Strange tweet from US nuclear command account at the weekend has been blamed on very young child accessing parent's device
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
March 2021
Microsoft, Facebook To Reopen Some US Offices
As US, UK begins to emerge from Coronavirus lockdowns, US tech giants Microsoft and Facebook announce limited office re-opening
Google Adds £21m To EU Fake News Warchest
EU fund to fight fake news receives first investment, namely 25 million euros from Google, amid ongoing scrutiny of tech giant efforts
Facebook To Allow Users To Limit Comments On Posts
Stopping toxic trolls? All users to effectively be given ability to switch off comments on posts, or limit those who can comment
Google Maps Adds Eco Friendly Routes
Eco option for cClimate change. Google Maps users will soon be able to compare the CO2 emissions of different available routes
SpaceX SN11 Rocket Explodes During Descent
Another bumpy ride for Elon Musk's prototype spacecraft that will eventually be used to ferry mankind to the moon and Mars
SolarWinds Attackers ‘Accessed Emails’ Of Top US Officials
SolarWinds hackers accessed email accounts of head of Department of Homeland Security and DHS cybersecurity staff, probe finds
US Congress Probes ‘Risky’ SpaceX Launch
US Congress says it is investigating regulators' handling of SpaceX flight that violated safety rules and other launches that 'raise serious questions'
Ransomware Cuts Off 37,000 Students’ Emails
Harris Federation shuts down email access for 50 London academies after ransomware incident, as wave of cyber-attacks hits UK education sector
MPs Face Legal Challenge Over Disappearing Messages
Legal challenge seeks to ban ministers from using disappearing messages on apps such as WhatsApp and Signal over transparency fears
Deliveroo Lowers Price Range For Landmark IPO
Deliveroo targets low end of its price range for Wednesday IPO, amidst criticism over share structure and workers' rights
Facebook Plans Two Cables Linking US To Asia
Facebook backs two new undersea cable projects creating direct link from North America to Singapore and key Indonesian market
Chinese Video App Slumps On Hong Kong Debut
Fast-growing online video platform Bilibili sees lacklustre trading as it follows trend of Chinese tech firms taking out secondary listings in Hong Kong
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: The Speed of Change: How Fast Are You?
In this week’s podcast we focus on the recently published report ‘The Speed of Change: How Fast Are you’ from OutSytems. To gain expert insight into how business leaders see their technical abilities to innovate, I spoke with Patrick J ...
More Institutional Investors Shun Deliveroo IPO
Legal & General and M&G, two of the world's biggest institutional investors, lambast Deliveroo over share structure and workers' rights
US Pushes Ahead With Tariff Threat Over UK Digital Tax
US Trade Representative says country will continue developing tariff measures against UK and other countries in retaliation for digital services taxes
Amazon Goes On Offensive Against Critics In Washington
Amazon takes offensive on social media against senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as it faces battles over labour issues and market power
Tech Chiefs Face Latest Grilling By Congress
Jack Dorsey, Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg appear before Congress for fourth time this year amidst lawmaker fury over January Capitol riot
New York Times Column Sells For Over £400,000
New York Times column in the form of a nonfungible token sells for over £400,000 at auction in latest sign of popularity of NFT craze
Disintegrating SpaceX Rocket Creates Light Show
Second stage of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket falls into Earth's atmosphere over Seattle and Vancouver, creating a spectacular light show over the area
OneWeb ‘Milestone’ Launch Of Another 36 Satellites
Latest satellite launchin Russia by government-owned OneWeb, increases total number of in-orbit constellation to 146 satellites
Amazon Executive Fires Back At US Senator Visit To Alabama Workers
Amazon executive hits out at US Senator Bernie Sanders, who plans to visit with workers in Alabama during their historic trade union vote
Zuckerberg Proposes ‘Thoughtful Reform’ Of Section 230 Liability
Ahead of appearance before US hearings on Thursday, Facebook boss suggests 'thoughtful' changes to Section 230 liability protection law
Tesla In-Car Camera Prompts Privacy Worries – Consumer Reports
Privacy issue? Tesla's use of in-car cameras to record and transmit video, worries influential US magazine Consumer Reports
Is Microsoft About To Buy Discord?
