Key plant of TSMC that is supplying Apple with its processors, is hit with a contamination of gases used in the chipmaking process
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
July 2021
Amazon Online Sales Growth Slows Amid Lockdown Easing
Growth for online shopping at Amazon settles down to more normal levels after the pandemic boost, but AWS continues to prosper
Google To Tempt iOS Users With Android Switch App
Google is developing a 'Switch to Android' app so that iOS users can port their data and apps from their iPhone device
Google, Facebook To Require Covid Vaccinations For Office Return
Employees looking to return to work in the offices of Facebook and Google will be required to be vaccinated
Israeli Government Officials ‘Visit’ NSO Offices
Not a raid. Authorities in Israel 'visit' the offices of surveillance specialist NSO Group, amid ongoing Pegasus spyware row
Facebook Warns Of ‘Significant’ Slowdown In Growth
Social networking giant Facebook records fastest growth since 2016, but warns annual revenue growth will slow “significantly”
Apple Patent For Embedded In-screen Touch ID, Face ID
No more cutout notch at the top of iPhone screens in the future? Apple wins patent for its in-screen Touch ID and Face ID
Neuralink Rival Synchron Wins FDA Approval For Brain Interface Trial
Elon Musk's Neuralink business faces competition, after Synchron gains approval for a second trial with humans for its implantable brain computer interface
LG To Sell Apple iPhones In Stores, After Phone Exit
Two months after it made its last ever smartphone, LG Electronics will begin selling Apple iPhones in its South Korean stores
Google Reveals ‘New Chapter’ For Bug Bounty Program
Google's 'vulnerability reward program' has found over 11,000 bugs and paid out $29m over past ten years, but now has a 'major makeover'
Facebook Pauses Sales Of Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset Over Skin Complaints
Temporary pause of sales of the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset, after issues with a foam pad causing skin problems
Microsoft Thrives Thanks To Azure Growth
Software giant posts record results, as certain business segments (Azure) thrive during Coronavirus pandemic, but others struggle
Apple Posts Record Breaking Profit, But Warns Of Chip Shortage
Apple's earnings juggernaut continues, as strong sales of iPhones continues to drive up profits, but chip shortage looms
Intel Warns Chip Shortage Could Last Until 2023
CEO Pat Gelsinger said chip ecosystem recovering, but supply chain is stilled stressed, with chip shortages to last until 2023
Biden Warns Cyberattacks Could Lead To ‘Shooting War’
President Biden underscores the issue of ongoing cyberattacks, and admits they could cause a 'real shooting war' with a 'major power'
Transnet Suffers Ransomware Attack, Halts Port Operations
State-run port operator Transnet has halted port operations in South Africa, after a cyberattack last week crippled IT systems
AWS Hires Investigators After Gender Discrimination Petition
Amazon hires outside investigators after AWS staff petition alleging 'systemic discrimination, harassment, bullying and bias against women”
TSMC: Too Early To Consider German Chip Factory
Hard to get...World's largest contract chip maker TSMC says reports of it eyeing chip factories in Germany is “too early to say”
Jeff Bezos Offers NASA $2 Billion For Lunar Contract
Tempting offer? Jeff Bezos offers to cover costs of up to $2 billion, if NASA awards Blue Origin a contract for moon landing spacecraft
Microsoft Predicts 40 Percent May Quit Their Jobs
Hybrid working is here to stay says Microsoft, as it warns that 40 percent of people may quit their jobs this year for better work, life balance
Kaseya Denies Paying REvil Hackers For Decryption Tool
Kaseya refused to negotiate with REvil ransomware gang, and has strongly denied paying a ransom in order to obtain decryptor tool
Silicon In Focus Podcast: Skills for Success
A new report reveals 77% of SME leaders do not have the skills required to successfully implement new technology into their businesses.
