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☆ Tech M&A has been thwarted by regulators, but dealmakers skeptical that election will change much
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Amazon abandoned its $1.7 billion purchase of iRobot in January after the FTC and European regulators raised concerns. Since peaking at $1.5 trillion in 2021, tech transaction volume has plummeted, dropping to $544 billion last year, according to Dealogic. Before the company announced its $27 billion purchase of data analytics software company Splunk last September, he said he viewed the risk as absolutely worth taking. Alphabet's last big deal was its $5.4 billion purchase of cybersecurity company Mandiant in 2022. Microsoft closed its massive $75 billion purchase of Activision in October, but it took 20 months and a protracted fight with U.S. and European regulators.

Persons: Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, Khan, Joe Biden, Drew Angerer, Biden, Permira, Thoma, Sen, JD Vance, Donald Trump's, Barry Diller, Reid Hoffman, Kamala Harris, Andrew Luh, Gunderson Dettmer, Figma, Dana Rao, Rao, We've, they've, Juniper, Salesforce, Antonio Neri, Pau Barrena, Neri, Sergio Letelier, hasn't, Letelier, Marc Benioff, It's Benioff's, Slack, Benioff, Derek Idemoto, who's, Idemoto, that's, Splunk, HPE's Letelier, it's, Harris, Trump Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Justice, Brookings Institution, U.S, Senate, Getty, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Federal Trade Commission, iRobot, FTC, BlackRock, Thoma Bravo, KKR, Republican, CNBC, Democratic, Trump, Big Tech, Justice Department, DOJ, Apple, Meta, Adobe, European Commission, UK Competition, Markets Authority, Justice Department's Antitrust, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Mobile World Congress, MWC, AFP, Juniper, Markets, DOJ's Antitrust, European Union, EU, Software, Cisco, Activision, Foreign Investment, Regulators, Bloomberg, Tech Locations: Washington, Europe, Barcelona, Pau, Salesforce, United States

☆ Microsoft to cut 650 jobs at its Xbox gaming unit — read the full memo from top exec Phil Spencer
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMicrosoft on Thursday said that it is cutting 650 roles at its Xbox gaming division, in the latest major round of layoffs to hit the video game industry. It marks the third series of redundancies in Microsoft's video game unit since the company's blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind the Call of Duty franchise, for $69 billion in cash. In a memo obtained by CNBC, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told employees that the firm had taken this "difficult" decision to align its post-acquisition team structure and "organize our business for long term success." Bethesda publishes major gaming titles, such as the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series. Major gaming studios have cut thousands of jobs around the world, beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Patrick T, Spencer, Japan's, Playtika Organizations: Microsoft, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, Activision Blizzard, Duty, CNBC, Microsoft Gaming, Xbox, Activision, ZeniMax Media, Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda, Japan's Sony, PlayStation, Gaming Locations: Los Angeles, U.S

☆ Video game actors fight for AI protections and compensation for their 'digital replicas' amid a gaming market slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Helen Li | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Making a creature come to life in a video game is a collaborative process, where she interprets the directions to bring characters to life. Interactive media contract negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and video game studios have been ongoing since 2022 and have stalled due to disagreements over AI protections. Tensions in the ongoing video game strikes arose over how AI can be used for "digital replicas" and whether actors can be compensated for them. If you've played video games at all, that is almost never the case," Norris said. Related storiesThese negotiations take place amid a slowdown in the $200 billion video game industry.

Persons: —, Andi Norris, Norris, AFTRA, you've, Audrey Cooling, Linsay Rousseau, Rousseau, Connor Fogarty, Fogarty, Sarah Elmaleh, Sean Rohani, Rohani, Elmaleh Organizations: Service, Business, Interactive, SAG, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Activision, Union, of Locations: Los Angeles, Ethovox

☆ Why Apple should buy Warner Bros. Discovery. No, seriously.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So I've got a not-so modest proposal: Time for Apple to jump in with both feet, and buy HBO — along with the rest of Warner Bros. I know, I know: "Apple should buy X, Y or Z" is a long-running piece of techworld fanfic. But now I think Apple should spend real money and buy WBD. And then, boom: Apple's services business — the part of the company Apple needs to keep growing while its hardware business slows — instantly grows by nearly 50%. AdvertisementIt's one thing for a tech company to buy a minor studio and 50% of the James Bond franchise.

