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☆ Microsoft calls out Google for running 'shadow campaigns' in Europe to influence regulators
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft took the unusual step on Monday of publicly criticizing longtime rival Google for running "shadow campaigns" in Europe designed to discredit the software giant with regulators. "This week an astroturf group organized by Google is launching," Microsoft lawyer Rima Alaily wrote. "We've been very public about our concerns with Microsoft's cloud licensing, a Google cloud spokesperson said in an email. Google funded the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing that last year asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate Microsoft, Alaily wrote. WATCH: Google Cloud exec says Microsoft is in violation of EU antitrust laws

Persons: Rima Alaily, Alaily, Microsoft's, didn't Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Justice Department, Group, Open Cloud Coalition, DGA, European Commission, Amazon Web Services, Amazon, Coalition for, Software, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Cloud Infrastructure Services Locations: Europe, U.S, Monday's

☆ Q3 Earnings: Welcome to the ‘show me the money’ quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In what some analysts are calling the “show me the money” quarter, most of the major US tech titans will report earnings during Halloween week. “Tech companies have been spending billions on AI like kids in a candy store,” said David Laut, chief investment officer at Abound Financial. “Now investors want to see what they’re getting for their money.”Earnings season for tech got off to a strong start Wednesday evening when Tesla surprised Wall Street with better-than-expected earnings. The results sent Tesla’s shares surging more than 11% in after-hours trading, potentially setting a positive tone for next week’s parade of tech earnings. But there’s more spooking Wall Street than just tech earnings.

Persons: ”, David Laut, Tesla, Tesla’s, Jim Reid, Dan Ives Organizations: New, New York CNN, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Nvidia, “ Tech, “, ChatGPT, Reserve, Deutsche, Wedbush Securities Locations: New York, Canada, France

The Sikh community in Halifax, Canada is rallying around the family of Gursimran Kaur, a 19-year-old Walmart employee who was found dead on Saturday in the store’s walk-in bakery oven. Kaur’s mother, who found the body, is traumatized, advocates said. She was really in great pain,” Halifax Maritime Sikh Society board member Satnam Randhawa told NBC News. “The community has been shocked by the whole incident,” Harjit Seyan, president of the Sikh Society, told Canadian broadcast program Global News. “We are really upset.”Over the last week, the Sikh Society has orchestrated a communitywide show of support.

Persons: Gursimran Kaur, Kaur, Satnam Randhawa, Harjit Seyan, GoFundMe, Randhawa, ” Seyan, ” Organizations: Walmart, Google, Sikh Society, NBC News . Local, Global, Society, NBC News, “ Locations: Halifax, Canada, India, NS

☆ I interviewed Google applicants and ranked them on 'Googleyness.' Here I found the greatest interviewee I've ever had.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Tess Martinelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jerry Lee, a former Google manager, said the company graded candidates on four attributes. He said Googleyness requires a set of soft skills that is objective. While at Google, I interviewed several potential new hires and ranked them based on "Googleyness." Googleyness captures the broad range of soft skills needed to align with your coworkers, such as dependability, helpfulness, and willingness to go above and beyond. When answering a question in a Google interview, make sure your answer is honest, company-specific, and proves your soft skills.

Persons: Jerry Lee, Lee, —, you've, I've, they'd, Tess Martinelli Organizations: Google, Service, Big Tech Locations: tmartinelli

The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Orlando, accuses Character.AI of negligence, wrongful death and survivorship, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress and other claims. A screenshot of what the lawsuit describes as Setzer’s last conversation shows him writing to the bot: “I promise I will come home to you. That’s not a good reason not to go through with it,” the lawsuit claims. Character.ai said in a blog post published Tuesday that it is introducing new safety measures. Setzer had also been conversing with other chatbot characters who engaged in sexual interactions with him, according to the lawsuit.

Persons: Character.ai, Megan Garcia’s, Sewell Setzer, Setzer, Daenerys Targaryen, Dany, ”, ” Setzer, “, That’s, Character.AI, Barnes, roleplayed, Sewell, Noam Shazeer, Daniel De Freitas, De Freitas, Matthew Bergman, Garcia, ” Bergman Organizations: Prevention, Technologies, Google, Alphabet Inc Locations: Florida, U.S, Orlando, California, Sewell, seductively

☆ Popular Restaurants Can Get Killed by a Michelin Star, Food Awards
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He then looked at the diverging fortunes of those restaurants that went on to receive a Michelin star — a signifier of excellence in the industry. By 2019, Sands found that restaurants given a Michelin star were more likely to shutter. The publicity created around an award such as a Michelin star drives interest. But he pointed out that even if they ultimately failed, the Michelin restaurants that closed in Sands' research generally had a pretty good run. In many ways, "what to do about growth" is a classic question in any business, including restaurants and hospitality.

