IT infrastructure
1. Salesforce to buy data protection provider Own Company for $1.9 billion
Salesforce said on Thursday it would buy Own Company, a provider of data protection and management solutions, for $1.9 billion in cash to accelerate growth of its data security and privacy products. (Yahoo Finance)
2. CBOE partners with UK firm to launch U.S. private share trading platform
Derivatives exchange operator CBOE is partnering with a London-based tech firm, Globacap, to create a U.S. trading platform for shares of closely held companies, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. (MSN)
3. Senate panel to question US semiconductor firms on Russian weapons
The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said Thursday it will hold a hearing with four major semiconductor companies on the use American-manufactured semiconductors in Russian weapons deployed in the war in Ukraine. (MSN)
4. US implements new controls on advanced technology alongside international partners
The United States on Thursday published new controls on advanced technology, including quantum computers, in line with restrictions imposed by international partners. (Yahoo Finance)
5. PayPal pushes into in-person payments with cashback rewards, Apple integration
PayPal is expanding into U.S. point-of-sale payments by integrating its debit card with Apple’s mobile wallet and offering 5% cashback rewards, as the global online payments giant seeks direct competition with tech companies and banks. (US news)
6. Leaked Disney data reveals financial and strategy secrets, WSJ reports
Data from Walt Disney that was leaked online this summer included financial and strategy information, as well as personally identifiable information of some staff and customers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. (Reuters)
Tech trends
7. US calls on Big Tech to help evade online censors in Russia, Iran
The White House, aiming to persuade U.S. tech giants to offer more digital bandwidth for government-funded internet censorship evasion tools, held a meeting with representatives of Amazon.com, Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare and others on Thursday. (MSN)
8. Verizon to buy Frontier in $20 bln deal to boost fiber network in U.S.
Communications giant Verizon announced Thursday it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Frontier Communications in an all-cash transaction valued at $20 billion. (USA Today)
9. Google limits on Android Auto access may breach EU rules, court adviser says
Google’s refusal to allow an e-mobility app developed by Enel access to its Android Auto platform may breach competition rules, an adviser to Europe’s top court said, siding with Italy’s antitrust authority. (US news)
10. Tesla shares gain on plans to launch Full Self-Driving in Europe, China
Tesla shares surged over 7% after the company confirmed plans to launch its Full Self-Driving software in China and Europe, pending regulatory approval. (Economic Times)
AI
11. Broadcom forecasts lukewarm quarterly revenue despite AI chip surge, shares fall
Chipmaker Broadcom forecast fourth-quarter revenue slightly below Wall Street expectations on Thursday, hurt by sluggish spending in its broadband segment. (Reuters)
12. US, Britain, EU to sign first international AI treaty
The Council of Europe hailed the agreement as the “first international legally binding treaty” on the use of AI systems. It said it was an open treaty that could be signed by more countries. (DW)
13. OpenAI hits more than 1 million paid business users
The startup introduced an enterprise product a year ago in a bid to boost revenue. (Bloomberg)
14. FedEx invests in AI robotics company Nimble to boost its supply chain business
FedEx (FDX) said on Thursday it has invested in AI robotics and autonomous technology company Nimble to help scale up the delivery giant’s Fulfillment unit which aids small and medium-sized businesses in fulfilling orders and managing inventory. (Yahoo Finance)
15. Ilya Sutskever on how AI will change and his new startup Safe Superintelligence
Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s former chief scientist, has launched a new company called Safe Superintelligence (SSI), aiming to develop safe artificial intelligence systems that far surpass human capabilities. (US news)
