SolarWinds hack was the largest and most sophisticated cyber attack to date: Microsoft president

In a statement, Microsoft Corp’s President Brad Smith said, the SolarWinds hacking campaign that used the U.S. tech company as a springboard to compromise many U.S. government agencies is “the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen”. The hacking campaign, identified in December 2020, was allegedly orchestrated by China and Russia, had…

Department of Energy launches $100 million tech funding in push towards clean energy

In a statement the Biden Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Energy will “offer $100 million in funding to support low-carbon energy technologies”; it will also create a working group to aid their development and sale. The announcement was made by National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy at the White House’s first meeting of the…

In a world first Google launches News Showcase platform in Australia

On Friday, in a world first Google launched a paid news platform in Australia after it struck content deals with publishers in a move aimed at complying with Canberra’s new legislation. Initially the News Showcase platform was slated for launch in June 2020, but Google delayed launching plans following Australia passing a new legislation which…

Amazon.com to use Ai-powered video cameras in its branded delivery vans

In a statement Amazon.com said, it will install AI-powered video cameras in its branded delivery vans in order to improve the safety of both drivers and the communities in which it delivers. Recently Amazon has started rolling out camera-based safety technology across its delivery fleet. “This technology will provide drivers real-time alerts to help them…

With Spain introducing digital tax on large tech companies, Amazon.com Inc hikes fees for Spanish users

Starting from April, Amazon.com Inc is set to raise fees by 3% for Spanish companies that use its platform. The development comes in the wake of the Spanish government imposing a digital tax on large tech companies. Confirming the so-called Google tax, a spokesman for Amazon said, after Spain begun charging a digital tax on…

Trump directs federal agencies to assess security risks from Chinese-made drones

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing U.S agencies to assess security risks linked to Chinese-made drones used by American government fleets, prioritizing their removal. The executive order directs all U.S. agencies to outline the security risks posed to the existing government drone fleet from drones built by Chinese companies or by…

Business users of WhatsApp’s not protected by end-to-end encryption

With users migrating to other messaging platforms following privacy concerns stemming from Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp update, Facebook said, it will delay the update. WhatsApp users are concerned that the Facebook owned messaging app is watering down its privacy policy in the update. Earlier this month, WhatsApp notified users through a notification that it was preparing…

Class action lawsuit filed against Amazon.com over ebook pricing

A class-action lawsuit has been filed accusing Amazon.com Inc of inflating ebook prices in collusion with some publishers. The class action lawsuit alleges that the e-commerce giant along with the five largest U.S. publishers, collectively called the ‘Big Five’, agreed to price restraints that cause consumers to overpay for eBooks purchased from them through a…