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☆ Chipmaker Arm to make its own semiconductor, Financial Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 23 (Reuters) - British chipmaker Arm Ltd is building its own semiconductor to showcase the capabilities of its products, as it seeks to attract new customers and fuel growth following its Initial Public Offering (IPO) later this year, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The SoftBank Group Corp(9984.T)-backed company's newest chip, on which it started work in the past six months, is "more advanced" than ever before, FT said, citing industry executives. The chip designer has no plans to sell or license the product and is only working on a prototype, FT said. Arm is a major supplier of intellectual property to many chip companies, especially in mobile phones and has partnerships with major chip contract manufacturers. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

That's why it's difficult to recommend casual iPad users to spend $270 more for the iPad Air series. Still, the 2022 iPad Air is our mid-range pick for the best iPad. Conversely, the 2022 iPad Air is the value champion for power iPad users. Deal Apple iPad Air (2022) With its powerful processor and mid-level pricing, the 2022 iPad Air is a little overkill for running simple, popular apps and video streaming. Get the 256GB iPad Air, or the base 64GB iPad Air if you don't need the storage.

☆ U.S., European Police Shut Down Hacker Marketplace, Make 119 Arrests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kim S. Nash | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The international action conducted Tuesday and Wednesday against Genesis Market, one of the largest so-called initial access brokers in the world, resulted in 119 arrests. The dismantling of Genesis Market follows the arrest last month of a man U.S. prosecutors say ran BreachForums, a site for buying and selling stolen data. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. The Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned Genesis Market, a so-called initial access broker in operation since 2018. Genesis Market data was provided to the website Have I Been Pwned, so individuals can check whether their credentials have been compromised.

☆ Exclusive: US to build $300 mln database to fuel Alzheimer's research
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The platform will draw on data from medical records, insurance claims, pharmacies, mobile devices, sensors and various government agencies, they said. The database could help identify healthy people at risk for Alzheimer's, which affects about 6 million Americans, for future drug trials. The U.S. Medicare health plan for older adults will likely require such tracking in a registry as a condition of reimbursement for Leqembi. Silverberg said the data platform could also help researchers working in other disease areas understand which patients are most at risk and the impact of medications. The system would be built in a secure computing environment with a number of restrictions to ensure the privacy of people's health data, Silverberg said.

Multiple experts identified the presence of malware on the Pinduoduo app that exploited vulnerabilities in Android operating systems. Evidence of sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app comes amid intense scrutiny of Chinese-developed apps like TikTok over concerns about data security. Pinduoduo has previously rejected “the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious.”CNN has contacted PDD multiple times over email and phone for comment, but has not received a response. Google Play is not available in China, and Android users in the country download their apps from local stores. Engineers also found their access to big data, data sheets and the log system revoked, the source said.

☆ Dumb phones are on the rise in the U.S. as Gen Z looks to limit screen time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Liam Mays | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This includes what's known as "feature phones" — traditional flip or slide phones that have additional features like GPS or a hotspot. "I think you can see it with certain Gen Z populations — they're tired of the screens," said Jose Briones, dumb phone influencer and moderator of the subreddit, "r/dumbphones." At the same time, HMD's global feature phone sales were down, according to the company. "In North America, the market for dumb phones is pretty much flatlined," said Moorhead. Watch the video to get a look at the dumb phones that may have a promising future in the U.S.

☆ Chinese search giant Baidu invests in RISC-V chip technology startup StarFive
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, March 23 (Reuters) - Shanghai-based RISC-V chip technology company StarFive said on Thursday that it has received a strategic investment from Chinese search giant Baidu Inc (9888.HK). The company added that to date it has raised 1 billion yuan ($146.46 million) in financing, calling that a first for the domestic RISC-V sector. In a statement, StarFive CEO Xu Tao said that StarFive would work with Baidu to implement RISC-V products in data centres. StarFive was established in 2018 as a China-facing offshoot of SiFive, a RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) chip design company based in California. Baidu's investment comes as enthusiasm for RISC-V rises within China's chip sector.

