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☆ Google to make disclosure of AI-generated content mandatory for election advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Google logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google will make it mandatory for all election advertisers to add a clear and conspicuous disclosure starting mid-November when their ads contain AI generated content, the company said on Wednesday. The policy would apply to image, video, and audio content, across its platforms, the company said in a blog post. Generative AI would enable groups with limited resources to produce higher quality content at scale, according to Mandiant. Any synthetic content that is irrelevant to the claims made in the ad will be exempted from the disclosure requirements, the advertising and search engine giant said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Deepfakes, Mandiant, Akshita, Shailesh Organizations: REUTERS, Google, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ China bans govt officials from using iPhone for work -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man holds an iPhone 14 as Apple Inc's new models go on sale at an Apple store in Beijing, China, September 16, 2022. The orders were given by superiors to their staff in recent weeks and it wasn't clear how widely the orders were being distributed, the WSJ said. China has in recent years grown more concerned over data security and has rolled out new laws and compliance requirements for companies. The latest restriction by China mirrors similar bans taken in the United States against Chinese smartphone maker Huawei and short video platform TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance. China is one of Apple's biggest markets and generates nearly one-fifth of its revenue.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Gina Raimondo, China's ByteDance, Baranjot Kaur, Savio D'Souza, Miral Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Wall Street, China's, Information Office, Washington, planemaker Boeing, Micron Technology, . Commerce, Huawei, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Sino, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

This is because blast furnaces operate around the clock and need more workers. Goncalves is also betting that producing iron ore in-house for blast furnaces, rather than sourcing scrap steel for electric arc furnaces, will give Cliffs a competitive edge. While a few carmakers use aluminum for automotive bodies, most prefer high-grade steel from blast furnaces. Cliffs' devotion to blast furnaces, which are unionized unlike some electric arc furnaces, won it the support of United Steelworkers. The union's international president Thomas Conway said it's backing Cliffs' bid for U.S. Steel because of Goncalves' commitment to blast furnaces.

Persons: Lawrence Bryant, Lourenco Goncalves, Goncalves, Josh Spoores, Donald Trump, Phil Gibbs, Thomas Conway, Joe Biden's, Isla Binnie, Bianca Flowers, Greg Roumeliotis, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S . Steel, U.S . Steel Granite City, REUTERS, Cliffs Inc, U.S, U.S . Steel Corp, AK Steel, CRU Group, Steel Dynamics, Steel, Reuters, United Steelworkers, Thomson Locations: U.S . Steel Granite, Granite City , Illinois, U.S, CHICAGO, United States, Cleveland, North America, Asia, Toledo , Ohio, New York, Chicago

☆ Lebanon approves 'Barbie' film for release after bid to ban it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A boy stands near an advertising billboard of the movie 'Barbie' at a cinema theatre, as Lebanon approved the film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it, in Beirut, Lebanon September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Acquire Licensing RightsBEIRUT, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon on Friday approved the "Barbie" film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it by its culture minister over claims it contradicts conservative values. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi in turn asked General Security's censorship committee to review the film and give its recommendation. Kuwait has banned "Barbie" and supernatural horror film "Talk to Me" to protect "public ethics and social traditions", the state news agency said last month. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) Barbie doll on an adventure into the real world.

Persons: Emilie Madi, Mohammad Mortada, Bassam Mawlawi, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Nour Hajjar, Maya Gebeily, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, General Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Rights BEIRUT, Kuwait, Lebanese

☆ Nvidia's market cap climbs amid tech turbulence in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. Nvidia's shares surged last month, boosted by its quarterly revenue forecast, which exceeded analyst expectations as the artificial intelligence boom fuels demand for its chips. The market capitalization of Apple (AAPL.O) and Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) shares declined 4.4% and 2.4%, respectively, while Meta Platforms Inc's shares fell 7.1%. Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKa.N) market cap rose over 2% last month, as its shares touched a record high after the company's quarterly operating profit topped $10 billion for the first time. Reuters GraphicsIn China, Tencent Holdings'(0700.HK) market cap declined about 9% last month, as its core gaming business experienced weaker-than-expected growth in the quarter through June.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, behemoths, Apple, Johnson, Patturaja Murugaboopathy, Gaurav Dogra Organizations: NVIDIA, REUTERS, Nvidia, Reuters, Apple, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway's, Reuters Graphics, Tencent Holdings, HK, Thomson Locations: Berkshire, China, U.S, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Advocacy group Noyb on Thursday filed complaints against Google-owned Fitbit in Austria, the Netherlands and Italy accusing the fitness tracking company of violating the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy regime. Vienna-based Noyb (None Of Your Business), the digital rights group founded by privacy activist Max Schrems, has already filed hundreds of complaints against big tech companies ranging from Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google to Meta over privacy violations, some leading to big fines. Fitbit forces its users to consent to data transfers outside the EU and does not provide the possibility to withdraw their consent, violating GDPR's requirements, Noyb said. Fines for violating GDPR rules can reach up to 4% of a firm's global annual revenue. While GDPR allows every person to withdraw their consent, Fitbit's privacy policy states that the only way to withdraw consent is to delete an account, which means losing their previously tracked workouts and health data, Noyb said.

Persons: Michele Tantussi, Max Schrems, Noyb, Fitbit, doesn't, Bernardo Armentano, Supantha Mukherjee, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: IFA, REUTERS, Rights, Google, European, Data Protection, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Rights STOCKHOLM, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Vienna, Stockholm

☆ Factbox: Stocks to watch as Idalia makes landfall in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Electric power transmission pylon miniatures and Nextera Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Florida is bracing for Tropical Storm Idalia as it intensifies into a major hurricane on Monday before making landfall on the state's Gulf Coast by Wednesday morning. About 20 million Floridians are under hurricane and tropical storm watches, and authorities have begun issuing evacuation orders. Shares of NextEra Energy Inc (NEE.N), which owns the Florida Power & Light Company, the state's largest utility, was little changed at $68.06, up 0.154%. Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; editing by Lance Tupper and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Idalia, Here's, Ron DeSantis, –, Owens Corning, Chibuike Oguh, Lance Tupper, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Simpson, National Hurricane Center, POWER Florida, NextEra Energy Inc, Florida Power & Light Company, Duke Energy Corp, Generac Holdings, Universal Insurance Holdings, Allstate Corporation, American International, Home, Lowe's, Thomson Locations: Florida, Coast, Big, New York

☆ Stocks to watch as Idalia makes landfall in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Florida is bracing for Tropical Storm Idalia as it intensifies into a major hurricane on Monday before making landfall on the state's Gulf Coast by Wednesday morning. Idalia is predicted to transform into a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale when it makes landfall in northern Florida's Big Bend area, where the panhandle transitions into the peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said. About 20 million Floridians are under hurricane and tropical storm watches, and authorities have begun issuing evacuation orders. Shares of NextEra Energy Inc (NEE.N), which owns the Florida Power & Light Company, the state's largest utility, was little changed at $68.06, up 0.154%. Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N) said on Monday it is mobilizing approximately 4,500 people - power line technicians, vegetation workers, damage assessors and support personnel – to respond to power outages as Idalia reaches Florida.

☆ EV maker BYD buys Jabil's China manufacturing business for $2.2 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO-Security guards stand at the BYD booth at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 28 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle maker BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) said on Monday its unit struck a deal with U.S.-based manufacturing firm Jabil Inc's (JBL.N) Singaporean unit to buy its product manufacturing business in China for 15.8 billion yuan ($2.17 billion). The deal will expand BYD Electronic (International) Co's (BE) customer base, product portfolio, and expand its business of smartphone components, and boost its growth as it looks to capture the potential growth in the sector. Jabil Circuit (Singapore), which manufactures printed circuit boards, established a unit this month with product manufacturing business in Chengdu and Wuxi, which will now be sold to the Chinese EV maker. ($1 = 7.2890 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Jabil, BYD, Sameer Manekar, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: Security, Auto, REUTERS, BYD, U.S, Jabil Circuit, Thomson Locations: Auto Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Singapore, Chengdu, Wuxi, Bengaluru

☆ Lending startup Captain raised $107 million in the boom times. Now it's up for sale amid layoffs and a capital drought.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Melia Russell | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Captain, a startup that aimed to quicken home repairs after natural disasters, is winding down. The Louisville-based company had previously raised $107 million across venture and debt equity. CartaMany early-stage startups such as Captain, which had raised $107 million across equity and debt capital, have struggled to raise new funding as a drought in venture capital spreads through Silicon Valley. Liabilities pile upThe company relies on debt financing to pay contractors upfront for materials, supplies, and labor costs. In his email, Gray said prospective buyers were aware of the outstanding liabilities and the sale price would be used to satisfy those liabilities, "with wages being the most paramount," he said.

Persons: Demetrius Gray, Gray, Captain, Red Swan, Pete Flint, Flint, PATRICK T, FALLON, Talent, Melia Russell, Rob Price Organizations: quicken, Carta, TechCrunch, GGV, fintech, Munich Re, San Francisco Superior Court Locations: The Louisville, Silicon Valley, Carta, Louisville , Kentucky, NFX, CoVenture, Munich, Maui

The logo of Google is seen at the high profile startups and high tech leaders gathering, Viva Tech,in Paris, France May 16, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Google will provide more information on targeted advertisements and give researchers more access to data on how its products work, to comply with landmark European Union online content rules, the Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit said on Thursday. "We will increase data access for researchers looking to understand more about how Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Play and Shopping work in practice, and conducting research related to understanding systemic content risks in the EU," she said. It will roll out a new Transparency Center for people to access information about its policies on a product-by-product basis. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Charles Platiau, Laurie Richardson, Foo Yun Chee, Devika Organizations: Google, Viva Tech, REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Digital Services, Microsoft, Twitter, HK, DSA, Center, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S

☆ US judge dismisses Republican National Committee's email spam suit against Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kanishka Singh | Thomson Reuters | Kanishka Singh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Reuters In Washington Dc | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O) that was brought late last year by the Republican National Committee for allegedly sending its emails to users' spam folders. "Accordingly, the Court will GRANT Defendant's Motion to Dismiss, with partial leave to amend," the judge wrote. Lawyers for Google at law firm Perkins called the allegations a "far-fetched theory" and a "dark conspiracy." Spam filters on email services typically weed out unsolicited "spam" messages and divert them to a separate folder.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Daniel Calabretta, GRANT Defendant's Motion, Perkins, Kanishka Singh, Deepa Babington Organizations: Google, Chelsea, REUTERS, Rights, Republican National Committee, RNC, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, California, Washington

☆ Exclusive: China's Xiaomi wins state planner nod to make EVs amid glut in autos
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Julie Zhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A man walks past a logo of Xiaomi, a Chinese manufacturer of consumer electronics, outside a shop in Mumbai, India, May 11, 2022. Xiaomi, which owns the world's third largest smartphone brand by shipments, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Xiaomi plans to produce about 100,000 EVs next year, said one of the sources. But Xiaomi, which reported an 18.9% drop in its latest quarterly revenue in May, has its own compulsions for foraying into EVs. Xiaomi plans to use the thousands of stores it has as showrooms for its electric cars, Reuters previously reported.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, HONG KONG, Xiaomi, Tesla, NDRC, MIIT, Lei Jun, Julie Zhu, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Xiaomi Corp, HK, National Development, Reform Commission, EV, Ministry of Industry, Reuters, Lucid, Beijing Daily, China Passenger Car Association, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, HONG, Beijing, Shanghai, Reuters U.S, China, China ., EVs

A Subway sandwich shop logo is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York February 14, 2014. These conditions, known as an earn-out, defer payment on part of the deal consideration, the sources said. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Roark Capital was nearing a deal to buy Subway for about $9.6 billion. A spokesperson for Subway declined to comment, while representatives for Roark and TDR did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Roark controls Inspire Brands, owner of the Jimmy John's, Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Rusty Taco and SONIC Drive-In chains.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Roark, DeLuca, Buck, John's, TDR, Sycamore, Goldman Sachs, Fred DeLuca, Peter Buck, Jimmy John's, Dunkin ’, Rusty Taco, Jimmy John’s, Abigail Summerville, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis Organizations: REUTERS, TDR, Sycamore Partners, Goldman Sachs, Subway, Street, Roark Capital, Goldman, Inspire Brands, Baskin, Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York, TDR Capital, Bridgeport , Connecticut, The Milford , Connecticut, U.S, Champaign , Illinois

European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton attends a news conference following an informal video conference of internal market and industry ministers in Brussels, Belgium February 25, 2021. These very large online platforms and very large online search engines have until Friday to provide their first annual risk assessment to the European Commission. "Complying with the DSA is not a punishment – it is an opportunity for these online platforms to reinforce their brand value and reputation as a trustworthy site," Breton said in a statement. "My services and I will thoroughly enforce the DSA, and fully use our new powers to investigate and sanction platforms where warranted," he said. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Olivier Hoslet, Breton, Foo Yun Chee, Chizu Organizations: Internal, Rights, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Digital Services, DSA, HK, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Europe

LME three-month zinc hit a near three-year low of $2,215 per metric ton in May. LME zinc price stocks and spreadsSQUEEZE DRAWS OUT HIDDEN METALThe trigger for the current spate of arrivals in the LME warehouse system appears to have been a sharp contraction in short-dated time-spreads earlier this month. If so, the game is on in Singapore, which has accounted for all the recent arrivals bar 1,000 metric tons at Malaysia's Port Klang. A total 31,500 metric tons of zinc were warranted in the city in July along with 5,125 metric tons of lead and 625 metric tons of tin. In the interim, there is plenty of potential for more metal to head towards LME storage sheds.

