'Perfect storm': phones, consoles could get pricier as chip crisis bites

KUALA LUMPUR - Prices of popular gadgets such as PlayStations and iPhones could rise because of microchip shortages caused by a "perfect storm" of coronavirus-driven demand, supply chain disruptions and trade war stockpiling, experts warn.

In the months after the pandemic hit, people stuck at home went on a spending spree to buy items including extra monitors, new computers and tablets -- each of which runs on all-important chips.

Compounding the crisis are US-China tensions -- Huawei stockpiled semiconductors last year before American sanctions aimed at cutting the tech giant off from global chipmakers kicked in, adding further pressure to supplies.

The squeeze in the market was highlighted when automakers, enjoying a pick-up in car-buying, tried to source specialized semiconductors, only to find manufacturers had prioritized consumer electronics and could not fill orders.

The auto sector is the highest-profile victim so far, with giants including Ford and Volkswagen forced to cut production, but shortages appear to be spreading to a wide range of electronic items. 

"A perfect storm of coronavirus chaos, trade-war stockpiling, and a paradigm shift in work-from-home devices is causing the chip squeeze," Neil Mawston, executive director at consultancy Strategy Analytics, told AFP.

"Anything with a chip is affected -- cars, smartphones, games consoles, tablets and laptops. Electronic gadgets and cars will be in shorter supply or more expensive throughout 2021."

COMPLEX SUPPLY CHAINS

Sales of certain iPhone models have reportedly been limited because particular components were not available, while some have pointed to chip shortages for problems in getting hold of Sony's new PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's latest Xbox. 

A growing number of major chipmakers have voiced concern at the brewing crisis, including US firm Qualcomm, the world's biggest mobile chipmaker, and rival AMD, both of which supply to major consumer electronics companies.

The microchip supply chain is complex and the US giants design the semiconductors but do not for the most part make them. The production is mostly outsourced to Asian companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and South Korea's Samsung. However, Samsung supplies are now threatened after it was forced to halt production at its Texas factory owing to power outages caused by a severe winter storm. 

Manufacturers have faced challenges in meeting strong consumer electronics demand and then having to pivot their operations to car chips -- shifting production processes can take months.

Taiwan, home to some of the world's biggest and most advanced foundries, and its manufacturers have come under growing pressure from carmakers and governments because of the shortages.

The island vowed last month to ramp up production of car chips while TSMC said the auto industry was a "top priority" -- but warned its factories were already at full capacity.

The rollout of 5G technology has added to pressure because of the need for myriad chips to build a new generation of phones, wireless infrastructure and other equipment, said GlobalFoundries, a US-headquartered chipmaker with factories in Singapore.

'HEART OF GLOBAL ECONOMY'

Washington has been increasing pressure on Huawei, which it accuses of stealing American trade secrets, last year unveiling sanctions that ban the smartphone maker from using semiconductor designs developed with US technology.

When the tech giant began stockpiling semiconductors before the sanctions, other companies followed their lead, adding to the global shortage.

"Hoarding has been causing more hoarding," said Mawston of Strategy Analytics.

"As Huawei has stockpiled phone chips, other rival brands have sought (to a lesser degree) to hoard their own stocks to help guard future supply."

Chip shortages could delay production of nearly one million vehicles in the first quarter of this year, according to market research firm IHS Markit, although analysts say it is too early to assess the impact on other industries.

Shortages are expected to ease later this year as vaccines are rolled out -- allowing factories to work at full capacity without workers social distancing -- and new plants begin operating. 

But there could be supply problems in future as chip demand grows, and analysts say the latest crisis is a wake-up call for governments to strengthen domestic industries and reduce reliance on a few players. 

"Semiconductors are at the heart of the global economy," GlobalFoundries said in a statement.

The company said it is urging "governments to invest in semiconductor manufacturing, and to do their part in helping address the clear mismatch in semiconductor supply and demand".

Agence France-Presse

PC sales climb as pandemic keeps consumers at home — trackers

Gartner and International Data Corporation (IDC) reports released Thursday show shipments of desktop computers, laptops and workstations grew in the second quarter as pandemic-related disruptions to the supply chain were overcome.

“The strong demand driven by work-from-home as well as e-learning needs has surpassed previous expectations and has once again put the PC at the center of consumers’ tech portfolio,” said IDC Mobile Device Trackers research manager Jitesh Ubrani.


