Apple pinched by pandemic; profit, iPhone sales decline

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Apple’s profit dipped slightly while revenues rose in the January-March quarter, reflecting early fallout from the coronavirus pandemic that shut down its factories and then forced hundreds of Apple retail stores to close. The results give the first sign of how one of the world’s best-known companies is faring as the […]

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Watch my kids, please: Parents hire Zoom babysitters so they can shelter in peace

SAN FRANCISCO — Babysitting used to go something like this: A local teenager comes over to the house after school to play with the kids, then tucks them into bed and spends the remainder of the evening texting from the sofa. All so the parents can unwind after a long week of working in offices […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/watch-my-kids-please-parents-hire-zoom-babysitters-so-they-can-shelter-in-peace/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon has a Europe problem: Unions and regulators are circling

In Germany, unions are pushing Amazon.com to prevent warehouse workers from congregating like bunches of “grapes” before their shifts. In Italy, where a COVID-19 outbreak hit Amazon’s main logistics depot, unions staged an 11-day strike that ended after the company granted employees an additional five-minute break to practice better personal hygiene. And in what amounts […]

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Twitter swings to 1Q loss despite revenue growth as costs up

Twitter posted a loss in the first quarter as the social media company’s higher expenses outweighed revenue growth. The San Francisco company reported Thursday that average daily users grew 24% year over year, the highest ever growth rate in the company’s history. Twitter has added 14 million daily users since the previous quarter. The company […]

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Apple, Google release virus contact-tracing tools to app makers

Apple released an early beta version of its software update that incorporates the technology, iOS 13.5, while Google is rolling out an update via its Google Play app store.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/apple-google-release-virus-contact-tracing-tools-to-app-makers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Nokia profit up; sales dip with coronavirus supply issues

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia has reported improved first quarter profit but said the COVID-19 pandemic dented sales by around EUR200 million ($218 million) mainly due to supply issues associated with disruptions in China. The company based in Espoo, Finland, reported Thursday net profit of 33 million euros for the January-March period, […]

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Companies’ use of thermal cameras to speed return to work sparks worries about civil liberties

Some health and labor experts worry the coronavirus public-health emergency has shoved open the door for unproven surveillance techniques, many of which could pose their own risks as millions of Americans head back to work.

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Utah halts crime-detection deal over company’s past KKK ties

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s attorney general has suspended a $20.7 million contract with a technology company using government surveillance data to develop a crime-detection program amid reports its founder once belonged to a white supremacist group and was involved in a drive-by shooting. Attorney General Sean Reyes said Tuesday that no one in […]

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Amazon prepares first earnings report from coronavirus era, as pandemic accelerates retail trends in its favor

The company’s first-quarter earnings report will provide a view of how the pandemic has accelerated trends already working in its favor, and the extent to which coronavirus restrictions on businesses and consumers have boosted Amazon’s sales.

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Tesla ekes out small 1Q net profit, surprising Wall Street

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla eked out a small first-quarter net profit just as the coronavirus started to affect the electric car and solar panel maker. The company said it made $16 million from January through March, or 8 cents per share. It was the third straight profitable quarter for the Palo Alto, California, company. It […]

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Microsoft weathers the coronavirus storm, posting earnings boost from its cloud business

Analysts expected as much, and that's one reason Microsoft's stock is closing in on the all-time high it hit in early February.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft/microsoft-weathers-the-coronavirus-storm-posting-earnings-boost-from-its-cloud-business/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Facebook Q1 revenue growth slows but stronger than expected

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Facebook on Tuesday reported its slowest quarterly growth as a public company, pressured by the coronavirus pandemic and a resulting global slowdown in digital advertising. The social network, like Google on Tuesday, said it’s feeling the squeeze from the global pandemic but expects to weather it with modest long-term effects. Facebook […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/facebook-q1-revenue-growth-slows-but-stronger-than-expected/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Convict in LA Times hack again accused of attacking media

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A journalist who went to federal prison for hacking attacks on California media is now charged with a similar attack on a magazine. Probation officials filed a petition Monday alleging that Matthew Keys, 33, of Sacramento violated the conditions of his release by hacking into and deleting the YouTube account of […]

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Samsung expects profit decline as pandemic hits sales

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday its operating profit for the first three months of 2020 rose 3.4% from a year earlier driven by increasing demands for computer chips. However, the company predicted its profit would decline in the current quarter with the coronavirus pandemic eating into global sales of smartphones, […]

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Google’s growth slows as pandemic infests advertising market

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Google reported its weakest revenue growth in nearly five years as the pandemic-driven recession began to shrivel its advertising sales in the first quarter. The January-March earnings for Google parent Alphabet offer a first look at how the digital ad market has fared amid widespread orders requiring consumers to stay at […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/googles-growth-slows-as-pandemic-infests-advertising-market/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Cyprus: 2nd cell phone antenna torched despite no 5G plans

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus’ telecoms authority said on Tuesday unknown arsonists have torched a second mobile telephone antenna despite government efforts to quell “groundless” fears that it’s moving to install a 5G antenna network. A small, but vociferous, online campaign against 5G alleges in social media posts that emissions from the network’s antennas pose […]

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Storybooks, radio connect kids isolated in far-flung Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — All it takes is a few words from a storybook to connect kids over the crackle of an AM radio station. It’s not 1950s entertainment, but a nostalgic way children in even the most remote Alaska communities — many with unreliable internet — can overcome further isolation brought on by the […]

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Everyone is giving away cash on Instagram

As the coronavirus continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods, Instagram influencers are offering free money to followers — and gaining a lot more in return. The giveaways are part of a growth scheme.

