Nearly a year after announcing its new ad policy, Apple may be bridging the gap between itself and Google and Facebook in the digital ads market, according to a recent study published by Appsumer, an advertising analytics firm.

Nearly a year after announcing its new ad policy, Apple may be bridging the gap between itself and Google and Facebook in the digital ads market, according to a recent study published by Appsumer, an advertising analytics firm. The study, based on online ad budgets of over 100 mobile app companies stated that advertisements on Apple's App store grew by 3.7 per cent to 94.8 per cent, compared to the 2021 Q2 data. Meanwhile, Apple's competitors viz. Facebook and Google saw a 3 per cent and 1.7 per cent dip in the number of mobile apps advertising respectively. The study makes it clear that more and more advertisers are willing to spend big bucks to advertise on App Store, in addition to Apple News and Stocks. Advertisers allocated almost 15 per cent of their ad budget to Apple while both Google and Facebook saw a decline. Read more: Ahead of iPhone 14 launch, Brazil suspends sale of iPhones without battery charger, imposes fine "Apple has joined the duopoly of Facebook and Google at the top table of advertiser adoption,” said the study. As reported by WION, Apple last year rolled out its new privacy policy called 'App Tracking Transparency' that required the apps on its platform to ask for users' permission to track their activity and share it with third parties. Read more: Only 10,000 iOS apps follow Apple's new user tracking guidelines so far: Report Succinctly put, Apple disrupted the entire 'personalised advertising' market as business houses had to reconsider their strategies. The change in policy meant that companies like Facebook found it more difficult to track users on the vast realms of the internet. However, Apple remained unscathed as its advertising business grew 238 per cent to $3.7 billion in 2021. Moreover, buoyant by its advertising revenue, Apple is planning to add more advertisements to its first-party apps that come pre-installed on iPhone. According to tech reports, Apple has already internally tested the ads on its Maps, Books, and Podcasts. If the Cupertino-based company rolls out the ad feature on these apps, it could very well take its advertising business revenue into double digits. Read more: Apple's next big money-making idea: More ads in iPhones (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Apple might have broken Google and Facebook's duopoly in the advertising market

India's Silicon valley is struggling with floods and heavy rainfall. Now as large parts of Bengaluru are underwater, this is the second time in the last two weeks that lakes in Bengaluru have been overflowing.

WION Climate Tracker | India's silicon valley turns into lake; flooded roads leave citizens adrift

Already reeling under pressure from the allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping by over 550 women, ride-hailing platform Uber on Saturday admitted that it knew about the data breach in 2016 that affected 57 million customers and yet failed to inform the public or US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Reportedly, Uber has confessed to the US prosecutors to avoid being levelled with criminal charges, as part of a settlement.&nbsp;When quizzed about how Uber had escaped the criminal charges, Stephanie Hinds, United States Attorney for the Northern District of California stated that the new management of Uber, that took charge in the aftermath of the hacking incident cooperated properly and made informed disclosures.

Furthermore, the new management in 2018 committed FTC to maintain an extensive privacy program for the next twenty years.&nbsp; 
Reportedly, in late 2016, two hackers stole personal data, including phone numbers, email addresses, and names of 57 million Uber&nbsp;passengers, in addition to the driver’s licences of over 600,000 drivers working for the company.&nbsp;

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/550-women-sue-uber-over-allegations-including-kidnapping-and-sexual-assault-497365">550 women sue Uber over allegations including kidnapping and sexual assault</a>

Joseph Sullivan, the Chief Security Officer of Uber at the time had decided to conceal the all-important information. Reportedly, Sullivan was on the verge of offering $100,000 in Bitcoins to hackers to brush the news under the carpet. He had also got the hackers on board to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

However, when a ‘strong’ executive team took the centre stage, the breach was revealed and Sullivan was thrown to the law enforcement agencies. The former security officer is now being charged with wire fraud and as part of the non-prosecution agreement, Uber Technologies Ltd. will help the prosecutors indict him.

Read more: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-uber-files-leaked-docs-reveal-how-uber-won-access-to-world-leaders-deceived-investigators-496213">The Uber Files: Leaked docs reveal how Uber won access to world leaders, deceived investigators</a>

It is pertinent to note that Uber had to pay a fine of $148 million to all the 50 US states in September 2018, to settle the claims. However, given that Uber's market value amounted to $76 billion in the same year, many experts called it a mockery of the system.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

Already reeling under pressure from the allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping by over 550 women, ride-hailing platform Uber on Saturday admitted that it knew about the data breach in 2016 that affected 57 million customers and yet failed to inform the public or US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Already reeling under pressure from the allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping by over 550 women, ride-hailing platform Uber on Saturday admitted that it knew about the data breach in 2016 that affected 57 million customers and yet failed to inform the public or US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Reportedly, Uber has confessed to the US prosecutors to avoid being levelled with criminal charges, as part of a settlement. When quizzed about how Uber had escaped the criminal charges, Stephanie Hinds, United States Attorney for the Northern District of California stated that the new management of Uber, that took charge in the aftermath of the hacking incident cooperated properly and made informed disclosures. Furthermore, the new management in 2018 committed FTC to maintain an extensive privacy program for the next twenty years. Reportedly, in late 2016, two hackers stole personal data, including phone numbers, email addresses, and names of 57 million Uber passengers, in addition to the driver’s licences of over 600,000 drivers working for the company. Read More: 550 women sue Uber over allegations including kidnapping and sexual assault Joseph Sullivan, the Chief Security Officer of Uber at the time had decided to conceal the all-important information. Reportedly, Sullivan was on the verge of offering $100,000 in Bitcoins to hackers to brush the news under the carpet. He had also got the hackers on board to sign a non-disclosure agreement. However, when a ‘strong’ executive team took the centre stage, the breach was revealed and Sullivan was thrown to the law enforcement agencies. The former security officer is now being charged with wire fraud and as part of the non-prosecution agreement, Uber Technologies Ltd. will help the prosecutors indict him. Read more: The Uber Files: Leaked docs reveal how Uber won access to world leaders, deceived investigators It is pertinent to note that Uber had to pay a fine of $148 million to all the 50 US states in September 2018, to settle the claims. However, given that Uber's market value amounted to $76 billion in the same year, many experts called it a mockery of the system. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Uber admits concealing the 2016 data leak of 57 million passengers; avoids criminal charges

The Silicon valley entrepreneurs believe they may have found the future of aviation as traffic clogs roads of major cities around the world. World companies are now looking to taxis that can fly without pilots.

The future of air mobility: Startups work on pilotless planes

Of the 100 wealthiest people in America, 26 live in California.

That’s more than any other state, and not simply a byproduct of California’s large population. If the country’s 100 top billionaires were evenly distributed, we would expect just 12 of them to reside here.

Yes, this is largely because of Silicon Valley. But it’s also a reflection of the fact that California has the fifth-largest economy in the world, said Richard Walker, an emeritus professor at UC Berkeley who studies economic geography.

“California has been the main engine for American growth for the last 50 years,” Walker told me. “This is not sufficiently acknowledged — how immense the California economy is.”

Before we dive in: I’m going off the official Forbes 2021 billionaire rankings, but they shift daily with the stock market. All of these figures should be viewed as estimates, as there is no system or requirement that Americans report their total wealth to the government.

Now on to the good stuff. There are 724 billionaires in the United States, and California is home to 189 — roughly a quarter of the total, according to Forbes.

The state’s “open, experimental culture” has long attracted entrepreneurs, Walker said. That’s contributed to the movie and aerospace industries flourishing here, and, of course, the tech industry.

Forty-four per cent of California’s billionaires made their fortunes in tech, followed by 23% in finance and 7% in real estate, according to Forbes.

The three richest Californians are tech titans: Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Zuckerberg invented Facebook while a student at Harvard, but then “he moves to Silicon Valley because that’s where the action is,” Walker told me. “That’s been going on for two, three, four generations now — you come to Silicon Valley if you’re in tech.”

Silicon Valley’s tendency to mint billionaires has led to a startling trend: Of the 26 Californians who rank among America’s 100 richest people, 19 live in the Bay Area.

(The wealthiest person in Southern California is Donald Bren, America’s richest real estate baron.)

Perhaps you’re wondering about Elon Musk, who relocated Tesla headquarters to Texas, or Oracle’s Larry Ellison, who moved to Hawaii. But it turns out they’re outliers.

Thirty-five people made California’s billionaire list for the first time in 2021, Forbes reported, and more than half of them had the tech industry to thank. California still has more billionaires than any other state; New York is second with 126.

Adam Sterling, executive director for the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, said that people who’ve made their fortunes in California prefer to stay here, close to their professional and personal communities. The high cost of living and higher taxes probably aren’t much of a deterrent if you’re a billionaire, he said.

Plus, the cachet of a California billionaire — think a wealthy techie in a hoodie — may not translate in a place like New York, where the rich are more likely to have inherited their wealth.

“There’s a lot of stickiness in California,” Sterling told me. “This is where your billionaire community is.”

Of the 100 wealthiest people in America, 26 live in California. That’s more than any other state, and not simply a byproduct of California’s large population. If the country’s 100 top billionaires were evenly distributed, we would expect just 12 of them to reside here.

Of the 100 wealthiest people in America, 26 live in California. That’s more than any other state, and not simply a byproduct of California’s large population. If the country’s 100 top billionaires were evenly distributed, we would expect just 12 of them to reside here. Yes, this is largely because of Silicon Valley. But it’s also a reflection of the fact that California has the fifth-largest economy in the world, said Richard Walker, an emeritus professor at UC Berkeley who studies economic geography. “California has been the main engine for American growth for the last 50 years,” Walker told me. “This is not sufficiently acknowledged — how immense the California economy is.” Before we dive in: I’m going off the official Forbes 2021 billionaire rankings, but they shift daily with the stock market. All of these figures should be viewed as estimates, as there is no system or requirement that Americans report their total wealth to the government. Now on to the good stuff. There are 724 billionaires in the United States, and California is home to 189 — roughly a quarter of the total, according to Forbes. The state’s “open, experimental culture” has long attracted entrepreneurs, Walker said. That’s contributed to the movie and aerospace industries flourishing here, and, of course, the tech industry. Forty-four per cent of California’s billionaires made their fortunes in tech, followed by 23% in finance and 7% in real estate, according to Forbes. The three richest Californians are tech titans: Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Zuckerberg invented Facebook while a student at Harvard, but then “he moves to Silicon Valley because that’s where the action is,” Walker told me. “That’s been going on for two, three, four generations now — you come to Silicon Valley if you’re in tech.” Silicon Valley’s tendency to mint billionaires has led to a startling trend: Of the 26 Californians who rank among America’s 100 richest people, 19 live in the Bay Area. (The wealthiest person in Southern California is Donald Bren, America’s richest real estate baron.) Perhaps you’re wondering about Elon Musk, who relocated Tesla headquarters to Texas, or Oracle’s Larry Ellison, who moved to Hawaii. But it turns out they’re outliers. Thirty-five people made California’s billionaire list for the first time in 2021, Forbes reported, and more than half of them had the tech industry to thank. California still has more billionaires than any other state; New York is second with 126. Adam Sterling, executive director for the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, said that people who’ve made their fortunes in California prefer to stay here, close to their professional and personal communities. The high cost of living and higher taxes probably aren’t much of a deterrent if you’re a billionaire, he said. Plus, the cachet of a California billionaire — think a wealthy techie in a hoodie — may not translate in a place like New York, where the rich are more likely to have inherited their wealth. “There’s a lot of stickiness in California,” Sterling told me. “This is where your billionaire community is.”

Why so many billionaires live in California

A report by Wall Street Journal based on US Campaign Finance Records has said that US President Joe Biden's campaign received at least USD 15.1 million from employees of big tech firms in donations. The report has said that the companies include Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple and Facebook. This made up biggest source of donations to Democrats among corporate employees.

Biden campaign received USD 15 million in donations from big tech employees: Report

In a first, Google employees have launched a union on Monday, marking a new era of activism against Silicon Valley juggernauts.&nbsp;

The Alphabet Workers Union aims to represent tech workers, temporary employees and contractors, a statement said.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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"We hope to create a democratic process for workers to wield decision-making power; promote social, economic, and environmental justice; and end the unfair disparities between TVCs (temporary, vendors and contractors) and FTEs (full time employees)," the website of the union said. &nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-removes-39000-game-apps-from-china-store-to-meet-deadline-353574">Apple removes 39,000 game apps from China store to meet deadline</a>

The union will not just voice out on pay and benefits, but also focus on ethical decisions taken by Google and will offer protection from arbitrary firings for activism.

The announcement comes at a time as workers of Silicon giants like Google and Amazon have raised their voice against a number of issues that include workers condition and firing of a Black techie.&nbsp;

During the pandemic, thousands of Amazon workers have organised drives over the condition and safety of warehouse workers.

Recently, Timnit Gebru, a Black artificial intelligence ethics researcher, was also fired by Google that led to a lot of criticism from Google employees.&nbsp;

"This union builds upon years of courageous organizing by Google workers," Nicki Anselmo, a Google program manager and union member, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

"From... opposing Project Maven, to protesting the egregious, multimillion dollar payouts that have been given to executives who’ve committed sexual harassment, we’ve seen first-hand that Alphabet responds when we act collectively."

In a first, Google employees have launched a union on Monday, marking a new era of activism against Silicon Valley juggernauts. The Alphabet Workers Union aims to represent tech workers, temporary employees and contractors, a statement said.

In a first, Google employees have launched a union on Monday, marking a new era of activism against Silicon Valley juggernauts. The Alphabet Workers Union aims to represent tech workers, temporary employees and contractors, a statement said. Watch | "We hope to create a democratic process for workers to wield decision-making power; promote social, economic, and environmental justice; and end the unfair disparities between TVCs (temporary, vendors and contractors) and FTEs (full time employees)," the website of the union said. Also read | Apple removes 39,000 game apps from China store to meet deadline The union will not just voice out on pay and benefits, but also focus on ethical decisions taken by Google and will offer protection from arbitrary firings for activism. The announcement comes at a time as workers of Silicon giants like Google and Amazon have raised their voice against a number of issues that include workers condition and firing of a Black techie. During the pandemic, thousands of Amazon workers have organised drives over the condition and safety of warehouse workers. Recently, Timnit Gebru, a Black artificial intelligence ethics researcher, was also fired by Google that led to a lot of criticism from Google employees. "This union builds upon years of courageous organizing by Google workers," Nicki Anselmo, a Google program manager and union member, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. "From... opposing Project Maven, to protesting the egregious, multimillion dollar payouts that have been given to executives who’ve committed sexual harassment, we’ve seen first-hand that Alphabet responds when we act collectively."

