Bloomberg Google is staking its vision for the future on what it’s calling “ambient computing,†according to Rick Osterloh, Google’s hardware chief. “Computers should be able to help you with whatever you need seamlessly, and be all around you,†Osterloh said in a Bloomberg Television interview. At its annual I/O conference, Alphabet Inc’s Google introduced a fleet of product ...
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Microsoft has $1.3bn at stake as US tests combat goggles
Bloomberg Microsoft Corp has an initial $1.3 billion at stake in a test beginning later this month on whether its HaloLens augmented-reality goggles can be turned into an effective combat system for the US Army. The month-long test from May 23 to June 17 will be evaluated by the Pentagon’s testing office to determine whether the headset is ready ...
Read More »Microsoft’s Xbox cloud lets iPhone users play Fortnite again
Bloomberg Microsoft Corp is bringing the hit video game Fortnite back to iOS devices two years after Apple Inc took it off its App Store. Fortnite, produced by Epic Games Inc is one of the most popular video games of all time. But it’s been absent from Apple’s App Store and Google Play after Epic tried to circumvent the ...
Read More »Tech giants face landmark fines under EU’s new content rules
Bloomberg The world’s biggest technology companies could face billions of dollars in fines for breaches of new European Union legislation after lawmakers reached an agreement on its scope. The landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) is the EU’s answer to what it sees as a failure by tech giants to combat illegal content on their platforms. Noncompliance could cost companies as ...
Read More »Facebook’s interest in podcasts is fading
Bloomberg Facebook’s interest in podcasts is fading, barely a year after it began. Last April, during a hot market for audio, Facebook launched Live Audio Rooms, short-form stories called Soundbites and podcasts for US users. The company signed deals with creators and sponsored one of the industry’s biggest US conferences: Podcast Movement. Facebook product managers even appeared on the long-time ...
Read More »Apple again pays bonuses to some staff
Bloomberg Apple Inc is paying a small number of engineers another round of special stock bonuses as part of an unusual push to retain key talent, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The iPhone maker doled out the bonuses in recent days to a select group of employees in its software and hardware engineering departments, said the ...
Read More »Apple, facing outcry, says app developers thriving on iPhone
Bloomberg Apple Inc, looking to address criticism of its competitive practices by the European Union, developers and US lawmakers, pointed to a report showing that third-party apps are thriving on the iPhone and other devices. In a study published by Analysis Group and touted by the iPhone maker, analysts said that Apple’s own apps are infrequently the dominant option ...
Read More »Spain to invest $12.4bn in chips, semiconductors
Bloomberg Spain plans to invest 11 billion euros ($12.4 billion) to develop microchips and semiconductors in a bid to modernise its tourism-dependent economy. “We want our country to be at the vanguard of industrial and technological progress,†Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Madrid, without giving more details. He said the project will be approved soon by his cabinet. ...
Read More »TSMC sales soar to record in Q1 of 2022
Bloomberg Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) revenue rose to a record in the first quarter on demand for chips used in smartphones, computers and cars, while a prolonged shortage helped to boost prices. Revenue jumped 36% to NT$491.1 billion ($17 billion) in the three months through March, the company said in a statement. Analysts estimated NT$469.4 billion on average. ...
Read More »Sony unveils PlayStation subscription
Bloomberg Sony Group Corp. introduces a new video game subscription service for the PlayStation, said people familiar with the plans. The service, which has been in development under the codename Spartacus, is Sony’s answer to Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox Game Pass, a sort of Netflix for video games that has amassed more than 25 million subscribers. Sony’s will debut with ...
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