Friday, April 29, 2016

Apple's stock suffers worst week since 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Friday ended its worst week on the stock market since 2013 as worries festered about a slowdown in iPhone sales and after influential shareholder Carl Icahn revealed he sold his entire stake.

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Google faces first EU fine in 2016 with no deal on cards: sources

BRUSSELS - Google is likely to face its first European Union antitrust sanction this year, with little prospect of it settling a test case with the bloc's regulator over its shopping service, people familiar with the matter said.

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IBM launches new cloud services for blockchain

NEW YORK (Reuters) - IBM on Friday announced new services to help companies design and develop blockchain technology in a secure environment in the cloud, a network of computers where users are increasingly storing their data and computing work.

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A river runs through it: Amazon's profit surge sweeps away doubts

(Reuters) - The source of Amazon.com's namesake river may be uncertain, but there's no doubt about where the online retailer's surging revenue is flowing from - just about everywhere.

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Amazon profit crushes estimates as cloud-service revenue soars

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc on Thursday reported profit and revenue that blew past analysts' expectations, sending its shares soaring in after-hours trading and demonstrating the growing market power of its core retail business and new cloud services division.

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

FBI paid under $1 million to unlock San Bernardino iPhone: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI paid under $1 million for the technique used to unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters - a figure smaller than the $1.3 million the agency's chief initially indicated the hack cost, several U.S. government sources said on Thursday.

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U.S. high court approves rule change to expand FBI hacking power

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Thursday approved a rule change that would let U.S. judges issue search warrants for access to computers located in any jurisdiction despite opposition from civil liberties groups who say it will greatly expand the FBI's hacking authority.

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Facebook in class of its own as ad revenue soars

After underwhelming results from Apple Inc, Google Inc and other big tech names, investors finally found a friend in Facebook Inc after the company shredded Wall Street's forecasts for revenue, profit and user growth.

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Younger buyers more open to self-driving cars: J.D. Power

DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. consumers who are under 40 are more open than older people to self-driving cars and their underlying systems, according to a survey released on Thursday by J.D. Power.

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Fiat Chrysler, Alphabet in technology partnership talks: WSJ

(Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is in late-stage talks with Alphabet Inc's self-driving car division for a technology partnership, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the discussions.

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Uber's proposed class-action settlement leaves some dissatisfied

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber's proposed settlement of a high-profile class-action lawsuit last week has drawn opposition from some drivers and other concerned parties as the ride-hailing service seeks to avoid reclassifying drivers as employees.

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Oracle to buy Textura for $663 million

(Reuters) - Oracle Corp said it would buy cloud-based payment management services provider Textura Corp for $663 million in cash.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Samsung Elec tips second quarter profit pickup as Galaxy S7 excels

SEOUL (Reuters) - Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Thursday tipped a pickup in second-quarter profits after reporting a 12 percent earnings gain in January-March on the back of "robust" sales of its Galaxy S7 smartphones.

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Global smartphone market shrank annually for first time in first quarter: Strategy Analytics

SEOUL (Reuters) - Global shipments of smartphones shrank 3 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier in the market's first year-on-year contraction on record, researcher Strategy Analytics said on Thursday, reflecting growing strains on the industry.

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Facebook plans new non-voting shares to keep Zuckerberg at helm

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook announced on Wednesday it will create a new class of non-voting shares in a move aimed at letting Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg give away his wealth without relinquishing control of the social media juggernaut he founded.

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U.S. Congress passes legislation to protect firms' trade secrets

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Wednesday passed and sent to President Barack Obama legislation strengthening legal protection for companies' trade secrets, including manufacturing processes and computer methods.

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Facebook revenue beats estimates as mobile ad sales surge

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc reported a better-than-expected 51.9 percent rise in quarterly revenue as its increasingly popular mobile app and push into live video continued to attract new advertisers and encouraged existing ones to boost spending.

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Payment processor PayPal's quarterly revenue rises 19 percent

(Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc's quarterly revenue rose 19 percent as the company added customers and processed more digital payments on its network.

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After massive drop, is Apple cheap enough?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If Apple could cash in the value it lost in the first minute of trading on Wednesday, it would be nearly enough to buy General Motors, Target or Caterpillar.

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Amid talk of 'peak iPhone', Apple's prospects hinge on next model

(Reuters) - Ask Siri if iPhone 7 will be the answer to Apple Inc's problems, and you're told that a visit to Apple's website should answer that question "and more".

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FBI says cannot submit method for unlocking iPhone for interagency review

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that it did not own the rights to the technical method it used to open an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters and therefore "cannot" submit details of the mechanism to an interagency review process.

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Photo agency Getty asks EU to investigate Google over images

BRUSSELS - Photo agency Getty Images has become the latest company to ask European competition regulators to investigate Google, accusing the Internet search giant of diverting users to its own images service to the detriment of competitors.

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High warranty costs reflect Tesla’s struggle with quality

DETROIT/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has told investors his electric car company will stop burning cash and turn a profit this year, and corralling costs associated with quality problems will be critical to making good on that pledge.

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Twitter seen fighting losing battle for users, ad dollars

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc's race against the clock is intensifying.

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Yahoo adds four Starboard nominees to its board

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc on Wednesday agreed to add four new independent directors to its board, bowing to pressure from activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP.

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Nintendo sees smartphone games, new console pushing up FY profit

TOKYO/OSAKA (Reuters) - Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd said on Wednesday it expects operating profit to rise 36.9 percent in the year through March 2017, as the videogame maker plans to release more smartphone games as well as its next-generation game console.

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As iPhone sales slump, Apple bets on services from apps to music

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's first-ever drop in quarterly iPhone sales has spurred Chief Executive Tim Cook to turn the spotlight on prospects for its services business, but the field is rife with competition and may prove challenging for a brand based on gadgets.

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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Apple says FBI gave it first vulnerability tip on April 14

(Reuters) - The FBI informed Apple Inc of a vulnerability in its iPhone and Mac software on April 14, the first time it had told the company about a flaw in Apple products under a controversial White House process for sharing such information, the company told Reuters on Tuesday.

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Apple's nine-year iPhone juggernaut stops with first sales decline

(Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday posted its first-ever decline in iPhone sales and its first revenue drop in 13 years as the company credited with inventing the smartphone struggles with an increasingly saturated market.

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AT&T beats profit estimates on DIRECTV acquisition

(Reuters) - AT&T Inc , the No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier, reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, largely helped by the acquisition of satellite TV operator DIRECTV.

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Twitter stock plunges after revenue misses estimates

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc reported lower-than-expected revenue for the first quarter, hurt by weaker than expected spending by big advertisers, and the microblogging service forecast current-quarter revenue well below analysts' expectations.

