EU seeks to spur fast broadband roll-out with telecoms reform

Microsoft gets support in gag order lawsuit from U.S. companies
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Technology, media, pharmaceutical and other companies, along with major corporate lobbying groups, filed legal briefs on Friday in support of a Microsoft Corp lawsuit that aims to strike down a law preventing companies from telling customers the government is seeking their data.

Brazil’s Oi to file bankruptcy reorganization on Monday: sources
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian telecom provider Oi SA is set to file its bankruptcy reorganization plan with a Rio de Janeiro court on Monday, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

BlackBerry teams with Samsung for ‘spy-proof’ tablet for Germany
TORONTO (Reuters) – BlackBerry Ltd said on Friday that its encryption technology is being used to toughen a “spy-proof” Samsung tablet that is being used by German government agencies dealing with classified information.

U.S. lobby say many economies like China pursue policies detrimental to infocomm sector
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Many economies, including China, pursue policies on national security grounds that may hit the free flow of trade and investment in information and communications technology (ICT), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a report.

Samsung issues recall for Galaxy Note 7 after battery fires
SEOUL (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will replace all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones equipped with fire-prone batteries and halt sales of the flagship product in 10 markets, a devastating blow for what had been a revival in the firm’s mobile business.

Divided Irish cabinet to meet on whether to fight EU on Apple tax
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland’s fragile coalition government will try on Friday to overcome cabinet divisions on whether to join Apple in appealing against a multi-billion-euro back tax demand that the European Commission has slapped on the iPhone maker.

China says probing Didi, Uber deal on anti-trust concerns
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s commerce ministry is investigating the planned acquisition by ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing of U.S. rival Uber Technologies Inc’s [UBER.UL] China unit over anti-monopoly concerns, the ministry’s spokesman said on Friday.

Disrupting the disruptors: Uber ushers in latest foodie upheaval
SYDNEY (Reuters) – After three decades running McDonald’s Corp restaurants, Tony Plunkett thought he knew everything about flipping burgers for a profit, and last year went out on his own with a start-up franchise in the Australian city of Melbourne.

LG Electronics says to partner with Amazon on smart homes
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc said on Friday it is partnering with Amazon.com Inc on smart-home services, enabling the U.S. company’s services such as the Alexa virtual assistant on some of the electronics maker’s devices.

Samsung Electronics considering recall of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones: source
SEOUL (Reuters) – Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is considering a recall of its Galaxy Note 7 devices amid reports that some of the premium phones are catching fire due to battery problems, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

Exclusive: Google shelves plan for phone with interchangeable parts – sources
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google has suspended Project Ara, its ambitious effort to build what is known as a modular smartphone with interchangeable components, as part of a broader push to streamline the company’s hardware efforts, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Rocket Internet posts first-half loss on GFG impairments
BERLIN (Reuters) – German e-commerce investor Rocket Internet reported a first-half consolidated loss of 617 million euros ($691 million)mainly due to impairments at Global Fashion Group.

Verizon CFO Shammo to retire at the end of 2016
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Verizon Communications Inc said on Thursday that its chief financial officer, Francis Shammo, plans to retire at the end of the year and will step down from his role on Nov. 1.

Pennsylvania reinstates Uber’s record $11.4 million fine
(Reuters) – A Pennsylvania regulator on Thursday reinstated a record $11.4 million fine against the popular ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc for operating illegally in the state in 2014.

EU’s Vestager warns others, says Apple could cut bill
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Other multinationals which do not employ as extreme Irish tax schemes as Apple but shift profits via the country to tax havens could also be breaching EU rules, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday.

Exclusive: HP Enterprise in talks to sell software unit to Thoma Bravo – sources
(Reuters) – Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (HPE) is in talks with buyout firm Thoma Bravo LLC to sell its software division, hoping it can fetch between $8 billion and $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

Europe needs $800 billion investment in digital infrastructure: Commissioner
ALPBACH, Austria (Reuters) – Europe needs to invest close to $800 billion in its digital infrastructure to catch up with the United States and China, the European Union commissioner responsible for the issue said on Thursday.

French finance minister says ‘normal that Apple should pay normal taxes’
PARIS (Reuters) – The European Commission was right to order Apple to pay 13 billion euros ($14.48 billion) in back tax, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Thursday, backing Brussels as tensions flare with Washington over the ruling.

Apple CEO says EU tax ruling ‘total political crap’: Irish Independent
DUBLIN (Reuters) – The European Union’s imposition of a 13 billion euro ($14.5 billion) back tax bill on Apple is “total political crap”, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a newspaper interview on Thursday, and anti-U.S. bias may have played a role.

