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After a limited rollout, Go-Jek said today that it will extend its ride-hailing service to all of Singapore tomorrow while continuing its beta phase. The Indonesian-based company began offering rides in Singapore at the end of November , but only for passengers riding to and from certain areas. It http://bit.ly/2Roif56 dynamic pricing there, which increases prices during peak times, a few days ago. “We continue to welcome feedback from driver-partners and riders during this enhanced beta phase, as we work to fine-tune the app and create the best experience for our users,” the company said in a statement. After Uber exited from Southeast Asia earlier this year by selling its local business to Grab, Go-Jek became Grab’s main rival. Uber still maintains a presence in the region, however, thanks to its 27.5 percent stake in Grab. There is currently a waiting list for Go-Jek in Singapore, with customers of DBS/POSB being given priority. When asked about how long new users need to wai

New Year's Eve Times Square drone grounded due to weather, NYPD says A rainy New Year’s Eve in New York has some Times Square revelers ponying up to keep dry, while police are scrapping plans to deploy a drone to keep watch over the crowd for the first time.

By NATASHA SINGER from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2RpvZfM

By DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2SsV0nG

Earlier this year, Netflix was seen testing a bypass of iTunes billing across dozens of markets worldwide. As 2018 draws to a close, Netflix – the App Store’s top grossing app –  has ditched the ability for new users to sign up and subscribe to the streaming service within its iOS app across all global markets. The change means Apple will miss out on hundreds of millions in App Store revenue per year – money it would have otherwise received by way of its standard cut of in-app transactions. According to new data compiled by Sensor Tower, Netflix grossed $853 million in 2018 on the iOS App Store. Based on that figure, Apple’s take would have been around $256 million, the firm said. To date, the Netflix iOS app has generated over $1.5 billion through its in-app subscriptions, with Apple’s cut coming in around $450 million-plus, Sensor Tower estimated. Before the change, Netflix on iOS was grossing an average of $2.4 million per day in 2018 – meaning Apple was making around $700,000

The Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) cryptocurrency project  Bakkt celebrated New Year’s Eve with the announcement of a $182.5 million equity round from a slew of notable institutional investors. ICE, the operator of several global exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, established Bakkt to build a trading platform that enables consumers and institutions to buy, sell, store and spend digital assets. This is Bakkt’s first institutional funding round; it was not a token sale. Participating in the round are Horizons Ventures, Microsoft’s venture capital arm (M12), Pantera Capital, Naspers’ fintech arm (PayU), Protocol Ventures, Boston Consulting Group, CMT Digital, Eagle Seven, Galaxy Digital, Goldfinch Partners and more. Bakkt is currently seeking regulatory approval to launch a one-day physically delivered Bitcoin futures contract along with physical warehousing. The startup initially planned for a November 2018 launch, but confirmed this morning an earlier CoinDesk

By DON CLARK from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2Qfknr1

DHS investigates cyberattack which disrupted newspaper delivery for the Los Angeles Time, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun Tribune Publishing first detected the presence of malware in its computer systems on Friday and then took steps to fight back, but it was too late and publishing was already disrupted; Matt Finn reports from Chicago.

Fortnite's Ninja was 2018's most viewed Twitch Channel, hands down For gamers, 2018 was the year that Tyler "Ninja" Blevins achieved a level of celebrity rarely seen in the industry up to this point. 

Chinese schools enforce 'smart uniforms' with GPS tracking to surveil students Ten schools in China have new "intelligent uniforms" that will track students' attendance and whereabouts with embedded computer chips. 

A man was arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance after a 30-minute closure. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Aqvqsn

Dr Roberts was chief scientist in charge of designing and building the tech that became the internet. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2EVSmDX

Breaking up (with Facebook) is hard to do. Here’s how Every relationship has a breaking point. Even yours with Facebook.

The NYPD will use camera-equipped drones to watch over New Year's Eve celebrations. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2CHUA7m

The malware, which affected papers owned by Tribune Publishing, is believed to be from outside the US. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Q8aWd2

Scarlett Johansson speaks out against fake AI-generated sex videos Actress Scarlett Johansson is speaking out against fake AI-generated sex videos online.

