Blow to video conferencing systems? Latest version of WhatsApp allows for eight-person video calling, and it is encrypted
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
April 2020
Facebook Advertising Growth Slows Amid Pandemic
The global slowdown in the digital advertising market due to the Coronavirus pandemic, slows advertising revenue growth at Facebook
Coronavirus: Government Grants GCHQ Access To NHS IT
Fresh twist in privacy debate surrounding Covid-19 tracing app, after government reportedly grants GCHQ access to security data of NHS IT tech
Google Kills Off Experimental Social Network Shoelace
Search engine giant axes yet another social network only available in New York, to help people find group activities for people with similar interests
Coronavirus: Tesla’s Elon Musk Slams Pandemic Lockdown As ‘Fascist’
Tesla boss Elon Musk overshadows third quarterly profit at electric car maker Tesla, by calling lockdowns 'fascist' and 'not democratic'
Coronavirus: Amazon Uses Blacklisted Chinese Firm For Thermal Cameras
Chinese firm banned by the United States over allegations it aided the Chinese government, supplies thermal cameras to Amazon for Coronavirus protection
Google Challenges Zoom With Meet Video Conferencing App
Google makes its business-oriented video conferencing app Meet free to all consumers, in a direct challenge to Zoom and Microsoft Teams
WhatsApp Alleges NSO Was ‘Deeply Involved’ In Hack – Report
Facebook unit files new court documents alleging NSO was 'deeply involved' in mobile phone hack of 1,400 WhatsApp users, including government officials
Coronavirus: Google Profits Rise, But Warns Of Pain Ahead
Alphabet delivers strong set of quarterly financial results, despite advertising decline in March as global Coronavirus pandemic starts to bite
Coronavirus: British Covid-19 Tracing App Ready In 3 Weeks
The NHS confirms its coronavirus tracing app will be ready in two to three weeks, but concerns remain over its approach to privacy
GDPR ‘At Risk Of Failing’ Due To Lack Of Resources
Software maker argues GDPR left toothless due to lack of budget ad technical staff at European member states' data protection authorities
Apple To Delay 2020 iPhone Production Ramp ‘By A Month’
Apple is reportedly putting off full-capacity manufacturing of 5G iPhones by several weeks amidst supply chain disruption and uncertain consumer demand
Bug Allowed Hackers To Steal Teams Data Via GIF Image
Microsoft patches security vulnerability that could have allowed attackers to take over Teams accounts and groups if users viewed a seemingly innocent GIF
Virgin Media Outage Affects Tens Of Thousands
'Intermittent' outage strikes at peak time on Monday evening, as users across UK see disruption to wired and mobile data services
Spies Urged To Adopt AI To Counter Augmented Threats
UK's intelligence agencies must use artificial intelligence to repel increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns, finds study
NHS Will Not Use Contact Tracing Tech From Apple And Google
NHSX confirms it plans to carry out coronavirus contact tracing matches on a centralised server, putting it at odds with companies' privacy-centric approach
Coronavirus: Microsoft Working ‘Every Day’ On Cloud Capacity Issues
Microsoft says it is making progress on backlogue of problems created by massive and sustained spike in demand for Teams and other cloud services
Regulator Approves Just Eat’s £6bn Merger With Takeaway.com
CMA 'satisfied' there are no competition concerns with Just Eat merger, as food delivery apps become vital lifeline during coronavirus pandemic lockdown
Researchers Take Down Massive Crypto-Mining Botnet
VictoryGate crypto-mining botnet infected at least 35,000 systems, mostly in Peru, and continues to spread via infected removable USB drives
Intel Sees Cloud, PC Sales Surge Amidst Economic Uncertainty
Intel sees jump in cloud and PC sales for first quarter, but higher costs in Q2 and economic unknowns for the rest of the year
NHS Says Trust ‘Crucial’ For Virus Contact-Tracing App
NHSX 'prioritising' privacy in development of coronavirus contact-tracing scheme, whose decentralised approach contrasts to that of France and Germany
