Passenger data collected by Bangkok Airways published after Thai airline reportedly declines to pay the criminal's ransom demand
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
August 2021
Apple Acquires Classic Music Service Primephonic
Amsterdam-based Primephonic is acquired by tech giant Apple, as the iPhone maker seeks to expand its classical music offering
Instagram To Require Date Of Birth From All Users
Facebook's Instagram is to require users to provide their date of birth - days before UK starts age verification enforcement
South Korea Passes Bill To Curb In-App Purchase Charges
The App Store commission that Apple and Google imposes for in-app purchases is to be banned in South Korea after Parliamentary vote
China Limits Kids To Three Hours Of Video Games A Week
Draconian move? Children in China now only allowed to play video games between 8 and 9pm on Friday, weekends and public holidays
Chip Shortage Forces Stellantis To Extend Car Factory Shutdowns
A number of Stellantis car factories in Europe are extending their production shutdowns because of the ongoing chip shortage
Amazon-Backed Electric Car Maker Rivian Files For IPO
Amazon-backed electric car start-up Rivian files for IPO, weeks ahead of delayed plans to deliver first pick-up trucks to customers
Western Digital ‘In Talks’ To Buy Kioxia In $20bn NAND Deal
Western Digital could face hurdles to its reported $20bn offer for Kioxia, which could restructure NAND memory market and create Samsung rival
Spotify, Epic Unsatisfied With Apple’s App Store Changes
Rivals criticise terms of Apple's settlement with small developers, with Spotify saying changes don't address 'anticompetitive and unfair practices'
Waymo Stops Selling Lidar To Outside Companies
Alphabet-owned autonomous driving company Waymo ends two-year effort at selling in-house lidar to outside firms, following executive departures
Honduras Sets Up First Bitcoin ATM
Honduras sets up country's first cryptocurrency ATM giving locals automated way to purchase Bitcoin or Ether, after El Salvador makes Bitcoin legal tender
US Says Policy Against Huawei Has ‘Not Eased’
US says policy against Huawei has 'not been eased or amended', after criticism over approval of hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of auto chip sales
EU Set To Launch Formal Probe Of Nvidia’s ARM Takeover
European Commission set to launch full-scale probe of Nvidia's proposed acquisition of ARM following formal notification in early September
Microsoft Warns Cloud Customers Of Potential Breach
Leaky cloud storage bucket. Thousands of Microsoft Azure customers are warned of data exposure risk in Redmond's Cosmos database
Apple Agrees App Store Deal With Small Developers
Ahead of a ruling in App Store dispute with Epic Games, Apple agrees to ease restrictions for small developers over payment billing
Tim Cook Lands $750m Bonanza In Share Award
CEO Tim Cook is awarded more than three quarters of a billion dollars in Apple shares after ten years in charge of the iPhone giant
Blue Origin Successfully Completes First Test Flight, After Jeff Bezos Mission
Blue Origin test flight successfully reuses the New Shepard rocket that carried Jeff Bezos and others to space last month
SpaceX Ships 100,000 Starlink Terminals
Elon Musk reveals Starlink shipped 100,000 terminals and is now available in 14 countries, including UK, US, France and others
Waymo Opens Self-Driving Taxi Testing In San Francisco
Alphabet's self-driving car division Waymo expands its testing program for its self-driving taxis to some San Francisco residents
Toshiba Consults With Private Equity Firms Over ‘Strategic Ideas’
Where do we go from here? Japanese conglomerate Toshiba is in talks with at least four private equity firms for strategy ideas
UK To Overhaul Data Protection Rules, Targets Cookie Pop-ups
Government to refresh the UK's data protection rules, and poaches New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner to replace outgoing Information Commissioner
Tech Giants Make Cybersecurity Pledges After White House Meeting
Tech giants pledge to spend billions of dollars improving cybersecurity after meeting with President Biden in White House
5 ways to boost your business’ performance with enhanced security and smart connectivity
Poly Network Hacker Returns All Stolen Tokens, Offered Job
Hacker who stole $610m worth of digital tokens has returned it all, and has been offered a job as 'Chief Security Advisor'
OnlyFans Suspends Decision To Ban Porn Content
U-turn for British tech platform OnlyFans, after it decides not to bow to pressure from banks over sexually explicit material
US Approves Licence For Huawei To Purchase Car Chips – Report
