Half Monk

Ireland is known for awesome pubs and a deep talent pool of programmers but that isn’t what has attracted some of the largest technology companies to the region. Leaders in Ireland have revealed plans to eliminate the controversial tax loophole responsible for bringing companies like Apple, Facebook Google and Microsoft to the country. The scheme, often referred to as the “Double Irish,” allows corporations that have operations in Ireland to make royalty payments for intellectual property to a separate subsidiary registered in Ireland but physically located anywhere in the world which means, somewhere with a favorable tax rate. As The New York Times explains, one example of this is Google who has a headquarters in Ireland staffed by 2,500 employees. A Google subsidiary in Ireland generates revenue then pays it as royalties to a separate Google unit in Ireland which is resident in Bermuda for tax purposes. In layman’s terms, these massive tech companies all take advantage of this loophole in order to save what is likely billions of dollars in profits. In a budget speech given to the Irish Parliament on Tuesday, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said he was abolishing the ability of companies to use the “Double Irish” by changing residency rules to require all companies registered in Ireland to also be tax resident. The changes will go into effect starting January 2015 for new companies. Those already operating under the scheme will enjoy a transition period that lasts until the end of 2020.

Update: Dropbox claims that they were not, in fact, hacked, citing third-party sources for the list of compromised accounts. Original story follows: Dropbox has been reportedly hacked, with the username and plain text password combinations of at least 400 users uploaded to Pastebin as a "teaser" for a larger release of information. The total hack allegedly comprises of the information of 6.9 million users, which is a small subset of Dropbox's 200+ million user base. Nevertheless, this hack is concerning for users of the service, who expect that their personal files including photos and videos are safe. At this stage it's not clear who is responsible for the hack, or whether they do in fact have the account details of 6.9 million users. Some people have tested the information already published and can confirm it is genuine, however the release could be an elaborate scam to pry money from those with malicious intent. Whoever released the current set of information is asking for Bitcoins to release more. Whether or not a further release will occur remains to be seen. Regardless of whether the hack is real or a scam, to be on the safe side we advise that you log in to your Dropbox account, change your password immediately, and enable two-factor authentication. Dropbox is already aware of this security breach, and are forcing password resets for all users who have their information exposed on Pastebin.

The cloud storage industry was dealt yet another blow over the weekend as Dropbox revealed that some of its users may have lost files as a result of a glitch when using a feature called Selective Sync. As the name suggests, Selective Sync allows a Dropbox user to select only the folders they want to be synced to their computer. A bug in an older version of Dropbox for desktop users, however, led to some files being deleted when the desktop application shut down or restarted while Selective Sync was active. Dropbox said they’ve patched the desktop client so the issue is no longer present. What’s more, they’ve made sure all users are running an updated version of the client and have retired all affected versions so they can no longer be used. The company also said they’re putting further emphasis on their testing procedures to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Affected members are being offered a free year of Dropbox Pro ($9.99 per month or $99 annually) which includes up to 1TB of storage space. Unfortunately for some, the damage has already been done and some files are inevitably gone. It’s events like these that highlight the importance of having multiple backups. Over the summer, my main storage drive died at a very inopportune time but thankfully, I had nearly everything backed up on two separate drives (one of which is stored in a fireproof safe). Ideally, you’d even want a copy of critical data stored off-site but given concerns over privacy, I can understand why some would be hesitant to use cloud storage.

Samsung has developed 60GHz Wi-Fi technology that it claims bridges the gap between theoretical and actual Wi-Fi speeds. The technology touted 802.11ad will enable data transmission speeds of up to 4.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), or 575 megabytes (MB) per second, a five-fold increase over the existing maximum of 866Mbps. Just to give you an idea, the new Wi-Fi technology would enable a 1GB movie to be transferred between devices in less than three seconds, and would allow uncompressed high-definition videos to be streamed from mobile devices to TVs in real-time without any delay. Samsung claims its 60GHz Wi-Fi technology maintains maximum speed by eliminating co-channel interference, regardless of the number of devices using the same network, exhibiting an actual speed which is over 10 times faster than that of the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi technologies. The South Korean company says it has solved the penetration and path loss issues associated with millimeter waves by leveraging millimeter-wave circuit design and high performance modem technologies, as well as by developing wide-coverage beam-forming antenna. “Samsung has successfully overcome the barriers to the commercialization of 60GHz millimeter-wave band Wi-Fi technology, and looks forward to commercializing this breakthrough technology”, said Kim Chang Yong, Head of DMC R&D Center of Samsung Electronics. Samsung plans to apply the technology to a wide range of products, including audiovisual, medical, as well as telecommunications equipment. It will also be integral to development of Samsung's Smart Home initiatives related to the Internet of Things, the company says. Commercialization of the technology is expected as early as next year.

We’re still waiting for a consumer version of the Oculus Rift, the device that reignited everyone’s interest in virtual reality. The first prototype surfaced more than two years ago and in the interim, we’ve seen a handful of other companies beat Facebook-owned Oculus VR to the punch. The latest virtual reality headset comes from Carl Zeiss, a company that knows a thing or two about optics. Their solution, the Carl Zeiss VR One, is similar to Samsung’s Gear VR headset in that it works in conjunction with a smartphone but unlike Sammy’s solution, it isn’t limited to a particular brand of phone. Instead, the VR One will work with Android and iOS phones featuring a minimum screen size of 4.7-inches up to 5.2-inches (Galaxy Note 4, iPhone 6 Plus and all Windows Phone devices need not apply). Your phone fits into a custom tray called a drawer which then slides into the front of the headset. At present, the VR One only supports the Galaxy S5 and the iPhone 6 although I suspect they’ll offer more options in due time. The Carl Zeiss VR One is available for pre-order as of writing priced at just $99.90 while additional drawers sell for $9.90 each. At this price, the device is twice as cheap as the Gear VR which only works with the Galaxy Note 4, a handset that’ll set you back an additional $800+. That’s the good news. The bad news is that, as Wired points out, the Zeiss team doesn’t really have any idea what to do with it. They’ve created two demo apps but aside from that, it looks like they’ll be relying on developers to build apps for the device. It’ll no doubt be a tough sell without a ton of support but at least they seem to have the price and compatibility issues figured out. The first units are expected to ship in time for the holidays.

Google has been hit by another privacy setback. A Japanese court has ordered the company to delete some search results related to a man that are considered to be infringing his privacy rights. Back in June, the man requested an injunction from the court, arguing that the search results lead to articles suggesting he was involved in a past crime, something he says not only compromises his privacy, but also threatens his life. Judge Nobuyuki Seki of the Tokyo District Court agreed with the man's argument, and said in his ruling that some of the results do “infringe personal rights”, and Google "has the obligation to delete them", ordering the search giant to delete around 120 of about 230 search results. “This is good news for those who feel their lives are threatened and are sickened physically and psychologically by Google’s search results”, said the plaintiff’s lawyer, Tomohiro Kanda. “It was groundbreaking that the court didn’t see the search engine in a special light as it had been before”. Kanda also said that it is likely the first time a Japanese court has ordered a search engine operator to delete search results, adding that the Mountain View, California-based company has already deleted some of the search results. “We remove pages from our search results when required by local law — including Japan’s long-standing privacy and defamation laws”, Google said. “We’re currently reviewing this preliminary injunction from the Tokyo District Court”. Last year, a Tokyo court issued a provisional order requesting Google to remove specific search terms from its "autocomplete" feature. The news also comes a few months after the Court of Justice of the European Union ordered Google to delete search results related to a Spanish man, saying that individuals have the right to be forgotten.