Amazon-Backed Rivian Raises Another $2.5bn From Investors
Electric vehicle start-up raises another $2.5bn from existing investors such as Amazon, as it looks to deliver first vehicles this year
US Targets YouTube, Facebook In Covid Misinformation Push
US presidential administration targeting YouTube as well as Facebook and other social media companies over Covid-19 vaccine misinformation as cases rise
Thousands Of Records Stolen From Gun Seller’s Database
Gun owners' groups urge caution after names and addresses of 100,000 customers stolen from popular gun site and post details to hackers' forum
DeepMind Uses AI To Predict Human Protein Shapes
Google sister company DeepMind releases massive database of AI-predicted protein shapes in human body and other organisms in 'transformative' breakthrough
Printer Ink Can ‘Cost More Than Champagne’
Manufacturer-branded printer cartridges can be priced 286 percent more than third-party alternatives, costing consumers hundreds of pounds a year, Which? finds
Kaseya Obtains Universal Decryptor After REvil Attack
Kaseya begins distributing decryption tool to companies affected by REvil ransomware attack after criminal gang mysteriously disappears from internet
Facebook Outlines ‘Metaverse’ Strategy
Company wants to transition from social media to 'metaverse' technology, creating immersive experiences that connect to work, games and real-world events
France’s Macron Changes Phone, After NSO Pegasus Report
Just in case. French President Emmanuel Macron changes both his physical phone, and his phone number, after Pegasus hack reports
Saudi Aramco Confirms Data Breach After $50m Ransom Demand
World's largest oil producer Saudi Aramco confirms compromise of some of its data, after hacker demands $50 million ransom
Government To Compensate Victims Of Post Office Horizon Fiasco
Compensation promised by government for wrongly convicted postmasters, after Post Office Horizon scandal over past two decades
Ofcom: Telecom Firms Must Do More To Help Struggling Customers
Despite falling average telecom prices, two million UK homes are struggling to afford internet access, comms regulator finds
Visa Continues Fintech Push With Currencycloud Acquisition
London-based forex specialist Currencycloud is to be acquired by payment giant Visa, in a deal worth £700 million ($963m)
Tesla To Open Supercharger Network To Other EVs
Elon Musk confirms he will open Tesla's DC fast-charging stations (Tesla Supercharger network) to other types of electric vehicles in 2021
Microsoft Adds Another Security Acquisition With CloudKnox
CloudKnox is being acquired by software giant Microsoft, to equip it with unified privileged access and cloud entitlement management
NSO Group: Blame The Customer, Not Us
Enough is enough says NSO, as it denies French President Macron was a target, and said people should rather blame its customers
Briton Arrested Over Twitter Hack Of Public Figures
Another arrest over the hack of high profile Twitter accounts of Joe Biden, Barak Obama, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others
Amazon To Halt Covid Testing For US Workers
Too soon? E-commerce giant Amazon has confirmed it is to end testing for Coronavirus for warehouse workers at the end of this month
Keep Virgin Media O2 Routers Out Of Direct Sunlight
Hot hot hot. Virgin Media O2 warns customers to keep their home broadband routers out of sun during the UK's summer heatwave
Japan Sets Data Transfer Speed Record Of 319Tbps
Researchers in Japan have set a stunning data transmission speed record of 319Tbps, over a long distance of 3,001km or 1,864 miles
Biden Backtracks Over Facebook ‘Killing People’ Comment
President Biden backs down after he made a surprise comment last week that Facebook was “killing people” over misleading online information
Apple Delays Staff Office Return As Covid Cases Rise
Delayed return. Staff at Apple will not return to the office until at least October, as Covid cases in US from Delta variant increase
Phone Of France’s Macron Targetted By NSO Pegasus – Report
French President Emmanuel Macron among world leaders whose phones were allegedly targetted by NSO Group's Pegasus 'spyware'
Newport Wafer Fab Sold To China, Has UK Government Defence Contracts
Newport Wafer Fab has over a dozen UK government research contracts, including a defence contract, despite being sold to Chinese-owned Nexperia
Jeff Bezos Completes Blue Origin Spaceflight
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos briefly lost his title as the richest man on earth, after he blasted off into outer space today
SAP Invests £216m In UK, Opens Offices In London, Manchester
Germany's most valuable company (SAP) is to invest £216m in the UK for the SAP UK Data Cloud, as well as open new offices
NSO Denies Allegations Pegasus Targeted Activists, Journalists
NSO denies allegations that its Pegasus spyware was used on a “massive scale” and targetted political leaders, journalists and activists
3 Quality Assurance Tools That Will Take Your Business From Good to Great
Quality over quantity is an excellent rule of thumb, especially for business owners who are trying to strengthen their brand image and reputation. To ensure that your business is meeting and surpassing your quality standards, you need ...
Government £375m Fund For UK Tech Firm Growth
Government opens £375 million scheme to deliver funding for British startups including tech players, to bolster UK’s post-pandemic economy
China Denies Microsoft Hacking Claim By The West
Microsoft Exchange hacking claims by the West are 'groundless' Chinese authorities say, after email compromise earlier this year
Amazon-Backed Rivian Delays First Electric Vehicles
Start-up Rivian, backed by Amazon and Ford, delays first deliveries of R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV as pandemic disruption affects semiconductor supplies
Ericsson Sees China Revenues Fall As Trade War Bites
Ericsson reports revenue hit in China and predicts 'materially lower market share' there, following Sweden's move to ban Huawei 5G equipment
TSMC Founder Warns Semiconductor Plans Could Fail
Plans by US, EU and others to bring semiconductor production into their own countries could result in a costly, unworkable system, says TSMC's Cheng
China Launches ‘Reusable’ Sub-Orbital Space Vehicle
Chinese demonstration vehicle reaches sub-orbital altitude, then lands at airstrip as China looks to develop reusable space launch system
US Adds Russian Cybersecurity Firms To Trade Blacklist
US Commerce Department places Russian IT security companies on trade blacklist over alleged links to spy services amidst series of disruptive attacks
Silicon UK Podcast: How Much Technical Debt Does Your Business Have?
OutSystems reports that 69% of IT leaders identify technical debt as a major threat to their companies’ ability to innovate. With COVID-19 exposing vulnerabilities in organisations around the world, this latest industry survey from Out ...
Binance Pulls Digital ‘Stock Tokens’ After Crackdown
Hong Kong becomes latest in string of regulators around world to issue warnings about Binance 'stock tokens' as company pulls the offering
Cambridge Data Finds Bitcoin Miners Shifting Away From China
Bitcoin mining operations began shifting out of China even before country began crackdown earlier this year, while Kazakhstan and US see mining surge
Google Parts Ways With Cloudera Cofounder – Report
Executive Amr Awadallah reportedly departs from Google Cloud, after staff complaints over leadership style and personal manifesto
WhatsApp Tests Message Sending Without Smartphone
Look mum, no smartphone. For the first time WhatsApp to test a feature to allow users to send messages without a smartphone
Battery Gigafactory Planned For Coventry
Huge factory for electric car batteries near Coventry airport officially submitted, and could lead to creation of 6,000 jobs
US Offers $10m Reward For Information On Foreign Hackers
Grass on a hacker. US offers $10 million reward for hackers conducting malicious cyber activities against critical infrastructure
Amazon Acquires Facebook’s Satellite Internet Team
Amazon pays Facebook an undisclosed sum of money to acquire the social networking giant's satellite Internet team of specialists
TSMC Considers Construction Of Japanese Factory – Report
World's largest contract chipmaker is considering construction of a new factory in Japan to help tackle global chip shortage
ARM Touts Performance Per Watt As New ‘Moore’s Law’
Traditional Moore's Law is no longer relevant in today world's, argues ARM, and says 'performance per watt' is the better metric
Microsoft Launches ‘Cloud PC’ Service With Windows 365
True device independence? Microsoft users can now stream their Windows operating system onto an Apple Mac, tablet, or smartphone
Twitter To Shut Down Disappearing ‘Fleets’
Experiment with disappearing tweets is to end, after Twitter confirms “it’s time to say goodbye and take flight with other ideas”
Firefox 90 Improves Tracking Blocking For Private Browsing
Latest web browser from Mozilla Foundation further improves private browsing thanks to version 2 of the SmartBlock feature
Apple Releases MagSafe Battery Pack For iPhone 12
Needing some extra juice for a dying battery? MagSafe battery pack for the iPhone 12 unveiled by Apple on Tuesday costing £99
BT Confirms 3G Service Will Be ‘Retired’ In 2023
BT 3G connectivity will be retired in 2023, as carrier pledges to make 5G connectivity available in 90 percent of the UK by 2028
REvil Gang Websites Go Dark After Attacks
Websites for the criminal ransomware hackers linked to Russia suddenly disappeared on Tuesday, prompting takedown speculation
Tesla Powerwall Battery Production Slows Due To Chip Shortage
Elon Musk admits in court that Tesla cannot produce enough Powerwall batteries because of the ongoing global chip shortage
WhatsApp Beta Tests Disappearing Video, Photo Messages
Self destruct feature. Disappearing photo and video message option is being deployed for iOS and Android WhatsApp beta apps
Amazon Rolls Out End-To-End Encryption For Ring Doorbells
After trialling end-to-end encryption for its smart doorbell device, Amazon confirms it is rolling it out globally
Microsoft To Acquire RiskIQ To Bolster Cybersecurity
Redmond confirms it is acquiring cybersecurity specialist RiskIQ, in order to help orgnisations cope with today's raised cyber threat
