Technology

Bloomberg Last year, Microsoft Corp’s Azure security team detected suspicious activity in the cloud computing usage of a large retailer: One of the company’s administrators, who usually logs on from New York, was trying to gain entry from Romania. And no, the admin wasn’t on vacation. A hacker had broken in. Microsoft quickly alerted its customer, and the attack was ...

Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp. has sold enough cars to put one outside every Japanese home. Now it wants to put robots inside. Well-known for its automated assembly lines, Toyota sees a not-so-far-off future in which robots transcend the factory and become commonplace in homes, helping with chores — and even offering companionship — in an aging society where a quarter ...

Bloomberg Sony Corp., the biggest maker of camera chips used in smartphones, is boosting production of next-generation 3D sensors after getting interest from customers including Apple Inc. The chips will power front- and rear-facing 3D cameras of models from several smartphone makers in 2019, with Sony kicking off mass production in late summer to meet demand, according to Satoshi Yoshihara, ...

Bloomberg New York City police will deploy a camera-equipped drone above Times Square, along with new “counter-drone technology” blocking other devices from the area, where they expect as many as 2 million New Year’s Eve revelers. The drone technology is the newest innovation developed by the largest US police department as it prepares for an annual event that already features ...

Bloomberg LG Electronics Inc. plans to begin selling big-screen TVs next year that can be rolled up and put away like a poster, the centerpiece of an effort to revive an ailing business, according to a person familiar with the matter. The envisioned 65-inch TVs will retract automatically at the touch of a button like a garage door, the person ...

Bloomberg Driverless car startup Zoox Inc. became the first company to win approval to transport members of the public in its driverless test vehicles in California, according to a statement from the California Public Utilities Commission. While there are more than 60 companies with permits to test autonomous vehicles in California, they are restricted to carrying employees and contractors. With ...

Bloomberg SoftBank Group Corp. just led a $385 million funding round for a flexible-leasing app that makes cars more accessible to Uber drivers and other gig-economy workers. Fair, led by TrueCar Inc. co-founder Scott Painter, has continued to grow since buying lease contracts in January from Uber Technologies Inc.’s shuttered subprime-lending unit. Fair has an exclusive contract with Uber in ...

Bloomberg Zwift, a company that gives cyclists the opportunity to compete in virtual-reality races, has raised $120 million to help them set up an esports league and further their expansion into running. Based in Long Beach, California, Zwift has built software that lets riders simulate outdoor training — such as cycling up a mountain — from their living room. Customers ...

Bloomberg An unusual consensus emerged recently between artificial intelligence researchers, activists, lawmakers and many of the largest technology companies: Facial recognition software breeds bias, risks fuelling mass surveillance and should be regulated. Deciding on effective controls and acting on them will be a lot harder. The Algorithmic Justice League and the Center of Privacy & Technology at Georgetown University Law ...

Bloomberg Niantic Inc., the company behind the popular game Pokémon Go, is looking to catch a $3.9 billion valuation, according to a person familiar with the matter. The San Francisco-based company is planning to raise at least $200 million in a round led by venture capital firm IVP, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions ...