There are currently no plans ban export to China of chemicals used to manufacture semiconductors, Germany says
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
April 2023
Intel Posts Largest Ever Quarterly Loss, But Shares Rise
Intel posts largest ever quarterly loss in company history, coupled with a 36 percent decline in sales. But share price rises
Microsoft Says No More Feature Updates For Windows 10
Current version of Windows 10 (version 22H2) will be the last version of Windows 10 OS, with support ending in 2025
Dyson Air-Purifying Headphones To Cost £820
How much? Dyson Zone is the firm's first wearable air purifier headset and are due to go on sale in the UK at a cost £820
Elon Musk Meets US Lawmakers To Discuss AI Regulation
Elon Musk meets with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others, after being spotted on Capitol Hill on Wednesday
Vodafone Appoints Finance Boss Margherita Della Valle As Group CEO
UK-based mobile giant Vodafone confirms interim CEO, Margherita Della Valle, is now permanent CEO of the group
Semiconductor Revenue To Decline In 2023, Gartner Warns
Gartner forecasts global semiconductor revenue to decline 11.2 percent in 2023, amid economic uncertainties and weakening demand
UK Regulator Defends Microsoft Activision Decision, After Angry Response
Microsoft and Activision slam UK decision to block acquisition, but CMA boss says blocking $69 billion deal was “right decision”
Meta Pleases Investors After Sales Rise, As Profits Dive
Plunge in profits at Facebook parent, but Meta pleases Wall Street after sales rose for first time after three quarters of decline
Quest Software Podcast: The Democratisation of Data: Episode 4: In Data We Trust?
Even with a single view of truth, why is data often still mistrusted by its users? What is driving this behaviour? How can businesses combat this and create a culture where data is trusted and used to based sound business decisions upo ...
Brand Voice
Securing applications in the era of DevOps
With the adoption of DevOps practices, organizations have dramatically increased release velocity to drive digital transformation and meet changing customer and business needs. Deploying cloud-native technologies and taking advantage o ...
Brand Voice
Unleashing the power of observability
As anybody who works in IT knows only too well, accelerated digital transformation over recent years has led to soaring complexity within IT departments. In particular, increased deployment of cloud native technologies has left technol ...
The State of Responsible Technology
Learn how your business can make responsible technology decisions to connect with environmentally aware audiences. Discover how to harness responsible technologies today.
US Bill To Require Parental Consent For Kids Use Of Social Media
New bipartisan bill unveiled in US will require parental consent for anyone under the age of 18 to use social media
ASML Boss Warns Of Chip Supply Uncertainty
Beijing will develop its own semiconductor equipment says CEO of ASML, and says market access to China is “absolutely essential”
Alphabet Beats Expectations, Announces $70 Billion Share Buyback
Shares in Alphabet rise after its first quarter results beat expectations, despite reduced ad spending, TikTok competition etc
UK’s CMA Blocks Microsoft’s $69bn Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
Final decision by UK regulator to block Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but Microsoft says it will appeal
Microsoft Shares Rise As Q3 Earnings Beat Forecasts
Azure cloud delivers for Microsoft despite tough economic conditions – with artificial intelligence slated for future growth
Japan’s ispace Admits Moon Lander Likely Crashed
First-ever lunar landing by a private company ends, after Japanese start-up ispace admits moon lander likely crashed
US Sanctions Two For Aiding North Korean Crypto Thieves
US sanctions two China-based cryptocurrency traders for allegedly helping launder funds stolen by North Korean hacking gang Lazarus Group
Spotify Surpasses Half-Billion Monthly Users
Music service Spotify surpasses half a billion monthly active users for first time, but misses revenue targets due to slower ad sales
European Payments Initiative Buys Two Fintech Firms
Initiative set up to challenge Visa, MasterCard and Apple Pay for cross-border payments buys two fintech firms, scales back plans
Shanghai To Back Chip, AI Investments
China financial hub Shanghai to back investment in specialised areas of domestic tech industry including semiconductor design and AI
Japan Start-Up iSpace Prepares First Commercial Moon Landing
Japanese start-up ispace prepares to attempt first-ever commercial lunar landing on Tuesday with M1 mission
Indian Court Rejects Xiaomi Plea To Return Seized Funds
Indian court rejects plea by Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi for return of £543m in seized funds, amidst ongoing political tensions
UK Introduces Long-Delayed Digital Markets Legislation
UK government introduces legislation ramping up regulation of the biggest tech firms, after years of delays
UK Government Pledges £100m For AI Taskforce
UK government pledges initial £100m for AI taskforce to develop use of ChatGPT-like technology across economy
China To Explore 3D Printing For Moon Base
Upcoming China lunar probe to investigate use of 3D printing to build manned habitations on lunar surface from moon soil 'bricks'
Former OpenSea Employee Faces Criminal Charges Over NFT Trades
Former employee at dominant digital marketplace OpenSea this week faces first-ever criminal insider trading charges related to digital assets
Silicon In Focus Podcast: How Green is Your Tech Budget?