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Pentagon identifies cause of F-35 radar software issue

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has found the root cause of stability issues with the radar software being tested for the F-35 stealth fighter jet made by Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S. Defense Acquisition Chief Frank Kendal told a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

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Google, Ford, Uber join coalition to further self-driving cars

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google unit , Ford Motor Co , the ride-sharing service Uber [UBER.UL] and two other companies said on Tuesday they are forming a coalition to push for federal action to help speed self-driving cars to market.

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FBI director suggests iPhone flaw may remain secret

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director James Comey said on Tuesday that his agency was still assessing whether a vulnerability used to unlock an iPhone linked to one of the San Bernardino killers would go through a government review to determine if it should be disclosed to Apple or the public.

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ECB experiments with technology behind bitcoin: Mersch

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is doing "experimental work" with the same ledger technology that underpins virtual currency bitcoin but it needs further research before considering adopting it, an ECB executive board member said on Monday.

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Exclusive: SWIFT warns customers of multiple cyber fraud cases

(Reuters) - SWIFT, the global financial network that banks use to transfer billions of dollars every day, warned its customers on Monday that it was aware of "a number of recent cyber incidents" where attackers had sent fraudulent messages over its system.

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T-Mobile revenue jumps 10.6 percent

(Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc reported a 10.6 percent rise in quarterly revenue as heavy discounts helped the No.3 wireless carrier attract more customers.

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Whirlpool posts lower than expected first quarter profit

(Reuters) - Whirlpool Corp. posted a lower than expected quarterly net profit on Tuesday, as cost and capacity reductions were offset by soft demand in emerging markets and unfavorable currency exchange, the company said.

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Monday, April 25, 2016

Facebook developing camera app similar to Snapchat: WSJ

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc is developing a stand-alone camera app, similar to disappearing photo app Snapchat, to increase user engagement, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Xerox's revenue falls on lower printer sales

(Reuters) - Xerox Corp reported a 4.2 percent fall in quarterly revenue, hurt by lower sales of printers and copiers, and said it expects to incur about $100 million in restructuring costs in the second quarter.

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EU antitrust regulators to block Hutchison's O2 deal: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union antitrust regulators will veto CK Hutchison Holdings's 10.3-billion-pound ($14.9 billion) bid to become Britain's biggest mobile operator, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

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U.S. exploring ways to disclose number of Americans caught in data grabs: spy chief

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Monday his office was looking at “several options” to publicly disclose an estimate of the number of U.S. persons caught incidentally in Internet surveillance intended for foreign targets.

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Exclusive: Bangladesh Bank hackers compromised SWIFT software, warning to be issued

(Reuters) - The attackers who stole $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank probably hacked into software from the SWIFT financial platform that is at the heart of the global financial system, said security researchers at British defense contractor BAE Systems.

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Two-thirds of German industry hit by digital crime, survey finds

HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - More than two-thirds of German industrial companies have been victims of digital crime in the past two years, according to a survey carried out by Bitkom, Germany's IT, telecoms and new media industry association.

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Taking on Tesla: China's Jia Yueting aims to outmuscle Musk

BEIJING/DETROIT (Reuters) - Tomorrow's cars will be all-electric, self-driving, connected to high-speed communications networks ... and free.

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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Look Mao, no hands! China's roadmap to self-driving cars

BEIJING (Reuters) - In the race to develop self-driving cars, the United States and Europe lead in technology, but China is coming up fast in the outside lane with a regulatory structure that could put it ahead in the popular adoption of autonomous cars on its highways and city streets.

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Friday, April 22, 2016

Microsoft, Google agree to drop complaints against each other

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc's Google have reached a deal to withdraw all the regulatory complaints against each other, the companies told Reuters.

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China ban on Apple services is a challenge for key growth area

(Reuters) - The blocking of Apple mobile entertainment services in China poses fresh challenges for the tech company as it prepares to report its first-ever drop in iPhone sales.

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Alphabet stock slips after results but brokerages stay bullish

(Reuters) - Ruth Porat couldn't have been clearer: Alphabet Inc's chief financial officer said on Thursday that Google's parent needed to step up investment to boost traffic.

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Thursday, April 21, 2016

Apple's book, film services go dark in China

BEIJING (Reuters) - Apple Inc's online book and film services have gone dark in China, after Beijing introduced regulations in March imposing strict curbs on online publishing, particularly for foreign firms.

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Uber drivers remain independent contractors as lawsuit settled

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ride-hailing service Uber has agreed to pay up to $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit which resolves a major challenge to its business model by allowing it to keep its California and Massachusetts drivers as independent contractors.

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FBI paid more than $1.3 million to break into San Bernardino iPhone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said on Thursday the agency paid more to get into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters than he will make in the remaining seven years and four months he has in his job.

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Microsoft profit misses estimates, shares fall

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's quarterly adjusted profit missed analysts' estimates as a continued slump in personal computer sales hurt the company's core Windows business, sending its shares down 4 percent in extended trading.

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Uber hit with record $11.4 million fine in Pennsylvania

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc was fined a record $11.4 million on Thursday by a Pennsylvania regulator, which found that the ride-sharing service operated illegally in the state in 2014.

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Amazon launches Fire tablet in three new colors with higher storage

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has launched its Fire tablet in three new colors with higher internal storage.

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Bangladesh Bank exposed to hackers by cheap switches, no firewall: police

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank was vulnerable to hackers because it did not have a firewall and used second-hand, $10 switches to network computers connected to the SWIFT global payment network, an investigator into one of the world's biggest cyber heists said.

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Verizon earnings meet estimates; strike poised to hurt current quarter

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc said profit in the first quarter met expectations as strong tablet sales helped it add new subscribers, though an ongoing strike by its wireline workers was expected to hurt earnings in the current quarter.

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Australia PM launches cybersecurity campaign

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia set out a far-reaching cybersecurity strategy on Thursday, invoking the leaks of United States whistleblower Edward Snowden, terrorism and even the threat of war to push for a coordinated global approach to protection of online data.

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Lyft's nice-guy strategy leaves it struggling to catch Uber

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In late 2014, Uber and Lyft targeted Portland, Oregon, as the next place to launch their still-controversial ride-hailing services.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Apple postpones reporting results by a day

(Reuters) - Apple Inc will report its second-quarter results on April 26, a day later than scheduled, according to the company's website.

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FCC studies technology behind '60 Minutes' hack of Congressman

(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it is studying mobile carriers' use of decades-old communications technology with known security bugs after "60 Minutes" reported it could be remotely exploited to spy on callers.

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Qualcomm revenue falls 19.5 percent

(Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc reported a 19.5 percent fall in quarterly revenue, hurt by lower demand for its chips for mobile devices amid stiff competition from Chinese and Taiwanese rivals.

