Technology

Bloomberg Sony Corp. held preliminary talks to acquire a majority stake in EMI Music Publishing, according to people with knowledge of the matter, as its Abu Dhabi-based owner seeks to cash in on the booming market for streamed music. Mubadala Investment Co. has begun reaching out to potential suitors for the catalog of more than 2.1 million songs, which includes ...

Dubai / Emirates Business Samsung Gulf Electronics Co. introduced to the UAE the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, the smartphones that reimagine the way people communicate, share and experience the world. The launch event took place at The Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. Made for an age in which consumers increasingly communicate and express themselves more with images, ...

Bloomberg A bright future lies ahead for OLED. When that starts, and how long it lasts, is less clear. Organic light-emitting diode screens have been touted as the future of smartphones because they’re crisper and easier on batteries than their liquid-crystal predecessors. In 2017, as Apple Inc. prepared its OLED iPhone X, suppliers led by Samsung Electronics Co. rushed to ...

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. is embracing open-source software in the race to get its voice-based Alexa digital assistant into cars ahead of Google. Amazon engineers are working with Nuance Communications Inc. and Voicebox Technologies Corp. to write code that makes in-vehicle apps compatible with several speech-recognition technologies, eliminating the need for developers to make multiple versions. A working group was set ...

Bloomberg Venmo’s app succeeded in becoming a ubiquitous way for young people to send money back and forth. It has been less successful at creating a sustainable business. Dan Schulman, chief executive officer of Venmo parent company PayPal Holdings Inc., said that while it hasn’t happened yet, the app will make money someday. “I have full confidence that we will ...

Bloomberg Ford Motor Co. is taking its driverless delivery trials to South Beach to continue testing consumer response to receiving pizzas and packages from the back of a robot ride. The automaker is deploying a handful of delivery vehicles on the clogged byways of Miami and Miami Beach to serve up Domino’s pizza, groceries and other cargo. They’ll be dressed ...

Bloomberg Apple Inc., seeking to bolster its wearables business, is working on upgrades to its wireless AirPods headphones, according to people familiar with the matter. Like with its mobile devices—the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch—Apple intends to frequently update the AirPods with new hardware features. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is working on a new version for release as soon ...

Bloomberg Vision Esports, an investment fund focussed exclusively on professional video gaming, has finished a $38 million funding round led by Evolution Media, the firm founded by Creative Artists Agency and TPG Capital. It’s one of the bigger efforts to gather money in the fast-growing esports industry. Other new Vision Esports investors include baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, Giants wide receiver ...

Bloomberg Gestamp Automocion SA will be largely insulated from the car industry’s high investment costs to develop electric autos after taking steps years ago to produce the large, lightweight metal parts the vehicles need, Chairman Francisco Riberas said. Gestamp’s leadership in hot-stamping technology already enables it to supply lower-weight steel body structures and chassis that help automakers grapple with ways ...

Bloomberg The world’s largest car maker and biggest ride-hailing company plan to team up on autonomous driving as technological changes sweep through the transportation industry. Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer of Uber Technologies Inc., posted a photo on Twitter of him and Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda and Executive Vice President Shigeki Tomoyama at the automaker’s headquarters. The Uber ...