Persons: Daniel Sands, Sands, Darren Tristano, Joe Carroll, Anselm, haven't, Carroll doesn't, Danny Meyer, Ryan Sutton, It's, John Gordon, Carroll, Semilla, Emily Stewart Organizations: University College London's School of Management, Michelin, The New York Times, New York Times, New, Square, LO Times, Business Locations: York, New York, Brooklyn, Sands, San Diego, , New York, Philadelphia, Manhattan

☆ Reddit CEO says the platform is in an 'arms race' for AI training
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said the company is working to find its place in the AI "arms race." The platform has become a power player in the race to train AI models. Huffman hinted at large companies that are taking advantage of Reddit's content. AdvertisementReddit CEO Steve Huffman said the platform's content is among the world's best training data for artificial intelligence — and an increasingly valuable commodity as the company aims to find its place in the AI "arms race." "We've invested a lot in the last couple of years in locking that down, but it is an arms race."

Persons: Steve Huffman, Huffman, —, he's, Reddit, We've Organizations: Service, Tech, Google, Microsoft

☆ Honeywell signs deal with Google to bring Gemini generative AI to industrial sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Everyone has that problem in industrials," he said at the recent CNBC Evolve AI Opportunity event. The Google AI will offer images, videos, text and sensor readings to engineers. According to Honeywell data, 82% of companies in the industrial sector that consider themselves AI leaders are behind on adoption, with only 17% having fully launched initial AI plans. Siemens and Microsoft announced a gen AI deal for the industrial sector late last year, which included an AI copilot for use across industries. "Awareness is high, adoption is low, but there will be an inflection point," he said at the recent CNBC AI event.

Persons: Rick Osterloh, Vimal Kapur, Kapur, Suresh Venkatarayalu, Carrie Tharp, Delangue Organizations: Devices, Google, Honeywell, CNBC, Honeywell Forge, Workers, Companies, Gemini, Amazon, Nvidia, Siemens, Microsoft Locations: Mountain View , California, industrials

☆ Nvidia, Google, Microsoft and more head to Las Vegas to tout health-care AI tools
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesNvidia , Google , Microsoft and dozens of other tech companies are descending on Las Vegas next week to showcase artificial intelligence tools they say will save doctors and nurses valuable time. Based on the speaking agenda and announcements leading up to the conference, AI tools to conquer administrative burdens will be the star of this year's show. Tech companies, eager to carve out a piece of a market that could top $6.8 trillion in spending by the decade's end, argue that their generative AI tools can help. Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty ImagesGoogle, for instance, said it's working to expand its health-care customer base by tackling administrative burden with AI. Vertex AI Search for Healthcare allows developers to build tools to help doctors quickly search for information across disparate medical records, Google said.

Persons: Alex Schiffhauer, Josh Edelson, Satya Nadella, Dimas Ardian, DAX Copilot, that's, Shiv Rao, Abridge Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Las, CNBC, Mercer, Tech, AFP, Healthcare, Google's, Bloomberg Locations: Hangzhou, China, Las Vegas, Mountain View , California, Jakarta, Indonesia

☆ Google's viral AI podcast tool just got more useful
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google's NotebookLM Audio Overview feature went viral for its podcast-like AI discussions. Shortly after the AI tool's Audio Overview feature went viral, Google's product lead for NotebookLM, Raiza Martin, shared plans to release more features. Google's AI product made a splash in the tech world with its human-sounding "Deep Dive" conversation between two AI hosts, powered by the company's Gemini 1.5 large language model. The NotebookLM tool allows users to generate a roughly 10-minute AI Overview — basically an AI-generated podcast discussion — based on the material you upload. Additionally, with millions of people using the product, NotebookLM has officially removed the "Experimental" label for the product.