The rumor mill is in full swing at the moment, chucking out tidbits of information every week or so relating to the upcoming Google Nexus 6. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google will launch their next flagship smartphone "this month." The Nexus 6, which is expected to be the final name for the device codenamed "Shamu," will be manufactured by Motorola and come with a 5.9-inch Quad HD display. The latest rumors say the handset will look like a scaled up version of the second-generation Moto X (pictured above), which Motorola recently released. Other hardware that will reportedly make it into the Nexus 6 include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC, 3 GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 3,200 mAh battery. Google usually uses Nexus devices to launch the next version of Android, so we can expect the Nexus 6 to come preloaded with Android L. As the SoC rumored to be powering the Nexus 6 doesn't support 64-bit instruction sets, this won't be the first 64-bit Android handset on the market. Along with the Nexus 6, Google is also expected to launch the HTC-made Nexus 9 tablet. Like the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9 will launch with Android L, and rumors suggest it will be powered by Nvidia's Tegra K1 SoC. There's no word on pricing for either the Nexus 6 or Nexus 9, but considering previous Nexus releases, we're expecting them to once again undercut the competition.

While most imagery for Google Street View has been shot with car-mounted cameras, there have been instances when cameras have been mounted on boats as well as on people's back. But now, for the first time, the company has mounted its Trekker camera onto the back of a 10-year-old camel called Raffia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4pVCToDTbT4 The aim was to capture the desert around Liwa Oasis (UAE) that stretches around 62 miles from east to west. "Using camels for the collection allowed us to collect authentic imagery and minimize our disruption of this fragile environment", Google said in a blog post. According to The National, shooting began as early as 6am, the quietest time of day and also the clearest weather-wise, managing to capture awesome views of sand dunes, beautiful palm trees, and more. An Indian guide lead the camel on the Journey. Liwa Oasis is the largest oasis in the Arabian peninsula, and is known to be one of the most history rich in the desert. Google hopes that Street View exposure will boost tourist influx in the region, although those who can't stand the heat can go for a virtual tour as the latest images are now available online. Launched back in 2007, Street View enables people around the globe explore cities from the comfort of their homes. Initially only available in five American cities: San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami and New York City, has now captured images from 59 countries. However, the program has also been mired in controversies. Back in 2010, the search giant admitted that its Street View cars had mistakenly collected private information, including emails and passwords, from open Wi-Fi networks.

It was a seemingly normal Wednesday for YouTuber Christopher Schmidt. He was out flying his Phantom FC40 quadcopter at Magazine Beach Park in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when a hawk decided he wasn’t too thrilled with the drone’s presence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AhDG_WBIQgc As the footage from the drone-mounted GoPro Hero 3+ Black clearly shows, the hawk swoops in for the kill and sent the aircraft plummeting to the ground. Schmidt notes that once he saw the hawk approach, he throttled down the props on the drone to try and minimize any harm to the bird. As far as he could tell, the hawk was unscathed (as was the drone).

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed silicon circuit boards, chips and sensors that can be completely dissolved in water. James Bond self-destructing gadgetry aside, the breakthrough could significantly reduce e-waste and find practical uses in the medical field. E-waste is a serious environmental concern when you consider there are now more mobile devices than humans on the planet. The lifecycle for such devices is typically just a few years and although some do get recycled, many end up in landfills. To be able to effectively get rid of the circuit boards inside these devices would result in far greener mobile gadgets. John Rogers, the lead on the project, said their most recent developments in devices that address real challenges in clinical medicine and in advanced, high volume manufacturing suggest a promising future for this new class of technology. Potential applications in the medical field largely revolve around implantable devices. For example, temporary electrical brain monitors that assist in rehabilitation from traumatic brain injuries and electrical bone growth stimulators could be used for a setperiod of time. Instead of having to physically remove the devices once they’re no longer needed, they could simply be dissolved and absorbed by the body. Such technology is likely still several years away but there is promise for the future. The researchers plan to showcase their advancements at the AVS International Symposium on November 9.

If you’ve ever tried to snap a photo of a sunset, you’re probably familiar with just how difficult it is to get that perfect shot. Many will agree that there’s roughly a one-minute window in which the lighting is optimal for your shot. Now imagine trying to shoot a sunset in each of the Earth’s 24 time zones all in the course of 24 hours. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gPnNEP4oju8 Such a feat had never been attempted until photographer Simon Roberts recently pulled it off. Chasing Horizons, as the project is called, is an incredible accomplishment that required an immense amount of planning. It’s an inspiring clip that'll resonate with those into photography regardless of the fact that it’s also a lengthy advertisement for a watch brand.