Learn why Managed Service Providers (MSPs) now need to demonstrate sustainability credentials to win some contracts. Discover why organisations are increasingly mandating their suppliers work sustainably.
US Urges South Korea Not To Fill Micron Shortfall In China
US urges South Korea to tell companies not to make up for Micron exports to China if company is banned as result of security review
Brand Voice
Retail technologists need a new approach to overcome growing application security challenges
Across the retail industry, there is a growing sense of unease that organizations are becoming less secure and more vulnerable to emerging cybercrime threats. The shift to cloud native applications and architecture over the past two ...
Brand Voice
OpenTelemetry is essential to manage modern applications…but it’s not magical for IT teams to manage hybrid environments
Across all industries, technologists are recognizing the benefits of OpenTelemetry as a quick, simple and cost-effective way to generate visibility into availability and performance within dynamic, cloud native environments.
Budget Shopping App Temu Launches In Europe
Fast-growing Chinese-owned budget shopping app Temu begins selling in UK, other European countries after US launch last September
Twitter Restores Blue Ticks For High-Profile Users
Blue verification ticks restored to most Twitter users with more than 1 million followers after removal of 'legacy' verifications last week
Ofcom Finds Millions Missing Out On Cheaper Broadband
Telecoms regulator Ofcom finds about 4 million eligible households missing out on cut-rate social tariffs for broadband due to low awareness
Celebrities Lose Blue Ticks, As Twitter Purges Legacy Verified Accounts
Well known celebrities and public figures lose legacy blue tick verification status, as Ricky Gervais etc mock Elon Musk's move
Alphabet To Merge AI Units Deepmind And Google Brain
One better than two? Alphabet doubles down on artificial intelligence, by merging two of its key AI divisions
Microsoft To Remove Twitter From Advertising Platform, Musk Threatens Lawsuit
Elon Musk threatens to sue Microsoft after it announced plan to remove Twitter from its corporate advertising platform
EU Agrees Comprehensive Framework For Crypto Regulation
EU Parliament approves 'Markets in Crypto Act' (MiCA) for regulation of crypto transparency, disclosure, authorisation, and supervision
SpaceX Starship Rocket Explodes After Launch
First launch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship rocket ends in mid-flight explosion, which it labelled as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”
Jack Dorsey’s Twitter Clone, Bluesky, Launches On Android
Decentralised rival service to Twitter known as Bluesky, backed by Jack Dorsey, has now launched an Android app
Tesla Likely To Launch Full Self-Drive ‘This Year’, Says Elon Musk
Not again. Tesla boss Elon Musk touts arrival of its full self-drive technology this year, despite many missed predictions
Seagate To Pay $300m Penalty Over Huawei Exports
Ouch. Seagate to hand over $300 million in fines after it exported 7.4 hard disk drives to Huawei, despite US export restrictions
Meta Lays Off Technical Staffers, In Another Workforce Blow
Second tranche of layoffs begin at Meta Platforms, as engineers and other technical staff are made redundant
Hikvision Denies Illegally Supplying US Government
Hikvision denies claim in leaked documents that it continues to illegally supply cameras to US government for espionage purposes
GlobalFoundries Sues IBM, Again
IBM sued by GlobalFoundries, which alleges that Big Blue made unlawful disclosures to Intel, the Japanese consortium Rapidus and others
European Union Finalises €43bn Chips Act
Terms for European Chips Act agreed, as bloc seeks to double market share in semiconductor development, manufacturing etc
Google’s Pixel Fold, Set For June Launch – Report
Internal documents reportedly show Google is planning to launch its first foldable smartphone, dubbed the Pixel Fold, in June
Russia-linked Hackers Want To ‘Destroy’ UK, Minister Warns
Cybercrime groups linked to Russia are 'ideologically motivated' and want to 'disrupt or destroy' the UK, minister is to warn
