Business news

Business

Google wins delay in opening Android app store to rivals

A US judge on Friday let Google delay opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops, suspending a November 1 deadline ordered in an antitrust case brought by Fortnite-maker Epic Games.

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

Researchers study how to create a public–private network for the urban distribution of goods

Estimates suggest that 4 million parcels are delivered every day in Spain, most of which are destined for the metropolitan areas of large cities, which is where 55% of the country's population lives.

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

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 ...

Software

New tool maps future climate costs for airlines, passengers

When Phoenix temperatures topped 120 F in June 2017, American Airlines canceled dozens of flights at a local airport because the airplanes could not take off safely in the extreme heat. Scenarios like this are likely to become ...

Business

US and EU to seek harmony on big tech regulation

Top officials from the EU and US later will this month try to attune their strategies on regulating big tech and defend democratic values on the internet, a statement said on Thursday.

Business

EasyJet rejects takeover bid, plots $2.0 bn lifeline

British airline EasyJet on Thursday announced it had rejected a takeover approach, reportedly from rival Wizz Air, and revealed a $2.0-billion lifeline as the battered aviation sector looks to recover.

Business

Silicon Valley finds remote work is easier to begin than end

Technology companies that led the charge into remote work as the pandemic unfurled are confronting a new challenge: how, when and even whether they should bring long-isolated employees back to offices that have been designed ...

Business

Google see the future of work as 'hybrid'

Google on Wednesday ramped up cloud collaboration tools for businesses, expecting "hybrid" work routines to remain even after the pandemic has ended.

Theranos founder's fraud trial opens in Silicon Valley

Fallen biotech star Elizabeth Holmes's fraud trial opened Wednesday in California, with prosecutors claiming she told grandiose lies to cheat investors in her once-billion-dollar company, as her defense said she simply made ...

Business

In world first, bitcoin becomes legal tender in El Salvador

El Salvador on Tuesday became the first country to embrace bitcoin as legal tender, with consumer demand crashing its brand-new cyber "wallet" system even as the currency's value seesawed against the US dollar.