In a first, Google workers form union to take on Silicon Valley giants

Business software maker Oracle Corp said on Friday it was moving its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas from Redwood City, California.

Oracle is the latest tech firm to exit Silicon Valley after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a broader shift to remote work, making companies reconsider California’s higher operational costs and hefty taxes.

Employees can pick their office location and choose whether to work from home part-time or full-time, Oracle said in a regulatory filing.

“We believe these moves best position Oracle for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work,” the 43-year-old company said.

In 2018, Oracle set up a campus in Austin that could support a 10,000-strong workforce, in a bid to meet increasing demand for its cloud business.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a spinoff of the decades-old corporation often mentioned in the accounts of the founding of Silicon Valley, said earlier this month it would move its headquarters from California to the Lone Star State.

Data analytics firm Palantir Technologies also shifted headquarters to Denver, Colorado from Palo Alto, California in August.

Earlier this week, electric car-maker Tesla Inc’s Elon Musk said he had relocated to Texas from California, which has the highest personal income tax rate in the United States.

Business software maker Oracle Corp said on Friday it was moving its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas from Redwood City, California. Oracle is the latest tech firm to exit Silicon Valley after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a broader shift to remote work, making companies reconsider California’s higher operational costs and hefty taxes.

Business software maker Oracle Corp said on Friday it was moving its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas from Redwood City, California. Oracle is the latest tech firm to exit Silicon Valley after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a broader shift to remote work, making companies reconsider California’s higher operational costs and hefty taxes. Employees can pick their office location and choose whether to work from home part-time or full-time, Oracle said in a regulatory filing. “We believe these moves best position Oracle for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work,” the 43-year-old company said. In 2018, Oracle set up a campus in Austin that could support a 10,000-strong workforce, in a bid to meet increasing demand for its cloud business. Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a spinoff of the decades-old corporation often mentioned in the accounts of the founding of Silicon Valley, said earlier this month it would move its headquarters from California to the Lone Star State. Data analytics firm Palantir Technologies also shifted headquarters to Denver, Colorado from Palo Alto, California in August. Earlier this week, electric car-maker Tesla Inc’s Elon Musk said he had relocated to Texas from California, which has the highest personal income tax rate in the United States.

Oracle moves headquarters to Texas from Silicon Valley

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the decision to announce to expand the tech giants roots beyond the Silicon Valley. Facebook is expecting more than half of its employees to work from home. Watch report.

Facebook to begin remote hiring: 50% of employees will work remotely

US Secretary of State <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-applauds-taiwan-president-re-election-mike-pompeo-273668">Mike Pompeo</a> on Monday warned Silicon Valley not to bolster China's "Orwellian" state, two days before the world's two largest economies sign a partial trade deal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/is-the-us-losing-the-artificial-intelligence-arms-race-258757">Also read: Is the US losing the artificial intelligence arms race?</a>

Speaking to a tech-heavy crowd in San Francisco, Pompeo trumpeted the "phase one" deal to tame a two-year trade war but told businesses that they needed to do more.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/human-rights-watch-incited-criminal-activity-says-china-after-denying-kenneth-roth-entry-into-hong-kong-274076">Also read: Human Rights Watch incited criminal activity, says China after denying Kenneth Roth entry into Hong Kong</a> 
 
"We need to make sure American technology doesn't power a truly Orwellian surveillance state. We need to make sure American principles aren't sacrificed for prosperity," Pompeo said at the Commonwealth Club.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-china-spy-concerns-australia-launches-anti-espionage-task-force-265625">Also read: Amid China spy concerns, Australia launches anti-espionage task force</a>

He said he was not discouraging firms from heading to China, insisting that the Trump administration wants "American companies to get rich doing business there."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-in-china-toddlers-learn-how-to-code-271755/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"At the same time, we need to make sure that our companies don't do deals that strengthen our competitor's military or tighten their regime's grip of repression in parts of that country," he said.

Rights advocates have voiced growing concern about China's use of technology to develop intrusive electronic surveillance.

In the tightly controlled western region of Xinjiang, where experts say more than one million mostly Muslim people are incarcerated, China is said to be fine-tuning technology that will allow security forces to quickly identify anyone and give details about their movements and background.

"Ask yourselves just a few questions — who am I dealing with? What's the true risk/return calculus to doing business in China?" Pompeo said.

Trump is set to sign the partial deal on Wednesday after prolonged feuding, dropping new tariffs that were set to take effect on Chinese electronic products and cutting in half those imposed on September 1 on $120 billion worth of products.

The White House has said the agreement includes improvements on Beijing's requirements that foreign companies transfer technology -- which the United States say is a pretext for rampant intellectual theft.

The Trump administration says that the accord will also give US companies better access to the Chinese market for financial services and require China to buy more US products.

"We will do our part in the government. We will keep ramping up our enforcement," Pompeo said.

"But defending freedom and national security isn't just the government's job. It's one for each and every citizen," he told the tech companies.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned Silicon Valley not to bolster China's "Orwellian" state, two days before the world's two largest economies sign a partial trade deal.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned Silicon Valley not to bolster China's "Orwellian" state, two days before the world's two largest economies sign a partial trade deal. Also read: Is the US losing the artificial intelligence arms race? Speaking to a tech-heavy crowd in San Francisco, Pompeo trumpeted the "phase one" deal to tame a two-year trade war but told businesses that they needed to do more. Also read: Human Rights Watch incited criminal activity, says China after denying Kenneth Roth entry into Hong Kong "We need to make sure American technology doesn't power a truly Orwellian surveillance state. We need to make sure American principles aren't sacrificed for prosperity," Pompeo said at the Commonwealth Club. Also read: Amid China spy concerns, Australia launches anti-espionage task force He said he was not discouraging firms from heading to China, insisting that the Trump administration wants "American companies to get rich doing business there." "At the same time, we need to make sure that our companies don't do deals that strengthen our competitor's military or tighten their regime's grip of repression in parts of that country," he said. Rights advocates have voiced growing concern about China's use of technology to develop intrusive electronic surveillance. In the tightly controlled western region of Xinjiang, where experts say more than one million mostly Muslim people are incarcerated, China is said to be fine-tuning technology that will allow security forces to quickly identify anyone and give details about their movements and background. "Ask yourselves just a few questions — who am I dealing with? What's the true risk/return calculus to doing business in China?" Pompeo said. Trump is set to sign the partial deal on Wednesday after prolonged feuding, dropping new tariffs that were set to take effect on Chinese electronic products and cutting in half those imposed on September 1 on $120 billion worth of products. The White House has said the agreement includes improvements on Beijing's requirements that foreign companies transfer technology -- which the United States say is a pretext for rampant intellectual theft. The Trump administration says that the accord will also give US companies better access to the Chinese market for financial services and require China to buy more US products. "We will do our part in the government. We will keep ramping up our enforcement," Pompeo said. "But defending freedom and national security isn't just the government's job. It's one for each and every citizen," he told the tech companies.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warns Silicon Valley on China ahead of trade pact

US&nbsp;electric vehicle maker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-cybertruck-orders-near-150000-just-days-after-chaotic-launch-264195">Tesla&nbsp;Inc</a> on Monday began delivering&nbsp;Model&nbsp;3 vehicles built at its Shanghai factory, marking the occasion with a ceremony during which 15 of its employees received&nbsp;cars&nbsp;they had purchased.

The event means the plant has started delivering&nbsp;cars&nbsp;to customers just 357 days after the factory's construction started, setting a new record for global automakers in&nbsp;China.

The&nbsp;China-made&nbsp;cars&nbsp;are priced at 355,800 yuan ($50,000) before subsidies and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-suffer-mishap-during-launch-of-electric-cybertruck-263848">Tesla</a>&nbsp;had said it wanted to start&nbsp;deliveries&nbsp;before the Lunar New Year beginning on January&nbsp;25.

The Shanghai plant is part of the Silicon Valley automaker's plans to bolster its presence in the world's biggest auto market and minimise the impact of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-topples-from-two-month-high-on-concern-over-us-china-trade-deal-263894">US-China</a>&nbsp;trade war. Previously,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;imported all of the&nbsp;cars&nbsp;it sold in&nbsp;China.

"From now onwards&nbsp;China-made&nbsp;Model&nbsp;3 vehicles will start running on&nbsp;China's large streets and small lanes,"&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;Vice President Tao Lin said at the delivery ceremony, during which&nbsp;Model&nbsp;3s in colours including black, white and blue were handed over to customers.

US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc on Monday began delivering Model 3 vehicles built at its Shanghai factory, marking the occasion with a ceremony during which 15 of its employees received cars they had purchased.

US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc on Monday began delivering Model 3 vehicles built at its Shanghai factory, marking the occasion with a ceremony during which 15 of its employees received cars they had purchased. The event means the plant has started delivering cars to customers just 357 days after the factory's construction started, setting a new record for global automakers in China. The China-made cars are priced at 355,800 yuan ($50,000) before subsidies and Tesla had said it wanted to start deliveries before the Lunar New Year beginning on January 25. The Shanghai plant is part of the Silicon Valley automaker's plans to bolster its presence in the world's biggest auto market and minimise the impact of the US-China trade war. Previously, Tesla imported all of the cars it sold in China. "From now onwards China-made Model 3 vehicles will start running on China's large streets and small lanes," Tesla Vice President Tao Lin said at the delivery ceremony, during which Model 3s in colours including black, white and blue were handed over to customers.

Tesla begins deliveries of China-made Model 3 cars

President Donald Trump's visit to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/gary-oldman-to-star-in-apple-tv-drama-series-slow-horses-262526">Apple's Texas</a> manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

The visit will give the US leader a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms.

Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers.

The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants.

"On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector.

Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said.

"He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay.

"He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it."

Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection&nbsp;for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children.

While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction.

Sidestepping Trump tirades

Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos,&nbsp;accusing him of using his personal investment in the Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO.

"Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem."

Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple," appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism.

In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button.

"To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president.

Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung.

"Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research.

Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said.

"Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-co-founder-says-apple-card-algorithm-gave-wife-lower-credit-limit-261266">Apple</a>, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 per cent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers.

O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular.

"I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said.

Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry.

"Maybe Tim can create&nbsp;a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said.

"If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

President Donald Trump's visit to Apple's Texas manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

President Donald Trump's visit to Apple's Texas manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook. The visit will give the US leader a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms. Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers. The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants. "On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector. Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said. "He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay. "He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it." Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children. While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction. Sidestepping Trump tirades Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing him of using his personal investment in the Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO. "Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem." Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple," appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism. In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button. "To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote. According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president. Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung. "Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research. Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said. "Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on." Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 per cent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers. O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular. "I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said. Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry. "Maybe Tim can create a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said. "If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

Trump-Cook meeting to culminate with visit to Apple factory

Uber&nbsp;launched a set of new safety features in Britain on Thursday as it battles to retain its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uber-receives-just-a-two-month-london-licence-with-new-safety-conditions-251778">taxi operating licence</a> in the face of concerns about passenger safety.

The measures include a discrimination button enabling drivers and riders to report abuse, enhanced safety training for drivers and a direct connection to the emergency services.

In September,&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;received only a two-month operating licence in London, its most important European market, failing to secure a maximum five-year term in a battle with the regulator Transport for London (TfL) which has previously stripped the app of its right to take rides.

The two-month licence came with "new conditions to ensure passenger safety" and TfL said at the time it wanted more details from the company.

In 2017, TfL rejected the Silicon Valley company's licence renewal request due to failings it said it found in its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and driver background checks.&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;was then granted a probationary 15-month licence in 2018.

Drivers of London's traditional black taxis have lobbied hard against a licence renewal, citing safety issues, working standards and the undercutting of their business model.

Uber&nbsp;says its roughly 45,000 drivers in the city enjoy the flexibility of their work and that it has already taken several steps to improve safety for its passengers.

Uber launched a set of new safety features in Britain on Thursday as it battles to retain its taxi operating licence in the face of concerns about passenger safety.

Uber launched a set of new safety features in Britain on Thursday as it battles to retain its taxi operating licence in the face of concerns about passenger safety. The measures include a discrimination button enabling drivers and riders to report abuse, enhanced safety training for drivers and a direct connection to the emergency services. In September, Uber received only a two-month operating licence in London, its most important European market, failing to secure a maximum five-year term in a battle with the regulator Transport for London (TfL) which has previously stripped the app of its right to take rides. The two-month licence came with "new conditions to ensure passenger safety" and TfL said at the time it wanted more details from the company. In 2017, TfL rejected the Silicon Valley company's licence renewal request due to failings it said it found in its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and driver background checks. Uber was then granted a probationary 15-month licence in 2018. Drivers of London's traditional black taxis have lobbied hard against a licence renewal, citing safety issues, working standards and the undercutting of their business model. Uber says its roughly 45,000 drivers in the city enjoy the flexibility of their work and that it has already taken several steps to improve safety for its passengers.

Uber launches new safety features in UK as it fights for new licence

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said Friday a breakup of big US technology would not address "underlying issues" facing the sector and suggested that such a move could help rivals in China.

Sandberg, interviewed on CNBC television, was asked about the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-rejects-co-founder-chris-hughes-call-for-breakup-senator-urges-us-antitrust-probe-217370"> latest calls to break up Facebook </a>and other major Silicon Valley firms which dominate key sectors.

"You could break us up, you could break other tech companies up, but you actually don't address the underlying issues people are concerned about,” Sandberg said in the interview.

Sandberg said the social network used by more than two billion people was working to address concerns about election security, online violence promotion and data protection, but that a breakup might only serve to help competitors from China.

"While people are concerned with the size and power of tech companies, there's also a concern in the United States with the size and power of Chinese companies, and the realisation that those companies are not going to be broken up," she said.

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The comments come a week after one of Facebook's co-founders, Chris Hughes, said in an essay "it's time to break up Facebook," warning that it has gained too much power over what people see online.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has also called for a breakup that could require Facebook to spin off its Instagram and WhatsApp units.

