Dutch competition regulator challenging Apple App Store commission fees in court, in move that could have broad implications
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
October 2023
Nvidia Shares Sink On Report Of $5bn China AI Chip Cancellations
Nvidia's shares tumble on report that it may be forced to cancel $5bn worth of AI chips destined for China under new US export restrictions
UN Seeks International AI Consensus With New Body
UN tech envoy says interim report on artificial intelligence (AI) should stimulate international debate on governance of the tech
Chinese Social Media Requires Real Names For Biggest Influencers
China's top six social media platforms now require influencers with more than 500,000 followers to display real names in latest crackdown
Apple Launches Third-Generation M3 Chips With Speed Boost
Apple launches ARM-based M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max chips with industry-first 3nm process, along with updated MacBook Pro laptops, iMacs
Canada Bans WeChat From Government Devices
Canada bans Chinese super-app WeChat from government devices, following similar move for TikTok in February
Meta Offers Paid Ad-Free Subscription For Facebook, Instagram
Facebook and Instagram to offer a paid subscription in Europe in return for no adverts, costing from 9.99 euros (£8.73) per month
Elon Musk Plans Live Interview With Rishi Sunak On AI
Prime minister Rishi Sunak to hold live interview with Elon Musk on X, formerly Twitter, after Thursday's session of summit on AI risks
Google Chief Pichai Takes Stand In Landmark Antitrust Trial
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai testifies in landmark antitrust deal that could force company to change business practices
Nonprofit Plans To Lease 24,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs For AI
Nonprofit Voltage Park, backed by crypto billionaire Jed McCaleb, plans to lease Nvidia GPUs to ease shortage of AI training resources
Western Digital To Split Into Two After Walking Away From Kioxa Merger
Western Digital to split into flash memory and hard disk companies after walking away from stalled merger talks with Kioxa last week
Xiaomi Prepares Unified OS As Huawei Cuts Off Android
Xiaomi's HyperOS brings together smartphones and connected devices, while Huawei's HarmonyOS Next removes Android support
Biden Executive Order Sets Out AI Safeguards
Biden administration executive order looks to rein in potential security and social problems around AI while developing for benefits
G7 Nations Agree To Voluntary AI Guidelines
G7 nations set to agree to voluntary guidelines on artificial intelligence (AI) as countries continue to work on regulation
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NHS Data Would Be ‘Safe’ Under Contract, Says Palantir Boss
Palantir chief says firm would not have access to patient data under controversial contract and only any sale would be decided by government
Silicon In Focus Podcast: The Omnichannel Evolves
How has the concept of omnichannel retail evolved over the past few years, and what are the key drivers of this evolution? And what are the primary benefits businesses can expect to achieve as omnichannel strategies evolve?
Google Maps Utilises AI For Immersive View Tool
The use of AI by Google Maps utilised for launch of Immersive View tool, so users can preview their travel routes
Bankman-Fried Says He Acted On Legal Advice
FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried testifies lawyers were involved in his key decisions at bankrupt exchange
PM Rishi Sunak Outlines AI Risks, Cautions Against Rush To Regulation
Artificial intelligence will transform lives says PM, but getting it wrong could make it easier to build chemical or biological weapons
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 24
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 27/10/2023.
Online Safety Act Becomes Law In Blow To Campaigners
Online Safety Act receives Royal Assent, and government claims it will make the UK safest place in the world to be online
Sam Bankman-Fried Begins Defence In FTX Fraud Trial
FTX fraud battle sees defence begin case for Sam Bankman-Fried, after damning prosecution witnesses testimony
Elon Musk’s X Deploys Audio, Video Calling Option
WhatsApp worried? Elon Musk's 'everything app' ambition continues with video, voice calling addition to X (Twitter)
BT Clocks 530 Cyberattacks Every Second
Alarming. New data from UK telecoms giant BT has revealed the scale of cyberattacks being launched on a daily basis
Apple Lends Support To Biden’s Federal Right To Repair Push
Tech giant Apple adds to support for President Biden's hopes to roll out right to repair federal legislation across the US
Meta Profit Soars From Ongoing Strong Ad Spending
Meta Platforms beats expectations in its Q3 financials, helped by an ongoing uptick in digital ad spend and cost cutting measures
Silicon Insights: Integrated B2B Marketing Strategies that Succeed: Part 2
Our guest James Day, Head of Planning at White Spider, speaks in-depth about the current marketing climate and how B2B enterprises can innovate to reach their customers with engaging messages.