Reports surface that Microsoft is considering a possible $10 billion purchase of messaging and communication service Discord
Apple Fined $2 Million For Selling iPhone 12 With No Charger
Fined for breaking consumer law as Brazilian agency rejects Apple green claim for not including charger, as well as 'misleading' water resist claims
India Orders Watchdog Probe Over WhatsApp Privacy Policy
WhatsApp's largest market in India is launching an official antitrust investigation over its mandatory privacy policy update
Google Signs News Deal With Italian Publishers
More licence deals signed with European content publishers for the Google News Showcase scheme, ahead of its launch in Italy
Acer Faces $50 Million Demand After Ransomware Attack – Report
REvil ransomware gang reportedly exploited Microsoft Exchange server flaw to attack Taiwanese PC giant Acer with mammoth demand
BT Staff To Receive £1,500 Pandemic Bonus
Nearly 60,000 frontline BT staff who kept the UK's vital communication channels working during the Coronavirus pandemic, are to receive a bonus
Elon Musk Says Tesla Cars Can Now Be Bought With Bitcoin
Bitcoin endorsement. Tesla cars in the United States can now be purchased by the bitcoin digital currency, Elon Musk has confirmed on Tuesday
Intel Turnaround Plan To Invest $20 Billion In Chip Manufacturing
One month as Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger unveils $20 billion turnaround plan chip so giant can build two new chip factories in Arizona
‘Half’ Of Exchange Servers Left Unpatched As Attacks Continue
Only half of Exchange servers have been patched so far, security firm estimates, as it detects tens of thousands of new hacks per day
Jack Dorsey’s First Tweet Sells For £2m
Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey sells first tweet as non-fungible token for £2m as digital art and collectibles grow in popularity
Connected Commerce: Supply Unchained
One of the starkest impacts the pandemic has had on some business sectors is their supply chains. Massive disruption and retail behaviour changes have meant enterprises have had to completely re-evaluate how they organise their supply ...
Musk Denies Tesla Cars Could Be Used For Spying
Elon Musk reassures China over privacy of data collected by Tesla cars' sensors after vehicles are banned from sensitive military, government facilities
UK Faces ‘Catastrophic’ Fall In Youth Seeking IT Skills
UK faces potentially 'catastrophic' digital skills shortage amidst plummeting numbers of young people seeking IT-related studies
Facebook Shows Neural Wristband For AR Interactions
Facebook wristband prototype could read neural signals transmitted to hands for AR interaction, but device raises host of privacy questions
Deliveroo Targets Up To £8.8bn Valuation In London IPO
Deliveroo targets range of up to £8.8bn valuation in forthcoming London listing, as it sees transactions double year-on-year for first two months of 2021
Japanese Plant Fire Adds To Carmakers’ Chip Supply Woes
Major fire at Renesas semiconductor facility in Japan shuts down production for a month, adding to car chip supply shortages
US CISA, FBI Warn Of Trickbot Phishing Campaign
US CISA, FBI warn of 'sophisticated' attacks that manipulate users into downloading Trickbot via tailored 'traffic violation' emails
Infineon Sees Financial Hit From Texas Plant Shutdown
Infineon sees financial impact in high double-digit millions of euros from February plant closure as chip shortages hit carmakers worldwide
Facebook Fixes Glitch That Took Services Offline Worldwide
Facebook fixes 'technical issue' that caused Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and other services to go offline globally for about an hour
China ‘Bans Tesla Cars’ From Military, Government Facilities
China reportedly bans Tesla vehicles from military complexes and sensitive industrial or government facilities over data-collection concerns
US Justice Department Quizzes Ad Execs Over Chrome Changes
US Department of Justice said to be interviewing ad industry executives over Google's proposed Chrome cookie ban, amidst competition complaints
NASA Successfully Tests Moon Rocket
NASA successfully tests Space Launch System, a rocket intended to send humans back to the the lunar surface and eventually to Mars
NHS Executive’s Twitter Account Hacked In PS5 Scam
Twitter account of NHS chief transformation officer Helen Bevan taken over by hackers, used to advertise PlayStation 5 scam to her 97,000 followers
Europe Looks To Ease Red Tape For Start-Ups
European Commission proposes new rules to lessen red tape for start-ups, including stock option reform and easier immigration visas
Mozilla Pressures FCC To Restore Net Neutrality Rules
Tech firms led by Mozilla publish open letter to the FCC, urging US regulator to urgently reinstate net neutrality rules in America
Government’s ‘Project Gigabit’ Reveals First Rural Fibre Locations
First stage of government plan revealed to get ultra-fast broadband to some of the most remote and rural locations in the UK
Virtual Spaces: The Future of Events
The use of virtual meeting spaces has been developing for decades. Can this technology and the arrival of low-cost untethered VR equipment about to herald a new era of virtual events and tradeshows? Post-COVID-19, will the events space ...
