Companies that receive funding under US' $52bn Chips Act barred from expanding capacity in China for 10 years, amongst other restrictions
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
February 2023
Visa, Mastercard ‘Pause Crypto Partnerships’ Amidst Meltdown
Visa, Mastercard reportedly halting cryptocurrency partnerships and product plans following industry meltdown last year
Massive Blaze Shuts Down Apple Supplier Plant In India
Massive fire shuts down Apple iPhone charging cable factory in southern India, in latest supply chain headache for tech giant
EU Narrows App Store Charges Against Apple
European Commission drops key charge against Apple over forcing developers to use App Store payment system as case nears second year
Meta Forms AI Team To Compete With ChatGPT
Facebook, Instagram parent Meta forms AI-focused team to develop text and visual tools across its products, following success of OpenAI's ChatGPT
Foxconn Expands In China’s Henan After Factory Disruption
Main Apple iPhone assembler Foxconn to expand presence in China's Henan provice while continuing to shift production to India, Vietnam
Canada Bans TikTok From Government Devices
Canada government bans TikTok from all government devices, saying it presents 'unacceptible risk to privacy and security'
SpaceX Cancels Space Station Crew Launch At Last Minute
SpaceX cancels Crew Dragon launch at last minute on Monday, team of four to wait until Thursday for International Space Station flight
MWC 2023: EU Business Chief Calls For ‘Focus On Future’
Mobile World Congress 2023: Breton urges Europe to lead next tech 'revolution', amidst controversial EU telecoms funding consultation
US-Led ‘Chip 4’ Alliance Holds First Senior-Level Meeting
'Chip 4' group holds first meeting of senior-level officials as US looks to tighten restrictions on China tech industry
Twitter Cuts 10 Percent Of Staff, Including #SleepWhereYouWork Exec
Latest round of cuts at Twitter affects 10 percent of staff, incuding executive pictured sleeping on floor last November
Canada Launches Latest TikTok Data Privacy Probe
Canada federal, provincial governments to probe whether TikTok complies with prvacy law after app banned on EU Commission, Council devices
Missing China Bank Founder ‘Working With Authorities’
Tech investment bank China Renaissance Holdings says founder Bao Fan 'cooperating with authorities' after disappearance earlier this month
Australian Battery Start-Up Takes Over Failed Britishvolt
Australian start-up Recharge Industries buys failed battery venture Britishvolt from administrators, but has very different plans in mind
DoJ Alleges Google Deleted Evidence In Antitrust Case
Serious allegation of misconduct made against Google by US Department of Justice, in its antitrust case against the firm
China Restricts Access To ChatGPT, But Praises AI Potential
Chinese tech firms instructed to cut access to US-based ChatGPT, as state media outlets accuse it of spreading US 'misinformation'
FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Hit With Four More Charges
Four new criminal charges leveled at FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried concerning illegal political donations and bank fraud
Nearly Half Cybersecurity Leaders Set To Change Jobs, Warns Gartner
Analyst house Gartner offering a chilling prediction for company management, warning nearly half cybersecurity bosses will change jobs
European Commission Suspends TikTok On Corporate Devices
Expansion of campaign against China's TikTok, as European Commission confirms suspension of app on corporate devices
Samsung Enhances Bixby So Users Can Clone Their Voices
Bixby personal assistant from Samsung upgraded to provide users with greater control over their mobile experience
Amazon Closes Acquisition Of Healthcare Provider One Medical
After US authorities refuse to challenge acquisition, Amazon closes its $3.9 billion deal for healthcare provider One Medical
Ransomware Hackers Ask Victims For Cyber Insurance Details
Varonis warns that HardBit ransomware asks victims to share their cyber insurance details, to help achieve their extortion aims
Meta Prepping Fresh Round Of Layoffs – Report
Facebook parent Meta is reportedly planning a fresh round of job cuts, after axing more than 11,000 staff last year
