Joe Biden campaign team slams Facebook for blocking adverts in crucial week before US presidential election on 3 November
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
October 2020
UK Watchdog Fines Marriott £18.4m For Data Breach
UK data protection watchdog ICO lowers fine for Marriott data breach to £18.4m, down from a £99 million fine issued last year
Apple Posts Biggest iPhone Sales Fall In Two Years, After Handset Delay
Mixed results. Delayed launch of the iPhone 12 by several weeks sees Apple post its largest decline in iPhone sales in two years
Microsoft To ‘Reinvigorate’ Windows 10 User Interface – Report
New look and feel for Windows 10 is reportedly on the way, as part of a major revamp of the five year old operating system
Marvell Acquires Inphi For Cloud Push
Consolidation in the chip sector continues with Marvell purchasing Inphi for $10 billion, to deepen cloud data centre and 5G push
Huawei Lawyers Question Border Officials In US Extradition Case
Fourth day of US extradition case sees Huawei's lawyers for CFO Meng Wanzhou questioning Canadian border officials about her arrest
Testy Grilling Of Tech CEOs Dominates Senate Hearing
Senate panel probing of tech CEOs highlights party differences, with grandstanding politicians deemed 'petty' by some observers
One Million Brits Sue Facebook For Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Over two years since it happened, and Facebook is still facing legal consequences of Cambridge Analytica data sharing scandal
Internet Day: Are the Days of Internet Freedom Numbered?
Today is Internet Day. Silicon UK asked Julius Cerniauskas, CEO at Oxylabs to give his exclusive insights into whether the free Internet as we know it, is ending and, what the internet of the future could look like.
UK’s Coronavirus Contact Tracing Apps To Share Data
Data sharing agreement for the UK's three different Covid-19 contact tracing apps, will see them share infection data between them
Tesla Autopilot Rated ‘Distant Second’ By Consumer Reports
More bad news for Tesla Autopilot system after Consumer Reports testing found it is 'distant second' to similar system from GM
Big Tech CEOs Defend Section 230 Online Protection Law
Missing Mark...CEOs of both Google and Twitter defend law before Senate panel that exempts social networking firms from liability for user content
Trump Campaign Website Defaced Briefly By Hackers
Security breach for Donald Trump re-election website, but campaign officials deny there was any exposure of sensitive information
BT Signs 5G Deal With Ericsson For EE Network
Swedish equipment supplier Ericsson wins BT contract to supply kit for UK 5G network, joining Nokia as major supplier for EE
How Voice Control is Coming to Your Enterprise
As smart speakers continue to expand in the home, using voice to control a range of devices is now familiar. Could a similar voice environment also become essential in the workplace? With mobile digital devices all having voice control ...
Google’s Waymo Strikes Self-Driving Lorry Deal
Alphabet's Waymo division will work with Daimler Trucks on development of self-driving lorries using Waymo's automated system
NASA Confirms Water On Sunlit Surface Of Moon
Space agency NASA confirms water found on sunlight sections of the moon, expanding the location options for a permanent lunar base
Finnish Therapy Patients Blackmailed After Data Breach
New low. Confidential records of thousands of psychotherapy patients in Finland compromised, with some patients now being blackmailed
Mobile Operators Banned From Selling Locked Phones
Ofcom confirms mobile operators in the UK from December will be banned from selling mobile phones locked to their particular mobile network
AMD Targets Data Centres With $35 Billion Purchase Of Xilinx
More competition for Intel, as AMD signals deepening push into data centre market with $35 billion purchase of US-based Xilinx
Facebook Demands Halt To Ad Targeting Research
Facebook tells New York University researchers to stop collecting data on how it targets political ads, with days to go before US election
Microsoft Adds ‘Meet Now’ Feature To Windows 10 Taskbar
Windows 10 taskbar to get launch button for new Skype feature for creating instant online meetings, amidst pandemic videoconferencing surge
Italy Blocks Telco From Implementing Huawei 5G Deal
Italian government bars Swisscom's Italian unit, Fastweb, from following through on 5G deal with Huawei as European countries take tougher line against China
Judge Rejects Government Appeal On US WeChat Ban
US judge rejects government appeal to reverse earlier decision allowing Chinese app WeChat to remain available in US app stores
Huawei Launches Flagship Mate 40 Line Amidst Sanctions
Huawei launches Mate 40 devices with advanced 5-nanometre Kirin 9000 processor, even as new sanctions threaten to cut off its chip supply
French Covid-19 App Crashes After Relaunch
French users of the relaunched TousAntiCovid contact tracing app report technical problems, amidst surging cases and government-imposed curfews