FCC Moves Towards Banning Three Chinese Telecom Firms
US regulatory move by the FCC signals that the tough US stance against China under the Joe Biden administration is unlikely to change
Google Signals $7 billion Investment In Data Centres, Offices
Alphabet unit reaffirms commitment to California and signals hefty investment in data centres and jobs due to pandemic surge
BT Pledges ‘Fury’ Build Of FTTP Broadband After Ofcom Pledge
BT will 'build like fury' to deliver fibre to the premise for 20 million homes and businesses by 2030 after Ofcom agreement
Ofcom Deal To Increase Fibre To The Premise Deployments
Ofcom agreement with BT gives it the conditions needed to ramp up the nationwide deployment of full fibre broadband in the UK
Brand Voice
The barbarians at your door. How to identify and defeat the cyberthreats facing your business today
Many of the cyberthreats your business faces are invisible. Learn how to shine a light on these threats and discover how to take action to protect your business
US Teenage Twitter Hacker Sentenced To Three Years In Prison
Graham Ivan Clark hacked high profile Twitter accounts of Bill Gates, Barak Obama, Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian West
Samsung Again Warns About Chip Shortage
Global silicon shortage not just impacting the car industry, as Samsung warns it may delay launch of the new Galaxy Note device
UK Reserves Nuclear Strike Response For ‘Emerging Technologies’ Attack
The UK Integrated Defence Review includes subtle change about when it may use nuclear weapons if attacked by 'emerging technologies'
Google Cuts Play Store Fee For Developer’s First $1 Million
App developers will only pay 15 percent on Play app store fees from 1 July on their first $1 million made, Google confirms
Uber Agrees To Minimum Wage, Holiday Pay After Court Ruling
Major development for gig economy after Uber agrees to minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions for its 'self-employed' drivers
Huawei To Receive $2.5 For Each Smartphone Using Its 5G Tech
Chinese networking firm Huawei for the first time ever announces its royalty rates for manufacturers using its 5G technology
Twitter Soon To Be Blocked For Russian Users – Report
Russian authorities have repeated a warning that Twitter has one month to delete 'banned content', or it will be blocked altogether
Nokia To Axe 10,000 Jobs Worldwide
Over the next two years Nokia is to cut 10,000 jobs as part of a cost-cutting restructure for its 5G fight with Ericsson and Huawei
Linux Vulnerable To Fifteen-Year-Old Security Bugs
Linux kernel's support for older hardware means some systems are vulnerable to flaws found in fifteen-year-old SCSI and iSCSI drivers
News Corp Cuts Deal With Facebook In Australia
News Corp reaches three-year compensation deal with Facebook in Australia following row over law forcing tech giants to pay for news
India ‘To Propose Ban’ On Crypto-Currencies
India reportedly planning to criminalise trading and even holding crypto-assets, even as Bitcoin continues to set records
British Airways To Add Covid-19 ‘Passport’ To Travel App
British Airways trials in-house system for verifying passenger vaccine certificates and Covid-19 tests, with plans to add the features to its mobile app
Bitcoin Falls From $60,000 High As Investors Show Caution
Bitcoin surpasses $60,000 in value for first time amidst growing acceptance from mainstream institutions, while some investors remain cautious