Persons: —, I've, that's, Maxes, Warner, James Bond, hoover, It's, Tim Cook, Steve Jobs, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, WBD Organizations: Service, Apple, HBO, Warner Bros, Business, Warner Bros . Studios, CNN, Warner mergred, Microsoft, Activision, Big Tech, Comcast, Paramount, Warners Locations: writedowns

☆ Even Nvidia can't escape the government's crackdown on Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewEven Nvidia, which appears untouchable in 2024, may not be immune to the government's sweeping crackdown on the Magnificent Seven. They have received complaints from competitors that Nvidia abused its dominance and pressured cloud providers to buy multiple Nvidia products, The Information reported on Thursday. Nvidia did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours. The DOJ's focus on Nvidia follows a series of other recent government investigations into Big Tech.

Persons: —, prem, Biden Organizations: Service, Department, Politico, Nvidia, Business, Reuters, Big Tech, FTC, DOJ, Apple, Amazon, Activision Blizzard

☆ We're upgrading Microsoft after earnings. The stock has pulled back enough lately
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Microsoft delivered an overall strong quarter after Tuesday's market close, but a miss on Azure revenue growth put shares under pressure in extended-hours trading. Office Consumer Products and Cloud Services revenue grew 3% as Microsoft 365 Consumer subscriptions grew 10% to 82.5 million. Windows Commercial Products and Cloud Services revenue increased 11%, driven by demand for Microsoft 365. Despite the solid fiscal Q1 outlook for Intelligent Cloud revenue, management guided Azure's constant currency revenue growth to 28% to 29%. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during the Microsoft Build conference at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on May 21, 2024.

Persons: We're, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Amy Hood, Hood, That's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Jason Redmond Organizations: Microsoft, Revenue, Nvidia, Broadcom, Devices, AMD, Investors, Products, Cloud Services, Consumer Products, Dynamics Products, Enterprise Mobility, Activision, Windows, —, Xbox, Management, CNBC, AFP, Getty Locations: OpenAI, pare, Redmond , Washington

☆ In Harris, business leaders tired of Biden see a potential friend
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some business leaders and wealthy donors are hopeful that Harris will adopt more centrist policies as she outlines her agenda, especially by dialing back Biden-era antitrust crackdowns. “CEOs are wildly excited about Harris,” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, founder and president of the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute, told CNN in a phone interview. Sonnenfeld pointed to confidence that Harris will protect the rule of law and hopes for recalibrated trade, regulatory and tax policies. Meanwhile, Harris, somewhat of an unknown commodity on business policy, hasn’t said much about where she stands. Another key sticking point is energy, where Trump has tried to blame the Biden-Harris administration for periods of high gas prices.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Biden, ” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Sonnenfeld, Lina Khan, Khan’s, hasn’t, “, ”, Greg Valliere, Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, Khan, Hoffman, Barry Diller, Diller, It’s, ” Diller, ‘, haven’t, PCCC, Adam Green, Harris –, ” Green, Lina Khan –, ” Sonnenfeld, “ It’s, Douglas Farrar, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, ” Trump, “ You’re, Lauren Hitt, didn’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, Biden, Big Tech, Democratic, Yale, Leadership, CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Progressives, AGF Investments, Business, Big Oil, Microsoft, FTC, “, Activision, CNBC, IAC, Progressive, Khan, Public Citizen, AFL, NAACP, Harris Administration Locations: New York, North Carolina