Amazon Staff Push Back At Return-To-Office Order
Unhappy Amazon staff reportedly taking to internal websites and comms channels to complain about return-to-office order
First Generation Apple iPhone Fetches $63,000 At Auction
Original 2007 Apple iPhone in its factory-sealed box, has sold for more than $63,000 at a weekend auction in the US
AT&T Looks To Offload Cybersecurity Division – Report
American mobile operator AT&T said to be exploring possible sale of its cybersecurity division, formerly known as Alienvault
Tesla Recalls 362,758 Cars, Warns FSD May Cause Crashes
Elon Musk's Tesla admits Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta software may cause crashes, issues recall for 362,758 vehicles
Chinese President Xi Urges Tech Independence
Facing increasing US export controls on advanced technology, Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for tech self-reliance
No US Help Over ITC’s Apple Watch Import Ban Ruling
No help for Tim Cook from Biden Administration, after US International Trade Commission ruling may block imports of Apple Watches
Digital Transformation EXPO Manchester (DTX)
Landmark US Supreme Court Challenge Internet Immunity
US Supreme Court hears cases that for first time question key law that protects internet firms from liability for content posted by users
Binance Stablecoin Company ‘In Talks’ With US SEC
Paxos, company behind Binance USD, reportedly in 'constructive' talks with US SEC as regulators tighten focus on crypto companies
Microsoft Meets With EU Regulators Over Activision-Blizzard Deal
Microsoft, Sony meet with EU regulators as $69bn deal faces headwinds from regulators in US and UK over competition concerns
Self-Publishing Authors Flock To ChatGPT
ChatGPT already used to author hundreds of self-published ebooks, as questions remain over ethical, legal issues – not to mention quality
Silicon In Focus Podcast: Do Businesses Care About the Metaverse?
As the Metaverse evolves, are business leaders paying more attention to this space and placing active development on their strategic roadmaps? Is there now a strong business case for adopting this technology?
China Overhauls Overseas, Domestic IPO Rules
China introduces major overhaul of rules governing IPOs on mainland and overseas exchanges, following years-long crackdown
Huobi, OKX To Apply For Hong Kong Crypto Licences
Major crypto exchanges Huobi Global and OKX to apply for licences under new Hong Kong regulatory regime aimed at turning city into crypto hub
Government Advised To Ban Remote Driving From Abroad
Drivers should not be able to remotely drive vehicles from outside the UK, Law Commission advises, finding legal 'grey area'
Spain Court Agrees To Extradite British Man Over Twitter Hack
Spain's National Court agrees to extradite 23-year-old British man to US over 2020 hack of celebrity Twitter accounts
Microsoft ‘Testing Ads’ In Bing Search AI Chat
Microsoft reportedly in early conversations with ad agencies about inserting paid links in Bing search AI chat results
Tesla ‘Considering’ Sigma Lithium Buyout
Telsa reportedly in talks about acquiring Canada's Sigma Lithium as demand for key EV battery material vastly outpaces supply
Ola Electric Plans ‘World’s Biggest’ EV Hub In India
EV maker Ola Electric plans 'world's biggest' electric vehicle manufacturing centre in southern India as it seeks to localise supply chain
Apple ‘Lays Off Contractors’ Following Cook Pay Cut
Apple reportedly cutting costs by laying off 'hundreds' of contract workers, after slashing Tim Cook's pay by more than 40 percent
SpaceX Launches Starlink, Inmarsat Satellites
SpaceX launches latest tranche of Starlink satellites back-to-back with launch of Inmarsat high-orbit connectivity spacecraft
Facebook, Instagram To Get Paid Verification
Facebook, Instagram to offer paid 'blue tick' verification starting in Australia and New Zealand this week, following similar move by Twitter
Elon Musk Denies Firing Tesla Staff After Unionisation Attempt
Union alleges Tesla fired 30 plus supporters of recent unionisation attempt, but Musk says decision was taken before this
Terra Co-Founder Do Kwon Charged By US SEC
Do Kwon, co-founder of the failed TerraUSD cryptocurrency, has been charged by US authorities with fraud, after months on the run