“What remains to be seen is if this demand and high level of usage continues during a recession and into the post-COVID world since budgets are shrinking while schools and workplaces reopen.”

IDC determined that PC shipments worldwide jumped 11.2% to 72.3 million units in the same quarter a year earlier. Gartner had the climb at 2.8%, to 64.8 million units.

Both market trackers ranked HP and Lenovo as the top two PC makers, with Dell in third place. Apple, which doesn’t use Microsoft’s Windows operating system but is nevertheless grouped among PC makers, came in fourth.

Gartner research director Mikako Kitagawa described the second-quarter figures as a short-term recovery, with some of the growth due to distributors and shops restocking supplies as they become available.


Early indicators suggest strong PC shipments for education, business, and consumer uses such as streaming entertainment, according to IDC’s devices and displays research vice president Linn Huang.

“With inventory still back-ordered, this goodwill will continue into July,” Huang said.

“However, as we head deeper into a global recession, the goodwill sentiment will increasingly sour.”

Agence France-Presse

TikTok denies sharing Indian user data with Chinese govt

NEW DELHI — TikTok denied Tuesday sharing Indian users' data with the Chinese government, after New Delhi banned the wildly popular app in a sharp deterioration of relations with Beijing two weeks after a deadly border clash.

"TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government," TikTok India chief Nikhil Gandhi said in a statement.

"Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity," he said, adding that it had been invited to a meeting with the Indian government "for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications".

TikTok is owned by China's ByteDance and was one of 59 Chinese mobile apps banned late Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.


There are estimated to be about 120 million TikTok users in India, making the South Asian nation of 1.3 billion people the app's biggest international market.

The Indian ministry of information technology said that the apps "are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order".

The announcement came after 20 Indian soldiers were killed on June 15 in hand-to-hand clashes with Chinese troops in the first deadly violence on their disputed Himalayan border in 45 years. Chinese casualties are unknown.

Amid mutual recriminations, the nuclear-armed Asian giants have reinforced the border between the Ladakh region and Tibet with thousands of extra troops, aircraft and hardware.

The deaths have triggered outrage on social media with calls to boycott Chinese goods, with Chinese flags set on fire at scattered street protests.

Last week, one of Delhi's main hotel associations said that its members were barring Chinese guests and would stop using Chinese-made products.

Chinese electronic firms also have a major presence in India, with cellphone brands like Xiaomi and Oppo enjoying an almost 65-percent market share.

E-commerce giants including US giant Amazon -- which sell huge volumes of Chinese gadgets -- have agreed to display the country of origin of goods on their platforms, according to media reports.

Modi's government has also ordered all sellers to do the same on its GeM portal, which is used for tens of billions of dollars' worth of state purchases.

Goods made in China, including some raw materials vital to Indian pharmaceutical firms, are also starting to pile up at Indian ports and airports because of more stringent customs checks, media reports said.

Despite long-prickly relations, India and China have steadily built up strong economic ties in recent years.

Annual bilateral trade is worth some $90 billion, with a deficit of around $50 billion in China's favour.

Agence France-Presse 

Apple unveils revamped map app to challenge Google

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple on Thursday said it has finished rolling out an overhauled map app in the US in another attempt to challenge Google's popular smartphone navigation software.

Apple spent years rebuilding the application, its cars traveling millions of miles to map roads, after a version launched in 2012 was so problematic it prompted a rare public apology from chief executive Tim Cook.

Mapping programs on mobile devices is seen as a way to stay in tune with smartphone lifestyles and pursue opportunities to make money connecting people with nearby offerings such as restaurants, theaters, clothing shops and other businesses.

Apple said the redesigned "Maps" program is fast, accurate, and comprehensive, even weaving in transit options in some locations.

Maps is to begin rolling out in Europe in coming months.

"We set out to create the best and most private maps app on the planet that is reflective of how people explore the world today," Apple senior vice president of internet software and services Eddy Cue said in a release.

"It is an effort we are deeply invested in and required that we rebuild the map from the ground up to re-imagine how Maps enhances people’s lives — from navigating to work or school or planning an important vacation — all with privacy at its core."

Apple Maps had some features similar to those in Google Maps, such as pictures of locations taken at street level and artificial intelligence to check the status of flight reservations noted in email boxes or on calendars.

