U.S. opens investigation into Tesla after fatal crash in Autopilot mode

(Reuters) - The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday it is opening a preliminary investigation into 25,000 Tesla Motors Model S cars after a driver of one of the vehicles was killed using the Autopilot mode.

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Google's diversity efforts show scant progress

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google on Thursday released data on its two-year-old initiative to create a more diverse U.S. workforce, saying it had more black, Latino and female employees but still lagged its goal of mirroring the population.

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Qualcomm files 17 new complaints in China courts against smartphone maker Meizu

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc has filed 17 fresh complaints in China against Meizu Technology Co, stepping up its battle with the Chinese smartphone maker after the two were unable to reach a licensing accord in the U.S. tech giant's biggest market.

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Uber driver data in Kenya helps bridge credit gap

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Sidian Bank has approved its first car loans to experienced Uber [UBER.UL] drivers in Kenya, using a model the ride hailing service hopes can be rolled out across countries in Africa where a lack of customer data limits lending.

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Google buys 12-year output from Norwegian wind power farm

OSLO (Reuters) - Google has bought the entire 12-year power production from a yet-to-be-built Norwegian wind power farm to supply its European data centers with renewable energy, its developers said on Thursday.

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BMW, Intel, Mobileye team up to develop autonomous cars: source

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - BMW is close to unveiling a development partnership for autonomous cars with Israeli collision detection software maker Mobileye and U.S. chip maker Intel , a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

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Facebook's political influence under a microscope

(Reuters) - As the U.S. presidential campaign heats up, Facebook Inc is going out of its way to show its neutrality - an increasingly urgent matter for the social network as evidence of its power continues to emerge.

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Regulator probing Canon on $6.5 billion Toshiba unit purchase: source

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's anti-monopoly regulator is investigating Canon Inc over a possible breach of disclosure rules in the company's acquisition of Toshiba Corp's medical equipment unit, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

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Netflix CEO says firm continues to look into entering China

SEOUL (Reuters) - Netflix Inc will continue to look into the possibility of entering China, Chief Executive Reed Hastings said on Thursday, as the video streaming service seeks to grow its subscriber base outside its home of the United States.

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FCC pegs cost to reallocate TV spectrum for wireless use at $86.4 billion

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that the cost of reallocating 126 MHz in the television broadcast spectrum for wireless use is $86.4 billion in the first stage of a government auction.

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Belgian privacy regulator loses case against Facebook

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Belgian data protection authority said on Wednesday it had lost a legal battle with Facebook in which it sought to stop the social network tracking the online activities of non-Facebook users in Belgium who visit Facebook pages.

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Facebook offers limited detail on formula behind News Feed

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc on Wednesday offered a rare glimpse into how it ranks and shows content in its News Feed, part of an effort to provide more transparency about its operations as the social network's cultural and political influence continue to grow.

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Landing with a bump? Germany's Rocket falls back to earth

BERLIN/LAGOS (Reuters) - When German e-commerce investor Rocket Internet launched Jumia in 2012 as a would-be African Amazon, it was optimistic that a rapidly expanding middle class would quickly shift from street markets to shopping online.

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With Amazon in sight, Wal-Mart to offer free shipping for 30 days

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said it launched a free 30-day trial of ShippingPass, its two-day shipping program to all shoppers in the United States, as the world's largest retailer looks to take on Amazon.com Inc's Prime subscription service.

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Gameloft's board resigns, names new boss

PARIS (Reuters) - French video games company Gameloft said on Wednesday its board was resigning as it disagreed with the strategic vision of its new majority shareholder Vivendi.

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Kuka CEO says company in talks with potential new investors

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German robotics maker Kuka is in confidential talks about potential new investors but has so far only received a takeover offer from Chinese bidder Midea , Chief Executive Till Reuter said on Wednesday.

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Airbnb seeks funds valuing it at $30 billion: source

(Reuters) - Apartment-sharing startup Airbnb is in talks for a new round of funding that would value the company at $30 billion, a source close to the company said on Tuesday.

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EU regulators readying third Google antitrust charge: sources

BRUSSELS - Alphabet's Google may face a third EU antitrust charge as soon as next month, this time focusing on its revenue mainstay AdWords ad placement service, three people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

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Chinese economic cyber-espionage is diminishing, says U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said on Tuesday that Chinese hacking activity appears to have declined since the Chinese government vowed last September to stop supporting the hacking of U.S. trade secrets.

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Taiwanese chip supplier says Apple conservative on orders: Nikkei

(Reuters) - Taiwanese chip firm Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc said on Tuesday that its biggest customer, Apple Inc, was being more conservative in placing orders compared with last year, according to the Nikkei.

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Clinton rolls out wide-ranging technology agenda

(Reuters) - Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Tuesday laid out a technology and innovation agenda ranging from connecting every U.S. household to high-speed internet by 2020 to beefing up cyber security and reducing regulatory barriers.

