GM to invest $100 million to upgrade facilities to build self-driving cars

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Thursday it will invest more than $100 million in two facilities as it prepares to build production versions of its Cruise self-driving car next year at its Orion Township assembly plant in Michigan. FILE PHOTO - The GM logo is seen at the Gene...

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Airbus to shift employees to Google's G Suite: memo

PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus plans to install Google’s G Suite collaboration and productivity software for all 130,000 employees, according to a staff memo seen by Reuters. The logo of Airbus is pictured during Airbus annual press conference on the 2017 financial results in Blagnac near Toulouse, ...

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Blue Apron plans to sell meal kits in stores in 2018

(Reuters) - Blue Apron Holdings Inc said on Thursday it plans to sell meal kits in stores this year, as it attempts to spur growth by attracting more people to its subscription-based service. The Blue Apron logo is pictured ahead of the company's IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in New York, ...

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Alibaba plans listing in mainland China: WSJ

(Reuters) - E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N) is working on a plan to list on a stock exchange in its home country, China, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. A logo of Alibaba Group is pictured at its headquarters in Hangzhou,...

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What is 5G and who are the major players?

LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has blocked microchip maker Broadcom Ltd’s (AVGO.O) $117 billion takeover of rival Qualcomm (QCOM.O) amid concerns that it would give China the upper hand in the next generation of mobile communications, or 5G. A 5G sign is seen at t...

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Uber to share its London data in latest charm offensive

LONDON (Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] said on Thursday it will share data gathered from the millions of trips its cars make in London in the latest move to meet requests from the city’s regulator, which stripped the taxi app of its license last year. FILE PHOTO: A photo illustration shows the Uber...

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EU antitrust regulators to decide on Apple, Shazam deal by April 23

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust authorities will decide by April 23 whether to clear iPhone maker Apple’s buy of British music discovery app Shazam, the European Commission said on Thursday. A 3D printed Apple logo is seen in front of a displayed European Union flag in this illustration take...

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AirBnB stays in Amsterdam up 25 percent despite restrictions: study

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Overnight stays in Amsterdam booked via AirBnB grew strongly in 2017, despite restrictions placed on homeowners by the city, according to a study published on Thursday by Colliers’ and Hotelschool The Hague. FILE PHOTO - A woman talks on the phone at the Airbnb office hea...

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Balancing act: Chip giant Qualcomm caught between Washington and Beijing

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O), blocked this week from a takeover bid amid national security fears, was already walking a Pacific tightrope: it has government and defense contracts in America, but two-thirds of its revenue comes from China. FILE PHOTO: A sign on the Qualco...

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Walmart patents hint at future where its drones tend the farms

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walmart Inc’s patent filings hint that it may see a future where farmers use its drones to not only spot crop problems but selectively apply chemicals or even disperse pollen to bring shoppers the freshest and cheapest food possible. FILE PHOTO: A Walmart store is ...

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Exclusive: Amazon's internal numbers on Prime Video, revealed

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc’s top television shows drew more than 5 million people worldwide to its Prime shopping club by early 2017, according to company documents, revealing for the first time how the retailer’s bet on original video is paying off. FILE PHOTO: Passengers board a 42nd S...

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Regulators raid Amazon Japan on suspicion of anti-trust violation

TOKYO (Reuters) - Amazon Japan said on Thursday it had been raided by the Japan Fair Trade Commission on suspicion of possible anti-trust violation. FILE PHOTO: Amazon.com's logo is seen at Amazon Japan's office building in Tokyo, Japan, August 8, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Citing sourc...

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Samsung Electronics says to start building new China memory chip line this month

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd plans to begin building a new memory chip production line in China in late March, a spokesman said on Thursday, as the tech giant ramps up efforts to boost NAND flash technology to meet future demand. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen at...

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Auto parts maker Magna invests $200 million in Lyft

(Reuters) - Canadian automotive parts supplier Magna International Inc said on Wednesday it will invest $200 million in Lyft Inc and work with the U.S. ride-hailing firm to manufacture self-driving cars. FILE PHOTO - An illuminated sign appears in a Lyft ride-hailing car in Los Angeles, California, ...

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Tesla says Model S, Model X production efficiency much improved

(Reuters) - Tesla Inc said the number of labor hours needed to produce its Model S and Model X cars have decreased considerably, following the latest report of quality problems that could prevent the carmaker from hitting its production targets. The body of a Tesla Model S is transported by an autom...

