US intelligence agency denies surprising allegation by right wing Fox News host Tucker Carlson that NSA is spying on him personally
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
June 2021
Softbank Pauses Production Of Pepper Robot – Report
Japanese conglomerate Softbank seems like it is officially retiring its friendly and diminutive robot that was nicknamed Pepper
Data On 700 Million LinkedIn Users For Sale On Dark Web – Report
LinkedIn denies the personal data of 700 million users for sale on Dark Web was a result of a data breach - says information was scrapped
Shared Rural Network Update Issued By Government
Progress report on £1 billion Shared Rural Network shows Scotland, Wales, North East England benefiting from 4G rural coverage
Government Welcomes EU Data Protection Agreement
Personal data will continue to 'seamlessly flow' between the United Kingdom and Europe, after European Union agreement
Mexico Bans Cryptocurrency Trades Or Services
Mexico's central bank and the country's finance ministry says financial institutions are not allowed to utilise cryptocurrencies
Facebook Joins Trillion Dollar Club, As FTC Complaint Dismissed
Social network Facebook wins dismissal of US states and FTC antitrust lawsuit, which triggers share rise above $1 trillion
Chip Shortage Sees Land Rover ‘Pause’ Production Of Defender 4×4
Another car maker (Jaguar Land Rover) reveals production halt at factory, as chip shortage continues to batter the automotive sector
Apple Updates Magnet Warning For Pacemakers
Updated list of Apple devices that should be kept a safe distance away from pacemakers and other implanted medical equipment
Court Denies HSBC Publication Ban In Meng Wanzhou Case
Canadian court denies Huawei request for publication ban on documents received from HSBC, as Meng Wanzhou extradition case continues
China’s Envision Invests In French EV Battery Factory
Investment by China's Envision AESC into electric vehicle battery factory in northern France could create at least 1,000 jobs initially
SolarWinds Hackers Steal Microsoft Customer Data
Nation-state backed SolarWinds hackers stole 'basic' data on some Microsoft customers after hacking customer-support system in May
Mobile World Congress Returns To Barcelona With ‘Hybrid’ Event
Mobile World Congress returns to Barcelona for Europe's first major tech conference since beginning of Covid-19 pandemic, with talks from Elon Musk and Samsung
Ratings Agency Warns Over El Salvador Bitcoin Move
Fitch warns El Salvador's move to make Bitcoin legal tender could open floodgates to money laundering, increase banks' exposure to regulatory risks
Hackers Use Cracked Games To Make Crypto-Millions
Malware found in cracked versions of popular games such as NBA 2K19, Grand Theft Auto V and Far Cry 5 mines more than $2 million in Monero cryptocurrency
Brothers Deny Involvement In $3.6bn South African Bitcoin ‘Heist’
Two brothers who operated cryptocurrency investment firm Africrypt deny involvement in 'hack' that made off with billions of pounds' worth of Bitcoin
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Removal Until 2023
Google blinks first and delays Chrome’s plan to phase out support for third-party cookies until 2023, citing need to work with regulators
Virgin Galactic Receives US Approval For Space Travel
Richard Branson's spaceship venture Virgin Galactic approved by US FAA to fly people to space after successful test flight
Apple To Bank On Revised Retail Store Strategy
Doubling down on its retail stores, after Apple retail chief confirms post pandemic extension of its retail operations in US
Amazon, Google Face CMA Investigation Over Fake Reviews
Thorny problem of fake reviews faces an official investigation, with the removal efforts of Amazon and Google being examined by UK watchdog
Windows 11 Slated To Arrive Before Year End
Microsoft unveils its next operating system Windows 11, and promises Windows 10 users a free upgrade, if the PC is compatible
US Takes Aim At Big Tech, Approves Breakup Antitrust Bill
Big tech firms face real breakup threat after one draft antitrust bill in US House of Representative gains official approval
Amazon Signs 14 Renewable Energy Projects
E-commerce and cloud goliath Amazon signs 14 new renewable energy projects, as it races towards its 2025 renewable energy goal
EE First Operator To Reinstate European Roaming Charge
EE has become the first UK mobile operator to reinstate roaming charges for customers in Europe, but only for new and upgrading customers
Starlink Will Go Public When Cash Flow Stabilises – Elon Musk
SpaceX's Elon Musk confirms the Starlink broadband satellite venture will eventually apply for an initial public offering (IPO)
Alan Turing £50 Bank Note Enters Circulation
New £50 polymer bank note bearing the photo of WW2 codebreaker and computing and AI pioneer Alan Turing enters circulation
O2 Denies Reinstating Roaming Charges For Brits In Europe
O2 denies reinstating roaming charges, after adjusting its roaming fair usage data limit already in place for unlimited data customers