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and CECILIA KANG from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2EXooyg

Computer virus cripples Tribune Publishing, Los Angeles Times A computer virus hit newspaper printing plants in Los Angeles and at Tribune Publishing newspapers across the country.

After Facebook apologizes for ban, Franklin Graham says tech giant should have standard based on 'God's word' Facebook apologized to evangelical leader Franklin Graham for a 24-hour ban last week over a 2016 post about North Carolina's H.B. 2, known as the "bathroom bill," saying that one of its content moderators made a mistake.

After Facebook apologizes for ban, Franklin Graham says tech giant should have standard based on 'God's will' Facebook apologized to evangelical leader Franklin Graham for a 24-hour ban last week over a 2016 post about North Carolina's H.B. 2, known as the "bathroom bill," saying that one of its content moderators made a mistake.

Naughty scammers swiping electronics, filling boxes with sand or other stuffing materials, customers warn Some Maryland residents who received pricey electronics on Christmas morning found they’d been had when the boxes that were supposed to contain expensive items were instead filled with sand or other stuffing.

From fake porn to Facebook scandals, security alerts to Google protests - 2018 was a busy year. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2GJvUQ1

Mindfulness apps, souping up old cars and more: Tech Q&A My car is a classic like me, older than dirt. Can I use my phone hands-free with it somehow?

Sensor data platform Samsara confirmed this morning that it had closed a new round of funding from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst that values the startup at $3.6 billion. The news was first reported by Cheddar , which spotted a filing with the state of Delaware on December 21 disclosing Samsara’s intent to raise a $100 million round at more than double the valuation it garnered upon its $50 million Series D  this March. “Our growth comes from bringing transformational new technologies to solve the problems of operational businesses, a massive segment of the economy that has long been underserved by the technology industry,” wrote Kiren Sekar, Samsara’s vice president of marketing and products, in the funding announcement. “Today, the advent of inexpensive sensors, high-bandwidth wireless connectivity, smartphones, and cloud computing enable these businesses to fully reap the benefits of 21st century technology.” Founded in 2015, Samsara supports the tr

Google and Facebook's ad networks placed promotions for major brands before apps were banned. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2EUSFyC

Ajay Chopra Contributor Ajay Chopra co-founded Pinnacle Systems in his living room and grew it to a multi-billion dollar public company before becoming a venture capitalist with Trinity Ventures . More posts by this contributor Full autonomy is years away, but here’s what’s next on autonomy’s wild ride From the distributed workforce to the partnered economy About 13 years ago I faced an excruciating decision: whether to sell my company, Pinnacle Systems, to a private equity firm or to another large public company. I felt that both suitors would treat my employees well (and I negotiated hard to make sure that was the case), and both offered a good asking price well above our value on NASDAQ. After raising what at the time felt like my first child, born in my living room and nurtured into a publicly traded entity, I was ready for it to take its next step and for me to take mine. I ultimately opted for the strategic sale, but I left the process intrigued by what was already

Tesla beefs up its board with executives from Oracle and Walgreens to reassure investors. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2EUxQTR

We already know Alexa had a good Christmas – the app shot to the top of the App Store over the holidays, and the Alexa service even briefly crashed from all the new users. But Alexa, along with other smart speaker devices like Google Home, didn’t just have a good holiday — they had a great year, too. The smart speaker market reached critical mass in 2018, with around 41 percent of U.S. consumers now owning a voice-activated speaker, up from 21.5 percent in 2017. According to a series of reports from RBC Capital Markets analysts released in December, the near doubling of the adoption rate for smart speakers in the U.S. was driven by growth in both Alexa and Google Home devices, while Apple’s HomePod played only a small role. The firm found that U.S. penetration of Alexa-enabled devices reached 31 percent this year, compared with 41 percent overall for smart speakers. It also forecast that Alexa would generate $18 billion to $19 billion in total revenue by 2021 – or ~5 percent of Am

Viewers can decide the characters' fates in Bandersnatch, the latest instalment of the Netflix drama. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2SmlreA

Louis Theroux, Eamonn Holmes and others were targeted by researchers worried about flaws in Twitter. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2RgprA8

By NELLIE BOWLES from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2Alb0RL

Tips to adjust the privacy settings on the cool tech gifts you were given for Christmas Kurt 'The CyberGuy' Knutsson shares tips to help you get the most out of your brand new gadgets.

