CATEGORIES

IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS, FACEBOOK INC. RENAMES ITSELF META

An embattled Facebook Inc. is changing its name to Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg says is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the “metaverse.” But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.

PEOPLE OR PROFIT? FACEBOOK PAPERS SHOW DEEP CONFLICT WITHIN

Facebook the company is losing control of Facebook the product — not to mention the last shreds of its carefully crafted, decade-old image as a benevolent company just wanting to connect the world.

GOOGLE ADS GAIN FUELS PROFIT FOR PARENT COMPANY ALPHABET

A continued rebound in digital ad spending at Google drove its parent company’s profit up 68% in the third quarter.

EU INVESTIGATES NVIDIA'S PURCHASE OF CHIP DESIGNER ARM

European Union regulators opened an investigation this week into graphics chipmaker Nvidia’s $40 billion purchase of chip designer Arm over concerns it would limit competition, adding to global scrutiny of the deal.

ENERGY PRICES LIFT OIL AND GAS STOCKS, WEIGH ON THE ECONOMY

Energy prices are soaring in 2021 and oil and gas stocks are the clear winners, but the losers might just turn out to be businesses and consumers.

‘As Seen on Tiktok' is the New ‘As Seen on TV'

Near the Twizzlers and Sour Patch Kids at a New York candy store are fruit-shaped soft jelly candies that earned a spot on the shelves because they went viral on TikTok.

FACEBOOK PLANS TO HIRE 10,000 IN EUROPE TO BUILD ‘METAVERSE'

Facebook said it plans to hire 10,000 workers in the European Union over the next five years to work on a new computing platform that promises to connect people virtually but could raise concerns about privacy and the social platform gaining more control over people’s online lives.

COMPANY BEHIND TETHER ‘TOKEN' FINED $41M BY US REGULATORS

The company behind a digital token called Tether has agreed to pay $41 million to settle charges that it misled investors by claiming the token was fully backed at all times by U.S. dollars and other fiat currencies

SENATOR ASKS FACEBOOK CEO TO TESTIFY ON INSTAGRAM AND KIDS

The senator leading a probe of Facebook’s Instagram and its impact on young people is asking Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the panel that has heard farreaching criticisms from a former employee of the company.

RIGHT ON CUE: NBA FINDS HIGH TECH OPTION FOR VIRUS TESTING

If so inclined, an NBA player could now test himself for the coronavirus and get results on his phone in no more than 20 minutes.

TESLA HITS RECORD PROFIT DESPITE PARTS SHORTAGE, SHIP DELAYS

Record electric vehicle sales last summer amid a shortage of computer chips and other materials propelled Tesla Inc. to the biggest quarterly net earnings in its history.

NETFLIX POSTS HIGHER 3Q EARNINGS, SOLID SUBSCRIBER GROWTH

Netflix posted sharply higher third-quarter earnings thanks to a stronger slate of titles, including “Squid Game,” the dystopian survival drama from South Korea that the company says became its biggest-ever TV show.

VIRGINIA EXPECTS $2B IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE BROADBAND FUNDING

Virginia has received a record number of local and private sector applications to match state investments in broadband connectivity and the state expects more than $2 billion in total broadband funding, Gov. Ralph Northam announced this week.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF HIS VERY OWN SOCIAL MEDIA SITE

Nine months after being expelled from social media for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, former President Donald Trump said this week he’s launching a new media company with its own social media platform.

WORKERS FED UP WITH NIGHTS, WEEKENDS SEEK FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES

After struggling to hire workers for its outlet store in Dallas, Balsam Hill finally opened on Sept. 1. But the very next day, the online purveyor of high-end artificial holiday trees was forced to close after four of its five workers quit.

Apple Eases App Store Rules Again, to Allow Outside Signups

Apple is relaxing rules to allow some app developers such as Spotify, Netflix and digital publishers to include an outside link so users can sign up for paid subscription accounts.

Australia Wants Facebook Held Liable for Anonymous Comments

Australia’s prime minister described social media as a “coward’s palace” and warned that digital platforms including Facebook should be held liable for defamatory comments posted anonymously.

UNITED AIRLINES WILL ADD NEW INTERNATIONAL ROUTES NEXT YEAR

United Airlines said Thursday it will launch its biggest expansion of transatlantic service next year, a vote of confidence that international travel will rebound from the depths of the pandemic.

CHINA SET TO SEND 3 ASTRONAUTS ON LONGEST CREWED MISSION YET

China is preparing to send three astronauts to live on its space station for six months — a new milestone for a program that has advanced rapidly in recent years.

US REGULATORS SEEK ANSWERS FROM TESLA OVER LACK OF RECALL

U.S. safety investigators want to know why Tesla didn’t file recall documents when it updated Autopilot software to better identify parked emergency vehicles, escalating a simmering clash between the automaker and regulators.

WILLIAM SHATNER, TV'S CAPT. KIRK, BLASTS INTO SPACE

Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-year-old William Shatner, blasted into space Wednesday in a convergence of science fiction and science reality, reaching the final frontier aboard a ship built by JeffBezos’ Blue Origin company.

MICROSOFT SHUTTING DOWN LINKEDIN IN CHINA

Microsoft is shutting down its LinkedIn service in China later this year after internet rules were tightened by Beijing, the latest American tech giant to lessen its ties to the country.

HYDROPOWER DECLINE ADDS STRAIN TO POWER GRIDS IN DROUGHT

After water levels at a California dam fell to historic lows this summer, the main hydropower plant it feeds was shut down. At the Hoover Dam in Nevada — one of the country’s biggest hydropower generators — production is down by 25%. If extreme drought persists, federal officials say a dam in Arizona could stop producing electricity in coming years.

INSTACART CEO SAYS ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING HAS ROOM TO GROW

When the pandemic hit the U.S. last year, grocery delivery company Instacart suddenly became a lifeline for millions of consumers. Sales volumes skyrocketed; in one month, the company added 300,000 drivers to keep up with its orders.

WITH HUMOR, VENOM 2 LEANS INTO RELATIONSHIPS

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is best when it’s not trying to be a comic book movie.

WHO HONORS HENRIETTA LACKS, WOMAN WHOSE CELLS SERVED SCIENCE

The chief of the World Health Organization honored the late Henrietta Lacks, an American woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge during the 1950s and ended up providing the foundation for vast scientific breakthroughs, including research about the coronavirus.

CIA Creates Working Group on China as Threats Keep Rising

China is an especially difficult challenge for the U.S. intelligence community.

US AUTO SALES SLUMP STALLED BY CAR COMPUTER CHIP SHORTAGE

In a normal month before the pandemic, Con Paulos’ Chevy dealership in Jerome, Idaho, sold around 40 new vehicles. In September, it was only six. Now he’s got nothing new in stock, and every car, truck or SUV on order has been sold.

TRADING APPS MOVE TO GET A LIVE PERSON TO HEAR YOUR PROBLEMS

It’s one of the downsides of apps that make things like ordering food or buying stocks and cryptocurrencies easier: What happens when something goes wrong?

HOME NOT SO SWEET IN NFL THIS SEASON DESPITE RETURN OF FANS

The fans are back and the crowds are loud, but home-field advantage still isn’t a factor early in this NFL season.