Google has taken its legal battle with Oracle over the use of Java in Android to the Supreme Court, saying that the highest court must intervene to protect technological innovation. The case stems from a lawsuit filed four years ago by Oracle, contending that Google's Android mobile operating system infringed copyrights associated with the Java programming language, which Oracle took ownership of when it acquired Sun Microsystems earlier that year. The contentious issue in the case was whether it is possible to copyright an API (Application Programming Interface), something that defines how different applications communicate and work with one another. Oracle said Google's Android OS infringed on its rights to the structure of 37 Java APIs. Google won the first round of the enormous $1 billion lawsuit, after a lower court in 2012 ruled that Java APIs used in Android cannot be copyrighted. But the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in May this year reversed that ruling, saying that the disputed elements of Java are entitled to copyright protection. Now, Google has requested the Supreme Court to hear the case, arguing that the Federal Circuit's ruling crimps innovation. "Early computer companies could have blocked vast amounts of technological development by claiming 95-year copyright monopolies over the basic building blocks of computer design and programming", the search giant said. However, Google's efforts may go in vain, as the Supreme Court court doesn’t accept all cases and it might decline the company's request.

Image hosting site Imgur has decided the old GIF format for animated images just isn’t cutting it anymore. In a site-wide update, Imgur is now converting animated GIF uploads into what it calls GIFV. The new tech essentially takes standard GIFs an then converts them into a form of MP4 video. This means the service can accept much larger and higher quality GIFs. Normally limited to 5MB, users can now upload GIFs as big as 50MB. As you can see in these comparison shots, the 50MB version is of much higher quality than the standard 5MB image. Imgur says its just trying to upgrade a technology introduced in 1989, attempting to keep the same experience intact just with a modern approach. Not only are the GIFVs of much higher quality, but they also offer even smaller file sizes. GIFVs still auto play as you would expect and even play at the proper speed while loading, unlike a standard GIF. The new moving images should also help performance on mobile applications and because they are essentially small videos now, will work on social networks like Twitter. Imgur says more is to come with GIF development and that it is currently submitting its new GIFV format to standards groups in hopes of wider adoption.

Google continually adds new updates and enhancements to the search most of us use everyday, but has recently ran into a few unexpected surprises as a result of the changes. The company began accepting non-approved news sources on its inline search news box recently, resulting is some salty language on its results page. Earlier this month the company added an improved site search field within the standard search results, allowing usersto dig specific sites from directly on the main Google results page. However, the feature is now also available on the infamous Pirate Bay domain as well. Considering Google has taken a number of fairly drastic measures to keep The Pirate Bay (TPB) out of search results in a major way (or at least forcing them to the bottom), its likely not an intentional move, but rather an unforeseen result of the new feature being rolled out. Google is even offering auto complete functionality on the TPB search field, which according to TorrentFreak goes against the company’s policy to not autocomplete searches pertaining to illegal content. While it is likely only a matter of time before Google shuts the direct search box down, it is still live at the time of writing. Currently, searches in TPB box don’t go directly to the domain, and instead bring back TPB results on a Google page. Reports suggest TPB is actually considering adding support for this feature so that searches return results directly on the thepiratebay.se.

AMD CEO Rory Read has stepped down from his role as chief executive, president and board member, effective immediate. He is being replaced by chief operating officer Dr. Lisa Su who will also serve as company president and take his seat on the board of directors. AMD didn’t provide a specific reason for Read’s departure, only going as far as to say it was part of a transition plan. The 52-year-old, who took over the helm in 2011 following the resignation of Dirk Meyer, will remain with the company through the end of the year in an advisory role. During a conference call on the matter, Su promised that the company would not exit the x86 microprocessor space and that ARM and the x86 lines would co-exist moving ahead. Su joined AMD in January 2012 as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s global business units and was responsible for driving end-to-end business execution of AMD’s products and solutions. She was promoted to chief operating officer this past June which, according to Anandtech, was to prepare her for the CEO position. Su certainly appears qualified for the job. Before her time at AMD, she was a member of the technical staff at Texas Instruments in their semiconductor process and device center. Following that stint, she spent 13 years at IBM in various engineering and business leadership positions then joined Freescale Semiconductor as chief technology officer in 2007. Su is only the fifth CEO in company history.