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Microsoft says game over for Xbox 360

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it would stop production of its popular Xbox 360 video game console, which helped the company gain a firm foothold in the market.

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Daily Mail says hasn't submitted bid for Yahoo's internet assets

(Reuters) - The parent of Britain's Daily Mail said on Wednesday it had not submitted a bid to buy Yahoo Inc's core Internet business, but was in talks with potential suitors of the American company.

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U.S. reluctant to change data pact after EU watchdogs' concerns

BRUSSELS - The United States does not want to change the substance of a data transfer pact agreed in February with the European Commission, a senior official said, after EU privacy watchdogs voiced concerns over elements of the deal.

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EU charges Google with abusing Android market dominance

BRUSSELS - The European Union charged Google on Wednesday with abusing the dominant position of its Android mobile operating system, opening a second front against the U.S. technology giant that could lead to large fines.

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How Swedish start-up Neo Technology helped crack the Panama Papers

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Every start-up hopes for a lucky break. Swedish company Neo Technology only found out it was getting one the day the Panama Papers made headlines around the world.

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Exclusive: Verizon set to make Yahoo's bidder short list - sources

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc was set on Tuesday to advance to the second stage of bidding for Yahoo Inc's core assets, as the U.S. internet company went through offers to put together a short list, people familiar with the matter said.

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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Baidu says completed around $155 million fundraising for new video business subsidiary

BEIJING (Reuters) - Baidu Inc has completed raising around 1 billion yuan ($154.69 million) for a new video business subsidiary, it said in a posting on its microblog on Wednesday.

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Intel to cut up to 12,000 jobs as PC industry swoons

(Reuters) - Intel Corp said on Tuesday it would cut up to 12,000 jobs globally, or 11 percent of its workforce, as it refocuses its business towards making microchips that power data centers and Internet connected devices and away from the declining personal computer industry it helped found.

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Apple refused China request for source code in last two years: lawyer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc has been asked by Chinese authorities within the last two years to hand over its source code but refused, the company's top lawyer told lawmakers on Tuesday in response to U.S. law enforcement criticism of its stance on technology security.

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Yahoo revenue falls slightly less than expected

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc's posted first-quarter revenue that beat analysts' estimates slightly, but the 11.3 percent decline shows the web pioneer's struggle to boost growth its core online search and display advertising business, which it is in the process of auctioning off.

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Apple updates MacBook with faster processors

(Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday updated its 12-inch MacBook line of laptops with faster processors, Retina display, Force Touch trackpad and made it available in rose gold color.

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Canada competition watchdog drops probe into Google

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Competition Bureau said on Tuesday it will take no further action against Google after alleging in 2013 that the company was abusing its dominant position in online search.

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EU antitrust chief expected to charge Google on Wednesday: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's antitrust chief is expected to hit Google on Wednesday with anti-competitive charges concerning its Android mobile phone operating system, two people familiar with the matter said.

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Starboard's Smith warns a full board sweep is not always possible

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Activist investor Jeffrey Smith, whose Starboard Value hedge fund wants to replace the entire board at Yahoo Inc , said this approach often works best to revive an ailing company but cautioned that path is not always possible.

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EC to challenge French taxi law after Uber complaint

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is preparing to challenge a French law on taxi services and chauffeured cars, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, following a complaint from online ride-hailing service operator Uber Technologies [UBER.UL].

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IBM reports worst revenue in 14 years, shares slide

(Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp reported its worst quarterly revenue in 14 years as results from newer businesses including cloud and mobile computing failed to offset declines in its traditional businesses, sending shares down nearly 5 percent in extended trading.

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Monday, April 18, 2016

Bill Gates says U.S. needs limits on covert email searches

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bill Gates said on Monday that no one was an “absolutist” on either side of the digital privacy debate, but the co-founder of Microsoft Corp said he supports his company’s lawsuit against the U.S. government seeking the freedom to tell customers when federal agencies have sought their data.

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EU competition chief set to charge Google with Android abuse: sources

AMSTERDAM/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European competition commission is gearing up to charge Google with giving unfair prominence to its own apps like search and maps in supplementary software licensing deals it strikes with mobile phone makers running its Android operating system, four sources familiar with the process said on Monday.

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Netflix second-quarter subscriber additions forecast misses estimates

(Reuters) - Video-streaming service provider Netflix Inc forecast both U.S. and international subscriber additions for the current quarter below analysts' expectation, sending its shares tumbling about 9 percent in after-hours trading.

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YP Holdings plans first-round bid to merge with Yahoo: Bloomberg

YP Holdings LLC and Yahoo could not be immediately reached for comment.

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Silicon Valley veteran Bill Campbell has died: Re/code

(Reuters) - Silicon Valley veteran Bill Campbell, who advised tech leaders including Apple's Steve Jobs and Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos, has died, technology website Re/code reported on Monday.

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Fiat Chrysler rolls out Jeep Renegade SUV in China

(Reuters) - Italian carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Monday it rolled out its first locally produced Jeep Renegade sport utility vehicle from its new Guangzhou plant in China.

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Supreme Court rejects challenge to Google book-scanning project

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge by a group of authors who contend that Google's massive effort to scan millions of books for an online library violates copyright law.

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Sony says Kumamoto plant not main site for smartphone components

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp said on Monday that its image sensor plant in Kumamoto, which has been shut since earthquakes hit southern Japan last week, makes components mainly for digital cameras.

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Intel shares could rise 25 percent in next year: Barron's

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Intel Corp's shift to higher-growth businesses such as server chips and embedded chips for cars could drive a 25 increase in its shares in a year, according to a report on Sunday in the financial publication Barron's.

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Sunday, April 17, 2016

Exclusive: Florida wins contest for OneWeb satellite manufacturing facility - sources

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - OneWeb Ltd, an internet-via-satellite venture backed by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and other high-profile companies, will build a factory to mass produce small satellites near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sources involved in the agreement told Reuters. 

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Apple opposes U.S. appeal over iPhone in New York drug case

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc said the U.S. government had failed to show a continued need for its help accessing a locked iPhone in a New York drug case after a third party came forward with a solution to crack a different phone belonging to one of the shooters in December's San Bernardino killings.

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Sony extending closure of image sensor plant in quake-hit southern Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - Electronics giant Sony Corp on Sunday said production at its image sensor plant in Kumamoto, southern Japan, remained suspended as it assessed damage from a powerful earthquake.

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Saturday, April 16, 2016

Australia Post looks to drones as letter volumes fall

Melbourne (Reuters) - Australia Post has successfully field-trialled the use of drones to deliver small packages, clearing the way for test deliveries to customer homes later this year.

