Google has announced the rollout of its locally produced Pixel 8 devices in India, nearly 10 months after revealing its domestic manufacturing plans for the devices, and immediately ahead of the expected Pixel 9 unveiling later this week.The Android maker confirmed to TechCrunch that the local manufacturing is currently limited to the Pixel 8 and does not include the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8a. In October, Google announced plans to assemble the Pixel smartphone lineup in India to expand its presence in the I ...

Core Viewpoint - BT is gaining a significant new investor, Bharti, which is acquiring a 24.5% stake from Altice, valued at approximately $4 billion based on BT's market cap of £13 billion ($16 billion) [1] Group 1: Investment Details - Bharti will purchase 9.99% of the stake immediately, with the remainder contingent on regulatory approval [1] - Altice, facing challenges due to debt and corporate scandals, is divesting its stake in BT, which it acquired in multiple phases starting in 2021 [2] Group 2: Strategic Implications - The investment is seen as a move to leverage economies of scale in 5G and AI, which are critical areas for telecom companies [3] - Bharti aims to create synergies in telecom sectors between the U.K. and India, focusing on AI and 5G R&D [3] Group 3: Historical Context - BT previously held a 21% stake in Bharti from 1997 to 2001, indicating a long-standing relationship between the two companies [4] - The current investment marks a significant milestone in Bharti's history, reflecting a reversal of roles from past investments [4] Group 4: Company Statements - BT's CTO expressed confidence in the long-term value of the business and welcomed Bharti's investment as a vote of confidence in BT's strategy [5]

“Founders – whether it’s Deepinder, Aadit, or Vidit or the team at Flipkart – have out-executed the management team of Amazon,” an analyst said.About two years ago, a VC firm was evaluating an investment in a quick-commerce startup in India. The company’s instant delivery model was showing signs of success in the South Asian market, even as many startups in the space were struggling in developed markets.But the firm was wary: Could Amazon swoop in and dominate this nascent sector with its heft, scale and re ...

Core Viewpoint - Apple faces criticism from Spotify and Epic Games regarding its revised compliance plan for the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which includes new fees and perceived non-compliance with DMA requirements [1][3]. Fee Structure Changes - Apple introduced two new fees: an "Initial Acquisition Fee" for connecting users with apps through the App Store during the first 12 months, and a "Store Services Fee" that applies on a fixed basis for ongoing purchases of digital goods and services [2]. - The new fees replace the previously proposed "Core Technology Fee," but developers still incur costs even if they opt out of Apple's DMA rules [2]. Industry Reactions - Spotify criticized the new fee structure, claiming it could demand up to a 25% fee for basic user communication, which contradicts DMA requirements [3]. - Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney labeled the new fees as "malicious compliance" and illegal, particularly highlighting a 15% fee imposed on users migrating to competing app stores [4].

ADT confirmed this week that it was recently hacked, compromising some customer data. The home security company did not say when the cyberattack and data breach occurred, but disclosed that the attackers accessed the company’s databases containing customer home addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. In a brief regulatory filing published late Wednesday, ADT said it has “no reason to believe” that customer home security systems were compromised during the incident, but ADT did not say how it reached ...

The U.K.’s antitrust regulator has confirmed that it’s carrying out a formal antitrust investigation into Amazon’s ties with Anthropic, after Amazon recently completed a $4 billion investment into the AI startup. The news comes a week after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) revealed it was launching an invitation to comment into Google’s own ties with Anthropic, after the internet first invested a reported $300 million last year followed by a further $2 billion. Founded in 2021, San Francisco-bas ...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky suggested on Tuesday’s Q2 earnings call with investors that the company will soon expand into new products and services, including co-hosting, a relaunch of Airbnb’s “experiences,” guest services, and more. The company positioned the upcoming offerings as a way for Airbnb to grow its revenue by becoming known for doing more than just one thing — short-term vacation rentals. “We’re going to have to do multiple new things,” Chesky told investors. With co-hosting, launching later this ...

Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving car company, is adding another 10 square miles to its robotaxi service area to include cities surrounding San Francisco. The move, which adds Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma, pushes its total commercial service territory to about 55 square miles. Waymo said Tuesday it is also adding 16 square miles of new robotaxi service area in Los Angeles, including Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Playa Vista, and more of Hollywood, Chinatown and Westwood. Waymo has been pushing to add m ...

Manish Tiwary, the head of Amazon’s India operations, is leaving the firm as the U.S. e-commerce giant grapples with mounting pressure from competitors in one of its crucial international markets.Tiwary, who took over as country manager in late 2020, is departing as Amazon has noticeably shifted its focus on cloud business in India and shuttered several other initiatives, including its food delivery venture. Amazon, which has poured over $7 billion in India, has faced hurdles in penetrating the South Asian ...

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway cut its Apple holding by around half, to $84.2 billion, according to an SEC filing.While Apple remains the firm’s largest stock holding by far, Buffett had already reduced its stake by 13 percent earlier this year, hinting that he didn’t mind selling “a little Apple” for tax reasons. Berkshire Hathaway made huge profits on the sale, according to calculations by The Financial Times; Buffett had largely avoided tech investments before beginning to buy Apple stock in 2016. ...