Sandberg maintained that Facebook's teams are working hard on safety and security issues, echoing comments since the company came under fire over a series of missteps including the leaking of data in 2016 to a consultancy working for Donald Trump.

"We know at Facebook we have a real possibility to do better and earn back people’s trust," she said.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said this week he was optimistic about progress toward a new regulatory framework that would apply to internet platforms.

"Overall I think in order for people to trust the internet... &nbsp;there needs to be the right regulation put in place," Zuckerberg said after meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss a report called "Creating a French Response to Make Social Media Responsible."

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said Friday a breakup of big US technology would not address "underlying issues" facing the sector and suggested that such a move could help rivals in China.

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said Friday a breakup of big US technology would not address "underlying issues" facing the sector and suggested that such a move could help rivals in China. Sandberg, interviewed on CNBC television, was asked about the latest calls to break up Facebook and other major Silicon Valley firms which dominate key sectors. "You could break us up, you could break other tech companies up, but you actually don't address the underlying issues people are concerned about,” Sandberg said in the interview. Sandberg said the social network used by more than two billion people was working to address concerns about election security, online violence promotion and data protection, but that a breakup might only serve to help competitors from China. "While people are concerned with the size and power of tech companies, there's also a concern in the United States with the size and power of Chinese companies, and the realisation that those companies are not going to be broken up," she said. × The comments come a week after one of Facebook's co-founders, Chris Hughes, said in an essay "it's time to break up Facebook," warning that it has gained too much power over what people see online. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has also called for a breakup that could require Facebook to spin off its Instagram and WhatsApp units. Sandberg maintained that Facebook's teams are working hard on safety and security issues, echoing comments since the company came under fire over a series of missteps including the leaking of data in 2016 to a consultancy working for Donald Trump. "We know at Facebook we have a real possibility to do better and earn back people’s trust," she said. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said this week he was optimistic about progress toward a new regulatory framework that would apply to internet platforms. "Overall I think in order for people to trust the internet... there needs to be the right regulation put in place," Zuckerberg said after meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss a report called "Creating a French Response to Make Social Media Responsible."

Facebook breakup could boost China rivals: Sheryl Sandberg

Billionaire Warren Buffett on Saturday gave a clue on who might succeed him to run his Berkshire Hathaway empire but did not completely reveal his hand.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-will-never-hesitate-to-fly-in-boeing-737-max-warren-buffett-declares-216003">world's third-richest man</a> also said at his company's annual shareholder meeting that its recent investment in Amazon was not a shift in strategy to focus on Silicon Valley firms, which have largely remained missing from Berkshire's voluminous portfolio.

Buffett, 88, was pressed by questions -- each greeted with a torrent of applause -- about who would succeed him.

Without answering directly, Buffett said Gregory Able, 57, and Ajit Jain, 67 -- both promoted last year to the board of directors -- would in the near future join him and long-time business partner Charlie Munger, 95, on the stage to answer shareholder questions.

"You could not have two better-operating managers than Greg and Ajit. It's just fantastic what they've accomplished," said Buffett, who is known as the "Oracle of Omaha."

For decades, Buffett and Munger have been the two stars of Berkshire Hathaway, but on Saturday, Jain answered a shareholder question, though he did so from the floor.

'Unbureaucratic'

Abel joined the company in 1992 in the energy division, and for more than a year has overseen all non-insurance activities, while Jain came on board in 1986 in the insurance division, which he currently leads.

But who will prevail, or could they jointly take the helm?

"One of the reasons we have trouble with these questions is because Berkshire is so very peculiar. We have a different, kind of unbureaucratic way of making decisions," said Munger.

"But I don't want to be like everybody else because this has worked better. So I think you're going to have to endure us," he said.

Buffett's departure is likely to open a new era at the company, especially with shares of Berkshire considered to be 10 to 15 per cent above their real value thanks to the billionaire's presence at the helm.

Some analysts say a Buffett-less Berkshire Hathaway could be a candidate for being broken up into multiple companies.

Investing in tech

On Saturday, Buffett and Munger also faced an onslaught of questions about strategy for investing in technology companies after Berkshire revealed a stake in Amazon.

Buffett said Amazon chief Jeff Bezos has pulled off "close to a miracle" by transforming an online bookseller into the e-commerce giant it is today.

Munger also acknowledged that he and Buffett felt "ashamed" for missing the boat on Google.

"We just sat there sucking our thumbs," he said. "We screwed up."

But there's no indication of a strategy shift at Berkshire to invest more heavily in tech, aside from its new stake in Amazon and a $40-billion stake in Apple.

On Saturday, Berkshire Hathaway announced a net profit of $21.66 billion -- a result that does not take into account expected losses from its stake in Kraft Heinz, which has recently depreciated assets valued in the billions of dollars.

Berkshire Hathaway has holdings in companies such as American Express, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, and is active in sectors like insurance (Geico), rail (BNSF) and energy (PacifiCorp).

The Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting, which draws tens of thousands to the small city of Omaha in the American heartland, has been dubbed "Woodstock for Capitalists."

Unlike other annual meetings, the goal here is not to release company results but to hear Buffett identify companies that he might invest in, or from which he might withdraw his money.

Some 20,000 people secured a coveted pass to hear Buffett speak in person, after lining up from 5:00 am, with thousands more left to soak up the atmosphere from outside the theater.

Buffett kicked off the day by touring the souvenir stands at CHI Health Center and mingling with the crowd of attendees, made up of leading executives, investors and billionaires from around the world. This year, many Chinese delegations made the trip.

He later made a surprise appearance at a sideline event organized by a group of women financial professionals aiming to end the gender imbalance in investing.

"It's long overdue," Buffet said of the goal.

Buffett, who is worth almost $90 billion, still lives in a relatively modest house about 10 minutes outside downtown Omaha that he bought in 1958.

Billionaire Warren Buffett on Saturday gave a clue on who might succeed him to run his Berkshire Hathaway empire but did not completely reveal his hand. The world's third-richest man also said at his company's annual shareholder meeting that its recent investment in Amazon was not a shift in strategy to focus on Silicon Valley firms, which have largely remained missing from Berkshire's voluminous portfolio.

Billionaire Warren Buffett on Saturday gave a clue on who might succeed him to run his Berkshire Hathaway empire but did not completely reveal his hand. The world's third-richest man also said at his company's annual shareholder meeting that its recent investment in Amazon was not a shift in strategy to focus on Silicon Valley firms, which have largely remained missing from Berkshire's voluminous portfolio. Buffett, 88, was pressed by questions -- each greeted with a torrent of applause -- about who would succeed him. Without answering directly, Buffett said Gregory Able, 57, and Ajit Jain, 67 -- both promoted last year to the board of directors -- would in the near future join him and long-time business partner Charlie Munger, 95, on the stage to answer shareholder questions. "You could not have two better-operating managers than Greg and Ajit. It's just fantastic what they've accomplished," said Buffett, who is known as the "Oracle of Omaha." For decades, Buffett and Munger have been the two stars of Berkshire Hathaway, but on Saturday, Jain answered a shareholder question, though he did so from the floor. 'Unbureaucratic' Abel joined the company in 1992 in the energy division, and for more than a year has overseen all non-insurance activities, while Jain came on board in 1986 in the insurance division, which he currently leads. But who will prevail, or could they jointly take the helm? "One of the reasons we have trouble with these questions is because Berkshire is so very peculiar. We have a different, kind of unbureaucratic way of making decisions," said Munger. "But I don't want to be like everybody else because this has worked better. So I think you're going to have to endure us," he said. Buffett's departure is likely to open a new era at the company, especially with shares of Berkshire considered to be 10 to 15 per cent above their real value thanks to the billionaire's presence at the helm. Some analysts say a Buffett-less Berkshire Hathaway could be a candidate for being broken up into multiple companies. Investing in tech On Saturday, Buffett and Munger also faced an onslaught of questions about strategy for investing in technology companies after Berkshire revealed a stake in Amazon. Buffett said Amazon chief Jeff Bezos has pulled off "close to a miracle" by transforming an online bookseller into the e-commerce giant it is today. Munger also acknowledged that he and Buffett felt "ashamed" for missing the boat on Google. "We just sat there sucking our thumbs," he said. "We screwed up." But there's no indication of a strategy shift at Berkshire to invest more heavily in tech, aside from its new stake in Amazon and a $40-billion stake in Apple. On Saturday, Berkshire Hathaway announced a net profit of $21.66 billion -- a result that does not take into account expected losses from its stake in Kraft Heinz, which has recently depreciated assets valued in the billions of dollars. Berkshire Hathaway has holdings in companies such as American Express, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, and is active in sectors like insurance (Geico), rail (BNSF) and energy (PacifiCorp). The Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting, which draws tens of thousands to the small city of Omaha in the American heartland, has been dubbed "Woodstock for Capitalists." Unlike other annual meetings, the goal here is not to release company results but to hear Buffett identify companies that he might invest in, or from which he might withdraw his money. Some 20,000 people secured a coveted pass to hear Buffett speak in person, after lining up from 5:00 am, with thousands more left to soak up the atmosphere from outside the theater. Buffett kicked off the day by touring the souvenir stands at CHI Health Center and mingling with the crowd of attendees, made up of leading executives, investors and billionaires from around the world. This year, many Chinese delegations made the trip. He later made a surprise appearance at a sideline event organized by a group of women financial professionals aiming to end the gender imbalance in investing. "It's long overdue," Buffet said of the goal. Buffett, who is worth almost $90 billion, still lives in a relatively modest house about 10 minutes outside downtown Omaha that he bought in 1958.

Billionaire Warren Buffett gives new hint about his successor

Google was fined 1.49 billion euros ($1.7 billion) on Wednesday for blocking rival online search advertisers, the third large European Union antitrust penalty for the Alphabet business in two only years.

The European Commission, which said the fine accounted for 1.29 per cent of Google's turnover in 2018, said in a statement that the anti-competitive practices had lasted a decade.

"Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.

The case concerned websites, such as of newspaper or travel sites, with a search function that produces search results and search adverts. Google's AdSense for Search provided such search adverts.

The misconduct included stopping publishers from placing any search adverts from competitors on their search results pages, forcing them to reserve the most profitable space on their search results pages for Google's adverts and a requirement to seek written approval from Google before making changes to the way in which any rival adverts were displayed.

The AdSense advertising case was triggered by a complaint from Microsoft in 2010. Both companies subsequently dropped complaints against each other in 2016.

Last year, Vestager imposed a record 4.34 billion euro fine on Google for using its popular Android mobile operating system to block rivals. This followed a 2.42 billion euro fine in June 2017 for hindering rivals of shopping comparison websites.

Google is now trying to comply with the order to ensure a level playing field with proposals to boost price comparison rivals and prompt Android users to choose their preferred browsers and search apps. Critics however are still not happy. ($1 = 0.8811 euros)

Google was fined 1.49 billion euros ($1.7 billion) on Wednesday for blocking rival online search advertisers, the third large European Union antitrust penalty for the Alphabet business in two only years.

Google was fined 1.49 billion euros ($1.7 billion) on Wednesday for blocking rival online search advertisers, the third large European Union antitrust penalty for the Alphabet business in two only years. The European Commission, which said the fine accounted for 1.29 per cent of Google's turnover in 2018, said in a statement that the anti-competitive practices had lasted a decade. "Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. The case concerned websites, such as of newspaper or travel sites, with a search function that produces search results and search adverts. Google's AdSense for Search provided such search adverts. The misconduct included stopping publishers from placing any search adverts from competitors on their search results pages, forcing them to reserve the most profitable space on their search results pages for Google's adverts and a requirement to seek written approval from Google before making changes to the way in which any rival adverts were displayed. The AdSense advertising case was triggered by a complaint from Microsoft in 2010. Both companies subsequently dropped complaints against each other in 2016. Last year, Vestager imposed a record 4.34 billion euro fine on Google for using its popular Android mobile operating system to block rivals. This followed a 2.42 billion euro fine in June 2017 for hindering rivals of shopping comparison websites. Google is now trying to comply with the order to ensure a level playing field with proposals to boost price comparison rivals and prompt Android users to choose their preferred browsers and search apps. Critics however are still not happy. ($1 = 0.8811 euros)

Google fined $1.7 billion for search ad blocks in third European Union sanction

Alphabet Inc reported sharply higher fourth-quarter spending on video content, employees and facilities, worrying investors who sent the tech company's shares down about 3 per cent after hours on Monday.

Google's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/alphabet-board-sued-on-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct-cover-up-189502">parent company</a>&nbsp;beat Wall Street's estimates for revenue and profit, but the bigger-than-expected spending prompted investors to question whether cash funnelled into Alphabet's newer businesses will generate the returns that its search engine unit historically has.

"While the core business is still growing impressively, the significant spending shows growth isn’t quite as capital-light as had been hoped," said George Salmon, a stock analyst at financial firm Hargreaves Lansdown.

The company reported $31.07 billion in total fourth-quarter costs and expenses, up 26 per cent from last year. Capital expenditures rose 64 per cent compared to last year, up to $7.08 billion.

Spending was pushed higher by Google boosting staffing on its cloud computing division, promoting its consumer devices and YouTube subscription packages and acquiring office buildings in Silicon Valley and New York City.

Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat told analysts that capital expenditures would moderate significantly this year, but the company would continue to invest in long-term bets on artificial intelligence services, consumer hardware and emerging markets.

Revenue, profit beats

Alphabet's fourth-quarter revenue rose 22 per cent from a year ago to $39.28 billion, compared with Wall Street's average estimate of $38.93 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. About 83 per cent of the revenue came from Google's ad system.

Heavy advertising in the run-up to the holiday shopping season boosted sales. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told analysts the number of people shopping on Google.com each day during the holidays doubled over last year.

Profit for the quarter was $8.95 billion, or $12.77 per share, compared with a $3 billion loss a year ago. That beat analysts' average estimates of $7.69 billion, or $10.87 per share.

Partly because of the higher spending, the Alphabet's operating margin was 21 per cent, down from 24 per cent in the year-ago period.

"For a growth company, investment should be applauded," said Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell. "But a lot of the additional expenditure is going into the cloud where it is unclear whether there will ever be a return on that investment." Google remains behind rival Amazon.com Inc in the cloud, said Cordwell.

