Business news

Business

Trump's bitcoin reserve a 'digital Fort Knox'

The creation of a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" in the United States is further proof of President Donald Trump's support for the cryptocurrency sector.

Business

When a robot becomes the boss: Exploring authority, obedience and relationships with machines

How does a robot perform as a boss at work? The results of research by Polish scientists published in Cognition, Technology & Work suggest that while robots can command obedience, they are not as proficient at it as humans. ...

Business

Tech stocks keep tumbling this year; here's why

When President Trump returned to the White House, tech executives from Apple, OpenAI, Oracle and other companies pledged to create thousands of jobs, fuel innovation and invest billions of dollars in the United States.

Business

Intel hires former board member as new CEO in struggling chipmaker's latest comeback attempt

Struggling chipmaker Intel has hired former board member and semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as the latest in a succession of CEOs to attempt to turn around a once-dominant company that helped define Silicon Valley.

Business

Games industry still a hostile environment for many women

Five years on from a first wave of harassment scandals that rocked the world of gaming, multiple women working in the industry tell AFP they have seen or experienced sexism in the workplace, fearing economic hardship in the ...

Business

US tech firm Salesforce to invest $1.0 bn in Singapore

US cloud software giant Salesforce said Wednesday it planned to invest $1.0 billion in Singapore over the next five years to boost the use of artificial intelligence agents (AI) in the workforce.

Consumer & Gadgets

What is the 'digital gender gap?'

Digital technologies, such as the internet and mobile phones, have spread widely, and become integral to many parts of our lives. Yet women continue to lag behind men in digital access in many countries.

Consumer & Gadgets

The impact of app crashes on consumer engagement

High-profile mobile app crashes reveal how life can be upended when an app freezes abruptly or shuts down. The Sonos app crash in May of last year left users of the wireless multi-room sound systems unable to do things like ...

Business

Texas tech boom: Silicon Valley's southern outpost rises

Held every year in the capital of conservative-leaning Texas, the South by Southwest festival increasingly celebrates the state's emergence as a technology hub stepping out of Silicon Valley's shadow.

Business

OpenAI outlines plans to becoming for-profit company

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI laid out plans Friday for a new corporate structure shifting away from control by a non-profit—an issue of contention for the artificial intelligence trailblazer.

Business

Montenegro to extradite crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon to US

Montenegro said Friday it will extradite to the United States the South Korean cryptocurrency specialist Do Kwon, who is also wanted by Seoul for the multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy of his company, Terraform Labs.

Business

Musk's AI startup raises further $6 bn

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's startup xAI said it had raised $6 billion from investors in its latest funding round, as it battles stiff competition in the artificial intelligence market.

Business

US probes China chip industry on 'anticompetitive' concerns

The United States said Monday it is opening an investigation into China's policies for its semiconductor industry, over concerns that Beijing is turning to "extensive anticompetitive and non-market means" to undermine other ...

Business

Google counters bid by US to force sale of Chrome

Google late Friday countered a US call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting a judge address antitrust concerns by barring the firm from making favorable treatment of its software a condition of licensing.

Business

Qualcomm scores key win in licensing dispute with Arm

A federal jury in the United States on Friday delivered a key win to mobile commputing titan Qualcomm in a licensing dispute with Arm, although proceedings between the chipmakers ended in mistrial.

Business

Amazon, OSHA reach settlement over warehouse safety citations

Federal safety regulators have dropped nine of 10 citations accusing Amazon of putting warehouse workers at a high risk of injury, part of a settlement agreement that requires the company to continue finding ways to reduce ...

Business

Sony buys 10% of 'Elden Ring' owner for $320 mn

Japanese electronics titan Sony said Thursday it had paid more than $300 million for a 10 percent stake in the media conglomerate behind the smash-hit game 'Elden Ring'.

Business

Thousands of US Amazon staff strike days before Christmas

Thousands of Amazon workers on Thursday launched what they called the "largest strike against Amazon in US history" seeking to maximize pressure on the retail behemoth at the height of the holiday shopping season.