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China tightens rules for mobile app developers

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has tightened rules for mobile app developers including requiring real-name registration and preserving users' activity logs, the country's internet regulator said on Tuesday, as Beijing looks to strengthen oversight of the growing app market.

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South Korea antitrust regulator says investigating Apple on 'some matters'

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating "some matters" relating to tech giant Apple Inc , the head of the anticompetition body said during a parliamentary hearing, without disclosing further details.

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Lyft hires investment bank Qatalyst Partners: WSJ

(Reuters) - Ride-sharing service Lyft has hired investment bank Qatalyst Partners, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Airbnb sues San Francisco over registration policy

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Airbnb sued the city of San Francisco on Monday, arguing that a recent ordinance which requires hosts to register with the city violates the online home-sharing company's free speech rights.

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Google beats children's web privacy appeal, Viacom to face one claim

(Reuters) - Google and Viacom on Monday defeated an appeal in a nationwide class action lawsuit by parents who claimed the companies illegally tracked the online activity of children under the age of 13 who watched videos and played video games on Nickelodeon's website.

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U.S. extends ZTE reprieve for alleged Iran sanctions violations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government has extended through August 30 a reprieve to ZTE Corp on tough export restrictions imposed on the Chinese smartphone maker in March for allegedly breaking sanctions against Iran, the Commerce Department said on Monday.

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Two SolarCity board members will consider Tesla deal

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Solar panel maker SolarCity Corp said on Monday it has formed a special committee of just two directors to evaluate Tesla Motors Inc's $2.8 billion takeover offer.

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China tech powerhouse Tsinghua bets $7.5 billion on R&D, urges faster reforms

TIANJIN, China (Reuters) - State-backed Chinese technology group Tsinghua Holdings plans to spend $7.5 billion on research and development over the next five years, accelerating China's drive to build a high-value semiconductor industry to challenge global chipmaking rivals.

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Kuka nears deal with Chinese bidder: source

BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German robotics maker Kuka is on the brink of agreeing to an investor agreement with Chinese bidder Midea that includes a long-term commitment to existing headquarters, factories and jobs, a source close to the negotiations said.

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SolarCity recuses two more board members from voting on Tesla offer

(Reuters) - Two additional SolarCity Corp board members with ties to Elon Musk are recusing themselves from making decisions regarding Tesla Motors Inc's offer to buy the solar power company, in a bid to alleviate corporate governance concerns surrounding a potential deal.

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Line, the biggest tech IPO of the year, struggles to show its growth plan can work

TOKYO (Reuters) - In delaying its IPO by two years, Japanese messaging app company Line Corp bought time to correct weak financial reporting controls, work on its business plan, bolster staffing - and left billions of dollars on the table as its valuation shriveled.

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Alipay could take stake in Wirecard: report

BERLIN (Reuters) - Wirecard AG is negotiating with representatives of Alipay, a unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, about it taking a stake of up to 25 percent in the German banking software company, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

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Exclusive: Google, Facebook quietly move toward automatic blocking of extremist videos

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some of the web’s biggest destinations for watching videos have quietly started using automation to remove extremist content from their sites, according to two people familiar with the process.

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China tightens controls on paid-for internet search ads

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's internet regulator said on Saturday that search engines should tighten management of paid-for ads in search results, making clear which results are paid-for and limiting their numbers.

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Citigroup resolves 'technical issue' that left accounts frozen

(Reuters) - Citigroup Inc said on Friday it resolved a technical issue that had left customers unable to access their accounts remotely.

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TD Ameritrade, Fidelity problems rile social media users

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Social media users flooded TD Ameritrade's and Fidelity Investments' Twitter feeds with irate messages on Friday, as customers struggled to access their online brokerage accounts.

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Collaborative robots open new fronts in automation

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Robots that work as assistants alongside people are set to upend the world of industrial robotics by putting automation within reach of many small and medium-sized companies for the first time, industry players said this week.

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Democrat gun control sit-in sparks social media sensation

(Reuters) - A blackout of television cameras in the U.S. House Representatives during the Democrats' gun control sit-in may have spurred public interest in the protest as it forced the demonstrators to use social media to broadcast their message.

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U.S. charges Filipino man with hacking accounts of celebrities

(Reuters) - A Filipino man has been criminally charged in New Jersey with running a large and sophisticated scheme to hack into the bank and credit card accounts of well-known or celebrity customers, U.S. prosecutors said.

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German court hands Springer partial victory in ad-blocking case

COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - A German court on Friday handed publisher Axel Springer a material win in its fight against so-called ad-blockers, which users can install on computers or mobile devices to prevent advertising from being shown.

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EU, United States agree changes to strengthen data transfer pact

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and the United States have agreed changes to a data transfer pact that is key to transatlantic business, including stricter rules for companies holding information on Europeans and clearer limits on U.S. surveillance.

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Lyft wins approval of driver settlement from U.S. judge

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge granted preliminary approval to ride service Lyft's $27 million settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by California drivers who claimed they should be deemed employees instead of independent contractors.

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Jeff Jacobson to take over as Xerox Corp CEO after split

(Reuters) - Xerox Corp said Jeff Jacobson, the president of its technology unit, would take over as chief executive after the company splits its business process outsourcing unit into a separate, publicly listed entity.

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Behind those Amazon Prime boxes, a bull market in warehouses

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With Amazon and other e-commerce sites continuing to take market share from malls and other physical retailers, U.S. mutual fund managers are upping their bets on an overlooked part of the online shopping boom: warehouses.

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Saudi prince aims for Silicon Valley appeal to gleam at home

DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - The powerful young prince behind modernizing reforms in Saudi Arabia presents himself as the champion of his nation's plugged-in youth, and his visit to Silicon Valley this week sought to bolster that image.

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Tech 'unicorn' Twilio leaps in debut

(Reuters) - Shares of software maker Twilio Inc surged as much as 70 percent in their debut on Thursday, raising hopes that investor appetite for U.S. tech IPOs is finally returning.

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BlackBerry reports first-quarter slump in revenue, net loss

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd posted a 35 percent fall in first-quarter revenue and a third straight quarterly loss on Thursday as it paid heavily to restructure its operations and write down the value of some assets.

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Accenture revenue rises on demand for consulting services

(Reuters) - Accenture Plc posted a better-than-expected 8.6 percent rise in quarterly net revenue, driven by demand for consulting services, particularly from customers in North America.

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In Silicon Valley, Obama to keep hot-button tech issues off agenda

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will head to Silicon Valley on Friday to a summit aimed at connecting about 1,200 entrepreneurs from 170 countries with the biggest and brightest players in the U.S. tech sector and venture capital community.

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U.S. SEC accuses U.K. man of hacking, fraudulent trades

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued a U.K. man it said hacked into online brokerage accounts of several U.S. investors, placed unauthorized stock trades, and within minutes made profitable trades in the same stocks in his own account.

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BlackBerry's top goal to make devices profitable this year: CEO

WATERLOO, Ontario (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd's top priority this year is making its devices business profitable, its chief executive said on Wednesday, even as it weighs the future of its hardware operation.

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Senate likely to pass FBI spying bill after Orlando shooting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday is likely to pass a Republican-backed proposal to expand the Federal Bureau of Investigation's secretive surveillance powers after the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub last week.

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SoftBank names domestic telecom chief Miyauchi as president

TOKYO (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp said Wednesday that Ken Miyauchi, head of the group's Japanese telecommunications operations, would become president and chief operating officer to replace Nikesh Arora.

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Foxconn to close some of Sharp's overseas ops, hasten patents to market

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Foxconn plans to close costly and redundant overseas operations of new acquisition Sharp Corp, and bring to market products using Sharp's valuable patents and technology as quickly as possible, said the chief of the world's largest electronics manufacturer.

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Samsung takes fight to Apple with mobile wallet strategy

SYDNEY/SEOUL (Reuters) - Smartphone leader Samsung Electronics has for years been a spectator as Apple built a services "ecosystem" supporting its products. But now, as the two develop the market for mobile payments, the Korean tech giant is taking the fight to its U.S. archrival.

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Tesla offers to buy solar panel maker SolarCity in deal up to $2.8 billion

(Reuters) - Elon Musk's Tesla Motors Inc said on Tuesday it has made an offer to acquire solar panel maker SolarCity Corp in an all-stock deal worth as much as $2.8 billion, as the electric car maker looks to expand its clean energy business.

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Facebook signs deals with media firms, celebrities for Live: WSJ

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc has signed deals worth more than $50 million with media companies and celebrities to create videos for its live-streaming service, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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Tesla rival Faraday approved to test self-driving cars on California roads

DETROIT (Reuters) - Faraday Future plans to begin testing prototype self-driving electric vehicles on California roads later this year after winning approval from the state, an industry source said on Tuesday.

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Samsung Electronics says to invest $1.2 billion in U.S. for 'internet of things'

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd , the world's top smartphone maker, said on Tuesday it plans to invest about $1.2 billion in the United States over the next four years on so-called internet of things (IoT) technologies.

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Uber close to settling U.S. lawsuit over tips for drivers: filing

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ride service Uber is close to settling a class-action lawsuit over allegations it misled customers on how it shares gratuities with drivers, according to a court filing on Tuesday.

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Adobe's revenue rises for ninth quarter in a row

(Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc reported a 20.4 percent rise in second-quarter revenue, as more customers subscribed for its Creative Cloud package of software tools, such as Photoshop.

