First strike in 35 years after BT staff with the e Communications Workers Union vote for industrial action over a pay dispute
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
June 2022
Google Faces Fresh Privacy Complaints From EU Consumer Groups
Privacy quest. Google is a repeat offender, says BEUC, as ten European consumer groups file complaints with their data protection regulators
Google To Shut Down Hangouts Later This Year
Another app closure. Google Hangouts will be shut down in November this year, as conversations are moved onto Google Chat
Xerox CEO John Visentin Dies, Aged 59
Rest in peace. Printer giant Xerox confirms vice chairman and CEO John Visentin has unexpectedly died, aged just 59 years old
Samsung Starts 3-nanometre Chip Production
How small? Samsung says it is the first in the world to produce 3-nanometre chips, as it takes the fight to foundry giant TSMC
Most Brits Concerned About Their Search History Data, ExpressVPN Finds
Ooh matron! Half of Brits would change online behaviour if their search history was made public, ExpressVPN research finds
Norway Hit By DDoS Cyber Attacks From Pro Russian Group
Norwegian national security agency warns pro-Russian group has targetted private and public institutions in Norway with DDoS attacks
Google Tells Staff They Can Relocate After Roe v Wade Ending
After US Supreme Court last week removed women's reproduction rights, Google tells staff they can relocate without explanation
Taiwan Developing Own Digital Currency – Report
Central bank of Taiwan confirms it is still working on its digital currency, but has not revealed any timeframes as of yet
Tesla Cuts 200 Autopilot Jobs, Closes San Mateo Office – Report
More restructuring at Tesla with hundreds of bob losses and California office closure, where staff had worked on its driver assistance systems
US FCC Commissioner Urges Apple, Google To Remove TikTok
Fresh worry for TikTok, after FCC Commissioner writes to Apple and Google about removing the app from their respective App Stores
Airbnb Permanently Bans Parties, With Few Exceptions
Victory for irate neighbours? Airbnb confirms its temporary Covid ban on parties in its listings will now be permanent rule
Uber Agrees To Support Minimum Wage In Australia
Uber reaches deal with federal transport union to support legislation over minimum pay for 'gig economy' workers, following deals in UK and elsewhere
Virtual Reality Sales Predicted To Take Off In Spite Of Economic Gloom
Market analysts see strong demand for virtual reality and augmented reality tech through 2026 in spite of near-term economic cutbacks
Iran Steel Plants ‘Hit By Cyber-Attack’
Hacking group claims responsibility for reported attacks on several major Iranian steel plants, with one saying forced to halt production
US Says Private Investment Boosts EV Charger Manufacturing
US says private companies investing more than $700m to expand domestic electric vehicle charger manufacturing capacity after $7.5bn subsidy package
Tencent Forms XR Unit In Metaverse Drive
China's most valuable company Tencent forms extended reality (XR) unit combining hardware and software as it pushes into immersive 'metaverse'
Connected Commerce: Next Generation Omnichannel
The omnichannel has been a key driver for all businesses as they connect and integrate each of their customer-facing systems. As enterprises look towards their futures, how are next-generation omnichannel services being created and dep ...
