South Korea says investigating whether Google broke antitrust laws

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's antitrust regulator said on Friday it is looking into whether Google has violated the country's anticompetition laws, marking the body's first acknowledgement of a formal scrutiny against the global internet search company.

Taking on Tesla: China's WM Motor sees mass market electric cars

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - It remains more promise than product, but the electric vehicle (EV) sector is drawing more talent from mainstream automakers which are reluctant to go full tilt at the new technology.

Didi's Cheng Wei: Chinese patriot who tamed Uber

BEIJING (Reuters) - Cheng Wei, 34, was once assistant to the head of a foot massage firm. Last week, his company Didi Chuxing bagged Uber's China business in a deal valuing his ride-hailing start-up at $35 billion - a second success in as many years in a grueling battle with a rival.

Gaming, data center strength propels Nvidia to another solid quarter

(Reuters) - Chipmaker Nvidia Corp reported its fastest quarterly sales growth in nearly five years, powered by strong demand for the company's processors used in gaming computers and in data centers.

Barcelona steps up crackdown on Airbnb, threatens further fines

MADRID (Reuters) - Authorities in Barcelona have stepped up a crackdown on homes illegally rented out to tourists via homesharing websites such as Airbnb, ordering hundreds to be removed from listings and hitting firms with a fine, while threatening more in the future.

Twitter denies #SaveTwitter rumors of shutting down in 2017

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twitter Inc denied on Thursday rumors that the social media messaging service will be shutting down in 2017, denouncing the claim as groundless.

Broker-dealer TradeZero launches first 'dark pool' exchange for bitcoin

NEW YORK (Reuters) - TradeZero, a Bahamas-based online broker-dealer, said on Thursday it had launched the world's first "dark pool" exchange for bitcoin to enable institutional investors to execute large trades.

Foxconn clears China's anti-monopoly review for $3.8 billion deal with Sharp

TOKYO (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn said on Thursday China's anti-monopoly authorities approved its acquisition of Japan's Sharp Corp, paving the way for the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer to seal a $3.8 billion deal.

France says fight against messaging encryption needs worldwide initiative

PARIS (Reuters) - Messaging encryption, widely used by Islamist extremists to plan attacks, needs to be fought at international level, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Thursday, and he wants Germany to help him promote a global initiative.

Keyless systems of older VW Group cars can be hacked: researchers

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Tens of millions of vehicles sold by Volkswagen AG over the past 20 years are vulnerable to theft because keyless entry systems can be hacked using cheap technical devices, according to European researchers.

Business groups petition China's premier on cyber rules

BEIJING (Reuters) - In a letter addressed to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, 46 global business groups spanning finance, information technology, insurance and manufacturing urged Beijing to revise its draft cyber rules which they said would hamper trade.

Tackling vices one by one, Philippines president targets online gaming

MANILA/HONG KONG (Reuters) - After unleashing a crackdown on drugs, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is turning his guns on a booming online gaming industry, abruptly scrapping one firm's 13-year monopoly this week and denouncing its billionaire chief as a corrupt oligarch.

Arianna Huffington to leave Huffington Post

(Reuters) - Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington said on Thursday she would leave the company to focus on running her new venture, health and wellness startup Thrive Global.

Alibaba's revenue jump 59 percent, GMV increases by a quarter

(Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd reported a better-than-expected 59 percent jump in quarterly revenue on Thursday, defying a slowdown in the Chinese economy.

Taiwan police take aim at Pokemon gamers driven to distraction

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The launch of the Pokemon GO game in Taiwan has sparked a sharp rise in traffic violations by commuters using their smartphones to play while driving.

IBM's Watson won Jeopardy, but can it win business from banks?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp is in an unusual fix in telling big U.S. banks they can use its Watson software of Jeopardy-winning fame as a cost-saving solution: bankers say they like it, but cannot afford it.

Google Ventures CEO Bill Maris quits: Recode

(Reuters) - Bill Maris, the chief executive and founder of Alphabet Inc's venture capital arm GV, is leaving the company, Recode reported, citing sources.

Samsung Electronics says to acquire U.S. appliances maker Dacor

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Thursday it will acquire U.S.-based luxury appliances maker Dacor Inc, seeking to boost high-end product sales.

U.S. court upholds state laws limiting municipal broadband

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court said on Wednesday the U.S. Federal Communications Commission could not block two states from setting limits on municipal broadband expansion.

'No Man's Sky': from a humble shed to a new gigantic universe

LONDON (Reuters) - A new computer game created by a team of 15 people in a shed in southern England made its highly anticipated debut this week after creating buzz for conjuring a mind-bogglingly large universe of 18 quintillion planets for players to explore.