Friday, December 30, 2016

Foxconn joint venture to build $8.8 billion LCD plant in China

BEIJING (Reuters) - A joint venture between Hon Hai Precision Industry Co , known as Foxconn, and Sharp Corp plans to build a 61 billion yuan ($8.8 billion) factory in China to produce liquid-crystal displays (LCDs).

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Apple to cut iPhone production in Jan-March quarter: Nikkei

(Reuters) - Apple Inc will trim production of iPhones by about 10 percent in the January-March quarter, the Nikkei financial daily reported, citing calculations based on data from suppliers.

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Amazon looks to the sky to store products

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has filed for a patent to use airships to store products and serve as a base for delivery-drones.

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China's Midea receives U.S. green light for Kuka takeover

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - China's Midea said it will complete its takeover of German robotics maker Kuka in the first half of January after the United States authorities gave the deal a green light.

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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Silicon Valley's obscure unicorns could boost 2017 IPO market

(Reuters) - Social media firm Snap Inc may be the highest profile tech IPO planned for 2017, with the potential to raise billions.

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U.S. evicts Russians for spying, imposes sanctions after election hacks

HONOLULU/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election.

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Sprint, OneWeb say 8,000 jobs announced by Trump are part of SoftBank pledge

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said telecommunications group Sprint Corp and a U.S. satellite company OneWeb will bring 8,000 jobs to the United States, and the companies said the positions were part of a previously disclosed pledge by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp.

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Battered Toshiba out of easy options to plug nuclear hole

TOKYO (Reuters) - Faced with the prospect of a multi-billion-dollar writedown that could wipe out its shareholders' equity, Japan's Toshiba is running out of fixes: it is burning cash, cannot issue shares and has few easy assets left to sell.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Toshiba tumbles for third day as second downgrade fans writedown fears

TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares in Toshiba fell more than 19 percent in morning trade on Thursday, clocking a third day of heavy losses after the Japanese tech-to-nuclear conglomerate said earlier this week it faced a potential multi-billion dollar writedown.

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China tech giant LeEco in talks on $1.4 billion support, starts e-car plant

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Cash-strapped Chinese technology conglomerate LeEco is in talks on securing a 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) deal with an unnamed strategic investor, its listed unit said.

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New York eases proposed cyber regulations after industry complaints

(Reuters) - New York state's financial regulator on Wednesday issued a revised proposal for the nation's first cyber security rules for banks and insurers, loosening some security requirements and delaying implementation by two months to March 1.

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U.S. set to announce response to Russian election hacking: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration plans to announce on Thursday a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking into U.S. political institutions and individuals and leaking information in an effort to help President-elect Donald Trump and other Republican candidates, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

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Xiaomi-backed online bank to launch services soon - bank investor

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese online bank backed by smartphones and home appliances maker Xiaomi Inc [XTC.UL] is set to launch services soon, after being officially established and rebranded recently, according to one of the venture's investors.

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Writedown fears wipe $5 billion off Toshiba's value as it weighs options

TOKYO (Reuters) - A looming writedown at Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp has wiped almost $5 billion off its value in two days and prompted a credit rating downgrade on Wednesday, as the company grapples to plug a potential multi-billion dollar hole.

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Amazon calls 2016 holiday season its best ever; shares rise

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said it shipped more than 1 billion items worldwide this holiday season, which the top online retailer called its best ever, and its shares rose 1.6 percent in afternoon trade.

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

South Korea regulator fines Qualcomm $854 million for violating competition laws

SEJONG, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea's antitrust regulator said on Wednesday it fined U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Inc 1.03 trillion won ($854 million), a record for the country, ruling its business practices of patent licensing and smartphone modem chip sales hindered competition.

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Flight booking systems lack basic privacy safeguards, researchers say

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Major travel booking systems lack a proper way to authenticate air travelers, making it easy to hack the short code used on many boarding passes to alter flight details or steal sensitive personal data, security researchers warned on Tuesday.

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Panasonic to invest over $256 million in Tesla's U.S. plant for solar cells

TOKYO (Reuters) - Panasonic Corp will invest more than 30 billion yen ($256 million) in a New York production facility of Elon Musk's Tesla Motors to make photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, deepening a partnership of the two companies.

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Monday, December 26, 2016

China renews calls for tighter cyberspace security - CAC

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top cybersecurity body reaffirmed its commitment to heightened cybersecurity surveillance on Tuesday, calling for increased scrutiny of local and foreign technology used in industries deemed critical to the national interest.

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Snapchat buying Israeli augmented reality start-up Cimagine: report

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Messaging app Snapchat is buying Israeli augmented reality startup Cimagine Media for an estimated $30-$40 million, marking Snapchat's first acquisition in Israel, the Calcalist financial daily reported on Sunday.

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J. Crew's shopping website down for several hours

(Reuters) - Apparel retailer J. Crew Group Inc's shopping website was down for several hours on Monday.

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Sony Music's Twitter hacked, fake Britney Spears death tweets sent

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sony Music Entertainment's Twitter account was hacked on Monday, publishing fake statements that pop music icon Britney Spears had died.

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Power surge: Chinese electric car battery maker charges for global market

NINGDE, China (Reuters) - A dusty village on the outskirts of Ningde, a third-tier city in China's southeast, seems an unlikely place for the headquarters of a potential global leader in future automotive technology.

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Sunday, December 25, 2016

Israel telecom regulator signals likely to allow Bezeq to merge units

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Bezeq Israel Telecom said on Sunday it had received notice that Israel's telecoms regulator would likely allow Bezeq to merge its various business units.

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Amazon starts flexing muscle in new space: air cargo

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - A cargo plane emblazoned with "Prime Air" descended from an empty sky at Lehigh Valley International Airport on Tuesday, ninety minutes from the bustle of New York City, loaded with crates of goods during the peak holiday shopping season.

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Friday, December 23, 2016

Exclusive: FBI probes FDIC hack linked to China's military - sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating how hackers infiltrated computers at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for several years beginning in 2010 in a breach senior FDIC officials believe was sponsored by China's military, people with knowledge of the matter said.

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Ericsson, Cisco to target corporate, public sector clients in 2017

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Global telecoms equipment gear maker Ericsson plans to expand its partnership with Cisco Systems Inc by serving new corporate clients and the public sector in 2017, its North American chief told Reuters in an interview.

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Thursday, December 22, 2016

Nokia files more patent suits against Apple

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish telecoms networks equipment maker Nokia said on Thursday it had filed a new set of patent lawsuits against Apple Inc in Asia, Europe and the United States.

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Uber takes self-driving cars to Arizona after California demands permit

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber said on Thursday its self-driving test cars had left California to begin testing in Arizona, after California revoked the registration of the cars, which it said lacked the proper permits.

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Lithuania said found Russian spyware on its government computers

VILNIUS (Reuters) - The Baltic state of Lithuania, on the frontline of growing tensions between the West and Russia, says the Kremlin is responsible for cyber attacks that have hit government computers over the last two years.

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'Regtech' startups see more business in Trump era

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President elect Donald Trump is pro-business and anti-red tape. But what if your business is red tape?

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Bitcoin's total value hits record high above $14 billion

LONDON (Reuters) - The total value of all bitcoins in circulation hit a record high above $14 billion on Thursday, as the web-based digital currency jumped 5 percent on the day to its highest levels in three years after more than doubling in price this year.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Russian hackers tracked Ukrainian artillery units using Android implant: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A hacking group linked to the Russian government and high-profile cyber attacks against Democrats during the U.S. presidential election likely used a malware implant on Android devices to track and target Ukrainian artillery units from late 2014 through 2016, according to a new report released Thursday.

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Uber has removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco roads

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc. [UBER.UL] has removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco streets after California regulators cracked down on the program because the company had not obtained a permit to test autonomous vehicles.

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Lawsuit accuses Google of illegally curbing employee communication

(Reuters) - A Google Inc product manager has sued the company, accusing it of unlawfully prohibiting employees from sharing concerns with coworkers, shareholders or the press, and maintaining a "spying program" to prevent leaks.

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Nokia sues Apple for infringing patents, industry back on war footing

BELGRADE/HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia Corp said on Wednesday it had filed a number of lawsuits against Apple Inc for violating 32 technology patents, striking back at the iPhone maker's legal action targeting the one-time cellphone industry leader a day earlier.

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Honda, Alphabet's Waymo in talks over self-driving technology

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Wednesday it had entered into formal talks with Alphabet Inc's new self-driving division Waymo to add self-driving technology to its vehicles, marking the second potential customer for the automation software.

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Facebook says government requests for account data rise 27 percent

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Wednesday that government requests for user account data rose 27 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the second half of last year, with U.S. law enforcement agencies topping the list.

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Yahoo email scan shows U.S. spy push to recast constitutional privacy

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc's secret scanning of customer emails at the behest of a U.S. spy agency is part of a growing push by officials to loosen constitutional protections Americans have against arbitrary governmental searches, according to legal documents and people briefed on closed court hearings.