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Tech giants are profiting — and getting more powerful — even as the global economy tanks

As the pandemic wreaks havoc on the economy, tech giants Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft are benefiting enormously from a potentially permanent shift in consumer habits, leveraging their political clout by arguing that they are essential services, and gutting their competition.

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Google, Facebook may be heading toward first revenue slumps

Demand for digital advertising is shriveling after a decade of explosive growth amid the pandemic-fueled downturn. That could complicate things for Google and Facebook, who for the first time may have to contend with revenues that are actually shrinking. With consumers mostly at home and unemployment soaring, advertisers are slashing promotional spending — in some […]

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Tesla says cars can automatically stop for traffic lights

DETROIT (AP) — After testing on public roads, Tesla is rolling out a new feature of its partially automated driving system designed to spot stop signs and traffic signals. The update of the electric car company’s cruise control and auto-steer systems is a step toward CEO Elon Musk’s pledge to convert cars to fully self-driving […]

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Tech companies, like college athletes, eager to cash in

Imagine a major-college quarterback with a sizable social media following who posts entertaining and informative updates about his life on and off the field. Now imagine a restaurant hiring him as its pitchman and paying him $500 or $1,000 each time he posts content with its messaging. That scenario could become reality as soon as […]

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Military chaplains pivot to serve soldiers in virus outbreak

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Maj. Brian Minietta’s eyes are locked down the barrel of a camera lens. He sways gently back and forth in silence, then his gruff voice belts out, in singsong: “A little patience … yeah, yeah!” He finishes the chorus — it’s the 1989 Guns N’ Roses hit “Patience.” And he […]

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Stephen Sondheim gets starry but tardy 90th birthday concert

NEW YORK (AP) — Josh Groban, Nathan Lane and Jake Gyllenhaal honored composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim on Sunday with an online 90th birthday concert that was stuffed with his songs, but delayed by technical difficulties. The starry special called “Take Me to the World” featured performances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kelli O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Judy […]

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Ridding the oceans of plastic starts with tracking it all down

For as long as there has been plastic garbage, it’s managed to find its way into the ocean, but never quite like it did a couple of years ago off the Greek island of Lesbos. There, a team of people collected a small dump’s worth of plastic bottles, bags and fishing nets, assembled it on platforms, and floated […]

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Amazon and Microsoft need to give businesses a break

A large part of managing the economic disruption from the coronavirus crisis has been keeping businesses and individuals afloat amid the shutdown of large parts of the economy. Banks, landlords, the federal government, hospitals and workers have all chipped in to do their part. But one notable group of companies has been missing from this […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-and-microsoft-need-to-give-businesses-a-break/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Using dust and DNA to trace products all the way back to the factory

DNA analysis has long been the gold standard for establishing identity. Now there’s technology that may do the same for product provenance — as in, where exactly clothing, furniture, food or pretty much anything else comes from. Bacteria, pollen, tiny fungi and — as the entire world knows all too well — viruses can be […]

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An ESPN commercial hints at advertising’s deepfake future

Unable to film new commercials during the coronavirus pandemic, advertising agencies are turning to technologies that can seamlessly alter old footage, sometimes putting viewers in a position of doubting what they are seeing. During episodes of “The Last Dance,” the recent ESPN documentary series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, State Farm ran a […]

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Low-tech Japan challenged in working from home amid pandemic

TOKYO (AP) — When the Japanese government declared an emergency to curb the spread of the coronavirus earlier this month and asked people to work from home, crowds rushed to electronics stores. So much for social distancing. Many Japanese lack the basic tools needed to work from home. Contrary to the ultramodern image of Japan […]

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Why Apple’s iPad is the gadget of the coronavirus pandemic

Shelter-in-place orders have transformed the tablet computer from a superfluous device into a must-have.

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Amazon asks workers staying at home to return or seek leave

After the coronavirus began spreading through the U.S., Amazon offered unpaid time off without penalty for workers uncomfortable with coming in, along with $2-an-hour hazard pay for those who report for duty. The offers run through April.

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Lots of companies now want your video chats — even Facebook

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Amid the coronavirus pandemic, this has become an era of Zoom birthdays, virtual happy hours, FaceTime story times and Google yoga classes. Our friends, coworkers, teachers — and doctors, if we’re lucky — now largely exist as faces in rectangles on our phones and computer screens. With people’s social lives moved […]

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AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson steps down, Stankey to succeed

NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is stepping down after leading the telecommunications giant for 13 years. The Dallas company named John Stankey as chief executive effective July 1. Stankey, 57, has been president and chief operating officer since October 2019. He joined AT&T in 1985. Stephenson, 60, will stay on as executive […]

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Apple’s built-in iPhone mail app is vulnerable to hackers, new research says

Even if victims never saw or clicked on the malware, their phones could be taken over by sophisticated attackers.