Antivirus Pioneer John McAfee Found Dead In Spanish Jail
John McAfee is found dead in prison cell, hours after the Spanish High Court approved his extradition to the United States
European Commission Plans Joint Cyber Unit
European authorities propose a joint cyber unit to tackle large-scale security incidents, with European nations sharing their cyber expertise and resources
Spanish Court Approves John McAfee Extradition To US
Cyber security pioneer John McAfee is to be extradited to the United States from Spain on tax fraud charges, but he can still appeal ruling
Microsoft Now Valued At $2 Trillion
Software giant Microsoft joins Apple, as it cross the $2 trillion threshold to become only the second company to reach that milestone
FSB Head Says Russia Will Help US Locate Hackers
No place to hide? Head of FSB security agency has reportedly said Russia will work with the United States to locate cyber criminals
Bitcoin Plummets To Below $30,000 Amid China Crackdown
Bitcoin digital currency falls below $30,000 in value on Tuesday for the first time since January, as China clampdown bites hard
Apple Halts Production Of iPhone Mini – Report
Farewell to Apple's ill-fated iPhone 12 Mini, as production has reportedly already stopped, due to poor sales of the handset
SpaceX Starlink To Provide Global Coverage By September
SpaceX's Starlink fleet of satellites is to deliver continuous global coverage by around September, its president has revealed
European Commission Opens Google Advertising Probe
Official antitrust investigation opened into alleged anticompetitive conduct by Google in the online advertising tech sector
China Extends Crackdown Against Cryptocurrencies
Hardening attitudes. China's central bank has urged banks and payment firms to crack down harder on cryptocurrency trading
US Regulator Proposes More Restrictions For Huawei
Federal Communications Commission grants initial approval for rules banning new Huawei and ZTE equipment, and requiring carriers to 'rip and replace'
BBVA Offers Bitcoin Trading Services In Switzerland
Spain's BBVA launches Bitcoin trading and custody services in Switzerland, with the aim of extending them to other countries
Google ‘Faces Formal EU Probe’ Into Advertising Business
European Union antitrust regulator reportedly preparing formal investigation into Google's online advertising business by end of year
Google Developing Own Skin-Tone System In Diversity Push
Google develops its own alternative to industry-standard skin-tone classification system as it seeks to ensure products work well across skin types
Regulator ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Live Facial Recognition
Information Commissioner concerned that live facial recognition could be linked to social media to create 'supercharged CCTV'
ByteDance Sees Revenues Double As TikTok Expands
ByteDance sees revenues more than double in 2020 as TikTok continues rapid expansion worldwide, as Chinese apps face new pressure in US
Facebook Begins Testing Ads In Oculus VR Games
Facebook is to begin testing advertisements in its Oculus virtual reality games, as it seeks to create a 'self-sustaining platform' for VR development
Chip Shortage Forces Subaru To Temporarily Shut Factories
Japan-based Subaru becomes latest car maker to close factories due to ongoing chip shortages hitting automotive sector hard
Russia Bill To Force US Tech Firms To Open Local Offices
First servers, now offices. Lawmakers in Russia pass legislation requiring US tech giants to open local offices in the country
SpaceX Warned Over Spacecraft Launch Violations
Local authorities in Texas warn Elon Musk's SpaceX over repeated violations of state laws during the launches of spacecraft
Google Opens Doors Of First Ever Retail Store
Google retail store in a trendy New York neighbourhood open doors for businesses, to showcase hardware devices and online services to potential customers
Hiring In UK Tech Sector Hits Five Year High
Welcomed news. Tech hiring hits five year high, with 132,000 open jobs per week in May, new data for the government reveals
Satya Nadella Confirmed As Microsoft Chairman
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has had another role added to his responsibilities, with the position of chairman of the board
Tim Cook Warns Sideloading Apps Will Hurt iPhone Security
During a rare interview, Apple's Tim Cook warns EU that allowing the sideloading of apps by avoiding the App Store will hurt iPhone security
World Bank Rejects El Salvador Bitcoin Request
Crypto setback? World Bank refuses a formal request from El Salvador to assist with implementation of Bitcoin as legal tender
Print Your Own: The State of Additive Manufacturing
3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), looked set to revolutionise how products would be created. Today, from hobbyists to advanced personalised drugs, AM continues to rapidly evolve to usher in a new age where the limits of trad ...