Cruise Confirms Taxi Service Suspension In San Francisco
California Department of Motor Vehicles immediately suspends Cruise’s autonomous vehicles permits, after pedestrian is critically injured
Okta’s Latest Cyber Breach Knocks Billions Off Company Value
Not again. Another security breach admission from Okta wipes more than $2 billion off its market valuation
Alphabet Profits But Cloud Sales Disappoints
Share price drops after Google Cloud miss, overshadows better-than-expected results for Alphabet's third quarter
ICC Confirms Recent Cyberattack Was Espionage
Not a random cyberattack. International Criminal Court confirms September cyberattack was case of “sophisticated espionage”
Microsoft Q1 Benefits From Cloud Strength
Microsoft beats Wall Street expectations in all categories for its first quarter financial results, helped by strong cloud performance
Meta Sued By US States Over Harm To Children
Dozens of US states sue Meta Platforms, alleging Instagram and Facebook are harming children's mental health
Gartner Cites Generative AI Impact On Business Going Forward
Focus on worker augmentation to improve productivity and quality of work, rather than role automation from AI, Gartner warns
Amazon Trials Humanoid Robot, Prompting Job Fears
Experiment to automate a couple of Amazon warehouse in the US via the use of robots, has prompted job loss concerns
Mexico Orders Samsung, Motorola To Stop Remotely Disabling Phones
Samsung, Motorola, ZTE instructed by Mexican government to stop remotely bricking gray market smartphones imported into the country
AI Used In Most Organisations, But Staff Unaware
New research from UKG finds that AI is now used by majority of organisations, but most staff are unaware of it
Japan Opens Probe Into Google Search Domination
More bad news for Alphabet as Japanese competition watchdog begins investigation into Google's search domination
Microsoft To Invest Billions To Bolster Australian Cyber Defences
Microsoft to spend A$5 billion ($3.2 billion) to expand AI and cloud capabilities in Australia, to help bolster skills and cyber security
Machine Learning: Recruiting for AI Skills
As AI moves to the top of the digital transformation strategies of many businesses, is the skills gap a clear and present danger that could prevent your company from taking advantage of the advantages AI could bring?
Silicon Reviews: Kingston Keypad 200C
With data theft continuing, protect your data on the move with a hardware-encrypted passcode and military-level encryption.
FCC Votes To Start Reinstating Net Neutrality Rules
US communications regulator votes to begin process to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules struck down under Trump
Elon Musk Says X To Have Two New Premium Tiers
Owner of X (Twitter) Elon Musk continues to transition from advertising fees towards paid subscriptions for the platform
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 23
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 20/10/2023.