Government Warns Nurseries Over Elevated Cyber-Risk
Government's NCSC warns early years education and childcare providers of increased cyber-attack risk and provides tips on securing devices and data
Elon Musk Changes Title At Tesla To ‘Technoking’
Musk becomes 'Technoking' of Tesla and chief financial officer Zach Kirkhorn becomes 'Master of Coin', as company pushes ahead with Semi electric truck
Honeywell Quadruples Quantum Computing Power
Honeywell claims performance crown for latest generation of System Model H1 quantum computer, which pairs fewer qubits with higher fidelity
Elon Musk, Tesla Board Sued Over ‘Erratic’ Tweets
Tesla's Musk and company board sued over failure to rein in 'erratic' Twitter messages that allegedly violate 2018 SEC settlement
Judge Dismisses Most Claims Against Zoom In Proposed Case
California judge dismisses privacy violation and 'Zoombombing' claims in proposed class-action lawsuit, citing immunity under federal law
US Senator Adds Support To Amazon Union Vote
Amazon Alabama warehouse unionisation effort gets bitpartisan support after Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio publishes tirade against 'malicious' company
Google, Microsoft Feud Over Antitrust, Hacking Issues
Google and Microsoft trade barbs as US House of Representatives antitrust subcommittee reviews measures that would force payments to news outlets
Mobile Gaming Pioneer Gordon Hall Dies At 51
Gordon Hall was founder of video game studio Rockstar Leeds and developer of some of the top-rated games in the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto franchise
‘Thousands’ Of UK Firms Hit By Microsoft Exchange Hacks
Thousands of UK firms may have been hacked using recently disclosed Microsoft Exchange security flaws, with many more still vulnerable, warns NCSC
Sir Tim Berners-Lee Warns Too Many Young People Lack Web Access
On the 32nd birthday of the World Wide Web, inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee calls for all young people around the world to gain web access
Netflix Tests Crackdown On Password Sharing
Tightening up of account sharing as Netflix confirms test of account passwords, to ensure people are authorised to use account
OVH Hints UPS Cause Of Data Centre Fire
Google meanwhile denies the fire at the OVH data centres in Strasbourg was to blame for the outage of Google and YouTube in Russia
Chinese, US Chip Trade Associations Team Up – Report
Thaw in China/US relationship? Chip trade associations in China and United States reportedly announce joint working group
Clearview AI Sued In California By Immigrant Groups
Another legal headache for facial recognition firm Clearview AI to halt use of its tech, despite ban in some Californian cities
Brand Voice
How safe is your cloud?
As the pandemic has continued, the migration to cloud services for the critical business process has accelerated. With more essential systems and their accompanying data now using the cloud, enterprises need to ensure comprehensive and ...
Brand Voice
Robot Defence: How automation can protect your business from attack
Businesses have developed a hybrid approach to their IT systems to meet their strategic goals. Securing these resources from malicious attacks automatically is now possible. Learn how your enterprise's on-premises and remote systems ca ...