Ofcom Cites Motorola, Sepura Over Competition Law
British comms regulator issues provisional statement of objections to Motorola Solutions UK and Sepura over police contract
Facebook Oversight Board Begins Hearing Cases
Two years after it was first mooted, Facebook oversight board which can overrule Mark Zuckerberg on content matters, starts hearing cases
Uber, Lyft Ordered To Classify California Drivers As Employees
Landmark ruling for gig economy? Californian Appeals Court orders ride hailing firms Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as employees
McAfee Raises $620 Million With Wall Street Return
Security vendor McAfee has returned to the public markets with an IPO that raised $620 million, below the $740 million it had hoped to gain
Sir Jony Ive To Redesign Airbnb’s Products, Services
British designer of the Apple iPhone is to head up a redesign of Airbnb's core products and services, to improve public perception
PayPal Opens Up To Cryptocurrencies
Popular online payments system PayPal announces entry into cryptocurrency market, in a move that may draw regulator scrutiny
WhatsApp To Bring Voice, Video Calls To Web Version
Watch out Zoom! WhatsApp is reportedly deliver voice and video calling to WhatsApp Web, its desktop based offering
Iran, Russia, Have Obtained US Voter Data, US Warns
Russia and Iran have obtained some US voter registration data and are attempting to influence Presidential election, Trump official warns
Microsoft President Warns Of Cyberattack ‘Onslaught’
Brad Smith tells attendees at security event that democracies at risk from cyber onslaught from the likes of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea
China Urges Sweden To Reconsider Its ‘Wrong’ Huawei Ban
Beijing spokesman warns of 'negative impact' for China-Sweden trade, after Swedish watchdog bans Huawei and ZTE 5G equipment
Amazon Extends Work From Home Until June 2021
After thousands of its workforce were infected with Coronavirus, Amazon extends its work from home option until middle of 2021
The Customer of One: How Personalisation is the Key to Long Term Profitability
To maintain loyalty and brand advocacy, how has personalisation evolved? Highly focused data is, of course, needed to create personalised communications, but in an age where privacy is essential to consumers, how can businesses balance ...
Google Condemns ‘Deeply Flawed’ DoJ Antitrust Lawsuit
Hard hitting response from Google to the biggest threat it has ever faced in its history, after the DoJ files an antitrust lawsuit
DoJ Sues ‘Gatekeeper’ Google Over Alleged ‘Illegal Monopoly’
Breakup threat. US Department of Justice lawsuit accuses Google of abusing its position to dominate search and search advertising
UK Drivers To Be Banned From Picking Up Smartphones
New legislation in 2021 will ban drivers from even picking up mobile phones while driving motoro vehicles on British roads
Sweden Excludes Huawei, ZTE For 5G Networks
Swedish regulator cites security reasons for banning 5G telecom equipment from Huawei and ZTE, ahead of spectrum auctions
NASA, Nokia To Build LTE Network On Moon
'Ground control to Major Tom.' Finnish networking giant to build first ever 4G/5G cellular network on the Moon, slated for late 2022
Intel Sells NAND Business To SK Hynix For $9 Billion
Acquisition of Intel's NAND business division makes SK Hynix the second largest NAND flash manufacturer in the world after Samsung
US DoJ Charges Six Russian GRU Officers For Cyberattacks
Hackers also targeted this year's delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo says UK, as the US DoJ charges six Russian military intelligence officers
Google Discloses Biggest-Ever DDoS Attack
Google says it successfully fended off a 2.5 Tbps denial-of-service attack in 2017, making it the biggest such attack to date
Microsoft Issues Two Emergency Windows Patches
Microsoft publishes out-of-band patches for bugs in Visual Studio Code and Windows Codecs Library that could allow attackers to take over a system
Zoom Introduces Paid Events, In-Meeting Apps
Zoom aims to capitalise on its massively increased user base with platform for paid events and third-party apps offering in-meeting tools and features
European Telecoms Trade Group Warns Against Banning Chinese Vendors
Banning Chinese telecoms equipment vendors for political reasons will increase costs and delay network upgrades, argues pro-competition group
Twitter Changes Policy On Blocking ‘Hacked Materials’
Twitter will no longer block links to articles containing hacked materials, following criticism over treatment of controversial New York Post article
Google Makes More Concessions On Fitbit Deal
Additional concessions by Google over £1.6bn Fitbit acquisition likely to win over EU competition regulators, as proposed deal nears one-year anniversary
Twitter Blames Internal Change For Outage