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Japan quakes disrupt Sony production of image sensors used in Apple iPhones

TOKYO (Reuters) - Electronics giant Sony Corp said a factory producing image sensors for smartphone makers will remain closed while it assesses the damage from two deadly earthquakes which hit southern Japan. One of its major customers is Apple, which uses the sensors in its iPhones.

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Friday, April 15, 2016

Oracle, Google fail to settle Android lawsuit before retrial

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oracle Corp and Alphabet's Google unit failed to settle a long running copyright lawsuit over the Android operating system ahead of a retrial scheduled for May, according to a court docket.

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Apple extends iPhone production cut for another quarter: Nikkei

(Reuters) - Apple Inc will continue its reduced production of iPhones in the quarter ending June in light of sluggish sales, the Nikkei business daily reported, citing parts suppliers notified of the plan.

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Daimler says German labor rules may push new tech jobs abroad

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German labor rules may force Daimler, the 130-year-old inventor of the motor car, to create more software and technology jobs abroad as it strives to develop a new generation of driverless vehicles, a senior official told Reuters.

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EU wants more transparency in web search results

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's digital chief wants search engines such as Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft's Bing to be more transparent about advertising in web search results but ruled out a separate law for web platforms.

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Komodo commerce: e-tailers battle in Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA (Reuters) - With its $1 billion buy of online retailer Lazada, Alibaba has signaled Southeast Asia as a regional e-commerce battleground - with 600 million people, and no shortage of logistical headaches.

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Browser startup Vivaldi says needs 5 million users to turn profit

OSLO (Reuters) - Internet browser Vivaldi, which launched last week, must attract five million monthly users to become profitable, its founder and chief executive said in a Reuters interview.

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Canada's Mitel to buy Polycom for about $1.96 billion

(Reuters) - Mitel Networks Corp said on Friday it would buy fellow voice and telephony gear maker Polycom Inc for about $1.96 billion in cash and stock, satisfying a demand from hedge fund Elliott Management.

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Obama urges agency to open competition in cable TV boxes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday weighed into the debate over allowing consumers to switch pricey cable television boxes for less expensive devices, urging an agency to set an example for other parts of government to boost competition.

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Microsoft sues U.S. government over data requests

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has sued the U.S. government for the right to tell its customers when a federal agency is looking at their emails, the latest in a series of clashes over privacy between the technology industry and Washington.

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Russian state news agency Sputnik says site blocked in Turkey

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The website of Russian state news agency Sputnik has been blocked in Turkey, its Turkish editor-in-chief said on Friday, a move that could further strain relations between Moscow and Ankara after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane last year.

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Thursday, April 14, 2016

Apple, FBI to clash again in Congress over encryption

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc and the FBI will return to Congress next week to testify before lawmakers about their heated disagreement over law enforcement access to encrypted devices, a congressional committee announced on Thursday.

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Instagram to add video channels to 'Explore' section

(Reuters) - Facebook's picture sharing app Instagram is updating its "Explore" section to add video channels that will appear in a feed according to users' preferences.

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U.S. government worse than all major industries on cyber security: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. federal, state and local government agencies rank in last place in cyber security when compared against 17 major private industries, including transportation, retail and healthcare, according to a new report released Thursday.

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Rocket Internet vows to limit losses after 2015 cash burn

BERLIN (Reuters) - German ecommerce firm Rocket Internet said it was on track to make three of its start-ups profitable by the end of 2017, and its losses should have peaked last year when its companies burned through 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).

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Chinese firms extend deadline on $1.28 billion offer for Opera Software

OSLO (Reuters) - A group of Chinese internet firms who made a cash offer in February for Norwegian mobile phone browser and advertising firm Opera Software, valuing it at $1.28 billion, have extended the offer as it has not reached the required level of acceptances.

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Business money talks for wary venture funds focused on tech start-ups

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Tech start-ups aimed at businesses rather than consumers are winning more funding from increasingly wary venture capital investors who want to see a return on their cash sooner rather than later.

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Porsche appoints Gartner expert to drive new technology developments

BERLIN (Reuters) - Porsche has hired a specialist from U.S. information technology industries consultant Gartner Inc. to lead the development of online connectivity in its sports cars, the company said.

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ProSieben's video service uses personal touch to fight competition

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German on-demand video service Maxdome is hiring staff to provide more personalized recommendations to users, trying to fend off rivals such as Netflix and Amazon Prime which are battling for a share of a growing market‎.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Verizon bets on Armstrong, M&A savvy in Yahoo bid

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc is the clear favorite in the upcoming bidding for Yahoo Inc's core Internet business, according to Wall Street analysts, in large part because the telecommunications company's efforts to become a force in Internet content have gone relatively well under the leadership of AOL Inc Chief Executive Tim Armstrong.

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Journalist sentenced to two years for aiding computer hackers

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge sentenced journalist Matthew Keys to two years in prison for helping members of the Anonymous hacking collective gain access to a former employer's computers, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

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Obama names cyber experts from business, academia to new panel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive of MasterCard Inc, the former head of the National Security Agency and officials from Microsoft and Uber will join a commission to strengthen U.S. cyber defenses, the White House said on Wednesday.

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GoPro names Apple designer as VP of design

(Reuters) - Wearable camera maker GoPro Inc named Apple Inc designer Daniel Coster as vice president of design, effective the end of April.

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U.S. Senate panel releases draft of controversial encryption bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators on Wednesday issued a formal draft of a controversial bill that would give courts the power to order technology companies like Apple to help authorities break into encrypted devices or communications for law enforcement or intelligence purposes.

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Pentagon to successors: keep focus on cyber, space, nukes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election, top Pentagon leaders will urge their successors to focus on four top priorities - cyber, space, nuclear deterrent and electronic warfare, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said.

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About 40,000 unionized Verizon workers walk off the job

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly 40,000 Verizon workers walked off the job on Wednesday in one of the largest U.S. strikes in recent years after contract talks hit an impasse, and got a boost as U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders joined them at a Brooklyn rally ahead of the New York primary next week.

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Lattice shares soar after China's Tsinghua reports buying stake

(Reuters) - China's Tsinghua Unigroup unveiled a roughly 6 percent stake in Lattice Semiconductor Corp on Wednesday, sending shares of the U.S. chip manufacturer soaring 18 percent on speculation of a possible acquisition.

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Long-stalled email privacy bill advances in Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation that would require law enforcement to obtain a search warrant before asking technology companies to hand over dated emails unanimously moved forward in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, although its prospects for becoming law this year remain uncertain.