Ten Hacking Groups Exploiting Microsoft Email Flaw, Warns ESET
Security specialist ESET warns that at least ten hacking groups are exploiting the flaw with Microsoft's mail server software to attack targets
Apple Discontinues iMac Pro All-In-One Computer
It was once the most powerful computer Apple offered, but now Cupertino confirms the iMac Pro is being discontinued
Facebook Urges Dismissal Of Lawsuits From US Government, US States
Social networking giant Facebook asks a US federal court to dismiss three antitrust lawsuits, saying there is no evidence or basis for the action
Data Centre Fire Blamed For Russia Google Outage
Fire in a French data centre causes outage of Google and YouTube services for people in Russia, as well as disruption for other online services
Apple Chooses Munich For Chip Design Centre
Apple to open 30,000-square-meter chip design lab in central Munich and hire hundreds of staff, as part of 1 billion euro investment
Russia Slows Twitter And Threatens Total Ban
Amid protests for Alexei Navalny, Russia said it will slow down Twitter for alleged failure to remove banned content, and warns of total block
Apple Cuts iPhone Orders By 20 Percent – Report
Production of the iPhone 12 is being lowered by 20 percen in the first half of 2021, with production of the iPhone 12 mini being dramatically reduced
Right To Repair Law To Tackle E-Waste Problem
End to throw-away society? The UK to introduce 'right to repair' laws in the summer to tackle long standing e-waste issue
Brand Voice
VRdirect: New update set to establish Virtual Reality in day-to-day-business
The Munich-based start-up VRdirect presents the latest update of its platform "VRdirect Studio", paving the way for the widespread use of virtual reality in companies. Through the modular structure and a simpler handling, VR applicatio ...
Tesla Shares Rally After Expensive Share Slide
Shares in the world's most valuable car maker rose nearly 20 percent, after selloff wiped off $300 billion market capitalisation
Verkada CCTV Breach Exposes Hundreds Of Businesses
Verkada compromise of its CCTV system, sees hackers gain admin access to cameras inside Tesla, hospitals, police stations, prison etc
Analyst: Apple AR Headset Could Arrive ‘Next Year’
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo sees Apple AR + VR headset arriving next year, with a lightweight design and a price around that of a high-end iPhone
EU Aims To Boost High-End Semiconductor Production
2030 Digital Compass plan would see EU producing 20 percent of world's high-end semiconductors by 2030, with first quantum computer running in five years
Tesla Share Slide Wipes £200bn Off Market Capitalisation
Latest slide takes Tesla shares to more than one-third below their 27 January all-time peak, with Elon Musk personally losing some £20bn
Deliveroo To Hand Some Riders £10,000 Bonuses
Eligible Deliveroo riders to receive £200 up to £10,000 in bonuses when company goes public in London, following huge business boost during pandemic
Isle Of Wight Drone Medical Delivery Trials Set To Continue
Delivery trials of medical goods to the Isle of Wight set to recommence next month as authorities look at expanding drone usage
Google ‘Recommended Therapy’ Following Racism Complaints
Report says Google frequently recommends mental health resources and medical leave in response to complaints about workplace racism or sexism
European Banking Authority Compromised By Exchange Hackers
European Banking Authority takes email servers offline after finding it was targeted in worldwide Microsoft Exchange hacking campaign
Researchers Identify More Malware Used By SolarWinds Hack Group
Microsoft and FireEye identify three custom-made hacking tools deployed onto networks by 'sophisticated' group behind SolarWinds compromise
White House Appoints Big Tech Critic Tim Wu As Adviser
Tim Wu appointed as adviser on technology and competition policy, signalling hard line on 'abuse of power' by large technology firms
John McAfee Indicted Over Cryptocurrency Fraud
McAfee indicted in US over allegedly promoting cryptocurrencies to his massive Twitter base of followers, then selling his holdings once prices rose
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: International Women’s Day
On International Women’s Day, Silicon UK speaks to one woman who has made tech her home. Why she believes all women with an interest in tech can succeed, and how women are redefining the tech sector.