Softening attitude? US officials approve licence applications from blacklisted Huawei, so its car component business can buy chips
Blue Origin Loses Key Staff, Amid NASA Contract Battle – Report
In the weeks after Jeff Bezos went to space and a battle with NASA, Blue Origin lost more than a dozen key leaders and top engineers
Virgin Hyperloop Touts Individual Pod Concept
New concept video from Virgin Hyperloop shows how 'zero emission' pods can travel in convoy, but can split off to separate destinations
South Korea Moves To Curb In-App Purchase Charges
South Korean parliamentary committee votes to amend a bill in order to stop Apple and Google charges for in-app purchases
Apple, Amazon, Microsoft CEOs To Discuss Cybersecurity At White House
The heads of major technology firms in the United States are to meet President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss cybersecurity
Tesla’s Elon Musk Says Latest Self-Driving Beta Is ‘Not Great’
Elon Musk issues blunt assessment of Telsa's experimental driver assistance software, despite his previous claim of autonomous driving
Google Health Disbanded; Staff Sent To Other Divisions
The dedicated health unit at Google has been disbanded, with its 570 staff sent to different divisions within the Alphabet empire
OnlyFans Bans ‘Sexually Explicit Content’, Blames Payment Giants
Home made porn made the OnlyFans platform successfully, but now it is banning adult content because of pressure from banks
Microsoft Power Apps Data Leak Impacts 38 Million People
Check default settings. Names, phone and social security numbers made public to organisations using Microsoft’s Power Apps platform
Apple Urged To Drop CSAM Scanning Plans By Campaigners
More than 90 privacy groups urge Apple to abandon plans to scan children's messages, and the iPhone's of adults for CSAM images
Diversity and Inclusion in Tech
A lack of diversity and inclusion has been a significant issue for many industries. However, tech enterprises are showing the way. As companies struggle to locate the skilled staff they need, ensuring they have high levels of diversity ...
Nvidia’s ARM Purchase Raises ‘Significant Competition Concerns’ – CMA
UK competition watchdog says there are “significant competition concerns” with the deal, as Nvidia could restrict access to ARM IP
Elon Musk Touts Humanoid Robot For Boring, Dangerous Jobs
Tesla will build a humanoid robot called Tesla Bot, to tackle “dangerous, repetitive and boring tasks”, Elon Musk announces
Apple Delays Staff Office Return Until 2022
Office return delayed again. Apple staff now informed they should only return to the corporate office or campus in January 2022
China Approves Far-Reaching Privacy Law
Beijing approves tough new rules about the collection and use of personal data, including stronger rules governing surveillance systems
FTC Amends Antitrust Complaint Against Facebook, After Setback
US regulator amends antitrust complaint against Facebook, after a US judge in June had dismissed the initial claims filed by the FTC and US states
Chip Shortage Forces Toyota To Cut Production By 40 Percent
World's biggest car maker Toyota announces it will dramatically reduce car production next month as the chip shortage bites
GlobalFoundries Files For Initial Public Offering – Report
US chipmaker GlobalFoundries has submitted a confidential filing for a public listing, after acquisition by Intel media reports
Meng Wanzhou US Extradition Case Ends, Sentencing To Take Months
Huawei says it is confident in Meng’s innocence, andi it trusts the Canadian judicial system to reject US extradition request
FCC To Investigate T-Mobile Data Breach
Data breach that impacted more than 40 million former, prospective, and current customers will be investigated by US regulator
US Agencies Urge Patch To Tackle BlackBerry QNX Flaw
Cars and medical devices at risk from a serious vulnerability in the BlackBerry QNX operating system, US federal agencies warn
Man Admits Arson After Destroying 5G Mast
Conspiracy theorist David Patterson caused between £100,000 to £150,000 of damages when he set fire to a 5G mobile mast last year
Twitter Tests ‘Misleading Tweet’ Reporting Option
Limited numbers of users in the United States, South Korea and Australia will be allowed to report misleading tweets, in misinformation clampdown
Huawei Will Return To Smartphone ‘Throne’, Despite US Sanctions
Huawei chairman makes a bold prediction that Chinese firm will return to a leading position in the smartphone market in the future
MasterCard To Drop Magnetic Stripes On Cards
No more swiping. Card giant Mastercard confirms that it will eventually drop the magnetic stripe on debt and credit cards