President Biden Warns Putin Over Russian Cyberattacks
During face-to-face talks President Biden warns Putin that cyberattacks on critical infrastructure will result in 'retaliation'
Fancy Lazarus DDoS Extortion Group Back With New Campaign
Warning from Link11, after it notices sharp increase in ransom focused distributed denial of service (RDDoS or RDoS) attacks
Google Adds Encryption To Messages App, Expands Earthquake Detection
Android announcements includes Google Messages now offering end-to-end encryption and expanded Earthquake detection and alerts
Alphabet’s Waymo Raises $2.5 Billion Funding
Fresh round of investment into self-driving division of Alphabet, to help grow Waymo and develop its autonomous driving tech
Indian Minister Accuses Twitter Of Non-Compliance
Twitter stand-off with Indian authorities continues as technology minister says firm deliberately failed to comply with new rules
Windows 10 To Be Retired In 2025, As Windows 11 Leaks
Microsoft web document shows it will stop supporting Windows 10 in October 2025, as it readies major revamp of operating system
Sir Tim Berners-Lee To Auction Web Source Code As NFT
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is to auction off the original source code for World Wide Web as a NFT later this month, to raise funds for good causes
Apple, Google Face Mobile Ecosystem Investigation By CMA
UK watchdog the CMA launches investigation of smartphone giants Apple and Google, over their respective mobile ecosystems
European Court Backs National Watchdog Data Enforcement
Blow for Irish data protection watchdog, as Europe's top court rules it is no longer the only data enforcer across the bloc
Biden Urged To Appoint FCC Commissioner To Speed Net Neutrality Return
US President Biden has been urged to appoint a fifth commissioner to “ensure a fully functional Federal Communications Commission"
UK Watchdog Agrees ‘Oversight’ On Google’s Cookie Removal
Unhappy advertiser complaint sees CMA taking a key oversight role over Google’s planned removal of third-party cookies (i.e. its Privacy Sandbox project)
Vodafone Chooses Samsung For 5G, Open RAN
Watch out Nokia, Ericsson? Samsung gains 5G foothold in Europe after Vodafone UK opts for equipment from South Korean giant
Passenger Bids $28 Million To Join Jeff Bezos On Blue Origin Debut
Blue Origin announces winner of live auction to join Jeff Bezos and his brother on debut spaceflight next month
Trump ‘Subpoenaed Apple, Microsoft For Data On Rivals’
Apple changes rules for responding to government data requests after previous administration used subpoenas to gather data on rival Democratic lawmakers
China Regions Order Bitcoin Mining Shutdown
Two of China's biggest cryptocurrency mining regions order mining operations to cease operations, even as China aims for blockchain leadership
US Bills Target Tech Giants’ Unchecked Power
Five draft bills in US House of Representative build on last years' antitrust hearings with measures that target tech giants' key business practices
Data Breach Affects 3.3m Volkswagen, Audi Customers
Personal data on more than 3.3m Volkswagen and Audi customers in North America compromised after vendor leaves information unsecured for two years
Virgin Atlantic Works With Bristol Start-Up On ‘Flying Taxis’
Virgin Atlantic works with Vertical Aerospace to explore 'flying taxi' network that would transport passengers from regional cities to major airports
Chinese Ride-Hailing Giant Didi Chuxing Files For US IPO
World's second-biggest ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing files to go public in US, in what could be biggest Chinese US listing since Alibaba in 2014
China’s Zhurong Rover Takes Selfie On Martian Surface
China's Mars rover, Zhurong, takes self-portrait as it explores Utopia Planitia region of Red Planet at same time as NASA's Perseverance
Amazon Web Services To Build Data Centre In Israel
New AWS infrastructure region is slated to arrive in first half of 2023, and will offer cloud services to variety of organisations in Israel
