HONG KONG (Reuters) – Private equity firm KKR & Co LP, search engine Baidu Inc and hedge fund Coatue said on Wednesday they will jointly invest $170 million in Chinese online used-car auction firm Uxin, aiming for a piece of the booming used-car market. Uxin will use the funds to expand a newly launched platform where auto retailers sell used cars to individuals, the companies said in a joint statement.
Read moreBy Bill Rigby and Paul Carsten SEATTLE/BEIJING (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp is making its biggest push into the heavily pirated Chinese consumer computing market this summer by offering free upgrades to Windows 10 to all Windows users, regardless of whether they are running genuine copies of the software. The move is an unprecedented attempt by Microsoft to get legitimate versions of its software onto machines of the hundreds of millions of Windows users in China
Read more(Reuters) – Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd may scrap plans to invest in Indian online marketplace Snapdeal, technology website Recode reported, citing a person who was familiar with the matter. Last week, a person informed about the deal had told Reuters that Alibaba was in talks with Snapdeal over a potential cash investment in what could have been the Chinese e-commerce giant's first direct investment in India. Alibaba has held discussions with Snapdeal about a possible investment, but the Chinese company is leaning away from investing in Snapdeal right now, Recode said
Read moreBy Marty Graham SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – A San Diego judge has dismissed gang conspiracy charges against a rapper whose music prosecutors said encouraged gun violence against rival gangs, in a ruling his lawyer characterized as a victory for free speech. Rapper Brandon Duncan, who uses the stage name Tiny Doo, was one of seven people charged last June in a 16-count indictment that centered on nine shootings that took place in 2013 and 2014 involving the so-called Lincoln Park gang. Duncan was charged with nine counts of conspiracy to participate in a criminal street gang by prosecutors who said his music and social media presence encouraged the violence, although he was not accused of taking part in the shootings.
Read moreBy Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) – Health insurer Premera Blue Cross said on Tuesday it was a victim of a cyberattack that may have exposed medical data and financial information of 11 million customers in the latest serious breach disclosed by a healthcare company.
Read more(Reuters) – Federal authorities investigating the data breach at JPMorgan Chase & Co are confident that a criminal case will be filed against the hackers in the coming months, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the investigation.
Read moreFacebook Inc clarified its rules banning certain content from its social network, as the Internet company strives to curb controversial posts such as support for violent militant groups and nudity without damaging its status as a global hub for users to share information. The 1.39 billion-member social network updated its “community standards” late Sunday, providing specific examples of content prohibited under its general rules against direct threats, hate speech and criminal activity.
Read moreNaguib Sawiris is considering making an acquisition in Italy's Internet sector, the Egyptian tycoon said in an interview published on Saturday. Sawiris, whose family founded Egypt's giant Orascom group, said in an interview with Corriere della Sera that he planned to create a new data center in Milan, which would be Italy's biggest, by the end of April. “We are also weighing up another acquisition, still in the Internet sector,” said Sawiris, who made an unsuccessful bid to buy a stake in Telecom Italia in 2012
Read moreBy Piya Sinha-Roy AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – With a drop of a microphone, Ryan Gosling dispelled his Internet infamy, saying he had never once uttered the phrase, “Hey Girl,” which has made him a viral phenomenon. Gosling was the anticipated opening day guest at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival covering film, music and technology in Austin, Texas, being quizzed by Del Toro not on his Internet fame, rather his directorial debut, “Lost River.” But Del Toro threw in cheeky references to the infatuation with Gosling that has made him an online celebrity, such as his love for Disneyland, where he has been photographed on dates, riding rollercoasters. Gosling, 34, responded by blushing and hiding his face in embarrassment, and when Del Toro teased him for finally saying “Hey Girl” while telling a story about never having said the phrase, Gosling dropped the mic, joking he was done
Read moreBy Krista Hughes WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China has put a hold on a draft counter-terrorism law that would require technology firms to hand over sensitive information to government officials, a senior U.S. official said in a good sign for Western businesses who saw the rule as a major impediment to working in the world’s second largest economy
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