The company has authorized a plan to buy back an additional $12.5 billion worth of its shares, Porat said.

No news on waymo

Google's mostly free search, video and productivity tools are used by billions of people across the world, despite a backlash in some countries over how the company uses and protects customer information.

Investors concerned that Alphabet's future growth, especially in emerging markets, will not match its previous rates, are looking to the company's other businesses to provide new streams of revenue. But Alphabet gave away little new information on its other ventures on Monday.

It gave no indication when its self-driving car company Waymo will generate noticeable revenue. In October, Alphabet said Waymo had begun revenue-generating rides within a small section of Arizona but did not break out the company's financials.

Pichai said Google's cloud computing unit last year doubled the number of deals it struck worth more than $1 million. The cloud unit's G Suite productivity product now has 5 million customers, he said, up from 4 million in last year's first quarter.

Alphabet Inc reported sharply higher fourth-quarter spending on video content, employees and facilities, worrying investors who sent the tech company's shares down about 3 per cent after hours on Monday.

Alphabet Inc reported sharply higher fourth-quarter spending on video content, employees and facilities, worrying investors who sent the tech company's shares down about 3 per cent after hours on Monday. Google's parent company beat Wall Street's estimates for revenue and profit, but the bigger-than-expected spending prompted investors to question whether cash funnelled into Alphabet's newer businesses will generate the returns that its search engine unit historically has. "While the core business is still growing impressively, the significant spending shows growth isn’t quite as capital-light as had been hoped," said George Salmon, a stock analyst at financial firm Hargreaves Lansdown. The company reported $31.07 billion in total fourth-quarter costs and expenses, up 26 per cent from last year. Capital expenditures rose 64 per cent compared to last year, up to $7.08 billion. Spending was pushed higher by Google boosting staffing on its cloud computing division, promoting its consumer devices and YouTube subscription packages and acquiring office buildings in Silicon Valley and New York City. Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat told analysts that capital expenditures would moderate significantly this year, but the company would continue to invest in long-term bets on artificial intelligence services, consumer hardware and emerging markets. Revenue, profit beats Alphabet's fourth-quarter revenue rose 22 per cent from a year ago to $39.28 billion, compared with Wall Street's average estimate of $38.93 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. About 83 per cent of the revenue came from Google's ad system. Heavy advertising in the run-up to the holiday shopping season boosted sales. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told analysts the number of people shopping on Google.com each day during the holidays doubled over last year. Profit for the quarter was $8.95 billion, or $12.77 per share, compared with a $3 billion loss a year ago. That beat analysts' average estimates of $7.69 billion, or $10.87 per share. Partly because of the higher spending, the Alphabet's operating margin was 21 per cent, down from 24 per cent in the year-ago period. "For a growth company, investment should be applauded," said Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell. "But a lot of the additional expenditure is going into the cloud where it is unclear whether there will ever be a return on that investment." Google remains behind rival Amazon.com Inc in the cloud, said Cordwell. The company has authorized a plan to buy back an additional $12.5 billion worth of its shares, Porat said. No news on waymo Google's mostly free search, video and productivity tools are used by billions of people across the world, despite a backlash in some countries over how the company uses and protects customer information. Investors concerned that Alphabet's future growth, especially in emerging markets, will not match its previous rates, are looking to the company's other businesses to provide new streams of revenue. But Alphabet gave away little new information on its other ventures on Monday. It gave no indication when its self-driving car company Waymo will generate noticeable revenue. In October, Alphabet said Waymo had begun revenue-generating rides within a small section of Arizona but did not break out the company's financials. Pichai said Google's cloud computing unit last year doubled the number of deals it struck worth more than $1 million. The cloud unit's G Suite productivity product now has 5 million customers, he said, up from 4 million in last year's first quarter.

Alphabet's higher spending worries investors, shares dip

Facebook Inc has hired former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to lead its global affairs and communications team, as the social network deals with a number of scandals related to privacy, fake news and election meddling.

The appointment makes Clegg, former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats and deputy to David Cameron between 2010 and 2015, the most senior European politician ever in a leadership role in Silicon Valley.

Facebook said Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg were closely involved in the hiring process, and started talking to Clegg over the summer.

"Our company is on a critical journey. The challenges we face are serious and clear and now more than ever we need new perspectives to help us though this time of change," Sandberg said on a Facebook post congratulating Clegg.

Clegg, 51, succeeds Elliot Schrage and will report to Sandberg beginning Monday.

Clegg was ousted as deputy prime minister after the Conservatives won a majority in 2015 in an election that saw his party suffer a significant loss of support. Clegg lost his own seat in Britain's parliament in a general election last year.

"Throughout my public life I have relished grappling with difficult and controversial issues and seeking to communicate them to others. I hope to use some of those skills in my new role," Clegg said in a Facebook post.

Schrage, who led the social network's response to its several scandals, stepped down from the role in June after a decade with the company. Schrage will stay as an adviser, Facebook said.

Facebook has faced a barrage of criticism from users and lawmakers after it said last year that Russian agents used its platform to spread disinformation before and after the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election, an accusation Moscow denies.

In March, the company faced new scrutiny over how it protects personal information after acknowledging that the data of up to 87 million people ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook Inc has hired former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to lead its global affairs and communications team, as the social network deals with a number of scandals related to privacy, fake news and election meddling.

Facebook Inc has hired former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to lead its global affairs and communications team, as the social network deals with a number of scandals related to privacy, fake news and election meddling. The appointment makes Clegg, former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats and deputy to David Cameron between 2010 and 2015, the most senior European politician ever in a leadership role in Silicon Valley. Facebook said Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg were closely involved in the hiring process, and started talking to Clegg over the summer. "Our company is on a critical journey. The challenges we face are serious and clear and now more than ever we need new perspectives to help us though this time of change," Sandberg said on a Facebook post congratulating Clegg. Clegg, 51, succeeds Elliot Schrage and will report to Sandberg beginning Monday. Clegg was ousted as deputy prime minister after the Conservatives won a majority in 2015 in an election that saw his party suffer a significant loss of support. Clegg lost his own seat in Britain's parliament in a general election last year. "Throughout my public life I have relished grappling with difficult and controversial issues and seeking to communicate them to others. I hope to use some of those skills in my new role," Clegg said in a Facebook post. Schrage, who led the social network's response to its several scandals, stepped down from the role in June after a decade with the company. Schrage will stay as an adviser, Facebook said. Facebook has faced a barrage of criticism from users and lawmakers after it said last year that Russian agents used its platform to spread disinformation before and after the 2016 US presidential election, an accusation Moscow denies. In March, the company faced new scrutiny over how it protects personal information after acknowledging that the data of up to 87 million people ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook hires former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg as head of global affairs

If the United States wants to improve its ties with India, it can no longer ignore or sideline Uttar Pradesh, a visiting delegation from the most populous Indian state has said.

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidhartha Nath Singh is leading the high-powered delegation of top state officials to the US.

"It is important for the Government of the United states to understand that for any relationship with India to go up, obviously other states are important, but Uttar Pradesh remains the most important," Singh said.

"Even if you want to improve the health index of India, for example, India can come up only if UP scores well in this area," Singh said.

Having concluded their trip to the Silicon Valley in California, the delegation was in Washington DC on Thursday, holding meetings with US government officials.

They met with officials from the State Department, the Department of Commerce and USAID and had round tables with the industry representatives, sending them the common message that they can "no longer" afford to ignore or skip Uttar Pradesh if they want to invest in or improve ties with India.

Singh said the BJP government had initiated a series of administrative reforms in sectors like health, agriculture, industry and education so as to make Uttar Pradesh a business-friendly destination.

"In addition, UP offers a huge market for companies," Singh and his delegation said during their powerpoint presentation before representatives of US companies.

He said the American corporate sector had shown interest to invest in defence manufacturing, IT and health sectors in Uttar Pradesh, while some of the top educational institutions wanted collaborative research and problem-solving projects.

During the Investors Summit-2018 in February in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region, saying it would bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people.

"After recent announcement of defence corridor, a number of US defence companies have shown serious interest in investing in this sector in the state," said Singh. 
He held meetings with representatives of the Lockheed Martin here while a meeting with Boeing is also on the cards.

"US companies have shown big interest in UP's health sector, for which the BJP government has announced ambitious expansion plans, and the fast-developing IT sector in Noida, adjoining the national capital," said Singh.

He also suggested that the state could collaborate with some American universities for fellowship programmes, exchange programmes or research programmes.

"That could be a big, big takeaway for us," Singh said, as he referred to a meeting that the delegation has had with the Stanford University in Silicon Valley this week.

Companies like Pepsico and Cargill have shown interest in investing in the state's agriculture sector. Both the companies have signed memorandums of understanding with UP.

Singh said his delegation has received an invitation from the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit the United States later this summer.

"We hope the chief minister visits the US soon," Singh said.

"The US trip is basically to get UP to be known in a new way and also to get investment from US into Uttar Pradesh," Singh said.

The delegation would next travel to New York before leaving for India.

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidhartha Nath Singh is leading the high-powered delegation of top state officials to the US.

If the United States wants to improve its ties with India, it can no longer ignore or sideline Uttar Pradesh, a visiting delegation from the most populous Indian state has said. Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidhartha Nath Singh is leading the high-powered delegation of top state officials to the US. "It is important for the Government of the United states to understand that for any relationship with India to go up, obviously other states are important, but Uttar Pradesh remains the most important," Singh said. "Even if you want to improve the health index of India, for example, India can come up only if UP scores well in this area," Singh said. Having concluded their trip to the Silicon Valley in California, the delegation was in Washington DC on Thursday, holding meetings with US government officials. They met with officials from the State Department, the Department of Commerce and USAID and had round tables with the industry representatives, sending them the common message that they can "no longer" afford to ignore or skip Uttar Pradesh if they want to invest in or improve ties with India. Singh said the BJP government had initiated a series of administrative reforms in sectors like health, agriculture, industry and education so as to make Uttar Pradesh a business-friendly destination. "In addition, UP offers a huge market for companies," Singh and his delegation said during their powerpoint presentation before representatives of US companies. He said the American corporate sector had shown interest to invest in defence manufacturing, IT and health sectors in Uttar Pradesh, while some of the top educational institutions wanted collaborative research and problem-solving projects. During the Investors Summit-2018 in February in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region, saying it would bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people. "After recent announcement of defence corridor, a number of US defence companies have shown serious interest in investing in this sector in the state," said Singh. He held meetings with representatives of the Lockheed Martin here while a meeting with Boeing is also on the cards. "US companies have shown big interest in UP's health sector, for which the BJP government has announced ambitious expansion plans, and the fast-developing IT sector in Noida, adjoining the national capital," said Singh. He also suggested that the state could collaborate with some American universities for fellowship programmes, exchange programmes or research programmes. "That could be a big, big takeaway for us," Singh said, as he referred to a meeting that the delegation has had with the Stanford University in Silicon Valley this week. Companies like Pepsico and Cargill have shown interest in investing in the state's agriculture sector. Both the companies have signed memorandums of understanding with UP. Singh said his delegation has received an invitation from the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit the United States later this summer. "We hope the chief minister visits the US soon," Singh said. "The US trip is basically to get UP to be known in a new way and also to get investment from US into Uttar Pradesh," Singh said. The delegation would next travel to New York before leaving for India.

US can't ignore Uttar Pradesh if it wants better ties with India, says minister

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-can-do-a-silicon-valley-in-5-years-but-innovation-ecosystem-needs-a-boost-world-bank-128109">India can do a Silicon Valley in 5 years but innovation ecosystem needs a boost: World Bank</a>

India has the potential to innovate on the lines of Silicon Valley but it needs to do more for expanding the innovation ecosystem as it aspires to become a middle-income country, World Bank India head Junaid Kamal Ahmad said today.'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/scst-act-we-are-not-against-it-says-supreme-court-but-refuses-to-cancel-earlier-order-128083">SC/ST Act: We are not against it, says Supreme Court but refuses to cancel </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/scst-act-we-are-not-against-it-says-supreme-court-but-refuses-to-cancel-earlier-order-128083">earlier</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/scst-act-we-are-not-against-it-says-supreme-court-but-refuses-to-cancel-earlier-order-128083"> order</a>

The Supreme Court has said that it is not against the SC/ST Act and doesn't want the innocent to be punished. The court made these observations while hearing Attorney General K K Venugopal's submission during the hearing of Centre's petition of SC/ST Act.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-government-passes-resolution-for-1-parallel-reservation-for-orphans-128118">Maharashtra government passes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-government-passes-resolution-for-1-parallel-reservation-for-orphans-128118">resolution</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-government-passes-resolution-for-1-parallel-reservation-for-orphans-128118"> for 1% parallel reservation for orphans</a>

&nbsp;In one of&nbsp;the first ever reservation for orphans in government jobs in the country, Maharashtra government has issued a resolution of 1 per cent parallel reservation for orphans in the open category for education and jobs.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/boat-carrying-rohingya-refugees-intercepted-in-malaysia--128087">Boat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/boat-carrying-rohingya-refugees-intercepted-in-malaysia--128087"> carrying Rohingya refugees intercepted in Malaysia </a>

Malaysia intercepted a boat carrying 56 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar off its northern island of Langkawi on Tuesday and will allow them to enter on humanitarian grounds, with rights groups expecting further such perilous journeys by sea.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/stormy-daniels-case-should-be-settled-privately-trump-lawyer-128115">Stormy Daniels' case should be settled privately: Trump lawyer</a>

United States President Donald Trump and his attorney Michael Cohen have filed court papers on Monday asking a federal judge to demand porn star Stormy Daniels to raise her disputes through private arbitration.

India can do a Silicon Valley in 5 years but innovation ecosystem needs a boost: World Bank India has the potential to innovate on the lines of Silicon Valley but it needs to do more for expanding the innovation ecosystem as it aspires to become a middle-income country, World Bank India head Junaid Kamal Ahmad said today.' SC/ST Act: We are not against it, says Supreme Court but refuses to cancel earlier order The Supreme Court has said that it is not against the SC/ST Act and doesn't want the innocent to be punished. The court made these observations while hearing Attorney General K K Venugopal's submission during the hearing of Centre's petition of SC/ST Act. Maharashtra government passes resolution for 1% parallel reservation for orphans In one of the first ever reservation for orphans in government jobs in the country, Maharashtra government has issued a resolution of 1 per cent parallel reservation for orphans in the open category for education and jobs. Boat carrying Rohingya refugees intercepted in Malaysia Malaysia intercepted a boat carrying 56 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar off its northern island of Langkawi on Tuesday and will allow them to enter on humanitarian grounds, with rights groups expecting further such perilous journeys by sea. Stormy Daniels' case should be settled privately: Trump lawyer United States President Donald Trump and his attorney Michael Cohen have filed court papers on Monday asking a federal judge to demand porn star Stormy Daniels to raise her disputes through private arbitration.

News brief: Big stories of the day

India has the potential to innovate on the lines of Silicon Valley but it needs to do more for expanding the innovation ecosystem as it aspires to become a middle-income country, World Bank India head Junaid Kamal Ahmad said today.'

He said what drives productivity is pertinent when it comes to innovation and is a very relevant question for India as it seeks to move up the ladder from low middle income to high-income country.

Releasing a World Bank report on innovation in developing countries, he said: "I think we can do a Silicon Valley in India in the next five years..as the world is changing, we can leapfrog.

"I believe firm size, firm capability and innovation have a strong relationship. More needs to be done in the innovation ecosystem in India where firms continue to remain stagnant."

In developing countries, the concept of national innovation system must be expanded, said the World Bank Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, William F Maloney.

According to the report, investments for innovation often consist of marginal improvements in process or products, rather than significant technology adoption or new product imitation.

"They very rarely involve frontier research...if a firm (or country) invests in innovation but cannot also import the necessary technology, contract or hire trained workers and engineers, or draw on new organisational techniques, the returns to that investment will be low."&nbsp;

Returns from investments in research and development (R&D) rise initially, but lack of complementary factors over time result in their decline, the report said.

"The policy maker's conception of the national innovation system (NIS) must go beyond the usual institutions and policies designed to offset standard innovation-related market failures. The scope of the NIS must include broader complementary factors and supporting institutions," it added.

Further, innovation cannot be supply driven, there must be demand from firms that have the capabilities to innovative.

"On this demand side, the firm and its decisions to innovate, policymakers must be concerned with the incentives for firms to accumulate the necessary physical, human and knowledge capital," Maloney said.

In developing countries, the concept of national innovation system must be expanded, said World Bank's chief economist for equitable growth

India has the potential to innovate on the lines of Silicon Valley but it needs to do more for expanding the innovation ecosystem as it aspires to become a middle-income country, World Bank India head Junaid Kamal Ahmad said today.' He said what drives productivity is pertinent when it comes to innovation and is a very relevant question for India as it seeks to move up the ladder from low middle income to high-income country. Releasing a World Bank report on innovation in developing countries, he said: "I think we can do a Silicon Valley in India in the next five years..as the world is changing, we can leapfrog. "I believe firm size, firm capability and innovation have a strong relationship. More needs to be done in the innovation ecosystem in India where firms continue to remain stagnant." In developing countries, the concept of national innovation system must be expanded, said the World Bank Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, William F Maloney. According to the report, investments for innovation often consist of marginal improvements in process or products, rather than significant technology adoption or new product imitation. "They very rarely involve frontier research...if a firm (or country) invests in innovation but cannot also import the necessary technology, contract or hire trained workers and engineers, or draw on new organisational techniques, the returns to that investment will be low." Returns from investments in research and development (R&D) rise initially, but lack of complementary factors over time result in their decline, the report said. "The policy maker's conception of the national innovation system (NIS) must go beyond the usual institutions and policies designed to offset standard innovation-related market failures. The scope of the NIS must include broader complementary factors and supporting institutions," it added. Further, innovation cannot be supply driven, there must be demand from firms that have the capabilities to innovative. "On this demand side, the firm and its decisions to innovate, policymakers must be concerned with the incentives for firms to accumulate the necessary physical, human and knowledge capital," Maloney said.

India can do a Silicon Valley in 5 years but innovation ecosystem needs a boost: World Bank

Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj&#39;s small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India&#39;s drought-stricken tech hub.

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Gleaming new apartment blocks are still springing up all over the city is known as India&#39;s Silicon Valley -- even though there is nowhere near enough mains water to supply those already living and working there.

Many rely entirely on supplies shipped in by tankers filled from giant borewells that have caused groundwater levels to plummet, sparking predictions Bangalore could be the first Indian city to run out of the water.

&quot;There is a severe scarcity of water here,&quot; said Nagraj, 30, who moved to the suburban neighbourhood of Panathur a decade ago and has seen it transformed by rampant construction.

&quot;The future will be very difficult. It is impossible to imagine how they will find water, how they will live. Even if we dig 1,500 feet (450 metres) down, we are not getting water.&quot;

Panathur lies next to Bangalore&#39;s biggest lake, Bellandur, which provides a poignant reminder that things weren&#39;t always like this.

Once known as India&#39;s garden city for its lush green parks, Bangalore was built around a series of lakes created to form rainwater reservoirs and prevent the precious resource from draining away.

Many have now been concreted over to build apartment blocks with names like Dream Acres and Strawberry Fields to house the workers who have flocked here during India&#39;s outsourcing boom.

Many of those that remain are heavily polluted. Bellandur has become so toxic it spontaneously catches fire, and emits clouds of white froth so large authorities have had to build barriers to keep it from spilling onto the road.

&quot;The city is dying,&quot; says TV&nbsp;Ramachandra, an ecologist with the Indian Institute of Science who has predicted the Karnataka state capital could be the first Indian city to follow Cape Town in running out of water.

&quot;If the current trend of growth and urbanisation is allowed (to continue), by 2020, 94 percent of the landscape will be concretised.&quot;

Already, more than half of Bangalore&#39;s estimated 10 million inhabitants have to rely on borewells and tankers for their water because there isn&#39;t enough mains supply to go round.

Most of the city&#39;s municipal water is supplied by the Cauvery river, whose waters flow through Karnataka and neighbouring Tamil Nadu state before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, and have been bitterly disputed for more than a century.

Two years ago, an order to release extra water from the river to ease a shortage threatening crops in Tamil Nadu sparked deadly protests in Bangalore that forced hundreds of companies to close.

Last month the Supreme Court stepped in, altering the river-sharing arrangement in Karnataka&#39;s favour citing Bangalore&#39;s dire need.Ecologist Ramachandra says Bangalore has enough annual rainfall to provide water for its estimated 10 million people without resorting to borewells or rivers -- if only it could harvest the resource more effectively.

&quot;If there is a water crisis, we should not think about river diversion. We should think about how to retain the water,&quot; he said, blaming &quot;fragmented, uncoordinated governance&quot; for the crisis.

As in the rest of India though, there is little incentive for citizens to save water.

Despite years of drought, the government still provides clean water to citizens at heavily subsidised rates and access to groundwater is largely unregulated.

&quot;In Bangalore 1,000 bottles of the cleanest treated water comes to our doorstep and we pay only six rupees (about nine cents)... the incentive is not there,&quot; says A.R. Shivakumar, a senior scientist with the Karnataka State Council of Science and Technology.

Despite this, Shivakumar and his family have not used a single drop of mains water in the 23 years they have lived at their home in Bangalore.

Instead they rely entirely on rainwater collected through gutters and stored in large tanks under the house, which Shivakumar designed with water efficiency in mind. Even the cement used to build it was made with recycled water.

His work setting up rainwater harvesting at bus stops, in slum housing and even along the city&#39;s metro system proved so effective that city authorities now require all new housing developments to have inbuilt systems.

&quot;This crisis will force everyone to take up measures like rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;The new generation have shown a lot of concern toward the environment and conservation measures. That will definitely take it forward. Awareness is already on the increase.&quot;

Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj's small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India's drought-stricken tech hub

Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj's small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India's drought-stricken tech hub. × Gleaming new apartment blocks are still springing up all over the city is known as India's Silicon Valley -- even though there is nowhere near enough mains water to supply those already living and working there. Many rely entirely on supplies shipped in by tankers filled from giant borewells that have caused groundwater levels to plummet, sparking predictions Bangalore could be the first Indian city to run out of the water. "There is a severe scarcity of water here," said Nagraj, 30, who moved to the suburban neighbourhood of Panathur a decade ago and has seen it transformed by rampant construction. "The future will be very difficult. It is impossible to imagine how they will find water, how they will live. Even if we dig 1,500 feet (450 metres) down, we are not getting water." Panathur lies next to Bangalore's biggest lake, Bellandur, which provides a poignant reminder that things weren't always like this. Once known as India's garden city for its lush green parks, Bangalore was built around a series of lakes created to form rainwater reservoirs and prevent the precious resource from draining away. Many have now been concreted over to build apartment blocks with names like Dream Acres and Strawberry Fields to house the workers who have flocked here during India's outsourcing boom. Many of those that remain are heavily polluted. Bellandur has become so toxic it spontaneously catches fire, and emits clouds of white froth so large authorities have had to build barriers to keep it from spilling onto the road. "The city is dying," says TV Ramachandra, an ecologist with the Indian Institute of Science who has predicted the Karnataka state capital could be the first Indian city to follow Cape Town in running out of water. "If the current trend of growth and urbanisation is allowed (to continue), by 2020, 94 percent of the landscape will be concretised." Already, more than half of Bangalore's estimated 10 million inhabitants have to rely on borewells and tankers for their water because there isn't enough mains supply to go round. Most of the city's municipal water is supplied by the Cauvery river, whose waters flow through Karnataka and neighbouring Tamil Nadu state before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, and have been bitterly disputed for more than a century. Two years ago, an order to release extra water from the river to ease a shortage threatening crops in Tamil Nadu sparked deadly protests in Bangalore that forced hundreds of companies to close. Last month the Supreme Court stepped in, altering the river-sharing arrangement in Karnataka's favour citing Bangalore's dire need.Ecologist Ramachandra says Bangalore has enough annual rainfall to provide water for its estimated 10 million people without resorting to borewells or rivers -- if only it could harvest the resource more effectively. "If there is a water crisis, we should not think about river diversion. We should think about how to retain the water," he said, blaming "fragmented, uncoordinated governance" for the crisis. As in the rest of India though, there is little incentive for citizens to save water. Despite years of drought, the government still provides clean water to citizens at heavily subsidised rates and access to groundwater is largely unregulated. "In Bangalore 1,000 bottles of the cleanest treated water comes to our doorstep and we pay only six rupees (about nine cents)... the incentive is not there," says A.R. Shivakumar, a senior scientist with the Karnataka State Council of Science and Technology. Despite this, Shivakumar and his family have not used a single drop of mains water in the 23 years they have lived at their home in Bangalore. Instead they rely entirely on rainwater collected through gutters and stored in large tanks under the house, which Shivakumar designed with water efficiency in mind. Even the cement used to build it was made with recycled water. His work setting up rainwater harvesting at bus stops, in slum housing and even along the city's metro system proved so effective that city authorities now require all new housing developments to have inbuilt systems. "This crisis will force everyone to take up measures like rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures," he told AFP. "The new generation have shown a lot of concern toward the environment and conservation measures. That will definitely take it forward. Awareness is already on the increase."

India's Silicon Valley faces man-made water crisis

A former Google engineer fired after he asserted in a memo that biological causes were behind tech industry gender inequality sued his former employer on Monday, saying he was discriminated against as a white man with conservative political views.&nbsp;

James Damore last year caused an uproar in Silicon Valley and beyond when he wrote the internal memo, which later became public. Google said he had perpetuated gender stereotypes and fired him in August.&nbsp;

In the months since his firing has become a popular cause among right-leaning US&nbsp;bloggers, and Damore hired a Republican Party official as his attorney.&nbsp;

Damore and another white male former Google engineer, David Gudeman, filed the lawsuit as a proposed class action in Santa Clara County Superior Court in California. The lawsuit alleges workplace discrimination and retaliation.&nbsp;

Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc based in Mountain View, California, said in a statement: &quot;We look forward to defending against Mr Damore`s lawsuit in court.&quot;&nbsp;

According to the lawsuit, the company has failed to protect employees, especially white men, from workplace harassment related to their support of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump or conservative political views.&nbsp;

&quot;Damore, Gudeman, and other class members were ostracized, belittled, and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males,&quot; the lawsuit said.&nbsp;

The lawsuit also accused Google of maintaining a secret blacklist of conservative media personalities who are not allowed inside the company&#39;s offices.&nbsp;

The lawsuit requested an injunction barring Google from discriminating against individuals with conservative political views, as well as for unspecified compensation.&nbsp;

Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said when Damore was fired that portions of his memo &quot;violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace.&quot;

Gudeman was fired in December 2016 after a confrontation with a Muslim coworker on an internal Google forum, according to the lawsuit.&nbsp;

The co-worker said on the forum that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had targeted him for being a Muslim, and he expressed worry about his personal safety, the lawsuit said. Gudeman responded with scepticism, saying the coworker had provided &quot;zero evidence&quot; for the claim and suggesting the FBI may have had justification.&nbsp;

A human resources employee later told Gudeman he had accused his coworker of terrorism based on religion, and that he was being fired as a result, the lawsuit said.

Google said James Damore had perpetuated gender stereotypes and fired him in August

A former Google engineer fired after he asserted in a memo that biological causes were behind tech industry gender inequality sued his former employer on Monday, saying he was discriminated against as a white man with conservative political views. James Damore last year caused an uproar in Silicon Valley and beyond when he wrote the internal memo, which later became public. Google said he had perpetuated gender stereotypes and fired him in August. In the months since his firing has become a popular cause among right-leaning US bloggers, and Damore hired a Republican Party official as his attorney. Damore and another white male former Google engineer, David Gudeman, filed the lawsuit as a proposed class action in Santa Clara County Superior Court in California. The lawsuit alleges workplace discrimination and retaliation. Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc based in Mountain View, California, said in a statement: "We look forward to defending against Mr Damore`s lawsuit in court." According to the lawsuit, the company has failed to protect employees, especially white men, from workplace harassment related to their support of US President Donald Trump or conservative political views. "Damore, Gudeman, and other class members were ostracized, belittled, and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also accused Google of maintaining a secret blacklist of conservative media personalities who are not allowed inside the company's offices. The lawsuit requested an injunction barring Google from discriminating against individuals with conservative political views, as well as for unspecified compensation. Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said when Damore was fired that portions of his memo "violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace." Gudeman was fired in December 2016 after a confrontation with a Muslim coworker on an internal Google forum, according to the lawsuit. The co-worker said on the forum that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had targeted him for being a Muslim, and he expressed worry about his personal safety, the lawsuit said. Gudeman responded with scepticism, saying the coworker had provided "zero evidence" for the claim and suggesting the FBI may have had justification. A human resources employee later told Gudeman he had accused his coworker of terrorism based on religion, and that he was being fired as a result, the lawsuit said.