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Twitter allows users to share 140-second videos

(Reuters) - Twitter, known for its 140-character limit on tweets, is now allowing users to post longer videos - of up to 140 seconds.

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Proposals to curb online speech viewed as threat to open internet

SAN FRANCISCO/ TORONTO (Reuters) - At least a dozen countries are considering or have enacted laws restricting online speech, a trend that is alarming policymakers and others who see the internet as a valuable medium for debate and expression.

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Intent Media buys software firm Voyat, aims to keep travel ad bucks away from Google

(Reuters) - Intent Media, a privately held company that provides advertising tools for online travel agencies such as Expedia, is buying software startup Voyat in a bid to take travel ad dollars from search giants such as Alphabet Inc's Google, the companies said on Tuesday.

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Bangladesh central bank officials to meet New York Fed over stolen funds

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh central bank officials will hold a meeting with the New York Federal Reserve next month to try and speed up efforts to recover $81 million stolen by hackers from its account at the Fed, officials in Dhaka said.

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Tencent to buy Finnish gaming firm Supercell from SoftBank, others in $8.6 billion deal

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's biggest gaming and social network company Tencent Holdings said on Tuesday it will buy most of Finnish mobile gaming firm Supercell from SoftBank Group Corp and other shareholders in a deal valued at roughly $8.6 billion.

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Indonesia, South Korea central bank websites hit by cyber attacks; no losses

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The central banks of Indonesia and South Korea have been hit by cyber attacks on their public websites since activist hacking group Anonymous pledged last month to target banks across the world, senior officials in the two countries told Reuters.

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Samsung Electronics bets on 5G to jump-start networks business

SUWON, South Korea (Reuters) - Trailing its rivals after misplaced bets on wireless technology standards, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd aims to become a global top-three player in 5G mobile networks by moving quickly in markets like the United States, an executive said.

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Uber is added to surge-pricing lawsuit, could prompt arbitration

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge said Uber Technologies Inc can be added as a defendant in an antitrust lawsuit against its chief executive officer over its pricing practices, an outcome the ride-sharing service wanted in its bid to force the case into arbitration.

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Shanghai emerging frontrunner for Tesla's China production: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - Tesla Motors Inc is eyeing Shanghai for its China production base in an investment that could be worth about $9 billion, Bloomberg reported.

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Fed internal watchdog to study oversight of cybersecurity at banks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's internal watchdog plans to study how well the central bank is overseeing cybersecurity practices at financial institutions, the U.S. central bank said on Monday.

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Australian 'bitcoin founder' quietly bidding for patent empire

SYDNEY/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Craig Wright, the Australian who claimed to be the inventor of bitcoin, is attempting to build a large patent portfolio around the digital currency and technology underpinning it, according to associates of his and documents reviewed by Reuters.

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Spotify monthly active user base reaches 100 million

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish music streaming service Spotify said on Monday its user base had grown to 100 million, up from 75 million previously, as it pushed into new markets and despite competition from the likes of Apple Music.

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Apple to lose weighting in Russell index, shares could fall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After dropping more than $200 billion in market capitalization in one year, Apple shares could fall further as they are set to lose their weighting and be reclassified in the annual reconstitution of the widely followed Russell indexes.

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Toyota to build artificial intelligence-based driving systems in five years

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp is targeting developing in the next five years driver assistance systems that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) to improve vehicle safety, the head of its advanced research division said.

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Keyboard warriors: South Korea trains new frontline in decades-old war with North

SEOUL (Reuters) - In one college major at Seoul's elite Korea University, the courses are known only by number, and students keep their identities a secret from outsiders.

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Algeria blocks Facebook, Twitter to stop exam cheats: state media

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian authorities have temporarily blocked access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to try to stop cheats posting high school exam papers online, state media reported on Sunday.

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Uber's upstart rival in Pakistan uses rickshaws, low-tech phones

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - As taxi hailing giant Uber enters Pakistan, a little-known local competitor is counting on a mix of new ideas and old technology to tap what could be a big chunk of the market: low-income residents who travel in rickshaws, not cabs.

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Ant Financial looks to buy stake in Thai payments company

BEIJING (Reuters) - Ant Financial Services Group, Alibaba's financial services affiliate, is seeking to buy a 20 percent stake in Ascend Money, an online payment provider based in Thailand, according to a notice on the website of China's Ministry of Commerce.

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U.S. cable industry proposes allowing consumers to scrap set-top boxes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. pay-TV industry proposed a plan to allow more than 50 million subscribers to ditch costly set-top boxes to get television and video programs to try and convince federal regulators to abandon more far-reaching reforms.

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Apple says iPhones still available for sale in China

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were still available for sale in China after Beijing's intellectual property regulators barred their sales saying the designs had infringed a patent held by a Chinese company.

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Sun-powered phone charger gives migrants in Greece free electricity

LESBOS, Greece (Reuters) - For refugees and migrants stuck in Greece, a smartphone is a lifeline -- as long as its battery lasts.

