Digital content & Related technologies

iTunes removes “extremist” songs to comply with Russian regulator’s order

February 12, 2016

Apple’s music service iTunes has deleted songs by the groups Korroziya Metalla (Corrosion) and Tsiklon-B (Cyclon-B), which Russian courts previously recognized as extremist, according to a press release by Roskomnadzor, the Russia’s government’s media watchdog agency. On October 26, Russian censors blocked several pages of iTunes that contained music by these two bands. By removing …

iTunes removes “extremist” songs to comply with Russian regulator’s order Read More

Direct Group sells women’s sites Passion and WMJ to Rambler & Co

February 12, 2016

Direct Group, a Moscow-based investment company owned by French businessman Pascal Clément, has sold its two women’s sites, Passion.ru and Woman Journal (WMJ.ru), to Russian tech media group Rambler & Co. Announced earlier this month at an industry conference in Bruges, the news was confirmed by a Rambler representative in an exchange with business daily Kommersant. The details …

Direct Group sells women’s sites Passion and WMJ to Rambler & Co Read More

Yandex backpedals on new version of movie platform after user fury

February 12, 2016

Last week Yandex, the NASDAQ-listed Russian search giant, launched an online video streaming offer on KinoPoisk (in Russian: “Cinema Search”), the movie and TV recommendation service it acquired two years ago. Inspired by US platform IMDb, KinoPoisk was initially an online database containing 100 million movie descriptions and ratings with associated trailers and user commentaries. …

Yandex backpedals on new version of movie platform after user fury Read More

Russian-made smartphone sensor to detect cancer cells and diagnose HIV

October 6, 2015

Russian scientists Dmitry Fedyanin and Yury Stebunov have created a new sensor that can detect cancer cells and diagnose diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and herpes in the comfort of your own home. “We are using a nano-mechanical circuit with a very high sensitivity,” Fedyanin told RBTH. Previously, such technologies worked only under low temperature …

Russian-made smartphone sensor to detect cancer cells and diagnose HIV Read More

Universal and Warner Music groups win case against VKontakte

February 12, 2016

Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have claimed an important victory in their fight to stop copyright infringement by VKontakte, Russia’s largest social network and the country’s most popular provider of music. A Russian court has ruled that VKontakte must introduce technology to effectively prevent the unauthorised upload of the companies’ sound recordings on to …

Universal and Warner Music groups win case against VKontakte Read More

Russian online video platform ivi.ru raises $3.5 million from Buran Venture Capital

February 12, 2016

This past Friday Buran Venture Capital announced that it has invested $3.5 million in ivi.ru, a major online video streaming platform operating in Russia and neighboring Russian-speaking countries. The details of the transaction have not been disclosed. The capital injection will allow ivi.ru to “further development its video platform and strengthen its position on the mobile and …

Russian online video platform ivi.ru raises $3.5 million from Buran Venture Capital Read More

Sberbank and Uber agree financial technology partnership

March 2, 2017

Earlier this month Sberbank, Russia’s national savings bank, and Uber announced that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding “to explore the co-development of financial technology with global potential.” For example, Uber could use Sberbank’s sophisticated mobile payment technologies to improve the ease with which new Uber users verify their account and pay securely. “Paying for your ride electronically …

Sberbank and Uber agree financial technology partnership Read More

Snapchat acquires Looksery in reported $150 million deal

February 14, 2016

Yesterday Snapchat announced the launch of “Lenses,” a new feature that enables users to create a variety face effects while making selfies. These augmented reality filters will allow you to change eye or skin color, alter your face to remove blemishes or look thinner. Behind these new types of avatars is a technology developed by Looksery, a startup originated from Odessa, Ukraine, with offices in …

Snapchat acquires Looksery in reported $150 million deal Read More

‘Uber, Go Home!’ say Moscow taxi drivers

March 2, 2017

This past Monday, September 7, a group of Moscow taxi drivers gathered together for a protest against the app-based, ride-hailing service Uber. Drivers say Uber’s lower fares are a threat to their livelihoods, and demand that the company be investigated and prosecuted for “unfair competitive practices” that violate Russian law. Moscow taxi drivers are also demanding …

‘Uber, Go Home!’ say Moscow taxi drivers Read More

Snowden criticizes Russia for crackdown on Internet freedom

February 14, 2016

Edward Snowden, the U.S. intelligence leaker granted asylum in Russia in August 2013, has criticized his country of residence for its crackdown on Internet freedom and gay rights in a speech after receiving a Norwegian prize, British daily The Guardian reported Saturday. Snowden, 32, was awarded the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression’s Bjornson prize for his work on the right to privacy, the report said. The former NSA contractor, who is …

Snowden criticizes Russia for crackdown on Internet freedom Read More

Russian Internet censorship: A journey into the belly of the Kremlin’s media watchdog

February 14, 2016

This summer, for a short while, pages on Reddit and Wikipedia were technically banned in Russia. While the ban targeted only individual pages of these popular websites, roughly a third of Russian Internet providers lacked the tools necessary to block specific content within a site built on the https protocol. As a result the entire Reddit and Wikipedia became inaccessible …

Russian Internet censorship: A journey into the belly of the Kremlin’s media watchdog Read More

Scroll to Top

This site is under maintenance. Sorry for the inconvenience.

This site is under maintenance. Sorry for the inconvenience.