Beijing was responding to claims it might use Huawei's 5G kit to act "in a malign way". from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2CEijp3

Facebook's massive, secret rulebook for policing speech reveals inconsistencies, gaps and biases Facebook is attempting to tackle misinformation and hate that its platform has enabled with a massive, byzantine and secret document of rules packed with spreadsheets and power point slides that gets updated regularly for its global content moderators. 

Jake Bright Contributor Jake Bright is a writer and author in New York City. He is co-author of The Next Africa . More posts by this contributor IBM Africa and Hello Tractor pilot AI/blockchain agtech platform Africa Roundup: Terragon’s Asia acquisition, Twiga Foods’ $10M raise, SimbaPay’s China payment service 2018 saw Africa’s tech sector become more dynamic and international. VC firms on the continent multiplied. There were numerous investment rounds. And startups pursued acquisitions and global expansion. Here’s a snapshot of the news that shaped African tech over the last year.   Surge in VC funds A notable 2018 trend was Africa’s VC landscape becoming more African, with an increasing number of investment funds headquartered on the continent and run by locals, according to Crunchbase data released in this TechCrunch exclusive . Drawing on its database and primary source research, Crunchbase identified 51 viable Africa-focused VC funds globally with at least 7-1

The majority of shoppers are wary of social media influencers, a survey for the BBC indicates. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2rW71q3

A personal computer at a resettlement centre in South Korea was found to have been infected. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2EONgIK

Indonesia, the world’s fourth largest country by population, has unblocked Tumblr nine months after it blocked the social networking site over pornographic content. Tumblr — which, disclaimer, is owned by Oath   Verizon Media Group just like TechCrunch — announced earlier this month that it would remove all “adult content” from its platform . That decision, which angered many in the adult entertainment industry  who valued the platform as an increasingly rare outlet that supported erotica , was a response to Apple removing Tumblr’s app from the iOS Store  after child pornography was found within the service. This impact of this new policy has made its way to Indonesia where KrAsia reports that the service was unblocked earlier this week. The service had been blocked in March after falling foul of the country’s anti-pornography laws. “Tumblr sent an official statement regarding the commitment to clean the platform from pornographic content,” Ferdinandus Setu, Acting Head of the Min

The secondary luxury goods market has been growing wildly in recent years, with more shoppers opting to both sell their lightly used luxury goods like clothing and jewelry for cold, hard cash, as well as buying the pre-owned, authenticated luxury goods of others. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the trend is The RealReal , a nearly eight-year-old shopping destination for the growing population of people who might not be willing or able to purchase a new Hermes Birkin bag but are willing to buy one in like-new condition for considerably less. The idea — which seems to be working — is to create a virtuous cycle, wherein the bag’s original purchaser receives the bulk of that re-sale price, then uses the money to buy another new handbag (or a used one) that can be resold at a later point in time. Another beneficiary of the trend:  TrueFacet , a five-year-old, New York-based marketplace that claims to have more than 40,000 watches and 55,000 pieces of pre-owned authenticated watches a

Grove Collaborative , a four-year-old, San Francisco-based startup that sells household, personal care, baby, children’s and pet products, has been busy raising money in 2018, shows two new  SEC filings  that lists representatives from the company’s earlier investors, including Mayfield, Norwest Venture Partners and MHS Capital, as well as apparent new investor General Atlantic, represented by partner Catherine Beaudoin. One of the filings shows that Grove Collaborative, which had already raised roughly $62 million as of the start of 2018, subsequently raised $27.4 million more this year. A separate, second filing shows another $76.4 million has been secured in what looks to be a newer round that’s targeting $125 million. It’s a lot of money for such a young company, which suggests it has found traction with a growing customer base. We’ve reached out to Grove Collaborative and are waiting to learn more. As we reported back in January , co-founder Stuart Landesberg started the comp

How secure is your messaging app? Which messaging app would you choose for absolute security? Every developer will profess that they responsibly consider the security and privacy of their users. But with so many different choices, it can be hard to tell which messaging platforms you can trust.