Since Harris kicked off her presidential campaign, there’s been a string of good news for the US economy. Harris will have Biden’s mostly strong economy to run on. By June 2021, Biden’s sixth month in office, the nation’s inflation rate jumped to more than 5%. After the Federal Reserve hiked interest rate hikes to a 23-year high to stamp out inflation, the economy — eventually — started to run at a slower pace. The Biden administration canceled $168 billion in student loan debt for 4.8 million Americans.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, there’s, Biden’s, —, hasn’t, Evan Vucci, Eros Hoagland, Getty, Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, Stocks Organizations: CNN, White House, House, Federal, Trump, Biden, Federal Reserve, Gross, Commerce Department, of Labor Statistics, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, AFL, National Labor Relations Board, United Auto Workers, Union, AP Relief, American, ARPA, Medicare, University of North, Hill, Apple, Google, Federal Trade Commission, Department, FTC, Activision, Big Tech, Justice Department, Fed Locations: Ukraine, Van Buren Township , Michigan, University of North Carolina, America, Valley, Silicon Valley

☆ LinkedIn billionaire is going all-in on Kamala Harris. But he wants her to make a big change
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is throwing his financial firepower behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the GOP nominee for vice president, is a fan. Harris campaign: No discussions on replacing KhanHoffman told CNN he “certainly” hasn’t directly pushed Harris to replace Khan. A Harris campaign aide told CNN that there have been “no policy discussions” about replacing Khan at the current time. That was a mistake,” Hoffman told CNN.

Persons: Reid Hoffman, Kamala Harris, Hoffman, CNN he’s, Harris, United States ’, Lina Khan, “ Lina Khan, ” Hoffman, Joe Biden, “, Khan, ”, Bernie Sanders, Hoffman Khan, Sen, Mr, Hoffman ”, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Khan . Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Biden, Khan Hoffman, hasn’t, Brian Fung, Douglas Farrar, Biden Harris, Harris team’s, ” Farrar, Farrar, “ Trump, Donald Trump, Trump, Steven Cheung, George Soros ”, Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel, Thiel, Arizona Sen, Mark Kelly, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Gina Raimondo Organizations: New, New York CNN, LinkedIn, Biden, Harris, PAC, CNN, Federal Trade, Democratic, Microsoft, FTC, “, Big Oil, Big Tech, Forward PAC, GOP, Republican, Activision Blizzard, Mattress, Trump, US Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Locations: New York, United States, America, Vermont, Massachusetts, Khan . Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan

The SAG-AFTRA actors’ union on Thursday called a strike against video game companies that use actors’ images or voices in games, echoing its broader strike against television and movie studios last year. The strike will start at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time on Friday, after more than a year and a half of negotiations. Until the latest strike is resolved, members of the 160,000-person union will no longer “act” in video games produced by Activision Blizzard, WB Games, Electronic Arts and seven other companies covered by an interactive-media agreement. SAG-AFTRA’s demands are similar to those it sought from television and movie studios last year: higher wages and job protections from the threat of artificial intelligence. “We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I.

Persons: “ We’re, ” Fran Drescher, ” Organizations: SAG, Activision Blizzard, WB, Electronic Arts

☆ Hollywood’s videogame performers to go on strike over AI, pay concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Video game voice actors and motion-capture performers have called a strike over failed labor contract negotiations focused around AI-related protections for workers, bringing about another work stoppage in Hollywood. The SAG-AFTRA has called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement that covers videogame performers, effective July 26, the union said on Thursday. The Interactive Media Agreement expired in November 2022 and was being extended on a monthly basis during the talks. Apart from AI protections, the SAG-AFTRA’s most pressing issues in the contract negotiations for videogame performers are higher pay, medical treatment and breaks for motion capture performers. The offer presented to the SAG-AFTRA features AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA, Cooling said.

Persons: AFTRA, ”, Audrey Cooling, Cooling Organizations: Reuters, SAG, Interactive, Activision Productions, Electronic Arts, Epic, Disney, Warner Bros, WB, Hollywood, IMA Locations: Hollywood

☆ Microsoft’s World of Warcraft Workers Vote to Unionize
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( John Yoon | More About John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than 500 workers in the team behind World of Warcraft, one of the most popular video games in the world, have voted to unionize, the Communication Workers of America said on Wednesday. The move expands the ranks of organized labor at Microsoft, which acquired the video game giant Activision Blizzard — whose subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment produces World of Warcraft — for $69 billion last year. To satisfy the regulators overseeing the mega-acquisition, Microsoft promised to remain neutral on unionizing efforts, an unusually permissive policy in the tech industry. An arbitrator determined on Wednesday that a majority of the World of Warcraft workers, including designers, engineers, artists and quality testers, supported the C.W.A., the union said in a statement. Blizzard Entertainment recognized the union, increasing the number of unionized game workers at Microsoft to more than 1,750, the C.W.A.

