Technology: What Geeks are talking about from Reuters News

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

Rocket Internet vows to limit losses after 2015 cash burn BERLIN (Reuters) – German ecommerce firm Rocket Internet said it was on track to make three of its start-ups profitable by the end of 2017, and its losses should have peaked last year when its companies burned through 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).

Apple iPhone unlocking maneuver likely to remain secret SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The company that helped the FBI unlock a San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone to get data has sole legal ownership of the method, making it highly unlikely the technique will be disclosed by the government to Apple or any other entity, Obama administration sources said this week.

Sumner Redstone to testify in competency trial: filings (Reuters) – Attorneys for Sumner Redstone’s ex-girlfriend say they should be allowed to depose the 92-year-old media mogul because Redstone plans to testify at an upcoming trial over his mental capacity, according to court filings made on Wednesday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No more curtains thanks to next generation window technology Cambridge, MASS (Reuters) – – Curtains and blinds may soon be a design choice as opposed as to a tool for privacy. Windows that can transition between clear and cloudy in a second may soon be a reality thanks to technology under development at Harvard University’s School of Engineering.

Amazon launches new slimmer Kindle e-reader SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc rolled out a new Kindle e-reader on Wednesday, its eighth and slimmest device in the series, with a charger that is built into its cover.

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

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

About 40,000 Verizon wireline workers launch strike (Reuters) – Verizon Communications Inc said its wireline employees launched a strike on Wednesday after unions and management failed to reach an agreement on a new labor contract.

Vietnam’s young tech talent pulls foreign funds to booming startup scene HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam’s tech startups are emerging as a force to be reckoned with as foreign private equity funds bet the country’s talented young brains will yield more successes like the international hit game Flappy Bird.

Integrated Device shares soar on purported buyout offer, then pare gains (Reuters) – Shares of U.S. chipmaker Integrated Device Technology Inc soared more than 20 percent on Tuesday after an investor group said it had offered to buy the company, but the stock lost most of the gains after doubts were raised about the validity of the offer.

South Korea clears Oracle of anti-competitive acts after software probe SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said on Wednesday Oracle Corp did not engage in anti-competitive behavior following a probe over its practice of packaging new software upgrades into database management service contracts.

Intelsat signs up for Orbital’s satellite life-extension service COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) – Intelsat SA will be the first customer for Orbital ATK Inc’s new service that will use robotic vehicles to fix damaged satellites in space, the companies said on Tuesday.

California lawmakers take step toward outlawing ‘ransomware’ LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California lawmakers on Tuesday took a major step toward outlawing the use of so-called “ransomware” to hijack computers for money, passing a bill through its first committee with the support of law enforcement.

British quantum dots maker Nanoco may sign new deal in six months (Reuters) – British quantum dots maker Nanoco Group Plc expects to sign a new licensing deal in the next six months with a “big company”, which will use its technology in digital displays.

Pentagon says still not confident about Raytheon GPS control system BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (Reuters) – U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work on Tuesday said he was still not confident about completion of a long-delayed, over-budget ground-based system being developed by Raytheon Co to control new GPS satellites built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Billionaire Yuri Milner bids another $100 million to explore the cosmos SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Billionaire Internet investor Yuri Milner announced another $100 million initiative on Tuesday to better understand the cosmos, this time by deploying thousands of tiny spacecraft to travel to our nearest neighboring star system and send back pictures.

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

Facebook’s next frontier: chatbots, live video SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it will allow developers to build chatbots inside its Messenger app to enable users to communicate with businesses directly in its latest effort to dominate enterprise transactions and customer service.

Germany keen to test self-driving cars on the road BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel told carmakers on Tuesday that they should soon be able to test self-driving vehicles on German roads by promising to remove legal barriers.

Electronic Arts attracts more investors even as stock fizzles SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Fresh off a two-year stock rally and a win with its “Star Wars: Battlefront” title, Electronic Arts Inc is attracting sizeable buy-in from institutional investors who expect the company to keep doing well with shooter videogames.

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

Spotify founders to Sweden: shape up or lose new jobs STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The Swedish music steaming service Spotify plans to hire thousands in coming years, but Stockholm won’t get the new jobs unless it improves current housing, education and tax laws, its founders said on Tuesday.

Alibaba buys control of Lazada in $1 billion bet on SE Asia ecommerce BEIJING/BENGALURU (Reuters) – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Southeast Asian online retailer Lazada Group for about $1 billion, its biggest deal overseas, as the Chinese ecommerce giant seeks fertile new turf while growth slows at home.

IRICO Display Devices aims to raise $3.6 bln to fund LCD projects HONG KONG (Reuters) – China’s IRICO Display Devices plans to invest 23 billion yuan ($3.56 billion) in glass substrate and TFT-LCD projects funded through a private placement of shares, it said on Tuesday.

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

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

Ransomware: Extortionist hackers borrow customer-service tactics TEWKSBURY, Mass (Reuters) – When hackers set out to extort the town of Tewksbury, Massachusetts with “ransomware,” they followed up with an FAQ explaining the attack and easy instructions for online payment.

Uber says gave U.S. agencies data on more than 12 million users (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Tuesday released its first ever transparency report detailing the information requested by not only U.S. law enforcement agencies, but also by regulators.

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