Apple Files Appeal In Corellium Copyright Lawsuit
And so it continues. Despite settlement of one lawsuit, Apple has filed an appeal in another lawsuit against Corellium
T-Mobile Hackers Stole Personal Data Of 7.8 Million Customers
Hackers stole data of 7.8 million current T-Mobile customers, as well as 40 million records of former or prospective customers
UK Government Sets Out Strategy For Green Hydrogen Sector
Hydrogen has long been touted as a better solution for green transportation among other uses, and now the government sets out its long term strategy
Facebook, Google Reveal Apricot Undersea Cable For Asia
New undersea cable from Facebook and Google to connect Japan with south east Asia, to increase capacity, redundancy and reliability
T-Mobile Confirms Data Breach Of ‘Some Data’
US mobile operator T-Mobile confirms “unauthorised access” to its systems after customer data appeared for sale on forum
Blue Origin Sues NASA Over SpaceX Lunar Contract
After Jeff Bezos $2 billion discount is ignored, Blue Origin opts to sue NASA for awarding SpaceX the lunar lander contract
Colonial Pipeline Admits Ransomware Attack Stole Personal Data
US pipeline operator confirms devastating ransomware attack in May, also resulted in theft of personal information of nearly 6,000 people
US Regulator Opens Official Investigation Of Tesla Autopilot
Federal vehicle safety regulator in the US launches formal investigation of Tesla’s Autopilot, after a series of fatal crashes
The Future of Digital Identity
How individuals identify themselves in the digital space must be secure. However, with a rise in identity theft and technologies such as deepfakes, how we secure digital identities is being challenged. In a post-COVID business landscap ...
Tesla Hopes To Activate German Factory In October
Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin may launch operations in October, following bureaucratic and environmental delays – but final approval still pending
Sonos Scores Legal Victory In Google Patent Dispute
Sonos sees legal win over Google as US International Trade Commission judge finds Google smartphones and speakers infringed five Sonos patents
US Lawmakers Express Concern Over Amazon One Palm Scanner
US senators query Amazon over security of biometric data from Amazon One palm-scanning system, and how company plans to use the data
Facebook Adds Encrypted Calls Option To Messenger
Facebook adds option for end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls, following on from encrypted chats, as pandemic sees surge in usage
Samsung Heir Lee Released From Prison On Parole
Samsung vice-chairman Jay Y. Lee released from prison on parole amidst chip crisis as South Korean government pleads for public understanding
Criminals Use ‘Antinalysis’ To Evade Bitcoin Tracking
Cyber-criminals increasingly using blockchain analytics tools to evaluate how well Bitcoin-laundering techniques are working, study finds
Apple Acknowledges ‘Confusion’ Over ‘iPhone Scanning’ System
iCloud uploads from iPhones and iPads to be scanned only for known CSAM images, with local database providing more accountability, says Apple software chief
OpenAI Codex Translates English Into Programming Code
No more developers or programmers? Updated machine learning Codex from OpenAI translates English language into programming code
Facebook Delays Office Return Until January 2022
Latest tech firm to delay office return. Social networking giant tells US and other staff, to return to office in January 2022
Poly Network Hacker Offered $500,000 To Return Stolen Tokens
Poly Network confirms it offered 'white hat hacker' who stole $611m in digital tokens, a $500,000 bug bounty to return the stolen tokens
UK Regulator Finds Facebook’s Purchase Of Giphy ‘Harms Competition’
Competition and Markets Authority provisionally finds Facebook’s merger with Giphy will harm competition on social platforms
YouTube Suspends Rand Paul Over Facemask Claims
Another social platform has banned yet another US Republican politician over false claims about facemask effectiveness during pandemic
Facebook Accused Of Using Content Of Three Australian Publishers
Dustup down under, as three Australian publishers allege Facebook used content for its news service without their permission
Apple Drops Corellium Lawsuit
Apple has dropped its copyright lawsuit against Corellium at the last minute, before the two sides were due to go to court again
Samsung Unveils Cheaper, More Durable Folding Phones
New handsets with folding screens from Samsung, offer cheaper prices, increased durability, and also an under-screen camera
Poly Network Hackers Return $258m, After Huge Cryptocurrency Heist
