Reuters - Technology Report

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Friday, January 12, 2018

Uproar over crackdown on cryptocurrencies divides South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - With a tech-savvy population quick to adopt the latest gadgets and a young generation facing dim prospects in the conventional workplace, South Korea has been a fertile ground for virtual currencies.

China's blockchain fever gets hotter even as regulator queries price surge

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's blockchain-related companies extended their bullish run on Friday, as punters brushed aside concerns raised by regulators about the rationality of stock price surges this week.

House passes NSA spying bill after Trump tweets cause confusion

(Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance program, overcoming objections from privacy advocates and confusion prompted by morning tweets from President Donald Trump that initially questioned the spying tool.

No pedal to the metal in GM's planned self-driving Cruise AV car

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co is seeking U.S. government approval for a fully autonomous car - one without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal - to enter the automaker's first commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019, executives said.

SS&C boosts banking software heft with $5.4 billion DST deal

(Reuters) - SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc said on Thursday it would buy DST Systems Inc in a $5.4 billion deal, expanding its financial technology software prowess through its largest deal to date.

AMD chips exposed to both variants of Spectre security flaw

(Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices Inc said on Thursday its microprocessors are susceptible to both variants of the Spectre security flaw, days after saying its risk for one of them was "near zero".

Chinese bitcoin miners eye sites in energy-rich Canada

MONTREAL/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's Bitmain Technologies is eyeing bitcoin mining sites in Quebec, a company spokesman told Reuters, as expectations of a potential Chinese crackdown on cryptocurrency mining make the energy-rich Canadian province an attractive alternative.

Explainer: How chip flaws Spectre, Meltdown work and what's next

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Smartphones, PCs and servers across the world have received software updates in recent days to plug security gaps on computer chips that cyber security researchers have described as the most serious threat in years.

China chides tech firms over privacy safeguards

BEIJING (Reuters) - China reprimanded three top tech firms on Friday over poor privacy protections, as tech companies face an increasing backlash from consumers and authorities over excessive data collection practices.

Facebook to emphasize friends, not news, in series of changes

SAN FRANCISCO/LONDON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc on Thursday began to change the way it filters posts and videos on its centerpiece News Feed, the start of what Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said would be a series of changes in the design of the world's largest social network.