Australian Retailer Pauses Facial Recognition Trial
Australian appliance retailer The Good Guys pauses trial of facial recognition in security systems after consumer group complaint, seeks 'clarification'
Toshiba Adds Activist Board Members In Shift Toward Privatisation
Toshiba shareholders approve addition of two board members from large activist investors, adding momentum to potential buyout plans
Tencent Shares Fall As Biggest Investor Says It Will Sell
Shares in Chinese internet giant Tencent fall after biggest investor Naspers says it will sell shares to fund buyback scheme, amidst gloom for tech stocks
Apple ‘Prepared To Negotiate’ With Unionised Staff
Apple prepared to accept successful unionisation vote at Maryland store and begin negotiations, report says, as US union interest surges
China Gaming Company Chief ‘To Move Abroad’
Co-founder and chief executive of prominent China gaming company XD planning to leave the country amidst increased restrictions on tech sector
Consumer Group Says Major Australian Retailers Using Facial Recognition
Consumer group Choice files with privacy regulator to stop three major Australian retailers from collecting facial recognition data on customers
Google Jobs Service Hit By Fresh Antitrust Complaint In Denmark
Danish competitor files fresh antitrust complaint against Google for Jobs, saying its search traffic fell 20 percent due to alleged anticompetitive practices
Toshiba Board Set For Vote That Could Back Buyout Strategy
Toshiba board expected to approve appointment of two external directors from hedge fund investors, making buyout more likely
Nio ‘Investigating’ Deaths Of Two After EV Plunges From Building
Shanghai electric vehicle maker Nio says it is investigating deaths of two people after one of its vehicles falls from third floor facility in headquarters
Nasdaq Listing Most Likely For ARM, Says Softbank Boss
Bad news for London's FTSE? Japanese owner of British chip designer ARM reiterates that Nasdaq is the likely listing location
Google Warns Of Italian Spyware On Apple, Android Phones
Italian company's hacking tools have been used to spy on Apple, Android smartphones in Italy and Kazakhstan, warns Google
Intel Signals Delay To Ohio Factory Over US Chips Act Dispute
Chip maker warns new factory in Columbus, Ohio could be delayed or scaled back, over funding delays with the US Chips Act
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Sustainable Business
How do sustainable businesses use technology to innovate? And as businesses want to connect sustainability to their ESG, can technology help them achieve that goal? Katie Mills, Head of Sustainable Development & Innovation UK & Ireland ...
Australia Fines Samsung Over Water-Resistance Claims
Samsung rapped over the knuckles by Australian regulator because of 'misleading' Galaxy smartphone water-resistance claims in nine adverts
Amazon Reveals Alexa Option To Mimic Any Person’s Voice
Bereavement aid for those in mourning? Amazon's Alexa voice assistant could be programmed to sound like a deceased loved one
Cisco To Wind Down Russian, Belarus Business
Western departures continues. Telecoms equipment giant Cisco confirms it will wind down business in Russia and Belarus over Ukraine war
Tesla Factories In Texas, Germany Losing Billions Of Dollars, Says Elon Musk
Car factories for Tesla in Austin, Texas and Germany are “gigantic money furnaces right now” and losing billions, says Elon Musk
Russian Government Hackers Target Ukraine’s Allies
Microsoft's President Brad Smith warns Russian government is conducting cyber spy operations on countries allied to Ukraine
Top Tips from Leading Females Within Tech on International Women in Engineering Day
It's International Women in Engineering Day. Several exceptional women working in tech. They share some of the challenges they’ve faced working in this typically male-dominated sector, as well as valuable tips to other women looking to ...
Swedish Appeals Court Upholds Huawei 5G Ban
Fresh setback for Huawei after Swedish Appeal Court upholds lower court ruling that banned equipment from the Chinese giant
Most Cyber Attacks Are Preventable, Says Tanium
Majority of board of directors will only approve new cybersecurity funding after a cyber attack has taken place, Tanium research discovers
Meta, Nvidia, Microsoft etc Create Metaverse Standards Forum
Open standards move. Big name tech firms including Adobe, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia and Qualcomm form metaverse standards body
Yodel Confirms Cyberattack Disrupting UK Deliveries
Was it ransomware? UK-based delivery company Yodel confirms operational disruption of its delivery business, due to cyberattack
Amazon Could Run Out of US Workers, Memo Reveals