Hong Kong CNN —Google has suspended Pinduoduo, a popular Chinese budget shopping app, from its Play Store after finding malware in versions of the app. In a Tuesday statement, Google said versions of the app that are not in the Play Store have been found to contain malware. “We have suspended the Play version of the app for security concerns while we continue our investigation,” a Google spokesperson said. “Google Play Protect enforcement has been set to block installation attempts of these identified malicious apps. Users that have malicious versions of the app downloaded to their devices are warned and prompted to uninstall the app,” the spokesperson said.

☆ Payment Channels and Types of Transactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ongoing ecommerce growth is pushing payment providers to make efficient and inexpensive digital payment solutions their top priority despite the ever-changing post-pandemic landscape. By the end of 2026, brick-and-mortar will still account for $4 in $5 spent in retail—making it a critical investment for payment providers despite being less flashy than ecommerce and emerging digital channels. In order to keep shoppers in-store, merchants must broaden their accepted payment methods by allowing proximity mobile payments; contactless cards; buy now, pay later; and account-to-account payment options. As a result of this uptick, payment providers must invest in their mobile shopping and buying experience. Curious to learn more about payment channels and types of transactions?

☆ Microsoft poses 'biggest potential threat' to Apple's App Store: Morgan Stanley
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Analysts at Morgan Stanley said Tuesday that a Microsoft app store on the iPhone would represent "the biggest potential threat" to Apple 's App Store. "We estimate the impact of a potential Microsoft App Store on the iPhone would be limited to <3% of App Store revenue and <0.5% of EPS, but it still represents the biggest potential threat to the App Store today," they wrote in a Tuesday note. Regulators in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe have raised concerns about what the acquisition of Activision Blizzard could mean for competition. Morgan Stanley analysts also found that fewer than 30% of Apple users would be willing to buy apps outside of the company's App Store. Even so, they said Microsoft's app store could prove to be a true competitor with time.

☆ Lenovo must pay $138.7 mln for InterDigital patents - London court
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - China's Lenovo Group Ltd (0992.HK) must pay U.S. technology firm InterDigital Inc $138.7 million for a licence for its portfolio of telecommunications patents, London's High Court ruled on Thursday in the latest round of a long-running dispute. InterDigital (IDCC.O) brought the lawsuit against Lenovo in 2019 over the terms on which Lenovo should take a licence of its patents which are essential to 3G, 4G and 5G standards. The litigation, which has so far featured five separate trials, centres on the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms of a licence for InterDigital's patents. He said Lenovo should pay a $138.7 million "lump sum" to cover past and future sales of mobile devices from 2007 until the end of 2023. Marfe added that "all eyes will be on the Unified Patent Court", a common patent court for European Union member states which opens in June, to see whether it takes a similar approach.

☆ Payment Channels and Types of Transactions: Digitization, Integration, and the Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

While most retail sales still occur in-store, digital is driving innovation as ecommerce grows. Ongoing ecommerce growth is pushing payment providers to make efficient and inexpensive digital payment solutions their top priority despite the ever-changing post-pandemic landscape. In order to keep shoppers in-store, merchants must broaden their accepted payment methods by allowing proximity mobile payments; contactless cards; buy now, pay later; and account-to-account payment options. As a result of this uptick, payment providers must invest in their mobile shopping and buying experience. Curious to learn more about payment channels and types of transactions?