White nationalists use Twitter with ‘relative impunity’: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – White nationalists and self-identified Nazi sympathizers located mostly in the United States use Twitter with “relative impunity” and often have far more followers than militant Islamists, a study being released on Thursday found.

SolarCity advisor Lazard made mistake in deal with Tesla
(Reuters) – Lazard Ltd , the investment bank that advised SolarCity Corp on its $2.6 billion sale to Tesla Motors Inc , made an error in its analysis that discounted the value of the U.S. solar energy company by $400 million, a regulatory filing by Tesla showed on Wednesday.

Monsanto’s Climate Corp seen profitable by 2020: CTO Fraley
BOONE, Iowa (Reuters) – Monsanto Co’s digital agriculture platform should begin generating revenue for the seed and chemical company by 2020 as paid subscriptions for data-driven farm management and planting advice services expand, a top executive told Reuters.

Cloud management company Box’s quarterly revenue jumps 30 percent
(Reuters) – Cloud management company Box Inc’s quarterly revenue jumped 30.3 percent as the company added customers.

France’s Orange says in talks with Iran’s MCI on potential cooperation
PARIS (Reuters) – French telecoms operator Orange is in negotiations with Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran (MCI), the country’s largest mobile operator, “regarding a number of areas of potential cooperation and business topics,” a spokesman said.

Wells Fargo, Amazon end deal to offer discounted student loans
(Reuters) – Wells Fargo & Co and Amazon.com Inc said they had ended a partnership to offer discounted student loans to the online retailer’s “Prime Student” customers, about six weeks after announcing the deal.

InterContinental unit Kimpton Hotels hit by payment card data breach
(Reuters) – InterContinental Hotels Group Plc-owned Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants said an investigation had found a malware attack on servers that processed payment cards used at some of its hotels.

Salesforce third-quarter revenue forecast misses, shares fall
(Reuters) – Cloud software maker Salesforce.com Inc forecast third-quarter revenue below estimates as it saw some softness, primarily in the United States, sending the company’s shares down by 7.7 percent in extended trading.

U.S. tax code may allow dramatic retaliation in EU Apple case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. tax law gives the Obama administration power to double tax rates for European companies should it choose to dramatically escalate a dispute with the European Union over Apple’s tax bill.

Samsung unveils bigger Gear S3 smartwatches
BERLIN (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics unveiled two new smartwatches on Wednesday which boast a range of digital features while also promising up to four days of battery life, seeking to outshine the Apple Watch.

U.S. accuses EU of grabbing tax revenues with Apple decision
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States accused the European Union of grabbing revenue intended for U.S. coffers when it ordered Apple Inc to pay up to $14.5 billion in back taxes, a decision that could come up at an international summit in China next week.

Chipmaker Intersil set to pick Renesas over Maxim as acquirer: sources
(Reuters) – Intersil Corp may announce a sale to Renesas Electronics Corp as early as next week, choosing the Japanese semiconductor company over U.S. suitor Maxim Integrated Products Inc , people familiar with the matter said.

Faced with crunch, Tesla plans to raise additional cash this year
(Reuters) – Facing a severe cash crunch, Tesla Motors Inc plans to raise additional money this year to help fund development and production of its new Model 3 sedan and build out a giant battery factory, the company said on Wednesday.

Apple tax windfall could help ease Ireland’s debts says S&P
LONDON (Reuters) – A European Commission ruling that Apple Inc should pay Ireland up to 13 billion euros of back-dated taxes could help the country cut its debt significantly but may undermine its government, Standard & Poor’s told Reuters on Wednesday.

Tesla will release Autopilot update ‘in weeks’: Musk
(Reuters) – Tesla Motors Inc plans to release an update of its partly automated self-driving system “in a few weeks,” Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 shipments delayed due to quality testing
SEOUL (Reuters) – Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Wednesday shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone are being delayed as the firm conducts additional quality control testing for the premium device.

Irish cabinet may need more time to decide on Apple appeal: minister
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland’s cabinet may be given more time to decide on whether to back the finance minister’s recommendation that Dublin appeal the European Commission’s ruling against its tax dealings with Apple , another minister said on Wednesday.

Leader of Nokia’s mobile phone revival plan leaves the company
HELSINKI (Reuters) – The head of the Nokia division aiming to bring the brand’s mobile phones back to market is leaving after two years in the role, the Finnish company said on Wednesday.

Amazon Dash one-button device arrives in Britain
LONDON (Reuters) – Seeking to capitalize on Britons too busy or forgetful to shop for household essentials, retail giant Amazon is bringing its thumb-sized, one-button ordering device to the UK.