Google Ordered To Pay $600m By French Watchdog
Ouch. Copyright dispute over online content in France sees competition regulator impose a 500 million euro (£427m) fine on Google
EU Halts Digital Tax Plan, Amid Ongoing OECD Effort
After G20 finance ministers agree to international corporate tax system of 15 percent, the EU puts its own digital tax plan on hold
Apple Threatens UK Exit Over Patent Dispute
Patent trolling...Lawyers for American tech giant say Apple could quit UK market over patent dispute with Optis Cellular Technology
Sir Richard Branson Wins Battle Of Billionaire Space Race
Sir Richard beats Bezos into outer space. But Blue Origin mocks Virgin Galactic and points out that Sir Richard didn't cross Kármán line
Connected Cars: The State of Digital Transport
The age of electric transport is here. As autonomous vehicles continue to develop and the digital space extends to personal and municipal vehicles, how will digital transport evolve? And what does this mean for businesses?
SoftBank Buys Into Korean Travel Start-Up Yanolja Ahead Of US Listing
SoftBank's Vision Fund reportedly planning to buy 10 percent of South Korean hotel booking platform Yanolja as it looks to follow up Coupang success
Crypto Exchange Start-Up Bullish Sets Market Debut
Cryptocurrency market start-up Bullish plans $9bn market debut through merger with Far Peak Acquisition, headed by former NYSE president Tom Farley
Indonesia’s Bukalapak Plans $1bn Domestic IPO
Indonesian e-commerce firm Bukalapak set to become first tech 'unicorn' to make market debut in the country as it seeks to raise up to $1.13bn
Foxconn In Talks With Wisconsin For EV Plant
Taiwanese iPhone maker Foxconn in talks with US state of Wisconsin to build electric vehicles on site of massive cancelled LCD factory
Judge Dismisses Amazon’s JEDI Challenge After Project Cancelled
US judge dismisses Amazon's challenge to Pentagon award of $10bn JEDI contract to Microsoft as Defence Department plans new cloud project
TikTok To Automatically Delete Some Content
TikTok trials automatic deletion of some content, as social media companies face pressure to stem misinformation and illegal material
China Expands Regulatory Crackdown On Didi As Investors Sue
China expands regulatory crackdown on ride-hailing firm Didi Global following IPO last month, as US investors sue over share price slide
President Biden Targets Tech Monolopies, Data Collection
Sweeping executive order signed by US President Joe Biden on Friday targets tech giant domination, broadband provision, data collection, right to repair etc
NHS Covid App Could Be Changed, Minister Confirms
Government minister admits that as Covid restrictions are eased in England on 19 July, the NHS app will need to change with it
Microsoft Gives Staff $1,500 Coronavirus Bonus
Thank you all. Employees at Microsoft around the world to get $1,500 bonus for their efforts during the global Coronavirus pandemic
UK Introduces Right To Repair, Others To Follow
Last week the government introduced ‘right to repair’ legislation in the United Kingdom, to tackle the long standing e-waste issue
BT Reaches Union Agreement Over Modernisation
Threat of strike action removed, after BT Group reaches agreement with its largest union, the Communication Workers Union
Google Faces Court Action By US States Over Play Store Fees
Not another lawsuit. 37 US states slap Google with another antitrust lawsuit over the fees its charges for its Play Store
PM Orders Review Of Chinese Acquisition Of Newport Wafer Fab
Acquisition of UK’s largest largest chip producer by a Chinese owned firm has prompted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to order a review
Japanese Officials Resist Ban On Fax Machines
Victory for legacy tech, as pushback by Japanese officials against ban on fax machines overturns a mass switch to email systems
Twitter Hiring To Comply With New Indian Rules
Local fall guys? Twitter appoints interim chief compliance officer and seeks two other executives for troubled Indian office
Republican National Committee Denies Russian Hackers Stole Data
Cozy Bear or APT29 hackers reportedly breached Republican computers, but Republican party denies its data has been compromised
Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, Google, And Their CEOs – Update
Former US President Donald Trump is expected to announce a lawsuit against Twitter, Facebook and Google, as well as their respective CEOs
UK’s Most Powerful Supercomputer, Cambridge-1, Targets Healthcare
Nvidia's Cambridge-1 is now the UK's most powerful supercomputer, and will offer research capabilities for healthcare and AI
Microsoft Issues Emergency Patch For PrintNightmare Flaw
Emergency patch issued for “PrintNightmare” vulnerability that could allow hackers to remotely seize control of a PC via Print Spooler
Microsoft, AWS React To JEDI Cancellation
Reactions from both Amazon Web Services and Microsoft to the Pentagon's decision to pull the plug on the JEDI cloud contract
Cyber Threats: Is Your Current Industrial Security Strategy Enough
By Quade Nettles, Product Manager for Cybersecurity Services, Rockwell Automation.