☆ SVB collapse was driven by ‘the first Twitter fueled bank run’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The massive amount of customer withdrawals that led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank had all the hallmarks of an old-fashioned bank run, but with a new twist befitting the primary industry the bank served: much of it unfolded online. Customers withdrew $42 billion in a single day last week from Silicon Valley Bank, leaving the bank with $1 billion in negative cash balance, the company said in a regulatory filing. “It was the speed, fueled by zero distribution costs for both rumors and withdrawals, that was so destabilizing.”Silicon Valley Bank was arguably uniquely susceptible to those factors given its tech-focused customer base. The next day, the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation stepped in and took control of the bank, which only added to the viral panic on Twitter. “THAT IS THE PROPER REACTION.”Hours later, the Biden administration stepped in and guaranteed the bank’s customers would have access to all their money starting Monday.

☆ Applied Materials announces new $10 bln share buyback plan, hikes dividend
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 13 (Reuters) - Applied Materials (AMAT.O), which makes equipment to produce chips, said on Monday that its board has approved a new $10 billion share repurchase scheme, and also raised its quarterly dividend. Applied Materials said its board also approved a 23% increase in its quarterly dividend, the largest in five years, to 32 cents per share, up from 26 cents per share. The semiconductor industry has been facing a downturn in demand for chips used in personal computers and mobile devices, although, in a bright spot, demand from data center and automotive sectors has been steady. Last month, Applied Materials forecast quarterly revenue that was largely above analysts' expectations as it benefited from resilient demand for its tools used to make chips for the automotive and artificial intelligence industries. Applied Materials said its services business has become larger and more subscription-based helping its revenue and profitability become more predictable.

☆ FBI Once Bought Mobile-Phone Data for Warrantless Tracking. Other Agencies Still Do.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Byron Tau | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The FBI says it doesn’t currently buy commercial database information that includes location data derived from internet advertising. WASHINGTON—The Federal Bureau of Investigation this week acknowledged having bought precise geolocation data derived from mobile-phone advertising in the past before backing away from the practice in the face of thorny legal issues and public controversy. The precise location of millions of mobile devices and automobiles is increasingly available for sale by commercial vendors, sometimes offering a nearly real-time look at how a phone or vehicle moves around the world. Several government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, have bought access to this kind of commercial information such as the geolocation of phones without court authorization, something the FBI says it no longer does.

☆ Supreme Court requests $12 million more for justices' security after threats in the wake of abortion ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Supreme Court requested millions more from Congress in security funding. "On-going threat assessments show evolving risks that require continuous protection," the budget request read. "Additional funding would provide for contract positions, eventually transitioning to full-time employees, that will augment capabilities of the Supreme Court police force and allow it to accomplish its protective mission." It's the court's first budget request following heightened concerns about the justices' safety. Additional fencing had also been erected outside of the Supreme Court building, though was later taken down as protests dwindled near the end of August.

☆ Bank of America shares 4 reasons why AI is having its 'iPhone moment' and could have a $15.7 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030 — while enriching investors in these 13 industries along the
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be having its "iPhone moment," according to Bank of America. In fact, the firm has cited an estimate from PwC that AI's economic impact could be $15.7 trillion by 2030. "This could be the 'iPhone moment' for AI." And like smartphones existed prior to the iPhone, AI predates ChatGPT by many years. At that rate, AI could be a million times more powerful than ChatGPT is now in the next 10 years, Israel wrote.

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads the 2023 Oscars with 11 nominations, including best picture, best director (the Daniels), and best actress (Michelle Yeoh). Here's a rundown of all the ways you can watch and stream the 2023 Oscars live. How to watch the 2023 OscarsYou can watch the 2023 Oscars live on March 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC. The ABC network is available via cable, antenna, and several live TV streaming services, including Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV. A24The 2023 Oscars includes nominees across 23 categories, covering every aspect of the filmmaking process.

The sketch series is the sequel to Mel Brooks' classic movie, "History of the World, Part I." The first two episodes of "History of the World, Part II" debuted March 6 on Hulu. How to watch 'History of the World, Part II'"History of the World, Part II" is now available to watch exclusively on Hulu. Can I watch 'History of the World, Part II' for free? Where can I watch 'History of the World, Part I'?