Startups supporting startups are blazing a new trail with support from venture capitalists. Co-working spaces like The Wing and The Riveter raked in funding rounds this year, as did Brex , the provider of a corporate card built specifically for startups. Now Carta , which helps companies manage their cap tables, valuations, portfolio investments and equity plans, has announced an $80 million Series D at a valuation of $800 million. The company, formerly known as eShares, raised the capital from lead investors Meritech and Tribe Capital, with support from existing investors. The round brings Carta’s total funding to $147.8 million. Its existing investors include Spark Capital, Menlo Ventures, Union Square Ventures and Social Capital, though the latter didn’t participate in the Series D funding. Tribe Capital, however, is a new venture capital firm launched by Arjun Sethi, who previously led Social Capital’s investment in Carta, Jonathan Hsu and Ted Maidenberg, a trio of former Soc

Elon Musk says 'pedo' insult of Thai cave rescuer is First Amendment-protected speech SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk moved on Wednesday to have a defamation lawsuit against him dismissed, claiming that when he called a Thai-cave rescue volunteer a "pedo" and a "child rapist" those were First Amendment-protected opinions. 

Delivery drones cheer shoppers, annoy neighbors, scare dogs Robyn McIntyre, who lives on the outskirts of Australia’s capital, was in her family room a few months ago when she thought she heard a “chain saw gone ballistic.”

Russia tests new hypersonic weapon on Putin's orders Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a test Wednesday of a new hypersonic glide vehicle, declaring that the weapon is impossible to intercept and will ensure Russia's security for decades to come.

By SANDRA E. GARCIA and NIRAJ CHOKSHI from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2ReMyLt

The video and image sharing site apologises after a test was accidentally rolled out to millions of users. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2AjVo0K

This year has been good for tech titles. Books like Bad Blood and Brotopia brought us some in-depth reporting on crashes and burns while Stephen Hawking brought us his last thoughts. Here are some of our favorite tech titles for 2018. from Startups – TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2EOWxRX

People are texting their exes and buying stuff in their sleep Andrew Watson, 26, was so good at coordinating international business deals that he did it in his sleep.

‘Tech addicts’ seek solace in 12 steps and rehab We like to say we’re addicted to our phones or an app or some new show on a streaming video service.

Mr Musk's insults to Thai cave rescuer were a "schoolyard spat" and not to be taken seriously, say lawyers. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Ah2ByE

By NELLIE BOWLES from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2CBAQCA

EU's competition commissioner says tech firms must become more transparent about their use of data. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2CA624O

Chinese state sometimes acts in a "malign way", Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is reported as saying. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2V851Zj

By VINDU GOEL from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2TdQJEn

High tech gadgets to give your morning the jump start it needs Give your morning the jump start it needs with these high tech refreshing drink machines including the Drinkpod Countertop Cold and Hot Water Cooler, Nespresso Essenza Mini, Hamilton Beach Professional All-Metal Drink Mixer and the Jura E8 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine.

Three U.S. companies raised more than $1 billion in just one funding round in 2018, a year in which total deal value for U.S. startups is expected to surpass $100 billion for the first time. For the most part, it was the usual suspects, and yes, SoftBank was an accessory in many of these rounds. Here’s a look at the 10 largest venture rounds of 2018. Epic Games: $1.25 billion The video game Fortnite Battle Royale was the star of the year 2018; more than 200 million players worldwide are registered online. (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images) Given the absolute phenomenon Fortnite became in just one year from its original release, it was no surprise private investors wanted to put money into Epic Games, the company behind it. In October, Epic Games announced a whopping $1.25 billion round at $15 billion valuation from KKR, Iconiq Capital, Smash Ventures, Vulcan Capital, Kleiner Perkins and Lightspeed Venture Partners to continue growing its Fortnite empire. That game alo