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Steps Down
One of the first Google employees, YouTube's CEO Susan Wojcicki, has confirmed she is stepping down after 25 years
FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Bond Backers Revealed
As Sam Bankman-Fried faces questions over his use of a VPN, the identity of the $250 million bond guarantors are revealed
US DoJ Speeds Up Apple Antitrust Investigation – Report
Department of Justice again reportedly speeds up probe into Apple practices over third party apps and if it favours its own products
Oakland Declares State Of Emergency After Ransomware Attack
Californian city declares local state of emergency, after ransomware attack downed city systems earlier this month
British Police At Risk From Chinese Drones, CCTV Cameras
Amid concern of Chinese spy balloons, UK's Camera Commissioner warns British police about their use of Chinese drones, cameras
Mark Zuckerberg Gains Extra $4m To Protect Him, Family
Security cost to protect Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and his family has been increased by millions of dollars, after 'specific threats'
Avaya Files For Chapter 11 Protection, Again
Filing for bankruptcy protection will allow cloud comms provider Avaya to reduce its total debt burden to manageable levels
Tesla To Open 7,500 Chargers In US To Other EVs
Biden administration announces that Tesla will open 7,500 chargers to vehicles from other EV makers in the US
ASML Data Theft By Ex China Staffer Violated Export Controls
ASML discovers its tech has been stolen by China employee, which resulted in violation of “certain export control regulations”
Microsoft “Permanently Disables” Internet Explorer
Final final twitch of the Internet Explorer corpse? Microsoft has “permanently disabled” Internet Explorer from Windows 10
Twitter Created System To Promote Elon Musk Tweets – Report
Elon Musk hints at new CEO for Twitter, amid reports engineers were ordered to create system to promote his tweets
FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Ordered Back To Court, After VPN Use
Federal judge unhappy that FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried used virtual private network (VPN) whilst under house arrest
Meta Oversight Board Pledges Quicker Case Reviews
Facebook's Supreme Court, the Oversight Board, say it will review more content moderation cases and do it faster than before
Amazon’s Zoox Begins Staff Rides On Public Roads In California
Look mum, no steering wheel! Zoox robotaxis are now being tested on some public roads in California by carrying staff
Tesla Staff In NY Launch Union Campaign
Elon is not going to be pleased. Tesla workers in New York state launch unionisation campaign, despite Elon Musk opposition
US Mobile Operators Suffer Outages, Issues
Number of US mobile operators including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon experienced outages and difficulties late Monday
Meta’s Chief Business Officer To Leave After 13 Years
Long-serving chief business officer Marne Levine is to leave Meta in the summer, following the departure of Sheryl Sandberg last year
Twitter Revenues From Top Advertisers Plummets – Report
More than half of Twitter's top 1,000 advertisers were no longer spending on the platform in early January, new data reveals
Apple Hitting Issues In Ramping Up India Manufacturing – Report
The iPhone maker is facing a number of challenges as it seeks to ramp up its manufacturing output in India
Google Search Boss Warns Of ‘Hallucinating’ AI Chatbots
Head of Google search warns AI chatbots can deliver convincing but fictional answers, after embarrassing blunder with AI Bard
Beijing To Support ChatGPT-Style AI Services
China capital Beijing to support major firms in developing ChatGPT-style services, as companies look to compete with popular AI chatbot
New York Regulator Orders Shutdown Of Major Stablecoin
New York regulator orders Paxos Trust to stop issuing third-biggest stablecoin Binance USD, as authorities crack down on crypto industry
South Korean Start-Up Challenges Nvidia AI Dominance
South Korean start-up Rebellions releases AI chip Atom to challenge Nvidia in domestic market, as country's government backs industry growth
