this? Almost nothing. </p>
<p>Google's search engine remains dominant on the desktop. And on mobile, which is the future of computing, Google has something like 90% of the market.</p>
<p>Search isn't the only place Microsoft whiffed when it comes to mobile. It pretty much missed the entire rise of mobile computing as we now know it.</p>
<p>When Apple released the iPhone,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-steve-ballmer-thought-about-the-iphone-five-years-ago-2012-6"> Ballmer famously laughed at it</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.</p>
<p>Ballmer wasn't entirely wrong, of course. People didn't buy a $500 iPhone. They ended up buying $200 iPhones. And lots of them. So many that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-bigger-than-microsoft-2012-2">Apple's iPhone business became bigger than all of Microsoft</a>.</p>
<p>The sad thing is that two years after those comments, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-ballmer-the-internet-was-designed-for-the-pc-the-internet-is-not-designed-for-the-iphone-2009-10">he was still in denial about the transformative power of the iPhone</a>, saying:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Let's face it, the Internet was designed for the PC. The Internet is not designed for the iPhone. That's why they've got 75,000 applications — they're all trying to make the Internet look decent on the iPhone."</p>
<p>Again he's not entirely wrong. But, his attitude is wrong.</p>
<p>And his attitude was wrong, yet again, when Apple released the iPad. He laughed at journalists and analysts who brought it into meetings. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/live-steve-ballmer-ray-ozzie-at-all-things-d-2010-6">He said it's just another PC</a>.</p>
<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:371px"><div class="image"></div><p class="source">Screenshot</p></div>The iPad wasn't just another PC. It's <em>the </em>new PC. Microsoft is scrambling to catch up with the Surface, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ubs-microsoft-2013-1">the Surface isn't gaining traction</a>.</p>
<p>What's even worse for Microsoft, is that it started with a big Surface. Right as its big Surface hit the market, Apple sold the iPad Mini for $329. We've seen estimates that half, or more, of Apple's iPad sales are iPad Minis. Turns out, people like the smaller tablets. Guess who doesn't have a smaller tablet? Microsoft.</p>
<p>The PC industry is now collapsing. Sales were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-pc-industry-implodes-2013-4">down 14% on a year over year basis in the first quarter, according to IDC</a>.</p>
<p>There are two reasons the PC industry is collapsing: the iPad and Windows 8.</p>
<p>IDC says Windows 8's tile design is scaring off users. This isn't the first time a Ballmer-led Microsoft has produced a bad version of Windows. It did the same thing with Vista.</p>
<p>When Vista was around, though, there weren't viable alternatives to Windows, so it was okay. Now, there are, and it puts Microsoft's core business under attack.</p>
<p>This a very long way of saying that Microsoft made major mistakes, and missed major trends in its own industry. Apple has not, yet.</p>
<p>Apple <em>could </em>end up with the same problems. Perhaps Google Glass is the future of computing and Apple's iWatch will be a dud. Or maybe iCloud will be a total failure, and Apple will just shovel money into it like Microsoft shoveled money into Bing.</p>
<p>If that happens, then the Apple-Microsoft comparisons are apt.</p>
<p>Today, six months after Apple stock reached a peak, it's way too soon.</p>

Please Shut Up With All This Apple Is The New Microsoft Nonsense

<p class="p1"><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Steve Kovach/Business Insider" title_caption="The HTC One." class="zoomin" href="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/515d988eecad048d46000022-960/img_2265.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Steve Kovach/Business Insider</p><p class="caption">The <keyword id="952146" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="HTC-One">HTC One</keyword>.</p></div>Until now, <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> phones haven't been much to look at. </p>
<p class="p1">It's a common stereotype that Android devices are only made for those who don't care about design or build-quality, and who only care about getting a phone for as cheap as possible.</p>
<p class="p1">The stereotype is only perpetuated by the fact that most Android manufacturers continue to make their stuff out of cheap, ugly plastic.</p>
<p class="p1"><keyword id="16129" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="HTC">HTC</keyword> isn't buying into that trend with its newest flagship smartphone, the HTC One, which is made from all metal and glass with some durable plastic accents. It's bigger and arguably more beautiful than the iPhone 5. </p>
