Driverless delivery vans are here as China production begins

Bloomberg Forget drones. The future of deliveries may be robo-vans. A Chinese startup called Neolix kicked off mass production of its self-driving delivery vehicles — saying it’s the first company globally to do so — and has lined up giants such as JD.Com Inc and Huawei Technologies Co as customers. Neolix expects to deliver a thousand of the vehicles, which ...

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Volvo invests in VR startup to help dodge virtual moose

Bloomberg Volvo Cars has made a multi-million euro investment in Varjo Technologies Oy, whose headset with screens and cameras can be used to allow engineers to test-drive cars to dodge hazards such as virtual moose. Varjo — founded by Nokia Oyj and Microsoft alumni — has been developing an augmented-reality headset with a significantly higher image resolution than those produced ...

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Alexa users can delete voice commands now

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc is updating its Alexa voice software to let users delete recordings of their voice using a spoken command, a move that follows criticism of the company’s privacy practices related to its digital assistant. A set of updates offers users who have opted in online the ability to say “Alexa, delete everything I said today,” or, in a ...

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Microsoft unveils PC game subscription

Bloomberg Microsoft Corp will begin selling a subscription service for personal computer video games, two years after unveiling a similar offering for the Xbox console. Xbox Game Pass for PC offers access to more than 100 titles on Windows 10 for a monthly fee, rather than requiring individual purchases. They include games from studios including Bethesda, which makes the “Elder ...

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Fed hopeful Shelton questions value of bank’s dual mandate

Bloomberg Judy Shelton, a conservative economist being considered by the White House for a spot on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, isn’t convinced the goals set for it by Congress are relevant for the US central bank. “I would probably be highly skeptical of those,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg, referring to the mandate in the Federal ...

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China central bank downplays financial risk, yuan concerns

Bloomberg Chinese central bank officials downplayed emerging stress in the financial system following the state takeover of a regional bank, and said depreciation in the currency is under control. Speaking at an event in Beijing, People’s Bank of China Governor Yi Gang said policy makers are “fully capable” of managing risks at small and medium-sized lenders, and the Chinese currency ...

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ECB to offer generous loans to banks to boost feeble growth, say economists

Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) will offer euro-area banks generous terms on its upcoming long-term loans when it meets next week but won’t do anything to soften the impact of negative rates, economists predict. Respondents in a Bloomberg survey said the interest rate on the two-year loans will be below the ECB’s benchmark rate — currently zero — if ...

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Mexico cuts 2019 growth forecast to 1.8 percent

Bloomberg Mexico’s central bank cut its growth forecast for this year, opening the door to the possibility that Latin America’s second-largest economy will expa- nd less than 1 percent amid weak industrial production. Growth this year is likely to be 0.8 percent to 1.8 percent, less than previously expected 1.1 percent to 2.1 percent, the central bank said in quarterly ...

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SE Asia seen as haven from trade war

Bloomberg United Overseas Bank Ltd (UOB) is betting Southeast Asia will shield it from the escalating trade war between the US and China, distancing itself from the approach of its two main rivals that have expanded their focus to Hong Kong and the mainland. “Asean will become a safe haven,” Chief Executive Officer Wee Ee Cheong said in an interview ...

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Citigroup, BofA warn of quarterly trading slump

Bloomberg The biggest trading houses on Wall Street are warning of a slump. Citigroup Inc. said trading revenue has declined so far this quarter while Bank of America Corp. indicated revenue is on pace to be about 10 percent lower. They joined JPMorgan Chase & Co. in reporting a downturn for the business. A burgeoning trade war, the UK’s planned ...

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