Core Points - Dell has agreed to pay $2.3 million to settle claims of violating the False Claims Act in its dealings with the US Army [1][5] - The allegations involve overcharging on government contracts from May 2020 to April 2024, specifically related to the Army Desktop and Mobile Computing 3 (ADMC-3) contract [2][3] - The settlement amount is a small fraction of Dell's overall revenues, which were reported at $88.4 billion for the last financial year [6] Company Specifics - Dell and its reseller Iron Bow allegedly inflated prices to create a false appearance of competition, influencing the Army's selection process [4][5] - Iron Bow has also agreed to pay over $2 million, bringing the total settlement to $4.3 million [5] - A whistleblower, Brent Lillard, will receive $345,000 from Dell's payment [5] Industry Context - The ADMC-3 contract is valued at approximately $5 billion and is open to eight contractors, including Dell and Iron Bow [7] - The DOJ has emphasized the importance of competition in government contracting to ensure value for taxpayers [8] - In 2023, the DOJ recovered nearly $2.7 billion from 543 settlements related to fraud and false claims against the government, marking a record year for such claims [11]

Advertisement The DOJ asked the judge in its antitrust case against Google to force the company to sell Chrome.Chrome is a key distribution method for Search, which provides crucial data for Google's ads.A breakup would be a blow to Google and likely create opportunities for competitors.A possible breakup of Google just became slightly more likely.The Justice Department on Wednesday asked the judge in its antitrust case against Google to force the company to sell its Chrome browser.Advertisement That foll ...

Advertisement Judge Amit Mehta found in August that Google holds an illegal monopoly in its search business.On Wednesday, DOJ officials in the antitrust division filed their proposal for remedies in the case.The DOJ wants Judge Mehta to force Google to sell its Chrome browser.Officials from the Department of Justice, in a Wednesday filing, urged District Judge Amit Mehta to force Google to sell its Chrome browser.The recommendations are the finalized proposal by the DOJ's antitrust division for remedies in ...

Advertisement Target's third-quarter results came up short, with sales growth of 0.3% from last year.The company described a shift in consumer spending from "resilient" to "resourceful."Now, they're waiting "until the last moment of need, focusing on deals, and then stocking up," CEO Brian Cornell said.Target has described US households as "resilient" in recent quarters. Now, the retailer is rolling out a new descriptor for shoppers this fall: "resourceful."Looking to stretch their budgets just a little fa ...

Core Insights - Ford is cutting 4,000 jobs in Europe due to significant losses in its passenger vehicle operations and weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicles (EVs) [1][2] - The job cuts will primarily impact Germany and the UK, reflecting the company's response to rising competition in the EV market [2] - Ford's CFO, John Lawler, has called for joint industry action to improve market conditions and ensure the success of the automotive industry in Europe [4][5] Company Actions - The company plans to implement additional short-time working days at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025 as part of its restructuring efforts [3] - Ford is facing significant competitive and economic challenges in Europe, particularly related to the transition to EVs and misalignment between CO2 regulations and consumer demand [3] Industry Context - The global auto industry is undergoing a period of significant disruption as it shifts towards electric vehicles, necessitating decisive actions from automakers [3] - There is a lack of a clear policy agenda in Europe to advance e-mobility, including public investments in charging infrastructure and incentives for consumers [5] - The news of Ford's job cuts follows similar actions by General Motors, which announced 1,000 layoffs to optimize operations [7]

Advertisement Cable networks used to be incredibly valuable. But in the streaming and cord-cutting era, they are in decline.That's why Comcast is ditching almost all of its cable networks into a new, stand-alone company.It would like to convince other cable TV owners to join in.One of the country's biggest cable TV companies doesn't want its cable networks anymore. Would you like them?That's the pitch Comcast is making Wednesday as it announces plans to split off almost all of its cable TV networks into a ...

Advertisement Comcast plans to spin off some NBCUniversal cable channels. The planned spinoff includes MSNBC, CNBC, E!, and Oxygen, among others.NBC, Bravo, and the streaming service Peacock would not be spun off under the plan.Comcast is planning to break off some of its cable television channels. The plan to spin off some NBCUniversal channels includes MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, E!, Syfy, and the Golf Channel, while NBC, Bravo, and the streaming service Peacock would remain under NBCUniversal, a source cl ...

Advertisement Google pays Apple at least $20 billion a year to make its search engine the default on iPhones.Those payments were at the heart of a federal antitrust case Google lost earlier this year.Now, the government will ask a judge to ban those payments. But it's not a done deal.Apple makes billions of dollars a year from Google. But a federal judge's ruling could make that money disappear.That's because a long-running deal between Apple and Google, where Google pays Apple at least $20 billion a year ...

Advertisement Nvidia's Blackwell chip presents cooling challenges for customers.Reports that overheating will slow the Blackwell ramp are "overblown," according to Semianalysis.Liquid cooling adoption is crucial for data centers to handle advanced chips.The rollout of Nvidia's most advanced chip ever, Blackwell, has been met with both excitement and anxiety.First, there were chip design issues, which CEO Jensen Huang has since said are fully resolved. Now cooling is top of mind after a report from The Info ...

Advertisement Amazon has faced repeated delays in launching a new AI-powered Alexa.Integration with partners like Uber and Ticketmaster has complicated troubleshooting processes.Latency and compatibility issues have also caused delays.Amazon's Alexa seems like the perfect product for the generative AI era.Getting this powerful technology to actually work well with the digital assistant is a monumental challenge that's been plagued by gnarly technical problems and repeated delays.Advertisement Customer-fri ...