☆ Chip Designer Arm Intends to List in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Ben Dummett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has been talking up Arm in an IPO road-show-like fashion. LONDON—Arm Ltd., the British chip designer that SoftBank Group Corp. tried unsuccessfully to sell to Nvidia Corp., said it intends to list its shares in New York, a move that comes amid a race between the U.S., Europe and China to build out their semiconductor ecosystems. SoftBank last year abandoned plans to sell Arm outright amid growing global regulatory centered on Arm’s dominance in designing the chip technology that powers much of the world’s mobile devices. SoftBank initially agreed to a $40 billion price tag, but SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son had at one point valued the cash-and-stock deal closer to $80 billion after a sharp rise in Nvidia shares.

☆ U.K. Chip Designer Arm Plans New York Share Listing, in Blow to London’s Stock Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Ben Dummett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON—British chip designer Arm Ltd. said it intends to list its shares in New York, a blow to London’s stock exchange and a move that comes amid a race between the U.S., Europe and China to build out their semiconductor ecosystems. SoftBank Group Corp. last year abandoned plans to sell Arm to Nvidia Corp. amid growing regulatory scrutiny centered on Arm’s dominance of the chip technology that powers many of the world’s mobile devices. SoftBank initially agreed to a $40 billion price tag, but its chief executive, Masayoshi Son , at one point valued the cash-and-stock deal closer to $80 billion after a sharp rise in Nvidia shares.

☆ Legendary VC Doug Leone touts AI, praises Elon Musk, and reveals how he tests people over dinner in a new interview. Here are the 10 best quotes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Doug Leone compared AI to mobile devices and the internet in terms of technological impact. Great companies often emerge in tough times, and easy money can be bad for founders, he said. Leone is a legendary venture capitalist who led Sequoia Capital for over 25 years. (Leone said he looks for founders, partners, and employees who are seen by others as insufferable, belligerent, and bad listeners.) "What you shouldn't do and say: 'There's money in venture, I want a cushy life, I want to go into venture.'

BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday narrowed their case against Apple (AAPL.O), saying its App Store rules that prevent developers from informing users of other purchasing options violate the bloc's rules against unfair trading conditions. The European Commission, which acts as the executive for the 27-country European Union, dropped an earlier charge that targeted Apple's rules which require developers to use its own in-app payment system. Apple said it was pleased the Commission had narrowed the case and it would respond to the regulator's concerns. The case was triggered by Spotify (SPOT.N), which complained Apple unfairly restricted rivals to its own music streaming service Apple Music on iPhones. That prompted the Commission to open a case and issue a charge sheet against Apple in April 2021 over its anti-steering mechanism and in-app payment system.

Paris/London CNN —The European Parliament on Tuesday banned TikTok from staff devices over cybersecurity concerns, meaning the Chinese video-sharing app is now barred in all three of the EU’s main institutions. The parliament also “strongly recommended” that its members and staff remove TikTok from their personal devices. “We appreciate that some governments have wisely chosen not to implement such bans due to a lack of evidence that there is any such need.”Last week, the European Commission announced it was banning TikTok from official devices, citing cybersecurity concerns. On Monday, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices within 30 days, with few exceptions. Brooke Oberwetter, a TikTok spokesperson, called the ban “little more than political theater.”“The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments,” Oberwetter said in a statement.

☆ TikTok accuses EU of keeping it in the dark over staff phone ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - TikTok accused the European Commission on Friday of failing to consult it over a decision to ban the Chinese short video sharing app from staff phones on cybersecurity grounds, a move subsequently followed by another top EU body. The EU executive and the EU Council, which brings together representatives of the member states to set policy priorities, said on Thursday staff will also be required to remove TikTok from personal mobile devices that have access to corporate services. The European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on TikTok's statement. Greer said TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who met EU industry chief Thierry Breton and other commissioners in Brussels in January, was "concerned and a little puzzled". Other EU institutions should do their own research before making decisions on the app, Greer said.

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