Thailand is considering tougher tax rules for tech firms like Alphabet

Thailand is studying plans for tougher tax collection rules governing internet and technology firms, according to the head of the country’s Revenue Department.
The plans would also cover the mobile transfers and internet payment sector, Prasong

Samsung delays South Korea re-start of Note7 sales by 3 days

Tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Sunday it was delaying the start of new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone sales in South Korea by three days to Oct. 1, a move it says is needed for speedy completion of the ongoing recall in the country.
Samsung announced on Sept. 2 a recall of at least 2.5 million Galaxy Note7 smartphones in 10 markets, including South Korea, due to a faulty battery causing the phones to catch fire, offering refunds or replacement devices using safe batteries.
The firm hopes to complete the recall quickly and restart sales in the fourth quarter to salvage earnings, but the latest hitch in South Korea underscore continuing challenges in those efforts.
Though product exchanges in South Korea began on Monday, only about 200,000 affected customers have turned in their devices – which Samsung says represents half of affected customers and a recall pace that is much slower than other markets such as Singapore and the

NCC receives 6,163 complaints from telecoms subscribers in Q2

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it received 6,163 complaints from telecommunications subscribers in the second quarter of 2016.
Mr Abdullahi Maikano, the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) of the commission made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.
Maikano said that of the 6,163 complaints, 4,739 issues were resolved, giving a resolution of 76.9 per cent.
He also said that the commission received 23,694 complaints from telecommunications consumers in the first quarter.
NAN reports that the complaints received in the second quarter reduced by 17,531 or by 73.99 per cent compared with that of first quarter.
The director said that the reduction was as a result of the “2442 Do Not Disturb’’ directive of the regulatory body to the operators.

Trump opposes plan for US to cede control of ICANN to global community

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump opposes a long-planned transition of oversight of the internet’s technical management from the U.S. government to a global community of stakeholders, his campaign said in a statement on Wednesday.
Congress should block the handover, scheduled to occur on Oct. 1, “or internet freedom will be lost for good, since there will be no way to make it great again once it is lost,” Stephen Miller, national policy director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a former presidential primary foe of Trump’s who has refused to endorse the real estate developer, has led a movement in Congress to block the transition, arguing it could cede control of the internet itself to authoritarian regimes like Russia and China and threaten online freedom.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg pledges $3bn to wipe out ‘all disease’

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife have pledged more than $3bn towards an ambitious plan to rid the world of disease.
The Facebook founder and his wife, paediatrician Priscilla Chan, said the goal was to “cure, prevent or manage all disease within our children’s lifetime”.
Investment will go towards research into cancer and infectious disease as well as heart and neurological disease, the couple said.
The plans were revealed during an event in San Francisco for their philanthropic group, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, on Wednesday.
Dr Chan said they launched the initiative following the birth of daughter Max last year, with the goal of dramatically improving the lives of all other children in her generation.
She recalled experiences of telling parents their child had an incurable disease or could not be

Apple is reportedly interested in British supercar maker McLaren

Apple has approached British Formula One team owner McLaren Technology Group for a strategic investment or a potential buyout, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.
The loss-making automotive group could be valued at between 1 billion pounds ($1.30 billion) and

Google’s bid for smarter messaging hits market

US internet giant Google launched Wednesday a smart messaging app aimed at muscling into a busy market with popular rivals such as WhatsApp and Facebook’s messenger.
Allo’s “smart” capabilities aims to make it easier to respond to messages and over time adjusts to users’ own style, Google said in an official blog.
The app introduces Google Assistant where users just type @google to ask the US search engine questions and have it help you directly in chats, it said.
“You no longer need to leave a conversation with friends just to grab an address, share your favorite YouTube video, or pick a dinner spot,” it said.
The app works on phones using Google’s Android system and Apple’s iOS.

Samsung begins replacement programme for Galaxy Note 7

Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited (“SEWA’) has announced the postponement of the launch of Samsung Galaxy Note7 in Nigeria.
This is sequel to the postponement of sales of the device globally due to isolated battery cell problems.
On September 2, 2016, Samsung had announced an official Galaxy Note7 replacement programme