Reuters - Technology Report

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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Bitcoin slips to around $16,300, futures volumes drop

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Virtual currency bitcoin dipped slightly from the previous session's record highs on Tuesday, after a month of whirlwind and volatile gains leading up to the launch of bitcoin futures on the weekend.

Apple confirms deal to buy music discovery app Shazam

SAN FRANSICO (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Monday confirmed it had reached a deal to acquire Shazam Entertainment Ltd, the U.K.-based app that lets users identify songs by pointing a smart phone at the audio source.

Amazon's cloud unit expands in China, with new partner in Ningxia

BEIJING (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it was expanding its cloud computing business in China with a new local partner, aiming to win share in an increasingly crowded and highly regulated market.

Airbnb drops controversial payment card in France

PARIS (Reuters) - Short-term rental website Airbnb has agreed to withdraw a controversial payment system in France after government officials, including finance minister Bruno Le Maire, met with its managers on Monday.

U.S. agency prepares to hand over internet oversight to FTC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission plans to turn over oversight of internet service providers to another federal agency as it plans to vote on Thursday to revoke the landmark 2015 "net neutrality" rules.

Singapore's electric car-sharing program hits the road

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore launched on Tuesday its first large-scale electric car-sharing program through which the land-scarce city-state hopes to provide commuters with more transport options and steer them away from the need to buy their own cars.

Taiwan's Far Eastern International fined T$8 million over SWIFT hacking incident

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's financial regulator said on Tuesday it had fined Far Eastern International Bank T$8 million ($266,524) due to deficiencies related to its SWIFT system hacking incident.

Rolls-Royce creates cross-business data unit to drive efficiency

LONDON (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce has created a data unit, named R2 Data Labs, that uses analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve efficiency across its civil and defense aerospace, marine, nuclear and power systems businesses.

Atos offers to buy Gemalto for 4.3 billion euros to boost cyber security services

PARIS (Reuters) - French technology consulting firm Atos offered to buy Gemalto for 4.3 billion euros ($5.06 billion) on Monday to boost its cyber security services as states and big corporations seek to cope with a growing number of attacks on the Internet worldwide.

China video game craze drives booming e-sports market

WUHU, China/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - In an industrial park on the edge of Shanghai, a dozen Chinese teenagers are taking a break from battling digital armies to focus on their yoga.