Persons: Ilya Naymushin, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, London Metal Exchange, Citibank, Low, Study, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Angara, Novoangars, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia's Port Klang ., East Asia, China, Europe, Ireland

☆ Australian court fines Dell unit $6.5 mln for misleading customers on discounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Navya Mittal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Dell logo is seen on an item for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew KellyAug 14 (Reuters) - Australia's Federal Court on Monday ordered Dell Technologies Inc's (DELL.N) local unit to pay A$10 million ($6.46 million) in penalties for making misleading representations on its website about discounts for add-on computer monitors. In a legal action brought by the country's competition regulator, Dell Australia was found guilty by the Federal Court in June to have misled customers about the prices or discounts on add-on monitors on its website. "This outcome sends a strong message to businesses that making false representations about prices or inflating discounts is a serious breach of consumer law and will attract substantial penalties," said Liza Carver, commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. ($1 = 1.5480 Australian dollars)Reporting by Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Liza Carver, Navya Mittal, Rashmi Aich, Subhranshu Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Dell Technologies, Dell, Federal Court, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Dell Australia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Dell Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Montana judge hands historic win to young plaintiffs in climate change case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

View of an extension of Denbury Inc's Greencore carbon pipeline which connects to a pump station, in Montana, U.S., 2021. Denbury/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoAug 14 (Reuters) - Montana is violating the rights of young people with policies that prohibit the state from considering climate change effects when it reviews coal mining, natural gas extraction and other fossil fuel projects, a state judge said Monday. In a June trial, the youths argued that despite its sparse population, Montana is responsible for an outsized share of global emissions. A spokesperson for the Montana attorney general's office called the ruling "absurd," and Seeley an "ideological judge who bent over backward to allow the case to move forward." Julia Olson, an attorney for Our Children's Trust, which represented the young people, called the decision a "huge win for Montana" and said similar decisions were likely to follow in different states.

Persons: Kathy Seeley, hadn't, Seeley, Julia Olson, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Montana, Thomson Locations: Montana , U.S, Handout, Montana, Helena, U.S

☆ Algeria bans 'Barbie' movie, media and official source say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoALGIERS, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Algeria has banned the movie "Barbie," which had been showing at some cinemas in the country for several weeks, an official source and the local 24H Algerie news site said on Monday. The official source said the film "promotes homosexuality and other Western deviances" and that it "does not comply with Algeria's religious and cultural beliefs." Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) doll on an adventure into the real world. Reporting by Lamine Chikhi, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Maja Smiejkowska, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Lamine Chikhi, Angus McDowall, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, ALGIERS, Algeria, Algerie, Lebanon, Kuwait

☆ Google-backed Anthropic raises $100 mln from South Korea's SK Telecom
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of SK Telecom is pictured at the GSMA's 2023 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File PhotoSEOUL, Aug 14 (Reuters) - South Korea's largest telco SK Telecom (017670.KS) said it will invest $100 million in U.S. artificial intelligence firm Anthropic to strengthen its telecommunications-driven AI business. SK Telecom, which also made a smaller investment in May, said on Sunday that the two companies plan to jointly develop a global telecommunications-oriented multilingual large language model and build an AI platform. SK Telecom declined to reveal the size of its May investment or the size of its stake in Anthropic. In July, SK Telecom agreed with Deutsche Telekom, e& and Singapore Telecommunications to form an alliance to jointly develop telecommunications-driven AI businesses.