As with other products, Apple stressed work done to protect user privacy, such as obscuring search terms, routing, and other data, according to the company.


Agence France-Presse 

Firings spark dissent in Google ranks

SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Monday fired 4 employees on the grounds they violated data security policies, prompting ire among colleagues concerned it was retaliation for worker organizing.

One of the workers fired was connected to a petition against Google working with the US immigration and border patrol agency. She confirmed her firing in a message posted on Twitter.

A memo to employees titled "Securing our data" sought to correct what it contended was misinformation about the purported wrongdoing, saying it involved "systematic searches for other employees' materials and work," according to reports by US media.

Google, the money-making engine of parent company Alphabet, confirmed a copy of the note published by Bloomberg but declined to comment further.

However, a Medium account connected to a massive walkout by Google employees last year argued that the 4 workers were fired in an attempt to crush efforts to organize staff.

"Four of our colleagues took a stand and organized for a better workplace," read the post by Google Walkout for Real Change.

"When they did, Google retaliated against them."

Authors of the post contended that Google policies on data security were tightened to provide cover for getting rid of workers involved in efforts to unionize.

"They think this will crush our efforts, but it won't," the Medium post said.

"One of the most powerful companies in the world wouldn’t be retaliating against us if collective action didn’t work."

The Google workplace long seen as a blend of fun, good-will and free food has been disrupted by employee opposition to top-level decisions ranging from making contracts with the military to tailoring a version of the search engine for China and the handling of sexual misconduct allegations.

Google employees poured out of buildings at the company's Mountain View campus a year ago, filling courtyards and patios in solidarity with co-workers who staged similar demonstrations at offices in countries around the world to protest the company's handling of sexual misconduct.

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Robochef: Sony cooks up new AI unit for food revolution

TOKYO - Cooking robots and tastier recipes: Japanese electronics giant Sony on Wednesday launched a new artificial intelligence unit they hope will change the way we cook and eat.

The new research arm, Sony AI, will operate in Japan, Europe and the United States and also focus on the traditional areas of gaming, imaging and sensor equipment, as well as "gastronomy".

The firm that produced the PlayStation franchise and the "Spider-man" movie series is the latest multinational tech company wanting a piece of the pie in the food business, where data are increasingly driving new dishes to pique the palate.

"AI and robotics will not replace chefs. We are aiming to offer new tools to expand their creativity with AI and robotics," Sony spokesman Shinichi Tobe told AFP.

"The field of food requires a study of molecular structures. By using AI and its analytical capacity, we can create new things," Tobe said.

"It involves taste, but also aroma. Through sensing technologies, we can perhaps create new dishes that will please the human sense of taste," he said.

The Tokyo-based gadget-and-entertainment conglomerate is not the only tech company tapping into this seam.

IBM earlier this year teamed up with seasoning maker McCormick to use artificial intelligence in flavor and food product development.

In the future, Sony foresees the creation of a robotic kitchen to help elderly people make meals at home, but without the use of open flames.

It may also result in the creation of a restaurant where robots cook in front of guests.

"There might be ways of cooking that can only be done by robotics. It might be about temperature control. Maybe about precise timings of when or where to apply heat," Tobe said.

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Facebook's Marcus says Libra won't be controlled by a single company

WASHINGTON — Facebook executive David Marcus on Sunday tried to calm the fears of officials threatening to block its proposed digital currency, saying Libra won't be controlled by a single company.

The head of Facebook's Libra currency project sought to address the main issue raised by France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire: the potential for a company to have the power to undermine a government's control of its currency.

Marcus said it has been "very clear to us from the very beginning that a payment networks such as the Libra network shouldn't be controlled by one company." 

Speaking at a forum, hosted by the Group of 30, he repeated the company's commitment to work with regulators to address their concerns.

He added that the Libra Association -- comprised of 21 companies -- will "welcome competition to benefit local access and strive for the lowest cost possible for consumers."

But, he cautioned, "the status quo is not an option any longer."

Central banks and government finance officials have long worried about the challenges posed by digital currencies, and the risk they can be used for money laundering and financing terrorism. 

Libra is different from other digital currencies like Bitcoin because it would be a "stablecoin" tied to national currencies.

But Le Maire told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington last week that European governments "will not allow a private company to have the same power, the same monetary power as sovereign states," and will take steps to block Libra from Europe. 