Funding Round Values China EV Maker Zeekr At $13bn
Geely electric vehicle brand Zeekr valued at $13bn following latest external funding round, as company prepares for possible IPO
Italian Regulator Bans AI Chatbot Replika Over Data Concerns
Italian data protection regulator says Replika chatbot poses risks to minors after users complain of sexually charged responses
Regulator Warns Over Surveillance Oversight As System ‘Simplified’
Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner warns government plans would reduce oversight of key surveillance technologies
SpaceX Test Fires Starship ‘Super Heavy’ Booster Rocket
Milestone test of one SpaceX Super Heavy booster rocket completed, ahead of debut orbital launch of Starship
Google Shares Still Down After Bard AI ChatBot Blunder
Shares in Alphabet still down, days after launch of Google's AI powered chatbot was blighted by demo of flawed response
Yahoo To Lay Off 20 Percent Of Workforce
Job losses to begin at Yahoo with 1,600 staff set to lose their positions, in latest tranche of layoffs impacting tech sector
UK Sanctions Seven Russian Ransomware Cyber Criminals
Seven Russian nationals sanctioned by the UK and United States, in the first wave of co-ordinated action against ransomware attacks
SpaceX Restricts Ukrainian Starlink Use For Drones
Elon Musk firm takes steps to halt Ukraine's use of Starlink connectivity in engagements with Russian invaders
Twitter Tells Users They Have Hit Daily Post Limit
Twitter users informed they have hit their daily post limit, as European Commission criticises its disinformation takedown efforts
Silicon In Focus Podcast: Wellness Tech for Businesses
Dr Oliver Harrison, CEO, Koa Health, outlines the challenges business face, particularly when supporting positive mental health, and how technology can be an integral component of initiatives business leaders can use to ensure their wo ...
Netflix Expands Password Sharing Crackdown
Streaming giant Netflix password says sharing by 100 million households is impacting its ability to invest in new TV and films
Australia To Remove Chinese CCTV From Sensitive Locations
Aussie Defence Minister orders removal of Chinese surveillance cameras from sensitive government and military locations
Twitter Access Restored In Turkey After Earthquake Criticism
Service restored after Turkey restricted access to Twitter after criticism of government response to devastating earthquakes
Intel Now Seeks $10 Billion State Aid For German Factory – Report
Chip giant Intel reportedly increases the funding requirement from German government for planned Magdeburg chip factory
UK Watchdog Finds Microsoft’s Activision Deal Could Hurt Gamers
British watchdog CMA becomes first global regulator to conclude Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision is anti-competitive
Scottish MP Admits Hack Of Personal Email, After NCSC Warning
SNP MP Stewart McDonald says he was hacked last month and his email system compromised, with suspicion pointed at Russia
Zoom Sheds 15 Percent Of Workforce
Post Covid pandemic reality bites as Zoom confirms it will axe 15 percent of its workforce, which impacts 1,300 jobs
Microsoft Adds AI To Bing Search Engine, Edge Browser
Challenge to Google, as Microsoft announces new AI-powered Bing homepage that allows a user to chat with search engine
ARM Boss Committed To Public Listing In 2023
Chief executive Rene Haas says ARM is committed to an initial public offering this year, and plans are “underway now”
SpaceX May Attempt Starship Launch In March
Elon Musk says first SpaceX Starship orbital launch may take place in March as company seeks critical test of long-range space vehicle
China’s Baidu Prepares ChatGPT-Style Service
Search engine provider Baidu says putting finishing touches on ChatGPT-style service Ernie Bot as China AI-related stocks soar
Chinese Version Of TikTok To Expand Food Delivery Service
Chinese version of Tiktok, Douyin, set to expand food delivery trial more broadly across China, capitalising on e-commerce success
Court Approves Lawsuit Against Meta In Kenya
Labour court in Kenya says Facebook parent Meta can be sued in the country by content moderator citing psychological harm
UK Considers Backing Official ‘Digital Pound’