Coursera Files To Go Public As Revenues Surge
Online education platform Coursera plans for public listing as it reveals revenue surge due to Covid-19-related shift to remote learning
Instacart Considers Direct Listing After Major Funding Round
Grocery delivery app Instacart reportedly considers bypassing IPO in favour of direct listing amidst surging investor demand
US Issues Warning Over ‘Far-Reaching’ Microsoft Email Hack
White House signals concern over potentially 'large number of victims' affected by exploitation of Exchange zero-day flaws
Oppo Shows ‘Expanding Phone’ Prototype
Oppo provides hands-on demonstrations of Oppo X 2021 smartphone prototype with flexible OLED display that rolls and unrolls inside device
YouTube CEO Outlines Criteria To Restore Donald Trump Account
Way back for Trump on social media? YouTube CEO says threats of violence must fall before Donald Trump account reinstatement
Salesforce’s LinkedIn Account Hijacked With Black Lives Matter Post
CRM giant Salesforce confirms its LinkedIn social media account have been compromised, following unauthorised BLM post last week
Amazon Goes Till-Less With Grocery Store In London
Amazon signals intention in UK food sector with ' till-less' grocery store in London that automatically bills customers when they leave
Facebook Lifts Ban On Political Advertising In US
Social network is to resume political, electoral and social issue adverts in the United States, after temp ban for November election
SpaceX Mars Rocket Lands Upright, But Later Explodes
Learning more...another SpaceX rocket bites the dust, after it successfully lands upright but then explodes minutes later on the pad
WhatsApp Adds Voice And Video Calling To Desktop App
Bigger screen time. Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service has finally added voice and video calling capabilities to its desktop version
CMA Launches Probe Of Apple’s App Store Policies
Competition and Markets Authority launches investigation of Apple for suspected anti-competitive behaviour with app developers
Chip Shortage Continues Pain For Car Makers
Two car making giants, GM and Stellantis, confirm ongoing production problems caused by the global semiconductor shortage
Google Won’t Use Other Tools When It Ends Chrome Cookies
Pledge not to build or use third party tools to track web traffic once Google ends tracking cookies in its Chrome browser
Samsung Mulls Four US Locations For $17bn Chip Factory – Report
Two sites in Arizona, one in New York and one is Texas being considered for new multi-billion dollar chip factory for Samsung
Budget 2021: Contactless Limit Raised To £100
Budget 2021. Debit card contactless payment limit raised to £100, as Coronavirus pandemic accelerates electronic payment popularity
Parler Drops Lawsuit Against Amazon Over Hosting Takedown
Controversial social platform Parler has dropped its lawsuit against Amazon Web Services for terminating its hosting of the app
President Biden Backs Amazon Worker Union Ballot
US President lends his support to Amazon workers in Alabama trying to organise a vote on a trade union, and warns against interference
GlobalFoundries $1.4bn Investment To Address Silicon Shortage
US chipmaker pledges $1.4bn to ramp up production at its US, Germany and Singapore factories to tackle global chip shortages
Microsoft Blames China For Mail Server Hack
State-sponsored hacking group Hafnium, operating out of mainland China, responsible for Microsoft mail server hack, firms announce
Facebook News Launches In Germany, Without Axel Springer
Cough up more money. Axel Springer publishing giant refuses to join Facebook News in Germany, citing its low remuneration four news content
Twitter Expands Fight Against Coronavirus Vaccine Misinformation
Platform increases use of warning labels on misleading Covid-19 vaccine posts, and introduces scaling “strike” system for repeat offenders
Microsoft Combines Windows 10 Update To Ease Installation
Redmond for the first time is trying a different process with its Patch Tueday monthly updates, to make the updating of Windows 10 easier
Sectigo Warns 40 Percent Of SMBs Are Attacked Monthly
Survey finds that 50 percent of SMBs have suffered a website breach at some point, with 20 percent admitting being attacked in the last 12 months
Amazon Accused Of Systemic Discrimination In Lawsuit
Female executive at AWS accuses e-commerce giant of discrimination against black people and hired Harvey Weinstein lawyer
US To Squeeze Chip Choke Points To Thwart China Ambitions
US national security commission recommends tightening up 'choke points' on chip manufacturing, to safeguard American interests
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts
The Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts are new pieces of legislation from the EU. To gain an insight into the details of each Act and what impact they could have on businesses - large and small - Silicon UK spoke with Stavroula ...