<p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You'll want one as soon as you see it.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">HTC may be losing when it comes to brand recognition –– all you hear about are Apple and Samsung these days –– but it continues to make some of the best <keyword id="6354485" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="mobile">mobile</keyword> devices you can buy. It feels like no one cares about poor HTC, but the One perfectly exemplifies why they should.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The HTC One goes on sale April 19. You can <a href="http://shop.sprint.com/mysprint/shop/phone_details.jsp?ensembleId=AP801CWH&amp;flow=AAL&amp;isDeeplinked=true&amp;ECID=vanity:htcone/">buy it on Sprint</a> or <a href="http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/htc/one-32gb-glacial-silver.html?source=ECB23704500ONE0aL&amp;wtExtndSource=preorder#fbid=bnMDgLl75rQ">AT&amp;T starting at $199.99</a>. T-Mobile customers can get it for $99.99 plus regular monthly payments for two years.</span></p>
<p class="p2" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/htc-one-hands-on-photos-2013-4"><strong>Click here for photos and a walkthrough of the HTC One's best features &gt;</strong></a><br /></span></p>
<h2 class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Hardware And Design</span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Let me gush about the design a bit more. </span></p>
<p class="p2">It's easy enough for Android phones to distinguish themselves from the iPhone with a bunch of software extras and customization options, but this is the first time I've held an Android phone that I thought was just as solid and beautiful as anything Apple makes without being a blatant copy.</p>
<p class="p1">The HTC One has a 4.7-inch HD display, meaning you can watch full HD video content. (There are only a handful of devices that can do that, and the iPhone isn't one of them.) The screen's resolution is also incredibly sharp, so text and images look like they're printed on the display. There's no pixelation at all.</p>
<p class="p2">But the phone's aluminum body is the best part. The One's frame tapers to about 4 mm at its thinnest edge, and it has a pleasantly-curved back that makes the phone easy to hold. It's also deceptively light (143 grams), yet plenty durable. The phone has some plastic trimming, but it's a durable polycarbonate plastic that looks great and feels right at home enveloped in all that metal. </p>
<p class="p2"><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:610px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Steve Kovach/Business Insider" title_caption="The HTC One's metal body with plastic accents." class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/515d9890eab8eaff6f000002-960/img_2253.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Steve Kovach/Business Insider</p><p class="caption">The HTC One's metal body with plastic accents.</p></div></p>
<p class="p2">The screen is bordered by two stereo speakers that sound incredible; they're louder and clearer than any other phone speakers I've used. (Most phones only have one speaker.) It's especially useful when watching videos or listening to music, although most people will probably end up using headphones for that kind of stuff. Like many HTC phones, the One also has Beats Audio integration, a feature you can turn on in the phone's settings that's supposed to improve audio quality. But all it really does is make the audio louder; it doesn't improve sound quality at all.</p>
<p class="p2">The One has a special camera that HTC calls an "Ultrapixel" camera. Unlike most smartphone cameras, the One's Ultrapixel camera creates larger-than-normal pixels when taking an image, theoretically giving you a sharper picture and better low-light performance. It works. The photos I took with the HTC One were much clearer than the ones taken in the same environment with my iPhone 5, especially if there wasn't a lot of lighting. </p>
<p class="p2">Battery life is on par with most smartphones. You'll likely be able to get through a day of normal use. But it does get really hot when playing games or watching videos. You won't roast your hand, but it's definitely noticeable.<br /> </p>

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<p class="p2"><span>As for the network, I used the Sprint version of the HTC One. Compared to AT&amp;T and Verizon, Sprint has a tiny 4G LTE network, which is the fastest kind of data connection available. But Sprint LTE is completely absent in New York City where I did my testing. Sprint has another type of 4G that's a little slower, but my test unit couldn't connect to that. I spent most of the time stuck on 3G, which was a huge pain. It's also especially embarrassing for a top-tier device like the HTC One. (To be fair, this is Sprint's fault, not HTC's. I've heard the One works fine on T-Mobile and AT&amp;T.)</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span style="font-size: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Software And Other Features</span></p>
