Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Corporate Criticism of Trump's Travel Ban Moves Beyond Tech


Criticism of President Trump’s immigration order moved beyond Silicon Valley on Monday, with the heads of business giants including Ford, Coca-Cola and Goldman Sachs weighing in on travel restrictions.
http://on.wsj.com/2knfsrL

Sprint Narrows Its Loss


Sprint narrowed its loss in its third fiscal quarter as the wireless carrier continued to grow its customer base, and now expects to finish the year at the high end of its guidance.
http://on.wsj.com/2kLaEdy

Nintendo's 'Super Mario Run' Scores Revenue, but CEO Wants More


Nintendo said its smartphone game “Super Mario Run” has brought in more than $50 million since going on sale in December, a performance analysts said was better than expected, although Nintendo’s chief executive wasn’t satisfied.
http://on.wsj.com/2kLbU07

Monday, 30 January 2017

Wal-Mart to Scrap Its Amazon Prime Rival


Wal-Mart is abandoning its effort to create a free shipping program designed to compete with Amazon.com’s Prime membership program. The service, called ShippingPass, offered free two-day shipping for customers that paid the $49 annual fee.
http://on.wsj.com/2kJtIck

Sony to Write Down Nearly $1 Billion on Movie Business


Sony said it would write down nearly $1 billion on its film and TV studio, primarily due to continuing declines in home entertainment spending on items like DVDs.
http://on.wsj.com/2klxb2M

Facebook Seeks Right to Challenge Search Warrants for Users' Accounts


The New York Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments Feb. 7 on whether Facebook can legally challenge search warrants issued for the accounts of its users.
http://on.wsj.com/2kJ6eUn

SoftBank Mulls Investment of Over $1 Billion in WeWork


SoftBank Group Corp. is weighing an investment of well over $1 billion in shared-office space company WeWork Cos., in what could be among the first deals from its new $100 billion technology fund, according to people familiar with the matter.
http://on.wsj.com/2kIVeX5

Starbucks Unveils Voice Ordering for iPhone App, Amazon's Alexa


Starbucks Corp. announced two forms of voice ordering on Monday, on iPhones and on the talking speakers featuring Amazon.com’s Alexa assistant.
http://on.wsj.com/2kltyd9

Live Video Event: IPO Outlook in the Age of Unicorns


Will billion-dollar startups find a warmer reception in the IPO market in 2017? Join WSJ Pro VC online Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern for a live video discussion on the topic. Submit your questions and watch the event here.
http://on.wsj.com/2kIDPxV

Mexico's VCs in Trump Era See Homegrown Investing as Job Numero Uno


Mexican investors say “America First” policies gaining attention in the U.S. may highlight local opportunity and add fuel to an already growing influence of domestic talent and capital flowing into companies targeting the Mexican market.
http://on.wsj.com/2kIBLGf

NYSE to Win IPO Prize: Listing of Snap


Snap Inc. plans to list its highly anticipated initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, in a big victory over Nasdaq.
http://on.wsj.com/2kIrvhe

Microsoft Sets 2017 High With $17 Billion Bond Sale


Microsoft sold $17 billion of bonds, capping a busy month for corporate-debt issuance with the largest deal of the year.
http://on.wsj.com/2kItAd3

Amazon Is Working With Lawmakers to Counter Trump's Immigration Order


Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said the e-commerce giant is working with lawmakers and state officials to explore legal options to counter President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.
http://on.wsj.com/2kkRoFW

GM-Honda Joint Venture to Make Fuel Cells in Michigan


General Motors and Honda Motor have formed a joint venture to build fuel cells for use in future vehicles, the latest auto makers to forge ahead on the pricey, emissions-free technology despite barriers to commercial success.
http://on.wsj.com/2kHqAgK

Facebook Aims to Be More Essential With Password Recovery Tool


Facebook is unveiling new technology to let its 1.79 billion users reset passwords for other websites using its platform, an effort to further entrench the social network in people’s digital lives.
http://on.wsj.com/2kk3UW9

Facebook Is Trying Everything to Re-Enter China---and It's Not Working


Since regulators blocked the service in 2009, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hired well-connected executives, developed censorship tools and taken a “smog jog” in Beijing—but the company has made no visible headway.
http://on.wsj.com/2kk5oQt