Apple, Google Bring Forward Virus Tracing Tech Amidst Privacy Row
Apple and Google speed up development of contact tracing API, as France and Germany accuse Apple and Google of holding Europe 'hostage'
YouTube Celebrates 15 Year Anniversary Of First Uploaded Video
First ever video on YouTube was uploaded fifteen years ago this week, featuring co-founder Jawed Karim standing around at a zoo
Coronavirus: French Court To Rule On Amazon Warehouse Appeal
Appeal by Amazon against Trade Union court action, that resulted in the e-commerce giant closing all its warehouses in France
Apple Denies iPhone Mail Flaw Has Been Used In The Wild
Disputes claim by researcher ZecOps that the iPhone Mail flaws have been exploited at least six times against high-profile victims
SpaceX Promises To Fix ‘Brightness’ From Satellite Fleet
Stargazer complaints about the growing fleet of SpaceX satellite ruining their ability to see the stars has brought a response from Elon Musk
Apple To Sell Macs With In-house Processors From 2021 – Report
Apple will reportedly utilise its own in-house processors in its Mac computer portfolio next year, in a transition away from Intel CPUs
Coronavirus: Zoom Reaches 300 Million Users, Adds 256-bit Encryption
Growth of video conferencing app Zoom continues with 300 million users, and firm announces Zoom 5.0 with AES 256-bit encryption
Coronavirus: Twitter Clamps Down On Incitement To Attack 5G Towers
Twitter says it is banning 'unverified claims' that could lead to attacks on critical infrastructure, such as the spate of attacks on 5G towers
Apple Email Flaw Exposed iPhones To Hacking
A flaw in Apple's Mail app found on iPhones and iPad, has left devices susceptible to sophisticated attacks for years, ZecOps warns
Coronavirus: NHS Tests Covid-19 Contact Tracing App At RAF Base
The United Kingdom's Coronavirus tracing app that utilises Bluetooth is being tested at a Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire
Facebook Invests $5.7 Billion In Indian Conglomerate
Social network makes biggest acquisition since acquiring WhatsApp by purchasing 10 percent stake in Indian firm Reliance Industries
Coronavirus: Hundreds Of Amazon Staff Call In Sick In Covid-19 Protest
Amazon reportedly facing mass protest from workers in protests over safety in its warehouses amid the global Coronavirus pandemic
Facebook Launches Gaming Streaming Service To Rival Twitch, YouTube
Facebook has rushed the launch of its gaming streaming app, in order to capitalise on the enforced lockdown of potential users
Coronavirus: France Asks For Easing Of Privacy For Covid-19 Tracing API
France asks Google and Apple for their ‘private’ Coronavirus tracing API to be a little less private, with the easing of data sharing with governments
Coronavirus: Facebook Bans Events That Violate Social Distancing Rules
Social networking giant Facebook begins removing listings for anti-quarantine protests in California, New Jersey, and Nebraska
UK Unlikely To Change Huawei 5G Decision – Foreign Office
Government has made firm decision on Huawei's involvement in UK's 5G roll-out, and the decision is not likely to be reopened, senior official says
Coronavirus: IBM Pulls Annual Forecast As Client Priorities Change
Worldwide pandemic hits software sales, as IBM warns that its customer priorities are changing and it withdraws its annual forecast
Has Cloud Tech Made It Easier For Companies To Cope During The Coronavirus?
Though it actually crept up on us over the course of weeks (or even months), it felt to many companies like the coronavirus pandemic struck overnight.
Coronavirus: NCSC Takedown Of Hundreds Of Scam Covid-19 Shops
UK cyber defender NCSC takes down 2,000 Coronavirus scams last month - launches ‘cyber aware’ campaign to mitigate threats
Coronavirus: Ofcom Labels Eamonn Holmes 5G Comments ‘Ill-judged’
Ofcom warns London Live after David Icke conspiracy theory interview, and issues guidance to ITV after Eamonn Holmes' 5G comments
Data capital: Mining for gold in the data decade
Across the globe, organisations large and small are starting to harness the power of data. Data capital will be viewed as one of a company’s most important assets, becoming an engine of commerce and innovation for the 21st century.
