Second European EV battery consortium underway: Handelsblatt

Germany has agreed in principle with eight other European nations to set up a second consortium for the production and recycling of battery cells for cars, daily Handelsblatt reported, citing economy minister Peter Altmaier.

China says new digital currency will be similar to Facebook's Libra

China's proposed new digital currency would bear some similarities to Facebook's Libra coin and would be able to be used across major payment platforms such as WeChat and Alipay, a senior central bank officer said.

App attempts a rare trick in China: online privacy

In a country where privacy protections are considered weak and anything-goes data collection has become the norm, Chinese tech entrepreneur Yang Geng stands out.

Alibaba dials up luxury push with $2 billion buy of Netease e-commerce arm

Alibaba Group has agreed to buy e-commerce business Kaola from Chinese gaming company NetEase for $2 billion, adding a platform that specializes in supplying curated luxury goods from abroad to domestic consumers.

TomTom: Microsoft integrating our navigation in connected vehicles platform

TomTom, the Dutch mapping and navigation company, said on Friday Microsoft is integrating TomTom's navigation technology into its Connected Vehicle Platform.

Telenav says contract with GM intact after automaker signs Google deal

Telenav Inc said on Thursday General Motors Co's partnership with Alphabet's Google to power its vehicles' navigation and other infotainment functions does not alter its contract with the carmaker.

Alibaba to buy luxury e-commerce business from Netease for $2 billion

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd will buy e-commerce business Kaola from Chinese gaming company NetEase Inc for $2 billion, adding a platform that specializes in supplying luxury goods from abroad to Chinese consumers.

Telenav says no alteration to its GM contract

Telenav Inc said General Motors Co's partnership with Alphabet's Google to power its vehicles' navigation, and other infotainment functions starting 2021 does not alter its contract with the carmaker in any way.

NetEase sells Kaola unit to Alibaba for $2 billion

Nasdaq-listed gaming giant NetEase Inc said on Thursday it agreed to sell its Chinese e-commerce business Kaola to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd for $2 billion.

Tech startups tout AI to airlines seeking revenue boost

(This Sept. 3 story has been corrected to remove JetBlue as customer for Yana in paragraph 11, adds Alaska Airlines. JetBlue is an investor in Volantio, not a product user.)

Japan's Rakuten shares fall 6% after reports of wireless network delay

Shares in Japanese internet firm Rakuten fell 6% on Friday after media reports that it is pushing back the commercial launch of its wireless carrier service by six months because of delays in building the network.

Facebook, Microsoft launch contest to detect deepfake videos

Facebook Inc is teaming up with Microsoft Corp, the Partnership on AI coalition and academics from several universities to launch a contest to better detect deepfakes, the company said in a blog post https://ai.facebook.com/blog/deepfake-detection-challenge on Thursday.

Paxos gets U.S. regulator nod for gold-backed token, dollar-backed stablecoin

Paxos Trust Company launched the first regulated, gold-backed digital token and later this month will debut a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, after getting approval from New York regulators on Thursday.

WeWork mulls slashing IPO valuation as skepticism rises over business model: sources

WeWork owner The We Company is considering slashing the valuation it will seek in an initial public offering (IPO) to a little over $20 billion, less than half the $47 billion valuation it achieved in a private fundraising round in January, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Amazon's Ring camera raises civil liberties concerns: U.S. senator

U.S. Democratic Senator Edward Markey raised concerns on Thursday that law enforcement use of Amazon.com Inc's Ring doorbell camera in investigations could disproportionately affect people of color and encourage racial profiling.

Colombian regulators order delivery app Rappi to comply with commerce laws

Colombian regulators on Thursday ordered popular delivery app Rappi to comply with electronic commerce laws, saying the company is offering services that go beyond basic contact between clients and suppliers.

Slack shares recover from hammering after first results as public company

Shares of Slack Technologies Inc recovered initial losses to trade just 2% lower on Thursday, after the workplace messaging firm's first quarterly report as a public company beat expectations while warning of slowing growth.

Italy approves use of special powers over 5G supply deals

Italy's new government on Thursday approved its use of special powers in supply deals for fifth-generation (5G) telecom services by a number of domestic firms with providers including China's Huawei and ZTE Corporation.

Chinese TV maker TCL launches 329 euro smartphone for video lovers

Chinese TV maker TCL Electronics launched a low-cost smartphone on Thursday in a bet that it can harness its expertise in screens to win over consumers who are increasingly watching video on mobile devices.

Samsung to launch Galaxy Fold in South Korea on Sept. 6 priced $2,000

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Thursday said its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, will be available in South Korea from Sept. 6 with fifth-generation (5G) mobile connectivity.