Exclusive: SWIFT discloses more cyber thefts, pressures banks on security
(Reuters) – SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February’s high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank.

Palo Alto forecasts revenue below estimates, shares drop
(Reuters) – Cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks Inc forecast current-quarter revenue and profit below analysts’ estimates, sending its shares down 3 percent in extended trading on Tuesday.

Google expands nascent ride-sharing service: WSJ
(Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google unit plans to open its ride-sharing program to Waze app users in San Francisco this fall, pitting itself against Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL], the Wall Street Journal reported.

Twitter to share ad revenue on videos by U.S. users
(Reuters) – Twitter Inc on Tuesday stepped up its battle to attract video talent to its platform, saying it will allow U.S. users who upload a video to share in any advertising revenue it generates.

University study finds flaws in criticism of St. Jude cyber security
(Reuters) – University of Michigan researchers on Tuesday said their own experiments undermine recent allegations of security flaws in St. Jude Medical Inc’s pacemakers and other implantable medical devices.

General Atomics lawsuit to delay Heron drone program: Germany
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Defence Ministry on Tuesday informed lawmakers that its plan to lease armed Heron TP drones from Israel Aerospace Industries [ISRAI.UL] will be delayed by months given a fresh legal challenge filed by U.S. weapons maker General Atomics.

SpaceX signs first customer for used Falcon rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s SpaceX has signed its first customer to use a previously flown rocket, with launch planned for later this year, the companies said on Tuesday.

Uber hires senior Target executive to lead global operations
(Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] has plucked a top executive from U.S. retailer Target to help lead the growing ride-services company and reshape its image.

British tech champion ARM’s sale to Japan’s SoftBank wins shareholder nod
LONDON (Reuters) – Shareholders in British technology company ARM approved its sale to Japan’s SoftBank on Tuesday, marking the end of independence for the chip designer that powered the smartphone revolution.

Google cloud unit close to winning PayPal business: CNBC
(Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google is close to winning PayPal Holdings Inc as a client for its cloud business, potentially beating out Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp, CNBC reported on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Six U.S. senators urge Obama to prioritize cyber crime at G20 summit
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Six U.S. senators have urged President Barack Obama to prioritize cyber crime at this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in China, in the wake of the theft of $81 million from Bangladesh’s central bank, according to a letter obtained by Reuters.

Digital mapping firm HERE wants new investor by year-end: Handelsblatt
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Digital maps company HERE, controlled by German carmakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen , aims to find a new investor by the end of the year, HERE chief Edzard Overbeek told a German newspaper.

Vivendi’s pay-TV discusses distribution offers with Iliad in France: media
PARIS (Reuters) – Vivendi’s pay-TV unit Canal Plus is holding talks with French telecoms firm Iliad about new distribution offers as it tries to stem subscription losses in the country, newspaper Les Echos reported on Tuesday, without citing a source.

Livestream of Kim Dotcom extradition hearing a first for New Zealand
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – A New Zealand judge gave permission on Tuesday for the hearing of German tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom’s appeal against his extradition to be streamed on YouTube, making it the country’s first court case to be broadcast on the Internet.

Alphabet executive steps down from Uber board amid growing competition
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Alphabet executive David Drummond, who has been a director on the Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] board for close to three years, has stepped down, the ride-hailing firm confirmed on Monday.

U.S. appeals court dismisses AT&T data throttling lawsuit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal appeals court in California on Monday dismissed a U.S. government lawsuit that accused AT&T Inc of deception for reducing internet speeds for customers with unlimited mobile data plans once their use exceeded certain levels.

EU to hand Apple Irish tax bill of over 1 billion euro, source says
DUBLIN (Reuters) – The European Commission will rule against Ireland’s tax dealings with Apple on Tuesday, two source familiar with the decision told Reuters, one of whom said Dublin would be told to recoup over 1 billion euros in back taxes.

Germany wants Facebook to take initiative in fight against online hate
BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government wants Facebook to be more proactive in monitoring and, if necessary, removing forbidden as well as offensive content from its social network platform.

Apple is sued over unresponsive iPhone 6 touchscreens
(Reuters) – Apple Inc has been sued by owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones who say a design defect causes the phones’ touchscreens to become unresponsive, making them unusable.

Facebook CEO says group will not become a media company
ROME (Reuters) – Facebook Inc. will not become a media company, its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Monday, telling students the firm would remain a technology platform.

Megaupload’s Dotcom argues extradition appeal should be live streamed
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – An appeal by flamboyant German tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom over a decision to extradite him to the United States began in New Zealand on Monday, with the Megaupload founder’s legal team arguing the hearing should be live streamed on YouTube.