Russia Fines Facebook $235,000 Over ‘Illegal Content’
Russia penalises Facebook again for hosting 'illegal content', after social network highlights Russian disinformation campaign
EA Games Hacked, Source Code Stolen
Hackers compromise systems of Electronic Arts, and steal valuable source code to big name computer games, as well as internal tools
UK Slips In Global Skills Rankings
New data shows skills rankings around the world, with the UK holding its own in terms of tech skills, but requiring improvement in business skills
Facebook Smartwatch To Include Detachable Cameras – Report
Privacy worry or novel device? Facebook's upcoming smartwatch will reportedly include two detachable cameras and a heart rate monitor
President Biden Drops Trump Quest To Ban TikTok, WeChat
President Biden withdraws a number of executive orders of Donald Trump that sought to ban China's TikTok and WeChat in the US
French Telecoms Giant Altice Acquires Stake In BT
France's second largest telecoms firm Altice purchases 12 percent stake in British carrier BT, but denies takeover intentions
Apple Staff Campaign Against Office Recall – Report
Internal letter by Apple staff reveal growing revolt after Tim Cook's memo tell staff to return to the office by early September
JBS Paid $11 Million To REvil Ransomware Criminals
Not again. Brazilian beef supplier JBS confirms reports that it paid $11 million ransom to Russian Revil criminal hackers
Microsoft To Sell Products From Its ‘Experience Centres’
A year after Microsoft closed down all its retail stores and kept some 'experience centres', it will once again sell products from the remaining locations
Google To Halt Charges For Alternative Search Engines On Android
Google is to allow other search engines to be offered on Android for free, after cancelling the default search preference charge
El Salvador Adopts Bitcoin As Legal Tender
World first move by President Nayib Bukele, after Bitcoin is passed as a legal tender in the South American country of El Salvador
US Senate Passes Bill To Counter China Tech Threat
US Senate passes $250bn US Innovation and Competition Act that seeks to counter global influence of Chinese technology, and encourage US innovation
Fastly Blames Global Outages On Software Bug
Global outage of major websites on Tuesday was caused when an expected customer change, triggered an undiscovered software bug
Sting Operation With Underworld App, Results In Hundreds Of Arrests
Police around the world have arrested more than 800 people after using encrypted messaging app An0m developed by law enforcement
GlobalFoundries Seeks To Dismiss IBM Claim For $2.5 Billion
US contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries asks New York court to dismiss Big Blue claim that it is owed $2.5 billion in damages
Apple FaceTime To Open Up To Android, Windows Users
Apple WWDC announcement reveals Android and Windows users will be able to join FaceTime calls in the Autumn, but only via a browser
Google To Pay £189m, And Change Advertising Businesses
Landmark settlement. Google to pay 220m euros (£189m) in order to settle French antitrust charges, and agrees to make changes
Major Websites Down After Global Outage
Major internet outage knocks oflline big name websites such as UK Government, Amazon, CNN, Bloomberg, Financial Times offline
DoJ Recovers Most Of Colonial Pipeline Ransom
Follow the money. US Dept of Justice has seized most of the ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline to DarkSide ransomware hackers
Jeff Bezos And Brother Book Seat On Blue Origin Debut Space Flight
World's richest man, Jeff Bezos, and his brother Mark, are to fly up to outer space on Blue Origin's first human flight from the planet
Composable: The Future of IT Infrastructure?
With composable infrastructure, IT can provision on-premises infrastructure just as quickly and painlessly as public cloud resources can be acquired and deployed. Is composable IT the future of your business’s technical infrastructure? ...