Pentagon Cancels JEDI Cloud Contract
Seething Microsoft? US DoD loses patience and pulls the plug on $10 billion JEDI cloud contract, after legal challenge by Amazon Web Services
Silicon UK Podcast: The State of Global Digital Skills
The UK lags behind in global and European rankings for data and technology skills, according to Coursera’s latest Global Skills Report (GSR). The UK placed 34th globally in data skills and 47th in technology skills, lagging behind much ...
Tech Giants Could Withdraw Services Over Hong Kong Doxxing Bill
China's bill that will clampdown on 'doxxing' in Hong Kong, could force Facebook, Google, Twitter and others tech giants to withdraw from the city
UK’s Largest Chip Fab, Newport Wafer Fab, Acquired By Chinese Firm
National security? Newport Wafer Fab in Wales sold to Dutch chip firm, which in turn is owned by China’s Wingtech
Twitter Loses Protection Liability Over User Content In India
Tense standoff for Twitter in India continues, after government strips the platform of its user content liability protection
Kaseya Hackers Demand $70 Million Ransom
Number of organisations affected by damaging Kaseya ransomware attack grows from just 50, to roughly 1,500 businesses globally
Trump Supporting Social Media App Hacked
Arrival of Gettr social networking app, from former senior advisor to Donald Trump, is impacted by hack on its 4th July launch
British Airways Settles Data Breach Claims Case
Costly exercise. British Airways pays an undisclosed settlement to passengers and staff impacted by massive 2018 data breach
ARM CEO Insists Nvidia Purchase Better Than IPO
Head of ARM strongly defends Nvidia acquisition, which he says is a much better alternative than being a standalone public company again
President Biden Orders Investigation Into Kaseya Ransomware Attack
Ransomware attack on hundreds of American businesses over 4 July weekend prompts US investigation of possible Russian involvement
Jeff Bezos Steps Down As Amazon CEO
The king is dead, long live the king. Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos steps down today and is succeeded by veteran Andy Jassy
Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic To Beat Jeff Bezos To Space
Beating Bezos. Surprise from Virgin Galactic that its first spaceflight will carry Richard Branson to space before Jeff Bezos
Nissan To Build EV Battery ‘Gigafactory’ In UK
Nissan's £1 billion investment in electric vehicle hub in Sunderland, includes a Gigafactory for car batteries built by Envision
UK NCSC, US Agencies, Warn Of Russian Cyber Campaign
America's NSA, CISA, FBI, alongside the United Kingdom's NCSC have warned about an ongoing brute force campaign by Russia's GRU hackers
OneWeb Gains Additional $500m Funding From Bharti
Busy period for OneWeb with additional funding, launch of more satellites, and signing deal with BT for rural broadband provision
Jeff Bezos Selects 82-Year-Old Woman To Join Spaceflight
A 82 year-old woman who trained for NASA's Mercury program in the 1960s chosen by Jeff Bezos for a seat on inaugural spaceflight
Tim Berners-Lee’s NFT Source Code Sells For $5.4m
Auction of an NFT of Tim Berners-Lee's original source code for the World Wide Web sells for $5.4 million at Sotheby’s this week