Mixed messages from Twitter, Facebook and RIM over Cameron’s riot block threat
Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion have made quite different responses to the prime minister’s call for them to play a greater role in preventing future riots on the British streets.
The three technology companies have been summoned before the home secretary to discuss a mooted scheme to block conspiring rioters. Read more
Cameron threatens to block rioters from social media
David Cameron, the British prime minister, has said that the authorities should consider blocking individuals’ access to social media if they are plotting violent acts, in the wake of the week’s riots and looting. Read more
Tech news from around the web:
Twitter has launched a stream called Activities, ReadWriteWeb reports. The new tab highlights Favorites, Retweets and Follows from individuals that users follow. The micro-blogging site also replaced the Mentions tab with a more personal notification newsfeed. Read more
Retail giants Amazon and Walmart back Web apps
If Apple was hoping to earn a slice of all the transactions that take place on its devices, it had better think again. Wednesday’s launch of browser-based apps for Amazon’s Kindle and Walmart’s Vudu services are the biggest shots yet across the bow of Apple’s App Store. Read more
No charges for blogger over Apple prototype
California authorities said on Thursday that they won’t file criminal charges against a Gawker Media technology blogger who paid $5,000 last year for what turned out to be an Apple employee’s test version of the iPhone 4. Read more
| About this blog | Blog guide |
Richard Waters has headed the FT's San Francisco bureau since 2002 and covers Google and Microsoft, among other things. A former New York bureau chief for the FT, he is intrigued by Silicon Valley's unique financial and business culture, and is looking forward to covering his second Tech Bust.
Chris Nuttall has been online and messing around with computers for more than 20 years and since 2004 has reported from the FT's San Francisco bureau on semiconductors, video games, consumer electronics and all things interwebby.
Maija Palmer has been writing about technology for the FT since 1999 and is fascinated by cybercrime, privacy and all the other issues of the information society. Based in London, she covers European tech companies and hopes that they won't all get acquired by American rivals.
Robin Kwong is the FT's technology, media and telecoms page editor in London. Formerly he was the Taipei correspondent and wrote about the companies that manufacture the vast majority of the world's computers and gadgets. He is interested in the intricacies of the technology supply chain and how China is increasingly changing the tech landscape.
Tim Bradshaw is the FT's digital media correspondent, and has just moved from London to join our team in San Francisco. He has covered start-ups such as Twitter and Spotify, as well as the online ambitions of more established media companies, such as the BBC iPlayer. He also covers the advertising, marketing and video-game industries. Tim has been writing about technology, business and finance since 2003.