HTC hosted its Double Exposure media event earlier today in which the company unveiled its latest smartphone, the HTC Desire Eye. Looking to capitalize on the selfie craze sweeping the nation, the standout features of the new phone are its cameras – a pair of 13-megapixel shooters with dual-color LED flashes. While the two cameras do share the same effective resolution, they are a bit different. The one on the rear uses a 28mm lens with an f/2.0 aperture while the front-facing camera consists of a wider 20mm lens for selfies and an f/2.2 aperture. Looking past the cameras for a moment, the HTC Desire Eye includes a 5.2-inch display operating at 1,920 x 1,080 (424 PPI), a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in flash storage (expandable via microSD card slot). Elsewhere, the phone features HTC’s trademark BoomSound speaker system, LTE connectivity, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, NFC and a micro USB port. It also carries an IPX7 certification meaning it can withstand being under up to a meter of water for half an hour without incident. It’ll ship running Android 4.4 with the latest Sense software and draw power from a 2,400mAh battery. Look for it to arrive in your choice of red or blue color schemes exclusively through AT&T. No word yet on exactly when the Eye will be available or how much it’ll set you back.

If you are looking forward to buy a Samsung Galaxy Gear S smartwatch, here is some good news: you will now also be able to surf the Internet on the wearable device. Opera has announced that its Opera Mini browser will be available on the Tizen-powered smartwatch. According to the company, Opera Mini includes many touch-friendly features tailored specifically for small-screen web browsing. For example, the website shortcuts on the browser's Speed Dial appear as large buttons, enabling users to reach their favorite sites in a single tap. There is also a Smart Page that displays links based on the sites you visit most frequently, as well as a number of suggested links that are sorted by category. You can also add your social-media networks to the Smart Page. The browser also lets you save Web pages for offline reading, a feature that may come in handy when you are in an area with sketchy internet coverage. Just double-tap with a finger to zoom in, or pinch to attain your desired view, while a gentle swipe with your finger will take you forward and back. Although it's difficult to say just how productive Internet surfing will be on the Gear S' small 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display, those who are looking to give it a try can download the free browser app from Samsung Gear Apps when the smartwatch goes on sale later this month.

Smartwatches haven’t exactly caught fire with consumers in a way that manufacturers were hoping for. Practicality – or lack thereof – aside, much of the problem surrounding the wearable movement has to do with aesthetics. Just like Google Glass, early smartwatches looked too techie and because of that, they never had a shot at mainstream success. Fortunately, companies have finally started to realize that fashion as it relates to wearables is just as (if not more) important than functionality. Take Asus’ upcoming ZenWatch, for example. At first glance, it looks more like a premium watch than a geek-inspired gadget that straps around the wrist. It’s because of this that Asus is likely to sell out of the initial batch almost immediately. That's a bold statement but not if a new report from VR-Zone is accurate. The publication claims Asus is preparing no more than 300 (yes, just three hundred) units in its initial run. What’s more, they say it’ll only be sold in Taiwan at launch. No specific reason for the extremely limited supply was given although one can make a couple of educated guesses as to what may be going on. The obvious answer to the limited supply question is that Asus may have run into manufacturing issues. The watchface is embedded in a curved stainless steel chassis with Gorilla Glass 3 atop. It is possible that the curved nature of the device gave Asus some fits on the production line. Then again, it’s not unusual for Asus to launch new devices in its home country first before a wider rollout. It’s possible that Asus may be limiting supply of the ZenWatch in Taiwan with plans for a larger global release shortly after. As always, one should take this and any other rumor with a healthy dose of salt. We’ll keep our ears open and report back if we hear anything further on the matter.