Internal research at Amazon warns the e-commerce giant could run out of workers in the US in two years, due to exceptionally high turnover
Google News Returns To Spain After 2014 Closure
After an eight year absence, Alphabet re-opens its Google News service for users in Spain, after a dispute over publisher payments
Cloudflare Outage Downs Hundreds Of Websites
Not a cyberattack. Swathes of the Internet knocked offline on Tuesday after 'service issues' at infrastructure provider Cloudflare
Seven In 10 UK Businesses ‘Planning 5G Deployments’
Research finds 70 pecent of UK businesses are using or plan to use 5G, as subscriptions predicted to hit 1 billion worldwide this year
German Regulator Probes Google Maps Under New Rules
Germany's antitrust regulator opens new probe into Google Maps terms, using new powers already applied in two previous cases against tech giant
Musk Says Still ‘Unresolved Matters’ Over Twitter Buy
Elon Musk says still 'unresolved matters' with proposed $44bn buyout of Twitter, predicts recession in near term 'more likely than not'
Tesla Sued By Former Employees Over Mass Layoffs
Two former Tesla workers at battery plant in Nevada sue company saying they were given no notice, as firm cuts headcount by 10 percent
Ericsson Hits Apple With 5G Patent Claims In UK High Court
Ericsson's latest patent-licensing battle with iPhone maker Apple comes to UK High Court as two sides argue over terms for new license
5G Subscriptions To Hit 1 Billion This Year, Ericsson Predicts
Subscriptions to 5G services are to pass the 1 billion mark this year, Ericsson projects, with figure hitting 4.4 billion by 2027
Oppo Demonstrates 5G Network Slicing Tech
Joint team at Oppo's 5G lab in Shenzhen demonstrates application and network partitioning over 5G, paving way for custom enterprise 5G networks
CMA Boss Warns UK ‘Falling Behind EU’ On Tech Regulation
Britain risks becoming 'rule taker' as government puts off legislation to empower CMA's digital markets regulator, as EU speeds ahead with major packages
ABB Delays IPO Of Electric Vehicle Charging Unit
Swiss industrial and tech conglomerate ABB delays planned flotation of electric vehicle charging operations a second time, citing market volatility
Japan ‘Seeking Fines’ On Tech Giants Over Domestic Registration
Japanese government reportedly planning to fine noncompliant tech companies over local registration requirement, amidst global crackdown on tech giants
NetEase Delays Game After China Censor Uproar
Chinese internet and gaming giant NetEase delays Diablo Immortal release in country after running afoul of censors over social media post
JD.com 618 Mega-Sale Sees Slowest Growth In Years
JD.com reports slowest growth in at least five years for 618 shopping extravaganza, as lockdowns and slowing economic conditions hit China spending
Bitcoin Recovers After Sinking Below $20,000
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies held on to Sunday gains after the biggest cryptocurrency dipped below $20,000 on Saturday, amidst industry gloom
Apple Store Staff Vote To Form Company’s First US Retail Union
Apple Store staff at a shopping mall in Towson, Maryland, vote to form Apple's first US retail union amidst broader unionisation trend at corporate giants
SpaceX Fires At Least Five Staff For Letter Criticising Elon Musk – Report
Open letter from SpaceX staff saying Musk’s recent actions were a “distraction and embarrassment”, results in firings for those involved
Wikileaks Julian Assange Extradition To US Approved By Home Secretary
Julian Assange loses decade long battle against his extradition to the United States, but Wikileaks says it will appeal decision
What Did Elon Musk Tell Twitter Staff?
Elon Musk addressed Twitter staff on Thursday, and touched upon potential layoffs, alien life, remote working, and free speech
SpaceX Staff Denounce Elon Musk’s Behaviour – Report
Embarrassed by the boss. Open letter to SpaceX executives from staff say Musk's recent actions are a “distraction and embarrassment”
EU’s ‘Revised’ Disinformation Code Of Practice Backed By Tech Giants
EU's “strengthened” Code of Practice on Disinformation is signed by 34 tech firms, platforms and civil groups to beef up battle against fake news
Apple Retail Workers In Maryland Begin Union Vote
Historic union vote is underway for Apple staff at its retail store in Maryland, amid trade union moves in other Apple retail outlets
Google Fined $260,000 By Russia Over No Local Data Storage
Moscow fines Google $260,000 for refusing to store data in Russia, despite Google's Russian subsidiary filing for bankruptcy last month
Apple Faces £750m Claim Over Battery Slowdown
Battery gate returns. Fresh claim against Apple over its deliberate policy of slowing older iPhones in order to protect handsets with old batteries
Alexey Gubarev: “Cyprus could become the technological center of Europe.”
