Search results for "COVID-19 "

EU opens door to giving aid for semiconductor production

The European Commission said Thursday that it could approve aid to fund production of semiconductors in the 27-nation bloc amid a global chip shortage and intense worldwide competition to fill the need. The EU’s executive arm expects that the scarcity of semiconductors — a key component in everything from smartphones to cars — will last, […]

Alibaba shares drop as rivals’ rise, warns from consumer spree shift

E-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s shares plummeted on Thursday in both New York and Hong Kong listings by more than 10 percent, following the giant’s drastic cut in sales, led by slow growth in China’s consumer spending.  Following the quarterly results, Alibaba revealed expectations of reaching a 20 to 30 percent rise in sales in the […]

Ford, GM to enter chip market to curb U.S.-shortage

U.S. automobile manufacturers Ford Motor Co. and General Motors (GM) Co are altering their business plan by joining the semiconductor chip market, following a computer chip shortage that disrupted their global factory output for almost a year. On Thursday, Ford announced a calculated plan of going into business with semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries Inc. to create […]

Google supports local journalism in new feature

Google announced on Tuesday the release of its latest feature directed at local journalism readers and reports to assist in organizing local news outlets. The latest feature will deliver more transparency to homegrown news content when individuals seek information concerning their community. According to the search engine, its latest feature is not a new one […]

Report: 'Whole of society' effort must fight misinformation

Misinformation is jeopardizing efforts to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges, be it climate change, COVID-19 or political polarization, according to a new report from the Aspen Institute that’s backed by prominent voices in media and cybersecurity. Recommendations in the 80-page analysis, published Monday, call for new regulations on social media platforms; stronger, more consistent […]

Amazon settles California COVID workers notification dispute

Amazon has agreed to pay $500,000 and be monitored by California officials to ensure it properly notifies its workers about new coronavirus cases, the state’s attorney general said Monday. Amazon employs about 150,000 people in California, most of them at 100 “fulfillment centers” — sprawling warehouses where orders are packed and shipped. The agreement, which […]

Roads, transit, internet: What's in the infrastructure bill

The $1 trillion infrastructure plan that President Joe Biden plans to sign into law has money for roads, bridges, ports, rail transit, safe water, the power grid, broadband internet and more. The plan promises to reach almost every corner of the country. It’s a historic investment that the president has compared to the building of […]

Telecoms operators are facing headwinds: here’s how to change course

Telecoms operators should be flying high. Over the past 20 months they have been a linchpin of societies and economies, keeping businesses going, families talking and us all hooked to Netflix. And yet, from February to December 2020, telcos created less value for shareholders than nearly every other sector, according to Bain & Company. This […]

Foundations commit billions to fight climate change

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, which was postponed a year because of COVID-19, has promoted a series of announcements from foundations and individuals attempting to pour money into efforts to fight climate change, an area many think philanthropy has neglected. As policymakers from around the world gathered in Glasgow for a series of long-awaited […]

Prince Harry says he warned Twitter CEO of U.S. Capitol riot

Britain’s Prince Harry has sharply attacked the failure of social media companies to challenge hate online, revealing that he warned the chief executive of Twitter ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that the site was being used to stage political unrest. Harry made the comments Tuesday in an online panel on misinformation in California. […]