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

Lufthansa pays back German bailout early

German airline Lufthansa said on Friday that it had finished repaying a nine-billion-euro ($10 billon) government bailout that saved it from bankruptcy at the height of pandemic travel curbs.

China's Tencent buys Japanese game designer: report

Chinese games and messaging colossus Tencent Holdings has acquired the Japanese creative studio behind several hit Nintendo Switch titles, a report Friday said, as it seeks to recover from a government crackdown on the gaming ...

Business

Alibaba, JD enjoy record Singles Day despite tech crackdown

Chinese ecommerce titan Alibaba enjoyed record sales during its Singles Day shopping extravaganza, giving a much-needed boost to the firm after a torrid year in which it became the symbol of a government crackdown that hammered ...

Siemens annual profits up despite supply chain snags

German industrial giant Siemens reported a jump in yearly net profit on Thursday despite a fourth quarter troubled by global supply chain issues that the company predicts will improve next year.

Business

China's 'Single's Day' shopping fest subdued by tech crackdown

China on Thursday held a subdued version of its annual "Single's Day" shopping spree, shorn of the usual boasting on sales volume as the country's chastened e-commerce sector kept a lower profile amid a government crackdown ...

Business

China's Singles' Day shopping extravaganza loses luster

China's Singles' Day, the world's largest online shopping festival which falls on Nov. 11 every year, is losing its shine, with less marketing hype and a crackdown on the technology industry.

Business

Google awaits EU court verdict in anti-trust case

The European Union's second-highest court will rule Wednesday on whether antitrust authorities in Brussels went too far in handing Google a 2.4-billion-euro ($2.8-billion) fine for search engine dominance.

Business

DoorDash takes aim at Europe with purchase of Wolt

DoorDash has added Europe to its menu with the purchase of Finland-based food delivery firm Wolt in an all-stock deal valued at $8.1 billion, the company announced Tuesday.

Business

Europe's battle to curb Big Tech

US tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft have been accused of not paying enough taxes, stifling competition, stealing media content and threatening democracy by spreading fake news.

Business

Facebook parent Meta to remove sensitive ad categories

Facebook's parent company Meta says it will remove sensitive ad targeting options related to health, race or ethnicity, political affiliation, religion or sexual orientation beginning on Jan. 19.

Business

Tencent earnings creep up 3% after China tech crackdown

Revenues of Chinese gaming and communications giant Tencent rose three percent in the last three months, according to results published Wednesday, as Beijing cracks down on tech giants and the country's mammoth gaming industry.