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Pentagon stalls $10 bn cloud contract given to Amazon

2Aug By AdityaNo Comments

USA

Pentagon stalls $10 bn cloud contract given to Amazon

The Pentagon has put off awarding a $10 billion cloud computing contract sought by Amazon, saying the process will be reviewed by the newly appointed defense secretary. Amazon was considered a strong contender to provide technology for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program a contract that is also being pursued by Microsoft but critics argued that the bidding process favored the Seattle-based technology titan. The move to stall the contract process came a week after Mark Esper was confirmed as the new US secretary of defense. Esper was selected by US President Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Amazon and company founder Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post. "Secretary Esper is looking at the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program," def...

Chinese billionaire booked in $1.8bn US tariff evasion scheme

1Aug By AnkitaNo Comments

USA

Chinese billionaire booked in $1.8bn US tariff evasion scheme

Chinese billionaire Liu Zhongtian, founder of metals giant Zhongwang has been indicted in the United States for his alleged role in an elaborate scheme to avoid paying USD 1.8 billion in tariffs on aluminum shipped to the US. The former chairman of China Zhongwang Holdings is accused of exporting huge amounts of aluminum disguised as pallets to avoid paying customs duties of up to 400 percent. Also named in the indictment, filed in Los Angeles federal court, is the company as well as several individuals and shell companies. "This indictment outlines the unscrupulous and anti-competitive practices of a corrupt businessman who defrauded the United States out of $1.8 billion in tariffs due on Chinese imports," said prosecutor Nick Hanna. "Moreover, the bogus sales of hundreds of ...

US Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for USD 50 million

26Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

USA

US Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for USD 50 million

Tulsi Gabbard, the Democratic presidential candidate of the US Congress, sued Google for at least USD 50 million for the tech giant's "discriminatory actions" against her 2020 election campaign and stifling her free speech rights. Gabbard, 38, an Iraq war veteran who has been serving as the US Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district since 2013, said in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in a federal court in Los Angeles, that Google infringed on her free speech when it briefly suspended her campaign's advertising account after the first Democratic debate in June. Tulsi Now Inc, the campaign committee for Gabbard, said Google suspended the campaign's advertising account for six hours on June 27 and June 28, obstructing its ability to raise money and spread her message to pote...

Alibaba lets US small, medium businesses to sell on Platform

24Jul By AdityaNo Comments

CHINA, USA

Alibaba lets US small, medium businesses to sell on Platform

Chinese eCommerce platform Alibaba will allow small and medium sized US businesses to sell on Alibaba.com. Until Tuesday, US business was only able to buy merchandise on the platform. Alibaba has 10 million active business buyers in more than 190 countries and looking to up its growth in the USA, which has been held in check by Amazon and threatened by trade tensions between the US and China. Alibaba said its one-third of the order volume is coming from US businesses. Sellers will have to pay an annual registration fee of about USD 2,000, but it won't charge a commission for each sale, unlike Amazon. In March, Alibaba.com and Office Depot announced a co-branded online store to expand the reach of both companies with small and medium sized businesses. It said at the time it...

Huawei Planning Major Job cuts in USA over sanctions

15Jul By AdityaNo Comments

USA

Huawei Planning Major Job cuts in USA over sanctions

After US sanctions over Chinese telecoms Huawei about its close relationship with the Chinese government, the company is planning to major job cuts in its US operations. The layoffs are expected at Huawei's US-based research and development arm, Futurewei Technologies, unnamed sources told to Pixr8 News. The unit currently employs 850 people at several labs in the United States, but hundreds of them could be laid off, the report said. Some of the company's Chinese employees were given the option of keeping their jobs and returning home to work. The administration of US President Donald Trump has put Huawei on its so-called entity list, which meant US companies needed a license to supply US technology to the Chinese firm. Huawei a leader in next-generation 5G wireless technolog...

Federal Reserve to study Facebook virtual currency

11Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

USA

Federal Reserve to study Facebook virtual currency

The US Federal Reserve has created a "working group" that is coordinating with government agencies and other central banks to consider the implications of Facebook's planned virtual currency Libra. At a hearing at the US House Financial Services Committee, Powell told lawmakers that the cryptocurrency plan raises "serious" questions. "Let me start by saying that we do support responsible innovation in the financial services industry as long as the associated risks are appropriately identified and managed," he told the panel. "While the project's sponsors hold out the possibility of public benefits, Libra raises serious concerns regarding privacy." Powell said the Fed was "coordinating with our colleagues in the government in the United States" and "with central banks and governme...