Persons: Google's, It's, —, Raiza Martin, Martin, NotebookLM, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: NotebookLM

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached a historic $880 million settlement over hundreds of child sex abuse claims. The agreement in principle announced Wednesday settles 1,354 child sexual abuse claims, the plaintiffs’ attorney said in a news release. It is the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese. In 2007, the archdiocese settled child sex abuse lawsuits with 500 victims for $660 million. No designated donations to parishes or schools will be used to finance the settlement, the archdiocese said in a statement issued after the settlement announcement.

Persons: ”, Morgan A, Stewart, José H, Gomez, “ Organizations: Catholic, Archdiocese, Angels, Google Locations: Los Angeles, California, “

☆ Teacher and veteran cop part of crew accused of running Long Island brothels
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Along with Frank Saggio, 60, and his girlfriend, Dana Ciardullo, they are accused of enterprise corruption and promoting prostitution, among other charges. The four are accused of collecting "house fees" from sex workers and advertising their services. He is accused of then falsifying police paperwork which did not mention his unauthorized visit to American Girls Spa. He is also charged with 51 counts of promoting prostitution. Trimigliozzi is charged with 18 separate offenses, including 13 counts of promoting prostitution; Arey faces 28 separate charges, while Ciardullo is charged with 18 counts.

Persons: ”, George Trimiliozzi, Steven Arey, Frank Saggio, Dana Ciardullo, Attorney Raymond A, Tierney, Saggio, Arey, George Trimigliozzi, Trimigliozi, Trimigliozzi, Ciardullo Organizations: Suffolk County Police, Attorney's, Attorney, Girls, NBC News Locations: Long, , New York, Suffolk, Suffolk County, Holbrook, N.Y, Trimigliozzi, Saggio

☆ Google Shopping just got an AI makeover
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google Shopping has added a number of new features in recent years. Google Shopping now has AI Overviews-like briefing to provide more context to users on what they're looking to buy. The shopping feed considers inputs from Google surfaces including your shopping activity on Chrome, Search, YouTube and Discover, a Google spokesperson told Business Insider. "We can show you the best of what Gemini and the Google shopping graph have a recommendation for you." Google previously introduced a virtual try-on feature to Google Shopping and recently extended the tool to dresses.

Persons: —, Lilian Rincon, Rincon Organizations: Google, Service, YouTube, Google Google Locations: Seattle, Pinterest

☆ We're about to enter the Digital Dark Ages
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Without laborious renaming, everything behind those links — billions of them, a decade of digital content — will become inaccessible. We're about to enter the Digital Dark Ages. The Department of Veterans Affairs is legally required to preserve all medical records for 75 years after the death of a vet — but it's having problems, in part because of a balky digital records system. "Over the long term, you can't preserve a digital object in its original form," says Manoff, the former MIT librarian. The Dark Ages, as historians used to call the early centuries of medieval Europe, lasted for 500 years.

Persons: Mark Graham, Graham, we're, Marlene Manoff, Loren McClenachan, McClenachan, we'd, Adam Rogers Organizations: Google, Companies, of Alexandria, New York Times, Pew Research Center, Gawker, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, New York Newsday, Paramount, MTV, Comedy, Yahoo Groups, Yahoo, Facebook, Penguin, AOL, Prodigy, Department of Veterans Affairs, Wayback, Wayback Machine, MIT Libraries, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, MIT, Business Locations: Friendster, Key West , Florida, Europe

☆ How a rare type of mortgage is landing homebuyers a 3% rate
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Devan Burris | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As mortgage rates stagnate around 6%, prospective homebuyers are feeling nostalgic for the 3% interest rates of 2020 and 2021. Google search results for the term "assumable mortgage" spiked in May, following a steady upward trend starting in 2022. Mortgage assumptions allow buyers to take over an existing mortgage at its current rate, possibly securing mortgage rates as low as 2% or 3% depending on when the original mortgage was taken out. Mortgage assumptions were a popular way to buy a house in the 1970s and 1980s but have largely fallen out of public consciousness. Watch the video above to learn more about assumable mortgages, how they work, and why they can come with their own set of hurdles.

Persons: Germain, Raunaq Singh, that's Organizations: Google, Veterans Affairs, Federal Housing Administration, United States Department, FHA Locations: St, U.S

☆ Google inks deal with nuclear company as data center power demand surges
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Pippa Stevens | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Google said Monday that it will purchase power from small modular reactor developer Kairos Power, as tech companies increasingly turn to nuclear power as a way to fulfill the growing energy demands from data centers. Monday's announcement is another example of the growing partnership between tech companies and nuclear power. Data centers need 24/7 reliable power, and right now nuclear is the only source of emissions-free baseload power. Many hyperscalers have ambitious emissions-reduction targets, which is why they're turning to nuclear power. Constellation Energy is restarting Three Mile Island to power Microsoft data centers, while Amazon bought a data center from Talen Energy that's powered by the Susquehanna nuclear power plant.