Bank of England and UK Treasury propose government-backed digital pound that could supplant cash by end of decade
Google To Release ChatGPT-Style AI Chatbot
Google to release Lamda-powered AI chatbot in latest move to counter massive popularity of Microsoft-backed ChatGPT
LockBit Claims Responsibility For Royal Mail Attack
Russia-linked LockBit gang claims responsibility for Royal Mail attack last month, says it will publish data if ransom not paid
Apple Discounts High-End iPhones In China As Demand Sags
High-end Apple iPhones sell at up to 10 percent discount in China after company announces disappointing earnings, as demand falters
Court Considers Independent FTX Probe
US bankruptcy court to consider DOJ demand that it appoint independent examiner to probe fraud charges in FTX collapse
Google ‘Invests $300m’ In AI Start-Up Anthropic
OpenAI competitors Anthropic and Cohere raising hundreds of millions as tech giants seek foothold in generative AI sector
Wall Street Advisory Firm Sues Twitter Over Unpaid Bill
Wall Street advisory firm sues Twitter claiming nearly $2m in unpaid bills from last year as Elon Musk continues cost-cutting drive
Musk Cleared Over Tesla ‘Funding Secured’ Tweets
Jury clears Elon Musk of wrongdoing in class-action lawsuit over 2018 Tesla privatisation tweets plaintiffs said cost them billions
Dell To Cut Thousands Of Jobs Amidst PC Demand Slump
PC maker Dell to cut about 6,650 jobs as post-pandemic demand for PCs expected to continue decline through 2023
Australian Start-Up To Take Over Battery Maker Britishvolt
Australian battery start-up Recharge Industries reaches deal with administrators to take over collapsed UK battery venture Britishvolt
Alphabet Earnings Miss Expectations, As YouTube Declines
Google parent Alphabet has felt the impact of reduced advertising spending, after its latest financials mostly missed Wall Street expectations
Amazon Posts Annual Loss Amid Restructuring
Worse than anticipated earnings for Amazon on Thursday, amid difficulties after pandemic boom and 18,000 job losses
Apple Disappoints By Missing Wall Street Expectations
Financial results from Apple highlight weakening consumer demand, as it insists iPhone production problems are over
Rivian To Axe 6 Percent Of Jobs Amid EV Price War
Another tranche of job losses for Rivian Automotive, after it says it is laying off 6 percent of its workforce
Apple, Google Urged To Remove TikTok From App Stores
A democratic senator in the US urges Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their respective app stores ahead of CEO meeting with US Congress
Samsung Unveils Premium Galaxy S23 Series
Amid global smartphone shipment declines, Samsung takes wraps off its new premium smartphone portfolio with the Galaxy S23 Series
UK NCC Group To Cut Workforce By 7 Percent – Report
More tech cuts but closer to home. Manchester-based cybersecurity firm NCC Group will cut workforce by 7 percent
ChatGPT Firm Trails Subscription Fee, Detection Tool
OpenAI plans trial of popular chatbot in US at monthly subscription fee of $20, offers tool to detect AI-generated text
Meta Pleases Investors With ‘Year Of Efficiency’ Pledge
After heavy Metaverse spending in 2022, Mark Zuckerberg points to cost savings in 2023 after big drop in profits in 2022
UK Government Details Plan To Regulate Crypto, Post FTX
HM Treasury reveals 'ambitious plans' to protect consumer and businesses by 'robustly regulating cryptoasset activities'
Apple To Launch ‘Folding iPad’ In 2024 – Report
Adding to previous speculation and rumours, analyst predicts Apple will release a foldable iPad tablet next year
China ‘Deeply Concerned’ At US Halt Of Export Licences For Huawei
Beijing expresses “deep concern” at reports the US Commerce Department has stopped export licences for Huawei
PayPal To Axe 7 Percent Of Workforce
More job losses as PayPal announces plan to lay off 2,000 staff amid “challenging macroeconomic environment”
US Official Confirms Japan, Netherlands Joined US China Chip Sanctions
American official acknowledges deal with Japan and the Netherlands for new restrictions on chip-making tool exports to China
Intel Cuts Pay For Staff, Executives
Salaries for mid-level staff and senior management at Intel have been cut after it posted lower-than-expected sales forecast