UK Government To Deliver Crypto Laws In Next 12 Months – Report
Treasury minister says UK could introduce specific laws aimed at regulating cryptocurrency in next 12 months
Netflix Ends DVD By Post, Amid Password-Sharing Crackdown
Mostly positive results from Netflix, as streaming giant winds down legacy DVD via post program and expands password crackdown
Brand Voice
Why technologists need to adopt an integrated approach to application security
Across all sectors, it has become an increasingly complex challenge to manage application security, particularly in recent years. Digitization and innovation have led to considerable expansions in attack surfaces, especially in instanc ...
Brand Voice
Success in a cloud native environment requires technologists to combine specialist and generalist skills.
Many IT departments are adopting a DevSecOps approach to application development and security in response to a rapidly changing risk landscape. Rather than treating security as an afterthought, it is now integrated into the application ...
Brand Voice
Public sector IT teams urged to embrace new application security strategies amid growing attack surfaces.
Application security must catch up with the attack surface expansion, which is now a significant problem for many organizations. To guard against this, organizations in the public sector have ramped up their digital transformation prog ...
Swedish Radio Quits Twitter, Joining Others
Swedish Radio quits Twitter, saying it is no longer relevant to Swedes – and citing potential risk of 'hate and threats'
Alibaba Integrates AI Chatbot Into Collaboration App
Tech giant Alibaba integrates ChatGPT-like chatbot Tongyi Qianwen into collaboration tool DingTalk as it seeks to roll out AI across its offerings
TUC Warns Workers Left Exposed To AI-Made Decisions
Trades Union Congress warns workers are being left without protections from life-changing decisions made by automated AI tools
Tim Cook Opens First Apple Store In India
Tim Cook opens first Apple Store in India in financial centre Mumbai as firm seeks to expand sales and manufacturing
WhatsApp, Other Messaging Firms Urge Online Safety Bill ‘Rethink’
WhatsApp, six other encrypted messaging firms call for 'urgent rethink' of Online Safety Bill that they say woud weaken user security
Quest Software Podcast: The Democratisation of Data: Episode 3: Management, Trust, and Visibility
A data strategy has many components, but a trinity of drivers leads to true data democracy: Management, Trust and Visibility. Businesses must be able to manage the data they have to extract value easily.
Ransomware Hackers Steal Sensitive Charity Data
Londonderry-based IT firm Evide says personal data from charity clients stolen following ransomware attack as organisations warn of fraud risk
SpaceX Postpones Starship Launch, Citing Technical Glitch
SpaceX cancels test-launch of massive Starship vehicle after identifying malfunctioning pressurant valve, may retry this week
Photographer Refuses Major Award For Image Created Using AI
Photographer Boris Eldagsen refuses prize from Sony World Photography Awards after revealing his image was created using AI
Education Firm Offers GPT-4 Powered Tool Amidst Controversy
US education software firm Chegg announces CheggMate, powered by OpenAI's GPT-4, amidst controversy around AI chatbots in the classroom
Tencent ‘Enters Mass Production’ With Video Chip
Tech giant Tencent says self-designed video-transcoding chip enters mass production, amidst US efforts to slow China chip growth
US Congress Targets China’s Shein, Temu In Latest Backlash
US Congress advisory group singles out popular China-linked fast-fashion apps Shein and Temu over data concerns
SpaceX Prepares To Launch Most Powerful Rocket Ever Made
SpaceX prepares to test-launch Starship rocket with Super Heavy booster, delivering nearly twice the power of NASA's SLS
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning
Often machine learning models don’t have all the information they need to deliver effective insights. In the security space in particular, it’s now possible to build machine learning models that have sensitive information included in t ...