Facebook to make Jobs, Credit ads searchable for US users

1Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

USA

Facebook to make Jobs, Credit ads searchable for US users

Facebook says it will make advertisements for jobs, loans and credit card offers searchable for all US users following a legal settlement designed to eliminate discrimination on its platform. The plan disclosed in an internal report Sunday voluntarily expands on a commitment the social media giant made in March when it agreed to make its US housing ads searchable by location and advertiser. Ads were only delivered selectively to Facebook users based on such data as what they earn, their education level and where they shop. The searchable housing ads database will roll out by the end of 2019, Facebook says, and the employment and financial product offerings databases to be available within the next year. Targeted ads tailored to individuals are Facebook's bread and butter accou...

Warner Media Appointed First Woman CEO for Warner Bros. in its 96 Year History

25Jun By PriyankaNo Comments

USA

Warner Media Appointed First Woman CEO for Warner Bros. in its 96 Year History

Warner Bros. appointed BBC executive Ann Sarnoff as a New CEO, making her the first woman to head the movie studio in its 96-year history. Her appointment follows the departure in March of Kevin Tsujihara, who stepped down after misconduct allegations. WarnerMedia chief executive John Stankey announced Sarnoff's hiring, concluding a three-month search for one of Hollywood's most prized posts. Many had expected WarnerMedia to turn to an experienced film executive like movie-division head Toby Emmerich, who was part of the interim committee running the studio after Tsujihara's departure, Disney veteran Anne Sweeney or former Fox chief Stacey Snider. But to the surprise of much of the industry, WarnerMedia turned to Sarnoff, who has worked primarily in television. Sarnoff, who takes...

Google top in Lobbying, Spent USD 21.7 Million

10Jun By AdityaNo Comments

USA

Google top in Lobbying, Spent USD 21.7 Million

Google has spent USD 21.7 million on lobbying last year to influence lawmakers, becoming the leading corporate spender among the tech companies facing increasing scrutiny from US regulators over privacy practices and market control, according to a media report. Lobbying spending by tech companies has been on a steady rise in recent years and is way up over the past decade, according to the report on CNBC. The report cited data from the Center for Responsive Politics, which is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group that tracks the effects of money and lobbying on elections and public policy. As the biggest US technology companies face increasing scrutiny from regulators related to privacy practices and market control, they are spending a lot more money to try and influence lawma...

US Consumer borrowing up $17.5 billion in April

8Jun By AdityaNo Comments

USA

US Consumer borrowing up $17.5 billion in April

Consumer borrowing accelerated in April to the fastest pace in five months as a rebound in credit card use offset slower demand for auto and student loans. Borrowing increased by USD 17.5 billion, the Federal Reserve said. That is up from March's USD 11 billion advances and marks the biggest jump since a USD21.7 billion increase last November. Aa per the data by CreditNinja Financing, Borrowing on credit cards increased by USD 7 billion after having fallen by USD 2 billion in March. Borrowing for auto and student loans slowed to an increase of USD10.5 billion, down from USD13 billion in March. It is the smallest advance since last June. Consumer credit is a key indicator of the willingness of households to increase borrowing to support consumer ...

US Secretary fears Huawei will pass information to Chinese govt

30May By Press Trust of IndiaNo Comments

USA

US Secretary fears Huawei will pass information to Chinese govt

The Trump administration is opposing Huawei as it fears the State-controlled telecom giant will pass on information to the Chinese government of which it is an "instrument" and deeply connected with, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. Escalating the bruising trade war with China, the US Department of Commerce recently blacklisted Huawei over security concerns and barred American companies from installing its telecom equipment. Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump said there was a possibility of including the Huawei issue in the ongoing trade negotiations with China. "Huawei is an instrument of the Chinese Government. They are deeply connected," Pompeo said to a Business News in an interview. Responding to a question on the US efforts to oppose Huawei globall...

Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ engaged in Florida fatal crash: Report

16May By AdityaNo Comments

USA

Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ engaged in Florida fatal crash: Report

AFP- Tesla's "Autopilot" system was engaged by a driver who was killed in a March crash in Florida, according to an initial accident report released Thursday. Preliminary data showed the Tesla driver engaged "Autopilot" about 10 second before the crash and that the device was active at the time the vehicle was struck by a truck-tractor semitrailer, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The accident, the latest involving Autopilot, left the Tesla driver, a 50-year-old male dead and the combination vehicle driver uninjured. The report did not conclude who was at fault for the crash. Tesla's website describes Autopilot as an "advanced driver system" that enhances safety with external cameras, sensors and radar but demands a "fully attentive driver" at all times.The accid...