Masaya Nakamura, 'Father of Pac-Man,' Dies at 91


Masaya Nakamura, the “Father of Pac-Man” who founded the Japanese videogame company behind the hit creature-gobbling game, has died. He was 91.
http://on.wsj.com/2kGV16T

Snap Inc. Plans to List Shares on the NYSE


Snap Inc. plans to list its highly anticipated initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, in a big competitive victory for the Big Board.
http://on.wsj.com/2kGLtZK

Fitbit Warns of Revenue and Profit Misses, Will Cut Jobs


Fitbit Inc. braced investors for a sharp miss on its fourth-quarter revenue and said it would cut 6% of its workforce, signs that the wearables market continues to slow.
http://on.wsj.com/2kjIN6G

Uber Rival Grab Hires Former Indonesia Police Chief


Singapore-based ride-hailing company GrabTaxi Holdings announced Monday that a former chief of Indonesia’s police has joined the company as an executive to help Grab comply with tough ride-hailing rules in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
http://on.wsj.com/2kFIXTs

Robot Baristas Serve Up the Future of Coffee at Cafe X


Automation is eliminating jobs for factory workers and Uber drivers—will your morning fix soon come from a precision caffeine machine?
http://on.wsj.com/2kFP8a7

Which Is Better in Class: Teacher or Machine?


‘Edtech’ is attracting investors, but some parents prefer traditional teaching methods.
http://on.wsj.com/2kFJtRr

Sunday, 29 January 2017

IKEA's 'Open Source' Sofa Invites Customization


As more people modify IKEA furniture for other uses, the Swedish company plans to roll out soon what it calls its first “open source” sofa—designed to be customized.
http://on.wsj.com/2kE9ikZ

Nintendo Earnings Preview: What to Watch


Nintendo Co. is scheduled to brief the press on its third-quarter earnings after the Tokyo market closes on Tuesday, followed by a corporate strategy meeting on Wednesday.
http://on.wsj.com/2kE1D61

Why Your Business Should Ditch Cash


Crime reduction is a key driver in the shift to a cashless economy, but tech is enabling more firms, big and small, to make the jump.
http://on.wsj.com/2kBZIit

Tech Executives React to Trump Immigration Order in Own Words


In company emails, interviews and posts published online, tech leaders framed the refugee ban as one at odds with a nation that welcomes foreigners and an industry that counts foreign-born executives in its upper ranks.
http://on.wsj.com/2kC5fVY

One Google Employee on Trump Order: 'It's Turned My Life Upside Down'


Sanaz Ahari, an employee at Google, is 37 weeks pregnant. She was born in Iran but holds a green card. After the Trump order, she doesn’t know when she will next see her parents, who live in the Vancouver area.
http://on.wsj.com/2kBY3t7

Saturday, 28 January 2017

Silicon Valley Executives Criticize U.S. Travel Restrictions


Leaders from across the technology industry expressed concern about the effect of President Donald Trump’s immigration order on foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries on their employees, with some executives saying the ban violated their personal and company principles.
http://on.wsj.com/2kf2lsx

New Hotbed for Tech Startups: Europe


Europe’s entrepreneurs used to head for Silicon Valley; now, the money and opportunities are closer to home.
http://on.wsj.com/2kyGaeV

For Apple's iPhone Sales, Size Matters


At a generally gloomy time for sales of Apple’s flagship iPhone, there’s a silver lining: Customers are willing to pay more for better features.
http://on.wsj.com/2kyEQIM

Google Criticizes Impact on Staff of Trump Immigration Order


Google’s chief executive criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration order in an email to staff, saying the U.S. ban on foreign nationals from seven countries affects at least 187 Google employees.
http://on.wsj.com/2kyJExY

Friday, 27 January 2017

Parking Spot Shortage? Google Maps Now Lets You Know


A new feature on Google Maps tells you whether parking will be easy or limited at your destination.
http://on.wsj.com/2kcOTG8

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Opposes Donald Trump's Immigration Action


Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Friday publicly opposed two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump aiming to curtail immigration and bolster border security, contrasting with the neutral stance the tech executive has taken since the election.
http://on.wsj.com/2kcF76M

