TECH - Page 39

Microsoft said on Wednesday the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in September notified the company that it is seeking an additional tax payment of $28.9 billion, plus penalties and interest, for tax years from 2004 to 2013. Microsoft disputes the figure. The Redmond, Washington-based company is involved in a long IRS audit focusing on how companies allocate their profit among different countries and jurisdictions. This is a mechanism that critics say allows corporations to minimize their tax burden. For over

Indias Infosys cut the upper end of its annual revenue growth forecast after reporting quarterly profit slightly below estimates, hurt by an uncertain demand environment. The Bengaluru-based company now expects full-year revenue growth at 1%-2.5% on a constant currency basis, compared to its prior view of 4%-7.5%. The company maintained EBIT margin guidance at 20-22% for the financial year to March 2024. The outlook dimmed investor expectations for the $245 billion IT services industry, battling weakening client spending amid a

Google recently unveiled the Pixel 8 series globally. The leaks around its mid-range Pixel phone dubbed the Pixel 8a, have also started doing the rounds. According to the new CAD renders shared by OnLeaks via Smartprix, the Pixel 8a looks highly similar to the premium models. This is especially true with its rear visor, which accommodates two cameras and has its LED flash module positioned similarly to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. What’s notably different and has been tipped

The genetics testing company 23andMe says millions of “pieces of data” stolen from its customers have been offered for sale on an online forum where digital thieves often advertise leaked data. The hackers say they scraped data from users who opted into the DNA Relatives feature, allowing people to connect with others who share a recent ancestor. The data includes technical details like origin estimation, phenotype and health information, photos and identification data, and raw genetic data. The hacker posted

After arguing that iMessage wasn’t big enough to count as a gatekeeper service in the EU, Apple managed to get the messaging app removed from compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in September. The EU is moving the goalposts and determining whether those rules should apply. The European Commission in September opened investigations to assess whether Microsoft’s Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising, as well as Apple’s iMessage, should be subject to the DMA. The regulator’s probes stem from the

A senior official said that the European Union sees a “lot of convergence” with Japan in thinking about generative artificial intelligence (AI). “Generative AI is where we see the most alignment,” European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova told Reuters in an interview. Generative AI is the most advanced AI that can create content like text, code, images, or videos. These can be used for various purposes, from customer service chatbots to making nonconsensual deepfake porn. The EU

Two U.S. senators say they are investigating short video-sharing app TikTok’s reported decision recently to hire several high-level executives from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The senators, Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, and Republican Marsha Blackburn, said in a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew that the hirings further call “into question the independence of TikTok’s operations and the security of its U.S. users’ information.” The letter cited a Wall Street Journal report that found several former ByteDance engineers transferred

Streamers like Netflix have revolutionized how we watch TV and movies by offering control and convenience to consumers. But the streaming company may be looking to increase that price tag once the Hollywood actors’ strike ends. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Netflix plans to increase its prices for its ad-free service “a few months” after SAG-AFTRA’s strike ends. The company is reportedly discussing raising prices in several markets globally but will likely begin with the United States and

Meta plans to lay off employees on Wednesday in the metaverse-oriented Reality Labs division unit focused on creating custom silicon, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The affected team, known as FAST, has about 600 employees and was tasked with developing the chips that equip Meta’s devices. The company’s mixed reality headsets, Quest, and smart glasses designed with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica use the same hardware, including a Meta-designed artificial intelligence virtual assistant called Zoe. The move

Spotify said on Tuesday that users of its premium services in the UK and Australia would now have 15 hours of free access to audiobooks a month. The music streaming giant plans to roll out the feature in the United States later this year, offering users a choice of more than 150,000 titles from five major publishers. Subscribers can also buy additional 10-hour allocations for $11 in the US or £9 in the UK. The feature is available now for