Archive for October 2019
De La Rue’s Bid to Return to Circulation
De La Rue, the British firm which has printed roughly a third of all banknotes currently in circulation, has recently come to be better known for its long list of scandals. Last year, the company was left red-faced after it was drastically underbid by European competitor Gemalto to produce UK passports; just months ago, the […]
Germany won’t exclude Huawei from its 5G networks, rejecting calls from US
Germany is set to publish new 5G security guidelines that would not exclude Huawei from providing equipment for networks, rejecting calls by US officials to shut out the Chinese tech firm, according to Reuters. Huawei is the world’s leading vendor for telecoms equipment, with 28 percent of global market share, supplying all German operators. They’ve warned […]
UK medtech startup Mogrify raises $20 million to develop innovative cell therapies
The Cambridge-based medtech startup Mogrify has raised $20 million to develop cutting-edge, life-saving cell therapies to treat cancer, autoimmune, respiratory, and musculoskeletal diseases, according to TechCrunch. After raising $4 million in seed funding earlier this year, they’ve now raised another $16 million in Series A funding, from investors including Ahren Innovation Capital, Parkwalk Advisors, 24Haymarket, and the University […]
Visa, Mastercard, and eBay abandon Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project
Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project suffered a major setback on Friday with the withdrawal of Visa, MasterCard, eBay, and other payment firms, according to BBC News and Ars Technica. PayPal had already announced plans to withdraw from the project last week. The companies were slated to join the Libra Association, a Geneva-based organization that would develop and manage the […]
German startup Lilium reportedly seeks over €450m in funding for air taxis
The German “flying car” startup Lilium is talking to investors in an effort to raise up to $500 million (€453 million) in a new funding round, sources told TechCrunch. Fundraising on that scale would mark the most capital yet raised by an air taxi startup, and could move the prospect closer to becoming a reality. Lilium […]
EU report outlines new cybersecurity risks with 5G
5G mobile networks could bring new cybersecurity vulnerabilities to European infrastructure, according to a joint risk assessment report published by EU member states. The European Commission and Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, warned in a joint statement: “In this context of increased exposure to attacks facilitated by suppliers, the risk profile of […]
UK-based firm will unveil world’s first flying taxi hub in Singapore
The Essex-based company Skyports will unveil the world’s first hub for flying taxis, for industry executives at the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress later this month in Singapore, according to Bloomberg. They’ll demonstrate their new “vertiport” with a test flight of an electric aircraft from the German company Volocopter, which has said Singapore is a likely […]
When content is deemed illegal in Europe, Facebook can be forced to remove it worldwide, top court rules
Europe’s top court has ruled that Facebook can be ordered to remove illegal content from its entire global platform, even if it’s legal elsewhere, according to Politico, The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, immediately said that he plans to challenge the decision by Europe’s Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The court ruled that EU law allows judges to order […]
Authorities ask Facebook to rethink its plan to encrypt messaging, citing public safety concerns
Officials from the UK, US, and Australia are asking Facebook to reconsider its plan to encrypt user messages, saying it could hinder efforts to fight terrorism and ensure public safety, according to The Guardian. In an open letter first reported by BuzzFeed News, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, US Attorney General William Barr, and Australian […]
UK appeals court allows collective lawsuit of Google over iPhone privacy violations
A UK appeals court has ruled to allow a collective lawsuit against Google, for ignoring privacy settings to track the web activity of Safari users on iPhones, according to Engadget and TechCrunch. High Court chancellor Sir Geoffrey Ross said that if the lawsuit is successful, it would hold Google accountable for “deliberate misuse of personal data without […]