Organizations: Communication Workers of America, Microsoft, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment

☆ Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick on new venture, impact of AI and China trade relations
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFormer Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick on new venture, impact of AI and China trade relationsCNBC’s Julia Boorstin and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick join 'Squawk Box' to discuss his latest philanthropic ventures, the impact of AI on the economy and the workforce, the need for a reciprocal trade with China, state of the 2024 election, and more.

Persons: Bobby Kotick, CNBC’s Julia Boorstin Organizations: Former Activision, Activision Locations: China

HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan speaks at the company's Inbound conference in Boston on Sept. 6, 2023. HubSpot shares plunged 12% on Wednesday after a report said Alphabet isn't going forward with plans to buy the software company. Representatives for HubSpot and Google parent Alphabet didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. HubSpot develops software that companies, mostly small and medium-sized businesses, use to automate marketing and reach prospective customers. Buying HubSpot would have helped Google grow revenue from business software, alongside cloud infrastructure, as well as other non-cloud businesses under the Alphabet umbrella.

Persons: Yamini Rangan, HubSpot, Read Organizations: Bloomberg, HubSpot, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Google, Revenue, U.S . Justice Department, Motorola Mobility Locations: Boston, U.S

HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan speaks at the company's Inbound conference in Boston on Sept. 6, 2023. HubSpot shares plunged 11% on Wednesday after a report said Alphabet isn't going forward with plans to buy the software company. Representatives of HubSpot and Google's parent company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. HubSpot develops software that companies, largely small and medium-sized businesses, use to automate marketing and reach prospective customers. Buying HubSpot would have helped Google grow revenue from business software, alongside cloud infrastructure, as well as other non-cloud businesses under the Alphabet umbrella.

Persons: Yamini Rangan, didn't, HubSpot, Read Organizations: Bloomberg, HubSpot, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Google, Revenue, U.S . Justice Department, Motorola Mobility Locations: Boston, U.S

☆ GM's Cruise names former Amazon, Microsoft Xbox executive as new CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

DETROIT – General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit on Tuesday announced former Amazon and Microsoft executive Marc Whitten as its new CEO. His appointment comes at a crucial time for Cruise, which is testing and relaunching its autonomous vehicles on public roadways. Following the incident, several key leaders, including Cruise CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt, departed the company. The probe also investigated allegations of a cover-up by Cruise leadership, but investigators did not find evidence to support those claims. Cruise was a crucial part of GM's plan to double revenue to $280 billion by the end of this decade.

Persons: Marc Whitten, Whitten, Kyle Vogt, Marc, Mary Barra, Cruise, Rowe Price, Nick Mulholland, Craig Glidden, Glidden, Grant Dixton, Dixton, Mary Organizations: DETROIT, Motors, Amazon, Microsoft, Cruise, GM, Honda Motor, Walmart, Rivian, Activision Blizzard, Boeing Locations: San Francisco, Phoenix , Houston, Dallas, Dubai

☆ Top Wall Street analysts recommend these stocks for the long haul
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Against that uncertain backdrop, Wall Street analysts are focused on identifying stocks with solid fundamentals and strong long-term growth prospects. In that climate, here are three stocks favored by the Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. Finally, Feinseth mentioned Microsoft's strong financial position, which supports enhanced shareholder returns and enables investments in the company's AI ambitions. The company's Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform securely connects users, devices and applications by protecting them from cyberattacks and data loss. Following the Zenith Live 2024 event, Baird analyst Shrenik Kothari reaffirmed a buy rating on Zscaler stock with a price target of $260.