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Nintendo's mobile Mario game sets download record but pricing proves sticking point

TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd's first Mario smartphone title has set a download record but gamers baulked at the one-time cost of unlocking content, prompting investors to push the Japanese game makers' stock to a one-month low.

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Union calls new strikes at Amazon's German warehouses

BERLIN (Reuters) - Workers at German warehouses of U.S. online retailer Amazon.com Inc were called out on strike by labor union Verdi on Wednesday as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

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Orlando nightclub victims' families sue Twitter, Google, Facebook

(Reuters) - The families of three men killed at Orlando's Pulse gay nightclub have sued Twitter Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc in federal court, accusing the companies of providing "material support" to the self-radicalized gunman.

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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Microsoft wins $927 million Pentagon contract: statement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has been awarded a $927 million contract to provide technical support to the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday.

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Apple's new AirPods tough to recycle: report

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's new wireless headphones could be a problem for recyclers, according to an electronics firm that took apart the device to review its component parts.

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BlackBerry ups outlook, adjusted earnings beat; shares rise

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd posted another loss and a surprisingly sharp fall in revenue on Tuesday as the software growth it is relying on failed to make up for shrinking handset sales and lost service fees.

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Apple in talks with India to manufacture locally: WSJ

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Apple Inc is in talks with India's government to explore making products locally, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, as the U.S. firm aims to make deeper inroads in the world's second-largest mobile phone market by users.

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Virtual butler 'Jarvis' takes up residence in Facebook founder's home

(Reuters) - Mark Zuckerberg on Monday introduced the world to "Jarvis", an artificial intelligence system the Facebook chief created in his spare time, which can choose and play music, turn on lights, and recognize visitors, deciding whether to open the front door.

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Monday, December 19, 2016

Uber lost more than $800 million in third quarter 2016: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - Privately held ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] lost more than $800 million in the third quarter, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

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Apple appeals against EU tax ruling, Brussels says no cause for low tax bill

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Apple Inc. appealed on Monday against a $14-billion tax demand as the European Union issued details of its ruling that the iPhone maker won sweetheart tax deals from the Irish government which amounted to illegal subsidies.

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BlackBerry spending $75 million on autos hub over several years

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's BlackBerry Ltd plans to invest C$100 million ($75 million) in a new autonomous vehicle-testing hub over several years, the company's chief executive said on Monday, marking a change of direction for the smartphone pioneer.

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Digital currency sales take off, but with no regulation questions abound

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A small, but rapidly growing number of digital technology start-ups is raising cash by creating and selling their own currencies in offerings that bypass banks or venture capital firms as intermediaries and are outside the reach of financial regulators.

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SoftBank to invest $1 billion in U.S. satellite venture OneWeb

(Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp has agreed to invest $1 billion in OneWeb Ltd, which is building a constellation of satellites to improve global broadband access, the Japanese Internet conglomerate and the U.S. startup firm said on Monday.

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Sunday, December 18, 2016

Ride hailing app Careem says closes first part of $500 mln funding round

DUBAI (Reuters) - Ride-hailing app Careem has closed the first part of a $500 million funding round backed by investors including Japan's Rakuten Inc and Saudi Telecom Co (STC), the Dubai-based company said in a statement on Monday.

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Ride-hailing firm Uber partners Indonesian taxi operator Express

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Uber Technologies [UBER.UL] and Indonesia's second-biggest taxi operator PT Express Transindo Utama Tbk announced on Monday a partnership on ride-sharing and vehicle financing.

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Samsung Electronics likely to procure phone batteries from LG Chem: Chosun Ilbo

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is in talks with LG Chem Ltd to make it one of its smartphone battery suppliers, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said on Monday - a move that would diversify its supplier base after the failure of its Galaxy Note 7.

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Switching gears, Canada's BlackBerry to open autonomous vehicle hub

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's BlackBerry Ltd will open an autonomous driving research center on Monday, as it tries to make itself an indispensable under-the-hood piece of the automotive industry's weaponry in the self-driving vehicle arms race.

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Yahoo security problems a story of too little, too late

SAN FRANCISCO/BOSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the summer of 2013, Yahoo Inc launched a project to better secure the passwords of its customers, abandoning the use of a discredited technology for encrypting data known as MD5.

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Virtual assistants expected to top virtual reality in holiday sales

(Reuters) - Virtual assistants are set to pummel virtual reality headsets in the fight for consumer dollars this holiday season, while smartwatches drive wearable sales. Drones may fly under the radar, though.

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Senators call for probe of cyber attacks by Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican and Democratic senators called on Sunday for a special bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries with a focus on Russia's alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.

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German courts should go after fake news on Facebook now: minister

BERLIN (Reuters) - German judges and state prosecutors need to crack down straight away on fake news disseminated through social media platforms such as Facebook, Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview published on Sunday.

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Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi to share electric car platform: Nikkei

TOKYO (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co , Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp will combine their electric vehicle platforms in an effort to slash prices down to levels comparable to conventional gasoline cars, the Nikkei newspaper said.

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

Airbnb seeks to raise an additional $153 million

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Airbnb Inc is looking to raise an additional $153 million as an extension of a recent funding round, boosting its coffers as the company pushes forward with global expansion.

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Friday, December 16, 2016

Uber fires back at California DMV in self-driving car spat

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber Technolgies Inc [UBER.UL] on Friday again defied a demand by California regulators that the ride-services firm apply for a permit to test self-driving cars, setting up a possible legal battle.

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Facebook underreported iPhone traffic for some publishers

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said it had underreported the number of views on iPhone of content published by some publishers using its Instant Articles platform between Sept. 20 and Nov. 30.

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With bylaw tweaks, Apple grants activist one of three wishes

BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's board relaxed some rules for director nominations by outside investors but stopped short of broader changes sought by an activist shareholder.

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China's Wanxiang gets approval to produce Karma electric cars

BEIJING (Reuters) - Wanxiang Group, a major Chinese auto parts supplier which almost three years ago bought the assets of defunct California-based plug-in hybrid carmaker Fisker Automotive, has received approval from local regulators to produce electric vehicles in China.

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Indonesia says Google tax settlement offer too small, no deal this year

JAKARTA (Reuters) - An offer by Google to settle a tax dispute with the Indonesian government was too small and a deal will not be reached this year, the head of the tax office's special cases branch said.

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Apple can sell iPhone 7s in Indonesia after R&D investment commitment

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Apple Inc has committed to invest around $44 million in a research and development center in Indonesia over the next three years, a senior government official said, enabling it to start selling its latest iPhone 7 in the Southeast Asian nation.

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Thursday, December 15, 2016

Facebook to roll out new tools to tackle fake news

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Thursday it will introduce tools to prevent fake news stories from spreading on its platform, an about-face in response to rising criticism that it did not do enough to combat the problem during the U.S. presidential campaign.

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GM expands testing, production of self-driving cars in Michigan

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra said on Thursday the automaker will expand testing of self-driving vehicles to Michigan, and will build its next generation of self-driving cars in the Michigan plant that builds the Chevrolet Bolt electric car.

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Blackberry says China's TCL to make BlackBerry-branded devices

(Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said China's TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd would make and sell BlackBerry-branded mobile devices globally, the Canadian smartphone pioneer's first licensing deal since its transition to a software company.

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Yahoo shares fall on worries new breach will kill Verizon deal

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc shares fell more than 5 percent on Thursday after the technology company disclosed a second massive data breach that raised fears Verizon might kill a deal to buy its core internet business.

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Instagram's user base crosses 600 million

(Reuters) - Instagram's user base rose to more than 600 million, the Facebook Inc owned company said on Thursday, as new features helped it gain popularity.

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Robot maker Kuka sells U.S. unit to get approval for deal with Chinese buyer

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German industrial robot maker Kuka has sold its Systems US-Aerospace-Business to Advanced Integration Technology to satisfy demands from U.S. regulators in connection with a takeover by a Chinese buyer, it said on Thursday.

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China takes action on thousands of websites for 'harmful', obscene content

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has shut down or "dealt with" thousands of websites for sharing "harmful" erotic or obscene content since April, the state's office for combating pornography and illegal publications announced on Thursday.

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Blockchain firm Cobalt gets Citi backing, sees second funding round

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. bank Citi has invested in blockchain venture Cobalt DL ahead of what the company expects will be a second round of funding next year, Cobalt said on Thursday.

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Thai PM defends cyber controls as censorship concerns rise

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday defended a decision to amend a cyber-crime law to increase the military government's ability to remove online content as authorities seeks to tighten control on dissent.

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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

California adopts first U.S. energy-saving rules for computers

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California regulators on Wednesday adopted the nation's first mandatory energy efficiency rules for computers and monitors - devices that account for 3 percent of home electric bills and 7 percent of commercial power costs in the state.