Agustin Carstens, former Mexican central banker and longtime skeptic of digital currencies, agreed that technology can help provide access to the financial system to people who have been excluded.

But Carstens, now head of the Bank for International Settlements, said Sunday that the best course would be to "maximize the use of technology with what we've proven that works, that provides stability."

Marcus remained cautiously optimistic.

"We recognize that a change of this magnitude can't be operating without a great sense of responsibility," he said, but he added: "We can actually work together to solve these issues."

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Amazon digital assistant Alexa gets into your head

SAN FRANCISCO - Amazon on Wednesday unveiled a cornucopia of new gadgets as it extended the reach of Alexa from automobiles and homes essentially into people's heads.

Amazon digital aide Alexa vies with Google Assistant software to be at the heart of smart homes where lights, security systems, televisions and more are controlled with spoken commands.

While the Seattle-based technology titan has worked with partners to get Alexa built into some 85,000 devices, it also expanded the line-up of hardware it creates itself.

ECHO FRAMES

Eyeglass frames with microphones built in to listen for commands and speakers that channel audio directly into the ears for just wearers to hear. The frames, which can be used for prescription lenses, have no camera or display capabilities and synch with smartphones.

Echo Frames are available invitation-only, and priced at $180.

ECHO LOOP

A ring worn on a finger that can be used to interact with Alexa digital assistant using taps or swipes. The smart ring is available by invitation only and priced at $130.

ECHO BUDS

Wireless earbuds infused with Alexa digital assistant smarts but which synch to smartphones, where they can work with Google Assistant or Apple Siri software. Echo Buds are priced at $130.

ECHO STUDIO

A smart speaker with 5 directional speakers and sophisticated software for premium sound quality and Alexa digital assistant controls built in. Priced at $200.

NEW-GEN ECHOS

Additions to the Echo smart speaker line-up included an improved basic model for $100, a plug-in Echo Flex device for $25, and an Echo Dot with an illuminated clock for $60 because users so often ask the time.

ECHO SHOW 8

An Echo show smart display with an eight-inch screen for $130.

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WeWork founder Neumann: an unconventional leader steps aside

NEW YORK - WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann, whose unconventional approach to business and governance pushed boundaries on Wall Street and Silicon Valley, stepped down as chief executive on Tuesday.

Under pressure from some board members, Neumann will exit the corner office as the company tries to reposition an initial public offering campaign that has sputtered over the last month.

Neumann, who will stay on as chairman, has also faced questions over his perceived self-dealing, as well as the ability of his fast-growing company to become profitable.

Neumann's setback marks a shift in fortune for a charismatic figure who has been embraced by investors even as he has employed unusual imagery to describe the business's meteoric growth since its founding in 2010. 

The company's IPO prospectus says "its mission is to elevate the world’s consciousness."

Neumann's audacious approach to business won support from key investors, including the Japanese group SoftBank.

But his loose approach to corporate governance and conflicts of interest garnered scrutiny, as did a Wall Street Journal expose detailing drug and alcohol use and Neumann's aspirations to become the world's first trillionaire.

Known for long hair and a wardrobe that favors T-shirts, Neumann, 40, is also known as a serial entrepreneur.

BIG AMBITIONS 

Born in Israel, he has described a difficult childhood that included the divorce of his parents and frequent moves.

After serving in the Israeli army for five years, he moved in 2001 to New York. He has lived in the city ever since and it is now WeWork's headquarters.

Neumann initially studied business at Baruch College in the City University of New York but abandoned formal studies to launch his first fledgling business, producing a woman's shoe with a collapsible heel.

A second venture marketed baby clothes with knee and elbow pads, but he told Baruch students at a 2017 graduation ceremony that the venture notched just $2 million in sales compared with $3 million in expenses.

During that period, Neumann also met the woman who became his wife, Rebekah, a cousin of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The couple now have 5 children.

"The first moment I met my husband, even though he was broke.... I could see that together we were going to create something that was going to be large scale for the planet," Rebekah Neumann said in a November 2018 podcast.

"I just knew he was going to be the man that was hopefully going to help save the world."

Neumann, along with his friend Miguel McKelvey, moved into the shared-office business in 2008.

The company, called Green Desk, was based on "coworking," an old concept but one that was refreshed with new technologies as the financial crisis led to more freelancing and startup ventures, some involving people from finance who lost their jobs.