Persons: Kevin Scott, TD Cowen, Helane Becker, Becker, TipRanks, OpenAI, Ivan Feinseth, Feinseth, Baird, Shrenik Kothari, Zscaler, Kothari Organizations: Microsoft, Technology, Artificial, Seattle Convention Center, Federal Reserve, Street, Delta Air, Delta Air Lines, DAL, Delta, Activision Blizzard, Zero, Zenith Locations: Seattle, Seattle , Washington, Toronto, Delta

☆ Publisher of Call of Duty, maker of AR-15 style rifle and Meta named in wrongful death lawsuits by families of Uvalde victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Michelle Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Three companies are facing wrongful death lawsuits in the Uvalde school shooting of 2022, according to complaints filed in California and Texas. “The Defendants bear responsibility for this profound corruption of our children,” the suit filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles says. Just 23 minutes after midnight on his 18th birthday, the Uvalde shooter bought an AR-15 made by a company with a market share of less than one percent. Because, well before he was old enough to purchase it, he was targeted and cultivated online by Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense. Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.”CNN has reached out to Meta and Daniel Defense for comment.

Persons: ”, Daniel Defense –, Salvador Ramos, Ramos, Daniel Defense, Ramos “, Daniel Defense’s, “, —, Ramos ’, Sen, John Whitmire, Daniel, Josh Koskoff, CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz, Samantha Delouya Organizations: CNN, Robb Elementary, Meta, Activision, “, Robb Elementary School, Daniel, Court, Instagram, Daniel Defense, ” CNN Locations: California, Texas, Instagram, “, Houston, Los Angeles, Uvalde , Texas, Koskoff

☆ Uvalde Families Sue Instagram and Activision Over Promotion of Guns
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The families of schoolchildren who were shot at Robb Elementary School in 2022 filed two lawsuits on Friday accusing Instagram, the publisher of the popular “Call of Duty” video game and a manufacturer of semiautomatic rifles of helping to train and equip the teenage gunman who committed the massacre. The unusual lawsuits were filed on the second anniversary of the elementary school shooting, in which 19 fourth-graders and two teachers were killed in their classrooms by an 18-year-old gunman who had purchased his weapon — an AR-15-style rifle — a few days before, as soon as he was legally able. Each company, the lawsuits claim, took part in “grooming” the teenager to become a mass shooter. Together, the suits are among the most far-reaching actions to be filed in response to the escalating number of mass shootings in the United States. The California suit, which names the publisher Activision, appeared to be one of the first to go after a video game maker for helping to promote weapons used in mass shootings.

Persons: Instagram Organizations: Robb Elementary School, Activision Locations: California, Texas, United States

☆ Apple's new iPad Pro is thin and fast, but the software needs an update
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Todd Haselton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

I've been testing the new iPad Pro for several days and what I found is that it's a very nice iPad. The game will look better once Activision Blizzard releases an update enabling improved graphics for the M4 iPad Pro. 2024 13-inch Apple iPad Pro Todd Haselton | CNBCThe new iPads Pro support Apple's updated $350 Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (the 11-inch version is $300). 2024 13-inch Apple iPad Pro Todd Haselton | CNBCThe updated Apple Pencil Pro is also a lot of fun. What's bad2024 13-inch Apple iPad Pro Todd Haselton | CNBCHere's my biggest gripe about the Pro models: The software, iPadOS, is what you'll get on any other iPad.

Persons: I've, Apple hasn't, Christoph Dernbach, Diablo, it's, Todd Haselton, hasn't, Apple, Slack, you've, Tim Cook Organizations: Apple, Getty, Pro, Activision Blizzard, CNBC, CNBC Here's, Conference, WWDC Locations: It's, 10hz

☆ No, seriously. Where are the TikTok buyers?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has decided against buying TikTok. That leaves a really tiny list of people who say they want to buy TikTok. AdvertisementWho's going to buy TikTok? [Crickets]Yes, if you Google "potential TikTok buyers" you'll find a bunch of stories — Business Insider has written one, too — speculating about names. They list Mnuchin as well as Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary, who also likes to go on TV and talk about buying TikTok.