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Trump team says Twitter too small to be included in tech meeting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump left Twitter off the invitation list for a meeting of technology company executives on Wednesday because it is too small, a spokesman for his transition team told Reuters.

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Trump meets Silicon Valley elite after mutual mistrust in campaign

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and some of Silicon Valley's most powerful executives met at his Manhattan tower on Wednesday, a summit convened to smooth over frictions after both sides made no secret of their disdain for each other during the presidential campaign.

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Ashley Madison owner pays $1.66 million to settle FTC case

TORONTO (Reuters) - The owner of hacked infidelity website Ashley Madison has paid $1.66 million to settle a joint investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and several U.S. states into lax data security and deceptive practices, the company and New York's Attorney General said on Wednesday.

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Uber launches self-driving car fleet in San Francisco, faces DMV backlash

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] has rolled out its self-driving car fleet in its hometown of San Francisco, despite lacking the proper permit that state regulators say is required.

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Google extends conservative outreach as Trump calls tech meeting

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet’s Google is racing to hire more conservatives for its lobbying and policy arm, trying to get a foothold in President-elect Donald Trump’s Washington after enjoying a uniquely close relationship with the administration of President Barack Obama.

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Amazon launches Prime Video globally, leaves out China

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday launched its video-on-demand service, Prime Video, in nearly every country except China, pitting itself against video-streaming pioneer Netflix Inc.

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

HSBC launches special lending facility for start-ups in China's Pearl River Delta

HONG KONG (Reuters) - HSBC has launched a $290 million lending facility aimed at technology start-ups and other new industries in China's Pearl River Delta region, intensifying the battle for a slice of a business that is growing despite a slowing economy.

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Meet Waymo, Google's self-driving car company

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google self-driving car project will become an independent entity within the technology company called Waymo, executives said on Tuesday, signaling a willingness to finally monetize its valuable research amid fierce competition from rivals.

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Apple AirPod headphones available for sale after two-month delay

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Tuesday its wireless AirPod headphones were now available through its website, two months after the company delayed their launch for unexplained reasons.

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U.S. proposes requiring vehicles to 'talk' to each to avoid crashes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department on Tuesday proposed requiring all new cars and trucks to be able to "talk" to one another using short-range wireless technology to potentially avoid tens of thousands of crashes annually.

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Philippines bank says no role in heist, Bangladesh Bank responsible

(Reuters) - The Philippines bank through which $81 million stolen from Bangladesh's central bank was channeled in February said on Tuesday that the central bank was responsible for the heist, and so any liability should not be passed on.

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Monday, December 12, 2016

Silicon Valley VCs are growing wary of on-demand delivery

(Reuters) - Michael Moritz - chairman of Sequoia Capital and one of the most successful venture capitalists in history - says a simple vision led him to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in on-demand delivery startups.

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Bill Gates, investors launch $1 billion clean tech fund

(Reuters) - Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and a group of high-profile executives are investing $1 billion in a fund to spur clean energy technology and address global climate change a year after the Paris climate agreement.

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Exclusive: SWIFT confirms new cyber thefts, hacking tactics

LONDON/BOSTON (Reuters) - Cyber attacks on the global banking system have continued - and succeeded - since February’s heist of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank, underscoring the continuing vulnerability of the SWIFT messaging network, a SWIFT official told Reuters.

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Sumner Redstone and daughter pull CBS, Viacom merger plan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Media mogul Sumner Redstone and his daughter Shari called off their failed effort to merge CBS Corp and Viacom Inc on Monday, sending shares of Viacom - widely viewed as the weaker company - down almost 8 percent.

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WhatsApp, Skype set to come under new EU security rules: draft

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Messaging services such as Microsoft's Skype and Facebook's WhatsApp face stricter rules on how they handle customer data under new security laws due to be proposed by the European Union, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

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Google signs internet deal with Cuba's telecommunications monopoly

HAVANA (Reuters) - Google signed an agreement with the Cuban government on Monday granting internet users on the Communist-run island quicker access to its branded content.

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Tesla settles Norway lawsuit over car's performance

OSLO (Reuters) - Electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc has reached an out-of-court settlement with 126 Norwegian customers who claimed their cars' performance did not match promises made in the firm's marketing.

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Trump renews questions about election hacking reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican President-elect Donald Trump on Monday renewed his questions about U.S. intelligence reports that Russia intervened in the presidential election by targeting his rival.

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Shari Redstone withdraws support for CBS-Viacom merger: CNBC

(Reuters) - Shari Redstone, vice chair of Viacom Inc and the daughter of controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone, has withdrawn her support for a merger between CBS Corp and Viacom, CNBC reported on Monday.

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Top tech executives to attend Trump summit on Wednesday: Recode

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top executives from Alphabet Inc, Apple Inc and Facebook Inc are among a small group of tech leaders invited to a summit to be held on Wednesday by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Recode reported, citing sources.

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E2V Technologies says agrees on terms of Teledyne Tech offer

(Reuters) - Imaging sensor provider E2V Technologies Plc said on Monday that it had agreed on the terms of an all-cash takeover offer from U.S. firm Teledyne Technologies Inc.

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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Automaker Honda invests in ride-hailing service Grab

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Southeast Asian ride-hailing service Grab said on Monday it had secured an investment from Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co as part of a deal to collaborate on its motorbike-hailing service, in the latest auto industry tie-up of its type.

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Meet the Ma family: How millennials are changing the way China thinks about money

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Ma Yiqing, 24, is typical of China's younger generation - he uses his credit card frequently and borrows from online platforms to fund his shopping habits. In a pinch, he is happy to fall back on a lender closer to home - his mum and dad.

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Red means stop! Banking app cuts customer spending

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Traffic lights don't just work for drivers, some bank customers obey them on their smartphones too.

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Samsung to disable Note 7 phones in the U.S. via software update

(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Friday that a software update for Galaxy Note 7 smartphones will be released mid-December in the United States preventing them from charging and functioning as mobile phones, rendering them useless.

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Friday, December 9, 2016

U.S. trade judge rules Arista infringes more Cisco network patents

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Arista Networks Inc used rival Cisco Systems Inc's network device technology in its ethernet switches without permission, a U.S. trade judge ruled on Friday, handing Cisco yet another win in a sprawling legal battle over patents between the two companies.

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Obama orders review of cyber attacks on 2016 election: adviser

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama ordered intelligence agencies to review cyber attacks and foreign intervention into the 2016 election and deliver a report before he leaves office on Jan. 20, homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco said on Friday.

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Exclusive: Japan's TDK in talks to buy iPhone supplier InvenSense - sources

(Reuters) - Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp is in talks to acquire InvenSense Inc, a U.S. chip maker that produces motion sensors for Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

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Bitcoin hits highest levels in almost three years

LONDON (Reuters) - Web-based digital currency bitcoin hit its highest levels in almost three years on Friday, extending gains since India sparked a cash shortage by removing high-denomination bank notes from circulation a month ago.

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White House voices concerns about China cyber law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that it raised concerns about China's new cyber security law during a meeting with a Chinese official after the latest round of talks between the two countries on cyber crime.

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Fugitive Indian tycoon Mallya cries foul over Twitter hack

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Fugitive Indian businessman Vijay Mallya said on Friday that his Twitter account had been penetrated by a hacking group called Legion, which posted links to what it alleged were details of Mallya's bank accounts, offshore investments and luxury cars.

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Thursday, December 8, 2016

ThyssenKrupp secrets stolen in 'massive' cyber attack

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Technical trade secrets were stolen from the steel production and manufacturing plant design divisions of ThyssenKrupp AG in cyber attacks earlier this year, the German company said on Thursday.

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Inmarsat switches to Arianespace for satellite launch after SpaceX delays

LONDON (Reuters) - British satellite company Inmarsat will switch to using Arianespace from rival SpaceX to launch a new satellite to provide broadband connectivity to air passengers, it said on Thursday.

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German authorities probe VW's Porsche for manipulation software

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany is investigating whether Volkswagen's (VW) sportscar brand Porsche used software to disguise exhaust emissions, the country's car industry regulator said on Thursday, in a fresh blow to VW's attempts to move on from a 15 month-old scandal.

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Germany sees increase in Russian propaganda, cyber attacks

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's domestic intelligence agency on Thursday said it had seen a striking increase in Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing German society, and targeted cyber attacks against political parties.

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Turner will create shows for Snapchat in expanded partnership

(Reuters) - Turner Broadcasting System Inc will create more video content for mobile app Snapchat and collaborate with the social media company on advertising, Turner said on Wednesday, as they expand a partnership to broaden their reach among millennials.

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Ericsson says Swedish staff cuts running ahead of plan

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson said on Thursday sweeping staff cuts in its Nordic home market were running ahead of plan, resulting in higher restructuring costs this year than previously forecast.

