Top tech news stories today: August 14, 2024

Top tech news stories today: August 14, 2024 is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

Fintech

1. Bitcoin miner Riot Platforms raises stake in rival Bitfarms to 18.9%

Riot acquired 1 million common shares of Bitfarms on Tuesday, representing about 0.22% of issued and outstanding Bitfarms common stock. (US news)

2. Talen focused on data center demand as it considers axing crypto business

Talen Energy is focused on capturing surging demand from data center developers as the independent power company looks to pivot away from its crypto mining operation, company executives said on Tuesday. (CNA)

3. Bitfarms chair Bonta to step down amid board fight with rival Riot

Bitcoin miner Bitfarms said on Tuesday its co-founder and chair Nicolas Bonta, one of the three board members its rival and top shareholder Riot Platforms sought to replace, will exit immediately. (Aol.)

IT infrastructure

4. India telecom watchdog directs carriers to stop spam calls, blacklist callers

The government has been looking to clamp down on the spike in such calls including those where scammers pose as representatives of firms like FedEx and Blue Dart and extract sensitive financial information. (NDTV)

5. India’s L&T Semiconductor to sign first clients by September, CEO says

India’s L&T Semiconductor Technologies will sign contracts with six automobile companies by the end of September, making them its first clients, the company’s chief executive said on Tuesday. (Yahoo Finance)

Tech trends

6. Breaking up Google an option being considered by US

The U.S. Department of Justice is considering options that include breaking up Alphabet’s Google, a week after a judge ruled the tech giant illegally monopolized the online search market. (Market Screen)

7. Intel is sued by Jewish fired employee over ex-supervisor’s alleged antisemitism

Plaintiff in New York case says he lost job after complaining that his manager openly celebrated terrorism against Israel. (Guardian)

8. Google Fitbit, Peloton announce fitness content partnership

Google’s Fitbit has partnered with Peloton Interactive to give its premium users access to the exercise equipment maker’s fitness content, starting early September.

9. Samsung Electronics’ main South Korea union to strike over pay from Thursday

Samsung Electronics’ biggest workers’ union in South Korea said on Tuesday it would begin a four-day strike from Thursday to pressure the company over higher wages and bonuses after talks with management fell through in July. (The Star)

10. Meta welcomes Turkey lifting access ban on Instagram, spokesperson says

Meta Platforms said on Tuesday that it welcomed Turkey’s reopening of access to its Instagram social media platform and that it continues to talk to Turkish authorities about content and accounts that violate its policies. (CNA)

11. Enzo Biochem to pay $4.5 million over cyberattack, NY attorney general says

Enzo Biochem will pay $4.5 million to settle regulatory charges that lax security protocols contributed to an April 2023 cyberattack that compromised Social Security numbers, health histories and other information for about 2.4 million patients. (CNA)

AI

12. Google launches first AI-powered Android update and new Pixel 9 phones

Google announced its new Android software update and smartphone series that utilize its Gemini AI assistant. (CNBC)

13. Copyright group takes down Dutch language AI dataset

Dutch-based copyright enforcement group BREIN has taken down a large language dataset that was being offered for use in training AI models, the organization said on Tuesday. (Reuters)