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Texas lawsuit seeks to overturn Austin fingerprint rule for Uber drivers

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - An Austin City council member who is a strong supporter of ride-hailing companies Uber [UBER.UL] and Lyft has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a requirement for their drivers to undergo fingerprint criminal background checks approved in a May municipal vote.

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Zuckerberg's philanthropy project makes first major investment

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc founder Mark Zuckerberg's philanthropy venture has made its first major investment, leading a funding round in a startup that trains and recruits software developers in Africa.

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Investors back rivals Uber and Didi, raising eyebrows

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ride-hailing companies Uber and Didi have brought many new dimensions to the startup industry, such as making billion-dollar-plus funding rounds routine.

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Kuka wants agreement with suitor Midea on German jobs - source

MUNICH (Reuters) - Kuka aims to obtain a formal agreement from China's Midea to preserve German jobs and sites after its planned takeover of the industrial robot maker, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

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Airbnb gets $1 billion debt facility from U.S. banks: source

(Reuters) - Apartment-sharing startup Airbnb Inc has secured a $1 billion debt facility from some big U.S. banks to aid its new services and finance its expansion plans, a source close to the company said.

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U.S. attorney in Manhattan probes Bangladesh Bank cyber heist: source

(Reuters) - The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan has opened an investigation of the cyber heist of $81 million from Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a law enforcement source said.

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Internet ruling could hit Verizon and AT&T's Yahoo pursuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court decision upholding government rules that would impose new restrictions on how internet providers collect user data could disadvantage Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc's pursuit of Yahoo Inc's digital assets and new ad revenue, analysts say.

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Uber settles driver lawsuit over background checks

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by drivers over background checks conducted by the ride-hailing company, according to a court filing on Wednesday.

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China's Didi Chuxing raises $7 billion in new funding: WSJ

(Reuters) - Chinese car-hailing app Didi Chuxing Technology Co has raised $7 billion in its latest fund raising effort, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Cybercrime market sells servers for as little as 6 dollars to launch attacks

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A major underground marketplace acting like an eBay for criminals is selling access to more than 70,000 compromised servers allowing buyers to carry out widespread cyber-attacks around the world, security experts said on Wednesday.

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EU proposes cutting wholesale roaming rates

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union proposed on Wednesday cutting the wholesale roaming rates that telecoms operators pay each other when customers surf the Internet abroad to pave the way for the abolition of retail roaming charges by summer next year.

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SoftBank sees up to $2.4 billion profit on Alibaba share sale this business year

TOKYO (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp said on Wednesday it expects to book a profit of between 200 billion yen and 250 billion yen ($1.9 billion-$2.4 billion) this financial year on the sale of its shares in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

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French killer's Facebook broadcast underscores live video challenges

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - After Larossi Abballa killed a French police commander and the commander's partner on Tuesday, he took to Facebook Live to encourage viewers in a 12-minute video to follow his example: Kill prison staff, police officials, journalists, lawmakers.

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Investors' new book prescribes data to thrive as a start-up

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Most entrepreneurs know data can transform an organization, but few fully understand how to tap into it to give them an edge, according to a new book called "Winning With Data."

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Twitter makes $70 million investment in music service SoundCloud: Re/code

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc has invested about $70 million in Berlin-based music service SoundCloud, technology website Re/code reported citing people familiar with the deal.

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Midea to publish takeover offer for German robot maker Kuka on Thursday: sources

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - China's Midea Group Co Ltd is preparing to publish its previously announced takeover bid for German factory robot maker Kuka on Thursday, two people familiar with the plans told Reuters on Tuesday.

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U.S. appeals court rejects challenge to Obama net neutrality rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld the Federal Communications Commission's landmark net neutrality rules, a big boost to the Obama administration and a blow to internet service providers in a ruling that could determine how consumers access content on the Internet.

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Apple enhances Siri but still trails in artificial intelligence race

(Reuters) - Apple unveiled a series of improvements to its Siri digital assistant on Thursday, but the tech giant still trails rivals such as Google and Amazon in the red-hot field of artificial intelligence, experts say.

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FAA proposes fining Amazon $350,000 for hazardous package

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it is proposing a $350,000 civil fine against Amazon.com Inc for shipping a product that allegedly violated hazardous materials regulations and injured several UPS workers who handled the package.

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Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in its largest deal

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp will buy LinkedIn Corp for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal, combining the software giant's business-productivity tools with an online network of 433 million professionals.

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Nokia signs $1.5 billion framework deal with China Mobile

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia has signed a 1.36 billion euro ($1.5 bln) one-year framework deal with China Mobile, the Finnish company said on Monday, easing fears that it would lose market share while it merges operations with Alcatel-Lucent.