Sega Offers £625m For Studio Behind ‘Angry Birds’
Sonic the Hedgehog maker Sega offers 706m euros for Rovio, studio behind pioneering mobile game Angry Birds
Google To Face Trial Over Sonos Patents, Judge Rules
Bitter patent battle between Sonos and Google to continue, after judge rules the later must face trial on 8 May
Murdered Tech Executive Knew His Alleged Killer, Say Police
Cash App founder Bob Lee apparently knew the suspect in his stabbing death, police in San Francisco have said
Humans Needed To Avoid Cybersecurity Missteps, Gartner Says
Gartner identifies top cybersecurity trends for 2023, and says organisations need to adopt a human-centric focus to avoid cyber failures
Twitter No Longer Exists, As X Corp Takes Over
Elon Musk's Twitter no longer exists as company, after a filing this week shows Twitter has been merged into X Corp
Government Sets Aside £150 Million For Full 5G Connectivity By 2030
Government investment to expand 5G coverage in UK, as Digital Poverty Alliance says connectivity is a necessity for everyone
FBI Warns Against Use Of Public Charging Stations For Mobile Phones
Consumers should avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels etc, as bad actors may have compromised them, FBI warns
Apple Makes Nearly 7 Percent Of iPhones In India – Report
China move. Indian factories now making nearly 7 percent of all iPhones, with Apple mulling Macbook manufacturing in Thailand
Elon Musk Axed 80 Percent Of Staff, Admits Painful Tenure
Musk tells BBC Twitter is now roughly breaking even and advertisers are returning, but admits running platform is “quite painful”
Intel To Optimise Factories For ARM Chip Manufacturing
Agreement will allow Intel Foundry Services to work with ARM to ensure mobile phone chips etc can be made in its chip fabs
OpenAI To Offer Bug Bounties Up To $20,000
Bug bounty program introduced by OpenAI, to track down and eliminate vulnerabilities, bugs, or security flaws
TSMC Investment Plans For Taiwan Unchanged – Report
Amid growing concerns about China's intentions for Taiwan, government minister says TSMC local investments remain unchanged
US Government Looks To Establish Rules For AI
US Commerce Department requests public comments on AI accountability measures, in first step for AI governance rules
Quest Software Podcast: The Democratisation of Data: Episode 2: Legacy Technology – A Burden and a Vulnerability?
In this episode, we are considering Legacy technology and whether this is a burden and vulnerability in building a data-driven enterprise.
How Secure are Composable Architectures?
As composable architectures continue to expand and influence the future of e-commerce, is the security of these technologies being fully considered? Is composable intrinsically more secure than the monolith?