Neumann describes renters as "members" and built WeWork to be "a community that helped people live life with purpose," according to a blog post earlier this year.

The company today manages more than 500 sites in 30 countries and employs 12,500 people.

But WeWork has struggled with its bottom line, losing almost $2 billion in 2018.

On the jobs site Glassdoor, former WeWork employees praise Neumann's charisma and boundless energy, while others have criticized a cult-like atmosphere.

On Tuesday, Neumann said he was stepping down as CEO, declaring that he was "so proud" of the company's growth.

"While our business has never been stronger, in recent weeks, the scrutiny directed toward me has become a significant distraction and I have decided that it is in the best interest of the company to step down as chief executive," he said.

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Facebook buys startup working on mind-control of machines

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook on Monday said it had made a deal to buy a startup working on ways to command computers or other devices using thought instead of taps, swipes, or keystrokes.

CTRL-labs will become part of Facebook Reality Labs with an aim at perfecting the technology and getting it into consumer products, according to Andrew Bosworth, vice president of augmented and virtual reality at the California-based social network.

"We know there are more natural, intuitive ways to interact with devices and technology," Bosworth said in a post at Facebook announcing the acquisition.

"And we want to build them. The vision for this work is a wristband that lets people control their devices as a natural extension of movement."

Bosworth explained that the wristband will decode electrical impulses such as those sent to hand muscles telling them to move certain ways, such as clicking a computer mouse or pressing a button.

The wristband will translate impulses into signals a device can comprehend, having thoughts rather than mouse clicks or button presses prompt actions on computers, according to Facebook.

"It captures your intention so you can share a photo with a friend using an imperceptible movement or just by, well, intending to," Bosworth said.

"Technology like this has the potential to open up new creative possibilities and re-imagine 19th century inventions in a 21st century world."

He spoke of how thought-commanded interactions might dramatically alter how people experience augmented or virtual reality scenarios, which currently feature hand-held controls.

Facebook did not disclose financial terms of the deal to buy New York-based CTRL-labs, but unconfirmed media reports said it paid more than $500 million.

After Facebook bought virtual-reality gear startup Oculus in early 2014 in a deal valued at $2 billion, social network co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg heralded the technology as the next major computing platform.

Oculus has since built a line of virtual reality gear, pushing down the price and eliminating the need to be plugged in to a computer with its Quest VR headset.

In Early 2017, Facebook announced projects aimed at allowing users to use their minds to type messages or their skin to hear words.

The projects were the focus of a team of scientists, engineers, and system integrators with a goal of "creating a system capable of typing 100 words-per-minute straight from your brain," Facebook said at the time.

Such brain-computer interface technology currently involves implanting electrodes, but Facebook wanted to use sensors that could be worn to eliminate the need to surgically intrude on the brain.

Such technology could for example let people fire off text messages or emails by thinking, instead of needing to interrupt what they are doing to use smartphone touchscreens.

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Facebook might start hiding 'Like' counts for posts

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook on Tuesday confirmed it was dabbling with no longer making a public display of how many "likes" were racked up by posts.

Such a change could ease pressure to win approval with images, videos or comments and, instead, get people to simply focus on what is in posts.

Facebook-owned Instagram earlier this year announced it was testing hiding like counts and video view tallies in more than a half-dozen countries, with account holders still able to see the numbers but masking amounts from others.

"We are considering hiding like counts from Facebook," a spokesman for the leading social network told AFP on Tuesday.

Twitter has also experimented with hiding numbers of times tweets were "liked" or "retweeted," according to product lead Kayvon Beykpour.

Twitter found that people engaged less with tweets when they couldn't see the counts.

"When you remove engagement indicators, people engage less," Beykpour said while briefing journalists at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco last month.

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Facebook-backed research sees progress linking minds, machines

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook-backed researchers have managed to translate brain signals into spoken words, bringing the social network's vision of linking brains and machines closer to reality.

A study published this week by University of California-San Francisco scientists showed progress toward a new type of brain-computer interface. The project involved brain implants, but could be a step toward accomplishing the goal with a non-invasive method such as augmented reality glasses with sensors.

"A decade from now, the ability to type directly from our brains may be accepted as a given," Facebook said Tuesday in an online post updating a project announced two years ago.

"Not long ago, it sounded like science fiction. Now, it feels within plausible reach."