Persons: Eric Schmidt, —, Steve Mnuchin, ByteDance, Kevin O'Leary, Bobby Kotick, OpenAI's Sam Altman, we've, Trump Organizations: Google, Service, Treasury, TV, Street Journal, Activision, Oracle, Walmart, Microsoft, Big Tech, McKinsey, TikTok

☆ Who could buy TikTok?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Still, the company is under such close scrutiny that it would be a poor candidate to buy TikTok, experts say. If you were to tell me it’s Verizon, or AT&T, maybe it’s not as big of a problem.”Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Emarketer, highlighted a paradox: Only the largest, most dominant tech giants may have the resources to buy TikTok. Microsoft had been one of the handful of contenders to buy TikTok in 2020 when President Donald Trump first pushed for a sale. A former Trump Cabinet official enters the frayIn a move that caught many by surprise, former Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced last month that he is putting together a team of investors to buy TikTok. As with Mnuchin, O’Leary has said a potential acquisition of TikTok may have to exclude TikTok’s algorithm.

Persons: Joe Biden, There’s, ”, Gene Kimmelman, Jasmine Enberg, ” Enberg, TikTok’s, Donald Trump, TikTok, Steven Mnuchin, Mnuchin, ” Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Trump, who’ve, Kevin O’Leary, O’Leary Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Google, Meta, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Department, YouTube, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Verizon, Emarketer, Activision Blizzard, Walmart, Oracle, Project Texas, Texas, Trump Cabinet, Trump Treasury, Trump, ” Oregon Democratic, Washington Post, O’Leary Ventures Locations: United States, TikTok, ” Oregon

☆ Microsoft shares jump 4% after the big AI winner delivers in all the right places
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

However, momentum from AI services will keep Azure growth stabilized at these high levels, outperforming the market's expectations. AI services continue to be a large source of revenue growth, contributing seven percentage points of growth. The Office Commercial Products and Cloud Services revenue rose 12%, while the Office Consumer Products and Cloud Services revenue grew 4%. Windows Commercial Products and Cloud Services revenue increased 12%, driven by demand for Windows 365. The company guided Azure's constant currency revenue growth to 30% to 31%, which is higher than estimates of 29%.

Persons: OpenAI, Satya Nadella, there's, we're, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Satya Narayana Nadella, Lucas Jackson Organizations: Microsoft, Revenue, Google, Fortune, Productivity, Products, Cloud Services, Consumer Products, Novo Nordisk, Nvidia, Activision, Windows, Management, CNBC Locations: OpenAI, ChatGPT, Novo, Manhattan, New York City

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block Tapestry’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri, a blockbuster fashion tie-up that would bring together Coach, Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Versace. The lawsuit is a rare move by the agency to block a fashion deal, given that the industry does not suffer from a lack of competition. In her time as the chair of the F.T.C., Lina Khan has prioritized taking on the power of big business in suits across industries. The agency has moved to block the supermarket merger between Kroger and Albertsons; Meta’s acquisition of the virtual reality start-up Within; and Microsoft’s bid for the gaming giant Activision. failed to block Microsoft’s deal and Meta’s acquisition, both of which closed last year.

Persons: Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Versace, Lina Khan, ” Henry Liu, ” Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Albertsons, Activision, “, Competition Locations: Capri, ’

☆ Microsoft and NetEase to re-launch Warcraft game in China, ending feud
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese video games giant NetEase said it is working with Microsoft to bring popular games including "World of Warcraft" back to the country after a public fallout that ended a decade-long partnership in 2023. NetEase was the publisher of Blizzard's games in China from 2008 to 2023. "We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China," said Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment. Additionally, Microsoft and NetEase said they have also entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Microsoft's Xbox gaming consoles and its other gaming platforms. A number of popular online games developed by Blizzard were taken offline in China last year after the company terminated its lucrative, 14-year-long partnership with NetEase, citing disagreement over intellectual property control.

Persons: NetEase, Johanna Faries Organizations: Microsoft, Blizzard Entertainment, Activision, Blizzard, NetEase Locations: U.S, China

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