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EU privacy regulators express concerns about U.S. data pact: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union privacy regulators expressed concerns about a new EU-U.S. data transfer pact agreed in February to help companies shuffle data across the Atlantic and requested improvements in order for it to meet European privacy standards, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

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Alibaba, Ant Financial invest $1.25 billion in China online food-delivery firm Ele.me

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese online food-delivery service company Ele.me has raised $1.25 billion from Alibaba Group Holding and its Internet finance arm Ant Financial, Ele.me and Alibaba said in separate statements on Wednesday.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2016

EU privacy watchdogs could seek U.S. data pact review in two years

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European privacy watchdogs could ask for a review in two years of a new transatlantic data pact designed to help companies such as Microsoft and IBM to shuffle around user data, according to three people familiar with the matter.

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Uber says gave U.S. agencies data on more than 12 million users

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Tuesday released its first ever transparency report detailing the information requested by not only U.S. law enforcement agencies, but also by regulators.

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Ransomware: Extortionist hackers borrow customer-service tactics

TEWKSBURY, Mass (Reuters) - When hackers set out to extort the town of Tewksbury, Massachusetts with "ransomware," they followed up with an FAQ explaining the attack and easy instructions for online payment.

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GGV Capital raises $1.2 billion as venture fundraising streak continues

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Venture firm GGV Capital has raised $1.2 billion in fresh cash to back technology startups in the United States and China, the latest in a streak of new, billion-dollar-plus funds closed by venture capital firms.

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China says tech firms pledge to counter online terror activities

BEIJING (Reuters) - Twenty-five Chinese technology companies have signed a pledge to counter images and information online that promote terrorism, the internet regulator said on Tuesday, months after China passed a controversial new anti-terrorism law.

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Streaming revenues ride to the rescue of global music earnings

LONDON (Reuters) - A massive rise in earnings from streaming services helped reverse almost 20 years of declining global music revenues last year as money from digital formats overtook physical sales for the first time, trade association IFPI said on Tuesday.











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Israel regulators oppose Cellcom's deal to buy Golan Telecom

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel's antitrust watchdog and the Communications Ministry have opposed Cellcom's plan to buy smaller rival Golan Telecom, Israel's largest mobile phone provider said on Tuesday.


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Alibaba to buy control of Southeast Asian retailer Lazada for $1 billion

(Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said on Tuesday it has agreed to buy a controlling stake in online retailer Lazada for about $1 billion to expand its e-commerce business into Southeast Asia.


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Software flaws used in hacking more than double, setting record

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The number of previously unknown software flaws used by hackers more than doubled last year, a new report says, in another sign of the increasing sophistication of cybercrime and online espionage.











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Monday, April 11, 2016

Pitch perfect: mobile makers, telcos drawn to hi-res audio

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Mostly young, male audiophiles throng a Singapore hotel ballroom, intently assessing headphones, earbuds and in-ear monitors - priced from $50 to as much as $10,000.


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Business Wire disrupted by power outage, Alcoa statement delayed

(Reuters) - A temporary outage hit Business Wire, the press release distribution company owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, on Monday, delaying the release of many company statements including Alcoa Inc's earnings report.











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Business Wire goes down ahead of Alcoa's earnings statement

(Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway Inc's Business Wire website, which distributes press releases issued by companies, went down just before the U.S. stock market closed on Monday.


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Italy aims to boost wine sales on Alibaba network ten-fold

VERONA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy and Alibaba hope to boost the share of Italian wine sold on the Chinese e-commerce network 10-fold as part of wider moves to increase Italian wine exports to China where it still lags France and other wine-making peers.


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SEC charges Texas attorney general for role in stock scam

(Reuters) - U.S. regulators charged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday for his alleged role in a stock scam that defrauded investors in a Texas-based technology company called Servergy Inc.











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Verizon's wireline employees plan to strike starting April 13, unions say

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's wireline employees have decided to go on strike starting April 13, as no resolution is seen in ongoing contract talks, the unions representing its wireline unit workers said on Monday.


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In-flight Wi-Fi market heats up as satellite services come online

HAMBURG (Reuters) - In-flight Wi-Fi may sound like a great way to keep in touch with friends and family or catch up on work, but services are often so slow, you're better off sticking to the in-flight magazine.











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Israel to tax foreign companies' online activities

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is to start collecting value added tax (VAT) and income taxes from foreign companies that do substantial business over the Internet in Israel.











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Microsoft offers first major endorsement of new EU-U.S. data pact

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft became on Monday the first major U.S. tech company to say it would transfer users' information to the United States using a new transatlantic commercial data pact and would resolve any disputes with European privacy watchdogs.


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Dell unit SecureWorks valued at up to $1.42 billion in IPO

(Reuters) - Dell Inc's [DI.UL] cyber security unit, SecureWorks Corp, said its initial public offering was expected to be priced at $15.50-$17.50 per share, valuing the company at up to $1.42 billion.











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Jaguar Land Rover launches tech venture to test car-sharing

LONDON (Reuters) - Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) launched a technology business on Monday which aims to create apps for services such as car-sharing, the latest automaker to explore ways of tapping demand for cheaper and greener ways of making short journeys.


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UK's CMA voices serious concerns over Hutchison-Telefonica deal

(Reuters) - UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has expressed serious concerns about the proposed merger between Hutchison 3G UK and Telefonica UK and sought the European Commission to prevent "long-term damage" to the UK mobile telecoms market.











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LG Electronics tips January-March profit to be best quarter in nearly two years

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's LG Electronics Inc said its first-quarter operating profit likely rose 66 percent, pointing to its best quarter in nearly two years with earnings apparently lifted by healthy appliance sales and falling television panel prices.


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Tech start-ups snap at the heels of Asian private bankers

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Scanning a bank statement into a computer may not sound particularly high-tech, but it's unsettling some of Asia's private bankers.











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Sunday, April 10, 2016

Daily Mail parent in talks with private equity for Yahoo bid: WSJ

(Reuters) - The parent company of the British newspaper, the Daily Mail, is in talks with several private equity firms about a possible bid for Yahoo Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.


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Japan government, Toyota, Nissan to step up efforts on intelligent maps: Nikkei

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government and auto giants Toyota Motor Corp Nissan Motor Co will join in an effort to develop intelligent maps by 2018, the Nikkei daily said, as competition heats up to improve the technology key for autonomous driving.











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Friday, April 8, 2016

SAP quarterly results fall short as U.S. market slows

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe's largest software company, SAP , warned late on Friday that first-quarter results would be weaker than expected due to slower sales of software licenses to corporate customers in the United States, its biggest market.


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Crown Castle buys Tower Development Corp for $461 million

(Reuters) - Telecom tower operator Crown Castle International Corp said it bought Berkshire Partners-owned Tower Development Corp for $461 million in cash.