Such a breakthrough could benefit people with paralysis, spinal cord injuries, neurodegenerative diseases or other conditions making them unable to speak, and may also let people control technology such as augmented reality glasses just by thinking, Facebook said.

"It's never too early to start thinking through the important questions that will need to be answered before such a potentially powerful technology should make its way into commercial products," Facebook said.

A study published in Nature Communications detailed how researchers were able to capture brain signals being sent to produce speech and figure out what people were trying to say.

A standard set of questions were asked of the volunteers in the study, with the computer provided context to help figure out answers.

"Currently, patients with speech loss due to paralysis are limited to spelling words out very slowly using residual eye movements or muscle twitches to control a computer interface," said UCSF neuroscientist Eddie Chang.

"But in many cases, information needed to produce fluent speech is still there in their brains. We just need the technology to allow them to express it."

AUGMENTED MINDS

The study was funded by Facebook Reality Labs, a research unit at the California-based internet titan focused on technology for augmented and virtual reality experiences.

The work is part of "Project Steno" exploring the feasibility of a wearable device that lets people type by imagining themselves talking.

"Our progress shows real potential in how future inputs and interactions with AR glasses could one day look," Facebook vice president of augmented and virtual reality Andrew Bosworth tweeted.

Researchers hope to eventually decode 100 words per minute in real time with a 1,000-word vocabulary and an error rate below 17 percent, according to Facebook.

Futurist entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed this month his secretive dis startup is making progress on an interface linking brains with computers, and said testing on people may begin next year.

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Britain waits for US before Huawei 5G decision

LONDON - Britain said Monday it was "not yet in a position" to decide what involvement China's Huawei should have in the UK's 5G next-generation telecoms network.

Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright told parliament that London was still seeking clarity on the implications of US action against the Chinese telecoms giant, adding it would be "wrong to make specific decisions" beforehand.

"The government is not yet in a position to decide what involvement Huawei should have in the provision of the UK's 5G network," he said.

The sensitive decision, which the US authorities are monitoring closely, will therefore not be taken by the outgoing administration of Prime Minister Theresa May, who leaves office on Wednesday.

The decision will fall to her successor, either former London mayor Boris Johnson or Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The new premier will have to decide whether to ban, partially admit or allow Huawei's complete involvement in the new 5G telecoms network.

Huawei faces pushback in some Western markets over fears that Beijing could spy on communications and gain access to critical infrastructure if the company is allowed to develop foreign 5G networks.

The company has repeatedly denied such allegations.

In May, Huawei was hit by an executive order from US President Donald Trump which effectively banned it from trading with any US companies, although a temporary licence was issued shortly after.

"Since the US government's announcement, we have sought clarity on its extent and implications but the position is not yet entirely clear," Wright said.

"Until it is, we have concluded it would be wrong to make specific decisions in relation to Huawei but we will do so as soon as possible."

Vodafone launched its 5G service in Britain this month, but without smartphones from Huawei.

By sidelining Huawei phones, Vodafone has mirrored action by EE, the first UK provider to roll out the technology that offers almost instantaneous data transfer which launched at the end of May.

pn/rjm/bmm

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Germany raises 6.5 billion euros from sale of 5G frequencies

BERLIN -- Germany has raised some 6.5 billion euros ($7.3 billion) from the sale of 5G frequencies to telecoms firms, the Federal Network Agency, said Wednesday, announcing the result of a 3-month auction.

The sale far exceeded expectations of between three billion and five billion euros, and the windfall will go towards closing the digital gap in a country whose wireless networks rank only 46th in the world for download speeds.

Germany's 3 main mobile network providers -- Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Germany (O2) -- and 1&1/Drillisch, which specializes in internet services, bought the 41 frequency blocks on offer, with Deutsche Telekom taking the lion's share, the network agency said in a statement.

5G is the latest high-speed generation of cellular mobile communications.

It promises radically quicker transfers of data, making possible widespread use of artificial intelligence and other high-tech advancements such as self-driving cars and "telemedicine".

Berlin will require the winning bidders to offer the service to at least 98 percent of German households and along motorways and rail lines.

The United States has urged Berlin to bar operators from building networks on hardware from Chinese tech firm Huawei, arguing that the equipment could help Beijing spy on Western companies and governments.

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Twitter limits bulk following to thwart spammers

SAN FRANCISCO--Twitter on Monday trimmed the number of accounts that a user can follow in a single day in an effort to fight spam at the micro-blogging platform.

