Bloomberg Google is set to win conditional European Union (EU) approval for its $2.1 billion takeover of health tracker Fitbit Inc this month, people familiar with the discussions said. The deal could be approved as soon as next week after national competition authorities give their opinion, said the people who asked not to be named because the procedure isn’t public. ...
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Foxconn to move some production of iPads, MacBooks to Vietnam
Bloomberg Foxconn Technology Group will move the manufacturing of some Apple Inc iPads and MacBooks to Vietnam from China, a person familiar with the matter said, as the company aims to mitigate the risk that a trade war with the US could continue after US President Donald Trump leaves the White House. The person asked not to be identified because ...
Read More »Google to face new regulator as UK plans tech-focussed agency
Bloomberg The UK government approved plans for a separate regulatory program for companies including Facebook Inc and Google, saying the new competition unit would be given powers to impose fines to rein in the dominance of the largest tech companies. The Digital Markets Unit will be housed inside the antitrust regulator from April, with powers to enforce a new code ...
Read More »Facebook users pass on $650m privacy jackpot
Bloomberg Facebook Inc will be making payouts to only about a quarter of the 6 million Illinois residents eligible for the biggest consumer privacy settlement in US history. Based on a tally filed in court after claims deadline, some 1.57 million people will probably pocket more than $300 each — after about a third of the $650 million settlement fund ...
Read More »Apple defends delay of privacy feature
Bloomberg Apple slammed Facebook and other internet giants for their ad-targeting practices in response to a letter questioning a decision by the iPhone maker to delay a new privacy feature. The Cupertino, California-based technology company criticised Facebook’s approach to advertising and user tracking, according to a written reply sent to several human rights and privacy organisations, including the Electronic Frontier ...
Read More »Nikon to cut staff on slump in core business
Bloomberg Nikon Corp plans to reduce about 2,000 employees, or 10% of its total workforce, due to a slump in its core camera business, Nikkei reported. Its business was also impacted by the performance of Intel Corp, one of Nikon’s key clients of semiconductor equipment, the daily reported, without saying where it got the information. In the company’s reform agenda, ...
Read More »Spotify agrees to buy Megaphone for $235m
Bloomberg Spotify Technology SA agreed to acquire Megaphone, which creates tools for podcast advertisers, in a deal that values the acquisition at $235 million. Founded by online news company Slate, Megaphone connects podcast publishers such as Vox and ESPN with networks of advertisers. Spotify will use Megaphone’s network and tools to offer advertising technology to thousands of podcasts. After building ...
Read More »US grants TikTok 15-day extension on forced-sale deadline
Bloomberg The Trump administration has given the owner of TikTok another 15 days to resolve national security concerns before it’s required to sell the viral video-sharing app. The app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance Ltd, said in a court filing that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US had granted it until November 27 to reach an agreement, extending a deadline. ...
Read More »Apple all set to launch MacBooks with own chips
Bloomberg Apple Inc’s 15-year relationship with Intel Corp will officially begin to unwind next week when new Mac computers are revealed. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant said that it will hold an online event dubbed “One more thing†on November 10. That “thing†will be Macs with main processors designed by Apple for the first time, replacing Intel chips that ...
Read More »Germany probes Amazon, Apple over ‘online sales’
Bloomberg Amazon.com and Apple face German antitrust scrutiny over a policy that excludes independent sellers of brand products on the online market place. Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, the country’s antitrust regulator, is probing both companies over a policy at Amazon called “brandgating,†the authority said in an emailed statement. The policy allows makers of branded products such as iPhones to ...
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