Vienna Airport says glitch that disrupted dozens of flights resolved
VIENNA (Reuters) – Data transmission problems that caused the delay or cancellation of dozens of flights on Sunday have been resolved, Vienna Airport said, with its flight schedule having returned to normal.

Nutanix acquires two startups amid IPO delay
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – High-tech computing company Nutanix has acquired two startups to enhance its data and storage services, as the firm continues to grow its business despite a protracted delay in its initial public offering.

Cost-cutting, growth could lift Symantec shares 25 percent: Barron’s
(Reuters) – Symantec Corp shares could gain 25 percent or more following steps to cut costs and a recent acquisition that could propel the company’s business in the hot cybersecurity market, a Barron’s report said on Sunday.

Uber, Careem suspend services in UAE capital
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Ride-hailing services Uber [UBER.UL] and Careem have suspended services in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, since Saturday and did not know when they could resume operations, they said on Sunday.

Israeli tech group Shellanoo plans Tel Aviv IPO
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli technology company Shellanoo is planning to raise at least 100 million shekels ($26.5 million) in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in late September or October, it said on Sunday.

Iran detects malware in petrochemical plants, says not linked to recent fires
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has detected and removed malicious software from two of its petrochemical complexes, a senior military official said on Saturday, after announcing last week it was investigating whether recent petrochemical fires were caused by cyber attacks.

St. Jude says report by short sellers ‘false and misleading’
(Reuters) – Medical device manufacturer St. Jude Medical Inc said on Friday a report by short-selling firm Muddy Waters and a cyber-security researcher alleging its heart devices were riddled with bugs was “false and misleading.”

Facebook changes ‘Trending’ feature to rely less on human editors
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc changed its popular “Trending” feature, which shows users the most-talked about topics of the day, to make it more automated and further eliminate the potential for human bias, the company wrote in a blog post on Friday.

UK regulator to monitor WhatsApp’s data sharing with Facebook
(Reuters) – Britain’s data privacy regulator said on Friday it would monitor how popular messaging service WhatsApp shares data with parent Facebook Inc under a new privacy policy.

Chinese man arrested in Hong Kong over FACC cyber attack in Austria
VIENNA (Reuters) – A Chinese citizen has been arrested in Hong Kong in connection with a cyber attack that cost Austrian aerospace parts maker FACC 42 million euros ($47.39 million), Austrian police said on Friday.

Australia warns shipbuilder DCNS after massive security leak
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian defense officials warned French naval contractor DCNS to beef up security in Australia, where it is preparing to build a A$50 billion ($38.13 billion) fleet of submarines, in the wake of a massive data leak, a government spokesman said on Friday.

Net1 to invest up to $40 million in India’s MobiKwik over 2 years
MUMBAI (Reuters) – Payment services provider Net1 UEPS Technologies Inc will invest up to $40 million in Indian mobile wallet services provider MobiKwik over the next 24 months, the companies said in a joint statement on Friday.

Belgians are hunting books, instead of Pokemon
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Inspired by the success of Pokemon Go, a Belgian primary school headmaster has developed an online game for people to search for books instead of cartoon monsters, attracting tens of thousands of players in weeks.

Economists see ride-hailing industry as ripe for competition
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Chinese powerhouse Didi Chuxing’s acquisition of Uber Technologies Inc’s [UBER.UL] China operations marked the biggest move yet toward consolidation in an industry that many investors and Silicon Valley pundits view as a winner-take-all game.

Russian lawmaker’s son convicted in U.S. for hacking scheme
(Reuters) – The son of a Russian lawmaker was convicted on Thursday on U.S. charges that he engaged in a scheme to hack into U.S. businesses in order to steal and sell credit card numbers, costing financial institutions more than $169 million.

U.S. bank group to launch Zelle instant payments brand in 2017
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A consortium of banks holding the majority of U.S. consumer accounts plans to launch its instant, person-to-person payments brand Zelle in the first half of 2017, a spokesman said on Thursday.

France’s Faurecia recasts interiors for self-driving cars
HOLLAND, Mich. (Reuters) – With self-driving cars expected on the road within three to five years, French supplier Faurecia SA is focusing on the cabin of future autonomous cars.

Apple fixes serious security flaw after UAE dissident’s iPhone targeted
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc issued a patch on Thursday to fix a dangerous security hole in iPhones and iPads after researchers discovered that a prominent United Arab Emirates dissident’s phone had been targeted with a previously unknown method of hacking.

Facebook to start using WhatsApp data for targeted advertising
(Reuters) – WhatsApp, Facebook Inc’s popular messaging service, will start sharing users’ phone numbers with its parent, allowing for more relevant advertisements and friend recommendations on the social network.