The total number of accounts that can be added to a user's list was cut to 400 from 1,000, the San Francisco-based internet firm said.

"Follow, unfollow, follow, unfollow. Who does that? Spammers," the Twitter safety team said in a tweet.

"So we're changing the number of accounts you can follow each day from 1,000 to 400. Don't worry, you'll be just fine."

Software programs referred to as "bots" sometimes run Twitter accounts, automatically following massive numbers of real people, a portion of whom tend to reciprocate by following back.

High follower counts can then serve to raise the status of bot accounts, which can fire off website links or marketing content in tweets or messages to followers.

Twitter policy bars use of the service for spreading spam, which it defines as "bulk or aggressive activity that attempts to manipulate or disrupt Twitter or the experience of users on Twitter to drive traffic or attention to unrelated accounts, products, services, or initiatives."

Factors taken into account by Twitter when determining if accounts are being used for spam is following and or unfollowing large numbers of accounts in short time periods.

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Twitter co-founder Evan Williams leaving board

SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter co-founder and one-time chief executive Evan Williams is stepping down from the board, leaving the one-to-many messaging service to focus on "other projects."

Williams will depart the Twitter board at the end of this month, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

"It's been an incredible 13 years, and I'm proud of what Twitter has accomplished during my time with the company," Williams said in the filing.

"I will continue rooting for the team as I focus my time on other projects."

Williams throttled back his role in the San Francisco-based startup eight years ago, turning his attention to a new endeavors including creating popular online publishing platform Medium.

Williams ceded his role as Twitter chief executive to Dick Costolo in 2010. Co-founder Jack Dorsey returned as Twitter chief in 2015, having held the position when the startup was nascent.

Dorsey said in a Tweet that Williams was the reason he joined startup Odeo, an endeavor that led to him, Williams and Biz Stone creating Twitter.

"I appreciate you, Ev!" Dorsey tweeted on Friday.

"We're going to miss your voice in our board conversations."

Twitter has become a high-profile, and sometimes controversial, global stage for communication since it was launched in March of 2006.

"Thank you, @jack and @biz for starting this crazy company with me—and continuing to make it better and better," Williams tweeted.

"I'm going to ride off into the sunset (or...down Market Street), so I can focus on some other things."

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Under-fire Apple removes 25,000 apps in China

BEIJING - Apple said Monday it had removed many gambling-related apps from its Chinese app store as the US giant comes under scrutiny amid trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Apple removed 25,000 apps suspected of facilitating gambling and illegal lotteries, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday, emphasizing there was still work to be done.

"Reporters have discovered even after the Apple company's large-scale repairs, loopholes still exist," said CCTV anchor Chang Xiao.

A CCTV report last month accused the company of allowing illegal gambling apps to proliferate.

"We have already removed many apps and developers for trying to distribute illegal gambling apps on our App Store, and we are vigilant in our efforts to find these and stop them from being on the App Store," the company said in a statement.

With the rhetoric between Washington and Beijing heating up, China's state media has probed for deficiencies in Apple's China operations. 

Another state media report last month tore into Apple for what it claimed was inadequate filtering of messages sent through its iMessage service.

The app store clearance did little to abate the criticism from CCTV.

"With the help of the Apple platform, the (gambling app operators) can directly profit," a law professor was quoted as saying in the latest CCTV segment, adding it was Apple's responsibility not only to remove the apps from the store but to cut off access from phones to which they have been downloaded. 

China is one of Apple's largest markets, accounting for roughly 20 percent of its revenue last year. CEO Tim Cook has spent much time in recent years courting authorities.

But Apple's major market presence as the trade battle rages has placed its products front and center for criticism.

Apple has taken several steps to satisfy Chinese regulators, including this summer transferring control of Chinese user data to a state-owned company.

The move was met by criticism from some rights groups and even Chinese users worried about data privacy.

Apple also upset rights groups last year when it restricted its Chinese customers' access to Virtual Private Networks, which allow users to circumvent China's Great Firewall and to access blocked websites such as Facebook, Twitter and The New York Times. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hackers hit U.S. PGA computer servers, demand ransom: report

Computer hackers have struck PGA of America servers at this week's 100th PGA Championship, demanding a Bitcoin ransom to unlock files without risking data not easily replaced, Golfweek's website reported.