Ex-Google engineer fired over gender memo sues for discrimination

Uber will defend its right to operate in London in a court hearing on Monday after the app was deemed unfit to run a taxi service and stripped of its licence in its most important European market.&nbsp;

Regulator Transport for London (TfL) shocked the Silicon Valley firm by rejecting its licence renewal bid in September, citing its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.&nbsp;

Uber&#39;s 40,000 drivers, representing around one in three of all private hire vehicles on the British capital`s roads, can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted, which could take years.&nbsp;

The legal battle pitches one of the world`s richest cities against a tech giant known for its forays into new markets around the world that have prompted bans, restrictions and protests, including by drivers of London`s famous black cabs.

Uber`s lawyers will begin their appeal at Westminster Magistrates` Court on Monday, in what is expected to be a largely administrative hearing designed to set a date for a fuller hearing next year. 
Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi has apologised to Londoners and met TfL Commissioner Mike Brown in October for what both sides described as constructive talks.&nbsp;

Brown told Reuters in November that &quot;there are some discussions going on to make sure they are compliant.&quot;&nbsp;

Months of legal wrangling are likely unless the Silicon Valley app, valued at around $70 billion with investors including Goldman Sachs, can come to a new arrangement with the regulator.&nbsp;

&quot;We continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London in order to resolve this,&quot; an Uber spokesman said ahead of the hearing. &quot;As our new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said, we are determined to make things right.&quot;

Losing its London licence was just one of many blows to Uber this year as a stream of executives left amid controversies involving allegations of sexual harassment and issues surrounding data privacy and business practices.

In Britain, Uber is looking to appoint a new boss after Jo Bertram announced her departure less than two weeks after London`s decision.

It also faces potential problems in the northern English city of Sheffield where its licence has been suspended and in Brighton, southern England, where local officials extended the firm`s licence for only six months to give them more time to consider the outcome of the dispute in London.&nbsp;

Uber`s 40,000 drivers can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted

Uber will defend its right to operate in London in a court hearing on Monday after the app was deemed unfit to run a taxi service and stripped of its licence in its most important European market. Regulator Transport for London (TfL) shocked the Silicon Valley firm by rejecting its licence renewal bid in September, citing its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers. Uber's 40,000 drivers, representing around one in three of all private hire vehicles on the British capital`s roads, can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted, which could take years. The legal battle pitches one of the world`s richest cities against a tech giant known for its forays into new markets around the world that have prompted bans, restrictions and protests, including by drivers of London`s famous black cabs. Uber`s lawyers will begin their appeal at Westminster Magistrates` Court on Monday, in what is expected to be a largely administrative hearing designed to set a date for a fuller hearing next year. Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi has apologised to Londoners and met TfL Commissioner Mike Brown in October for what both sides described as constructive talks. Brown told Reuters in November that "there are some discussions going on to make sure they are compliant." Months of legal wrangling are likely unless the Silicon Valley app, valued at around $70 billion with investors including Goldman Sachs, can come to a new arrangement with the regulator. "We continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London in order to resolve this," an Uber spokesman said ahead of the hearing. "As our new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said, we are determined to make things right." Losing its London licence was just one of many blows to Uber this year as a stream of executives left amid controversies involving allegations of sexual harassment and issues surrounding data privacy and business practices. In Britain, Uber is looking to appoint a new boss after Jo Bertram announced her departure less than two weeks after London`s decision. It also faces potential problems in the northern English city of Sheffield where its licence has been suspended and in Brighton, southern England, where local officials extended the firm`s licence for only six months to give them more time to consider the outcome of the dispute in London.

Uber heads to London court to fight regulation, drivers can continue taking passengers

Bangalore, Silicon Valley of India, now known as Bengaluru has emerged as the best host among 45 cities of the world for digital hosting of businesses.

Bengaluru is rated highest for the digital environment of people, skills, financial environment, innovation and entrepreneurship, new technology development, and ICT infrastructure, according to a report from The Economist, published on Tuesday.

&ldquo;India&rsquo;s cities may suffer from infrastructure deficits, pollution, poverty and other ills, but when it comes to the environment for digital transformation, their executives are remarkably optimistic&quot;, the report said.

San Francisco came in the second followed by Mumbai and New Delhi, while Tokyo, Yokohama, and Berlin were at the bottom.

Citing a case study in digital security, the report&nbsp;mentioned that it was surprising to see train riders in San Francisco were unable to pay their fares, hackers had attacked the system&#39;s computers, encrypting all its data, and were demanding a ransom to return it.

The report has taken&nbsp;into consideration four broad parametres to rank cities: digital security, health security, infrastructure security&nbsp;and personal security.

Top 10 cities on the list of 45 were Bengaluru, San Francisco, Mumbai, New Delhi, Beijing, Manila, Shanghai, Jakarta, London, and Madrid.

The Economist surveyed, 2,620 executives across the 45 cities in June and July, in partnership with telecommunications firm Telstra Corp.&nbsp;

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Bangalore, Silicon Valley of India, now known as Bengaluru has emerged as the best host among 45 cities of the world for digital hosting of businesses?

Bangalore, Silicon Valley of India, now known as Bengaluru has emerged as the best host among 45 cities of the world for digital hosting of businesses. Bengaluru is rated highest for the digital environment of people, skills, financial environment, innovation and entrepreneurship, new technology development, and ICT infrastructure, according to a report from The Economist, published on Tuesday. “India’s cities may suffer from infrastructure deficits, pollution, poverty and other ills, but when it comes to the environment for digital transformation, their executives are remarkably optimistic", the report said. San Francisco came in the second followed by Mumbai and New Delhi, while Tokyo, Yokohama, and Berlin were at the bottom. Citing a case study in digital security, the report mentioned that it was surprising to see train riders in San Francisco were unable to pay their fares, hackers had attacked the system's computers, encrypting all its data, and were demanding a ransom to return it. The report has taken into consideration four broad parametres to rank cities: digital security, health security, infrastructure security and personal security. Top 10 cities on the list of 45 were Bengaluru, San Francisco, Mumbai, New Delhi, Beijing, Manila, Shanghai, Jakarta, London, and Madrid. The Economist surveyed, 2,620 executives across the 45 cities in June and July, in partnership with telecommunications firm Telstra Corp.

Bengaluru beats San Francisco to emerge on top in 'best digital environment' survey

Five years ago, Silicon Valley was rocked by a wave of &ldquo;<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/media/2012/04/silicon-valley-brogrammer-culture-sexist-sxsw/">brogrammer</a>&rdquo; bad behavior, when overfunded, highly entitled, mostly white and male startup founders did things that were juvenile, out of line and just plain stupid. Most of these activities &ndash; such as putting pornography into PowerPoint slides &ndash; revolved around the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/07/tech/web/brogrammers/index.html">explicit or implied devaluation and harassment</a> of women and the assumption that heterosexual men&rsquo;s privilege could or should define the workplace. The recent &ldquo;<a href="https://gizmodo.com/exclusive-heres-the-full-10-page-anti-diversity-screed-1797564320">memo</a>&rdquo; scandal out of Google shows how far we have yet to go.

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It may be that more established and successful companies don&rsquo;t make job applicants deal with <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/media/2012/04/silicon-valley-brogrammer-culture-sexist-sxsw/">&ldquo;bikini shots&rdquo; and &ldquo;gangbang interviews.&rdquo;</a> But even the tech giants foster an environment where heteronormativity and male privilege is so rampant that an engineer could feel comfortable <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586-Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.html">writing and distributing a screed</a> that effectively harassed all of his women co-workers en masse.

This is a pity, because tech companies say they want to change this culture. This summer, I gave a talk at Google UK about my work as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/memo-to-the-google-memo-writer-women-were-foundational-to-the-field-of-computing/2017/08/09/76da1886-7d0e-11e7-a669-b400c5c7e1cc_story.html">historian of technology and gender</a>. I thought my talk might help change people&rsquo;s minds about women in computing, and might even help women and <a href="http://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-non-binary-gender">nonbinary</a> folks working at Google now. Still, the irony was strong: I was visiting a multibillion-dollar tech company to talk about how women are undervalued in tech, for free.

Facing common fears

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I went to Google UK with significant trepidation. I was going to talk about the subject of my upcoming book, &ldquo;<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/programmed-inequality" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Programmed Inequality</a>,&rdquo; about how <a href="http://listen.datasociety.net/care-failure-british-computing-industry/" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">women got pushed out of computing</a> in the U.K. In the 1940s through the early 1960s, most British <a href="http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/researcher-reveals-how-%E2%80%9Ccomputer-geeks%E2%80%9D-replaced-%E2%80%9Ccomputergirls%E2%80%9D" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">computer workers were women</a>, but over the course of the &rsquo;60&rsquo;s and &rsquo;70&rsquo;s their numbers dropped as women were subjected to <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/blog/hidden-figures-british-computer-industry" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">intentional structural discrimination</a> designed to push them out of the field. That didn&rsquo;t just hurt the women, either &ndash; it <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/memo-to-the-google-memo-writer-women-were-foundational-to-the-field-of-computing/2017/08/09/76da1886-7d0e-11e7-a669-b400c5c7e1cc_story.html" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">torpedoed</a> the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2003/may/29/onlinesupplement.columnists" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">once-promising British computing industry</a>.

In the worst-case scenario, I imagined my talk would end with a question-and-answer period in which I would be asked to face exactly the points the Google manifesto made. It&rsquo;s happened before &ndash; <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/anita-sarkeesian-gamergate-interview-20141017">and not just to me</a> &ndash; so I have years of practice dealing with harsh critics and tough audiences, both <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/fionarutherford/people-are-fighting-against-stereotypes-in-academia-with-ilo">in the classroom and outside of it</a>.

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As a result of that experience, I know how to handle situations like that. But it&rsquo;s more than just disheartening to have my work misunderstood. I have felt firsthand the damage the phenomenon called &ldquo;<a href="http://www.apa.org/research/action/stereotype.aspx">stereotype threat</a>&rdquo; can wreak on women: Being assumed to be inferior can make a person not only feel inferior, but actually <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/opinion/sunday/intelligence-and-the-stereotype-threat.html">subconsciously do things</a> that confirm their own supposed lesser worth. For instance, women students <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1131100">do measurably worse on math exams</a> after reading articles that suggest women are ill-suited to study math. (A related phenomenon, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/your-money/learning-to-deal-with-the-impostor-syndrome.html?_r=0">impostor syndrome</a>, <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/why-do-some-academics-feel-like-frauds/2010238.article">runs rampant through academia</a>.)

A surprising reaction

As it happened, the audience was familiar with, and interested in, my work. I was impressed and delighted with the caliber and thoughtfulness of the questions I got. But one question stood out. It seemed like the perfect example of how the culture of the tech industry is so badly broken today that it destroys or significantly hinders much of its talent pool, inflicting stereotype threat on them in large numbers.

A Google engineer asked if I thought that women&rsquo;s biological differences made them innately less likely to be good engineers. I replied in the negative, firmly stating that this kind of pseudoscientific evolutional psychology has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(76)90019-6">proven incorrect</a> <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/08/08/the-ugly-pseudoscientific-history-behind-that-sexist-google-manifesto/">at every turn</a> by history, and that biological determinism was a dangerous cudgel that had been used to deprive <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/books/review/a-history-of-race-and-racism-in-america-in-24-chapters.html?_r=0">black people</a>, <a href="http://www.nwhp.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/detailed-timeline/">women</a> and <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/roots/overview.html">many others</a> of their civil rights &ndash; and even their lives &ndash; for centuries.

The engineer posing this question was a woman. She said she felt she was unusual because she thought she had less <a href="http://www.danielgoleman.info/topics/emotional-intelligence/">emotional intelligence</a> and more intellectual intelligence than most other women, and those abilities let her do her job better. She wondered if most women were doomed to fail. She spoke with the uncertainty of someone who has been <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/04/429362127/sexist-reactions-to-an-ad-spark-ilooklikeanengineer-campaign">told repeatedly</a> that &ldquo;normal&rdquo; women aren&rsquo;t supposed to do what she does, or be who she is.

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I tried to empathize with her, and to make my answer firm but not dismissive. This is how <a href="http://s3.computerhistory.org/core/core-2016.pdf#page=30">structural discrimination</a> works: It seeps into all of us, and we are barely conscious of it. If we do not constantly guard ourselves against its insidious effects &ndash; if we do not have the tools to do so, the courage to speak out, and the ability to understand when it is explained to us &ndash; it can turn us into ever worse versions of ourselves. We can become the versions that the negative stereotypes expect. But the bigger problem is that it doesn&rsquo;t end at the level of the individual.

A problem of structure

These misapprehensions bleed into every aspect of our institutions, which then in turn nurture and (often unwittingly) propagate them further. That was what happened when <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586-Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.html">the Google manifesto emerged</a>, and in the media frenzy that followed.

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That the manifesto was taken as a potentially interesting or illustrative opinion says something not just about Silicon Valley, but about the political moment in which we find ourselves. The media is complicit too: Some media treated it as noteworthy <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/09/dreadful_people_the_google_manifesto_pulled_out_of_woodwork/?page=3">only for its shock value</a>. And others, rather than identifying the screed as an example of the writer&rsquo;s misogyny, lack of historical understanding, and indeed &ndash; as <a href="https://medium.com/@yonatanzunger/so-about-this-googlers-manifesto-1e3773ed1788">some computer professionals have pointed out</a> &ndash; lack of understanding of the field of engineering, handled the document as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/09/google-fired-engineer-gender-sexism-conservative-reaction">think piece deserving consideration and discussion</a>.