Silicon Talent
US Plans Boost For Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling
US administration reportedly planning to invest in more recycling to recover minerals and reduce demand for new copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel mines
Microsoft’s £11bn AI Deal Approved By US Regulators
Microsoft's £11bn deal to buy artificial intelligence and speech recognition pioneer Nuance Communications passes review by US antitrust regulators
NHS Patient Database Plan To Proceed Despite Protests
Government to activate centralised NHS Digital database of patient records next month in spite of criticism over lack of public information campaign
Users Warned Over WhatsApp Account Hijack Scams
Users are continuing to fall for scams that allow hackers to take over their WhatsApp accounts or trick them into making fraudulent payments
Apple Updates AirTags Over Stalking Concerns
Apple issues software update to AirTag tracking devices after users find they can be used to secretly follow people's movements
Finance Ministers Reach Corporate Tax Deal At G7 Summit
US says it expects UK, France and others to scrap digital taxes in favour of broader agreement on 15 percent minimum global corporate tax rate
Facebook Bans Trump For Two Years
Facebook is to review its ban Donald Trump after two years due to Oversight Board criticism, as company revises its controversial rules for politicians
Samsung Patent Reveals Folding Tablet Device
Patent from Samsung reveals double folding tablet device that can be expanded into a computer screen like display, or other shapes
Facebook Faces UK, European Antitrust Probes
Double whammy. The United Kingdom and European Commission have launched two seperate, but formal antitrust investigations of Facebook
Apple Developing New iPad Pro With Wireless Charging – Report
On the way in 2021/2022? New iPad Mini, as well as a new iPad Pro with wireless charging are reportedly being developed by Apple
Amazon’s Ring To Make Police Requests For Video Footage Public
Transparency move, as US police forces and fire departments increasingly use video footage captured from Ring doorbells and cameras
Apple Seeks Staff Return To The Office
Remote working setback? CEO Tim Cook wants Apple staff to return to the office by September for at least three days a week
Google Removes Diversity Executive Over Anti-Semitic Post
Google acts after its head of diversity wrote in 2007 that Jewish people had “an insatiable appetite for war and killing”
Amazon Halts Workforce Testing For Marijuana
America's second largest employer confirms it will no longer test staff for marijuana use, and begins testing for Covid variants in the UK
Microsoft’s New Version Of Windows To Arrive 24 June
Microsoft is to unveil its 'significant' Windows update on 24 June, in an event that includes Redmond's Surface executive
Your COVID Pivot: How Businesses Have Changed to Survive the Pandemic
How have businesses pivoted their use of technologies to cope with the impact the pandemic has had on their enterprises? Have some been companies more successful with pivoting to new services, technologies, and business practices than ...
US Sets, Then Suspends, 25 Percent Digital Tax Tariff On Six Countries
America sets, then suspends, a 25 percent import tariff on goods from six countries that have implemented a digital tax on US tech giants
Donald Trump Shuts Comms Website After Just One Month
'From the desk of Donald Trump' communications website closes after just one month of operation, and will not be returning
Tesla Recalls Cars, And Confirms Battery Deal With Australia
Electric car giant recalls 6,000 cars in the United States, and confirms $1 billion a year battery material purchase from Australia
Amazon US Users Have One Week To Refuse Shared Wireless Network
Privacy nightmare or useful functionality? Every Echo speaker and Ring doorbell or camera in US to opt into shared wireless network
TSMC Begins Construction Of 5nm Arizona Chip Factory
US chip factory update. CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. confirms construction has begun of new fab at Arizona site
Two Elon Musk Tweets Violated SEC Agreement – Report
Casual tweeting habit of Tesla boss Elon Musk once again in the spotlight, after running afoul of SEC settlement agreement
Meat Supplier JBS Suffers Ransomware Attack
Critical industry attack on the food chain. Ransomware attack on meat supplier likely originated from Russia, White House has said
Tech Groups File Lawsuit Against Florida Social Media Law
Court challenge by NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association against Florida social networking law
Google Photos Ends Unlimited Storage – What To Do
No more unlimited free photo storage, as Google ends years of free cloud storage for photos. But is there an alternative unlimited service from a rival?
LG Makes Its Last Ever Smartphone
That's all folks. LG this week reportedly ceases manufacturing smartphone handsets, with the last phone made on Monday 31 May
Tech Giants Paid $96 Billion Less Tax Than Stated, Campaigners Allege
Amazon has disputed calculations by the Fair Tax Foundation as “extremely misleading”, after report targets 'Silicon Six'
Daimler Ends Nokia Spat With Royalty Payment Agreement
End of hostilities between Nokia and Mercedes owner Daimler, after the car maker finally agrees to make royalty payments to Finnish giant
Acer Warns Chip Shortage Will Impact Laptop Production
Chip shortage...the manufacturing of laptops will be impact by the global silicon shortage until at least next year, Acer has warned