Technology News (Reuters)

Russia has earmarked nearly $18 billion to fight the spread of the coronavirus and its economic fallout, its prime minister said on Wednesday, pledging additional measures to steer through the crisis that has put the economy on the brink of recession.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation on Wednesday to allow the government to declare a state of national emergency in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Uber Eats and Delivery Hero are expanding from providing restaurant meals into supplying groceries to customers stuck at home during lockdowns triggered by the coronavirus crisis.

The head of Russia's consumer health watchdog said on Wednesday that a non-working week declared by President Vladimir Putin to stem the spread of the coronavirus should be extended beyond this week, the Interfax news agency reported.

Thailand's anti-monopoly watchdog warned food delivery platforms on Wednesday they could face fines for charging higher commissions as online food orders surge amid the coronavirus outbreak.

European scientists and technologists will launch a joint initiative on Wednesday to support the use of digital applications in the fight against coronavirus while complying with the region's tough privacy laws.

China is considering temporarily easing quotas designed to boost production of electric cars to help automakers badly bruised by the coronavirus pandemic to revive slumping sales, people familiar with the matter said.

Authorities in Moscow unveiled a smartphone app designed to keep tabs on people who have been ordered to stay at home because of the coronavirus and Russia on Wednesday expanded its lockdown to cover more of its sprawling territory.

As the coronavirus outbreak forced classes online, Boston Public Schools ordered 20,000 laptops and had them in hand in four days - an unusually fast turnaround made possible by a build-up of inventory prompted by the U.S.-China trade war.

Chinese electric vehicle battery maker Farasis Energy has received regulatory approval to raise around 3.4 billion yuan ($479 million) in an initial public offering on China's Nasdaq-like STAR board, according to a statement by the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Driving to work at his factory to the west of London last week, designer Steve Brooks had coronavirus on his mind. What could he make that would let him open a door without touching the handle?

UK online car marketplace Auto Trader said on Wednesday it would sell up to 46.5 million new shares, worth 5% of its share capital, to institutional investors in a bid to shore up cash during the coronavirus crisis.

French supermarket retailer Carrefour and Uber Eats announced a new delivery service on Wednesday, aimed at helping Parisians buy essential goods and food during the nationwide lockdown triggered by the coronavirus crisis.

Chinese e-commerce firm Pinduoduo Inc said on Tuesday that it had raised $1.1 billion in a private share placement, bolstering its ability to finance growth, despite recent market volatility.

Apple more than doubled its donation to China's efforts to fight COVID-19 to over 50 million yuan ($7 million), CEO Tim Cook posted on Weibo on Wednesday, weeks after the iPhone maker said it had opened all its 42 stores in one of its largest markets.

SoftBank Group Corp said on Wednesday it has appointed former Goldman Sachs banker Taiichi Hoshino as head of a new investment planning department, as the group increases oversight of its tech bets battered by volatile markets.

U.S. printer maker Xerox Holdings Corp walked away from its $35 billion hostile cash-and-stock bid for HP Inc on Tuesday, after the coronavirus outbreak weighed on its campaign to take over the PC and printing equipment manufacturer.

Zoom Video Communications Inc's average user numbers in March were nearly three times that of its nearest rival Microsoft Corp's Teams, according to research firm Apptopia, as the cornonavirus-driven stay-at-home lifted demand for video conferencing platforms.

Xerox Holdings Corp decided on Tuesday to abandon its $35 billion hostile cash-and-stock bid for HP Inc after the coronavirus outbreak put the brakes on its takeover campaign, according to people familiar with the matter.

Global companies whose revenues have taken a hit during the coronavirus pandemic plan to cut technology spending this year by as much as 4.1%, according to the latest survey from U.S.-based Enterprise Technology Research (ETR).