UK regulator deepens investigation into Adobe’s ‘transformative’ deal to buy collaborative design start-up Figma
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
June 2023
Google To Withdraw News In Canada After New Law
Search engine giant Google becomes second tech firm to block news on its platform in Canada, after new law passed
Webinar: Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365
More organisations are protecting Microsoft 365 data than ever before, is yours one of them?
Virgin Galactic Completes First Commercial Spaceflight
After lengthy pause, Sir Richard Branson venture Virgin Galactic finally delivers paying customers to edge of space
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 9
Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 30/06/2023.
Apple Objects To Spy Clause In UK Online Safety Bill
Apple adds to criticism of spy powers in Online Safety Bill that could force messaging firms to scan encrypted messages
Salesforce Invests $4 Billion In UK Amid AI Push
CRM giant Salesforce confirms it will invest $4bn in its UK business over the next five years, in the face of strong demand for AI
Hybrid Car Explosion Kills Two People
Explosion of Life-Save hybrid car prototype, funded by the European Union, kills two people in southern Italy
US Considers AI Chip Export Restrictions For China
Bad news for Nvidia and AMD, as US considers tightening export controls to China of powerful AI chips and processors
Brand Voice
Technologists, be ready for a hybrid future
Rumor has it that cloud native technologies will catapult the IT industry into a new era of innovation. No code and low code platforms are accelerating release velocity and enabling organizations to ramp up their digital transformation ...
Brand Voice
HR leaders must consider application performance when improving employee experience
Significantly, one area of employee experience that employers are increasingly focussing on is the role of technology, and more specifically, applications and digital services, within the workplace. Whether it’s the applications they u ...
OpenAI To Open First Overseas Office In UK
ChatGPT owner OpenAI locates first international office in London as it seeks to attract AI talent outside the US
Google Closes Down Augmented Reality Glasses
Axing of another Google wearable. This time Google's AR Glasses prototype, Project Iris, is reportedly closed down
BT Investigated By Ofcom Over 999 Failure
UK regulator investigates BT over technical fault that resulted in UK-wide disruption to 999 calls on 25 June
IBM Pays $4.6bn For Apptio To Bolster SaaS Insights
Big Blue opens its wallet to acquire financial and IT management software provider Apptio from venture capital owner
Lack Of Reliable Tech Blamed For Poor Productivity, Apogee Finds
New research from Apogee finds nearly half of staff blamed lack of access to right workplace technology for fuelling negativity
EncroChat Shutdown Results In Thousands Of Arrests
Europol says 2020 takedown of EncroChat has so far resulted in 6,558 arrests worldwide, including nearly 200 high value targets
Google Axes Waze Staff Amid Consolidation
Worrying sign for Waze? Six months after Alphabet merged its Waze and Google Maps teams, comes news of Waze layoffs
Twitter Agrees To Comply With New EU Disinformation Rules
New CEO decision? Weeks after Twitter quit EU's disinformation code, platform agrees to comply with tough new EU laws
Fashion Retailer Mounts First Challenges To EU Content Rules
German online fashion retailer Zalando sues European Commission in top EU court over designation as 'very large online platform'
South Korea Claims Former Samsung Employee Stole Chip Secrets
Indictment by South Korean prosecutors claims former Samsung employee tried to use stolen Samsung secrets in China chip plant deal
New Stellantis Unit Takes Aim At EV Charging Anxiety
New unit at Jeep and Fiat parent Stellantis to aggregate charging points, offer range of customer services to ease EV power access
Baidu Says Ernie AI Beats ChatGPT In Key Metrics
Chinese search giant Baidu says Ernie AI foundation model beats ChatGPT's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 in key benchmarks, as competition heats up
China Vows To Push AI Across Society, Industry
Chinese government mouthpiece People's Daily takes bullish view on AI as tech emerges as competitive flashpoint with US
Google Takes Android Antitrust Challenge To Indian Supreme Court
Google challenges Indian antitrust regulator's directives on Android dominance in Supreme Court as it looks to protect key market
Meta Launches VR Subscription Service Quest+
Meta's Quest+ VR game subscription service gives users access to two specially selected games each month in strategy shift
The Smart Factory 2033
As additive manufacturing, automation, IIoT and data analytics continue to evolve at pace, what does the factory of the future look like, and how can businesses take advantage of these new technologies?
