CATEGORIES
DENIS VILLENEUVE'S DREAMS OF ‘DUNE' REACH THE BIG SCREEN
It was the eyes that drew Denis Villeneuve to “Dune.”
WHAT THE METAVERSE IS AND HOW IT WILL WORK
The term “metaverse” seems to be everywhere. Facebook is hiring thousands of engineers in Europe to work on it, while video game companies are outlining their long-term visions for what some consider the next big thing online.
RESURGENT DEMAND DRIVES CATERPILLAR SALES IN THIRD QUARTER
Bustling construction sites, active drilling for energy and re-engagement in mines and other heavy industries doubled third-quarter profits at Caterpillar and drove sales up 25% as the global economy emerges from a pandemic.
UN, US OFFICIALS URGE ACTION TO AVERT CLIMATE DISASTER
The U.N.’s top human rights official and U.S. President Joe Biden’s climate envoy called Thursday for countries to step up the fight against global warming, describing it as an issue of sheer survival for humankind.
SKYPOD FIRM IN UAE TIED TO INVESTMENT COMPANY FLAGGED ABROAD
The small, four-seat pod glides above the sands of a test track in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, a futuristic transit solution promoted by a Belarusian firm that hopes to secure contracts here in the near future.
US INTEL WARNS CHINA COULD DOMINATE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
U.S. officials issued new warnings about China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and a range of advanced technologies that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America.
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.