Persons: Kairos Power, Michael Terrell, SMRs, Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Terrell Organizations: Google, Kairos, U.S, Department of Energy, —, Constellation Energy, Microsoft, Amazon, Talen Energy, Susquehanna Locations: Mountain View , California, Oak Ridge , Tennessee

☆ Google's share of the search ad market could drop below 50% for the first time in a decade as AI search engines boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-13 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google's search ad market share in the US could fall below 50% for the first time in a decade. Perplexity AI, meanwhile, says it is attracting "top-tier" advertisers. It launched Gemini, its own large language model that now presents Google search results in natural language at the top of the page, in March 2023. Google is also leveraging AI to better present ads in its search results. AdvertisementGoogle and Perplexity AI did not immediately return requests for comment for this story.

Persons: —, Axel Springer, Alpha, Mark Shmulik, ChatGPT, Brendon Kraham, We've, Dmitry Shevelenko, Jeff Bezos, Forbes, Perplexity, Shevelenko Organizations: Google, Service, Business Insider, Bernstein Research, Wall Street, Nvidia

Longtime friends and neighbors fell out of touch and in some cases died, leaving the couple more isolated and vulnerable. Not long before he met the Davises, Maw pitched a local businessman on investing in his engine business. In the Davises, he had met a couple who had sizable bank accounts and an impressive car collection. The buyer also said he paid more for LaDonna’s property than for two larger buildings on the same street.) The Davises' property on Holt Avenue in West Covina.

Persons: James, LaDonna, ”, Michael McCasland, Min Zaw Maw, Maw, “, Javier Puga, ” Puga, Ladonna’s, Frank Piro, Piro, Amis, didn’t, McCasland, Davis, Min Maw, “ Maw ingratiated, ” McCasland, Rich Schapiro, Diana Homeier, ” Homeier, ” Maw, Maw “, LaDonna Davis, Moe, Gilbert Amis, ” Amis, Brett Hitchman, ” Piro, ” LaDonna, Min, Juan Dotson, Dotson, Michael Ebiner, ” Ebiner, ’ ”, Gus May, Hitchman, ” Hitchman, LaDonna “, Ebiner, breathlessly, Stacey Wood, Wood, ’ Organizations: Powertek Engineering Group, Pacific Western Bank, Citizens Business Bank, NBC News, McCasland, Holt, St, NBC, Nascar, Google, Protective Services, Center, Adult Protective Services, ”, Public Guardian, West, West Covina police, Bank of America, Scripps College Locations: Holt, Myanmar, Arcadia, LaDonna, West Covina, Vincent, St, Upland, Calif, Angeles County, McCasland, Los Angeles

☆ A 33-year-old self-made millionaire shares the 2-part 'financial freedom road map' that helped him build wealth
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Erik Smolinski shares the 'road map' he used to build wealth and achieve financial independence. He also provides steps anyone can take to build wealth, starting with opening a brokerage account. Part 1: Understand 3 'wealth levers'According to Smolinski, there are three "wealth levers" that you have to use in order to build wealth. Next, link your bank account to your brokerage account and initiate your first transfer. Over time, you'll learn to live without the chunk of money you're setting aside for your future.

Persons: Erik Smolinski, —, Smolinski, that's, you've, I'm Organizations: Service, Marine Corps

A Hurricane Milton tornado tore through a Florida retirement community Wednesday, killing multiple residents and leaving a level of destruction not seen locally for decades, officials said. Four people died in St. Lucie County, on Florida’s east coast, and more than one of those fatalities came at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a neighborhood designed for residents 55 and older, county spokesman Erick Gill said. “I can’t confirm that all of them [the four deaths] were from the Spanish Lakes neighborhood that was hardest hit,” Gill told NBC News. “I’ve worked for St. Lucie County for 21 years. “We’re not going to stop until we double-check, triple-check to make sure that anyone in there that needs to be rescued is rescued,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said in a video message to the community.

