A T-Mobile customer from Florida was shocked to receive a $143,000 phone bill after returning from a three-week trip to Europe, during which he used 9.5 gigabytes of data overseas. Despite informing T-Mobile of his travel plans before leaving, the customer was charged thousands of dollars for each day of their trip. After seeking legal help and media intervention, T-Mobile agreed to credit his account for the entire amount and advised customers to check their plan's travel features before departing.
Netflix's profits have surged after implementing a crackdown on password-sharing, resulting in a significant increase in revenue. The company's move to limit password sharing among users has led to a boost in its financial performance, reflecting the impact of its efforts to address this issue within its streaming service.
TikTok has increased its ad spend to over $4.5 million in an effort to combat a potential U.S. ban, as Congress moves to fast-track legislation requiring parent company ByteDance to divest the app. The House bill, tied to aid for Ukraine and Israel, would give ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok or face a U.S. ban, with President Biden indicating he would sign it into law. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell has endorsed the bill, and TikTok's increased ad spend targets key battleground states represented by vulnerable Senate Democrats. The company's ads aim to influence the debate over protecting U.S. TikTok users' data from China's government.
Google terminated 28 employees who participated in protests against the company's cloud contract with the Israeli government, citing disruption of work and violation of policies. The protesting employees, affiliated with the No Tech for Apartheid campaign, called it a "flagrant act of retaliation" and emphasized their right to peacefully protest labor conditions. The contract in question, Project Nimbus, has raised concerns about supporting the development of military tools by the Israeli government, although Google maintains that it is not directed at sensitive or military workloads.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) exceeded revenue expectations and plans to invest up to $32 billion in 2024, signaling sustained growth in AI demand. The company's strong performance was driven by increased demand for AI, leading to its first quarterly profit rise in a year. TSMC expects revenue of $19.6 billion to $20.4 billion in the June quarter, surpassing estimates.
Google fired 28 employees who participated in in-office protests in California and NYC against the company's $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon for Project Nimbus, which provides services to Israel's government. The protests were organized by the tech group No Tech for Apartheid, which claims the contract enables the Israeli government to surveil and displace Palestinians. Nine workers were arrested, and the company's head of security described the protests as "extremely disruptive." Google stated that the contract is for workloads running on its commercial cloud by Israeli government ministries and does not involve highly sensitive or classified military projects relevant to weapons or intelligence services.
Google is restructuring its finance organization, including layoffs and relocations, to prioritize investments in artificial intelligence, according to a memo from Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat. The move follows a broader effort to reallocate resources as advertising growth slows, with CEO Sundar Pichai indicating more job cuts in 2024. The restructuring will impact finance teams globally, with the creation of "hubs" in cities like Bangalore and Dublin, while maintaining a significant presence in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company aims to become more efficient and align resources with its biggest product priorities.
Alphabet-owned Google is laying off an unspecified number of employees and shifting some roles abroad as part of cost-cutting measures, with affected employees being able to apply for internal roles. The layoffs are not company-wide and a small percentage of impacted roles will move to hubs the company is investing in, including India, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dublin. This follows a series of job cuts across Google and the tech industry, with fears that more layoffs may occur as companies navigate economic uncertainty.
Amazon is discontinuing its cashier-less Just Walk Out technology at its Amazon Fresh grocery stores in the U.S., but plans to sell the system to over 120 third-party businesses by the end of the year. The company will replace Just Walk Out with smart carts at its U.S. Fresh stores, while continuing to offer the technology at Amazon Go convenience stores and some Amazon Fresh stores in the U.K. The move reflects Amazon's efforts to revamp its grocery offerings and attract more customers. Despite recent viral social media posts, Amazon is emphasizing that the technology is not powered by contractors manually adding up items, but rather uses cameras, AI, and sensor trackers.
Amazon is set to sell its smart grocery carts to other retailers, with Price Chopper and McKeever's Market stores in Kansas and Missouri already testing the technology. The Dash Cart, which allows customers to scan products as they shop and skip the checkout line, uses computer vision and sensors to track and tally items in real time. Amazon's move follows its strategy of offering its retail technology to third-party retailers, similar to its "Just Walk Out" cashier-less system. Despite recent layoffs in its physical store technology teams, Amazon remains committed to advancing these technologies, although its cashier-less systems have faced scrutiny over privacy concerns.
LinkedIn is testing a new Premium Company Page subscription service for small and medium businesses, offering AI-assisted content creation and tools to boost follower counts for a monthly fee starting at $99. The move reflects LinkedIn's efforts to diversify its business model and provide a safer space for professionals. The Premium Company Page subscription joins a range of premium offerings for organizations on the platform, contributing to LinkedIn's significant revenue growth from premium services.
Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed the company's intention to increase investment in Vietnam during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with a focus on boosting spending on local suppliers and supporting clean water initiatives for schools. Vietnam is already a key manufacturing hub for Apple, with the company's spending reaching $15.84 billion and creating 200,000 jobs. The tech giant manufactures products such as iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watches in Vietnam, with 25 suppliers in the country as of 2022. Additionally, Vietnam seeks support from Apple in renewable energy development and high-quality human resource training, while activists recently urged the company to address Vietnam's detention of climate experts.
Microsoft is investing $1.5 billion in UAE-based AI firm G42, acquiring a minority stake and a board seat, with the two companies deepening ties amid global tech competition. The deal includes assurances to the US and UAE governments over security, with G42 using Microsoft cloud services for its AI applications. The partnership comes amidst US concerns over Chinese technological advances and ties between China and the Gulf states. The investment marks a strategic alignment between the two organizations and aims to bring advanced AI and digital infrastructure to the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa.
Tesla has reportedly struck a deal with India's Tata Electronics to source semiconductor chips for its global operations, indicating a growing focus on the Indian market. Tata Electronics is set to become a key supplier for major global firms, bolstering India's position in the semiconductor value chain. The specifics of the deal remain undisclosed, but Tata Electronics is actively recruiting foreign professionals to enhance its semiconductor technology and operations. This move aligns with Tata's broader agenda to foster domestic technology and tap into global expertise. Meanwhile, Tesla's CEO Elon Musk is planning a visit to India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announce investments in EV manufacturing facilities, as part of the company's strategy to enter India's rapidly growing automotive market.
IKEA has unveiled its Brännboll collection of gaming furniture, including an inflatable chair, designed to challenge traditional gaming design stereotypes and cater to the growing number of casual gamers. The collection features moveable and flexible seating, spill-proof accessories, and storage solutions, with a focus on blending into the home when not in use. The Brännboll collection is currently being previewed at Milan design week and is set to be released in September 2024.
