Global chat platform Kik to launch digital currency

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kik Interactive, which created the chat platform Kik, said on Thursday it was launching a crypto-currency or token called Kin that would enable customers to use a whole range of digital services.

Some Uber and Lyft riders are giving up their own cars: Reuters/Ipsos poll

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wally Nowinski got his first car when he turned 16 in Michigan, the home of the U.S. auto industry. But after two years of living in New York City, he sold his wheels, using ride services, carsharing and bike sharing to get around.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg returns to Harvard as commencement speaker

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Reuters) - One of Harvard University's most famous dropouts, Facebook Inc founder Mark Zuckerberg, returns on Thursday to the Ivy League school to address its graduating class.

Google's Alpha Go beats Chinese master again to clinch series win

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Google's artificial intelligence program, AlphaGo, beat Chinese Go master Ke Jie for a second time on Thursday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in a best of three series meant to test the limits of computers in taking on humans at complex tasks.

Newly discovered vulnerability raises fears of another WannaCry

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A newly found flaw in widely used networking software leaves tens of thousands of computers potentially vulnerable to an attack similar to that caused by WannaCry, which infected more than 300,000 computers worldwide, cybersecurity researchers said on Thursday.

China's Lenovo fourth-quarter profit falls 41 percent, beats estimates

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Lenovo Group Ltd , the world's largest personal computer maker, on Thursday posted a 41 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit at a time of sluggish PC demand.

India's Infosys touts plan to hire Americans in face of visa pressures

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Infosys Ltd, the India-based computer services giant, on Wednesday touted its new strategy to hire and train 10,000 American workers over the next two years at the company's annual leadership meeting in San Francisco.

Brazilian ride-hailing app 99 raises $100 million from SoftBank

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group Corp agreed to invest $100 million in Brazilian ride-hailing app 99, the startup said on Wednesday, capping off a fund-raising round totaling more than $200 million.

Exclusive: Facebook signs BuzzFeed, Vox, others for original video shows - sources

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Facebook Inc has signed deals with millennial-focused news and entertainment creators Vox Media, BuzzFeed, ATTN, Group Nine Media and others to make shows for its upcoming video service, which will feature long and short-form content with ad breaks, according to several sources ...

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Exclusive: Wannacry hits Russian postal service, exposes wider security shortcomings

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's postal service was hit by Wannacry ransomware last week and some of its computers are still down, three employees in Moscow said, the latest sign of weaknesses that have made the country a major victim of the global extortion campaign.

Bitcoin soars above $2,400 to all-time high

(Reuters) - Digital currency bitcoin hit a fresh record high on Wednesday, surging above $2,400, as demand for crypto-assets soared with the creation of new tokens to raise funding for start-ups using blockchain technology.

Germany says makes progress with China on electric car quotas

BEIJING (Reuters) - Germany has made good progress with China on how to introduce quotas aimed at producing more electric vehicles, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Wednesday, adding that more details needed to be worked out.

Transaction app Alipay launches first non-yuan version in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese online and mobile payment platform Alipay on Wednesday launched in Hong Kong its first app to handle transactions not denominated in the yuan currency, moving closer to its ambition of widening currency payment options.

Israel takes on UberNight in latest legal battle for Uber

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Uber faces a legal challenge in Israel, adding to the list of places where it is under scrutiny, after the country alleged unauthorized drivers were illegally paid using its network for a new car pooling app the company is piloting.

Japan's SoftBank to appoint heads of overseas units as board members

TOKYO (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp said on Wednesday it plans to appoint heads of key overseas subsidiaries to the group's board of directors, as the Japanese firm's business focus moves away from its domestic market.

Microsoft to buy cyber security firm Hexadite for $100 million: report

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Microsoft has agreed to acquire cyber security firm Hexadite for $100 million, Israeli financial news website Calcalist reported on Wednesday.

Dubai's Emaar buys Namshi stake after Amazon buys Souq.com

DUBAI/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Dubai's Emaar Malls will buy a 51 percent stake in e-commerce fashion website Namshi from Germany's Rocket Internet for $151 million as competition for technology deals heats up in the Middle East.

'Clash of Clans' maker Supercell buys majority stake in UK's Space Ape

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish mobile game maker Supercell has acquired a majority stake in London-based game studio Space Ape, the British company said on its website.

Battle hardened eastern European tech entrepreneurs draw global interest

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Tech entrepreneurs in central and southeastern European, many of whom already have experience of launching their own businesses, are now having more success at enticing global investors the second time around.

India's electric vehicles push likely to benefit Chinese car makers

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's ambitious plan to push electric vehicles at the expense of other technologies could benefit Chinese car makers seeking to enter the market, but is worrying established automakers in the country who have so far focused on making hybrid models.

Brazil appeals court rules Uber driver not entitled to benefits

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazil appeals court on Tuesday ruled that a driver working for Uber via its ride-hailing app is not an employee of the San Francisco-based company and therefore not entitled to workers' benefits, overturning an earlier lower court decision.

Wearable tech latest must-have for China's proud pet owners

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Electronic device makers such as Hong Kong-listed SUGA and other start-ups are looking to cash-in on a boom in China in so-called pet wearables, like smart collars, leashes and feeders.

Patent plaintiffs see way around U.S. Supreme Court ruling

(Reuters) - Corporations are cheering a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting where they can be sued for patent infringement, but some intellectual property lawyers say loopholes in the ruling likely mean lawsuits will continue to be filed in plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions.

Uber inadvertently underpaid New York City drivers for over two years

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] said on Tuesday it underpaid its New York City drivers for the past two-and-a-half years, an error that could cost the ride-hailing company tens of millions of dollars.

BlackBerry shares jump on hopes for growth in security, auto markets

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd's Toronto-listed shares surged 8.5 percent on Tuesday as investors raised expectations that the technology company's cyber security and automotive software will post strong growth, an analyst said.

EU states approve plans to make social media firms tackle hate speech

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union ministers approved plans on Tuesday to make social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube tackle hate speech on their platforms, the first legislation at EU level on the issue.

Delivery Hero set to list before summer break: sources

BERLIN (Reuters) - Online food takeaway firm Delivery Hero is set to float before the summer break in a deal valuing one of Europe's biggest start-ups at up to 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion), people close to the matter said on Tuesday.

Altice explores entry into U.S. wireless business: executive

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Altice USA, the cable operator that arose from Netherlands-based Altice NV's acquisitions of Cablevision Systems Corp and Suddenlink Communications, is exploring ways to enter the wireless business as rival cable companies prepare their own mobile services, its chief executive s...

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Fidelity to allow clients to see digital currencies on website

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fidelity Investments will allow its clients to see their holdings of bitcoin and other virtual currencies held on digital asset exchange Coinbase on the company's website, said Chief Executive Abigail Johnson on Tuesday.

BofA, HSBC, Intel, others invest $107 million in blockchain startup R3

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Financial and technology companies led by Bank of America Corp , SBI Holdings Inc , HSBC Holdings Plc , Intel Corp and Temasek Holdings have invested $107 million in R3 CEV, a startup which runs a big bank consortium seeking to develop blockchain technology, it said on Tuesday.