Inadvertent change to internal systems knocks micro-blogging platform Twitter offline for over several hours on Thursday evening
YouTube Joins Ban On QAnon Conspiracy Theory
About time? Google's video-sharing platform joins Facebook and Twitter, after announcing ban on content about conspiracy theory QAnon
British Airways Hit With Record £20m Fine For Data Breach
Data protection watchdog reconsiders its £183.4 million fine against British Airways for 2018 data breach, and lowers it down to £20 million
Facebook Libra Hires Former HSBC Executive
Libra cryptocurrency project still progressing after it confirms it has hired former HSBC executive as chief financial officer
Ofcom Probes BT Charges For Rural Broadband Connections
Telecoms watchdog launches probe of BT after some rural customers face quotes of over £100,000 for broadband installation or upgrade
Nokia Creates Automated Covid-19 Thermal Detection System
In-house analytics solution now offered worldwide, will allow firms to scan employee temperature and whether a mask is being worn
France, The Netherlands Urge EU Watchdog For Tech Giants
More oversight? Two key European countries urge the creation of a European Union watchdog to police large technology firms
Dutch Operator KPN Opts For Ericsson 5G Equipment
Dutch telecoms giant KPN confirms it will utilise equipment from Sweden's Ericsson for its core 5G network in the Netherlands
France Urges EU Digital Tax Rollout
French finance minister says the European Union should ready its own digital tax plans in case OECD negotiations about global taxation of tech firms fail
Coronavirus: YouTube To Ban Misleading Covid-19 Vaccine Content
Anti-vaxxer setback after YouTube confirms it will begin removing videos containing misinformation about Coronavirus vaccines
US Officials Call For Federal Oversight Of Social Media Firms
Twitter's self regulation not working says US report, citing its embarrassing hack in the summer that compromised high profile accounts
Blue Origin Tests Rocket Slated For Moon Return
NASA pleased. Blue Origin's New Shepard booster rocket tested and successfully lands vertically, after returning from outer space
Apple Goes Premium With iPhone 12 Pro, Pro Max
Premium models with premium prices. Apple's top end smartphone line up includes iPhone 12 Pro and the slightly larger Pro Max
Apple iPhone 12 Arrives With 5G
With cut out for front camera remaining, the new iPhone 12 finally offer 5G connectivity, but will limited networks convince buyers?
Amazon Workers In German Strike On ‘Prime’ Day
German trade union Verdi urges workers to conduct two day strike over pay and conditions during Amazon 'Prime Day' sales event
Hackney Council Systems Downed In ‘Serious’ Cyberattack
Ransomware attack? Hackney Council in London admits it has been the target of a 'serious' cyberattack and urges people not to contact it unless urgent
Bletchley Park Financial Crisis Eases After Facebook’s £1m Donation
Jobs have been saved at the birthplace of modern computing Bletchley Park, after a much needed £1 million donation from Facebook
Microsoft Takes Down Trickbot Hacking Operation
Another takedown from Microsoft sees it disrupt key Trickbot servers, which it said could have indirectly impact US election infrastructure
US Army Develops AR Goggles For Dogs
US Army AR specs simulate laser pointer allowing human handler to direct military dogs from a distance, while seeing what the dog sees
Microsoft Gives Staff Permanent Remote Work Option
Microsoft staff get option to work remotely on permanent basis, with increased flexibility on hours and geographical location also part of the new norm
Engineers Honoured For Services During Lockdown
Two BT Openreach engineers, along with staff from BT, TalkTalk and Sky recognised on Queen's birthday honours list for keeping country connected
Waymo Goes Public With Self-Driving Ride Service
Google-affiliated Waymo to go public with fully driverless rides within 'weeks' after shutting down earlier this year due to pandemic
Twitter Adds Last-Minute Content Restrictions Ahead Of US Elections
Twitter bars premature post-eleection declarations of victory, slaps restrictions on misleading content posted by US politicians
Oracle’s Android Lawsuit Against Google Heard At US Supreme Court
Ten year old Android dispute is heard before highest court in the United States this week, as Oracle seeks ruling on epic Google fued
TalkTalk Confirms £1.1. Billion Takeover Offer From Shareholder
Investment management fund and TalkTalk shareholder Toscafund makes £1.1bn takeover offer for British Internet Service Provider
Nokia Wins 5G Contracts In Belgium
Domino effect? Mobile operators in Belgium have opted to drop Huawei and instead selected Nokia equipment for their 5G networks
The Age of the Paperless Office
We know that Coronavirus can live on surfaces for up to 72 hours. Ideally, we would have a totally electronic document office by now – banishing paper to history. Of course, the paperless office has failed to become a reality. Silicon ...