That still leaves $353m unaccounted for. Hackers return $258m to Poly Network, after stealing $611m worth of digital tokens
Julian Assange Loses Court Ruling Over US Extradiction
British judge rules US government can be given more grounds to appeal against January decision not to extradite Assange to US
China Confirms Death Sentence, Amid Meng Wanzhou Case
Hostage politics. Beijing confirms death sentence of one Canadian, and jails another for eleven years, ahead of Huawei CFO extradiction ruling
Google May Cut Salaries Of Home Workers
Google staff who opt to work from home on a permanent basis in the United States, may have their salaries adjusted, it is being reported
Hackers Steal $600m In Cryptocurrency Heist – Report
Crypto heist. Blockchain site Poly Network urges hackers to return stolen digital tokens after they exploited a vulnerability
NortonLifeLock, Avast To Merge Into Antivirus Goliath
NortonLifeLock, the entity formerly known as Symantec, is to merge with Avast to create antivirus juggernaut for the consumer sector
NSA Awards $10bn Contract To AWS, But Microsoft Files Complaint
Revenge for the JEDI? Microsoft files an official complaint with government regulator, after NSA awards $10 billion contract to AWS
Twitter Suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene, Again
Third suspension from Twitter for Republican far-right conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted misinformation about Covid vaccines
Amazon Reinstates Mask Requirement For US Warehouse Staff
All Amazon staff in its US warehouse are now required once again to wear masks indoors, irrespective of their vaccine status
UK Government £4m Trial For Fibre Cables In Water Pipes
Government trial to install fibre cables in water pipes to accelerate rollout of broadband and mobile signals in hard to reach areas
Apple Defends Photo Checking On iPhones
Apple promises to reject any government demands to use, or alter, its controversial detection system of child abuse images
Google’s Larry Page Granted New Zealand Residency
Armageddon bolthole? Co-founder of Google, Larry Page, was granted residency in New Zealand earlier this year after medical emergency
Vodafone Joins EE And Reinstates Roaming Charges
Disappointing decision. Vodafone becomes second operator to controversially reintroduce roaming charges for customers in Europe
Didi ‘Considers’ Data Deal With State-Backed Company
Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Global reportedly considering data deal with state-backed third party as it looks to resolve regulatory probe
Regulator ‘Disappointed’ With Facebook Over NYU Fracas
Federal Trade Commission accuses Facebook of making misleading claims after pulling accounts of New York University researchers
Huawei Reports Biggest-Ever Revenue Drop
Huawei reports largest-ever decline in revenues in first half of 2021, after selling off Honor smartphone brand and grappling with US sanctions
Google Nest Doorbells, Cameras Get Battery Power In Revamp
New Google Nest smart home devices include first battery-powered doorbell and camera, while some features now work without cloud subscription
Insider Leaks Data From Conti Ransomware Group
Disgruntled affiliate from Conti gang's ransomware service leaks valuable technical details and instruction manuals, amidst battle against malware groups
SpaceX Assembles Biggest Rocket Ever Constructed
SpaceX Super Heavy booster and Starship vehicle combine to make tallest rocket ever constructed, as company plans manned voyages to Moon and Mars
Weibo Removes Celebrity List Amidst China Social Media Crackdown
China's Twitter-like service Sina Weibo removes celebrity-ranking list following state criticism, as country's tech crackdown continues
Amazon Delays Office Return Until 2022
E-commerce giant Amazon becomes latest tech giant to delay staff returning to the office or campus, with offices only reopening in 2022
Virgin Galactic Prices Spaceflight Tickets at $450,000 Per Seat
Does that include an inflight meal? Single seat on Sir Richard's Virgin Galactic spacefight priced at an eyewatering $450,000
Apple To Scan US iPhones For Child Abuse Images
Slippery slope? Apple accused of creating encryption backdoor as it becomes first tech firm to scan for child abuses images on-device
Payments Begin For Google Plus Lawsuit
Blast from the past. Lawsuit payouts for data breach begin to flow to users of Google's failed social networking experiment Google+
Uber CEO: Governments, Not Companies, Should Push Vaccinations
Boss of ride hailing firm explains reasoning behind why Uber office staff must have vaccinations, but not its fleet of drivers
