Innholdsfortegnelse for #552 i Techlife News

Computer chip and software maker Broadcom will spend about $61 billion to acquire the cloud technology company VMware, one of the biggest deals of the year despite an environment of rising inflation and economic uncertainty. The proposed deal comes just weeks after billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered to spend $44 billion on Twitter and it is second in size this year only to Microsoft’s nearly $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the maker of Candy Crush and Call of Duty. The massive buyouts are occurring at a time of heightened anxiety because of turmoil on the global supply chain, war in Europe and rising prices that have the potential to cool both business and consumer activity. But that uncertainty has also created opportunities for companies like Broadcom. The…

Boeing’s crew taxi returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Wednesday, completing a repeat test flight before NASA astronauts climb aboard. It was a quick trip back: The Starliner capsule parachuted into the New Mexico desert just four hours after leaving the orbiting lab, with airbags attached to cushion the landing. Only a mannequin was buckled in. Aside from thruster failures and cooling system snags, Starliner appeared to clinch its high-stakes shakedown cruise, 2 1/2 years after its botched first try. Flight controllers in Houston applauded and cheered the bull’s-eye touchdown. “It’s great to have this incredible test flight behind us,” said Steve Stich, director of NASA’s commercial crew program. He described the demo as “extremely successful,” with all objectives met. Added Boeing’s Mark Nappi, a vice president:…

Fans of “Bob’s Burgers” will find a lot to savor in the long-awaited big screen adaptation of the Fox comedy about the oddball Belcher family. “ The Bob’s Burgers Movie ” feels very much like the quirky show — just on a supersized scale, which is all it needed to be. It’s almost summertime in this unnamed place that feels like any number of browbeaten beach towns on the New Jersey coast. For the Belcher kids, that means endless possibilities. The oldest daughter Tina (Dan Mintz) is dreaming about summer boyfriends. Gene (Eugene Mirman) is getting a band together (his instrument is a napkin holder and spoons held together by a few rubber bands) and hoping for a big gig at the nearby boardwalk. And Louise (Kristen Schaal) is trying…

Twitter’s regularly scheduled shareholder meeting Wednesday didn’t include a vote on Tesla billionaire Elon Musk’s $44 billion bid for the social platform. That vote will take place at a yet-undetermined date in the future. CEO Parag Agrawal said at the outset that executives won’t be answering any questions surrounding the proposal. Even a question from a stockholder asking what will happen to his shares if someone buys Twitter and takes it private was shot down. (If this happens, the stockholder would be paid the agreed-upon purchase price for each share and the stock would be delisted). Musk did not join the meeting, although he could have, being one of Twitter’s largest shareholders. But the drama surrounding his offer — almost all of it created by Musk himself — threatened to…

Amazon is planning to sublease some of its warehouse space now that the pandemic-fueled surge in online shopping, which helped the e-commerce giant rake in soaring profits in the past two years, has eased. Subleasing allows the company to“relieve the financial obligations associated with an existing building that no longer meets”its needs, Amazon spokesperson Alisa Carroll said. Carroll didn’t disclose how much space the company plans to sublet. But citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the retailer would sublease at least 10 million square feet of space and could end more of its leases in states including New York, New Jersey and California. Seattle-based Amazon doubled the size of its operations during the pandemic, adding more warehouses and workers to keep up with…

Hyundai Motor Group confirmed the company will spend $5.5 billion on a huge electric vehicle plant near Savannah that will employ thousands — a deal Georgia’s governor called the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Hyundai Motor Group CEO Jaehoon Chang made the announcement with Gov. Brian Kemp at the site of the future factory in Bryan County, where state and local officials purchased a flat, sprawling tract for $61 million last year in hopes of luring a major manufacturer. “Hard-working Georgians are going to have the opportunity to have a really high-paying, advanced manufacturing job with a great company,” Kemp said in an interview. Hyundai said it will employ at least 8,100 workers at the plant near the unincorporated town of Ellabell. It will be Hyundai’s first…

The SailGP global league and T-Mobile have announced a partnership to use 5G technology to enhance broadcast coverage of racing at regattas sailed in American ports. SailGP, which was founded by tech tycoon Larry Ellison, first used T-Mobile’s 5G technology at the Season 2 finale in San Francisco in late March and officially announced the deal this week. The partnership will include the United States Sail Grand Prix at Chicago’s Navy Pier on June 1819, which will be the second regatta of Season 3, and again in San Francisco at the end of the season in May 2023. T-Mobile and SailGP will develop 5G technology applications designed to speed up data transmission off the 50-foot foiling catamarans to the Oracle Cloud and then to the broadcast center in London and…

There are a lot of people out there who want to tell you what to do with your money. The problem is only some of them know what they’re talking about. Whether it’s a friend with a hot investment tip, a relative spouting off outdated directives about the way it “should” be done or a social media influencer touting a trendy financial product, money advice can be hit or miss. You can filter out the useful tidbits and leave the rest, but to do that, you have to know how to evaluate which pieces of advice you can trust. CONSIDER THE SOURCE Certified financial planners, financial coaches or nonprofit credit counseling agencies can all supply you with advice that’s tailored to your unique circumstances. Look for professionals who don’t earn…