NFC-based payments may be the future but let’s face it, not everyone is ready to get rid of the plastic in their wallets. Cutting down on the number of cards that result in bulky wallets, however, may be a bit easier to sell which is exactly what Plastc is hoping for. The latest supercard is designed to pair with an app on your smartphone via Bluetooth. It can hold information on up to 20 different cards including credit, debit, access, loyalty and gift cards with the ability to switch between them with ease thanks to its embedded e-ink touchscreen display. It also contains NFC and RFID chips for added flexibility along with a 30-day battery life and wireless charging. Plastc is also future-proofing the card by including an EMV chip while those with additional security concerns will appreciate the ability to PIN-lock the card and receive phone alerts if it is accidentally left behind at a store. Furthermore, the card can be remotely wiped in the event it is lost or stolen. As Gizmodo points out, that’s a heck of a lot of technology to cram into a single credit card-sized device and presents quite the challenge in getting it to market by summer 2015. Of course, Plastc isn’t the only outfit designed to slim down your wallet. Y Combinator-backed startup Coin introduced its universal payment card almost a year ago. It was supposed to ship this past summer but has since been pushed back until the spring of 2015. The company is, however, still accepting pre-orders at $100 a pop. With any luck, Plastc will be able to overcome the multitude of setbacks that have kept Coin at bay thus far. Pre-orders for Plastc are now open if you want to secure yours early. Expect to pay $155 for the opportunity.

Facebook has been on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism in recent weeks over its handling of a controversy surrounding its real names policy. Now it seems the social network may be taking a complete U-turn in its approach to connecting people as rumors are circulating that Facebook is building a chat app that would let users converse anonymously. The company is said to be working on a standalone mobile app that will allow users to interact without having to use their real names according to two people familiar with the plans as reported by The New York Times. The idea is to give Facebook users multiple identities to openly discuss different subject matter – stuff they may not be comfortable talking about with their real names attached. The project is reportedly being led by Josh Miller, an employee that joined Facebook when it acquired his startup called Branch. Miller and his team have been working on the anonymous chat app for the last year, sources claim. Linking people with friends and mapping out connections to others has been Facebook’s mantra up to this point. The approach has led to incredible success in which they’ve dominated the social networking scene (and made a ton of money via advertising) for close to a decade and kept rivals like Google+ at bay. But times are changing and people are starting to value their privacy more than they have in the past. Anyone needing proof of this needn’t look any further than the popularity of apps like Secret and Whisper or even websites like Reddit. The app is expected to launch in the coming weeks.

Shellshock has claimed another victim as Yahoo recently revealed that three of its servers were compromised over the weekend by hackers that managed to exploit the vulnerability. In a statement issued to Bloomberg via e-mail, Yahoo spokesperson Elisa Shyu said the company began patching its systems as soon as they became aware of the issue and have been closely monitoring their network. Yahoo isolated a handful of servers that were impacted and at this time, Shyu added, there is no evidence of a compromise to user data. Security researcher Jonathan Hall was the first to report the breach, the details of which can be found in this lengthy post over at Future South Technologies. To summarize, Hall claims Romanian hackers trying to build a large botnet are responsible for the attack. In addition to Yahoo, he also found evidence of an attack on utility software developer WinZip. The security flaw, first disclosed publically on September 24, poses an even bigger threat than the Heartbleed bug from earlier in the year as it allows a bad actor to potentially gain complete control over a target system. Security firm Incapsula estimates that there were nearly a billion attempts to use the bug and its own web application firewall dealt with more than 217,000 exploit attempts in the week following the bug’s disclosure. There are likely thousands of Shellshock victims at this point although Yahoo is by far the biggest (that we know about).