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Apple expected to showcase new powers for Siri at developer event

(Reuters) - Apple Inc is expected to show off new abilities for its Siri digital assistant on Monday by debuting tools to let developers work with the company's artificial intelligence. Apple's iPhone sales have begun to level off and it is turning increasingly to services for growth. Key to that is satisfying developers of apps, who want more from Apple: high on their list is better use of Siri. Apple has been working on letting Siri work directly with applications created by outside

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North Korea mounts long-running hack of South Korea computers, says Seoul

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea hacked into more than 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean firms and government agencies, planting malicious code under a long-term plan laying groundwork for a massive cyber attack against its rival, police in the South said on Monday.

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Fears in China's 'Silicon Valley' that property boom will hurt tech boom

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - A housing boom in China's wannabe "Silicon Valley" of Shenzhen risks undermining the city's tech boom as young professionals consider moving out to avoid the highest residential prices in the country.

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Siemens CEO says not interested in robot maker Kuka

BEIJING (Reuters) - Siemens has no interest in becoming a white knight for German robot maker Kuka, which is the target of a 4.5 billion euro ($5.06 billion) takeover bid by Chinese home appliance maker Midea, Siemens' chief executive said.

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Symantec to buy Blue Coat for $4.7 billion to boost enterprise unit

(Reuters) - Technology security firm Symantec Corp said it would buy privately held cyber security company Blue Coat for $4.65 billion in a cash deal that will ramp up Symantec's enterprise security business.

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Exclusive: Amazon is preparing to launch streaming music service - sources

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc is preparing to launch a standalone music streaming subscription service, placing it squarely in competition with rival offerings from Apple Inc and Spotify, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

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Wikipedia warns against French attempt to extend EU privacy law globally

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has said an attempt by France to give an online privacy ruling global force is opening up a "disastrous can of worms" and could spur global censorship.

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In mapping eclipses, world's first computer maybe also told fortunes

ATHENS (Reuters) - A 2,000-year-old astronomical calculator used by ancient Greeks to chart the movement of the sun, moon and planets may also have had another purpose - fortune telling, say researchers.

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Line Corp plans dual Tokyo, New York IPO, valuing firm at $5.5 billion

TOKYO (Reuters) - Line Corp [IPO-LINE.T] on Friday said it plans to list shares in Tokyo and New York next month through an initial public offering (IPO) that would value the Japanese messaging app operator at 588 billion yen ($5.50 billion).

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Alibaba's Ant Financial buys 20 percent of data firm for $35 million: source

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's affiliate Ant Financial has bought a fifth of financial data provider Shanghai Suntime Information Technology for around $35 million, a source with direct knowledge of the deal said.

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Redstone's National Amusements seeks new Viacom board members: reports

(Reuters) - Sumner Redstone's National Amusements Inc, which holds 80 percent of Viacom voting shares, has started looking for potential board members for Viacom, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Google co-founder Page backing two start-ups making flying cars: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - Google co-founder Larry Page is backing two start-ups that are working on flying cars, including funding one of them with more than $100 million so far, Bloomberg said on Thursday, citing sources.

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Verizon's bid for Yahoo's web assets topped by others: source

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc did not submit the highest offer this week in the second round of bidding for Yahoo Inc's core internet assets, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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Facebook adds 360-degree photos to newsfeed

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc on Thursday launched a feature that allows users to upload photos with 360-degree views.

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Russian watchdog says not discussing settlement with Google yet

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google has not yet approached Russia's competition watchdog FAS about a settlement of the case in which the U.S. firm was found to be in breach of antitrust laws, FAS head Igor Artemyev said on Thursday.

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Apple case against Samsung should go back to lower court: Justice Department

SAN FRANCISCO/SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that had favored Apple Inc over Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in smartphone patent litigation, and asked that it return the case to the trial court for more litigation.

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Spotify co-founder Ek says no intention to sell

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Daniel Ek, co-founder of Swedish music streaming service Spotify which has the biggest paid subscriber base in the world, said on Thursday he had no intention of selling the company.

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Apple revamps App Store, may not win over developers

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc announced a series of long-awaited enhancements to its App Store on Wednesday, but the new features may not ease concerns of developers and analysts who say that the App Store model - and the very idea of the single-purpose app - has seen its best days.

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Amazon launches AmazonFresh food service in parts of London

LONDON (Reuters) - Amazon launched a British version of its AmazonFresh food delivery service on Thursday in a long-anticipated move by the world's largest online retailer to break into the UK grocery market.

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Apple case against Samsung should go back to lower court: Justice Dept

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that had favored Apple Inc over Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in smartphone patent litigation, and asked that it return the case to the trial court for more litigation.

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Now roughly equal in value, Uber and Daimler trade gentle blows

BERLIN (Reuters) - A promised showdown between the chief executives of German luxury car maker Daimler and ride-sharing firm Uber, Silicon Valley's most valuable private company, turned into more of a wary courtship when the two met publicly on Wednesday.