In the cold, choppy waters of Alaska’s Resurrection Bay, all eyes were on the gray water, looking for one thing only. It wasn’t a spout from humpback whales that power through this scenic fjord, or a sea otter lazing on its back, munching a king crab. Instead, everyone aboard the Nanuq, a University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel, was looking where a 5-foot (1.52-meter) long, bright pink underwater sea glider surfaced. The glider — believed to be the first configured with a large sensor to measure carbon dioxide levels in the ocean — had just completed its first overnight mission. Designed to dive 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) and roam remote parts of the ocean, the autonomous vehicle was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring to provide a deeper…

Twitter will pay a $150 million penalty and put in new safeguards to settle federal regulators’ allegations that the social platform failed to protect the privacy of users’ data over a six-year span. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission announced the settlement with Twitter. The regulators allege Twitter violated a 2011 FTC order by deceiving users about how well it maintained and protected the privacy and security of their nonpublic contact information. From May 2013 to September 2019, Twitter told users that it was collecting their phone numbers and email addresses for purposes of account security. But it failed to disclose that it also would use the information to enable companies to send targeted online ads to users on the platform, the government alleged. The regulators also alleged,…

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. on Thursday reported a single-digit increase in its fourth-quarter revenue, its slowest quarter yet as its online services and e-commerce businesses took a hit amid COVID-19 lockdowns across China. Revenue increased 9% to 204.05 billion yuan ($30.3 billion) in the three months ended March, as its core e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall suffered from disruptions in supply chain and logistics and a dip in demand due to COVID-19 outbreaks in March, the company said. The single-digit increase in revenue paled in comparison to the 64% increase in revenue growth during the same quarter last year. But Alibaba’s sales growth still exceeded analyst estimates, and its New York-listed shares were up more than 9% in early trading. Executives said that Alibaba reached 1.31 billion annual active consumers…

They never even made it onto the stage. There were constant reminders of the diminished influence of broadcast television networks this past week, when entertainment companies Paramount, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBC Universal and Fox hawked their upcoming wares to advertisers in flashy New York presentations. None was more glaring than the fact that Craig Erwich and Kelly Kahl, chiefs of the ABC and CBS entertainment divisions, watched from the sidelines. Erwich was replaced by a boss with broader responsibilities, and NBC doesn’t even have an entertainment president; instead, there’s an executive who oversees several networks and streaming. Broadcasters once owned the week, revealing their fall schedules to much fanfare. They’re now almost afterthoughts in bloated presentations where the action is now in streaming, and in the coming shakeout over…

California could soon hold social media companies responsible for harming children who have become addicted to their products, permitting parents to sue platforms like Instagram and TikTok for up to $25,000 per violation under a bill that passed the state Assembly this week. The bill defines “addiction” as kids under 18 who are both harmed — either physically, mentally, emotionally, developmentally or materially — and who want to stop or reduce how much time they spend on social media but they can’t because they are preoccupied or obsessed with it. Business groups have warned that if the bill passes, social media companies would most likely cease operations for children in California rather than face the legal risk. The proposal would only apply to social media companies that had at least…

Video game workers at a division of game publisher Activision Blizzard have voted to unionize, creating the first labor union at a large U.S. video game company. A count of ballots revealed the results of the election affecting a small group of Wisconsin-based quality assurance testers at Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software, which develops the popular Call of Duty game franchise. The tally was 19-3. The unionization campaign by employees at Raven’s office in Middleton, Wisconsin, was part of a broader internal shakeup at Activision Blizzard, a Santa Monica, California-based gaming giant with roughly 10,000 employees worldwide. The game publisher — which Microsoft is in the process of buying for nearly $69 billion — has been under intense public scrutiny since California’s civil rights agency sued it last year over an…

A joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung plans to build an electric vehicle battery factory in Indiana that will employ up to 1,400 workers and become the company’s second such factory in North America. The venture announced plans to spend more than $2.5 billion on the plant in Kokomo that will supply electric battery modules for a range of vehicles produced at Stellantis’ North American assembly plants. Construction of the plant is expected to start later this year, with the facility expected to open in early 2025 in the city about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Indianapolis. The venture’s investment in the plant could gradually increase up to $3.1 billion, Mark Stewart, the chief operating officer of Stellantis North America, said at the announcement at Ivy Tech Community College…

Americans’financial health reached its highest level in nearly a decade last year, the Federal Reserve said, spurred by a strong job market and government support payments. Almost eight in 10 adults said last fall that they were either“doing okay or living comfortably” when it came to their finances in 2021, according to an annual Fed survey, the highest proportion to say so since the survey began in 2013. The survey of 11,000 adults was taken last October and November, when inflation had topped 6% year-over-year, though before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed gas and food prices sharply higher. The Fed did not ask any specific questions about how inflation was impacting Americans’ financial situations. The survey also took place before the huge omicron wave of COVID cases occurred in late…