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Payments start-up Circle moves away from bitcoin business

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S.-based Circle Internet Financial Ltd, a social payments app backed by Goldman Sachs, said on Wednesday it will no longer allow customers to buy and sell bitcoin because it has failed to become a meaningful part of its business.

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AT&T touts Time Warner merger at U.S. Senate hearing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AT&T Inc's planned $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc will increase innovation and bring "better-priced options" to consumers upset by high cable bills, AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told lawmakers on Wednesday.

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Sony's PlayStation 4 sales top 50 million units worldwide

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp said on Wednesday sales of its PlayStation 4 video game console had exceeded 50 million units as of Dec 6 helped by strong demand during the year-end holiday season.

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Sprint to partner with Pokemon Go developer

(Reuters) - Sprint Corp said on Wednesday it would partner with the developer of Pokemon Go, Niantic Inc, in a bid to pull fans of the wildly popular location-based game into more than 10,500 of its stores in the United States.

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Fitbit buys smartwatch maker Pebble's software assets

(Reuters) - Wearable device maker Fitbit Inc said on Wednesday that it had bought smartwatch maker Pebble's software and intellectual property.

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Merkel ally threatens Facebook with fines over online hate speech

ESSEN, Germany (Reuters) - A senior German conservative has warned Facebook it could face fines if it fails to act faster to tackle online hate speech, and he said the government could propose legislative measures in the new year.

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S&T CEO says full takeover by Foxconn possible: magazine

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, could take over Austrian IT group S&T AG, S&T's chief executive told a German magazine.

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From smart toothbrushes to cancer, Philips bets big on software

LONDON (Reuters) - These days the average researcher at Philips is more likely to be a software developer than an product engineer, reflecting a transformation at the former Dutch conglomerate that its chief executive says will gather pace.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Apple says iPhone 6 battery fires in China likely caused by external factors

BEIJING (Reuters) - Apple Inc said external factors were the likely cause of iPhone 6 battery fires detailed in a Chinese consumer protection report that featured widely in state media earlier this week and created a buzz on social media.

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Trump claims $50 billion SoftBank investment due to his election win

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The head of Japan's SoftBank Group Corp , which in October set up a $100 billion fund for technology investments, said on Tuesday he would invest $50 billion in U.S. businesses, a move President-elect Donald Trump claimed was a direct result of his election win.

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Discounts, advertising spur brisk Apple Watch sales

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Watch sales appear to have rebounded for the holidays from mid-year doldrums on a redesign, price cuts and strong promotions, but analysts say long-term demand has yet to be proven.

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Little African primate's talents inspire leaping robot

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Inspired by the remarkable jumping ability of an African primate called a galago, scientists have fashioned a small robot with unique leaping capabilities they hope can someday be used in tricky search-and-rescue situations.

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U.S. Supreme Court backs Samsung in smartphone fight with Apple

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with Samsung in its big-money smartphone patent fight with Apple, throwing out an appeals court ruling that the South Korean company had to pay a $399 million penalty to its American rival for copying key iPhone designs.

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California EPA says settled with Apple on hazardous waste claims

(Reuters) - The California Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said Apple Inc had agreed to pay $450,000 to settle state claims that it had mishandled hazardous electronic waste at a facility in Sunnyvale, California.

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Not 'As Seen on TV': Snuggie maker sues Amazon.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Makers of the Snuggie blanket and other products sold mainly on TV have sued Amazon.com Inc , accusing the Internet retailer of trademark infringement for letting an "astronomical" number of counterfeit products to be sold through its website.

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Apple Watch sales to consumers set record in holiday week, says Apple's Cook

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sales of the Apple Watch to consumers set a record during the first week of holiday shopping, and the current quarter is on track to be the best ever for the product, Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook told Reuters.

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Google meets renewable energy goal for global operations

(Reuters) - Alphabet’s Google is on track to purchase enough renewable energy to cover all its global electricity consumption next year, the company said on Tuesday.

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Roper Technologies to buy software firm Deltek in $2.8 billion deal

(Reuters) - IT services provider Roper Technologies Inc said it would buy business software company Deltek [THBVOK.UL] from private equity firm Thoma Bravo in a cash deal valued at $2.8 billion.

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GoDaddy to buy Host Europe for $1.82 billion to boost web hosting business

(Reuters) - U.S.-based website domain name provider GoDaddy Inc said on Tuesday it would buy peer Host Europe Group (HEG) for 1.69 billion euros ($1.82 billion), including debt, as it looks to expand beyond the initial set-up of websites.

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Oil firms and carmakers diverge in costly debate

LONDON (Reuters) - Many carmakers are predicting a significant shift to electric vehicles in the next decade. Advances in battery technology and the growth of autonomous driving and ride sharing - suited to electric vehicles - will power this expansion, they reason.

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Toyota to expand hybrid system development to further cut emissions

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp on Tuesday said it would expand the development of its gasoline-hybrid technology over the next five years to speed up the introduction of lower-emission engines in the face of stricter global emissions standards.

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Monday, December 5, 2016

Web giants to cooperate on removal of extremist content

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Web giants YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft will step up efforts to remove extremist content from their websites by creating a common database.

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Delaware Court revives case over Pincus's Zynga stock sale

WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - The Delaware Supreme Court revived a lawsuit against Zynga Inc's controlling shareholder, Mark Pincus, and fellow board members for allegedly allowing leaders of the social gaming company to act on inside information and dump stock before it crashed in 2012.

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Amazon opens line-free grocery store in challenge to supermarkets

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Monday it has opened a brick-and-mortar grocery store in Seattle without lines or checkout counters, kicking off new competition with supermarket chains.

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Tech investors say UK must clarify Brexit immigration stance

LONDON (Reuters) - London could lose its position as the leading destination for start-ups in Europe if it does not remain open to the best talent after the British vote to leave the European Union, investors warned on Monday.

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U.S. makes new arrest in fraud probe of bankrupt video tech firm

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Monday announced the arrest of a New Jersey man accused of engaging in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving bankrupt video technology firm Kit Digital, in the latest case to spill out of the startup's failure.

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VW's new division takes aim at Uber-style competition

LONDON (Reuters) - Volkswagen launched a new digital business division on Monday to take on services such as Uber , shifting its focus beyond selling cars to catering for customers who prefer to pay for use rather than own a vehicle.

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Bangladesh to share findings of heist inquiry with Philippines

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh will share findings from its investigation into how unidentified hackers pulled off one of the world’s biggest cyber bank heists to help speed up recovery of the stolen funds, its law minister said on Monday.

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Consolidated Communications to buy FairPoint in $1.5 billion deal

(Reuters) - Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc said on Monday it would buy broadband service provider FairPoint Communications Inc in an all-stock deal valued at $1.5 billion, including debt, to boost its fiber network.

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BMW seeks to be 'coolest' ride-hailing firm with autonomous car

MUNICH (Reuters) - BMW will test autonomous vehicles in Munich next year as it seeks to keep up with ride-hailing firms like Uber [UBER.UL], which have spent billions on pay-per-use personal transport.

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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Sharp CEO Tai says to step down once stock returns to TSE first section

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp CEO and President Tai Jeng-wu told reporters on Monday he would step down once the Japanese electronics maker turns profitable again at the net level and its shares return to the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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Panasonic in talks to buy ZKW for up to $1 billion: Nikkei

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Panasonic Corp is in the final stages of talks to buy European automotive light maker ZKW Group for up to $1 billion, accelerating its push into the automotive electronics market, the Nikkei business daily reported Monday.

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Apple shows ambition to get into self-driving car race

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc is wading in to the debate over regulation of self-driving cars, declaring it is excited about the potential for automated transportation and calling on U.S. regulators not to restrict testing of such vehicles.

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EU urges U.S. tech giants to act faster against hate speech

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. tech giants including Facebook , Twitter , Google's YouTube and Microsoft will have to act faster to tackle online hate speech or face laws forcing them to do so, the European Commission said on Sunday.

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Saturday, December 3, 2016

Philippines urges Bangladesh to share results of heist investigation

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine government wants Bangladesh to share the findings of its investigation into how unknown hackers pulled off one of the world's largest cyber bank heists, to help speed up recovery of the stolen funds.

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Pentagon says Raytheon making progress on satellite control station

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (Reuters) - Raytheon Co is making progress on a long-delayed program for new ground control stations for next-generation GPS satellites, although it is lagging a remedial schedule agreed with military officials, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer said.

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Airbnb, New York City settle rental law lawsuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Airbnb Inc and New York City said on Friday they had resolved a lawsuit brought by the company challenging a law it argued could expose it to significant penalties for advertising short-term apartment rentals.

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Friday, December 2, 2016

U.S. presidential commission issues recommendations on cyber security

(Reuters) - The U.S. government and the private sector must cooperate to improve the security of digital networks, a U.S. presidential commission on cyber security recommended in a wide-ranging report issued on Friday.