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Zoom backlash widens with Daimler, Ericsson and BofA curbs

Some of the world’s largest companies have advised against the use of Zoom Video Communications’ conferencing app, fueling a growing backlash against a service that has shot to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Daimler, Ericsson, NXP Semiconductors and Bank of America are among a wave of companies forbidding or warning employees against using Zoom because […]

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Expedia names new CEO, seeks $3.2 billion to fight coronavirus travel slump

In December, Expedia CEO Mark Okerstrom and CFO Alan Pickerill were ousted after clashing with the board over a disappointing growth outlook.

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Belgian port to test virus bracelets amid tech tracing fears

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — As the spread of the coronavirus eases and people gradually return to work pondering the impact it might have on their jobs, Europe’s second-biggest port is getting ready to test a device aimed at helping thousands of people employed there to respect social distancing. At Antwerp in Belgium, where some 900 […]

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Jeff Bezos takes back the wheel at Amazon

The Amazon founder and chief executive, who had distanced himself from day-to-day management, is closely involved in the company’s response to the pandemic.

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Virus dings AT&T results, telecom withdraws year guidance

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic hurt AT&T’s revenue and profit in the first quarter, and it withdrew its financial guidance for the year. Revenue fell 4.6% to $42.8 billion, with a $600 million impact from the virus thanks to lower wireless equipment sales and a hit to ad sales due to canceled sports events […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/virus-dings-att-results-telecom-withdraws-year-guidance/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Facebook to label national origin of some political posts

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Facebook said it will label some election-related posts with their geographic origin in an attempt to curb political misinformation by foreign-based pages that mimic legitimate groups and political parties. The new policy will apply to popular election-related pages, and will stamp every post they make on Facebook and Instagram with its […]

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Facebook invests in India telecom giant Jio for e-commerce

NEW DELHI (AP) — Facebook says it plans to invest $5.7 billion in India’s telecom giant Reliance Jio. The investment will give Facebook a 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms, the digital technologies and app developing division of Reliance Industries. Reliance Jio has the highest number of customers in the country, and plans to roll out […]

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India plans wristband patient surveillance as lockdown eases

NEW DELHI (AP) — India said Wednesday that it plans to manufacture thousands of wristbands that will monitor the locations and temperatures of coronavirus patients and help perform contact tracing. The wristband project aims to track quarantined patients and aid health workers and those delivering essential services. India is ramping up surveillance as it begins […]

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Trump’s latest move to limit immigration worries Seattle-area tech community

The president announced that he was suspending for 60 days all green card applications by families of permanent residents or those applying through their companies, although he stopped short of suspending visa applications for temporary workers after extensive pushback from the business sector.

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Expedia reportedly in talks to sell stake to Silver Lake, Apollo Global

The deal, which could be announced this week, is likely to include board representation on Expedia.

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Email addresses and passwords allegedly from NIH, WHO and Gates Foundation, are dumped online

References to the hacked information already are being deployed online to fuel disinformation about efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/email-addresses-and-passwords-allegedly-from-nih-who-and-gates-foundation-are-dumped-online/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google makes listing products on its shopping service free in push to challenge Amazon

Google will make product listings on its shopping service free, part of a broader push to expand in e-commerce and mount a bigger challenge to Amazon.com as the COVID-19 pandemic drives more consumers online. The Alphabet unit will let merchants post their wares on Google Shopping for free regardless of whether they pay for Google […]

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Pandemic and chill: Netflix adds a cool 16M subscribers

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Netflix picked up nearly 16 million global subscribers during the first three months of the year, helping cement its status as one of the world’s most essential services in times of isolation or crisis. The quarter spanned the beginning of stay-at-home orders in the U.S. and around the world, a result […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/pandemic-and-chill-netflix-adds-a-cool-16m-subscribers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

SBA reports data breach in disaster loan application website

NEW YORK (AP) — The Small Business Administration reports it had a potential data breach last month in its website that handles disaster loan applications. The agency says the personal information of nearly 8,000 business owners applying for economic injury disaster loans was potentially seen by other applicants on the SBA website on March 25. […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/sba-reports-data-breach-in-disaster-loan-application-website/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Companies take halting steps toward back-to-work season

NEW YORK (AP) — As state and federal leaders tussle over when and how fast to “reopen” the U.S. economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, some corporations are taking the first steps toward bringing their employees back to work. Which in many cases is easier said than done. Detroit-area automakers, which suspended production roughly a month […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/companies-take-halting-steps-toward-back-to-work-season/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

“I just can’t do this.” Harried parents forgo home school

Frustration is mounting as more families across the U.S. enter their second or even third week of distance learning — and some overwhelmed parents say it will be their last. Amid the barrage of learning apps, video meet-ups and e-mailed assignments that pass as pandemic home school, some frustrated and exhausted parents are choosing to […]

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