LendingClub Chairman Launches New Fintech VC Fund


Nyca Partners, a venture-capital firm founded by veteran banker and LendingClub Chairman Hans Morris, has raised a new $125 million fund to invest in financial-technology startups.
http://on.wsj.com/2kv3Hx2

A New Computer as Beautiful as a Vintage Apple I


Encased in wood, the Volta V harks back to the very early days of Apple, when our desktops were more rough-hewn—and easier to upgrade.
http://on.wsj.com/2kc5YjB

How to Unsend Emails... Before Regret Kicks In


Regret is a terrible feeling. It’s especially bad right after you’ve sent that impulsively passive-aggressive email to your boss.
http://on.wsj.com/2kbYhcY

Facebook Lets You Lock Down Your Account With Physical Security Keys


Dongles, sold separately, provide an alternate way to use two-factor authentication, aka Login Approvals.
http://on.wsj.com/2kaEkmV

Toshiba to Sell Part of Its Memory-Chip Business


Toshiba said it would put part of its semiconductor unit up for sale, seeking to stay afloat after a planned write-down of billions of dollars connected to its U.S. nuclear business.
http://on.wsj.com/2k9GraG

Toshiba to Sell Part of Its Chip Business


Toshiba said it would put part of its semiconductor unit up for sale, seeking to stay afloat after a planned write-down of billions of dollars connected to its U.S. nuclear business.
http://on.wsj.com/2k9GraG

China's Ant Financial, Owned by Trump Ally Jack Ma, Makes U.S. Play


At a time when globalization has increasingly been called into question, China’s biggest online payments company is seeking a foothold in the U.S. with a major acquisition.
http://on.wsj.com/2krXVfN

Thursday, 26 January 2017

Toshiba to Spin Off Memory-Chip Unit


Toshiba will spin off its computer memory-chip unit at the end of March in an effort by the cash-strapped industrial conglomerate to raise fresh capital for the businesses that require large investments.
http://on.wsj.com/2k9GraG

Details Emerge About Jeffrey Katzenberg's New-Media Venture


A regulatory filing shows longtime Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg has raised nearly $600 million to invest in digital and technology ventures.
http://on.wsj.com/2k9Az15

Intel's Quarterly Profit Falls Despite Strong Sales Growth


The company invested heavily to maintain leadership in microprocessors for personal computers and for servers used in giant data centers.
http://on.wsj.com/2k8HRlO

Starbucks Tempers Revenue Forecast


Starbucks Corp. said long lines at its coffee shops have hit business, and that the success of its mobile ordering app has simply shfited the lines from the cash register to the pick-up counter.
http://on.wsj.com/2kqgZef

Google Parent Alphabet Finds New Growth Beyond Search


Google parent Alphabet said fourth-quarter revenue increased nearly three times as fast as profit, as it cast about for new sources of growth beyond its traditional search advertising.
http://on.wsj.com/2k8Ew6a

PayPal Results Climb on Increased Customers, Transactions


PayPal Holdings Inc. said Thursday that revenue climbed 17% in the December quarter, spurred by an increasing number of customers and transactions.
http://on.wsj.com/2k9cNlJ

Tesla Sues Former Autopilot Director for Improper Recruiting


Tesla Motors is accusing the former director of its Autopilot program and the former tech guru behind Google’s self-driving car of improperly recruiting the auto maker’s engineers to create their own autonomous-car startup.
http://on.wsj.com/2kpPNwq

Google Parent Alphabet Reports Disappointing Profit


Google parent Alphabet reported an 8.3% increase in fourth-quarter profit, but it still fell short of analysts’ expectations on a higher-than-expected tax adjustment.
http://on.wsj.com/2k8Ew6a

Intel Posts Stronger-Than-Expected Results


Intel’s fourth-quarter profit slipped 1.4%, despite robust sales of chips that drive the computers underpinning large internet providers and corporate operations, while sales of chips for PCs also rose.
http://on.wsj.com/2k8HRlO

Microsoft's Profit Rises, Buoyed by Online Business


Microsoft posted gains in its web-based, on-demand computing business, emerging as a stiffer competitor to Amazon.com Inc.’s market-leading cloud unit.
http://on.wsj.com/2k8HqI2