Tech Nuggets with the Technology

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

You can now share links using QR code, here’s how

Google Chrome once again is tipped to get a new feature that will allow users to share the website or any particular webpage by converting it to a QR code which can be decoded by a compatible device such as smartphone’s camera or Google Lens. https://ift.tt/2Pb7qRV

12 books Bill Gates wants you to read this year

gadgetsnow.com/slideshows/12-books-bill-gates-wants-you-to-read-this-year/photolist/72482558.cms

Twitter backs overhaul of social media to stem disinformation

A shared new standard could curb the power of tech giants to determine what content goes viral -- putting individual users in control. https://ift.tt/34eG55E https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Indian data bill more stringent than EU law

Govt official says personal data protection rules in India will apply to any organisation that has user data including search engines https://ift.tt/38vpnSQ https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Digital firms scramble to save tax as data law tightens

The fear for companies such as Google, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon and LinkedIn is that if the servers sit in India, it would be seen as a permanent establishment https://ift.tt/2YHzzD3 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Personal Data Protection Bill can turn India into 'Orwellian State': Justice BN Srikrishna

The government could exempt its agencies from rules that govern processing of personal data citing national security, public order and friendly relations with foreign states. However, this will be subject to procedures, safeguards and oversight mechanism of the respective agency. https://ift.tt/348k7Ba https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

AngelList report: seed stage investors can increase their yields by investing into every credible deal, contradicting the common wisdom of passing on most (Abe Othman/AngelList)

Abe Othman / AngelList:
AngelList report: seed stage investors can increase their yields by investing into every credible deal, contradicting the common wisdom of passing on most — If you miss the best-performing seed investment, you will eventually be outperformed by someone who blindly invests in every credible deal.

Richard Branson to meet Maharashtra CM to discuss Hyperloop project

Hyperloops use magnets to levitate pods inside an airless tube, creating conditions in which the pods can shuttle people and freight at speeds of up to 1,200 kilometres per hour. https://ift.tt/35bv1Yk https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Facebook revamps its fact-checking programme

Facebook started a pilot fact-checking programme in Karnataka last year through a partnership with fact-checking portal Boom, followed by one with Vishvas.News. https://ift.tt/2YGXgvC https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

How decentralized protocols may help solve some issues plaguing social media today; @bluesky team should consider existing projects like Mastodon (Klint Finley/Wired)

Klint Finley / Wired:
How decentralized protocols may help solve some issues plaguing social media today; @bluesky team should consider existing projects like Mastodon — The CEO tweeted that he's hiring a team to develop open source standards for decentralized social networks. His hope: It will spawn better ways to combat hate and harassment.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

CyberGRX, which provides cyber risk assessment and management tools to enterprises, raises $40M Series D led by ICONIQ Capital, bringing total raised to $100M (Nick Greenhalgh/AmericanInno)

Nick Greenhalgh / AmericanInno:
CyberGRX, which provides cyber risk assessment and management tools to enterprises, raises $40M Series D led by ICONIQ Capital, bringing total raised to $100M — Denver-based CyberGRX, a global cyber risk exchange provider, announced Tuesday that it raised a $40 million Series D, bringing its total funding to $100 million.

Electric vehicle startup Nio lays off 141 employees at its North American headquarters

Electric vehicle startup Nio is laying off 141 people at its North American headquarters. According to a filing from Employment Development Department of California, the employees at its San Jose office received notice on December 6.

Nio, whose global headquarters are in Shanghai, announced last month that it is partnering with Intel’s Mobileye to develop autonomous vehicles for consumers. Under the agreement, Nio will engineer and produce a self-driving system designed by Mobileye.

The Intel partnership was a spot of bright news after a difficult year for Nio. Nio’s third quarter saw an uptick in sales, thanks in part to competitive pricing, but its share prices have fallen about 78% since the end of February.

The company reported losses in the first and second quarters of the year and in June, voluntarily recalled 5,000 of its ES8 electric SUVs after battery fires in China, impacting its production and delivery. CEO William Li said during the company’s earnings report in September that it would implement cost-cutting measures, including reducing its workforce from 9,900 people down to 7,800 by the end of the third quarter. Nio has offices in 11 cities, including Beijing, London and Munich.