Here are today’s Top 5 News & Events from Around the World. Take a look!
#5
Pinterest Planning to Go Public by April 2019
According to WSJ, Pinterest is planning for an IPO by April 2019. Pinterest is a visual search engine that is also used as a shopping tool by some. After its recent fundraising of $150 million, the company is valued over $12 billion. Also, it’s been reported that the firm is expecting $700 million in revenue this year. 2019 will become the year of IPOs as several other firms are going this route including Uber, Lyft, and Slack.
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#4
Drones Deliver Vaccines to Remote Island of Vanuatu, Commercially
In a remote island of Vanuatu, a one-month-old girl has become the first recipient of the vaccine delivered by a drone commercially. The drone traveled 25 miles to deliver the package in Cook’s Bay. This part of the island is accessible only by boasts or by foot. The firm behind the drone is an Australian tech firm called Swoop Aero. Vanuatu’s government is looking to integrate drone delivery into its national immunization program and use it for wider medical supplies.
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#3
Phishing Scam Targeting Apple Users
A phishing scam is affecting the Apple users for quite some time now. The email sent to users asks them to download a pdf which contains links to a site that near-perfectly mimics Apple store’s billing page. Once the user tries to login the site pops the message that the account is blocked. After that, the user is prompted to go through the unlocking process where the details such as name, address, social security number etc. are stored on the website. In fact, the process looks so legitimate that the website logs you out and sends you to the actual Apple website homepage. The number of affected people is not yet certain but the next you receive an email make sure it’s not a scam.
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#2
Japan to Start Testing Driverless Train
When the rest of the world is testing driverless cars, Japan has started testing driverless trains. The test will begin from 29 Dec and will cover the Yamanote Line at a speed of 34.5 kilometers per hour. Once operational, the system will enhance the rail transport in Japan and bring down the cost of running trains.
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#1
Facebook Sued By Washington DC for Its Deceptive Privacy Policies
The city of Washinton DC is suing Facebook for its misleading and deceptive privacy policies. After the scale at which the data was leaked Facebook has a lot to answer. The sharing of personal info with 150 odd business partners by Facebook has not gone well with the authorities of the city of Washinton DC. The lawsuit from the city attorney general is demanding a fine of up to $1.7 billion from Facebook. Since the scandals broke out, Facebook has lost $22 billion in market value.
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