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Tesla CEO says may source Samsung battery for energy storage products

SEOUL (Reuters) - Tesla Motors Inc may source batteries from Samsung SDI Co Ltd for its energy systems in homes, companies and utilities, rather than for its electric cars, the U.S. company's chief executive said on Wednesday.

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Top auto regulator: Nimble rules needed for self-driving cars

(Reuters) - The top U.S. vehicle safety regulator said on Wednesday the government needs to be more nimble in designing rules for self-driving vehicles.

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Russian watchdog discussing out of court settlement with Google: Ifax

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's state competition watchdog FAS is discussing with Alphabet Inc's Google an out of court settlement, Interfax news agency on Wednesday quoted a deputy FAS head as saying.

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France launches attack alert app ahead of Euro 2016

PARIS (Reuters) - France launched an app to alert users to attacks on Wednesday, two days before the Euro 2016 soccer championship gets underway under a state of emergency imposed after militant Islamists struck Paris in November.

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Tech-savvy patients from Gulf to China to drive Philips health

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Demand from technology-savvy patients seeking control over their medical data will overcome privacy concerns about the "connected" products and services Philips is now focused on, its chief executive said.

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U.S. warns banks on cyber threat after Bangladesh heist

BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday told banks to review cyber-security protections against fraudulent money transfers in the wake of revelations that a hacking group used such messages to steal $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank.

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Yahoo hires investment bank to sell about 3,000 patents: WSJ

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc has hired boutique investment bank Black Stone IP LLC to sell about 3,000 of the internet company's patents, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Bezos says Amazon to invest additional $3 billion in India

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amazon Inc Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said on Tuesday the company would invest an additional $3 billion in India, boosting the company's committed investment in the country to $5 billion.

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India's colonial-era monsoon forecasting to get high-tech makeover

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's forecasting of the monsoon - the crop-nourishing seasonal rains that are the lifeblood for farmers in the country of 1.3 billion people - is getting a high-tech makeover.

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British lawmakers pass new digital surveillance law

LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers passed on Tuesday a new surveillance law to give security agencies more extensive monitoring capabilities in the digital age after several amendments were added to better protect privacy.

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Sovereign wealth funds throw funding lifeline to tech ventures

FRANKFURT/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A succession of funding deals by deep-pocketed sovereign wealth funds have thrown a life preserver to some of the world’s biggest private tech firms whose high valuations have come under scrutiny in the past year.

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Wall Street hopes software helps it hire loyal bankers

(Reuters) - Clinching a job on Wall Street soon may have as much to do with beating an algorithm as nailing the interview.

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Verizon to submit $3 billion bid for Yahoo's internet business: WSJ

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc plans to submit a second-round bid of around $3 billion for Yahoo Inc's core internet business, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Facebook founder Zuckerberg's social media accounts restored after alleged hack

(Reuters) - Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts have been resecured, a spokesman from the social media platform said on Monday, responding to questions about weekend media reports that the founder's sites had been hacked.

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Exclusive: NY Fed first rejected cyber-heist transfers, then moved $81 million

DHAKA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hours before the Federal Reserve Bank of New York approved four fraudulent requests to send $81 million from a Bangladesh Bank account to cyber thieves, the Fed branch blocked those same requests because they lacked information required to transfer money, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

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Deutsche Bank ends plans for U.S. digital bank: memo

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank is ending plans to set up a new digital banking service in the United States, according to an internal memo from Chief Executive John Cryan.

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Oracle whistleblower suit raises questions over cloud accounting

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A whistleblower lawsuit filed against Oracle Corp over its accounting practices underscores the pressures established computer companies face to show that they are growing in the fast-moving business known as the cloud.

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Chinese target Kuka would assess any European bid: report

BERLIN (Reuters) - German industrial robot maker Kuka would assess a possible European takeover bid but it is wrong to assume such an offer would take priority over the bid by China's Midea Group Co Ltd's , Chief Executive Till Reuter told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

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U.S. lawmakers probe Fed cyber breaches, cite 'serious concerns'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional committee has launched an investigation into the Federal Reserve's cyber security practices after a Reuters report revealed more than 50 cyber breaches at the U.S. central bank between 2011 and 2015.

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Key player in Silk Road successor site gets eight years in U.S. prison

(Reuters) - A Washington state man was sentenced on Friday to eight years in prison for his role in helping the management of the successor website to Silk Road, an online black market where illegal drugs and other goods were sold.

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Wal-Mart says tech investments will boost online sales

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc executives touted the technology investments the world's No. 1 retailer is making to boost online sales, during the annual shareholder meeting on Friday.

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Tony Fadell, CEO of Alphabet Inc's Nest, to step down

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc unit Nest, which makes smart thermostats, said Chief Executive Tony Fadell would step down.

