Reuters - Technology Report

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Samsung leader named a suspect in South Korea political probe

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean special prosecutor's office will question Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] leader Jay Y. Lee as a suspect in a widening influence-peddling scandal that may force President Park Geun-hye from office.

Exclusive: Alibaba, part of planned Taiwan fund, won't seek board seats at local firms - source

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding, which is awaiting regulatory approval for a $45 million fund it is participating in, has promised the Taiwanese government it will not take board seats at local firms the fund invests in, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Bitcoin slides after China central bank launches investigation

LONDON (Reuters) - The price of digital currency bitcoin slid around $50 on Wednesday after China's central bank said it had launched spot investigations on bitcoin exchanges in Beijing and Shanghai in order to fend off market risks.

European carmakers hope to catch Tesla with faster e-car chargers

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe's biggest carmakers are drawing on the full force of the continent's industrial prowess to build a network of ultra-fast charging stations as they look to stoke demand for electric cars and break Tesla's stranglehold on the market.

Tesla taps Apple engineer for Autopilot software

(Reuters) - Electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc has hired a key Apple Inc software engineer to oversee its Autopilot self-driving software efforts, Tesla said in a blog post Tuesday.

Exclusive: Regulators criticize banks over Uber loan - sources

(Reuters) - Federal regulators criticized several Wall Street banks over the handling of a $1.15 billion loan they helped arrange for Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] this past summer, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Snapchat becomes latest tech firm to pick London despite Brexit

LONDON (Reuters) - Messaging app Snapchat said it would make London the home of its international operations, delivering another vote of confidence in Britain's tech standing as the country prepares to leave the European Union.

EU privacy proposal could dent Facebook, Gmail ad revenue

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Online messaging services such as WhatsApp, iMessage and Gmail will face tougher rules on how they can track users under a proposal presented by the European Union executive on Tuesday which could hurt companies reliant on advertising.

China's WeChat seeks slice of Apple's app store with 'mini' function

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's largest mobile social media network WeChat is offering its 768 million users a function which allows them to by-pass app stores such as Apple's .

Ellen Pao, once at center of gender case, joins Kapor in diversity role

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Former Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Ellen Pao, whose 2012 gender discrimination lawsuit against the venture firm fueled a debate over tech industry diversity, has joined Oakland-based Kapor Center for Social Impact as an investor and diversity advocate, Kapor announced Tuesday.