Hewlett Packard is expected to announce plans to split into two separate companies as early as tomorrow. Enterprise computing and services will be the focus of one of the new companies while the other will be tasked with building and selling PCs and printers according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Current HP CEO Meg Whitman will lead the enterprise-focused company as its CEO while serving as the chairman of the PC and printer business. Chairman duties for the enterprise company, meanwhile, will fall on Patricia Russo while Dion Weisler will be named CEO of the PC and printer company. This isn’t the first time HP has considered a split. Back in 2011, the company explored the possibility of spinning off its PC business under former CEO Leo Apotheker. The idea was unpopular among shareholders and ultimately cost him his job. He was officially replaced by Whitman, eBay’s former chief, in September of 2011. If true, the world’s second largest PC vendor will join a growing list of companies looking to split or otherwise slim down. Last month, Toshiba announced plans to pull out of select consumer PC markets to shift its focus on business clients while eBay said it would spin PayPal off into a separate company next year. Many in the corporate world believe that a leaner company with a narrower focus often performs better. As such, moves like this have typically been welcomed by shareholders and sometimes even requested.

Diversity in the workplace is a talking point in the tech industry. Several of the industry’s biggest players have published reports on the matter in recent months with Microsoft becoming the latest to do so this past Friday. The Redmond-based company’s overall diversity – or lack thereof – mirrors what we’ve seen from virtually every other Silicon Valley giant thus far. Microsoft’s workforce is dominated by men as 71 percent of staffers are male. That ratio jumps to 82.9 percent in favor of men when looking at tech-based roles and 82.7 percent for leadership roles. Things are a bit more even when looking at non-tech jobs as 44.5 percent of those are held by women. In terms of ethnicity in the overall scope, Caucasians represent 60.6 percent of Microsoft’s global workforce while Asians account for 28.9 percent of all employees. The remaining 10.6 percent of those on Microsoft’s payroll fall into the categories of Hispanic, African American, multi-racial, American Indian and Pacific Islander – in that order. Looking closer, 56.7 percent of Microsoft’s technical staff is Caucasian, 35.3 percent are Asian and just 3.8 percent are Hispanic. Nearly 70 percent of the company’s non-technical positions are held by whites while 72.2 percent of those in leadership positions are white and 20.7 percent are Asian. Microsoft joins a growing list of tech companies to divulge workforce demographics including Pinterest, eBay, Apple, Twitter, Google and Facebook, in no particular order.

Streaming video service Redbox Instant is shutting down. The service, jointly operated by Redbox and Verizon, will officially close its doors on October 7 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific according to a notice posted on the company’s website. Rumors of a shutdown started swirling about a week ago although those that have paid close attention to the service likely saw the writing on the wall months ago. As Gigaom explains, the service disabled new sign-ups starting about three months ago following a credit card fraud issue. In addition to not being able to sign up new members, existing customers with expiring credit cards were simply booted from the system as they couldn’t add a new payment method. Redbox Instant launched in March 2013 and offered a combination of physical DVD rentals at Redbox kiosks (customers were allowed to rent four discs per month) in addition to online video streaming. Its streaming catalog didn’t come close to matching the size of competitors like Amazon Prime Instant Streaming or even Netflix’s own. It mostly focused on movies instead of television shows which has been the bread and butter for Netflix up to this point. In the interim, Redbox Instant said customers may continue to stream movies and use their Redbox kiosk credits up until the shutdown date. Information on applicable refunds will be e-mailed to current customers and posted on the company’s website on October 10.

The nation’s third largest wireless provider recently kicked off a series of layoffs that are expected to continue through the month of October. In an SEC filing on the matter, Sprint described the job cuts as part of a workforce reduction plan designed to reduce costs and help the company become more competitive in the wireless industry. Layoffs will impact both management and non-management positions within the company. According to Sprint spokesperson Scott Sloat, the layoffs will specifically target employees in IT, network and technology groups that have been working on the company’s Network Vision upgrades. The initiative, launched more than three years ago, involved improving their CMDA network, shutting down the iDEN network launching LTE service on the 1900MHz spectrum. Because the overhaul is mostly complete, Sprint is adjusting its staffing needs accordingly, Sloat said. He didn’t reveal how many jobs would be cut, however. One of the first things new CEO Marcelo Claure promised to do at Sprint was conduct a comprehensive review to look at every dollar that is spent. If there were things that didn’t make sense in the budget, he said they would cut them fast. Coming from a low-cost industry, it’s a methodology he wanted to try to apply in his new role. Sprint is expected to register a charge of $160 million during the quarter to cover severance package pay and other related expenses.