Facebook Seeks To Analyse Encrypted Messages – Report
Social network reportedly studying 'homomorphic encryption' in order to analyse encrypted WhatsApp messages without decrypting them
US Senate Finds Systemic Cybersecurity Failures In Federal Agencies
Personal data of millions of Americans is at risk because of cybersecurity failures at multiple federal agencies, US Senate report concludes
YouTube Trials Cheaper Premium Lite Option
Not that much cheaper. Google's YouTube is trialing a more affordable premium subscription tier that doesn't display adverts
Facebook Defends Cutting Off Researcher Access To Data
Pot kettle black? Social networking giant Facebook says research cannot be justification for compromising people's privacy, after issuing repeated warnings
Facebook Rolls Out Disappearing WhatsApp Photos, Videos
Snapchat challenge as new WhatsApp feature is rolled out that allows photos and videos to disappear once they have been viewed
SEC Head Calls For Power To Regulate Cryptocurrencies
Chairman of the US financial regulator calls on Congress for authorisation to police cryptocurrency trading, lending and platforms
Zoom Settles ‘Zoombombing’ Lawsuit, Pays $85 Million
Video conferencing giant Zoom to pay $85 million to settle a lawsuit over data sharing, security and 'zoombombing' issues
Bill Gates Officially Divorced From Melinda
Marriage of 27 years between Microsoft's co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates and Melinda officially ended this week after court filing
Boeing Postpones Starliner Launch Over Glitch
Test launch on Tuesday of Boeing's uncrewed Starliner astronaut capsule to the ISS has been postponed, after a glitch was detected
Nvidia Acquisition Of ARM In Doubt Over Government Concerns – Report
Worrying national security concerns for the Britsih government may reportedly scupper Nvidia's controversial acquisition of the ARM Holdings
Accelerating AI: Managing the Machines
As the Biden administration creates a national AI task force, how will AI develop over the next few years? And how will these developments be managed to ensure safety and ethics are maintained?
Dropbox Data Centres Achieves 100 Percent Renewable Energy Goal
Going green. Dropbox achieves a lower carbon footprint with news its data centres now run on 100 percent renewable energy
UK Considers Response After Fatal Drone Strike – Report
After Iranian drone strike on Israeli ship kills a Briton and a Romanian sailor, UK reportedly mulls cyber response
Google Develops Own Processor For Pixel Smartphones
Sorry Qualcomm. Pixel 6 smartphones arriving later this year will feature in-house Tensor processors designed by Google itself
NHS Covid-19 App Updated To Ease ‘Pingdemic’
As expected, government eases sensitivity of its NHS Covid-19 app in effort to reduce 'pingdemic' causing worker shortages
Amazon Union Vote Result Should Be Scrapped, Says NLRB Official
The result from milestone trade union vote at Amazon warehouse in Alabama should be set aside, and a new vote should be held, says US official
Facebook To Require All US Office Staff To Wear Masks
In addition to requiring staff be vaccinated, Facebook will also order all employees to wear masks when in office or campus
Elon Musk Sides With Epic In Apple App Store Fees Dispute
Entrepreneur Elon Musk sides with Epic Games in legal dispute with Apple over App Store fees, calling charges 'de facto global tax on the internet'
Regulator Rejects Blue Origin’s NASA Lunar Contract Challenge
US' Government Accountability Office rejects challenges by Blue Origin and Dynetics after NASA awarded $2.9bn lunar lander contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX
Twitter Offers ‘Bug Bounty’ Contest For AI Biases
Twitter offers 'bug bounty' contest with cash prizes of up to £2,500 to help locate biases in image-cropping algorithm amidst growing concerns around AI
Rick Astley Video Rolls Up 1 Billion Views On YouTube
Rick Astley's 1987 single 'Never Gonna Give You Up' rolls up more than 1 billion views on YouTube as popularity of 'Rickrolling' meme continues
High Court Blocks Crowdfunded Action To Halt 5G
High Court judge blocks case seeking judicial review of 5G rollout due to lack of evidence, after backers raised more than £160,000 on crowdfunding platform
US Tightens Rules For Chinese IPOs After Didi Debacle
US Securities and Exchange Commission requires disclosure of risks from Chinese regulators for Chinese companies' IPOs following Didi selloff
EU Fines Amazon Record £637m Over Alleged Data Violation
European Union imposes record fine on Amazon over alleged violations of GDPR privacy law relating to advertising data, as company says it will challenge decision