To say that Big Tech controls the internet might seem like an exaggeration. Increasingly, in at least one sense, it’s literally true. The internet can seem intangible, a post-physical environment where things like viral posts, virtual goods and metaverse concerts just sort of happen. But creating that illusion requires a truly gargantuan—and quickly-growing—web of physical connections. Fiber-optic cable, which carries 95% of the world’s international internet traffic, links up pretty… Source link

Yahoo Japan Corp. said it will allow its 8,000 workers to live and commute from anywhere in Japan, even by air, starting from April. The portal site operator will remove a requirement for coming to the office by 11 a.m. and an upper limit on one-way commuting costs of 6,500 yen ($57), the company said Wednesday. Still, its monthly commuting fee cap will remain at 150,000 yen. Photo taken in May 2021 shows a screen with an icon of Yahoo Japan Corp.’s app (top C)…. Source link

As the trade deadline approached for the NFL last November, details emerged from trade talks between the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans that had a clear mandate: For any deal involving Deshaun Watson to advance, the Dolphins wanted the quarterback’s legal issues settled. First and foremost, the 22 civil suits that were pending against the Texans QB in the Harris County Court system. The leaking of an alleged settlement offer from Watson appears to indicate the quarterback was at least… Source link

Google will require anyone going to one of its US offices or facilities to have received a negative molecular test for COVID-19, the company informed employees Thursday in a memo obtained by CNBC. Workers going to the office regularly will have to get tested weekly, chief health officer Karen DeSalvo said in the memo, and employees have been asked to report their vaccination status and wear surgical-grade masks indoors. Google spokesperson Lora Lee Erickson confirmed to The Verge that a… Source link

A sign is pictured outside a Google office near the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Paresh Dave//File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Jan 14 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google is temporarily mandating weekly COVID-19 tests for any person entering Google offices or facilities in the United States, CNBC reported on Friday, citing a memo obtained by the news channel. Anyone who comes into a Google’s U.S…. Source link

Netflix (NFLX) stock rose slightly in Friday afternoon trading after the streaming platform raised the price of its subscriptions by $1-2.   Netflix’s basic plan in the U.S. rose by $1 to $9.99 per month. The standard U.S. subscription now costs $15.49 per month, up from $13.99. Netflix’s premium plan in the U.S was increased to $19.99 per month from $17.99. The increase was first reported by Reuters.  The company will report Q4 earnings on January 20. “We understand people have more… Source link

Google is in the process of releasing a much-anticipated update for Pixel 6 phones. Earlier today, Android expert Mishaal Rahman noted that Google posted OTA and factory images to its developer site for the January 2022 patch. That means anyone can sideload the update to their Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro now, and the official over-the-air update has already arrived on some devices (including some owned by Verge staff). In an email, Google confirmed the rollout has begun, and that the software… Source link

The last week of Joe Biden’s first year as president has probably been his worst so far. Inflation hit 7%, the highest level since 1982. Retail sales fell by the most in 10 months. The Supreme Court blocked Biden’s vaccine mandate for most employers. Stocks are starting 2022 in a slump, as investors fret about inflation and rising interest rates. Hospitals are filling with COVID patients once again and Americans are in the foulest mood since Biden took office last January. Biden is about… Source link

The Federal Reserve hasn’t done anything with interest rates yet, but bank earnings released Friday show that the mere anticipation of a pullback in easy money policies is weighing on the industry. On Friday, three of the nation’s four largest banks reported earnings covering the final quarter of 2021: JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citigroup (C), and Wells Fargo (WFC). At Wells Fargo, bread-and-butter loans and strong expense management made the San Francisco-based bank the only stock winner among… Source link

The vulnerability of Kazakhstan’s bitcoin mining industry was put on full display last week, when the country’s internet shut down in the midst of anti-government protests, sparked by rising energy prices. The world’s second largest miner saw its hash rate or computing power that secures bitcoin, fall by double digits, in a dramatic pullback from the 18.1% it’s estimated to contribute, according to Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance.  The disruption marked a big setback for a market… Source link