The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/heres-why-im-not-reading-the-google-employees-anti_us_598a05f5e4b08a4c247f262d">many people</a> who said openly and loudly that it was <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143285-memo-to-all-tech-bros-sexism-not-biology-holds-women-back/">nothing of the sort</a> are to be commended. But the fact that they had to waste time even addressing it shows how much <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/programmed-inequality">damage casual, unreflective sexism and misogyny</a> do to every aspect of our society and our economy.

The corporate response

Google, for its part, has now <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2017/08/07/a-googlers-manifesto-is-the-hr-departments-worst-nightmare/">fired the writer</a>, an expected move after the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/08/08/techs-sexism-doesnt-stay-in-silicon-valley-its-in-the-products-you-use/">bad publicity</a> he has helped rain down on the company. But Google has also &ndash; and in the very same week that I gave my talk there &ndash; <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/07/google-pay-disparities-women-labor-department-lawsuit">refused to comply</a> with a U.S. Department of Justice order to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/dol-google-pay-discrimination/522411/">provide statistics on how it paid its women workers</a> in comparison to men. The company claims that it might cost an estimated US$100,000 to compile that data, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/26/google-gender-discrimination-case-salary-records">complains</a> that it&rsquo;s too high a cost for their multibillion dollar corporation to bear.

The company will not expend a pittance &ndash; especially in relation to <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/alphabet-earnings-keep-google-investors-in-dark-2017-07-24">its earnings</a> &ndash; to work to correct allegedly egregious gender-biased salary disparities. Is it any surprise that some of its employees &ndash; both men and women &ndash; view women&rsquo;s contributions, and their very identities, as being <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/08/08/google-gender-struggle-tech/">somehow less inherently valuable</a> or well suited to tech? Or that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/why-is-silicon-valley-so-awful-to-women/517788/">many more silently believe it</a>, almost in spite of themselves?

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<h5>At a time when technology and governance are increasingly converging to define who we are as a nation, we are living through a perfect &ndash; if terrifying &ndash; teachable moment.</h5>
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<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/82236/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />People take cues from our institutions. Our governments, corporations, universities and news media <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/MAHC.2013.3">shape our understandings and expectations of ourselves</a> in ways we can only partially understand without intense and sustained self-reflection. For the U.K. in the 20th century, that collective, institutional self-awareness <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/review-programmed-inequality-marie-hicks-mit-press">came far too late to save its tech sector</a>. Let&rsquo;s hope the U.S. in the 21st century learns something from that history. At a time when technology and governance are increasingly converging to define who we are as a nation, we are living through a perfect &ndash; if terrifying &ndash; teachable moment.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-google-gender-manifesto-really-says-about-silicon-valley-82236">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Today tech industry is significantly destroying its talent pool by sidelining women.

Five years ago, Silicon Valley was rocked by a wave of “brogrammer” bad behavior, when overfunded, highly entitled, mostly white and male startup founders did things that were juvenile, out of line and just plain stupid. Most of these activities – such as putting pornography into PowerPoint slides – revolved around the explicit or implied devaluation and harassment of women and the assumption that heterosexual men’s privilege could or should define the workplace. The recent “memo” scandal out of Google shows how far we have yet to go. The tech giants foster an environment where heteronormativity and male privilege is so rampant that an engineer could feel comfortable writing and distributing a screed that effectively harassed all of his women co-workers en masse. × It may be that more established and successful companies don’t make job applicants deal with “bikini shots” and “gangbang interviews.” But even the tech giants foster an environment where heteronormativity and male privilege is so rampant that an engineer could feel comfortable writing and distributing a screed that effectively harassed all of his women co-workers en masse. This is a pity, because tech companies say they want to change this culture. This summer, I gave a talk at Google UK about my work as a historian of technology and gender. I thought my talk might help change people’s minds about women in computing, and might even help women and nonbinary folks working at Google now. Still, the irony was strong: I was visiting a multibillion-dollar tech company to talk about how women are undervalued in tech, for free. Facing common fears In the 1940s through the early 1960s, most British computer workers were women, but over the course of the ’60’s and ’70’s their numbers dropped as women were subjected to intentional structural discrimination designed to push them out of the field. × I went to Google UK with significant trepidation. I was going to talk about the subject of my upcoming book, “Programmed Inequality,” about how women got pushed out of computing in the U.K. In the 1940s through the early 1960s, most British computer workers were women, but over the course of the ’60’s and ’70’s their numbers dropped as women were subjected to intentional structural discrimination designed to push them out of the field. That didn’t just hurt the women, either – it torpedoed the once-promising British computing industry. In the worst-case scenario, I imagined my talk would end with a question-and-answer period in which I would be asked to face exactly the points the Google manifesto made. It’s happened before – and not just to me – so I have years of practice dealing with harsh critics and tough audiences, both in the classroom and outside of it. Being assumed to be inferior can make a person not only feel inferior, but actually subconsciously do things that confirm their own supposed lesser worth. × As a result of that experience, I know how to handle situations like that. But it’s more than just disheartening to have my work misunderstood. I have felt firsthand the damage the phenomenon called “stereotype threat” can wreak on women: Being assumed to be inferior can make a person not only feel inferior, but actually subconsciously do things that confirm their own supposed lesser worth. For instance, women students do measurably worse on math exams after reading articles that suggest women are ill-suited to study math. (A related phenomenon, impostor syndrome, runs rampant through academia.) A surprising reaction As it happened, the audience was familiar with, and interested in, my work. I was impressed and delighted with the caliber and thoughtfulness of the questions I got. But one question stood out. It seemed like the perfect example of how the culture of the tech industry is so badly broken today that it destroys or significantly hinders much of its talent pool, inflicting stereotype threat on them in large numbers. A Google engineer asked if I thought that women’s biological differences made them innately less likely to be good engineers. I replied in the negative, firmly stating that this kind of pseudoscientific evolutional psychology has been proven incorrect at every turn by history, and that biological determinism was a dangerous cudgel that had been used to deprive black people, women and many others of their civil rights – and even their lives – for centuries. The engineer posing this question was a woman. She said she felt she was unusual because she thought she had less emotional intelligence and more intellectual intelligence than most other women, and those abilities let her do her job better. She wondered if most women were doomed to fail. She spoke with the uncertainty of someone who has been told repeatedly that “normal” women aren’t supposed to do what she does, or be who she is. This is how structural discrimination works: It seeps into all of us, and we are barely conscious of it. × I tried to empathize with her, and to make my answer firm but not dismissive. This is how structural discrimination works: It seeps into all of us, and we are barely conscious of it. If we do not constantly guard ourselves against its insidious effects – if we do not have the tools to do so, the courage to speak out, and the ability to understand when it is explained to us – it can turn us into ever worse versions of ourselves. We can become the versions that the negative stereotypes expect. But the bigger problem is that it doesn’t end at the level of the individual. A problem of structure These misapprehensions bleed into every aspect of our institutions, which then in turn nurture and (often unwittingly) propagate them further. That was what happened when the Google manifesto emerged, and in the media frenzy that followed. Illustrative opinion says something not just about Silicon Valley, but about the political moment in which we find ourselves. × That the manifesto was taken as a potentially interesting or illustrative opinion says something not just about Silicon Valley, but about the political moment in which we find ourselves. The media is complicit too: Some media treated it as noteworthy only for its shock value. And others, rather than identifying the screed as an example of the writer’s misogyny, lack of historical understanding, and indeed – as some computer professionals have pointed out – lack of understanding of the field of engineering, handled the document as a think piece deserving consideration and discussion. The many people who said openly and loudly that it was nothing of the sort are to be commended. But the fact that they had to waste time even addressing it shows how much damage casual, unreflective sexism and misogyny do to every aspect of our society and our economy. The corporate response Google, for its part, has now fired the writer, an expected move after the bad publicity he has helped rain down on the company. But Google has also – and in the very same week that I gave my talk there – refused to comply with a U.S. Department of Justice order to provide statistics on how it paid its women workers in comparison to men. The company claims that it might cost an estimated US$100,000 to compile that data, and complains that it’s too high a cost for their multibillion dollar corporation to bear. The company will not expend a pittance – especially in relation to its earnings – to work to correct allegedly egregious gender-biased salary disparities. Is it any surprise that some of its employees – both men and women – view women’s contributions, and their very identities, as being somehow less inherently valuable or well suited to tech? Or that many more silently believe it, almost in spite of themselves? At a time when technology and governance are increasingly converging to define who we are as a nation, we are living through a perfect – if terrifying – teachable moment. × People take cues from our institutions. Our governments, corporations, universities and news media shape our understandings and expectations of ourselves in ways we can only partially understand without intense and sustained self-reflection. For the U.K. in the 20th century, that collective, institutional self-awareness came far too late to save its tech sector. Let’s hope the U.S. in the 21st century learns something from that history. At a time when technology and governance are increasingly converging to define who we are as a nation, we are living through a perfect – if terrifying – teachable moment. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

What the Google gender 'manifesto' really says about Silicon Valley

The shortage of housing in California&#39;s Silicon Valley has got&nbsp;so severe that Facebook has proposed taking homebuilding into its own hands for the first time with a plan to construct 1,500 units near its headquarters.

The growth of Facebook, Alphabet&#39;s Google and other tech companies have strained neighbourhoods in the San Francisco Bay area that were not prepared for an influx of tens of thousands of workers during the past decade as a result home prices and commute times have risen.

Tech companies have responded with measures such as internet-equipped buses for employees with long commutes. Facebook has offered at least $10,000 in incentives to workers who move closer to its offices.

Those steps, though, have not reduced complaints that tech companies are making communities unaffordable, and they have mostly failed to address the area&#39;s housing shortage.

&#39;The problem with Silicon Valley is you don&#39;t have enough supply to keep up with the demand,&#39; said Sam Khater, deputy chief economist at real estate research firm CoreLogic.

With Facebook&#39;s construction plan, the company said it wanted to invest in Menlo Park, the city some 45 miles (72 km) south of San Francisco where it moved in 2011.

The company said it wants to build a &#39;village&#39; that will also have 1.75 million square feet of office space and 125,000 square feet of retail space.

&#39;Part of our vision is to create a neighbourhood centre that provides long-needed community services,&#39; John Tenanes, Facebook&#39;s vice president for global facilities, said.

The 1,500 Facebook housing units would be open to anyone, not just employees, and 15 per cent of them would be offered at below market rates, the company said.

Facebook said it expects the review process to take two years.

Alphabet has taken a smaller step, buying 300 modular apartment units for short-term employee housing, the Wall Street Journal reported last month.

Menlo Park Mayor Kirsten Keith said in an interview that there were concerns about whether the Facebook plan would increase traffic, a subject the city&#39;s planning department would study.

She said, though, that Facebook&#39;s plan fits with the city&#39;s own long-term plan for development, and that the city was excited about the additional housing.

Facebook&#39;s Tenanes said the density of the proposed development could also entice spending on transit projects.

&nbsp;

The growth of Facebook, Alphabet's Google and other tech companies have strained neighbourhoods in the San Francisco Bay area

The shortage of housing in California's Silicon Valley has got so severe that Facebook has proposed taking homebuilding into its own hands for the first time with a plan to construct 1,500 units near its headquarters. The growth of Facebook, Alphabet's Google and other tech companies have strained neighbourhoods in the San Francisco Bay area that were not prepared for an influx of tens of thousands of workers during the past decade as a result home prices and commute times have risen. Tech companies have responded with measures such as internet-equipped buses for employees with long commutes. Facebook has offered at least $10,000 in incentives to workers who move closer to its offices. Those steps, though, have not reduced complaints that tech companies are making communities unaffordable, and they have mostly failed to address the area's housing shortage. 'The problem with Silicon Valley is you don't have enough supply to keep up with the demand,' said Sam Khater, deputy chief economist at real estate research firm CoreLogic. With Facebook's construction plan, the company said it wanted to invest in Menlo Park, the city some 45 miles (72 km) south of San Francisco where it moved in 2011. The company said it wants to build a 'village' that will also have 1.75 million square feet of office space and 125,000 square feet of retail space. 'Part of our vision is to create a neighbourhood centre that provides long-needed community services,' John Tenanes, Facebook's vice president for global facilities, said. The 1,500 Facebook housing units would be open to anyone, not just employees, and 15 per cent of them would be offered at below market rates, the company said. Facebook said it expects the review process to take two years. Alphabet has taken a smaller step, buying 300 modular apartment units for short-term employee housing, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. Menlo Park Mayor Kirsten Keith said in an interview that there were concerns about whether the Facebook plan would increase traffic, a subject the city's planning department would study. She said, though, that Facebook's plan fits with the city's own long-term plan for development, and that the city was excited about the additional housing. Facebook's Tenanes said the density of the proposed development could also entice spending on transit projects.

Now, Facebook mulls building houses in Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley startup Stripe has partnered with digital payment providers Alipay and WeChat Pay to enable merchants using its platform globally to accept payments from hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers.

The partnerships will allow online merchants using Stripe to integrate the ability for Chinese users to pay with Alipay and WeChat Pay on their websites.

Stripe hopes the integration will help boost its revenues by allowing clients to tap China&#39;s vast consumer market, where credit cards account for only a fraction of online spending.

Alipay is the flagship payment service of Ant Financial, the financial affiliate of major Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group and has over 520 million users. WeChat Pay has more than 600 million users and is the payment app of entertainment and social network firm Tencent Holdings.

&#39;If you are an internet business this unlocks a new vast customer base,&#39; John Collison, Stripe&#39;s president, and co-founder said in an interview. In turn, Chinese consumers will have expanded choice as to which international online merchants they can purchase products and services from, he added.

Founded by brothers John and Patrick Collison in 2010, Stripe provides technology that enables merchants in 25 countries to accept payments online. It charges a fee on each payments transactions processed through its platform.

&#39;If we can help a business double their sales, then it doubles our revenue from that business,&#39;Collison said.

The partnership coincides with the company&#39;s launch in Hong Kong.

One of the most valuable venture-backed financial technology companies globally, Stripe has risen in popularity among software developers and online merchants because of its ease of use.

It is among the cohort of young fintech companies seeking to reinvent the payments landscape by taking better advantage of digital technologies to offer more user-friendly financial services and products.

It had previously partnered with Alipay to enable only the US merchants on its platform to integrate the Chinese payment service. The new global partnership builds on that experience.

