TECHNOLOGY

South East Asian ride-hailing firm Grab has raised $2.5bn (£1.9bn) in fresh funds, in what it says is the region’s biggest ever round of investment. Didi Chuxing, which effectively ended Uber’s ambitions in China, is one of the key backers. Along with Japan’s Softbank, Didi will invest up to $2bn. The other $500m will come from new and current investors. ...

Two of the largest dark web marketplaces have been shut down following a “landmark” international law enforcement investigation. The AlphaBay and Hansa sites had been associated with the trade in illicit items such as drugs, weapons, malware and stolen data. According to Europol, there were more than 250,000 listings for illegal drugs and toxic chemicals on AlphaBay. Hansa was seized ...

Google has revealed a new feed experience that’s designed to change the way you use its main service. The company is using your search history to figure out everything you’re interested in, and is using machine-learning to compile a list of topics it thinks you’ll want to see. This feed will constantly transform itself as your interests change. For instance, ...

THE US Navy has successfully test fired the world’s first active laser weapon in what is thought to be a warning to Iran. The £31million ($40m) Laser Weapons System (LaWS) is now operational on the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship commanded by Captain Christopher Wells. Capt Wells told CNN: “It is more precise than a bullet. “It’s not a ...

WhatsApp is adding a brand new feature in its latest update: the ability to share any file type. WhatsApp previously supported only documents, photos, and videos, but now users can share any file up to 100 MB. This new update could prove to be incredibly useful for people who want to share executable or other obscure files. It could also ...

HBO’s website was no match for the White Walkers on Sunday night. The cable network’s main website, HBO.com, was down during the seventh-season premiere of Game of Thrones. People who attempted to go to the website were met with an error message saying there was a problem loading the page. But the website returned to working order during the final ...

The latest figures that Facebook is reporting to advertisers indicate that India has overtaken the United States to become the platform’s largest country audience. As of July 13, Facebook is reporting a total “potential audience” of 241 million active users in India, compared with 240 million in the United States. The change at the top of the platform’s country rankings ...

The Chief Executive of Vodafone Ghana, Yolanda Cuba, has emerged as the Industry Personality of the Year at the just ended Ghana information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA). Despite taking over the reins at the company in a little over a year, Yolanda has already exhibited a will to win and has put in place a comprehensive strategy to transform ...

Facebook has shut down pages offering marijuana for sale in Alaska, angering the businesses that run them, who say they were licensed to sell it. It highlights the problems faced by social networks trying to set boundaries for what users can post. The National Cannabis Industry Association said it was seeking “clearer guidelines” from Facebook. Affected businesses should appeal to ...

Ecobank scored a double win after triumphing in two categories at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2017. The leading pan-African bank was awarded Best Digital Bank in Africa and Best Bank in Ghana at a ceremony held at the Tower of London last Thursday. Ade Ayeyemi, GCEO, Ecobank said the award served as validation to the global banking industry about ...