Wireless carriers in Canada won’t be allowed to install Huawei equipment in their high-speed 5G networks, the Canadian government said, joining allies in banning the giant Chinese technology company. Canada had been the only member of the Five Eyes intelligence-pooling alliance not to bar or restrict use of equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. in its 5G networks. The U.S. and the other members — Britain, Australia and New Zealand — previously banned Huawei. “We are announcing our intention to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunications systems,” Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said. Canada’s ban also includes ZTE Corp., one of China’s biggest tech companies and one that is state-owned. Champagne added that “providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to…

Pay packages for the women who run S&P 500 companies jumped in 2021 as the economy recovered and stock prices and profits soared. Median pay for the women occupying the corner office rose to nearly $16 million, according to the annual survey done by Equilar for The Associated Press. Still, experts say there’s much more to be done to improve gender diversity in the corporate ranks and close the pay gap between men and women. Jane Stevenson, vice chair, Board & CEO Services at organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry said while it is good that women CEO’s pay rose, there is still a lot to be done. “I think the danger is to look at those cases of CEOs making more their peers and see a message about the pay…

China is trying to navigate its biggest coronavirus outbreak without a tool it could have adopted many months ago, the kind of vaccines that have proven to offer the best protection against the worst outcomes from COVID-19. As early as the spring of 2020 a Chinese pharmaceutical company, Fosun Pharma, reached an agreement to distribute — and eventually manufacture — the mRNA vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech. It still has not been cleared in mainland China, despite being authorized for use by separate authorities in Hong Kong and Macao. Now health experts say that delay — a result of putting politics and national pride above public health — could lead to avoidable coronavirus deaths and deeper economic losses because whole cities would be locked down to insulate the country’s…

It’s been more than a year since Apple discontinued its HomePod speaker, and though its mini successor has helped the Cupertino company increase its smart home market share, there’s still a long way to go. Apple is now planning to reinvigorate the space by launching an all-new HomePod with advanced capabilities - and rumors suggest could arrive this year. ALL-NEW HOMEPOD According to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has correctly predicted a number of recent Apple launches, like the Mac Studio and AirPods 3, Apple is planning to launch a new version of its HomePod later this year. The company made the unusual decision of discontinuing the original model back in 2021, presumably due to low sales, and instead launched a more affordable $99 HomePod mini, which offered many…

Facebook parent Meta said it will start publicly providing more details about how advertisers target people with political ads just months ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The announcement follows years of criticism that the social media platforms withhold too much information about how campaigns, special interest groups and politicians use the platform to target small pockets of people with polarizing, divisive or misleading messages. Meta, which also owns Instagram, said it will start releasing details in July about the demographics and interests of audiences who are targeted with ads that run on its two primary social networks. The company will also share how much advertisers spent in an effort to target people in certain states. “By making advertiser targeting criteria available for analysis and reporting on ads run about…

A combative man approaches, moving quickly toward a police officer who pulls out a Taser. The man is wearing a heavy jacket, which could mean the prongs that would generate an electronic current and send him to the ground might not work. It’s a scenario that’s played out over and over for police officers across the U.S., sometimes with fatal consequences. The scenario was highlighted recently with the police shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, who was shot in the back of the head by an officer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during a struggle after the officer tried to fire his Taser twice at Lyoya. Both times it was ineffective. Had it been effective it’s possible the incident would have ended then. Axon, the company that is best known for developing…

Nina Jankowicz, like so many millennials, was excited to share a social media post announcing her new job on Twitter late last month when she was named executive director for a new disinformation board established by the Department of Homeland Security. But instead of well-wishes, Jankowicz’s tweet set off a torrent of sexist profanities across social media and menacing emails filled with rape or death threats that continue to follow her even after she resigned from that new job following the disastrous rollout of the program. Republicans also raised questions about her fitness to serve in the role, given some of her past comments about former President Donald Trump and his allies. It’s a familiar scenario, not only for those who criticize Trump, but also for many other women. In…

For those among us who like a tipple after takeoff, consider this a sign that the world is healing: Many airlines are resuming in-flight meals and alcohol service. Early on in the pandemic, many airlines completely cut in-flight refreshment offerings (aside from perhaps a hasty water bottle delivery). Slowly but surely, airlines are reintroducing the amenity. For example, in 2020, Southwest Airlines cut service completely on short flights and offered only water and a prepackaged snack on longer flights. In 2021, Southwest reintroduced a small selection of nonalcoholic drinks to all flights. It wasn’t until February 2022 that its complete pre-pandemic beverage menu returned, which included more soda and juice choices — plus alcoholic beverages for an additional cost. Other airlines moved a bit more quickly. By July 2020, Delta…

Airbnb Inc. will stop listing homes and experiences inside China this summer and instead focus its business in the country on serving Chinese tourists looking for lodgings abroad, a company official said on social media. Airbnb began listings in China in 2016, but they have still accounted for only about 1% of company revenue in recent years. The San Francisco-based company found the domestic Chinese business costly and complicated to run, and the pandemic has made matters worse. There was little overlap between Airbnb’s business inside China and catering to outbound travelers, which Airbnb hopes will limit the impact of suspending the domestic offerings. Airbnb joins a series of foreign internet companies including Yahoo Inc. and eBay Inc. that pulled out of China after running into fierce local competition and…