PC Shipments Decline 30 Percent, Gartner Finds
Gartner reports that PC shipments worldwide have declined 30 percent in Q1, backing up similar findings from rival IDC
Apple Doubles Investment In Carbon Removal Fund
Investment by Apple of another $200 million in the ‘Restore Fund’, to remove carbon emissions and support sustainable forestry
Spyware Used Across 10 Countries, Says Citizen Lab, Microsoft
Journalists, opposition figures and advocacy groups across at least 10 countries hacked by Israeli spyware, research alleges
Former Twitter Executives Sue Over $1m In Unpaid Legal Bills
Former Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal and two other top executives sue over more than $1m in personal legal bills
Indian Start-Ups Demand Delay For New Google Payment System
Group of Indian start-ups claims new Google in-app payment system allowing third-party providers charges 'unsustainable' fees
South Korea Fines Google £26m For Blocking Rival App Store
South Korean regulator fines Google 42.1bn won for attempting to block the growth of rival app store One Store through deals with game makers
Ethereum Upgrade Set To Release Billions In Value
Shanghai-Capella upgrade to Ethereum blockchain continues shift away from energy-intensive 'mining' system to 'proof of stake'
China’s SenseTime Shows AI Chat, Image Tools
Chinese AI firm SenseTime shows ChatGPT-style chatbot as well as AI-powered image and 3D content creation tools
Vodafone Fixes Broadband Outage That Affected Thousands
Vodafone fixes home broadband outage that took out service for 11,000 users across the country for most of the day on Monday
How to Build Resilient In-Depth Active Directory Security Defences
The growing risk landscape and complex nature of Active Directory (AD) environments, makes AD security challenging. Ransomware, insider threats, misconfigurations – one misstep, and adversaries have a foot in the door. Business leaders ...
Alibaba Launches ChatGPT-Like AI Chatbot
Chinese tech giant Alibaba launches ChatGPT-style AI chatbot called Tongyi Qianwen, plans to integrate across all products
Cornwall Mines ‘May Have To Export’ Lithium For EVs
Cornwall lithium mine projects may have to export the metal abroad if there is no domestic EV battery infrastructure, says company founder
Report Details ‘Unauditable’ Chaos At FTX
Debtor's report from failed FTX details lack of internal controls at company as top executives allegedly quashed complaints
PC Shipments Slump 29 Percent, Led By Apple
Apple sees biggest slump in PC shipments along with HP, Lenovo, Dell and others as pandemic-era demand dissipates
Report: FTX Collapse Due To ‘Hubris, Incompetence, Greed’
FTX debtor's report claims company lacked basic corporate controls and didn't even have complete list of its own employees
Volkswagen To Build EV Academy In China’s Hainan
Volkswagen to build electric vehicle academy in China's Hainan province as it seeks to hold on to top spot in world's biggest car market
BBC Protests ‘Government Funded’ Label On Twitter
BBC protests 'Government Funded Media' label on Twitter after NPR earlier labelled 'State-Affiliated' in row over editorial independence
Tesla To Build Major Battery Plant In Shanghai
Tesla to build second plant for large-scale 'Megapack' batteries in Shanghai, supplementing production of California factory
Sophos Study Finds Most Firms Struggle To Execute Essential Security Tasks
State of cybersecurity report for 2023 from Sophos reveals that majority of businesses find essential security tasks challenging
Sony Lashes Out At CMA’s ‘Irrational’ Reversal Over Microsoft Activision Buy
UK regulator decision to reverse its preliminary judgement against Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard, slammed by Sony
Samsung To Cut Chip Production Amid Profit Decline
Electronics giant Samsung will make “meaningful” cut to chip production, amid global downturn in semiconductor demand
IT Spending To Grow 5.5 Percent In 2023, Predicts Gartner
Some good news for the tech sector, after Gartner predicts rise in IT spending during 2023, despite economic uncertainty
Tesla Staff Shared Sensitive Customer Images – Report
Former Tesla workers in the US admit they often shared sensitive videos and images taken by customer's car cameras
Amazon’s $1.7bn iRobot Acquisition Triggers UK Antitrust Inquiry
UK's antitrust regulator begins investigation of Amazon's proposed smart home acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot
Ofcom Crackdown After ISPs Miss Broadband Switching Deadline
Uswitch says £1.85 billion has been lost in broadband savings, amid industry failure to implement easy broadband switching rules
