Saudi sovereign fund chief says outlook for Uber is positive

RIYADH (Reuters) - The head of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, its top sovereign wealth fund, said on Wednesday that the outlook for ride-hailing firm Uber [UBER.UL] was positive and the company's revenues had doubled since the PIF invested in it.

Uber names ex-Orbitz executive as COO

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Wednesday named a former Orbitz executive to be chief operating officer as the ride-sharing service looks to fill key positions to help take the company public. It is Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi’s second significant hire after genera...

Continue reading

U.S. regulator says bitcoin currently not a threat to banking system

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bitcoin currently does not pose a threat to the stability of the U.S. banking system because lenders have mostly steered clear of taking positions in the virtual currency, a top U.S. banking regulator said on Wednesday. Speaking during his first formal press briefing since bei...

Continue reading

Third of Uber's UK drivers logged into app for more than 40 hours a week

LONDON (Reuters) - Nearly a third of Uber’s 50,000 drivers in Britain are logged into the app for more than 40 hours a week, whilst just under 8 percent are online for more than 60 hours, the company said in a letter to parliamentarians published on Wednesday. The app has been attacked by trad...

Continue reading

Coinbase probes possible insider trading after sharp rise in bitcoin cash

(Reuters) - Major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said on Wednesday it will investigate accusations of insider trading, following a sharp increase in the price of bitcoin cash hours before it announced support for the virtual currency. Bitcoin cash, a clone of bitcoin, jumped to $8,500 on Coinbase&...

Continue reading

Amazon's allure may be tough to top this holiday: poll

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - More U.S. online shoppers plan to give Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) the bulk of their holiday business this year than in previous years, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, despite costly efforts by traditional retailers to attract customers to their websites. The onli...

Continue reading

Uber dealt blow after EU court classifies it as transport service

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] should be classified as a transport service and regulated like other taxi operators, the European Union’s top court said in a landmark ruling on Wednesday that could impact other online businesses in Europe. Uber, which allows passengers to summon a ride t...

Continue reading

Indian authorities weighing how to regulate cryptocurrencies: SEBI chief

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India’s capital market regulator is talking with the government and central bank about how to regulate cryptocurrencies, its chairman said on Wednesday. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), plus officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Electronics an...

Continue reading

Uber dealt blow by EU court ruling that it is transport service

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - Ride-hailing app Uber provides a transport service and can be regulated like traditional taxis, the European Union’s top court said on Wednesday in a landmark ruling that will determine the rules Uber and peers have to respect in Europe. “The service provided by Ub...

Continue reading

Saved by sensors, Sony aims to expand their use in robotics, self-driving cars

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp is poised to report its highest-ever profit this year on strong sales of image sensors after years of losing ground in consumer electronics and hopes to develop the technology for use in robotics and self-driving cars as competition heats up. The results will mark a signi...

Continue reading

South Korea's Samsung Elec develops 'world's smallest' DRAM chip

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Wednesday it has developed the world’s smallest DRAM chip, widening its technical lead on competitors as it tracks toward a record operating profit in 2017 driven by the semiconductor business. The “second-generation” 10-nanometr...

Continue reading

Be careful of lithium ion batteries, Europe warns Christmas air travellers

BERLIN (Reuters) - European aviation safety authorities have urged airlines to remind passengers about how best to transport electronic devices containing lithium ion batteries over the busy Christmas travel period. Lithium ion batteries, found in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets, and...

Continue reading

SEC halts trading in crypto firm after eye-popping rise

(Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators on Tuesday temporarily suspended trading in the shares of Crypto Company, a small firm that saw its stock rise more than 2,700 percent this month after signing a deal to buy a cryptocurrency data platform. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission cited conce...

Continue reading

Facebook to notify users when photos of them are uploaded

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it would begin using facial recognition technology to tell people on the social network when others upload photos of them, if they agree to let the company keep a facial template on file. The company said in a statement that it was making the fe...

Continue reading

Buyers Beware of Tampered Gift Cards

Prepaid gift cards make popular presents and no-brainer stocking stuffers, but before you purchase one be on the lookout for signs that someone may have tampered with it. A perennial scam that picks up around the holidays involves thieves who pull back and then replace the decals that obscure the ca...

Continue reading

Buyers Beware of Tampered Gift Cards

Prepaid gift cards make popular presents and no-brainer stocking stuffers, but before you purchase one be on the lookout for signs that someone may have tampered with it. A perennial scam that picks up around the holidays involves thieves who pull back and then replace the decals that obscure the ca...

Continue reading

U.S. says Facebook, Microsoft disabled North Korean cyber threats

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc and Microsoft Corp acted last week to disable a number of potential North Korean cyber threats, a senior White House official said, as the United States publicly blamed Pyongyang for a May cyber attack that crippled hospitals, banks and other companies. “Fac...

Continue reading

SEC suspends trading in tiny firm after eye-popping rise

(Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators have temporarily suspended trading in the shares of Crypto Company, a small California firm whose stock sky-rocketed more than 2,700 percent this month. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a press release on Monday raised concerns about the accuracy ...

Continue reading

U.S. says Facebook, Microsoft disabled North Korean cyber actions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) acted last week to disable a number of North Korean cyber actions, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said on Tuesday as the United States publicly blamed Pyongyang for a May cyber attack that crippled hospitals, b...

Continue reading

UPS pre-orders 125 Tesla electric semi-trucks, largest order yet

DETROIT (Reuters) - United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) said on Tuesday it is buying 125 Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) all-electric semi-trucks, the largest order for the big rig so far, as the package delivery company expands its fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles. Tesla is trying to convince the trucking commu...

Continue reading