One Thing Today in Tech
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Twitter expands Safety Mode, but not to India; Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Studio; Offgrid out of stealth with ZincGel
Twitter is making its Safety Mode auto-blocking feature available to a wider set of users in its beta version, to help people protect themselves from abuse on the microblogging platform, the company said yesterday. Microsoft has a new powerful laptop aimed at professionals. Plus, Offgrid Energy Labs, a battery tech startup, has launched its first product ZincGel
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Warren Buffett buys into Activision weeks before Microsoft deal; Reliance Jio forms satellite internet venture with SES
Warrant Buffett bought a billion dollars worth of Activision Blizzard shares weeks before Microsoft announced its deal to acquire the gaming company, according to a regulatory filing by the billionaire investor's company Berkshire Hathaway. Jio Platforms, the digital services unit of Reliance Industries, has formed a satellite internet JV. Separately, Jio will also invest $200 million in Glance
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Tatas reappoint N Chandrasekaran as chairman; Freshworks crosses $100 mln quarterly revenue mark; UK regulators warn banks on AI
N Chandrasekaran has been reappointed as the chairman of Tata Sons for a further five years, the salt to steel conglomerate said in a statement after its board met on February 11. Freshworks crossed the $100 million quarterly revenue milestone in its fiscal fourth quarter ended December 31. UK regulators have warned the country's banks on the use of AI for lending decisions
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Binance buys $200 mln stake in Forbes; Google releases Android 13 preview; Astra launch fails; Swiggy's FY21 revenues fall
Binance Holdings, the parent company of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, is making a strategic investment of $200 million into the 105-year-old media company Forbes, Bloomberg reports. Google has released Android 13 Preview 1. Astra's small rocket launch fails. And Swiggy's revenues fell for FY21, ET reports
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James Murdoch, Uday Shankar return with $1.5 bln Bodhi Tree; Starlink loses 40 satellites; Climate tech gets more money in India
James Murdoch and Uday Shankar have launched a new company called Bodhi Tree, with $1.5 billion from Qatar Investment Authority, to focus on opportunities in India and Southeast Asia. Starlink has lost 40 satellites to a geomagnetic storm. Climate tech businesses got 4X more money in 2021 versus 2020, Unitus Capital estimates
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Two arrested for links to 2016 crypto heist worth $4.5 bln today; Razorpay makes Malaysian acquisition; Airmeet raises $35 mln
The US Department of Justice has arrested two people in connection to a crypto heist in 2016. Razorpay has acquired a majority stake in Curlec, a Malaysian fintech company, in its first overseas acquisition as it moves to expand into Southeast Asia. Airmeet, an Indian competitor to Zoom, has raised $35 million
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Polygon raises $450 million from Sequoia, SoftBank; HaystackAnalytics develops universal infectious disease test; SatSure raises $5 million
Polygon, a blockchain startup, has raised about $450 million through a private sale of its native MATIC token in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital India, with participation from SoftBank and several other investors, the company said in a blogpost yesterday. HaystackAnalytics has released a universal infectious disease test. Plus, space-tech startup SatSure has raised $5 million in funding led by Baring PE
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Vitamin D deficiency linked to Covid-19 severity; Amazon, Nike may bid for Peloton; IIT-GN develops affordable desalination technique
There is a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and Covid-19 severity and mortality, according to a study conducted by Israeli researchers, Scitechdaily reports. Amazon and Nike are reportedly considering independent bids for Peloton. Plus, IIT-Gandhinagar researchers show a technique inspired by trees that has multiple applications, including effective water desalination
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European oil supply hit by cyber-attacks; TCS to add 1000 jobs in NJ; Jeff Bezos's superyacht needs a Dutch bridge dismantled
Multiple oil transport and storage companies across Europe are dealing with cyber-attacks, BBC reports. IT systems have been disrupted in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. In total, dozens of terminals with oil storage and transport around the world have been affected. TCS will add close to 1,000 jobs in New Jersey. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's mega-yacht needs a historic bridge in Rotterdam partially dismantled so it can sail out to the ocean
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Number of Facebook users fall first time ever; Cognizant posts strong Q4 numbers; Chargebee raises $250 million
Facebook saw its first-ever quarterly decline of daily users globally. Parent company Meta warned of a slowdown in the growth of ad sales that sent its shares plunging by 20 percent on Wednesday. US IT services giant Cognizant joined its rivals in posting strong December quarter numbers. Chargebee, a SaaS company raised a quarter of a billion dollars with a big jump in valuation
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India to introduce CBDC, tax cryptos; Google parent Alphabet reports record sales, announces stock split
India will introduce a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to "give a big boost to the digital economy," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her speech yesterday outlining the government's budget proposals for the coming fiscal year that starts April 1. India will also tax crypto transactions at the rate of 30 percent, she said. And Google's parent Alphabet reported record revenues for 2021, as ads and cloud sales surged