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Leak of Senate encryption bill prompts swift backlash

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Security researchers and civil liberties advocates on Friday condemned draft legislation leaked from the U.S. Senate that would let judges order technology companies to assist law enforcement agencies in breaking into encrypted data.











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Automaker group warns timetable for self-driving vehicle guidance too aggressive

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An automaker trade association warned Friday that U.S. auto safety regulators' timetable for unveiling guidance on the deployment of self-driving cars may be too aggressive.


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NXP Semiconductor weighing sale of standard products business: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - NXP Semiconductors NV is considering a sale of its standard products business and has received interest from Chinese buyers, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter.


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U.S. to continue appeal of iPhone data case in N.Y

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Friday said it will move ahead with an appeal of a court ruling blocking the government from forcing Apple Inc to help unlock an iPhone in a drug case in New York.


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Bosch considers stake in digital mapping company HERE

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Auto supplier Bosch [ROBG.UL] said on Friday it was in talks with high-definition digital maps company HERE, exploring whether to take a stake.











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Twitter appoints Hugh Johnston and Martha Lane Fox to its board

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc said on Friday it had appointed PepsiCo Inc Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston and Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of travel website lastminute.com, to its board.











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Bollore's London electric car club scheme faces delay

LONDON (Reuters) - An electric carsharing scheme being rolled out in London by French firm Bollore is taking longer than expected to set up fully because contract talks with the capital's local councils are dragging on.











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Yahoo extends deadline for bids by a week: Re/code

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc has extended the deadline to bid for its businesses by a week to April 18, technology news website Re/code reported, citing people familiar with the matter.


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U.S. says China internet censorship a burden for businesses

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States has labeled China's internet censorship a trade barrier in a report for the first time since 2013, saying worsening online restrictions are damaging the business of U.S. companies.











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Adobe issues emergency update to Flash after ransomware attacks

BOSTON (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc issued an emergency update on Thursday to its widely used Flash software for Internet browsers after researchers discovered a security flaw that was being exploited to deliver ransomware to Windows PCs.


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Thursday, April 7, 2016

Cyber fraudsters reap $2.3 billion through email wire-transfer scams

BOSTON (Reuters) - Businesses have lost billions of dollars to fast-growing scams where fraudsters impersonate company executives in emails that order staff to transfer to accounts controlled by criminals, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.











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Uber agrees to settle California suit on misleading customers

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] agreed to a $25 million settlement to end a civil lawsuit in California that accused the ride-sharing company of misleading customers about the strength of its background checks on drivers, prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Francisco said on Thursday.











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Chile taxi drivers protest against Uber as regulations remain murky

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Taxi drivers in Chile protested on Thursday against ride-hailing app Uber [UBER.UL], as authorities indicated they were considering more regulatory oversight to deal with car-sharing services.


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U.S. military christens self-piloting ship

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - The U.S. military Thursday christened an experimental self-piloting ship designed to hunt for enemy submarines, a major advance in robotic warfare at the core of America's strategy to counter Chinese and Russian naval investments.


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Google mulls bid for Yahoo's core business: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google unit is mulling a bid for Yahoo Inc's core business, Bloomberg reported, citing a source.











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Toyota to open third U.S. research lab to advance self-driving cars

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Co said on Thursday it would open its third U.S. research lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan in June for the study of artificial intelligence, robotics and materials science to spur the development of self-driving cars.


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Robots set to aid postal workers with deliveries in Germany

TROISDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Germany's Deutsche Post is testing robots that could help postal workers cope with increasing numbers of parcels on their delivery rounds, a company manager said on Thursday.


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FBI director says unlocking method won't work on newer iPhones

(Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation's secret method for unlocking the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters will not work on newer models, FBI Director James Comey said.











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Enel still talking to Telecom Italia over fiber broadband plans

ROME (Reuters) - Italian power utility Enel is still talking to Telecom Italia over its plans to help build a national high-speed fiber-optic broadband network, Enel's chief executive said on Thursday.


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Online fashion retailer Zalando embraces 'chaos' to stay ahead

BERLIN (Reuters) - When Europe's top online-only fashion retailer Zalando decided to overhaul its app to exploit mobile sales, it reaped the benefits of a new management philosophy that gives tech staff much more autonomy.











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Watchdog rejects concerns about Deutsche Telekom broadband plan

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's telecoms industry regulator rejected rivals' concerns on Thursday about Deutsche Telekom's plan to spend a billion euros ($1 bln) on equipping its national copper network for high-speed broadband services.











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Tinder-owner IAC hires top dealmaker Schiffman as CFO

(Reuters) - Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, which owns popular dating app Tinder, said it hired ex-Lehman Brothers investment banker Glenn Schiffman as its Chief Financial Officer.


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Cyprus Central Bank says enhancing 'know customer' requirements

ATHENS (Reuters) - Cyprus is enhancing requirements on commercial banks and intermediaries to know the identity of their customers, days after a massive data leak detailing how the world's rich skipped through loopholes to park cash in low-tax jurisdictions.











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Airbus, Siemens to work together on electrically-powered planes

BERLIN (Reuters) - European aerospace group Airbus has signed a deal with industrial group Siemens to work on hybrid electric propulsion systems with the aim of building small planes that could be partly powered by electricity by 2030.











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IT spending could be a casualty of economic uncertainty: Gartner

(Reuters) - Worldwide spending on information technology could become one of the casualties of global economic uncertainty this year, according to research firm Gartner Inc.











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Suit that mimics life at age 85 has no creases, just creaks

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Reuters) - With the push of a button, a perfectly healthy 34-year-old museum-goer named Ugo Dumont was transformed into a confused 85-year-old man with cataracts, glaucoma and a ringing in his ears known as tinnitus.











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Google expanding self-driving vehicle testing to Phoenix, Arizona

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc is expanding its testing of self-driving cars to the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, the company said on Thursday, making it the fourth U.S. city to serve as a proving ground for the autonomous vehicles.


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Exclusive: China's Apex Technology in bid to buy Lexmark - sources

HONG KONG/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apex Technology Co Ltd, a Chinese company that manufactures ink cartridge chips, is in negotiations to acquire U.S. printer and imaging systems provider Lexmark International Inc, according to people familiar with the matter.


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Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Volvo aims to test self-driving cars in China using local drivers: sources

BEIJING (Reuters) - Volvo aims to launch an experiment involving self-driving cars in China in which up to 100 such cars could be deployed, executives at the Swedish automaker said.











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White House declines to support encryption legislation: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is declining to offer public support for long-awaited legislation that would give federal judges clearer authority to order technology companies like Apple to help law enforcement crack encrypted data, according to sources familiar with the discussions.


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U.S. companies use social media to denounce laws seen as anti-gay

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. companies took to social media on Wednesday to denounce new laws enacted by southern states that target the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.