UK Cites Nuclear Plant Operator Over Cybersecurity Strategy
EDF placed under "significantly enhanced regulatory attention", as it is insists "there is no risk to plant safety at our power stations”
Amazon Defends Prime Service, Amid FTC Lawsuit
Amazon denies it has been duping millions of subscribers of the Amazon Prime service, as it seeks dismissal of FTC lawsuit
EU Sets Deadline For Meta, TikTok To Detail Efforts To Curb Misinformation
EU demands Meta, TikTok detail efforts to curb illegal content, disinformation, amid fears of Hamas broadcasting executions
Meta To Deploy Broadcast Channels For Facebook, Messenger
Because social media really needs more ways to spread information. Broadcast channels are coming soon to Facebook and Messenger
Nvidia, Foxconn Partner Up To Build AI Data Centres
New class of data centres are to be constructed by iPhone maker Foxconn and Nvidia to “accelerate the AI industrial revolution”
Google Russia Declared Bankrupt After Bank Account Seizure
Russian subsidiary of Google officially declared bankrupt after authorities in Moscow seized bank account in dispute with Western tech
Nokia To Axe 14,000 Jobs As US Demand Declines
Heavy job losses at Finnish telecoms supplier Nokia, amid weak demand for 5G equipment in US and elsewhere
IT Spending Worldwide To Increase 8 Percent Next Year
Despite economic worries, Gartner says IT spending in 2024 will rise 8 percent, but spending on generative AI will not feature
Amazon Drones Begin Medicine Deliveries In Texas
Customers of the Amazon Pharmacy service can now receive certain prescription medications via drone delivery in Texas
Five Eyes Intelligence Heads Warn Of Chinese Cyber Espionage
Heads of Five Eyes intelligence agencies come together to accuse China of intellectual property theft and using AI for hacking
Musk’s X Charges New Users $1 Annual Subscription Fee
Paywall move as Elon Musk's X (aka Twitter) begins charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 annually
Silicon Reviews: How to Set Up the Perfect Workspace at Home
As businesses continue to create hybrid working spaces, the time spent working from home increases. Therefore, creating a functional space that is efficient and healthy is essential.
China Lashes Out As US Tightens Chip Export Controls
Trade war intensifies, as Beijing lashes out at toughens export controls from US. Nvidia confirms new rules will impact AI chips
US Cuts China Off From AI Chips, As Export Controls Tightened
Beijing reacts with anger, as United States and President Biden tighten export controls to China for advanced computer chips
Silicon Insights: Integrated B2B Marketing Strategies that Succeed: Part 1
Our guest James Day, Head of Planning at White Spider, speaks in-depth about the current marketing climate and how B2B enterprises can innovate to reach their customers with engaging messages.
Silicon Insights: The Past, Present and Future of Account Based Marketing: Podcast: Part 2
In part two of this two-part interview, Charlotte Kan speaks to James Gill, SVP of Growth at The Marketing Practice to gain his insights into current marketing trends. How technology is impacting all marketers and what the future holds ...
Silicon Reviews: Logitech MX Keyboard
As a veteran in the peripherals market, Logitech has a range of keyboards to suit every need and budget. The MX range has been available for several years and has proven to be a solid combination of mouse and keyboard whether you favou ...
Silicon Reviews: reMarkable 2
Note taking moves into the digital age with the latest device to offer truly distraction-free writing. Can this device replace the notebook and pen?
Silicon Insights: The Past, Present and Future of Account Based Marketing: Podcast: Part 1
In part one of this two-part interview, Charlotte Kan speaks to James Gill, SVP of Growth at The Marketing Practice to gain his insights into current marketing trends. How technology is impacting all marketers and what the future holds ...
Businesses Turn To Remote Workers To Obtain Skills, Expereo Finds
New research from Expereo finds one third of global enterprises hire people they have never met, due to skills shortage
Silicon Reviews: MX Master 3S Mouse
Discover if Logitech’s latest keyboard and mouse are essential for your business. Is the Logitech MX range the next-generation in peripherals?
Silicon Insights: The Evolution of Account Based Marketing: Part 2
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?