Tech Veteran IBM To Split Into Two Companies
No more Big Blue? Founder of the IT industry reveals it will split into two separate entities after 109 years in operation
Cambridge Analytica Not Involved In Brexit Vote, Watchdog Concludes
Investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office of Cambridge Analytica concludes it was not involved in 2016's EU referendum
French Appeals Court Orders Google To Talk To Publishers
Begin talks now about reusing content. French Appeals Court tells Google it must talk to French publishers over payments to use their content
Facebook Bans QAnon Conspiracy Theory
Two months after Twitter clampdown, Facebook follows suite and bans content linked to conspiracy theory QAnon on its platforms
MPs On Huawei: ‘Clear Evidence Of Collusion’ With Chinese State
Parliamentary inquiry found “clear evidence of collusion between Huawei and the Chinese state”, and wants all Huawei kit removed by 2025
The Health of Security
The digital security threat landscape has been radically shifting as the pandemic has taken hold. For all businesses, a new approach is needed to ensure that their systems and staff remain safe and secure. What are the critical compone ...
On-Premises vs Cloud – How to Optimise Management of Your Chosen IT Infrastructure
Imagine that you are ready to expand your IT infrastructure territory. Do you keep your server on-premises, collocate with a third-party datacentre or do a complete shift to the cloud? Choosing one over the other requires a careful wei ...
Apple ‘Speed’ Event Next Week Slated For 5G iPhone 12 Launch
The delayed iPhone 12 is expected to unveiled next week after Apple announces its 'Hi, Speed' event on Tuesday 13 October
Microsoft Probed By US For Racial Discrimination
Redmond diversity plans to double the number of black and African American senior staff faces scrutiny from US government
Amazon Respects Rights Of Workers To Join Union
Not a problem? Amazon responds to media report on union activity tracking, by saying it respects worker rights to join trade union
Twitter, Facebook Sanction President Trump’s Misleading Covid-19 Posts
After he leaves hospital, Twitter and Facebook take action against 'Coronavirus misinformation' posts by US President Trump
Big Tech Firms Slammed In US Antitrust Report
Bombshell development. Scathing US antitrust report recommends structural separations of big tech firms, and slams monopolistic behaviour
US Antitrust Report Hints At Tech Firm Breakup – Report
Would they dare? US House of Representatives antitrust report includes “thinly veiled call to break up” big tech name firms
Cisco To Appeal Against Billion Dollar Patent Ruling
Networking giant found guilty of infringing four cybersecurity patents and ordered to pay $1.9 billion, but it will appeal
Apple Sues Recycling Firm For Selling Dismantled Devices
Apple takes former business partner to court in Canada for allegedly selling devices that should have been recycled or scrapped
John McAfee Arrested In Spain, Faces US Extradiction
Colourful former security tycoon John McAfee arrested in Spain at the weekend, trying to board plane to Turkey with British passport
Google Rebrands G Suite To Google Workspace
With businesses changing the way they work because of the Coronavirus pandemic, Google opts to rebrand its business software - again
Coronavirus: Amazon Admits 20,000 Staff Infected By Covid-19
Nearly 20,000 staff have been infected by Coronavirus, Amazon reveals after concerns about warehouse conditions during pandemic
Google Removes Australia From ‘News Showcase’ Scheme
Google scheme to compensate news publishers will be 'paused' in Australia due to disagreement with tough local restrictions
Paying Ransomware Demands May Violate Sanctions, US Treasury Warns
Never pay. Insurers and others are warned by US Treasury Dept that cyberattack payouts to hackers may violate US sanction rules
Senate Panel To Subpoena Twitter, Facebook, Google CEOs
Subpoenas on the way after tech bosses refuse to appear on a voluntary basis before Senate panel on reform of Section 230 legal immunity
Google To Pay News Publishers $1 Billion Over Three Years
Big financial commitment revealed by Google to news publishers in a number of countries, starting in Germany and rolling out to other nations
Oversight Board Again Flags Huawei Security Concerns
British security officials have again raised concerns about Huawei equipment and said only 'limited assurance' could be given to long-term use of the kit
Google’s Pixel 5 Targets Coronavirus Impacted Economies
Flagship Pixel smartphone designed for the economic downturn being experienced around the world because of Covid-19 pandemic
Tesla Autopilot Scored Lower Than Systems From Mercedes, BMW
Beaten by rivals? European safety assessment scores Tesla Autopilot system lower than similar systems from Mercedes, BMW, and Audi