Study: Half Of All Developers Now Use JavaScript
But Google-backed Kotlin is fastest-growing language in percentage terms, while Python and Java continue to add developers at a steady clip
Libra Scales Back Cryptocurrency Plans Amidst Furore
Facebook-backed cryptocurrency association to issue digital versions of single currencies, stepping back from controversial synthetic coin scheme
Regulator Gives Green Light To Amazon’s Deliveroo Stake
Competition and Markets Authority gives provisional approval to £460m investment round after warning Deliveroo likely to collapse without new funds
Number Of ‘Hacked’ UK Networks Soars As Staff Work From Home
Coronavirus lockdown sees malicious activity on organisational networks triple in the UK and double in the US as staff move outside the corporate firewall
Chinese-Backed Firm Commits To UK Headquarters For Imagination Technologies
Chinsese state-financed Canyon Bridge tells MPs it plans to keep iPhone tech maker headquartered in the UK, amidst row over board takeover attempt
European Coronavirus Tracing App Scheme Gets Governments’ Backing
Contact tracing apps are set to arrive in Europe and elsewhere in the coming weeks, with authorities hoping they could help lift Covid-19 restrictions
Coronavirus: Google Blocks 18 Million Daily Covid-19 Scam Emails
Online threat. In the past week alone Google says it has blocked 126 million Covid-related daily phishing scams
Coronavirus: EU Sets Out Guidance For Covid-19 Tracking App
European Commission publishes detailed guidance for EU member states developing their own Coronavirus tracking and warning apps
FBI Official Warns Government Hackers Are Targetting Covid-19 Research
Senior FBI official warns foreign government hackers have compromised healthcare firms conducting research for Coronavirus treatments
Former Spy Boss Calls For UK To Stop China Buying Western Firms
Former head of MI6 says the West needs to stop China getting strategic technology by acquiring Western firms, as technology rivalry with the West rises
Coronavirus: Pandemic Ends 700 Years Tradition After Virtual Parliament Approval
Plan for a virtual parliament has been approved, breaking a 700 year tradition of law makers conducting business in the same room
IBM Looks To Have Settled Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Big Blue looks to have settle an age discrimination lawsuit after it allegedly axed mostly older staff and move jobs overseas
What COVID-19 Teaches Tech Businesses About Contingency Planning
In a post-COVID-19 world, what kind of contingency planning will all tech businesses have to create? Can a crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic be mitigated or avoided in the future?
BT Delays Huawei Removal From Core Network By Two Years
Move to shift all core mobile traffic away from Huawei kit and onto Ericsson equipment will only take place by 2023, BT has reportedly confirmed
Pentagon Inspector Unable To Say If White House Influenced JEDI Decision
Investigation into JEDI contract award to Amazon unable to determine if President Trump's White House influenced the decision
Apple Releases Budget Friendly iPhone SE2
Still no 5G. Budget friendly iPhone SE launched by Apple, amid stalling global economies due to worldwide Coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus: Amazon To Close French Warehouses After Court Ruling
French court rules Amazon must only deliver essential goods during Coronavirus pandemic. In response, Amazon says it will close its French warehouses
Coronavirus: Folding@Home Volunteers Merge Home PCs For Fastest Supercomputer
Folding@Home volunteers utilise home PCs to create world's fastest supercomputer to help tackle deadly Coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus: Apple Begins Publishing Mobility Data
Not as detailed as Google's Covid-19 Community Mobility reports, but Apple has released a tool that shows changes in people's travel or mobility patterns
Coronavirus: Attacks On Phone Masts Surge Over Easter
Thank you, foolish celebrities. Attacks on mobile phone towers surge over Easter, with one attack on a tower serving Birmingham's Nightingale hospital
Backbencher Demands Halt Of Chinese Takeover Of Imagination Technologies
David Davies says government must employ every mechanism to prevent removal of tech base of Imagination Technologies to China
Coronavirus: Amazon Fires Two More Staff Critical Of Warehouse Conditions
E-commerce giant fires two more workers after they criticised working conditions in warehouses amid the Coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus: Ofcom To Investigate Eamonn Holmes Over 5G Comments
He should know better. Ofcom investigating “as a priority” after Eamonn Holmes makes 5G Coronavirus comment on television
Coronavirus: UK Confirms Development Of Covid-19 Contact App
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirms government is developing an app to warn users if they came into close contact with Covid-19 infected person
Huawei Warns Of ‘Disservice’ To UK If Excluded From 5G