Biden Campaign Launches Account On Trump’s Truth Social
Trolling Trump. Campaign for Joe Biden launch account on Donald Trump's Truth Social, saying 'converts welcome'
FTX Engineer Testifies To Lavish Spending In Bankman-Fried Trial
Sam Bankman-Fried directed political donations and spent $1.13 billion on celebrities and sponsorships, Nishad Singh testifies
Apple iPhone Ousted As Top Ranking Mobile In China – Report
Analyst report says Huawei has replaced Apple iPhone as smartphone leader in China, despite iPhone 15 launch
Binance Stops Accepting New UK Users, Citing Regulations
New regulations in the UK cited as reason for Binance decision to stop accepting new customers in United Kingdom
LinkedIn To Cut More Jobs, In Second Round Of Layoffs
Another 668 people across LinkedIn's engineering, product, talent and finance teams are to be made redundant, in second tranche of job losses
Meta Lawsuit Settlement Talks Collapse In Kenya
Content moderators in Kenya accuse Meta of not negotiating sincerely as lawsuit settlement talks break down
Space Start-Up Investment Sees Third-Quarter Growth
Investment in space start-ups sees growth in third quarter for first time in more than a year as investors look for safe bets
China Smartphone Sales See Promising Holiday Growth
Smartphone sales in China see 'significant' jump during 'Golden Week' period, set for return to growth in Q4, says analyst
TikTok Details Actions Against Middle East Misinformation
TikTok says 'immediately' deployed resources to counter misinformation as EU warns 'gatekeepers' under Digital Services Act
US ‘Plans New China Restrictions’ For AI Chips
US administration reportedly about to release new rules seeking to prevent China from accessing more high-end AI GPU chips
South Korean NAND Memory Exports Rise Amidst Chip Gloom
Dominant memory maker South Korea sees rise in NAND flash memory exports in sign worldwide chip slump may be nearing an end
Microsoft Completes $75bn Activision Blizzard Buyout
CMA criticises Microsoft's conduct during antitrust probe after structural change to deal allows it to clinch regulatory approval
Australia Fines X Over Child Protection Failures
Australian regulator fines X, formerly Twitter, over failure to cooperate with inquiry into its policies on removing child abuse material
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: The Future of Targeted Marketing
Learn how your business can improve its targeted marketing strategies. Discover how targeted marketing is vital for all enterprises to get right.
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Qualcomm To Axe Jobs Amid Shrinking Revenue
Filing in California reveals Qualcomm is to axe 1,258 jobs in the US state, after previous warning of shrinking revenues
Equifax Fined By UK Watchdog Over 2017 Data Breach
UK's financial watchdog fines Equifax £11.2m for failure to protect UK consumer data in one of the largest ever cyber security breaches
UK Regulator Approves Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Purchase
After protracted regulatory scrutiny, final hurdle removed for Microsoft's acquisition of Activision after UK grants approval
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 22
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 13/10/2023.
Caltech Agrees To Halt Patent Fight With Apple, Broadcom – Report
End of seven year patent battle by California Institute of Technology against Apple and its supplier Broadcom over Wi-Fi chips
X CEO Linda Yaccarino Responds To EU Allegations Of ‘Illegal’ Content
CEO Linda Yaccarino says X (Twitter) has removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts, in pushback against EU letter
Microsoft Owes $29 Billion In Back Taxes, IRS Claims
US government alleges Microsoft owes $29 billion in back taxes, but Redmond disagrees and say it will go to court over the matter
Google Ditches Passwords In Favour Of Passkeys
Google to make 'passkeys' the default login option for Google Accounts, as it seeks to transition to a password free future
Tech Giants Warn Of Largest-Ever DDoS Attack
Google, Amazon, Cloudflare all issue warnings after dealing with the largest-ever DDoS attack they have ever seen
EU Writes To Mark Zuckerberg Over Hamas Attack Disinformation
Thierry Breton gives Meta similar warning issued to Elon Musk about disinformation concerning deadly attack on Israel by Hamas
California Passes Law To Delete Personal Data
