Men Who Sent Swat Team, Heroin to My Home Sentenced

It’s been a remarkable week for cyber justice. On Thursday, a Ukrainian man who hatched a plan in 2013 to send heroin to my home and then call the cops when the drugs arrived was sentenced to 41 months in prison for unrelated cybercrime charges. Separately, a 19-year-old American who admitted ...

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Exclusive: SoftBank willing to cede control of Sprint to entice T-Mobile - sources

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group Corp is prepared to give up control of Sprint Corp to Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile US Inc to clinch a merger of the two U.S. wireless carriers, according to people familiar with the matter.

Snap IPO expected to price March 1 after market closes

(Reuters) - The initial public offering of Snap Inc, owner of the popular messaging app Snapchat, is expected to price March 1 after the market closes, Fidelity Investments told brokerage clients on Friday.

Germany bans talking doll Cayla, citing security risk

BERLIN (Reuters) - A talking doll named Cayla has been banned by German authorities because the software inside her could be hacked, posing a security risk and allowing personal data to be revealed.

Indian IT industry faces twin challenges of Trump, automation

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Automation and the new U.S. administration were the big unknowns at the Indian tech sector's annual shindig this week, with machines threatening to take away thousands of jobs and concerns over possible visa rule changes in the key American market.

Santander invests in artificial intelligence startups: sources

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Spanish lender Banco Santander SA has invested in two artificial-intelligence companies, part of the financial industry's increased focus on technology smart enough to mimic human thinking, sources familiar with the deals told Reuters.

Accenture to create 15,000 jobs in U.S.

(Reuters) - Accenture Plc said on Friday it would create 15,000 jobs in the United States, as IT services firms brace for a more protectionist U.S. technology visa program under President Donald Trump.

Rheinmetall, Raytheon to cooperate in defense technology

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German and U.S. defense groups Rheinmetall and Raytheon have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate globally on defense technology, they said in a joint statement on Friday.

Spotify-backed Soundtrack Your Brand raises $22 million for expansion

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Soundtrack Your Brand (SYB), which provides a background music streaming service for businesses, said on Friday it had raised $22 million in a funding round led by Nordic venture capital fund Industrifonden and UK's Balderton Capital.

Apple to start India manufacturing in coming months with iPhone SE: source

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Apple Inc will in the coming months start assembling its lower-priced iPhone SE models at a contract manufacturer's plant in the southern Indian technology hub of Bengaluru, an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

Toshiba shares drop after S&P warns of downgrade risk

TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares in Japan's Toshiba sank 10 percent in morning trade on Friday, after rating agency S&P Global said it could slash the conglomerate's rating if financial support from lenders includes any form of debt restructuring.

Facebook CEO warns against reversal of global thinking

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg laid out a vision on Thursday of his company serving as a bulwark against rising isolationism, writing in a letter to users that the company's platform could be the "social infrastructure" for the globe.

Uber's former strategist fined $90,000 for violating lobbying law

(Reuters) - Chicago's ethics board voted unanimously to fine Uber Technologies Inc's former strategist, David Plouffe, $90,000 for illegally lobbying in the city.

Mattel partners with parenting website to expand China presence

(Reuters) - Barbie maker Mattel Inc said it would partner with Chinese parenting website Babytree to create an online learning platform for early childhood development, the latest in the No. 1 U.S. toymaker's push into China.

AT&T expands access to unlimited plan after Verizon launch

NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc said on Thursday it would make its unlimited data plan available to all wireless customers who pay a monthly bill, days after rival Verizon Communications Inc announced an unlimited option.

South Korea court approves warrant to arrest Samsung Group chief

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court said on Friday it approved a warrant to arrest Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee, who is under investigation for his alleged role in a corruption scandal that led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye.

Facebook says Irish challenge to U.S. data transfers 'deeply flawed'

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Facebook said on Thursday a legal challenge against the way it transfers EU user data to the United States was "deeply flawed" and should not be referred to the EU's top court because ample privacy protections were already in place.

Auto union courts Tesla workers, amplifies 'buy American' message

DETROIT (Reuters) - United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams said on Thursday the union is contacting workers at Silicon Valley electric car maker Tesla Inc , and plans to boost efforts to convince U.S. consumers not to buy vehicles built in other countries, including those sold by the Detroit ...

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European parliament calls for robot law, rejects robot tax

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European lawmakers called on Thursday for EU-wide legislation to regulate the rise of robots, including an ethical framework for their development and deployment and the establishment of liability for the actions of robots including self-driving cars.

EU privacy watchdogs seek assurances on U.S. data transfer pact

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union data privacy watchdogs will seek assurances from U.S. authorities that a move by U.S. President Donald Trump to crack down on illegal immigration will not undermine a transatlantic pact protecting the privacy of Europeans' data.

Auto union president: Organizing at Tesla depends on workers

(Reuters) - The president of the United Auto Workers union said on Thursday UAW organizers are in contact with workers at Silicon Valley electric car maker Tesla Inc , but said any formal effort to organize workers will "be determined by the interest of employees."

Telenor to roll out Google's new messaging service in Asia, Europe

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it partnered with Telenor ASA to roll out Rich Communications Services (RCS), an upgraded messaging service, to the Norwegian telecommunications company's subscribers in Asia and Europe.

Blackstone acquires London-based cloud computing firm Cloudreach

LONDON (Reuters) - Blackstone, which has $100 billion in private equity assets under management, has acquired a majority stake in cloud computing business Cloudreach for an undisclosed sum, the investment firm said on Thursday.

Container shipping lines sign up with Alibaba to offer online booking

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Two container shipping lines, France's CMA CGM and Israel's Zim, have signed up with Alibaba to allow customers to book space on their vessels through the Chinese e-commerce giant, in a bid to boost sales as the sector battles a severe downturn.

Infineon says U.S. has not suggested remedies for Wolfspeed deal

MUNICH (Reuters) - U.S. government security panel CFIUS has not suggested any measures that could address its concerns over plans by Infineon Technologies to buy Wolfspeed Power, according to a prepared speech by the German chipmaker's chief executive.

Olympics - Tokyo launches mobiles-to-medals recycling campaign

TOKYO (Reuters) - Members of the Japanese public lined up to donate unwanted mobile phones that will be recycled into medals for the 2020 Olympic Games, as a project aimed at promoting sustainability was launched on Thursday.

SMBC head says will give Toshiba as much support as possible

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, one of the main lenders to Toshiba Corp , will provide as much support as possible to the troubled electronics conglomerate, the bank's chief executive said on Thursday.

India's Tata Motors, Microsoft ink technology collaboration deal

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Tata Motors Ltd and Microsoft India on Thursday announced a strategic collaboration on the technology front to make driving a more personalized experiences for the customers, the companies said in a joint statement.

Snap sets valuation at lower end of expectation: WSJ

(Reuters) - Snap Inc, the owner of the popular messaging app Snapchat, has set a valuation range for itself of $19.5 billion to $22.2 billion in its initial public offering, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.

Atomico closes $765 million tech venture fund, Europe's biggest

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Atomico, which has spent the past decade proving startups can prosper outside Silicon Valley, said on Thursday it had closed Europe's largest standalone tech venture fund, a $765 million war chest that reflects the region's growing financing firepower.