Sony taps pandemic-driven boom in gaming consoles, to launch PS5 in India on February 2

On Friday, in a statement Sony Corp said it will launch its PlayStation 5 (PS5) console in India in coming weeks; the development marks Sony trying to capitalize the pandemic-driven boom in gaming. “We are happy to announce that PS5 shall be launched in India on 2nd of February 2021,” tweeted Sony. Preorders for the…

China’s Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group signs 5 year battery grade lithium supply deal with Tesla

In a statement China’s Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co Ltd stated, it has signed a deal to supply battery-grade lithium hydroxide to Tesla Inc for the next five years. According to a filing in the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Yahua has placed the total value of the contract, signed by its wholly-owned subsidiary Yaan Lithium, at…

Hackers exploiting SolarWinds products impacting federal, state, local governments: CISA

In a statement U.S. cybersecurity agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stated, that the widespread cyber espionage campaign which was made public earlier this month is affecting state and local governments. The hacking campaign exploits vulnerabilities in U.S. tech company SolarWindss products as a springboard to penetrate federal government networks. In a statement, the…

Samsung likely to discontinue Galaxy Note from 2021: Sources

According to sources familiar with the knowledge at hand, from 2021 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd may discontinue its Galaxy Note line of smartphones. The development comes in the wake of a sharp drop in demand for high-end smartphones because of the coronavirus-induced COVID-19 pandemic. Known for its large screen and its stylus for taking notes,…

Astanor Ventures raises $325 million for investing in agri-food tech startups

On Friday, Astanor Ventures, a backer French insect breeder Ynsect as well as Germany’s vertical farmer InFarm stated, it had raised a $325 million fund to invest in sustainable agriculture, food, and ocean technology startups. The new fund will back ventures that seek to make the food supply more resilient to climate change and attempt…

Israeli chip manufacturer Tower Semiconductor halts production following cyber attack

On Sunday, Israeli chip manufacturer Tower Semiconductor said, some of its systems have been hit by a cyber attack as a result of which it has placed on hold some of its manufacturing operations. “Tower has notified relevant authorities, and is working closely with law enforcement organizations and with a leading team of worldwide experts,…

Exxon Mobil offers volumtary redundanct scheme for Australia midst looming multi-billion quarterly loss

On Wednesday, in a statement Exxon Mobil Corp said, it has started a voluntary redundancy programme for its Australian employees, as means to mitigate the current predominant “unprecedented” market conditions. The voluntary redundancy programme is being offered to all employees in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Gippsland, and Perth, said Exxon in a statement. When asked to…

Facebook partners with external researchers to study impact of social media during 2020 U.S. Presidential election

In a significant development, Facebook Inc disclosed that it has partnered with external researchers to examine its impact during the crucial 2020 U.S. presidential election. The findings of the studies will be published in the middle of 2021, at the earliest. The initiative expands its Social Science One project wherein academics study the political impacts…

Hacker hit cruise operator Carnival Corp with ransomware, gain access to employee data

Cruise operator Carnival Corp disclosed, it has launched an investigation into a ransomware attack on one of its brand’s computer network systems. In a regulatory filing, Carnival, which operates AIDA, Carnival and Princess cruises among others, disclosed that through the attack hackers were able to gain access personal data of guests and employees. Carnival Corp…