Business news

Business

A giant biotechnology company might go bust. What will happen to the millions of people's DNA it holds?

Since it was founded nearly two decades ago, 23andMe has grown into one of the largest biotechnology companies in the world. Millions of people have used its simple genetic testing service, which involves ordering a saliva ...

Business

AI is supposed to be Hollywood's next big thing: What's taking so long?

Earlier this year, OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies wooed Hollywood studios with the futuristic promise of AI tools that they said could help make the business of creating movies and television shows faster, ...

Business

AI bots easily bypass some social media safeguards, study reveals

While artificial intelligence (AI) bots can serve a legitimate purpose on social media—such as marketing or customer service—some are designed to manipulate public discussion, incite hate speech, spread misinformation ...

Business

Wearable sensors can continuously track fatigue in factory workers

A system of wearable sensors and machine learning can continuously monitor factory workers for signs of physical fatigue. Factory work can be physically strenuous, and a safe and ethical workplace must ensure that workers ...

Business

New York Times takes aim at another AI company

The New York Times has sent a cease and desist letter to Perplexity, a hot AI startup often touted as a promising competitor to Google search, over alleged copyright infringement.

Business

Amazon wants to be everything to everyone

Amazon is bolstering its e-commerce empire while continuing a march deeper into people's lives, from robots to health care and entertainment.

Consumer & Gadgets

Exploring the hidden costs of free apps

Procrastination, sleep deprivation and reduced focus are part of the price we pay for free mobile apps. This is according to researchers at Linköping University and RISE, who have investigated the costs hidden behind the ...

Business

US weighs Google breakup in landmark trial

The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would demand that Google make profound changes to how it does business and even consider the possibility of a breakup, after the tech juggernaut was found to be running an illegal ...

Business

UPS orders 19 Boeing 767 cargo jets

Boeing announced Tuesday that it sealed an order to sell 19 freighter planes to UPS in the latest sign of how surging e-commerce use is boosting the air cargo market.

Business

Omicron threatens tech's big return to in-person megaconference

Several major companies as of Wednesday have cancelled or will limit their attendance to the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES)—the tech industry's annual mass-gathering in Las Vegas—due to Covid-19 variant Omicron's ...

Business

First SMS auctions for 107,000 euros as NFT

The first SMS ever sent over a mobile phone in 1992 was sold Tuesday as an NFT at auction for 107,000 euros ($120,600), the Aguttes auction house said.

Business

Qatar Airways launches UK legal challenge against Airbus

Qatar Airways said Monday it had launched legal proceedings against Airbus in the High Court in London, following a dispute with the aircraft manufacturer over degradation of the exterior fuselage surfaces.

Business

Could video games bring NFTs to the masses?

A year ago, NFTs were obscure virtual assets known only to tech geeks—but as video game companies enter the growing market, industry players hope they're poised to go mainstream.

Business

Jurors mull whether Theranos founder guilty of fraud

Jurors late Friday began deliberating whether fallen Silicon Valley star Elizabeth Holmes conned investors or earnestly believed the technology used by her blood-testing startup could revolutionize the industry.

Business

Amazon driver texts reveal chaos as Illinois tornado bore down

The messages between an Amazon.com Inc. delivery driver and her boss began about 80 minutes before a tornado struck one of the company's warehouses in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Dec. 10, killing six workers. The dramatic ...

Business

Alibaba to grow Southeast Asia e-commerce arm to $100b

Alibaba this week revealed an ambitious vision to grow its Southeast Asian e-commerce business to $100 billion in transacted sales as well as a pledge to reach carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030.