Palta is a health and well-being tech company. Alexey Gubarev discusses his path to becoming the co-founder of the company and how Palta is leading the tech space within Cyprus’s economy.
Vodafone Switches On Self-Powered Mobile Phone Mast
No mains power required? Vodafone mobile phone mast in Wales incorporates wind turbine, solar panels and on-site batteries
Elon Musk Appeals Court Refusal To End Tweet Oversight
I want to be free. Judge's refusal to overturn oversight agreement with SEC on Elon Musk's tweets is appealed by the Tesla CEO
Meta Fails To Overturn UK Order To Sell Giphy
Meta has mostly failed in its appeal against the CMA order to sell Giphy, after judges dismissed all but one appeal by the Facebook parent
Qualcomm Victory After EU Court Annuls 997m Euros Antitrust Fine
Another major setback for the EU's Margrethe Vestager, as EU General Court nullifies huge antitrust fine against Qualcomm
IBM Ordered To Turn Over Ginny Rometty Emails In Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Big Blue ordered to hand over internal emails of former CEO Ginny Rometty and IBM executives, which discuss efforts to shed older staff members
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Retires Today, After 27 Years
The day that IE died. Microsoft has today officially retired its veteran web browser Internet Explorer after 27 years of service
NSO Group In Talks To Offload Pegasus Spyware – Report
But would the US and Israel approve? US Defence contractor L3Harris reportedly in talks to acquire NSO Group's Pegasus surveillance tech
The State of 3D Printing: TCT 3Sixty 2022
Taking place on the 8th and 9th of June at the NEC Birmingham, TCT 3Sixty brings together additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing under one roof to showcase the latest technologies, design applications and manufacturing processes f ...
German Regulator Probes Apple Ad-Tracking Rules
German competition regulator probes whether Apple's ad-tracking rules for third-party apps give iPhone maker preferential treatment
Amazon To Begin Drone Deliveries In Californian Town
Amazon to begin drone delivery of 'thousands' of items weighing under 5lb in Lockeford, California, nearly ten years after creating Prime Air division
Instagram Brings Parental Controls To UK
Facebook sister company Instagram introduces parental controls in UK, following backlash over effects of service on young people
Atos Shares Plunge Amidst Reorganisation, CEO Exit
Shares of French IT services giant Atos drop sharply after it announces plan to spin off cybersecurity unit and surprise exit of new chief executive
Elon Musk To Meet With Twitter Staff
Elon Musk to hold virtual meeting with Twitter staff for first time since buyout announced in April, as deal remains on hold
Google Engineer Claims AI Has ‘Feelings’
Google engineer placed on administrative leave after claiming conversation simulator may be sentient, highlighting ethical challenges posed by such systems
UK Digital Strategy Takes Aim At Cyber-Security, Skills Gap
Security expert praises new government digital strategy for much-needed focus on cyber-security and reducing skills gap as London Tech Week begins
Smaller Firms Support US Tech Competition Bill As Giants Resist
Dozens of smaller tech companies and organisations sign letter supporting American Innovation and Choice Online Act as tech giants warn of 'user risk'
Cryptocurrencies Plunge After Celsius Pauses Withdrawals
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fall after $12bn crypto lender Celsius pauses withdrawals and transfers, citing 'extreme' market conditions
SpaceX Starship Orbital Launch Faces NASA Challenge
NASA reportedly concerned SpaceX Starship explosion at Florida launch pad could damage facility used to carry humans to International Space Station
Ferrari ‘Plans Plant Expansion’ Amidst Electric Push
Ferrari reportedly planning expansion to plant in northern Italy as it gears up for late entry to electric race helmed by tech veteran Benedetto Vigna
Government Pushes NHS Data Sharing Amidst Controversy
Government announces plans to improve NHS patient data access to third-party researchers while boosting patient access to medical records via NHS App