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Obama bars China's Fujian from buying Aixtron's U.S. business

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued an executive order which prohibits China's Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund from acquiring the U.S. business of German semiconductor equipment maker Aixtron , the Treasury Department said on Friday.

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Exclusive: U.S. networking company Ixia explores sale - sources

(Reuters) - Ixia , a U.S. provider of equipment and applications that help maintain computer networks, is exploring a potential sale, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

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Danish prosecutor indicts Uber over driver violations

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Ride-hailing group Uber Technologies' [UBER.UL] European business has been indicted in Denmark on charges of assisting two drivers in violating taxi laws, the Copenhagen police's head of public prosecutions said on Friday.

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Fiber upgrade cost traps Britain in cyber slow lane

LONDON (Reuters) - Britons desperate for faster broadband are unlikely to get it from a plan to separate the country's biggest network from BT unless the industry tackles how to pay up to 25 billion pounds ($76 billion) to upgrade to fiber-optic cables.

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Russian central bank said it was victim of attempted cyber heist

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hackers broke into accounts at the Russian central bank earlier this year by faking a client's credentials and attempted to steal $45 million, the bank said in a report released on Friday.

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Aixtron will have to cut costs, jobs if U.S. blocks China deal

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Aixtron will have to take action to balance income and costs, including potential job cuts, if U.S. President Barack Obama blocks its takeover by China's Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund (FGC).

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Twitter changes product head for third time in a year

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc appointed Keith Coleman, founder of startup Yes Inc, as head of its product team, the third executive to lead the division in less than a year.

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Shenzhen-HK stock link lets foreigners access China's booming tech firms

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A long-awaited link between China's booming Shenzhen stock market and neighboring Honk Kong goes live on Monday, allowing foreign investors first-time access to some of the fastest growing technology companies in the world's second biggest economy.

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Russia says foreign spies plan cyber attack on banking system

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it had uncovered a plot by foreign spy agencies to sow chaos in Russia's banking system via a coordinated wave of cyber attacks and fake social media reports about banks going bust.

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Thursday, December 1, 2016

Draft law gives Chinese police control of online discussion on disasters

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's county-level police will be able to censor internet coverage of natural and man-made disasters, according to a revised draft of the country's policing law that the Chinese Public Security Bureau released late on Thursday.

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Facebook developing artificial intelligence to flag offensive live videos

MENLO PARK, Calif. (Reuters) - Facebook Inc is working on automatically flagging offensive material in live video streams, building on a growing effort to use artificial intelligence to monitor content, said Joaquin Candela, the company’s director of applied machine learning.

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Alibaba is not buying India's Snapdeal: source

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group Holding is not buying Indian e-commerce company Snapdeal and is not in talks to do so, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday, dampening talk that an acquisition was in the works.

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Siemens not planning any more big software acquisitions: source

MUNICH (Reuters) - German engineering group Siemens is not planning any more big purchases of industrial software makers, a person close to the company told Reuters.

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Exclusive: Europe's biggest tech hope Spotify starts talking about profit

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Music streaming service Spotify, one of Europe's most valuable tech start-ups, could start to become profitable as early as next year, said a board member who was also one of the company's first investors.

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Nokia-branded phones set for comeback in 2017 as HMD takes charge

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland's Nokia on Thursday announced that its deal with HMD Global Oy, a new company formed to revive the Nokia brand in phones, has come into force and that HMD has opened for business.

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Exclusive: Mastercard and Verifone launch UK point-of-sale financing app

CANNES, France (Reuters) - British shoppers will soon be able to decide to spread the cost of a purchase over a series of monthly installments at the point of making a payment with their credit card, in a new partnership between Mastercard Inc card machine maker Verifone Systems Inc.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Exclusive: Mastercard and VeriFone launch UK point-of-sale financing app

CANNES, France (Reuters) - British shoppers will soon be able to decide to spread the cost of a purchase over a series of monthly instalments at the point of making a payment with their credit card, in a new partnership between Mastercard Inc card machine maker VeriFone Systems Inc.

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U.S. tech startup Comma.ai giving away self-driving car software

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Comma.ai, the tech startup that recently pulled the plug on its device to give cars limited self-driving capabilities after being reprimanded by U.S. regulators, has opened up its software secrets to the masses.

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Shamoon virus returns in new Saudi attacks after four-year hiatus

(Reuters) - A version of Shamoon, the destructive computer virus that four years ago crippled tens of thousands of computers at Middle Eastern energy companies, was used two weeks ago to attack computers in Saudi Arabia, according to U.S. security firms.

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GoPro to cut 15 percent of workforce amid sales slump

(Reuters) - Wearable action-camera maker GoPro Inc said on Wednesday it would cut about 15 percent of its workforce and shutter its entertainment business, as the one-time Wall Street favorite cuts costs to help it return to profitability.

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Cook ups Apple support for fight against AIDS

(Reuters) - Apple Inc is expanding its support for the fight against AIDS through the (RED) charity founded by rock singer Bono, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an interview ahead of World Aids Day.

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Reddit launches crackdown on abuse after CEO is targeted

(Reuters) - Social media website Reddit Inc, known for its commitment to free speech on its platform, will crack down on online harassment by banning or suspending users who target others, its CEO Steve Huffman said in an interview.

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SAP CFO says confident on performance for rest of 2016

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - SAP, Europe's most highly valued technology company, is confident in its outlook both in the short and longer term and sees no obstacle to increasing its annual dividend, Luka Mucic, the company's chief financial officer, said on Wednesday.

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Netflix allows subscribers to binge-watch shows offline

(Reuters) - Video streaming pioneer Netflix Inc said its subscribers would now be able to download popular shows such as "Orange is The New Black" and "Narcos" on their mobile devices at no extra cost.

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Facebook users can now play Pac-Man on Messenger app

(Reuters) - For users hooked on to Facebook's Messenger app, it's game on.

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Data leak on Europol terror group investigations: Dutch TV

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Information on numerous international investigations into terrorism groups compiled by Europol was accidentally left online, unguarded by any password, a Dutch television programme reported on Wednesday.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Curbs on extremist online content threaten free speech: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Governments seeking to curtail the spread of extremist content online risk jeopardizing free speech and privacy rights, an international group comprising some of the largest U.S. technology firms said in a report on Wednesday.

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Cyber Monday sales biggest online shopping day in U.S. history

(Reuters) - Shoppers spent $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday on Samsung 4K TVs, PlayStation 4s and Barbie dolls among other products, marking the largest online sales day in U.S. history.

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Uber defends business model, wants to avert strict EU rules

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] defended its business model in Europe's highest court on Tuesday, saying its service had made it easier for people to get around and cut pollution as it fights a case which could leave app-based startups facing tougher regulation.

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Ant Financial chief apologizes following backlash over explicit social network groups

BEIJING (Reuters) - The head of Ant Financial Services Group, the payment affiliate of Alibaba Holdings Ltd, apologized on Tuesday following backlash from Chinese netizens over a social feature in the company's payment app that critics say enabled a sexually explicit dating service.

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Merkel says no details on origin of cyber attack on Deutsche Telekom

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday she had no information on where a cyber attack on Deutsche Telekom, which hit its network on Sunday and Monday, came from.

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Chinese firms hit by huge increase in cyber attacks: survey

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Cyber attacks on Chinese companies have soared in the past two years, according to a survey, with new technologies that connect household items to the internet and allow them to receive and send data seen as particularly vulnerable.

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Spy chief adds to warnings of Russian cyber attacks on Germany

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's spy chief warned that Russian hackers may target next year's German election with campaigns of misinformation that could undermine the democratic process, echoing concerns voiced by the country's domestic intelligence director.

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Top automakers fund charging sites to boost electric-car demand

BERLIN (Reuters) - Top carmakers in Germany have agreed to jointly invest in thousands of ultra-fast charging sites across Europe to boost mainstream acceptance of electric cars, the companies said.

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Monday, November 28, 2016

Delphi, Mobileye to use Intel chip for self-driving car system

(Reuters) - Auto parts maker Delphi Automotive Plc and Israeli technology firm Mobileye NV will put an Intel Corp chip at the heart of their joint effort to produce self-driving vehicles by 2019, the companies said on Tuesday.

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Australian regulator opposes collective bank bargaining on Apple Pay

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Three of Australia's four biggest banks will be barred from collectively bargaining with Apple Inc over its mobile digital payments system, under a draft decision released by the antitrust regulator on Tuesday.

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Samsung Elec says reviewing shift to holding company structure

SEOUL (Reuters) - Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Tuesday it will consider whether to transition to a holding company structure, a move long expected as the next succession step for the founding Lee family's heirs.

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U.S. letter reveals details of GM self-driving vehicle system

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co's semi-autonomous "Super Cruise" system will allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for extended periods, but will stop the vehicle automatically if drivers are not attentive, according to a government letter made public on Monday.

