China girlfriend rental app gets leg up from Lunar New Year demand

BEIJING (Reuters) - As millions in China head home to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday with their families, 24-year-old Luoluo is busy answering messages on a mobile app from desperate men looking to hire an instant girlfriend whom they can present to mom and dad.

STMicro sees solid 2017 start; analysts say may supply iPhone 8

FRANKFURT/PARIS (Reuters) - Franco-Italian chipmaker STMicroelectronics posted in-line 2016 results on Thursday, driven by solid phone and car part sales and improved factory utilization, while setting out a plan to boost plant capacity that could fuel revenue later in 2017.

Microsoft to continue to invest over $1 billion a year on cyber security

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - U.S. software firm Microsoft Corp will continue to invest over $1 billion annually on cyber security research and development in the coming years, a senior executive said.

Under new CEO, Ericsson cuts dividend after quarterly loss

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Mobile telecom equipment maker Ericsson cut its annual dividend by 73 percent, with its new CEO saying the Swedish company would prioritize profitability after it suffered an operating loss in the last three months of 2016.

Xiaomi exec Barra joins Facebook to lead virtual reality business

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc has hired Hugo Barra, the most prominent global executive at Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Inc [XTC.UL], to lead its virtual reality business including the Oculus unit, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said.

Cisco AppDynmaics deal seeks to boost ratio of software revenue

(Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc’s decision to acquire software startup AppDynamics for $3.7 billion, nearly double the private-market valuation, reflects Cisco's struggles in building its software business, according to company financial reports and internal documents.

EBay holiday quarter revenue rises 3.1 percent

(Reuters) - EBay Inc reported a 3.1 percent rise in quarterly revenue for the holiday period, offering a bright spot for investors as the company's revamped online marketplace attracted more buyers and helped sell more products.

Western Digital's profit, revenue beat estimates

(Reuters) - Data storage company Western Digital Corp reported higher-than-expected revenue and profit on Wednesday, helped by demand for its products amid stabilizing PC demand and a shift by businesses to cloud storage.

BT Group faces U.S. lawsuits as Italian accounting scandal deepens

NEW YORK (Reuters) - BT Group Plc was hit on Wednesday with at least two shareholder lawsuits in the United States, after one-fifth of the telecommunications company's market value was wiped out in a single day amid a growing accounting scandal in Italy.

Chipmaker Qualcomm's revenue rises 3.9 percent amid legal challenges

(Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc reported a 3.9 percent rise in quarterly revenue, boosted by strong demand for its chips used in smartphones, at a time when the company is facing multiple legal challenges over its alleged "anticompetitive" tactics.

New startup investments aim to stem Canadian tech brain drain

TORONTO (Reuters) - Some of Canada's largest corporations and top executives launched two separate initiatives this week, investing millions of dollars into startup programs they hope will help stem a brain drain in fields like artificial intelligence and financial technology.

AppDynamics deal shows buyouts more lucrative in anemic IPO market

(Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc's surprise and costly acquisition of business software firm AppDynamics Inc just two days ahead of its market debut suggests that U.S. tech startups are finding more value in buyouts amid a still-tepid IPO market.

Russia arrests a manager of cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has arrested a senior manager at a leading cybersecurity firm, the company said on Wednesday, after a newspaper reported his department has worked closely with the Federal Security Service for several years.

Apple sues Qualcomm in Beijing seeking 1 billion yuan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm Inc in Beijing, alleging that the chip supplier abused its clout in the chip industry and seeking 1 billion yuan ($145.32 million) in damages, Beijing's Intellectual Property Court said in a statement on Wednesday.

Growing insurance consortium eyes industry-wide blockchain

ZURICH (Reuters) - A consortium set up to explore the use of blockchain technology in the insurance industry plans to announce several new members in the coming weeks, and by 2018 could create an organization to manage contracts and claims, an executive involved told Reuters.

French central bank chief urges insurers to step up cyber risk coverage

PARIS (Reuters) - France's central bank governor called on French insurers to enhance cyber risk coverage for their clients, as hack attacks and data privacy laws in Europe spur rising demand.

JPMorgan and Intuit to ease way for Chase customers to use Mint

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co and Intuit Inc said on Wednesday that they had agreed on tools for Chase customers to quickly put account information into Mint, TurboTax Online and QuickBooks Online financial management applications without turning over their user names and bank passwor...

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Fintech sector needs more regulatory oversight: Bundesbank

WIESBADEN, Germany (Reuters) - Financial technology companies require greater oversight because they have the potential to disrupt the banking industry and could threaten financial stability, Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann said on Wednesday.

Cyber firm SentinelOne raises $70 million bringing total to over $110 million

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Cyber security company SentinelOne said on Wednesday it raised an additional $70 million, bringing the total amount it has raised to over $110 million.

Finnair to trial China's Alipay for in-flight shopping

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnair will become the first airline to allow travelers to pay for in-flight shopping and services with Chinese online payment app Alipay, the company said on Wednesday.