Sky Backs £100m Fund For Climate Tech
British Media group Sky backs £100m Planet Fund for start-ups developing climate-related technology as London Tech Week brings focus to UK tech sector
UK Tech Start-Ups See Record Quarterly Investment
Private British tech firms buck market gloom with record quarterly venture capital investment led by fintech and healthcare tech
EU Parliament Approves Ban On Combustion Cars By 2035
Move to electric vehicles continues, after European lawmakers vote to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035
Ericsson Confirms SEC Investigation Over Iraq Conduct
Swedish firm says it is “fully co-operating” with the US SEC, after it opened an investigation of Ericsson's conduct in Iraq in 2019
US Agency Deepens Tesla Autopilot Investigation
Federal agency upgrades investigation into Tesla's Autopilot, in what is being touted as the first step before issuing a recall
West Risks Direct Military Clash Over Cyberattacks, Says Russia
Pot kettle black. Russia's Foreign Ministry says cyber attacks against its infrastructure risks leading to direct military confrontation
Tesla Proceeds With China Hiring Event, Despite Musk Job Warning
Last week Elon Musk warned he wanted to axe 10,000 Tesla jobs, but the EV maker is still hiring in China and hosting jobs event
HoloLens Creator Leaves Microsoft Amid Misconduct Allegations
Microsoft’s HoloLens lead developer and boss, Alex Kipman, leaves the software giant after being accused of inappropriate behaviour
One In Ten Staff Want To Leave Over Tech Frustrations, Says Freshworks
Workplace tech frustrations. 94 percent of UK staff are frustrated by inadequate workplace tech, and many are considering resigning because of it
Twitter To Supply Elon Musk With Bot Data – Report
Elon Musk will reportedly be given access to the raw daily data Twitter gathers, after he threatened to walk away from $44bn purchase
MoD Acquires Government’s First Quantum Computer – Report
The Ministry of Defence acquires the UK government's first ever quantum computer and will work Orca Computing
Microsoft Slashes Russia Operations, Axes 400 Staff
Software giant Microsoft is “significantly” scaling down its operations in Russia, but will continue to fulfil contractual obligations
Ten Percent Of Twitter Accounts Posting Spam, Says GlobalData
As Elon Musk clashes with Twitter's board of directors over the matter, GlobalData offers its own estimation of the amount of Twitter accounts posting spam
Ofcom Updates Law To Protect Last Remaining Phone Boxes
Remaining public telephone boxes belonging to BT and KCOM are now subject to new protections, as BT says it will 'review' the latest rule change
IBM Closes Down Russian Operation, Lays Off Staff
After suspending its operations in Russia in Q1, IBM tells local staff it is winding down operations in Russia and laying off employees
TSMC Rules Out European Chip Factory For Now
Bad news for EU chip manufacturing ambitions, as TSMC says there are no 'concerte' plans to build any factories in Europe
Taiwan Bans Most Chip Exports To Russia, Belarus
More bad news for Putin, as Taiwan confirms strict ban on modern computer chips and chip-making equipment to Russia and Belarus
EU Agrees Common Mobile Charging Port, In Blow To Apple
End of the road for Lighting connector? Apple has until 2024 to standardise its charging ports on the USB-C connector
NSO Boss To Be Questioned By Spanish Judge Over Spyware Claim
Spain's High Court on Tuesday called for CEO of Israel's NSO to testify in case about Pegasus spying on Spanish politicians
Texas AG Investigates Twitter For ‘Deceptive Practices’ Over Bots
Republican attorney general of Texas starts investigation of Twitter, after Elon Musk's public complaints about bots and fake accounts
WWDC 2022: Apple ‘All New’ MacBook Air, MacBook Pro
Apple announces two new Mac laptops, the MacBook Air, and 13inch MacBook Pro, which runs on the newly announced M2 processor
WWDC 2022: Apple Unveils Powerful M2 Chip
Apple delivers the M2 processor, touting new levels of power-efficient performance for the new Macbook Air and Macbook Pro
WWDC 2022: Apple Announces New iPhone, iPad Operating System