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Samsung to unveil shareholder return plans amid calls to split company

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said it will disclose plans to boost shareholder value on Tuesday - a move that comes amid pressure from U.S. fund Elliott Management to split the company in two and provide more in payouts.

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AT&T unveils DirecTV Now streaming service ahead of Nov 30 launch

NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc, the largest U.S. TV provider, took the wraps off its new DirecTV Now streaming service on Monday, making a foray into the new and crowded online video service market and hoping to win subscribers who shun pay-television subscriptions.

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Self-driving cars coming to public roads of Ontario, Canada

(Reuters) - Self-driving cars, including those backed in part by the phonemaker BlackBerry Ltd, have been approved for testing on Canadian public roads in the country's first such program, the government for the province of Ontario said on Monday.

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San Francisco public transit system hit in ransomware attack

(Reuters) - The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said on Monday it had contained a cyber attack, which local media reported had crippled its ticketing systems and forced it to offer free service to some customers during the Thanksgiving weekend.

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Exclusive: Chinese government money backs buyout firm’s deal for U.S. chip maker

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, a buyout fund that agreed to acquire U.S.-based chip maker Lattice Semiconductor Corp for $1.3 billion earlier this month, is funded partly by cash originating from China's central government and also has indirect links to its space program, Chinese corporate filings show.

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Actelion's ambitious independent-minded CEO will drive up takeover price

ZURICH (Reuters) - Actelion Chief Executive Jean-Paul Clozel's desire to keep Europe's biggest biotech company independent after building it from scratch, means Johnson & Johnson will have to pay a steep premium if a takeover is to succeed.

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Meitu's Hong Kong IPO to value China photo app maker at up to $4.5 billion: IFR

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese photo app and mobile phone maker Meitu Inc is set to launch an up to $735 million IPO in Hong Kong that would value it at as much as $4.5 billion, IFR reported, making it among the 10 largest tech companies listed in the city.

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Uber drivers in U.S. cities to join planned worker protests

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Drivers for ride service company Uber will join planned nationwide protests on Tuesday, when activists and low-wage workers renew their call for better pay and the right to join a union in the wake of Donald Trump's U.S. presidential election win, organizers said.

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Sunday, November 27, 2016

Fearing tighter U.S. visa regime, Indian IT firms rush to hire, acquire

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Anticipating a more protectionist U.S. technology visa program under a Donald Trump administration, India's $150 billion IT services sector will speed up acquisitions in the United States and recruit more heavily from college campuses there.

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BMW to offer new version of i3 electric car in 2017: Welt am Sonntag

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German luxury carmaker BMW plans to launch a new version of its i3 electric car next year with a longer range and revamped design, German weekly Welt am Sonntag reported, citing company sources.

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

Uber in landmark court battle on Tuesday to escape strict rules

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] will seek to convince Europe's top court next week that it is a digital service, not a transport company, in a case that could determine whether app-based startups should be exempt from strict laws meant for regular companies.

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Friday, November 25, 2016

Xiaomi says shrinking smartphone sales won't hit the company

BEIJING (Reuters) - Sharp drops in smartphone sales for China's Xiaomi Inc [XTC.UL] will not have a major impact on the company as profit growth will be driven by sales from smart home devices as well as revenue from its software eco-system, a senior executive said.

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Actelion shares surge on reported J&J takeover approach

ZURICH/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Shares in Actelion Ltd jumped as much as 19 percent to record highs on Friday on reports that U.S. healthcare company Johnson & Johnson was interested in a takeover of the fast-growing Swiss biotechnology firm.

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Thanksgiving sales surge online as shoppers stay home for holiday

(Reuters) - Online spending by U.S. bargain hunters climbed to above $1 billion by Thanksgiving evening, according to Adobe Digital Index, surging almost 14 percent from a year ago and reflecting a broader trend away from brick-and-mortar shopping.

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Britons look online for Black Friday bargains

LONDON (Reuters) - British retailers' websites, and to a lesser extent their stores, were awash with discounted goods on Friday as shoppers chased "Black Friday" deals in a spending spree that is expected to top last year's record level.

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Thursday, November 24, 2016

GoDaddy in exclusive talks to buy Host Europe: sources

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. website domain name provider GoDaddy is in exclusive talks to buy peer Host Europe Group (HEG) as it seeks to expand in higher-margin businesses beyond the initial set-up of websites, people close to the matter said.

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As Samsung moves on from Note 7 crisis, SDI battery affiliate struggles

SEOUL (Reuters) - In the shadows of Samsung Electronics' Note 7 smartphone crisis, affiliate Samsung SDI is quietly reassuring anxious clients including Apple Inc that its batteries are safe.

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UK wartime codebreaking center becomes cyber education college

BLETCHLEY, England (Reuters) - It was once the home of Britain's codebreakers during World War Two. Now more than 70 years later, Bletchley Park is preparing to host the UK's first national college of cyber education, with a first intake of students starting in September 2018.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Personal data for more than 130,000 sailors hacked: U.S. Navy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers gained access to sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, for 134,386 current and former U.S. sailors, the U.S. Navy said on Wednesday.

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Exclusive: Microsoft set to win EU approval for LinkedIn buy - sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft is set to gain EU approval for its $26 billion buy of professional social network LinkedIn with tweaks to concessions aimed at addressing competition concerns, three people close to the matter said on Wednesday.

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U.S., Russia request Czechs extradite arrested Russian hacker

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The United States and Russia have requested the extradition of a Russian man arrested in the Czech Republic and indicted in the United States for hacking computers belonging to LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring, the Czech news agency CTK reported on Wednesday.

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Exclusive: Google nears tax settlement with Indonesian government - sources

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is expected to reach a tax settlement with the Indonesian government in the next few weeks, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

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Germany's Merkel says supports efforts against hate speech

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday threw her support behind efforts to fight the use of hate speech posted on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google's YouTube.

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Facebook builds censorship tool to attain China re-entry: NYT

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc has quietly developed a censorship tool that could persuade China to allow the world's biggest social media network to re-enter the world's second largest economy after a seven-year ban, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Philippines money laundering body charges bankers for ignoring cyber heist

MANILA (Reuters) - An anti-money laundering body in the Philippines has filed charges against five officials of RCBC bank and a former treasurer who "wilfully ignored" suspicious activity that led to tens of millions of dollars vanishing after a heist on Bangladesh's central bank.

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AppNexus bans Breitbart from ad network, citing hate speech

(Reuters) - Breitbart News, the outlet once led by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's chief strategist, has been blocked by one of the largest advertising networks serving digital publishers due to hate speech.

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GameStop forecasts current-quarter same-store sales below estimates

(Reuters) - GameStop Corp , the world's largest retailer of video games, forecast a bigger-than-expected decline in same-store sales for the crucial holiday quarter, as more players switch to downloading games on their consoles.

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HP Inc revenue rises two percent

(Reuters) - HP Inc , the legacy printer and PC business of the former Hewlett-Packard Co, reported a 2 percent rise in quarterly revenue, helped by higher sales of its notebooks.

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Microsoft offers EU hardware, software LinkedIn concessions: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft will still allow LinkedIn's rivals access to its software and give hardware makers the option of installing other services to try to win EU approval for its takeover of the U.S. firm, people familiar with the matter said.

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Monday, November 21, 2016

IBM invests in UK data centers as tech sector defies Brexit worries

LONDON (Reuters) - Global IT group IBM will triple the number of its cloud data centers in Britain, it said on Tuesday, joining Facebook and Google in investing in the UK after its vote to leave the European Union.

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Oracle to buy internet infrastructure provider Dyn

(Reuters) - Business software maker Oracle Corp said on Monday it would buy Dyn, a monitor of global internet performance and traffic, to allow cloud customers to optimize their infrastructure costs and increase web-driven revenue.

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Facebook to expand in UK in latest vote of confidence after Brexit

LONDON (Reuters) - Facebook said it would expand its UK presence by 50 percent in 2017, joining U.S. technology peer Google in boosting investment in Britain despite the uncertainty sparked by the vote to leave the European Union.

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Alibaba Cloud stretches global reach with four new facilities

BEIJING (Reuters) - Alibaba Cloud plans to open four new data facilities outside China, the cloud unit of Alibaba Holdings Ltd said on Monday, as it seeks to grab global market share from leading players Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft.

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Tech worker visas face uncertain future under Trump, Sessions

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The main U.S. visa program for technology workers could face renewed scrutiny under President-elect Donald Trump and his proposed Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the skilled-worker program.

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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Wal-Mart will offer Cyber Monday deals starting Black Friday

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc will start offering online deals reserved for Cyber Monday two days in advance this year, joining a growing list of U.S. retailers who offer web promotions over the Thanksgiving weekend.

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Galaxy Note 7 recall did not damage Samsung brand in U.S.: Reuters/Ipsos poll

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A global recall of fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphones did not appear to hurt U.S. consumers' willingness to buy Samsung Electronics phones, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Sunday showed.