&#39;Demand for services from Chinese consumers is at all-time high,&#39; Souheil Badran, president of Alipay for North America, said in an interview. The new partnerships will connect them to hundreds of thousands of Stripe-powered businesses around the world, he added.

The alliance will enable merchants using its platform globally to accept payments from hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers

Silicon Valley startup Stripe has partnered with digital payment providers Alipay and WeChat Pay to enable merchants using its platform globally to accept payments from hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers. The partnerships will allow online merchants using Stripe to integrate the ability for Chinese users to pay with Alipay and WeChat Pay on their websites. Stripe hopes the integration will help boost its revenues by allowing clients to tap China's vast consumer market, where credit cards account for only a fraction of online spending. Alipay is the flagship payment service of Ant Financial, the financial affiliate of major Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group and has over 520 million users. WeChat Pay has more than 600 million users and is the payment app of entertainment and social network firm Tencent Holdings. 'If you are an internet business this unlocks a new vast customer base,' John Collison, Stripe's president, and co-founder said in an interview. In turn, Chinese consumers will have expanded choice as to which international online merchants they can purchase products and services from, he added. Founded by brothers John and Patrick Collison in 2010, Stripe provides technology that enables merchants in 25 countries to accept payments online. It charges a fee on each payments transactions processed through its platform. 'If we can help a business double their sales, then it doubles our revenue from that business,'Collison said. The partnership coincides with the company's launch in Hong Kong. One of the most valuable venture-backed financial technology companies globally, Stripe has risen in popularity among software developers and online merchants because of its ease of use. It is among the cohort of young fintech companies seeking to reinvent the payments landscape by taking better advantage of digital technologies to offer more user-friendly financial services and products. It had previously partnered with Alipay to enable only the US merchants on its platform to integrate the Chinese payment service. The new global partnership builds on that experience. 'Demand for services from Chinese consumers is at all-time high,' Souheil Badran, president of Alipay for North America, said in an interview. The new partnerships will connect them to hundreds of thousands of Stripe-powered businesses around the world, he added.

Stripe strikes global partnerships with China's Alipay, WeChat Pay

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing a rift, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are making efforts to convince co-founder member Kumar Vishwas, who had hinted at breaking up from the party here.

&quot;Kumar Vishwas is an integral part of our movement. He has some grudges and I am sure we will convince him,&quot; Kejriwal said after a late night meeting on Tuesday.

The Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister went to Vishwas&#39; residence in Ghaziabad to hold talks with him.

Earlier on Tuesday,&nbsp;Vishwas accused the AAP leaders of conspiring against him.

&quot;The things Amanatullah has said about me, if he had said the same for Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, he would have been thrown out of the party in 10 minutes. But he had said such thing so many times, yet he wasn&#39;t ousted,&quot; Vishwas told the media here.

&quot;Amanatullah is just a mask; someone else is speaking behind his mask. I would appeal to them to not go against me as I had once put up posters for AAP and defended them,&quot; he added.

He said that he will not compromise with his principles and soon take a call on his future action.

&quot;Will not keep silent on the mistakes of the AAP party,&quot; said Vishwas, adding, &quot;I&#39;m not interested in becoming the Chief Minister ever&quot;.

He clarified that he will not join any political party.

Earlier, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan had asserted that Vishwas was &#39;planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)&#39;.

Amanatullah yesterday resigned from the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members with Kumar Vishwas conspicuously absent. 
 
(ANI)

The aim is to forge new partnerships, cooperate with venture-capital companies and invest in new companies

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing a rift, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are making efforts to convince co-founder member Kumar Vishwas, who had hinted at breaking up from the party here. "Kumar Vishwas is an integral part of our movement. He has some grudges and I am sure we will convince him," Kejriwal said after a late night meeting on Tuesday. The Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister went to Vishwas' residence in Ghaziabad to hold talks with him. Earlier on Tuesday, Vishwas accused the AAP leaders of conspiring against him. "The things Amanatullah has said about me, if he had said the same for Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, he would have been thrown out of the party in 10 minutes. But he had said such thing so many times, yet he wasn't ousted," Vishwas told the media here. "Amanatullah is just a mask; someone else is speaking behind his mask. I would appeal to them to not go against me as I had once put up posters for AAP and defended them," he added. He said that he will not compromise with his principles and soon take a call on his future action. "Will not keep silent on the mistakes of the AAP party," said Vishwas, adding, "I'm not interested in becoming the Chief Minister ever". He clarified that he will not join any political party. Earlier, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan had asserted that Vishwas was 'planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'. Amanatullah yesterday resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members with Kumar Vishwas conspicuously absent. (ANI)

Porsche opens digital centre in Silicon Valley

Donald Trump&rsquo;s top aide Steve Bannon had last year voiced his concern about most US-based tech companies being headed by people from South Asia or Asia.&nbsp;

Bannon was found expressing his concern&nbsp;during an interview with Donald Trump last year while he was still heading Breitbart News, a website and voice for the alt-right movement.

Washington Post put up the interview again as calls urging Trump to drop far-right advisor Bannon from his White House team has gained traction.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/5854c606-ab89-11e6-8f19-21a1c65d2043" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe>Talking about skilled foreign labour, Trump during the interview had said, &ldquo;We&#39;ve gotta be able to keep great people in the country. We&#39;ve gotta create, you know, job creators... We have to keep our talented people in this country.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
However, Bannon disagreed with Trump&rsquo;s suggestion and expressed his concern over too many Asian CEOs leading tech companies in the US.

&ldquo;When two-thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia... &rdquo; said Bannon, leaving the sentence unfinished. &ldquo;A country is more than an economy. We&rsquo;re a civic society,&rdquo; added Bannon.

Bannon also suggested during the interview that foreign students should go back to their respective countries after finishing their schooling in the US.

Drop Bannon, Sanders urges Trump

Senior democrat Bernie Sanders on Wednesday urged Donald Trump to rescind his controversial appointment of Steve Bannon as chief White House strategist.

The president-elect&#39;s choice of Bannon - chair of the pro-Trump news platform Breitbart and a key figure in his victorious election campaign - has whipped up a chorus of protests to which Sanders forcefully added his voice.

Trump&#39;s camp, however, rejects any suggestion that Bannon is a bigoted extremist, saying critics should look at his full resume.

(WION)

The newly-installed White House strategist had last year voiced his concern about the number of foreigners working in the US

Donald Trump’s top aide Steve Bannon had last year voiced his concern about most US-based tech companies being headed by people from South Asia or Asia. Bannon was found expressing his concern during an interview with Donald Trump last year while he was still heading Breitbart News, a website and voice for the alt-right movement. Washington Post put up the interview again as calls urging Trump to drop far-right advisor Bannon from his White House team has gained traction. Talking about skilled foreign labour, Trump during the interview had said, “We've gotta be able to keep great people in the country. We've gotta create, you know, job creators... We have to keep our talented people in this country." However, Bannon disagreed with Trump’s suggestion and expressed his concern over too many Asian CEOs leading tech companies in the US. “When two-thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia... ” said Bannon, leaving the sentence unfinished. “A country is more than an economy. We’re a civic society,” added Bannon. Bannon also suggested during the interview that foreign students should go back to their respective countries after finishing their schooling in the US. Drop Bannon, Sanders urges Trump Senior democrat Bernie Sanders on Wednesday urged Donald Trump to rescind his controversial appointment of Steve Bannon as chief White House strategist. The president-elect's choice of Bannon - chair of the pro-Trump news platform Breitbart and a key figure in his victorious election campaign - has whipped up a chorus of protests to which Sanders forcefully added his voice. Trump's camp, however, rejects any suggestion that Bannon is a bigoted extremist, saying critics should look at his full resume. (WION)

Too many Asian CEOs in Silicon Valley affecting US society, suggests Steve Bannon

Tesla Motors Inc reported a steeper than expected quarter loss on Wednesday on higher spending at its vehicle and battery factories&nbsp;and said adjusted profitability could be within sight if the company meets its delivery goals.&nbsp; 
 
The 13th straight quarterly loss for the Silicon Valley electric carmaker underscores the financial hurdles that hamper it while it takes on increasingly ambitious goals - a ten-fold ramp of vehicle production in three years and the recent plan to acquire solar panel installer, SolarCity Corp. 
 
Tesla, led by entrepreneur Elon Musk, said it was still on track to deliver about 50,000 new Model S and Model X vehicles during the second half of 2016, and reiterated that it would spend $2.25 billion in capital expenditures in 2016 to prepare for its upcoming Model 3 sedan. 
 
If the company can fulfil those production and delivery goals in the second half of the year, &quot;we`ve got a great chance of being non-GAAP profitable,&quot; chief financial officer Jason Wheeler told analysts on a conference call without specifying a time period. 
 
Tesla reported its first-ever quarterly profit in 2013. 
 
Shares of the company, which had acquired SolarCity for $2.6 billion, were little changed in after-hours trading. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s no doubt Tesla will remain the category leader as electric vehicles become increasingly mainstream, but it could be years before the bottom line justifies any investment in Tesla other than a purely speculative one,&quot; said James Brumley, InvestorPlace.com analyst. 
 
Tesla reported last month it had missed its vehicle delivery target for the second consecutive quarter, raising doubts it would hit its annual target. But Tesla could end the year just shy of its original delivery target of 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles for 2016 if it delivers 50,000 cars in the second half of 2016. 
 
&quot;We were in production hell for the first six months of the year,&quot; Musk told analysts during a conference call. &quot;Man, it was hell. And we managed to climb out of hell partway through June and now the production line is humming and our suppliers mostly have their shit together.&quot; 
 
Musk warned he would fire suppliers and reorganize internal teams who fail to meet a target date of July 1 to begin production of the Model 3, even while acknowledging it will not be possible to meet that date.&nbsp; 
 
The company said it planned to open a new store every four days on average for the rest of the year, including in Taipei, Seoul and Mexico City, but did not disclose the cost. 
 
Excluding items, Tesla lost $1.06 per share in the three months ended June 30, wider than analysts&#39; expected loss of 52 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.&nbsp; 
 
Tesla said its net quarterly loss widened to $293.2 million, or $2.09 per share, from $184.2 million, or $1.45 per share, a year earlier. Total revenue rose 33 per cent to $1.27 billion. 
 
Tesla said gross margins will improve by 2-3 percentage points in the second half of the year, although adjusted operating expenses will increase for the full year by 30 per cent. 
 
Musk sketched out an ambitious plan last month to venture into manufacturing electric trucks and buses, as well as expanding the company&#39;s solar energy business. 
 
He has cast the SolarCity tie-up as a long-term bet on a carbon-free energy and transportation company that provides cars, battery storage, solar panels, and other energy solutions&nbsp;while leveraging technology and cost savings from the combined entity. 
 
SolarCity&#39;s chairman and biggest shareholder, Musk has said the combined company will help save at least $150 million a year and require only a &quot;small equity capital raise&quot; next year. But some analysts are wary of the combination of two companies burning through huge amounts of cash. 
 
Tesla unveiled its massive battery factory, the Gigafactory, in Nevada last week, and on the conference call, Musk said he foresees &quot;exponential growth&quot; in Tesla`s storage battery business. 
 
(Reuters)

Silicon Valley electric carmaker reported the 13th straight quarterly loss while it takes on increasingly ambitious goals

Tesla Motors Inc reported a steeper than expected quarter loss on Wednesday on higher spending at its vehicle and battery factories and said adjusted profitability could be within sight if the company meets its delivery goals. The 13th straight quarterly loss for the Silicon Valley electric carmaker underscores the financial hurdles that hamper it while it takes on increasingly ambitious goals - a ten-fold ramp of vehicle production in three years and the recent plan to acquire solar panel installer, SolarCity Corp. Tesla, led by entrepreneur Elon Musk, said it was still on track to deliver about 50,000 new Model S and Model X vehicles during the second half of 2016, and reiterated that it would spend $2.25 billion in capital expenditures in 2016 to prepare for its upcoming Model 3 sedan. If the company can fulfil those production and delivery goals in the second half of the year, "we`ve got a great chance of being non-GAAP profitable," chief financial officer Jason Wheeler told analysts on a conference call without specifying a time period. Tesla reported its first-ever quarterly profit in 2013. Shares of the company, which had acquired SolarCity for $2.6 billion, were little changed in after-hours trading. "There's no doubt Tesla will remain the category leader as electric vehicles become increasingly mainstream, but it could be years before the bottom line justifies any investment in Tesla other than a purely speculative one," said James Brumley, InvestorPlace.com analyst. Tesla reported last month it had missed its vehicle delivery target for the second consecutive quarter, raising doubts it would hit its annual target. But Tesla could end the year just shy of its original delivery target of 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles for 2016 if it delivers 50,000 cars in the second half of 2016. "We were in production hell for the first six months of the year," Musk told analysts during a conference call. "Man, it was hell. And we managed to climb out of hell partway through June and now the production line is humming and our suppliers mostly have their shit together." Musk warned he would fire suppliers and reorganize internal teams who fail to meet a target date of July 1 to begin production of the Model 3, even while acknowledging it will not be possible to meet that date. The company said it planned to open a new store every four days on average for the rest of the year, including in Taipei, Seoul and Mexico City, but did not disclose the cost. Excluding items, Tesla lost $1.06 per share in the three months ended June 30, wider than analysts' expected loss of 52 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Tesla said its net quarterly loss widened to $293.2 million, or $2.09 per share, from $184.2 million, or $1.45 per share, a year earlier. Total revenue rose 33 per cent to $1.27 billion. Tesla said gross margins will improve by 2-3 percentage points in the second half of the year, although adjusted operating expenses will increase for the full year by 30 per cent. Musk sketched out an ambitious plan last month to venture into manufacturing electric trucks and buses, as well as expanding the company's solar energy business. He has cast the SolarCity tie-up as a long-term bet on a carbon-free energy and transportation company that provides cars, battery storage, solar panels, and other energy solutions while leveraging technology and cost savings from the combined entity. SolarCity's chairman and biggest shareholder, Musk has said the combined company will help save at least $150 million a year and require only a "small equity capital raise" next year. But some analysts are wary of the combination of two companies burning through huge amounts of cash. Tesla unveiled its massive battery factory, the Gigafactory, in Nevada last week, and on the conference call, Musk said he foresees "exponential growth" in Tesla`s storage battery business. (Reuters)

Tesla loss widens as company works to speed production

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