GM Plans Tesla-Compatible Charging Ports Next Year
GM may install Tesla-compatible NACS charging ports in Silverado electric pickup trucks with 2025 model year as Ford also makes switch
Aston Martin Cuts Deal With Lucid For EV Tech
Aston Martin deal with US EV maker Lucid gives British firm access to electric powertrain and battery tech as it prepares electric debut
Japan Buys Out JSR As It Drives Chip Equipment Sector
Japanese government to buy out chip materials maker JSR as it seeks to take advantage of US-China tensions to boost domestic edge
Google Sister Project Brings Laser-Powered Internet To India
Google sister project Taara uses back-end laser communications tech from defunct Project Loon to bring broadband to rural India
Biden To Announce Broadband Funding In Major Speech
US president Joe Biden to announce funding plans under $42.5bn plan to bring broadband to rural and underserved areas
China Regulator Warns AI Poses Challenge To Society
Head of Chinese internet regulator warns of generative AI regulatory challenge as US prepares trade restrictions targeting field
Android Feature ‘Behind Deluge’ Of 999 Calls
Police forces urge users to turn off Emergency SOS on Android phones, saying it is behind sharp increase in 'silent calls' to 999
EE To Deploy Temporary 4G, 5G Masts To Bolster Capacity
More than 125 network upgrades are being installed on temporary 4G and 5G mobile masts across the United Kingdom
AWS Reveals $100m Programme To Fund AI Initiatives
Amazon Web Services launches its AWS Generative AI Innovation Centre, to help deliver generative AI solutions
Meta To Pull News On Facebook, Instagram In Canada
As promised, Meta is to pull news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada, after the Online News Act becomes law
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 8
Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 23/06/2023.
TikTok COO Pappas Steps Down
Vanessa Pappas, the chief operating officer of TikTok, has resigned to refocus on her 'entrepreneurial passions'
Twitter Is Top Platform For Online Hate, Says Australia
Australian regulator demands Twitter explain its handling of online hate, as complaints surge after Elon Musk lifted account ban
Apple Violated NYC Store Workers Union Rights, Judge Rules
Bad Apple in the Big Apple. Firm engaged in union busting activities with its store staff in New York City, NLRB judge rules
Twitter Sued Over Unpaid Staff Bonuses
More paperwork for Elon Musk's lawyers, after yet another lawsuit filed against Twitter alleging failure to pay staff bonuses
Intel Restructures Manufacturing Business, Shares Slide
During investor update, Intel confirms manufacturing business will work like a separate unit as part of Pat Gelsinger's foundry plan
Elon Musk Challenges Mark Zuckerberg To Cage Fight. Zuck Accepts
Battle of the egos? Mark Zuckerberg accepts Elon Musk challenge to a cage fight, with Las Vegas slated as the location
Google Files FTC Cloud Protest Against Microsoft
Cloud battle. Submission made by Google to US antitrust regulator, alleging anti competitive practices by Microsoft Azure
FTC Sues Amazon For ‘Duping’ Customers With Prime Subscriptions
American regulator sues Amazon, alleging ‘deceptive’ Prime sign-up and cancellation process for millions of customers
Elon Musk Touts Significant India Investment By Tesla
India has more promise than any other large country in the world, says Elon Musk after meeting Indian PM Modi
Amazon Faces Senate Warehouse Safety Investigation
US Senator Bernie Sanders leads Senate investigation into Amazon’s workplace safety practices, amid injury and turnover concerns
President Biden Meets AI Experts, Warns Of Risks
US President has admitted to concerns about artificial intelligence, after meeting with AI advocates and leaders in California on Tuesday
DoJ Creates Cyber Unit, Amid Growing National Security Focus
Sign of the times? US Department of Justice creates a specialist cyber unit within its National Security Division
Largest US Publisher Sues Google Over Online Ad Monopoly
Newspaper publisher Gannett files lawsuit against Alphabet's Google, and alleges monopoly of online advertising sector
Suzuki Agrees To Make “Flying Cars” With SkyDrive
Motorbike and car maker Suzuki signs agreement with SkyDrive to co-operate over the manufacturing “flying cars”
Google Seeks To Move Some Pixel Production To India
Some production of the Pixel smartphone could be moved to India, as Google begins talks with local suppliers and manufacturers