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Bollywood studios eye profits at last as India goes smartphone mad

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's all-singing, all-dancing movie hits capture the attention of hundreds of millions of fans - but they generate precious little in box office profits for the world's largest cinema industry.











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Image is all for Huawei's new P9 smartphone flagship

LONDON (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] presented its latest flagship smartphone on Wednesday, featuring a dual-lens camera co-engineered with Germany's Leica that it hopes will set it apart from all the other Android devices on the market.


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Facebook expands live video, challenging TV and web rivals

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc on Wednesday expanded its live video product, Facebook Live, giving the feature prominent placement on the app and rolling out features to make it easier for users to search and comment in real time.











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FAA panel recommends standards for drone flights over people

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that regulators set new rules allowing drones to fly over members of the public if the aircraft meet new standards to minimize the danger of physical injuries from collisions.


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Turkey launches inquiry into leak of 50 million citizens' data

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is investigating how hackers have posted online the identity data of some 50 million Turks, including what they said were details about the president and prime minister, after what is believed to be the biggest data breach seen in the country.











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German police arrest international cyber ring suspect

BERLIN (Reuters) - Police investigating a ring of global cyber criminals arrested the 22-year-old main suspect in Germany and carried out raids across several countries, prosecutors in the west German city of Koblenz said on Wednesday.











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Japan's NEC, Angola to build Africa-South America subsea fiber cable

LUANDA (Reuters) - Telecoms operator Angola Cables S.A. and Japan's NEC Corp said on Wednesday they will spend $160 million to construct the first subsea fiber optic cable system to connect Africa and South America.


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Verizon to buy 24.5 percent stake in AwesomenessTV

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc said it agreed to buy a 24.5 percent stake in AwesomenessTV, whose YouTube channels are among the most popular on the video site, for about $160 million.











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China's ZTE revises down 2015 profit after U.S. export curbs

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp revised down its 2015 net profit on Wednesday due to export curbs imposed by the U.S. Commerce Department for alleged violations of sanctions against Iran.


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Nokia to cut thousands of jobs following Alcatel deal

HELSINKI/PARIS (Reuters) - Telecom network equipment maker Nokia is planning to cut thousands of jobs globally, including 1,400 in Germany and 1,300 in its native Finland, as part of a cost-cutting program following the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent earlier this year.


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SurveyMonkey expands to mobile-apps data one year after CEO's death

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In its first major initiative in the year since the sudden death of its chief executive, Dave Goldberg, SurveyMonkey is expanding its survey business to tap into booming demand for mobile apps.


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Nokia plans to slash 1,300 jobs in Finland

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia is planning to cut about 1,300 jobs in its native Finland following its acquisition of France's Alcatel-Lucent, the telecom network equipment maker said in a statement.


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Trail in cyber heist suggests hackers were Chinese: senator

MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine senator said on Wednesday that Chinese hackers were likely to have pulled off one of the world's biggest cyber heists at the Bangladesh central bank, citing the network of Chinese people involved in the routing of the stolen funds through Manila.


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Indonesia says it will examine some Internet-based companies' tax reports

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro on Wednesday said the tax office will examine tax reports of the Indonesian offices of four internet-based companies to check whether they have been paying correctly what they owe.











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Daimler confirms HERE in talks with Amazon, Microsoft

BERLIN (Reuters) - Amazon.com and Microsoft are in talks about taking a minority stake in HERE, a digital mapping business controlled by Germany's luxury carmakers to help develop self-driving cars, Daimler said on Wednesday.


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Japan regulators raid messaging app Line over use of payment tokens

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese financial regulators have raided the offices of messaging app operator Line Corp [IPO-LINE.T], the company said on Wednesday, over what a person familiar with the matter said was the use of tokens in one of its online games.


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Barclays backs 'social payments app' Circle as it launches in UK

LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays has become the first big British bank to form a partnership with a digital currency firm, social payments app Circle, which runs partly on bitcoin's blockchain network and launched in the UK on Wednesday.











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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

As Apple plots India push, Samsung stakes turf with revamped phones

MUMBAI/SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is regaining smartphone share in India with a revamped line-up packed with special features including a safety mode for motorcyclists, as rival Apple Inc readies a renewed push into the world's fastest-growing market.











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Amazon to sell new Kindle with rechargeable protective case: WSJ

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc is set to release a higher-end Kindle version with a rechargeable protective case for a better battery life, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.


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New Twitter feature to make it easier to share tweets privately

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc is offering a new feature that would make it easier for users to share tweets privately with friends, the company said in a blog post.


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PayPal pulls North Carolina plan after transgender bathroom law

CHICAGO (Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc on Tuesday canceled plans to open a global operations center in Charlotte, North Carolina and invest $3.6 million in the area after the state passed a controversial law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens.











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WhatsApp strengthens encryption in wake of iPhone case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facebook on Tuesday announced it had bolstered the default encryption settings for the more than one billion users of its popular WhatsApp messaging service so that all messages will now be accessible only to the sender and recipient.


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Chipmaker Marvell's CEO, president stepping down

(Reuters) - Marvell Technology Group Ltd's chief executive and president are stepping down, two months after activist investor Starboard Value LP disclosed a stake in the chipmaker and said its shares were undervalued.











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Twitter to stream NFL Thursday night games: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - Twitter has won a deal to broadcast Thursday night National Football League games online, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.


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Small Australian software firm helps join the dots on Panama Papers

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Software produced by a little-known Australian developer has helped journalists piece together news leads from the mountains of data found in the contents of the Panama Papers, one of the biggest document leaks in history.











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Bangladesh Bank hackers 'possibly Chinese,' says Philippines senator

MANILA (Reuters) - Chinese hackers were possibly behind one of the world's biggest cyber heists, the theft of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank, a senator in the Philippines said on Tuesday, while a Manila bank manager involved in the case said she was a pawn of senior bankers and unnamed tycoons.


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Music streaming service Pandora returns to its roots

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Pandora Media Inc hopes to go back to the future with the return of co-founder Tim Westergren as CEO and a renewed focus on its industry-leading data trove, built from the listening habits of more than 81 million people.


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EU okays French plan to aid users in frequency switch

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union regulators approved on Tuesday a French plan to compensate consumers disadvantaged by the country's reallocation of frequency used for TV broadcasting to wireless broadband services, saying this complies with the bloc's state aid rules.


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China's ZTE names new management in wake of U.S. export restrictions

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ZTE Corp, in a routine management reshuffle, has replaced three senior executives alleged to be the main signatories to documents purportedly showing the company made efforts to dodge sanctions against Iran.