Privacy move. California passes the Delete Act, so users can to remove their personal online data from a single page
Google To Tweak Gmail To Combat Spammers
Battling the spammers. Google makes changes to Gmail to make life more difficult for those send thousands of emails a day
Apple’s Vision Pro Headset Causes Neck Strain In Testing – Report
Apple's forthcoming and very expensive Vision Pro headset is reportedly causing neck strain, due to its size and weight
Caroline Ellison Testifies Against FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried
US star witness Caroline Ellison testifies she and former boss and boyfriend Sam Bankman-Fried defrauded customers, investors, lenders
TikTok Sued By Utah Over Harmful Impact On Children Claim
US state of Utah sues TikTok, alleges it harms children by encouraging them to spend unhealthy amount of time on platform
EU Warns Elon Musk Over ‘Disinformation’ About Hamas Attack
Another warning. European officials send letter to Elon Musk over disinformation on X concerning Hamas attack on Israel
Amazon UK Warehouse Staff To Walk Out Next Month
Amazon to increase base pay for its UK workers and is to hire 15,000 seasonal workers, but trade union says staff will walk out next month
Elon Musk’s X Offers Option To Lock Tweet Replies To Verified Accounts
Twitter (X) users can now block unverified accounts from replying to their posts, in latest move by Elon Musk to monetise platform
AMD To Buy AI Startup As Nvidia Battle Heats Up
US chipmaker AMD is to acquire startup Nod.ai for undisclosed amount, as AI competition against rival Nvidia ramps up
California Signs Law Requiring Firms To Report Carbon Emissions
Companies like Apple, Meta, Google will be forced to disclose their carbon emissions after new law signed in California
EU Seeks Feedback On Bing, Apple iMessage DMA Classification
European Commission ask whether Microsoft's Bing, Edge, and Apple's iMessage should be subject to Digital Markets Act (DMA)
Mike Lynch Seeks Dismissal Of US Fraud Case
Founder of Autonomy, Dr Mike Lynch, files legal challenge to have US criminal fraud charges against him thrown out
China Plans Aggressive Expansion Of Computing Power
Chinese ministries say they want 50 percent expansion of national computing power by 2025 amidst trade war with US
How Does Artificial Intelligence Affect Intellectual Property Protection?
Samsung, SK Hynix Get US Licence For China Chip Gear Exports
US grants Samsung, SK Hynix indefinite licence to export high-end chip equipment to their factories in China amidst 'all-out war' over semiconductors
Alibaba ‘Shutters’ Luohan Academy Social Research Group
Alibaba acknowledges restructure of Luohan Academy social research think-tank, which founder Jack Ma hoped would exist for 300 years
EU Sees ‘Convergence’ With Japan On Generative AI
EU official says bloc sees 'convergence' with Japan on generative AI as countries seek to regulate popular technology
Politicians, Activists Call For ‘Immediate Stop’ To Live Face Recognition
Cross-party politicians, campaign groups call for 'immediate stop' to live facial recognition amidst government plans for searchable UK passport photos
FTX ‘Insurance Fund’ Was Fiction, Testifies Co-Founder Wang
Supposed $100m FTX 'insurance fund' intended to prevent user losses was a randomly generated number and contained no funds, Wang tells court
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Cart Commerce
Learn how payments are evolving across the e-commerce space. Which payment technologies should your business offer to your customers today and tomorrow?
UK Data Regulator Takes Issue With Snapchat AI Feature
Snap may be forced to stop offering 'My AI' chat feature in UK if it fails to adequately address ICO concerns over child data protection
OpenAI Mulls Development Of Own AI Chip – Report
Developer of ChatGPT, OpenAI is said to be exploring making its own AI chips and is eyeing a potential acquisition target
FTX Co-Founder Testifies Against Sam Bankman-Fried
SEC star witness and FTX co-founder Gary Wang testifies that he and Sam Bankman-Fried committed crimes and lied to public
SEC Seeks To Force Elon Musk Testimony Over Twitter Purchase
US regulator sues Elon Musk, alleging he didn’t comply with federal subpoena to testify on 15 September in Twitter purchase investigation
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 21
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 06/10/2023.