Adobe’s $20bn Deal For Figma At Risk From EU Regulators – Report
Adobe's ‘transformative’ deal to buy collaborative design start-up Figma for $20bn is reportedly to be reviewed by EU regulators
Enterprises Planning Expansion Worry Over Connectivity, Expereo Finds
Despite macroeconomic, geopolitical worries, Expereo reveals most businesses have a positive outlook and will increase tech investments
Terra Co-Founder Do Kwon Prison Sentence
Court in Montenegro jails Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon and CFO for four months, for forging official documents
Binance Issues Cease-And-Desist Notice To ‘Binance Nigeria’
Binance says Nigerian company is 'scam entity' after Nigerian regulator tells it to stop operating in country, amidst regulatory crackdown
Eve, Blade Team Up For Electric Flights In Europe
Embraer subsidiary Eve teams with carrier Blade Air Mobility to offer European routes using Eve's upcoming electric 'air taxi'
Intel Reaches Deal With Germany Over Magdeburg Chip Plant
Intel reaches agreement with Germany government over 10bn euros in subsidies for planned Magdeburg facility, as costs soar
Jaguar Land Rover Looks To AI To Secure Supply Chain
Jaguar Land Rover to embed AI in supply chain to help predict and avoid disruption, following years of chip shortages and Covid-19 chaos
Jack Ma Meets With Students In Japan, China
Aliababa founder Jack Ma makes rare public appearances in Tokyo, Hangzhou as China seeks to get economy back on track
Intel Invests $25bn In Israel Chip Plant
Intel to spend $25bn on new chip plant in Israel as governments pressure chip companies to diversify supply chains away from Asia
Foxconn Boss Discusses iPhone Plant Chaos, EV Plans
Foxconn chief executive says company shifting supply lines out of China as it prepares for worst-case scenario, as it makes EV bet
Amazon’s $1.7bn iRobot Acquisition Cleared By UK’s CMA
UK antitrust regulator clears Amazon’s proposed smart home acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot after investigation
Clop’s MOVEit Hack Hits US Government, As Other Victims Are Named
Russian Clop criminals begin extorting MOVEit data-theft victims, with US government agencies also attacked
Microsoft Reaches $2.6 Trillion Valuation Thanks To AI
Software giant Microsoft breaches $2.6 trillion valuation, but Apple remains the most valuable publicly listed tech company
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 7
Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 16/06/2023.
European Countries Right To Ban Huawei, ZTE – EU Official
EU industry chief Thierry Breton says decision by some EU countries to ban Huawei and ZTE is justified and in line with guidelines
Megaupload Staff Jailed For Role In Kim Dotcom Business
Two executives of banned file storage site Megaupload have been sentenced to prison, after agreeing to testify against Kim Dotcom
TikTok To Invest Billions In Southeast Asia For E-Commerce Push
ByteDance looks to Southeast Asia amid Western pressure, and pledges significant investment in region to bolster e-commerce
Twitter Sued For $250 Million By Music Publishers
Lawsuit from music publishers alleges 'massive' copyright infringement, and that Twitter “routinely ignores” takedown requests
EU Parliament Approves Draft AI Regulations
European Union edges forward into passing the world's first laws governing artificial intelligence (AI), after parliament approval
Most Reddit Forums Still Dark, After CEO Doubles Down
Moderators of thousands of Reddit’s forums maintain blackout in protest at API fees, after Reddit CEO doubles down
ARM In Talks With Potential IPO Investors – Report
Talks with potential 'anchor investors' in ARM's upcoming IPO may include Intel, Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, TSMC, Samsung etc
EU Seeks Breakup Of Google Ad Tech Business
European Commission sends formal accusations over Google's advertising business, and states it should be broken up
Vodafone, Three Merger: Industry Reaction
Merger to create the largest mobile operator in the UK draws reaction from industry experts and commentators
Vodafone, Three Merger To Create UK’s Biggest Mobile Operator
Vodafone UK will own 51 percent of combined entity with Three UK, as challenge to EE and Virgin Media O2 heats up
Amazon Web Services Restored After Widespread Outage In US
Outage on Tuesday evening for Amazon Web Services that took down some major websites in the US, has been resolved
Judge Grants FTC Injunction To Temporarily Block Microsoft-Activision Deal