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Monday, April 4, 2016

Amazon CEO says latest Kindle version is ready

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's latest Kindle version is ready and further details could be expected next week, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos tweeted on Monday.











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U.S. unveiling new comparison Internet service labels

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday unveiled new labels for broadband and mobile Internet service, aimed at helping the nation's web users make price and service comparisons.


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Brocade to buy Ruckus Wireless in $1.5 billion deal

(Reuters) - Network gear maker Brocade Communications Systems Inc said on Monday it would buy Ruckus Wireless Inc in a cash and stock deal worth about $1.5 billion to add Ruckus's Wi-Fi products to its enterprise networking business.


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3D Systems names former HP exec as CEO

(Reuters) - 3D printer maker 3D Systems Corp said it appointed former HP Inc executive Vyomesh Joshi as its president and chief executive.











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VW to spend about half a billion euros on digital trucks by 2020

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen's truck division will spend about half a billion euros (398,634,681 million pounds) by the end of the decade to enhance digital features of heavy-goods vehicles as truckmakers increase their focus on automation in road haulage, it said on Monday.


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Blackstone takes control of India's Mphasis in up to $1.1 billion deal

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Blackstone Group is buying a majority stake in Indian IT outsourcing services provider Mphasis Ltd from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co in an up to $1.1 billion deal, in the U.S. asset manager's single-biggest investment in India.











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Sunday, April 3, 2016

Tesla says Model 3 orders top $10 billion in first 36 hours

DETROIT (Reuters) - Tesla Motors Inc said orders for its new Model 3 electric sedan topped 253,000 in the first 36 hours -- a fast start for the company's first mass-market vehicle, which may not begin to reach customers for another 18 months or more.











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China's ZTE to name new management team on Tuesday: spokesman

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese telecom equipment and smartphone maker ZTE Corp will announce a new management team on Tuesday, a spokesman said.


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FBI trick for breaking into iPhone likely to leak, limiting its use

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The FBI's method for breaking into a locked iPhone 5c is unlikely to stay secret for long, according to senior Apple Inc engineers and outside experts.


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Saturday, April 2, 2016

India's Reliance moves into fashion and lifestyle e-commerce

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Reliance Retail Ltd, the retail business of India's energy conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd, said on Saturday it planned a quick roll-out of its newly launched fashion and lifestyle e-commerce business.


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Foxconn seals $3.5 billion takeover of Sharp as executives seek to shake off doubts

SAKAI, Japan (Reuters) - Foxconn and Sharp Corp on Saturday formally signed a long-awaited deal that would see the Taiwan firm take control of the Japanese display maker, as executives sought to dispel lingering doubts over whether Sharp can turn around its ebbing fortunes.











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FBI assures it will help authorities unlock devices when allowed by law

(Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has assured law enforcement across the United States that it will help unlock mobile devices such as iPhones involved in investigations when it is allowed by law and policy.


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Friday, April 1, 2016

Exclusive: Time Inc considers taking on private equity partner for Yahoo bid

(Reuters) - Time Inc is considering partnering with a private equity firm on a bid for Yahoo Inc's core Internet assets, according to people familiar with the matter, as the U.S. publishing company seeks to boost its digital presence.











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U.S. hospitals face growing ransomware threat: security group

(Reuters) - U.S. hospitals should brace for a surge in "ransomware" attacks by cyber criminals who infect and shut down computer networks, then demand payment in return for unlocking them, a non-profit healthcare group warned on Friday.


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Overstock invests $4 million in Caribbean firm working on digital currencies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. online retailer Overstock.com Inc said on Friday it has invested $4 million in a financial technology company that is working to move countries in the Caribbean region to adopt digital currencies.


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Bouygues focus on standalone strategy after Orange deal talks end

PARIS (Reuters) - Construction-to-media conglomerate Bouygues said on Friday its board had been unanimous in deciding to end talks with state-controlled rival Orange over the takeover of its telecoms unit.


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Slack raises $200 million in financing

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Slack has raised $200 million in venture capital financing, boosting its valuation to $3.8 billion, the messaging software startup said on Friday.


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Orange-Bouygues telecom merger talks fail: source

PARIS (Reuters) - Merger talks between state-controlled telecoms group Orange and Bouygues Telecom to create France's biggest telecoms operator have failed, a source close to Bouygues said on Friday, confirming a report by Le Figaro.











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Tech giants back U.S. EPA in climate rule legal challenge

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Technology companies Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon on Friday declared support for the Obama administration in a lawsuit facing its central plan to combat climate change, saying the rule is needed to drive a transition to cleaner energy.


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Social media users raise concern after Reddit changes transparency report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some social media users raised concerns on Friday over networking forum Reddit's removal from its site of a section that told users it had never received a certain type of surveillance request from the U.S. government.


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Trading in eight stocks suspended for rest of day: NYSE ARCA

NEW YORK (Reuters) - NYSE Arca has suspended trading in eight symbols for the balance of the trading day because of a technical issue, including Amazon.com and both classes of Alphabet Inc shares, according to an alert from the exchange.











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Don't ask where money came from, says Manila casino boss in heist probe

MANILA (Reuters) - For Kim Wong, the Chinese casino owner in the Philippines entangled in one of the world's largest bank heists, there are two golden rules for dealing with wealthy punters: always demand to see their money, but never ask where it came from.


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China antitrust proposals trigger foreign business fears over IP protection

BEIJING (Reuters) - Foreign companies with dominant market positions could be increasingly forced to license technology to competitors or face sanctions under China's latest draft antitrust policy guidelines, according to foreign business groups and attorneys.


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BlackBerry revenue drops more than expected, shares fall 7 percent

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd reported a larger-than-expected slide in fourth-quarter revenue on Friday amid weakness in hardware sales, sending its shares down 7 percent in early trading.











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High-tech Nordic headsets improve hearing on the battlefield, at the Euros

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish-based Invisio, which will provide high-tech headsets to French security forces at the Euro 2016 soccer championship this summer, expects military orders in emerging markets to boost revenue further this year.


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Yen for animation inspired Hong Kong designer's robot

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Like innumerable children with imaginations fired by animated films, Hong Kong product and graphic designer Ricky Ma grew up watching cartoons featuring the adventures of robots, and dreamt of building his own one day.


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Finland's Okmetic receives takeover offer from China's National Silicon

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland's Okmetic , said on Friday that it had received a takeover offer from China's National Silicon Industry Group (NSIG) for the maker of silicon wafers used in semiconductors and analog circuits.











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Exclusive: Egypt blocked Facebook Internet service over surveillance - sources

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Egypt blocked Facebook Inc's Free Basics Internet service at the end of last year after the U.S. company refused to give the Egyptian government the ability to spy on users, two people familiar with the matter said.











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