The files, Golfweek said, contained digital promotional banners and logos used on signs around Bellerive as well as materials for next month's Ryder Cup in France.

The PGA of America does not intend to meet extortion demands, unnamed sources told the magazine, and the organization has retained outside information technology experts to ensure the year's final major tournament remains unaffected, according to the report.

The PGA had no comment on the matter.

PGA play began Thursday at Bellerive Country Club. The Ryder Cup is set for September 28-30 at Le Golf National in Paris.

Tournament staff discovered Tuesday their files had been compromised when a message told them their network had been hacked and information files encrypted, with any attempt to unlock the files risking their permanent loss, according to Golfweek.

A Bitcoin wallet number was provided, but no specific ransom amount was requested.

The stolen files, according to the report, also include development work on logos and signs for future PGA Championships, much of it not easily replaced.

Future PGA Championships, to be staged in May starting next year, include 2019 at Bethpage Black, 2020 at San Francisco's Harding Park, 2021 at Kiawah Island, 2022 at Trump National in New Jersey, 2023 at Oak Hill, 2024 at Valhalla, 2027 at Aronimink, 2028 at San Francisco's Olympic Club and 2029 at Baltusrol.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kaspersky blames NSA hack on infected Microsoft software

Embattled computer security firm Kaspersky Lab said Thursday that malware-infected Microsoft Office software and not its own was to blame for the hacking theft of top-secret US intelligence materials.

Adding tantalizing new details to the cyber-espionage mystery that has rocked the US intelligence community, Kaspersky also said there was a China link to the hack.

The Moscow-based anti-virus software maker, which is now banned on US government computers because of alleged links to Russian intelligence, confirmed that someone did apparently steal valuable National Security Agency programs from an NSA worker's home computer, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal on October 5.

According to the Journal, the person had top secret files and programs from the NSA hacking unit called the Equation Group on his computer, which was also using Kaspersky software protection.

They believe that Russian spies used the Kaspersky program as a back door to discover and siphon off the files, reportedly causing deep damage to the NSA's own cyber-espionage operations.

US allegations that Kaspersky, which sold more than $600 million of anti-virus software globally in 2015, knowingly or unknowingly helped Russian intelligence in the theft have effectively killed its US business and hurt its worldwide reputation.

Kaspersky software 'disabled'

Using its own forensic analysis, Kaspersky said the breach of the NSA worker's computer took place between September and November 2014, rather than 2015 as the Journal reported.

Kaspersky said what was stolen included essential source code for some Equation Group malware, as well as classified documents. Based on the materials, it said the computer appeared to belong to someone involved in creating malware for the Equation Group.

The company claimed, however, that the computer was infected by other malware, including a Russian-made "backdoor tool" hidden in Microsoft Office.

Kaspersky said that the malware was controlled from a computer server base in Hunan, China, and would have opened a path into the computer for anyone targeting an NSA worker.

"Given that system owner's potential clearance level, the user could have been a prime target of nation-states," it said.

Kaspersky's own software would have detected that malware, the company said, except that its software had been turned off.

"To install and run this malware, the user must have disabled Kaspersky Lab products on his machine," it claimed.

pmh/jh

source: news.abs-cbn.com

How safe is free public Wi-Fi?

President Rodrigo Duterte recently enacted a law providing free internet access in public places nationwide.

The law, which requires a mandated minimum internet speed per user of two megabits per second (2 Mbps) is expected to get more Filipinos online. However, logging in to a free Wi-Fi access may carry security risks.

Cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab has identified free Wi-Fi as one of the biggest security risks for computer and mobile internet users.

A 2016 survey of the firm revealed that 71 percent of respondents said they use unsecured public Wi-Fi in bars and fastfood restaurants.

Meanwhile, 15 percent use free public Wi-Fi for bank transactions and online payments.

Department of Information Communication Technology (DICT) Asst. Sec. Allan Cabanlong admitted that although there are risks in using free public Wi-Fi services, the government ensured that its project is safe for public use.

"We made sure that the free Wi-Fi of the DICT is only 100 mbps... For the hacker to use it, it may be questionable because 100 mbps is not enough to hack someone," he said.

Cabanlong advised the public to be wary of the public Wi-Fi providers by checking the names and spellings.

-ANC Future Perfect, August 09, 2017

source: news.abs-cbn.com