George Floyd’s death, and weeks of global protest against racial inequality that followed, have persuaded two of Silicon Valley’s biggest brands to rethink facial recognition technology. On Tuesday IBM announced it would…
Upstart Banking App Varo Money Secures $241m Round
Mobile-only bank Varo Money has raised a $241 million Series D funding round. Gallatin Point Capital and The Rise Fund helped back the deal, which the San Francisco-headquartered firm says will help…
Switzerland Develops first Google, Apple Tracing API-based App
Swiss authorities have launched a contact-tracing app it hopes will stymie the spread of Coronavirus – the first to use Google and Apple’s tracing API. “SwissCovid”, currently in its pilot phase, will…
Is The Facebook Giphy Buy a Disaster for Privacy?
Facebook is buying gif-searcher Giphy for around $400 million. That’s no drop in the ocean. But it is a 50% drop on Giphy’s most recent valuation: even gif-sharing has been picked off…
Taiwan is Beating the Virus – and Tech is on its Frontline
Taiwan is an nation of almost 24 million people, squeezed onto an island the size of Maryland. It’s barely a hundred miles from China with regular flights to Wuhan, the generally-accepted epicenter…
Bosch Claims Invention of 2.5-hour COVID-19 Test
Bosch claims it has invented a fully-automated test that diagnoses respiratory pathogens, including COVID-19, in under two-and-a-half hours. The test, working on Bosch Healthcare Solutions’ Vivalytic analysis device, can be performed directly…
Governments Are Increasingly Using Location Data to Battle Coronavirus
Governments around the world are increasingly using mobile location data to help fight the spread of coronavirus. South Korea has used cell phone tracking data to create a publicly accessible map, where…
Uber Stocks Tumble, as Company Ponders Coronavirus Driver Suspension
Uber’s share price has plummeted almost 10%, as the ride-hail company scrambles for solutions amid the Coronavirus outbreak. Uber is one of a number of firms—including rival Lyft, whose price dropped 11.8%—whose…
China is Showing How Web Censorship is a Public Health Risk
Last week China unveiled a new law effectively banning its Internet users from posting negative content about their country. The Provisions on the Governance of the Online Information Content Ecosystem rule, announced…
Coronavirus Hammers Apple iPhone Production Forecast
Apple has warned that the ongoing Coronavirus will hit its March revenue forecast, as the outbreak continues to wreak havoc on China’s economy. In a statement, Apple declared that, “Our quarterly guidance…