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Facebook's Zuckerberg discloses steps to fight fake news

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc, facing withering criticism for failing to stem a flood of phony news articles in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, is taking a series of steps to weed out hoaxes and other types of false information, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post Friday evening.

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Symantec in the lead to acquire LifeLock: sources

(Reuters) - Symantec Corp is in the lead to acquire LifeLock Inc following an auction for the U.S. identity theft protection services company, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

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India's top e-tailer Flipkart eyes groceries; renewed push in furniture

BENGALURU (Reuters) - India's top e-commerce player Flipkart plans to move into the groceries space and make a renewed push in the online furniture business, as it expands its product portfolio and looks to outmaneuver global giant Amazon.com in a burgeoning Indian market.

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Saturday, November 19, 2016

China says terrorism, fake news impel greater global internet curbs

WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - China's ambitions to tighten up regulation of the Internet have found a second wind in old fears - terrorism and fake news.

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Novartis backs off from 2016 date for testing Google autofocus lens

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis has abandoned a 2016 goal to start testing its autofocus contact lens on people, though it said the groundbreaking product it is making with internet giant Google is "progressing steadily."

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Friday, November 18, 2016

Facebook sets $6 billion buyback; accounting chief to leave

(Reuters) - Social media giant Facebook Inc on Friday set a $6 billion buyback program for its Class A shares, beginning in the first quarter of 2017.

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Fiat Chrysler teams up with Amazon to sell cars online

MILAN (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) said it has teamed up with U.S. internet giant Amazon to start selling cars online offering an additional discount.

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U.S. says concerned over Russia blocking access to LinkedIn

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Friday it was deeply concerned over Russia's decision to block public access to networking site LinkedIn, saying it created a precedent that could be used to justify blocking other sites operating in Russia.

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BMW, Baidu joint project on self-driving cars breaks down

GUANGZHOU/WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - German automaker BMW and Chinese internet giant Baidu will end their joint research on self-driving cars, executives for the two firms said on Friday, with Baidu now searching for new global research partners.

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Hedge in the cloud: funds outsourcing computing power step into unknown

LONDON (Reuters) - Tucked into the attic of a Georgian building in London's West End, seven people run a $200 million hedge fund following artificial intelligence formulas. But the supercomputers that process their complex algorithms are nowhere to be seen.

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Danish high court convicts, fines Uber driver for lacking taxi permits

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - An Uber driver in Denmark was convicted on appeal of violating taxi laws on Wednesday and fined 6,000 Danish crowns ($855.10), the latest blow to the ride-hailing app that has stirred protest and legal action worldwide.

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U.S. extends ZTE reprieve on exports curbs until Feb. 27

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese telecoms equipment group ZTE Corp said on Friday it has won a further reprieve to Feb. 27 on export restrictions that were imposed on the company by the U.S. government.

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South Korea rejects Google request to take government mapping data out of country

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Friday it has rejected Google's latest request for permission to use government mapping data in servers outside the country, citing security issues with North Korea.

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Russia starts blocking LinkedIn website after court ruling

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator ordered public access to LinkedIn's website to be blocked on Thursday to comply with a court ruling that found the social networking firm guilty of violating a data storage law.

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Snap's youthful founders show no fear in race to IPO

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Snap Inc, the red-hot messaging company, is seen by many tech investors as the next Facebook or Google, but its youthful founders are pushing far more aggressively than its predecessors in moving from scrappy startup to public company.

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Russia starts blocking LinkedIn website after court ruling

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator ordered public access to LinkedIn's website to be blocked on Thursday to comply with a court ruling that found the social networking firm guilty of violating a data storage law.

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Snap's youthful founders show no fear in race to IPO

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Snap Inc, the red-hot messaging company, is seen by many tech investors as the next Facebook or Google, but its youthful founders are pushing far more aggressively than its predecessors in moving from scrappy startup to public company.

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Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing white supremacist ad

(Reuters) - Twitter's Chief Executive Jack Dorsey apologized on Thursday after the microblogging service let through an ad promoting a white supremacist group.

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Russia starts blocking LinkedIn website after court ruling

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator ordered public access to LinkedIn's website to be blocked on Thursday to comply with a court ruling that found the social networking firm guilty of violating a data storage law.

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Google, an Obama ally, may face policy setbacks under Trump

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google faces a tougher regulatory landscape as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration looks poised to reverse Obama administration policies that often favored the internet giant in the company's battles with telecoms and cable heavyweights, analysts say.

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Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing white supremacist ad

(Reuters) - Twitter's Chief Executive Jack Dorsey apologized on Thursday after the microblogging service let through an ad promoting a white supremacist group.

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Google, an Obama ally, may face policy setbacks under Trump

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google faces a tougher regulatory landscape as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration looks poised to reverse Obama administration policies that often favored the internet giant in the company's battles with telecoms and cable heavyweights, analysts say.

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Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing white supremacist ad

(Reuters) - Twitter's Chief Executive Jack Dorsey apologized on Thursday after the microblogging service let through an ad promoting a white supremacist group.

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Google, an Obama ally, may face policy setbacks under Trump

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google faces a tougher regulatory landscape as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration looks poised to reverse Obama administration policies that often favored the internet giant in the company's battles with telecoms and cable heavyweights, analysts say.

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Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing white supremacist ad

(Reuters) - Twitter's Chief Executive Jack Dorsey apologized on Thursday after the microblogging service let through an ad promoting a white supremacist group.

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AOL to cut 500 jobs, mostly in corporate units: source

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's AOL digital media unit will lay off 5 percent of its workforce, or about 500 people, to consolidate operations after recent acquisitions, a person familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

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Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing white supremacist ad

(Reuters) - Twitter's Chief Executive Jack Dorsey apologized on Thursday after the microblogging service let through an ad promoting a white supremacist group.

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AOL to cut 500 jobs, mostly in corporate units: source

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's AOL digital media unit will lay off 5 percent of its workforce, or about 500 people, to consolidate operations after recent acquisitions, a person familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

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Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing white supremacist ad

(Reuters) - Twitter's Chief Executive Jack Dorsey apologized on Thursday after the microblogging service let through an ad promoting a white supremacist group.

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Tata Consultancy Services calls Dec. 13 shareholder meeting for Mistry vote

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Tata Consultancy Services said on Thursday that the company would hold an extraordinary general meeting on Dec. 13 to decide on the removal of former chairman Cyrus Mistry as director from the company's board.

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AOL to cut 500 jobs, mostly in corporate units: source

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's AOL digital media unit will lay off 5 percent of its workforce, or about 500 people, to consolidate operations after recent acquisitions, a person familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

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Tata Consultancy Services calls Dec. 13 shareholder meeting for Mistry vote

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Tata Consultancy Services said on Thursday that the company would hold an extraordinary general meeting on Dec. 13 to decide on the removal of former chairman Cyrus Mistry as director from the company's board.

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AOL to cut 500 jobs, mostly in corporate units: source

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's AOL digital media unit will lay off 5 percent of its workforce, or about 500 people, to consolidate operations after recent acquisitions, a person familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

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Alibaba, Tencent back Chinese cyber law facing overseas critics

WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd rallied behind Beijing's recently-imposed cyber security law on Thursday, following criticism of it from overseas technology rivals.

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Tata Consultancy Services calls Dec. 13 shareholder meeting for Mistry vote

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Tata Consultancy Services said on Thursday that the company would hold an extraordinary general meeting on Dec. 13 to decide on the removal of former chairman Cyrus Mistry as director from the company's board.

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Uber says Taiwan's steps against it hurting citizens

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] urged Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to let the island's people decide whether they want Uber services in Taiwan, the latest salvo in the wrangle between the authorities there and the global ride-hailing service company.

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Tata Consultancy Services calls Dec. 13 shareholder meeting for Mistry vote

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Tata Consultancy Services said on Thursday that the company would hold an extraordinary general meeting on Dec. 13 to decide on the removal of former chairman Cyrus Mistry as director from the company's board.

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Russia starts blocking LinkedIn website after court ruling

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator ordered public access to LinkedIn's website to be blocked on Thursday to comply with a court ruling that found the social networking firm guilty of violating a data storage law.

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SpaceX seeks U.S. approval for internet-via-satellite network

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Private rocket launch service SpaceX is requesting government approval to operate a massive satellite network that would provide high-speed, global internet coverage, according to newly filed documents with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

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Russia starts blocking LinkedIn website after court ruling

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator ordered public access to LinkedIn's website to be blocked on Thursday to comply with a court ruling that found the social networking firm guilty of violating data storage laws.

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SpaceX seeks U.S. approval for internet-via-satellite network

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Private rocket launch service SpaceX is requesting government approval to operate a massive satellite network that would provide high-speed, global internet coverage, according to newly filed documents with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

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Russia starts blocking LinkedIn website after court ruling

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator on Thursday ordered Internet service providers to block public access to the website of social networking company LinkedIn to comply with a court ruling that found the firm guilty of violating data laws.