Temporary restraining order by US regulator to prevent Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, is granted by US judge
AMD Spurs AI Interest With Forthcoming MI300 Chip
AMD tantalises investors with details of forthcoming MI300 AI chip, expected to be direct competitor to Nvidia's flagship H100
Struggling Huawei Clinches Major China Mobile 5G Contract
Huawei wins major contract to roll out tens of thousands of 5G base stations for China Mobile amidst financial pain from ongoing sanctions
Bank of China Boosts Hong Kong Crypto With Tokenised Security
Bank of China international investment arm issues tokenised security in Hong Kong, in boost for city's crypto ambitions
Amazon Uses AI To Track Down Fake Reviews
Amazon introduces new AI tools to track down fake reviews, tests generative AI to summarise users' comments
US FTC Seeks Injunction Blocking Microsoft-Activision Deal
US FTC seeks preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to prevent Microsoft and Activision from pushing deal through
Ofcom Hit By MOVEit Extortion Hack
Ofcom, accountancy firm EY and Transport for London confirm data stolen by Clop gang after mass hack on MOVEit transfer tool
Yaccarino Lays Out Vision For Twitter 2.0 As ‘Global Town Square’
New Twitter boss Linda Yaccarino lays out vision for platform as 'global town square', urges staff to 'think big'
PM: UK Can Be ‘Home Of Global AI Safety Regulation’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tells London Tech Week he wants UK to be 'home' of AI safety regulation as international summit approaches
Salesforce Offers ‘Open’ Generative AI Suite
Salesforce AI Cloud includes in-house generative AI tools as well as those from Amazon, OpenAI, Anthropic and others
Baidu Ranks Top In Chinese ChatGPT-Style Chatbot Tests
Tests find Baidu's Ernie Bot ranks above Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen but behind OpenAI's ChatGPT as competition heats up
China Launches Supply Chain Expo Amidst US Pressure
China to host world's first national supply chain expo in Beijing in November as US and allies introduce chip sanctions
Twitch ‘Removes’ New Ad Rules Following Outcry
Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch removes restrictions that would have drastically reduced revenues for content creators and charities
Meta ‘Prepares To Launch Twitter Rival’
Facebook and Instagram parent Meta prepares to launch text-based Twitter rival as it looks to offer 'sanely run' alternative
Thousands Of Reddit Forums Go Dark In Protest
Moderators of thousands of of Reddit's forums, representing the vast majority of its content, have gone dark in protest at new API fees
EU Mulls Mandatory 5G Ban For Firms Like Huawei – Report
European Union is reportedly considering a mandatory ban on member states using high risk companies for 5G networks
China To Restrict AirDrop, Bluetooth File-Sharing, Citing National Security
After protests last year, Chinese cyber regulator to clamp down on wireless file-sharing technology on national security grounds
EU Approves €8 Billion in State Subsidies for Tech Research
European Commission approves 8.1 billion euros ($8.7 billion) of state aid for microelectronics and communication tech projects
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 6
Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 09/06/2023.
Amazon Plans Ad Tier For Some Prime Video Services – Report
Ads may appear on certain tiers of Amazon's Prime video streaming, after similar plans were adopted by rival streaming providers
Google To Crack Down On Office Attendance
Tech giant Google asks full remote workers to reconsider, amid crackdown on those not adhering to hybrid work schedule
Meta Looks To Private Broadcasting With WhatsApp Channels
New Channels feature for WhatsApp offers creators and organisations the ability to 'broadcast' content to wide audience of followers
Russian Clop Criminals Issue Ultimatum After Mass Hack
Cybercriminal gang Clop warn hack victims to get in touch before 14 June, or their stolen data will be published
UK To Host First Global Safety Summit For AI
During PM visit to Washington DC , government confirms UK will host first global summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety
Silicon Insights: The Evolution of Account Based Marketing: Part 1
How has account based marketing evolved? As more data has become available and that can be analysed for insights, how important is a data-first approach for key market campaigns?
