Bloomberg When Apple Inc. introduced AirPods earbuds in 2016, chief designer Jony Ive hailed the beginning of a new “wireless futureâ€. The company’s devices would connect and charge without fiddly white cords and unsightly plugs and sockets. The next step was wireless charging for the iPhone, the ability to drop Apple’s flagship product on a charging mat and juice it ...
Read More »Audi, Hyundai to join forces to push fuel-cell technology
Bloomberg Tesla Inc.’s CEO Elon Musk has called it “ mind-bogglingly stupid†and carmakers have gravitated away from it in recent years. Yet fuel-cell technology — the science behind hydrogen cars that emit only water vapour — is getting fresh impetus. Hyundai Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit plan to team up on vehicle development and share patent licenses ...
Read More »Porsche buys stake in Croatia’s Rimac for battery-powered cars
Bloomberg Porsche bought a 10 percent stake in Rimac Automobili, a Croatian maker of electric supercars and components, as the German sports car brand looks to accelerate its shift into battery-powered vehicles. “Rimac has impressively demonstrated its credentials in the field of electromobility,†Lutz Meschke, finance chief for the unit of Volkswagen AG, said in a statement. “We feel that ...
Read More »Robots missing from largest part of Japan’s economy
Bloomberg Japan is famous as a land of robots, but most of those machines haven’t made their way off of factory floors. That presents an opportunity in a country with a serious labour shortage and a relatively unproductive services sector. Automation is seen as a key to better productivity and higher wages, which would in turn support consumption and help ...
Read More »Ford emerges with less fussy tech features
Bloomberg After struggling for years to address complaints with its audio and connectivity systems, Ford Motor Co. achieved its highest-ever ranking this year in a closely watched annual study of new-car quality. Ford’s namesake brand ranked fifth in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, which measures problems per 100 vehicles in first 90 days of ownership. Ford was one of the ...
Read More »Wall Street clears first stress test hurdle with ample capital
Bloomberg Big banks cleared the first hurdle of this year’s US stress tests as the Federal Reserve found all 35 lenders examined could withstand a severe economic downturn, though Goldman Sachs Group Inc. trailed the rest of Wall Street in a key measure of leverage. The results announced mark the third straight year every bank exceeded the Fed’s minimum capital ...
Read More »Paschi trial: Deutsche Bank defendant defies prosecutors
Bloomberg An ex-Deutsche Bank AG banker told a Milan court that the controversial Santorini transaction signed with Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA was a risky deal for the German bank and was properly accounted for by the Italian lender, challenging the prosecution’s case. Marco Veroni, the first Deutsche Bank defendant questioned by prosecutors at the Milan trial, disputed ...
Read More »Carney’s crisis powers beefed up to give BOE $1trn arsenal
Bloomberg Mark Carney’s Bank of England has new powers that allow it to raise a war chest of more than 750 billion pounds ($1 trillion) — without permission or protection from the government. Under a new financial framework, the bank could unilaterally lend more than that amount if it needs to step into action to keep the banking system — ...
Read More »Mexico raises key interest rate to 7.75%
Bloomberg Mexico increased borrowing costs for the second time this year as higher US interest rates, global trade tensions and the July 1 presidential election have battered the country’s peso, posing a risk to inflation. The currency strengthened on the decision. Policy makers, led by bank Governor Alejandro Diaz de Leon raised the key interest rate a quarter-point to 7.75 ...
Read More »India plans sale of IDBI Bank stake to top insurer
Bloomberg India’s government is likely to sell a part of its stake in IDBI Bank Ltd. as early as next month and potential buyers include the country’s top insurer, said people familiar with the matter. Potential investors would include Life Insurance Corporation, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The sale would lower the ...
Read More »