No u-turn please. Open letter from UK boss of Huawei defends 5G role, amid growing disquiet over Chinese government actions during Coronavirus pandemic
Dutch Police Shut Down DDoS Services
As people around the world turn to online services during the pandemic, hackers seek profits from denial-of-service and ransomware attacks
Ransomware Gang Releases Secret Industrial Documents
DoppelPaymer ransomware developers release files stolen from contractors to SpaceX, Tesla, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and US Navy
IBM Targets COBOL Skills Shortage Brought On By Pandemic
US states are struggling to find programmers skilled in 60-year-old COBOL programming language as coronavirus puts pressure on ageing government mainframes
Singapore Suspends Classroom Zoom Use After ‘Serious Incidents’
Education Ministry suspends Zoom for home-based learning after hackers disrupt virtual classroom during first week of country's school lockdown
Amazon To Build Own Coronavirus Testing Lab
Company aims to institute Covid-19 testing on a large scale to monitor staff health as it faces criticism of its response to pandemic
Apple, Google Work Together On ‘Private’ Coronavirus Tracing Tech
Tech giants propose anonymous Bluetooth tech to alert users when they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19
US Agencies In Favour Of Axing China Telecom US Licence
Ability of Chinese teleco to provide communication and data services between US and China could be jeopardy amid review of approval
Coronavirus: Google Location Data Shows Rise In Visits To Parks
Google releases second tranche of location data that reveals there was a rise in people visiting parks during the warm weather last weekend
Facebook Tracking Lawsuit Renewed By US Appeals Court
Federal Appeals Court has approved proposed class action by Facebook users over alleged tracking of their internet activity, even after logging out
Coronavirus: Samsung, Facebook, Donate Devices To NHS
Samsung donates 2,000 robust smartphones and other equipment for NHS Nightingale hospitals, as Facebook donates 2,050 Portal devices
Coronavirus: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Quizzed Over Sacked Worker
Letter to CEO over fired worker, who raised concerns about worker protection and cleanliness of local Amazon facility during pandemic
Coronavirus: US Senators Advised To Avoid Using Zoom – Report
US Senate reportedly becomes the latest organisation to advise members not to use Zoom, over privacy and security concerns
Google Told By French Regulator To Pay For Re-using News Or Content
Google has been instructed by the French competition authority to pay French publishers and news agencies for re-using content or news
Coronavirus: UK, US Warn Hackers Are Exploiting Pandemic
Cybersecurity officials in the UK and US are warning that state-backed hackers and criminals are taking advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic
Zoom Sued For Security Lapses, Hires Ex-Facebook Security Boss Stamos
Video conferencing app hit with lawsuit for overstating its privacy standards, as it hires former Facebook security executive
Tesla Cuts Staff Wages, Furloughs Workforce
All non-essential workers at Tesla have been placed on furlough, and wages cut, amid the production shutdown due to pandemic
Coronavirus: EU Seeks Unified Approach For Covid-19 Tracking App
European Union warns against fragmented approach for digital technologies and mobile apps, used to help track the Coronavirus pandemic
Cybersecurity In a Post-COVID-19 World
As businesses radically altered how they operate, security must be of paramount importance. With masses of remote workers and networks under strain, how should your enterprise ensure post-COVID-19, your organization is safe and secure?
Coronavirus: WhatsApp To Limit Forwarding To Slow Spread Of Fake News
False Covid-19 claims that has seen mobile masts and towers attacked, has resulted in WhatsApp imposing a strict limit on forwarded messages
Coronavirus: Twitter Boss Jack Dorsey Pledges $1 Billion For Covid-19 Fight
Twitter's Jack Dorsey pledges $1 billion, more than a quarter of his personal fortune, to help in the global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic
New IBM CEO Takes Over, New Cloud Boss Appointed
Big Blue appoints new cloud boss Howard Boville, as new CEO Arvind Krishna takes over the running of the IT industry veteran from Ginni Rometty
Coronavirus: YouTube Clamps Down On Videos Linking 5G To Covid-19
Fuelled by ill-informed celebrities, Google's YouTube bans all conspiracy theory videos falsely linking Coronavirus to 5G networks, after masts vandalised
Google Finally Addresses Pixel 4 Face Unlock Flaw
Five months later. Google updates Pixel software to address problem with flagship Pixel 4 that can be unlocked if a person’s eyes are closed
COVID-19 And Your Quarantined Workforce
Remote working has now become a fact of life for many enterprises as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Is it possible to operate profitably with a remote workforce? What systems need to be in place? And how to ensure security when remote ...