Coinbase, Binance Hit Back After SEC Lawsuits
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong hits out at SEC chair Gary Gensler, while Binance alleges Gensler sought role at crypto exchange
US Senators Warn Elon Musk After Twitter Safety Resignations
Departure of two safety executives at Twitter last week prompts warning from US Senators to Elon Musk over FTC compliance
AI To Fundamentally Change Recruitment Process
Research from Totaljobs suggests AI will fundamentally change the workplace as well as the recruitment process
Microsoft’s Brad Smith Meets Chancellor After Blocked Acquisition
Microsoft's Brad Smith meets with Chancellor and CMA, after saying the Activision block discourages investment in UK
Reddit To Axe 5 Percent Of Workforce
More layoffs in tech sector, as Reddit confirms it will dismiss approximately 5 percent of its workforce and reduce hiring
UK To Order Removal Of Chinese CCTV Kit From Sensitive Locations
Government to tighten procurement regime to protect national security, and pledges timeline for removal of Chinese surveillance equipment
SEC Sues Binance, CEO, And Coinbase
US financial regulator alleges US clients of Binance have $2.2 billion at risk, after lawsuits against Coinbase and Binance
Travel Agency Priceline To Adopt Google AI
Travel agency Priceline to offer travel bookings chatbot powered by Google AI, plus more Google techologies for internal staff
US State’s TikTok Lawsuit Criticised For ‘Irrelevant Posturing’
US state of Indiana criticised for devoting more than 90 percent of complaint against TikTok to 'irrelevant posturing'
Apple Pushes ‘Spatial Computing’ With Vision Pro Headset
Apple successfully builds on familiar iPhone, iPad experience with mixed-reality Vision Pro headset, but analysts say appeal remains limited
TSMC Defends Overseas Expansion Amidst Political Tensions
Taiwan's TSMC defends investment in overseas plants to shareholders as geopolitical tensions between US and China continue to intensify
Linda Yaccarino Clocks In As Twitter Boss
Former NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino spends first day as Twitter chief executive after being named by Elon Musk last month
Microsoft To Pay $20m In Child Data Settlement
Microsoft to pay $20 million settlement after FTC found it illegally collected and retained data from child users of Xbox Live gaming service
BBC, Boots, British Airways Hit By Mass Hack
BBC, Boots, British Airways on growing list of companies affected by hack last week of US data-transfer software used around the world
France Contributes 2.9bn Euros To New Chip Plant
France to contribute 2.9bn euros to planned STMicroelectronics and GlobalFoundries semiconductor plant planned in Crolles
Binance ‘Controlled’ Bank Accounts Of US Affiliate
Five bank accounts of supposedly independent Binance.US were in fact controlled by senior Binance official, report finds
Apple Set To Announce Virtual Reality Headset At WWDC
Apple expected to demonstrate VR/mixed reality headset at WWDC conference as it enters unproven market rife with major competitors
Sci-Fi Author Liu Cixin ‘Used ChatGPT’ To Write Speech
Award-winning sci-fi author Liu Cixin reveals he used ChatGPT to help write speeches delivered at a conference last week
Human-Like AI ‘May Face Ban’, Says Government Adviser
Powerful AI systems with human-like, general-purpose intelligence may need to be banned to preserve humanity, says government adviser
US Air Force Denies Simulated AI Drone ‘Attacked’ Operator
US Air Force says simulation in which AI-powered drone attacked operator in order to achieve objectives never took place
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Fighting Cyberthreats with Data
The digital threat landscape is continually evolving. Ransomware remain a clear and present danger. Learn how your enterprise can defend its network and workforce with a comprehensive security data strategy.
Top NBCUniversal Exec Joins Twitter
Former NBCUniversal executive vice president Joe Benarroch to join Twitter in role focusing on business operations
Meta Workers Told To Return To Office Three Days A Week – Report
Facebook parent organisation Meta requires staffers to return to the office three days a week, starting in September
Moscow Alleges NSA Mass Spying On Russian iPhones
Russia alleges the US NSA has conducted a mass spying operation on thousands of iPhones in Russia, and that Apple aided it
Twitter Loses Second Head Of Trust And Safety
Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, confirms resignation – the second departure from that role after Elon Musk takeover
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 5
Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 02/06/2023.
Amazon To Discontinue Celebrity Voices For Alexa – Report
No more personalisation. Voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Melisssa McCarthy are to stop working on Alexa devices
Mark Zuckerberg Announces Meta Quest 3 VR Headset
Just days before Apple may launch its long-awaited VR headset, Meta attempts to steal its thunder with introduction of the Meta Quest 3
Twitter Value Collapses After Fidelity Writedown
Financial institution slashes estimate value of its Twitter stake, suggesting the Elon Musk firm value has decreased significantly
Meta Warns It May Pull News Content In California
Proposed California legislation to require online platforms to pay news publishers, but Meta says it may withdraw news in its home state
Amazon To Pay $30m Over Alexa, Ring Privacy Violations
Amazon settles with US FTC, after alleged privacy violations with its Alexa voice assistant and Ring doorbell cameras
UK SMEs To Increase IT Investments In 2023
New research from Sharp UK finds nearly half of UK SMEs will invest in new technology in 2023, despite concerns over rising prices