This week's roundup looked at the top news stories from the Global B2B tech & telecoms industry.
The stories cover DPD, Sony, Disney, eBay, Apple, Netflix, AI and Cybersecurity.
Here are our highlights:
monday_____________________________
DPD customer service chatbot swears and calls company 'worst delivery firm'
Musician Ashley Beauchamp was faced with an unhelpful customer service AI chatbot when he started causing "chaos" and was able to get the bot to amusingly turn against the parcel delivery company. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/491Rsj7
‘Sign from the lord’: Sony tells Zee it’s terminating the $10 billion India merger
Sony called off the merger between its India unit and Zee Entertainment on Monday, ending a two-year acquisition deliberation that would have created a $10 billion media powerhouse in the South Asian market. Read the full story here: https://tcrn.ch/48I65bo
TUEsday___________________________
Concrete4Change raises £2.5m to trap CO2 in building materials
Concrete4Change, a Nottingham-based startup that captures and mineralises CO2 to develop sustainable concrete, has raised £2.5m.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3vPH3sE
Disney offers an elegant solution to VR’s movement problem
The system, which features a concave platform and slippery shoes, was clever enough to influence Ready Player One’s take on the space.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4b65hik
WEDNESday___________________________
eBay plans to cut 1,000 jobs because it couldn’t grow enough
A game changing computer: Apple's first Macintosh turns 40
The computer, which came with an inbuilt screen and mouse, was revealed to the world in a high-budget Super Bowl advert, directed by Sir Ridley Scott, in January 1984..
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/48HroKg
Thursday____________________________
Netflix subscribers surge after crackdown on password sharing
Netflix saw a boost in subscriber numbers at the end of last year after banning sharing accounts and introducing cheaper plans with adverts. The company added 13.1 million worldwide subscribers in the last months of 2023. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3ugok8V
Children contacting Childline about AI-generated online harms
Debate around how to safely develop AI tools has intensified over the last 12 months as the technology has become increasingly mainstream, such as ChatGPT.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4bdqEOD
Friday____________________________
Telefónica floats the idea of Helium hotspots in Mexico
The telco has partnered with US-based blockchain company Nova Labs to launch the latter's Helium Mobile Network of decentralised Wi-Fi hotspots.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3OdGWxm
US regulator admits cyber-security lapse before rogue Bitcoin post
The US financial regulator has confirmed a key security procedure on its X account had been suspended for six months when hackers made a fake post about Bitcoin in January.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3Okf6zj