<p class="p2">At its core, the HTC One is still a basic Android phone. But like most manufacturers, HTC tweaked the operating system and added its own "skin" called Sense that has a slightly different design, plus other features not found in Google's basic version of Android.</p>
<p class="p2">The most apparent change in Sense is what HTC calls Blinkfeed, a new default home screen that pulls in photos and stories from your Facebook and Twitter connections and a variety of news sources like ESPN, AP, Reuters, and Business Insider. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Blinkfeed looks a lot like the </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-flipboard-app-walkthrough-2013-3">popular news app Flipboard</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, and it shows you separate tiles for each story. It's a nice feature to have built into your phone.</span></p>
<p class="p2">But as cool as Blinkfeed is, I didn't like that HTC makes it your default home screen. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-people-really-use-their-smartphones-2013-4">Like most people</a>, I use my phone for a lot more than just grazing through content shared on Facebook and Twitter and prefer to jump straight into my favorite apps instead. HTC makes you swipe over to your regular home screen to get all that. (Yes, you can store a few apps in the One's "dock" that will show up even while looking at Blinkfeed, but it's still limiting.)</p>
<p class="p2"><span>I have a feeling most people will end up doing what I did and make the regular home screen their default.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:610px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Steve Kovach/Business Insider" title_caption="Blinkfeed on the HTC One." class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/515d988beab8eab86f000004-960/img_2264.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Steve Kovach/Business Insider</p><p class="caption">Blinkfeed on the HTC One.</p></div></p>
<p class="p2">HTC also added some special tricks to the camera software. It has built-in filters sort of like the ones you'll find on Instagram. It also has a new feature called Zoe that takes a short video clip and lets you select one frame to share on Facebook, email, and pretty much any other service. Zoe is like a mix of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-vine-2013-1">Twitter's video-sharing app Vine</a> with a little Instagram thrown in. </p>
<p class="p2">The One can also serve as a universal remote for your TV thanks to an infrared blaster at the top of the device. The phone comes with a television app that pulls in data from your cable or satellite provider and lets you know what shows are on. You just have to tap a show and the channel will change. HTC uses a service called Peel to help recommend shows that you may want to watch. The setup only takes a minute and worked well, but I didn't find much practical use for it. I still prefer to use my phone for other stuff like checking Twitter while watching TV. </p>
<p class="p2"><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:610px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Steve Kovach/Business Insider" title_caption="The HTC One's remote control app." class="zoomin" href="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/515d987eecad048f43000019-960/img_2276.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Steve Kovach/Business Insider</p><p class="caption">The HTC One's remote control app.</p></div></p>
<p class="p2">Despite all those extras, the HTC One is still your typical Android phone. It runs a version of Android called Jelly Bean, which gives you access to Google Now, a voice-powered assistant that's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-now-better-than-siri-2012-7">better than Siri on the iPhone</a>. Google Now makes a much better search tool than Siri, and it can intelligently remind you of stuff you care about like when to leave the office for your next meeting or when your favorite sports team is playing.</p>
<p class="p2">You also get access to the Google Play store where Google sells its digital apps, movies, music, books, and periodicals. Google Play's selection is about as good as the selection in Apple's App Store for iPhones and iPads, but just know developers tend to make the newest apps and big updates for the iPhone first.</p>
<h2 class="p2">Should You Buy It?</h2>
<p class="p2">If you're ready to buy a new phone soon, you have a tough decision ahead of you. Samsung is about to launch the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-announced-features-and-specs-2013-3">anticipated Galaxy S4</a>, and a new iPhone is reportedly coming late this summer.</p>
<p class="p2">The HTC One is easily the most beautiful Android phone ever created, and has all the other bells and whistles you'll need. You should buy it.</p>
<p class="p2"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/htc-one-hands-on-photos-2013-4"><strong>Click here for photos and a walkthrough of the HTC One's best features &gt;</strong></a></p>

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