Google turns 21: US tech giant is now old enough to drink September 27, 2019 As Google turns 21 today, there can be no better time to review the last 21 years of the all-powerful search engine. On 27 September 1998, Sergey Brin and Larry Page launched an early prototype of what they called a ‘large scale search engine’ while studying for their PhDs at Stanford University. Read more: Google [...]
Ex-communication: Pope warns Silicon Valley against ‘barbarous’ AI September 27, 2019 Monks worried about losing their jobs to robots got a new champion today as the pope urged tech giants to ensure they do not lead the world into a new “form of barbarism” when developing artificial intelligence. Francis called for “open and concrete” discussions on the future of technology. Read more: Two thirds of adults [...]
Huawei is already making equipment without US parts, says founder September 26, 2019 Chinese tech firm Huawei is already producing 5G base stations that do not use any US components, the company’s founder said today. Read more: US proposes $1bn fund to replace Huawei network equipment Ren Zhengfei said his company is making 5,000 base stations per month and plans to ramp up production to make 1.5m of [...]
Micro Focus overhauls executive pay after shareholder backlash September 26, 2019 Troubled software firm Micro Focus has said it will overhaul its executive pay policy following a backlash from shareholders. Read more: Micro Focus taps Goldman Sachs to lead review after share price crash The Newbury-headquartered company said it had reviewed its remuneration scheme after investors raised concerns about the overall structure of its pay policy. [...]
Hackers ‘tried to steal Airbus secrets’ in targeted cyber attacks September 26, 2019 Airbus has fallen victim to a spate of cyber attacks over the past few months via the computer systems of its suppliers and contractors, according to AFP news agency. The world’s second-largest aerospace group, which is also one of the world’s foremost weapons manufacturers, admitted it “is a target for malicious actors,” but would not [...]
Workspace hub Knotel thinks it’s solved Wework’s business model problems September 26, 2019 Wework’s ill-fated initial public offering (IPO) will have only a “limited” impact on the fortunes of flexible workspace rival Knotel, the firm’s boss has said. Tom Dugarin, Knotel’s UK general manager, played down concerns about Wework’s troubled listing, saying his company had a more sustainable business model. Read more: Wework rival Knotel expands London presence [...]
Boaty McBoatface: Antarctic vessel officially named the RSS Sir David Attenborough September 26, 2019 A polar research vessel that the public voted to name Boaty McBoatface is ready to be launched today on the River Mersey. The ship will be called the RRS Sir David Attenborough after the famous naturalist, and will allow scientists to undertake more advanced explorations in the Arctic and Antarctic. Read more: Attenborough and the [...]
Reality is finally catching up with overblown Silicon Valley rhetoric September 26, 2019 Rhetoric, the art of persuasion, was the backbone of a classical education. Today the term is more often pejorative: rhetoric is found wherever reality isn’t. No fantasy, however, can be long sustained. If rhetoric is to deliver its original purpose and persuade, it cannot escape reality for long. So Silicon Valley is discovering. For over [...]
Gone phishing: How easy is it to fall for a fake email? September 26, 2019 Some time ago, I received an odd email allegedly from Google, saying that it had received a request to delete my Gmail account. According to the message, I had just 48 hours to cancel the request. All I had to do was click on a link and enter my account details. I had not made [...]
Ecommerce needs a new approach to fraud prevention September 26, 2019 In 2018, global ecommerce sales reached £2.27 trillion – a staggering number, and an 18 per cent increase over 2017. That growth will continue, as ecommerce reaches new markets and consumers become more comfortable with shopping online. It’s a huge opportunity for retailers, but there’s a risk that threatens to hold it back – fraud. Ecommerce purchases [...]