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Google, Apple face EU law on business practices

(Reuters) - Online platforms such as Google (GOOGL.O), Apple (AAPL.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) face new European Union rules on their commercial practices with smaller businesses that use their services, as Brussels seeks to curtail their huge market power. A man looks at the screen of his mobile phone i...

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Google bans cryptocurrency advertising, bitcoin price slumps

LONDON (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google said on Wednesday it was banning advertisements for cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings, the latest internet company to clamp down on the sector amid growing concerns about scams. Google’s action, which takes effect in June and f...

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Disney creates streaming video unit for digital future

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said on Wednesday it had created a new unit for its streaming video and international businesses as the company retools its traditional media operation for a world rapidly embracing online video. A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt ...

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Disney reorganizes businesses, creates direct-to-consumer unit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co announced a reorganization on Wednesday that will create a new direct-to-consumer and international unit as the entertainment company adapts to a rapid shift toward online and mobile viewing. A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Compa...

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Bitcoin exchange reaches deal with Barclays for UK transactions

LONDON (Reuters) - One of the biggest bitcoin exchanges has struck a rare deal which will allow it to open a bank account with Britain’s Barclays, making it easier for UK customers of the exchange to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, the UK boss of the exchange said on Wednesday. Workers are seen...

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Facebook bans far-right group Britain First for inciting hatred

LONDON (Reuters) - Facebook said it banned Britain First from its platform for breaking rules against inciting hatred, blacklisting a far-right group brought to global attention when U.S. President Donald Trump retweeted its anti-Islamic posts. Balloons are seen in front of a logo at Facebook's head...

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Broadcom ends bid for Qualcomm after President Trump nixes deal

(Reuters) - Singapore-based Broadcom Ltd withdrew its $117 billion bid to acquire Qualcomm Inc on Wednesday, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump blocked the attempt citing national security concerns. Broadcom Limited company logo is pictured on an office building in Rancho Bernardo, Californi...

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Walmart expands home delivery in fight with Amazon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walmart Inc will expand its grocery home delivery services to more than 100 metro areas this year from an existing six cities as the retailer steps up a fight against rival Amazon.com Inc. A Wal-Mart Pickup-Grocery employee waits next to a truck at a test store in Bentonville, A...

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Broadcom ends bid for Qualcomm

(Reuters) - Singapore-based Broadcom Ltd on Wednesday withdrew its $117 billion bid to acquire Qualcomm Inc, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump blocked the attempt, citing national security concerns. Broadcom Limited company logo is pictured on an office building in Rancho Bernardo, Californ...

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France to sue Google, Apple over developer contracts: minister

PARIS (Reuters) - France will take Google (GOOGL.O) and Apple (AAPL.O) to court over contractual terms imposed by the tech giants on startups and developers, said Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire. FILE PHOTO: French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire speaks during a news conference after a National Coun...

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Google to ban ads on cryptocurrencies, related products

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google said on Wednesday it will ban advertisements for cryptocurrencies and related content starting in June. The Google logo is pictured atop an office building in Irvine, California, U.S. August 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake Under the new policy, the compa...

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Broadcom to end bid for Qualcomm, keeps plan to move to U.S.: sources

(Reuters) - Singapore-based Broadcom Ltd (AVGO.O) is planning to scrap its bid for Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O), after U.S. President Donald Trump blocked the chipmaker’s proposed acquisition on national security grounds earlier this week, although it will press on with its plan to move its base to t...

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YouTube to display Wikipedia blurbs alongside conspiracy videos

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - YouTube will begin displaying text from Wikipedia articles and other websites alongside some videos in a couple of weeks as the unit of Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google attempts to combat hoaxes and conspiracy theories on the service, its chief executive said on Tuesda...

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Amazon launches first debit card in Mexico e-commerce push

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc launched its first-ever debit card on Tuesday in Mexico, part of a push to encourage shoppers without bank accounts to buy online. The logo of the web service Amazon is pictured in this June 8, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/Illustration Internet...

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Judge rejects U.S. demand to exclude AT&T argument in Time Warner merger trial

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AT&T Inc (T.N) can cite a voluntary commitment not to withhold content in licensing talks as a key part of its defense when an antitrust trial begins next week over the fate of the company’s planned $85 billion merger with Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), U.S. District Judge...

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