Apple announces latest version of its operating system for its iPhone and iPad devices, at its annual developer’s conference, WWDC 2022
US Supreme Court Seeks Biden Input On WhatsApp’s NSO Lawsuit
Justices on US Supreme Court mull whether Meta's WhatsApp can pursue its lawsuit against NSO Group, and seek Biden administration input
Musk May Drop Twitter Deal If Fake Account Data Not Provided
Elon Musk has once again warned he could walk away from his Twitter takeover, if the platform does not provide data on fake and spam accounts
Australian Court Orders Google To Pay Politician Over ‘Abusive’ YouTube Videos
Google ordered to pay Australian politician $515,000, after it allegedly profited from abusive and defamatory YouTube videos
Amazon’s Consumer Boss, Dave Clark, Steps Down
Changing the old guard. Dave Clark, Amazon's head of consumer business, is stepping down amid after surviving shareholder vote on compensation
Russian Ministry Website Hacked With Pro Ukraine Message
Cyber warfare continues. Hack of Russian housing ministry website points online searches to “Glory to Ukraine” sign in Ukrainian
EU To Agree Universal Mobile Charger Port On Tuesday – Report
Apple's developer conference may be overshadowed by possible EU agreement for common charging port for all mobile devices
GM’s Cruise Granted San Francisco Permit For Self-Driving Taxis
Final permit granted to GM's Cruise autonomous vehicle unit, so it can offer its robotaxi service to paying customers in San Francisco
New York Signs Bill To Ban Certain Crypto Mining Operations
Lawmakers in New York have passed a bill to ban certain cryptocurrency mining operations that run on carbon-based power sources
Musk ‘Super Bad’ Feeling About Economy, Wants To Axe 10,000 Tesla Staff
Gloomy outlook. Elon Musk says he wants to axe 10 percent of jobs at Tesla, as he has a 'super bad' feeling about the global economy
Apple To Shift Some iPad Production To Vietnam – Report
Supply chain issues. Strict Covid-19 lockdown disruptions in China reportedly sees Apple moving some iPad production to Vietnam
Upcoming Events
Oracle’s Cerner Purchase Given EU Antitrust Blessing
Healthcare move by software giant Oracle with its $28 billion acquisition of Cerner, now given official blessing from European Commission
Elon Musk Return To Office Demand Opposed By German Union
Blunt order by Elon Musk for Tesla staff to return to the office or resign their jobs, faces pushback from trade union in Germany
Toshiba Receives Multiple Proposals, As It Mulls Strategic Options
Troubled Japanese conglomerate Toshiba receives eight proposals to take it private and a couple of proposals to remain listed entity
Sheryl Sandberg To Leave Facebook After 14 Years
After fourteen years as chief operating officer at Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg confirms she will leave the firm in the Autumn
US Conducts Offensive Cyber Operations To Support Ukraine
American General confirms US military hackers have conducted 'a series of operations' in support of Ukraine, as it battles Russia's invasion
Elon Musk Tells Tesla Staff To Return To Work Or Resign
'Come back to the office or resign' Elon Musk tells Tesla staff, as the world's richest man rejects remote working as a viable option going forward
Amazon Hits Out At US Congress Antitrust Bill
Online retail giant Amazon slams US antitrust bill for unfairly singling it out, while not targetting rival retailers such as Walmart and Target
TomTom Confirms Hundreds Of Job Losses
Satnav giant TomTom says it will “reset” the organisation, which unfortunately includes hundreds of job losses at its Mapping unit
Apple To Make Many Changes To iPhone, iPad Operating Systems – Report
The WWDC 2022 developer conference next week is expected to reveal a slew of changes and updates with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16
Tech Firms Urged By Ofcom To Do More To Protect Women Online
UK regulator says women are heavier users than men of most social media platforms, and urges tech firms to keep women safer online
US Supreme Court Blocks Controversial Texas Social Media Law
Content moderation victory? Tech industry celebrates as US Supreme Court blocks controversial Texas social media law from taking effect