US Government Issues First-Ever Space Debris Penalty
US FCC slaps Dish Network with first-ever space debris fine, after 20 year-old satellite fails to reach agreed 'disposal orbit'
Sony Confirms Data Breach After MOVEit Tool Compromise
Sony finally confirms it was impacted by the Clop compromise of the MOVEit tool and begins notifying thousands of victims
Ofcom Refers Cloud Investigation Of Amazon, Microsoft To CMA
AWS tells Silicon UK it disagrees with Ofcom findings, as AWS and Microsoft is referred to CMA watchdog for further investigation
Twitter (X) Strips Headlines From News Links
Elon Musk removes headlines from news links, as the Anti-Defamation League welcomed X's stated intent to address antisemitism
BlackBerry To Separate Business Units, Seeks IPO
Strategic review sees BlackBerry confirm it will separate its Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity business units
Apple Delivers iOS 17 Update To Address iPhone Overheating
Software update from Apple shipped on Wednesday to resolve overheating issue in certain circumstances with iPhone 15
UK Security Budgets Under Strain As Cyber Incidents Soar
Report from iomart and Oxford Economics finds UK businesses struggling to balance security budgets, amid soaring cyber incidents
Meta To Axe Staff In Reality Labs Unit Wednesday
Staff reductions reportedly underway at Metaverse-oriented Reality Labs Unit, otherwise known as Facebook Agile Silicon Team
Ofcom To Investigate Amazon, Microsoft Over Cloud Domination – Report
UK regulator is reportedly pushing for an antitrust investigation into Amazon and Microsoft's cloud dominance
Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Begins With Jury Selection
Trial of former crypto multi-billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried begins in New York, with jury selection underway
Elon Musk To Face Lawsuit For Late Twitter Stock Disclosure
US judge orders Elon Musk to face most of lawsuit alleging he defrauded shareholders with late Twitter shareholding disclosure
EU Urges Risk Assessments On Critical Technology
Amid rising tensions with certain nations, EU officials urge member states to immediately conduct risk assessments of most sensitive tech
TikTok Confirms Halt To E-Commerce Transactions In Indonesia
TikTok will halt e-commerce transactions on its app in Indonesia from Wednesday, after ban was imposed last week
Russia To Try Block VPN Access In 2024, Lawmaker Claims
Access to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Russia will be blocked from March 2024, Russian lawmaker claims
Meta Touts Monthly Charge For Ad-Free Facebook, Instagram – Report
User of social networks belonging to Meta could be charged a monthly fee of 10 euros (£8.67) for ad-free access to Facebook, Instagram
Microsoft Boss Nadella Testifies Against “Google Web”
“Everyone talks about the open web, but there is really the Google Web,” testifies Satya Nadella in landmark trial against Google
US Warns China Of Update To Chip Export Controls
Biden administration not blinking first, as Beijing is warned by US of imminent update to export rules on AI chips and chip-making tools
John McAfee Prison Death Appeal Rejected By Spanish Court
Appeal to reopen investigation into prison death of anti virus pioneer John McAfee is rejected by court in Spain
Microsoft Chief Nadella To Testify In Google Trial
Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella to testify on Monday in Google antitrust trial as prosecutors seek to illustrate search dominance
Apple Plans iOS 17 Update To Fix iPhone Overheating Bug
Apple planning iOS 17 fix for iPhone overheating issue after reports of phones becoming almost too hot to touch
EU Says No Formal Investigation Into AI Chips After Nvidia Raid
European Commission says no formal probe as yet into AI chip sector, following raid of Nvidia's offices by French competition authority
Dutch Competition Regulator Rejects Apple Fine Objections
Dutch competition regulator ACM rejects Apple's objections to 50 milion euros in fines over App Store payment policies
Top Chinese EV Makers See Strong September Sales
EV start-ups Li Auto, Nio and Xpeng all see strong sales in September as price war, new models, expanded charging network re-ignite demand
Chinese Hackers Stole 60,000 US State Department Emails
US State Department acknowledges Microsoft hack linked to China earlier this year resulted in theft of about 60,000 emails from 10 accounts
Tim Cook Says Apple Hiring AI Staff In UK
On visit to UK Apple chief executive Tim Cook says Apple hiring AI staff as firm touts new Battersea headquarters and Cambridge research base