Persons: Nacho, Anthropic, Claude, OpenAI's, Joyce Lee, Sam Holmes Organizations: SK Telecom, Congress, REUTERS, telco SK Telecom, OpenAI, Google, Spark Capital, Deutsche Telekom, Singapore Telecommunications, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, SEOUL, KS, Anthropic

☆ California agency approves San Francisco robotaxi expansion amid heavy opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In an aerial view, Waymo autonomous vehicles sit parked in a staging area on June 08, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesAlphabet Inc's Waymo and General Motors' Cruise can operate paid robotaxi services using unmanned self-driving vehicles throughout San Francisco, California state regulators voted on Thursday, in the face of vigorous pushback from city transportation, safety agencies and many residents. The move marks a critical step forward in regulating the robot cars, which Waymo, Cruise and others have been systematically rolling out in cities and states around the nation. San Francisco, however, is important as a both symbolic hub of tech and, with over 500 autonomous vehicles already in operation, it is the largest test lab for the experimental cars. The vehicles, with empty driver seats and self-turning steering wheels, have become a common sight around San Francisco.

Persons: Justin Sullivan, –, Cruise, Uber, Waymo Organizations: General Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, Locals Locations: San Francisco , California, San Francisco

☆ California agency to vote on San Francisco robotaxi expansion amid heavy opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company's headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File PhotoSAN FRANCISCO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Amid strenuous pushback from San Francisco officials and many residents, a California state agency is set to vote on Thursday on a proposal to allow the city to be blanketed in self-driving taxis at all hours. But the vote at the meeting that begins at 11 a.m. PDT (1800 GMT) comes amid vigorous opposition from transportation and safety agencies in San Francisco. The CPUC has twice delayed the vote, in part because of the mounting opposition. Outfitted with spinning sensors, Waymo and Cruise vehicles are an arresting sight around San Francisco, particularly to visitors unaccustomed to cars with no human driver behind the wheel.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Cruise, Waymo, Greg Bensinger, Jamie Freed Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, San Francisco, Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, San

☆ Apple’s market value drops $180 billion in less a week. Here's why Wall Street is overreacting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Around $180 billion of Apple's (AAPL) market value has been incinerated since the tech giant reported quarterly results last week — a reaction we consider overblown for this own-it, don't-trade-it stock. Apple's market cap is now under $3 trillion after a string of losses before and after last week's earnings. AAPL YTD mountain Apple's YTD performance Late last Thursday , Apple posted strong Services sales, but missed on Products. Overall revenue for the company's fiscal third quarter of $81.8 billion fell 1% year-over-year but beat out expectations of $81.69 billion. Apple shares received a rare downgrade from Wall Street following the earnings numbers.

Persons: Apple, Barton Crockett, Crockett, Jim Cramer, Jim, Tim Cook, Morgan Stanley, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Products, Apple, Rosenblatt Securities, Big Tech, Silicon, JPMorgan, Bears, CNBC, Getty Locations: Tuesday's, U.S, Cupertino , California, Big Tech, India, Shanghai, China

☆ Lebanon moves to ban 'Barbie' film for 'promoting homosexuality'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Lebanon's culture minister moved to ban the film "Barbie" from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it "promotes homosexuality" and contradicts religious values. Mortada's decision said the film was found to "promote homosexuality and sexual transformation" and "contradicts values of faith and morality" by diminishing the importance of the family unit. Lebanon was the first Arab country to hold a gay pride week in 2017 and has generally been seen as a safe haven for the LGBT community in the broadly conservative Middle East. Mawlawi last year took a decision to ban events "promoting sexual perversion" in Lebanon, understood to refer to LGBT-friendly gatherings. In a speech last month, Nasrallah called on Lebanese authorities to take action against materials he deemed to be promoting homosexuality, including by "banning" them.

Persons: Mohammad Mortada, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mortada's, Bassam Mawlawi, Mawlawi, Nasrallah, Lebanon's, Bechara Boutros, Rai, Ayman Mhanna, Samir Kassir, Mhanna, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Laila Bassam, Gebeily, Toby Chopra, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hezbollah, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon

☆ UK retailer John Lewis boosts AI capability with Google deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - British retailer John Lewis Partnership has agreed a five-year deal with Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google Cloud, enabling it to harness the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology. The employee-owned partnership, which runs John Lewis department stores and the Waitrose supermarket chain, said on Wednesday the new agreement, which builds on a decade-long relationship with Google Cloud, was worth 100 million pounds ($127 million). Under the expanded agreement, more of the partnership's technology will migrate to Google Cloud. Google Cloud agreed a similar deal with European home improvement retailer Kingfisher(KGF.L) last November. Zak Mian, the John Lewis Partnership's chief transformation and technology officer, said an example was customers using an image scanning feature in their John Lewis App to show its home design stylists a room they're looking to furnish.

Persons: John Lewis, Zak Mian, John Lewis Partnership's, Prerna Bedi, James Davey, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: John, John Lewis Partnership, Google, Waitrose, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

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