OpenAI Faces Possible Defamation Lawsuit Over ChatGPT Content
A mayor in Australia has warned he may sue OpenAI if the firm does not correct false bribery claims by ChatGPT
Amazon, Microsoft Cloud Services Face UK Antitrust Probe
Ofcom proposing to refer UK cloud market and two of its leading service providers to British antitrust watchdog
Elon Musk’s Twitter Sued Again Over Unpaid Bills
Small businesses in US sue Twitter, alleging Elon Musk's firm failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid invoices
UK’s National Cyber Force Outlines ‘Responsible’ Cyber Operations
Agency that carries out offensive cyber operations for the UK, reveals it is engaged against Russian, Chinese and other nation-state hackers
Genesis Market Takedown Sees 120 Suspects Arrested
Largest online marketplace selling stolen credentials to criminals worldwide has been taken down in international operation
Google Staff In London Walkout Over Job Cuts
Some of Google's 5,000 staff in the UK walkout over dispute about job cuts, mirroring similar walkout in Zurich last month
China Asks WTO To Scrutinise Chip Export Restrictions
Beijing seeks WTO help, and says it will “take decisive measures to safeguard its rights and interests” after Japan joined chip restrictions
Virgin Media Suffers Broadband Outage, Again
Second outage for Virgin Media broadband users on Tuesday, leaves company executives red faced and customers angry
Foreign Cash Flows Into China On Alibaba Breakup Plan
Foreign investment in China surges after Alibaba announces breakup plan, as investors see sign of more business-friendly attitude from Beijing
ICO Fines TikTok £12.7m Over Children’s Data
ICO finds TikTok did not do enough to keep children aged under 13 off the platform, and that as a result up to 1.4 million gained access
Japan Set To Ramp Chip Spending Amidst US Push
Japan expected to sharply increase spending on chipmaking equipment as it takes advantage of US-China trade war to boost its position
Virgin Media Broadband Outage Affects Thousands
Thousands of users across the UK report problems with Virgin Media home broadband as overnight outage lasts for hours
Tesla Told To Pay $3.2m In Racial Harrassment Lawsuit
Federal jury in San Francisco tells Tesla to pay $3.2m in punitive damages for racial harrassment, far lower than $137m awarded in 2021
Martha Lane-Fox Warns Against AI ‘Hysteria’
Lastminute.com founder Martha Lane-Fox warns against AI 'hysteria' and calls for 'reasonable conversations' amidst ChatGPT frenzy
Virgin Orbit Files For Bankruptcy In US
Sir Richard Branson satellite launch firm Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy in US after failing to secure funding, 18 months after Nasdaq debut
Paris To Ban E-Scooters After Referendum
Paris to ban e-scooters after voter poll, but providers criticise vote in which only 4 percent of residents took part
Tesla Sets New Record With Q1 Vehicle Shipments
Tesla sets new shipment record for first quarter following worldwide price cuts, but faces intense competition and economic uncertainty
TikTok Owner ByteDance Sees Revenues Soar 30 Pct
TikTok owner ByteDance sees revenues soar 30 percent in 2022 over 2021 as it faces growing hostility outside of China
Google Faces £3.4bn UK Lawsuit Over Adtech Dominance
Google faces second collective UK legal action over claims its dominance of market illegally reduced publishers' revenues
E3 Video Game Gala Event Cancelled
Organisers cancel E3 video game gala return to in-person event as long-running conference struggles to adapt to post-Covid world
Italy Bans ChatGPT Over Personal Data Risk
Italian data regulator bans ChatGPT in country and opens probe into whether chatbot's data collection complies with GDPR
Twitter Revokes New York Times Checkmark
Elon Musk revokes 'verified' checkmark on New York Times Twitter account after newspaper says it will not pay monthly fee
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: How to Combat Cloud Fraud
While telco fraud is currently a prominent news story, there’s a little less chatter on the emerging threat of cloud fraud against enterprises. Learn what current challenges face your business with cloud fraud. Discover techniques to p ...
Quest Software Podcast: The Democratisation of Data: Episode 1: The Data Landscape Today
In this new four-part series hosted by David Howell, Editor-in-Chief of Silicon UK, Michael O’Donnell, a senior analyst in Quest’s Data Management group and Danny Sandwell, a Senior Strategist at Quest, discuss the democratisation of d ...