Technology

GlobalWafers makes last ditch bid to save $5.3 billion Siltronic deal

BERLIN (Reuters) - Taiwan's GlobalWafers made what it said was a final attempt to save a 4.35 billion euro ($5.3 billion) bid for Germany's Siltronic on Monday by lowering the minimum acceptance threshold and extending its offer deadline.

Technology

Google workers to form global union alliance

(Reuters) - Google employees from across the globe are forming a union alliance, weeks after workers at the search engine giant and other units of parent company Alphabet Inc formed a labor union for U.S. and Canadian offices.

Technology

China Focus: China's timely sharing of coronavirus information helps the world

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists raced against the clock to identify the pathogen and timely shared with the world the genome sequence of the coronavirus, winning time for the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, said a top biosafety specialist.

MCMC

MCMC: Nearly 3,000 pornographic websites blocked since 2018

MCMC has blocked 2,921 pornographic websites over the last three years, as part of its campaign against lewd content on the Internet.

Video games

Cyberpunk patch boosts CD Projekt as PlayStation return nears

Poland’s biggest computer-game maker jumped after releasing the first bigger patch for its bug-ridden Cyberpunk 2077 game as it strives to get the tittle back on Sony Corp’s PlayStation store.

Cybersecurity

Russian hack of US agencies exposed supply chain weaknesses

The elite Russian hackers who gained access to computer systems of federal agencies last year didn’t bother trying to break one by one into the networks of each department.

AI

Survey: US leading race in artificial intelligence, China rising

The United States is leading rivals in development and use of artificial intelligence while China is rising quickly and European Union is lagging, a research report showed on Jan 25.

Video games

Blizzard absorbs Activision studio after dismantling classic games team

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc took another step in consolidating control over division Blizzard Entertainment, which once took pride in its autonomy, by shifting a 200-person design studio to its ranks.

Social media

Local food delivery rider’s video of filthy flat goes viral, netizens shocked at squalor

A food delivery driver's experience of having to send food to a customer living in a filthy flat has gone viral, with netizens shocked at the sheer squalor.

Video games

CD Projekt releases Cyberpunk patch as it seeks to regain trust

Poland’s biggest computer-game maker released the first large patch to repair bugs in its Cyberpunk 2077 game as it strives to improve the experience for players.

Technology

Oxfam: Billionaires thriving as poor suffer in widening Covid-19 divide

Billionaires including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Tesla founder Elon Musk have seen their wealth soar during the Covid-19 pandemic while the world’s poor face years of hardship, charity Oxfam said on Monday as it demanded steps to tackle inequality.

Video games

Microsoft says it ‘messed up’ on pricier plan for Xbox Live Gold

Microsoft Corp backtracked on a plan to raise the price for subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold, its paid online gaming platform, after outrage from users.

Social media

Indonesia to deport Russian social media star who held party

A Russian social media celebrity was being deported from Indonesia on Jan 24 after he held a party at a luxury hotel on the resort island of Bali attended by more than 50 people despite coronavirus restrictions.

Cybersecurity

German government fears cyberattacks on vaccination centres

The government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of possible attacks by opponents of vaccinations or coronavirus skeptics on vaccine facilities.

Technology

Exclusive: Taiwan ministry says TSMC will prioritise auto chips if possible

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) will prioritise production of auto chips if it is able to further increase capacity, Taiwan's Economics Ministry told Reuters, amid a global shortage that has hampered car production.

Technology

Makers of Sophia the robot plan mass rollout amid pandemic

HONG KONG (Reuters) - "Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly," Sophia says as she conducts a tour of her lab in Hong Kong. "I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations."

Smartphones

Fear and frustration in Nigeria as millions at risk of phone suspension

The government of Africa’s most populous country has ordered telecom operators to block the SIM cards of anyone who fails to register for a National Identity Number (NIN) by Feb 9.

Cybersecurity

SonicWall says it was victim of ‘sophisticated’ hack

The cybersecurity company SonicWall Inc said it was the victim of a coordinated attack on its internal systems by “highly sophisticated” hackers.

Robotics

Mass rollout of Sophia the robot planned amid pandemic

Since being unveiled in 2016, Sophia – a humanoid robot – has gone viral. Now the company behind her has a new vision: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.

Technology

China science, technology news summary -- Jan. 25

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.