Persons: Lucie County, Erick Gill, “, ” Gill, Milton, Gill, “ I’ve, Frances, Jeanne, We’re, ”, Keith Pearson Organizations: Hurricane Milton, Lakes Country Club, Spanish Lakes, NBC News, Lakes Country, Google, Hurricane, St Locations: Florida, St, Lucie, Florida’s, Spanish, Fort Pierce, Fla, Hurricane Milton, ”, “, Lucie County, ” St

☆ Here are the best and worst-case scenarios for Google in its battle with the DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementFor years, the US Justice Department's lawsuit against Google's Search business has been largely ignored by Wall Street and even many of Google's employees. They also include sharing some of Google's search data with rivals. The DOJ is also considering cracking open Google's search index and forcing it to share data, including the nitty-gritty of how Google ranks website quality. The DOJ said this could include the models used for Google's AI Search features. AdvertisementThe DOJ has said it's also weighing a proposal that websites can opt out of Google's AI training and from appearing in AI search results altogether.

Persons: —, Department's, Bernstein, Amit Mehta, Dan Morgan, monetization, Max, Morgan, Dan Ives, Liz Reid, Marissa Mayer, it's, It's Organizations: US Justice Department, Google, Analysts, Service, Google's, Wall, DOJ, Apple, European Union, Chrome, Wedbush, Tech, Media, Finance, Sunshine Locations: European, Europe

☆ Microsoft will let people buy games through Xbox app on Android in November after Google antitrust ruling
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, speaks at the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 23, 2023. Microsoft will allow people to buy and play video games through its Xbox app for Android starting in November, the company said on Thursday. The move is an immediate consequence of a U.S. judge ruling on Monday that Google will have to present alternatives to its Google Play app store on Android devices. Currently, people can download games to Xbox consoles through the Xbox app for Android, and those who pay for the Netflix-like Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions can stream games from the cloud in a different app. In March, the U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust case against Apple that said limiting distribution to the App Store gives the company monopoly power.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, Bond Organizations: Microsoft Gaming, Microsoft, Google, Epic Games, Xbox, Electronic Arts, Netflix, U.S . Justice Department, Facebook, Meta, Activision, Apple Locations: Cologne, Germany, U.S

☆ The DOJ is considering asking judge to break up Google
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Jordan Hart | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Prosecutors proposed remedies after Google antitrust violation ruling by a federal judge. Judge Amit Mehta previously ruled Google violated antitrust laws by securing default search deals. AdvertisementProsecutors said they're considering a requirement that Google share the data that powers a big chunk of its business — the inputs and models for Google search and search results — through an application programming interface. Another proposal would prevent the company from using its other products, such as Chrome and Android, to promote Google search over competitors. Google previously said that the company plans to appeal the ruling, which could delay the judge from imposing any remedies filed by the prosecution.

Persons: Amit Mehta, —, Prosecutors, doled, Evelyn Mitchell, Wolf, Mehta, Dan Ives Organizations: Service, Google, Big Tech, Apple, Prosecutors, Companies, Microsoft, Wedbush Securities, Department of Justice

☆ Jim Cramer criticizes DOJ's stance on Google and possible breakup
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday disagreed with the Department of Justice's move to consider a possible breakup of Google , asserting that the company benefits consumers, businesses and the U.S."Google's an aggressive company. But I defy you to find any regular people in this country who think of Google as a bad actor," he said. "Google search is the most incredible bargain in the world, and the same goes for YouTube." Cramer also questioned the DOJ's antitrust lawsuit against Apple and the Federal Trade Commission's case that Amazon illegally wields monopoly power. Google declined to comment, and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer Organizations: Department of, Google, YouTube, DOJ, Apple, Federal Trade, Big Tech, Department of Justice

☆ Who will win the robotaxi race? Tesla, Waymo, or Uber?
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Today, consumers open the Uber app because they know there will likely be loads of cars nearby to pick them up. And drivers come to Uber because they know there will be many riders waiting and willing to pay. Uber doesn't buy and maintain cars. AdvertisementA robotaxi futureWhat happens if Tesla and Waymo driverless cars replace human drivers? It has already struck deals with Waymo and Cruise, another AV company, to have their driverless cars be part of the existing Uber rideshare network.

Persons: Tesla's, Elon, Uber, Uber doesn't, Tesla, Bernstein, Lyft, Waymo, Ben Thompson, Thompson, Dara Khosrowshahi Organizations: Google, Tech, Waymo

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