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Epson CEO sees robots with a light touch opening new markets

DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Technology developed by Epson that enables robots to perform precise tasks, such as putting a key into a keyhole and turning it with just the right amount of force, is set to open up new markets for the printers, projectors and robotics group, its president told Reuters in an interview.

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Facebook board seeks curb in Zuckerberg control in event of founder's departure

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc's board has proposed removing Mark Zuckerberg's majority voting control in the event of the social media giant's chief executive and founder deciding to exit management at some point in future.

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Amid SEC probe, Jack Ma says hard for U.S. to understand Alibaba: media

BEIJING (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, whose accounting practices are under investigation by U.S. regulators, is a difficult company for the United States to understand, Executive Chairman Jack Ma said in an interview to Chinese media on Friday.

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Some Apple services resume services after outage

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said some of its services which suffered an outage, including its App Store, resumed services following a more than two-hour outage on Thursday.

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Sumner Redstone has capacity to make trust decisions, says his doctor

(Reuters) - Sumner Redstone's spokesman said the 93-year-old is mentally capable of removing Viacom Inc Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and board member George Abrams from the Redstone National Amusements Trust, citing a report by the media mogul's psychiatrist.

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Tech moguls declare era of artificial intelligence

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence and machine learning will create computers so sophisticated and godlike that humans will need to implant "neural laces" in their brains to keep up, Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told a crowd of tech leaders this week.

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SWIFT CEO fights to restore faith in bank messaging system

LONDON (Reuters) - The chief executive of secure messaging system SWIFT said the theft of $81 million from Bangladesh’s central bank, by criminals sending fraudulent payment instructions via SWIFT, would force the organization to shrink and review its strategy.

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Two to Tango, please: Uber finally makes inroads in aging Japan

TANGO, Japan (Reuters) - Ride-hailing app Uber has finally cracked Japan - approved to offer its service in Tango, part of Kyotango city on the west coast, with a population of just 5,560 and abandoned by the local taxi firm eight years ago.

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India market regulator pitches country to Silicon Valley investors

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The head of India's financial markets regulator visited Silicon Valley this week to promote rule changes in his country protecting minority shareholders and encourage more investment in his country's thriving technology startups.

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Uber, Lyft set to defend driver settlements in court

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber and Lyft on Thursday will attempt to persuade separate U.S. judges to approve class action settlements which keep drivers classified as independent contractors instead of employees.

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EU regulators take tough approach to net neutrality

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's telecoms operators will have to justify giving priority to certain services on their network, according to new EU regulatory guidelines in a move likely to disappoint an industry hoping for more leeway so they can boost revenues.

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BMW revamps "i" electric car division to focus on self-driving tech

MUNICH (Reuters) - BMW has transformed its "i" division into a development center for self-driving cars, a board member told Reuters, a major strategic shift for the unit previously focused on making a family of lightweight electric vehicles.

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Temasek, GIC buy $1 billion in Alibaba stock in SoftBank sale

(Reuters) - Singapore state funds bought $1 billion of shares in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd as part of an $8.9 billion sale by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, Alibaba's biggest shareholder, the company said on Wednesday.

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Uber raises $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber has raised $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the U.S. ride-hailing service said on Wednesday, gaining a crucial partner in its expansion into the Middle East.

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EU cautions governments against banning Uber, Airbnb

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Services such as ride-hailing app Uber [UBER.UL] and home-rental site Airbnb should only be banned as a last resort, the European Union executive said on Thursday, as it seeks to foster development of the "sharing economy".

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Fed records show dozens of cybersecurity breaches

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve detected more than 50 cyber breaches between 2011 and 2015, with several incidents described internally as "espionage," according to Fed records.

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Oracle hit with whistleblower lawsuit over cloud accounting

(Reuters) - Oracle Corp was sued on Wednesday by a former senior finance manager who claimed she was terminated in retaliation for complaining about improper accounting practices in its cloud services business.

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VW looks for more revenue from ride-hailing apps, mobility services

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen is looking at on-demand mobility services such as smartphone ride hailing to earn a "notable share" of future revenues as the carmaker pushes a strategic shift in the wake of its emissions scandal, its top executive said.

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Congress probes NY Fed's handling of Bangladesh Bank heist: letter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional committee has launched a probe into the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's handling of the cyber theft of $81 million from one of its accounts held by the central bank of Bangladesh, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

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Google seeking to raise up to $221 million by selling Lenovo stock: IFR

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Google Inc is seeking to raise between $218 million and $221 million by selling shares in Chinese personal computer maker Lenovo, according to a deal term sheet seen by IFR on Wednesday.

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Salesforce to buy Demandware for about $2.8 billion

(Reuters) - Cloud-based software maker Salesforce.com Inc said it would buy Demandware Inc , which provides software to design e-commerce websites, for about $2.8 billion.

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