Coronavirus: BT Pledges No Job Losses During Pandemic
No job losses during pandemic, pledges BT, as carrier also suspends future fibre-to-the-premise and G.fast build plans, and implements manager pay freeze
Chip Makers Demand A Say On Proposed US Export Restrictions
Industry groups react to proposed US export changes that would prevent the sale of certain chips and other silicon technology to China
Windows 10 VPN Flaw Gets Emergency Fix Amidst Coronavirus Crisis
Microsoft issues out-of-band patch for VPN connectivity bug as large portions of workforce work remotely due to Covid-19 pandemic
Huawei, ZTE Take Largest Contracts As China Mobile Speeds 5G Rollout
Three Chinese vendors take nearly 90 percent of China Mobile awards as country accelerates its 5G rollout to battle coronavirus-induced economic crisis
Google To Lift Ban On Coronavirus-Related Advertisements
Medical bodies, governmental agencies and NGOs to be allowed to run Covid-19 ads, followed by political organisations, Google confirms
Smartphone Scheme Aims To Track Coronavirus While Protecting Privacy
Boston University proposal would involve tracking randomly generated IDs via short-range broadcasts as means to contain coronavirus infections
Europol: Coronavirus Crisis Spurs Rise In Ransomware, DDoS Attacks
Cyber-criminals increasingly targeting organsiations' computing and online infrastructure for extortion attempts as huge numbers of staff work remotely
Researchers Find ‘Weaknesses’ In Zoom Encryption
Videoconferencing app employs custom encryption scheme and uses servers based in Beijing, researchers find as Zoom popularity soars
Rare Video Of Bletchley Park Location During WW2 Emerges
Video footage of MI6 station Whaddon Hall, attached to the world famous code-breaking centre Bletchley Park, is released to the public
Coronavirus: Zoom Promises Fixes For Security Issues
Widely used video-conferencing app Zoom apologies for security flaws, and promises to improve both safety and privacy going forward
Coronavirus: Google Releases Location Data To Help Authorities Check Lock-downs
Location data is being released by Google in 131 countries so officials can see if people are obeying self-isolating rules
Coronavirus: Amazon Promises Protection For Workers After Walkouts
After warehouse workers stage walkout in the US, Amazon says it will roll out temperature checks and face masks next week
Coronavirus: NSO Offers Covid-19 Tracking Software
Surveillance specialist NSO offers Western governments software that uses mobile phone data to monitor and predict the spread of coronavirus
The Tech Sector After COVID-19
What will the tech sector look like after the COVID-19 crisis passes? Who will be the winners and losers? Silicon UK spoke with experts in their fields to gain their insights.
Coronavirus: UK Government Defends Use Of Zoom
Government says Zoom is useful for self-isolating ministers who have no access to its ultra secure video-conferencing system
US Officials Agree New Restrictions On Tech Exports To China – Report
Trump administration is tightening rules to prevent China from diverting advanced US tech for use by the Chinese military
Coronavirus: Government Thanks Broadband Providers, As 563 Died In One Day
During daily Coronavirus briefing, government thanks the business community for its response, as 563 die in a single day from Covid-19
TSB Suffers Another Online Banking Outage
Hundreds of customers of British bank TSB were reportedly unable to access their online banking and mobile apps services on Wednesday
Coronavirus: Google Cancels Annual April Fools’ Pranks
Search engine giant Google opts out from any April fools' pranks this year, due to the Coronavirus pandemic impacting the world
Coronavirus: Xerox Ends Hostile Takeover Bid For HP
Setback for Carl? Printer maker Xerox cites Coronavirus pandemic 'turmoil' as reason for withdrawing $35 billion bid for HP
Marriott International Hit By Second Data Breach
Not again. Hotel chain confirms it has suffered a second data breach that affects approximately 5.2 million guests around the world