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SpaceX seeks U.S. approval for internet-via-satellite network

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Private rocket launch service SpaceX is requesting government approval to operate a massive satellite network that would provide high-speed, global internet coverage, according to newly filed documents with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

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Google CEO to meet with EU antitrust chief on Friday

(Reuters) - The chief executive of Alphabet Inc's Google and the European Union's antitrust chief will meet on Friday, following the U.S. technology group's formal rejection this month of a spate of charges, including blocking rivals in online search advertising.

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SpaceX seeks U.S. approval for internet-via-satellite network

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Private rocket launch service SpaceX is requesting government approval to operate a massive satellite network that would provide high-speed, global internet coverage, according to newly filed documents with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

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Google CEO to meet with EU antitrust chief on Friday

(Reuters) - The chief executive of Alphabet Inc's Google and the European Union's antitrust chief will meet on Friday, following the U.S. technology group's formal rejection this month of a spate of charges, including blocking rivals in online search advertising.

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Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

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Google CEO to meet with EU antitrust chief on Friday

(Reuters) - The chief executive of Alphabet Inc's Google and the European Union's antitrust chief will meet on Friday, following the U.S. technology group's formal rejection this month of a spate of charges, including blocking rivals in online search advertising.

Read more

Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

Read more

Google CEO to meet with EU antitrust chief on Friday

(Reuters) - The chief executive of Alphabet Inc's Google and the European Union's antitrust chief will meet on Friday, following the U.S. technology group's formal rejection this month of a spate of charges, including blocking rivals in online search advertising.

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Twitter suspends accounts of some alt-right figures: USA Today

(Reuters) - Twitter has suspended several accounts linked to the alt-right movement, a loosely organized group that embraces far-right ideologies including white nationalism, USA Today reported.

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Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

Read more

Twitter suspends accounts of some alt-right figures: USA Today

(Reuters) - Twitter has suspended several accounts linked to the alt-right movement, a loosely organized group that embraces far-right ideologies including white nationalism, USA Today reported.

Read more

Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

Read more

Twitter suspends accounts of some alt-right figures: USA Today

(Reuters) - Twitter has suspended several accounts linked to the alt-right movement, a loosely organized group that embraces far-right ideologies including white nationalism, USA Today reported.

Read more

Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

Read more

Twitter suspends accounts of some alt-right figures: USA Today

(Reuters) - Twitter has suspended several accounts linked to the alt-right movement, a loosely organized group that embraces far-right ideologies including white nationalism, USA Today reported.

Read more

Mouse-maker Logitech finds success by moving beyond PC legacy

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Pioneering computer mouse maker Logitech isn't ready to walk away from the personal computer business just yet, even though its chief executive spends all his time these days thinking how to expand into faster-growing accessory markets.

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Apple, tech stocks show signs of life after Trump thump

Shares of Apple gain 2.3 pct on Wednesday in their biggest increase since President-elect Donald Trump's surprise election victory a week ago

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Twitter suspends accounts of some alt-right figures: USA Today

(Reuters) - Twitter has suspended several accounts linked to the alt-right movement, a loosely organized group that embraces far-right ideologies including white nationalism, USA Today reported.

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Facebook aims for more transparency with video ad data

(Reuters) - Two months after Facebook Inc admitted it had inflated the average time it told advertisers that users were watching their video ads, the company is promising better data to give ad buyers a clearer picture of how they are spending their money.

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Apple, tech stocks show signs of life after Trump thump

Shares of Apple gain 2.3 pct on Wednesday in their biggest increase since President-elect Donald Trump's surprise election victory a week ago

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Koch Industries' investment arm buys more than $2 billion stake in Infor

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The investment arm of Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate of the billionaire Koch brothers, is spending more than $2 billion to take a significant stake in enterprise software provider Infor, the companies said on Wednesday.

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Microsoft offers EU concessions over its $26 billion LinkedIn bid

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft has offered concessions to EU antitrust regulators over its $26 billion bid for social network LinkedIn, the European Commission said on Wednesday, as the U.S. software company seeks to allay concerns over its largest ever deal.

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Koch Industries' investment arm buys more than $2 billion stake in Infor

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The investment arm of Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate of the billionaire Koch brothers, is spending more than $2 billion to take a significant stake in enterprise software provider Infor, the companies said on Wednesday.

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Microsoft offers EU concessions over its $26 billion LinkedIn bid

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft has offered concessions to EU antitrust regulators over its $26 billion bid for social network LinkedIn, the European Commission said on Wednesday, as the U.S. software company seeks to allay concerns over its largest ever deal.

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Koch Industries' investment arm buys more than $2 billion stake in Infor

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The investment arm of Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate of the billionaire Koch brothers, is spending more than $2 billion to take a significant stake in enterprise software provider Infor, the companies said on Wednesday.

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Microsoft offers EU concessions over its $26 billion LinkedIn bid

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft has offered concessions to EU antitrust regulators over its $26 billion bid for social network LinkedIn, the European Commission said on Wednesday, as the U.S. software company seeks to allay concerns over its largest ever deal.

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China's Xi urges cooperation among nations in governance of global internet

WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater cooperation among nations in developing and governing the internet, while reiterating the need to respect so-called "cyber sovereignty".

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Taiwan to ask for removal of Uber apps from Apple, Google app stores

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan plans to ask Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to pull apps of Uber Technologies available in Taiwan on their app stores, a government official said, upping pressure on the ride-hailing firm that is locked in a dispute with the island.

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Snapchat files for one of the biggest tech IPOs in years: sources

(Reuters) - Snapchat has filed for an initial public offering, sources familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, which puts the messaging app a step closer to the biggest U.S. stock market debut since 2014.

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Taiwan to ask for removal of Uber apps from Apple, Google app stores

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan plans to ask Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to pull apps of Uber Technologies available in Taiwan on their app stores, a government official said, upping pressure on the ride-hailing firm that is locked in a dispute with the island.

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Snapchat files for one of the biggest tech IPOs in years: sources

(Reuters) - Snapchat has filed for an initial public offering, sources familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, which puts the messaging app a step closer to the biggest U.S. stock market debut since 2014.

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Taiwan to ask for removal of Uber apps from Apple, Google app stores

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan plans to ask Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to pull apps of Uber Technologies available in Taiwan on their app stores, a government official said, upping pressure on the ride-hailing firm that is locked in a dispute with the island.

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Britain's Morrisons launches store pick grocery service with Amazon

LONDON (Reuters) - British supermarket Morrisons has further developed its wholesale relationship with Amazon, launching a store pick service for the online retailer's customers, it said on Wednesday.

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Elon Musk-backed AI startup and Microsoft sign cloud agreement

(Reuters) - OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research firm backed by Tesla Motors Inc's Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives, has signed an agreement to run most of its large-scale experiments on Microsoft Corp's flagship cloud service, Azure.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Twitter to upgrade some features to thwart cyber-bullying

(Reuters) - Twitter, facing pressure for not doing enough to curb abusive behavior on its platform, said on Tuesday it would upgrade some features to better combat cyber-bullying.

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Elon Musk-backed AI startup and Microsoft sign cloud agreement

(Reuters) - OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research firm backed by Tesla Motors Inc's Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives, has signed an agreement to run most of its large-scale experiments on Microsoft Corp's flagship cloud service, Azure.

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Twitter to upgrade some features to thwart cyber-bullying

(Reuters) - Twitter, facing pressure for not doing enough to curb abusive behavior on its platform, said on Tuesday it would upgrade some features to better combat cyber-bullying.

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Elon Musk-backed AI startup and Microsoft sign cloud agreement

(Reuters) - OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research firm backed by Tesla Motors Inc's Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives, has signed an agreement to run most of its large-scale experiments on Microsoft Corp's flagship cloud service, Azure.

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Twitter to upgrade some features to thwart cyber-bullying

(Reuters) - Twitter, facing pressure for not doing enough to curb abusive behavior on its platform, said on Tuesday it would upgrade some features to better combat cyber-bullying.

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Elon Musk-backed AI startup and Microsoft sign cloud agreement

(Reuters) - OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research firm backed by Tesla Motors Inc's Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives, has signed an agreement to run most of its large-scale experiments on Microsoft Corp's flagship cloud service, Azure.

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Twitter to upgrade some features to thwart cyber-bullying

(Reuters) - Twitter, facing pressure for not doing enough to curb abusive behavior on its platform, said on Tuesday it would upgrade some features to better combat cyber-bullying.

Read more

Elon Musk-backed AI startup and Microsoft sign cloud agreement

(Reuters) - OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research firm backed by Tesla Motors Inc's Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives, has signed an agreement to run most of its large-scale experiments on Microsoft Corp's flagship cloud service, Azure.

Read more