Latest news with #JeffBezos-owned
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Elon Musk-led Starlink receives GMPCS license in India to launch broadband services
NEW DELHI: Starlink, led by Elon Musk, has received a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license in India, allowing the company to begin offering broadband services in the country. It is the third company to receive such a license from India's Department of Telecommunications, following approvals granted to Eutelsat's OneWeb and Reliance Jio. This development marks the formal entry of Elon Musk, the world's richest man, into India's communications services sector. Starlink has been attempting to enter the Indian satellite communications market since 2021 but had not previously obtained the required GMPCS license. In fact, the company began accepting pre-orders before securing formal approval, prompting the Indian government to direct Starlink to refund customers. Starlink currently operates in over 125 countries. Meanwhile, the application from Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Kuiper is still pending. Reports also indicate that Apple's satellite communications partner, Globalstar, is among the international players showing interest in offering satellite-based broadband services in India. Satellite communication (Satcom) relies on satellites to transmit data and voice signals, particularly in regions where laying traditional fiber-optic cables is impractical. It is especially useful in rural, mountainous, and disaster-prone areas, where terrestrial networks are either cost-prohibitive or physically unfeasible to install. In March 2025, India's top two telecom providers—Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Platforms—announced partnerships with Starlink to deliver satellite-based broadband services.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The New York Times inks deal with Amazon to license content for AI training
The New York Times on Thursday announced that it will license content from across its newsroom to train Amazon AI models. Under the multi-year deal, Amazon's AI services like Alexa will be able to use Times content, including from NYT Cooking and sports website The Athletic, to produce summaries and short excerpts in real time. The Jeff Bezos-owned company will use decades' worth of the Gray Lady's content to train its AI models. 'The collaboration will make The New York Times's original content more accessible to customers across Amazon products and services, including direct links to Times products, and underscores the companies' shared commitment to serving customers with global news and perspectives within Amazon's AI products,' the Times said in a statement. The deal is 'consistent with our long-held principle that high-quality journalism is worth paying for,' The New York Times Company's CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said in an internal memo obtained by CNN. 'It aligns with our deliberate approach to ensuring that our work is valued appropriately, whether through commercial deals or through the enforcement of our intellectual property rights.' Amazon consumers will be provided direct links to Times products 'whenever it makes sense,' a Times spokesperson told CNN. The deal is designed to ensure that when Times articles are used, they're correctly attributed and presented in a way that maintains the paper's journalistic integrity, the spokesperson said. 'We believe this appro ach helps address concerns about potential misrepresentation while making quality journalism more accessible in emerging AI experiences,' the spokesperson said. While the agreement to use content is new, the deal expands an existing relationship in which the Times has used Amazon Music to host its podcasts. The Times remains open to working with other companies, the spokesperson said, so long as they provide fair value in exchange for the paper's content and respect the Gray Lady's reporting through the full scope of AI uses. The Times declined to provide a dollar figure attached to the deal. Licensing deals are viewed by many as a viable recourse as AI companies continue to train chatbots using copyrighted data while pulling in profits. Since chatbots are designed to provide users with in-app answers, making them less likely to click through to publishers' websites and exacerbating traffic woes, the deals afford news publishers a cut of AI profits. The move is a departure from the Times' previous position toward AI chatbots. In December 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the pair of having illegally scraped millions of articles to train ChatGPT and other AI services. And the Times is not alone in accusing chatbots of intellectual theft: Ziff Davis in April sued OpenAI, similarly accusing the company of copyright infringement; and eight Alden Global Capital-owned publications sued OpenAI and Microsoft in April 2024 with similar complaints. The Times isn't the only company to do business with an AI company while engaged in a legal fight with another chatbot maker. While the Rupert Murdoch-owned Dow Jones and New York Post sued Perplexity AI in October for illegally copying content, News Corp in May 2024 signed a years-long deal with OpenAI to license content from the media giant's companies, which include The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and Barron's. Still, not all news publishers have been so resistant. The Washington Post, Guardian Media Group, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Axios, Reuters, Hearst and the Financial Times are just a few news organizations that have inked deals with AI companies to license their content. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Apple May Hike New iPhone Prices But Refrain From Blaming Tariffs: Report
Apple is considering raising the price of its new iPhone series, scheduled to launch in fall, later this year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The Cupertino-based company, however, is hoping to avoid a scenario where the price increase is attributed to US tariffs on goods from China, where most Apple devices are assembled. Apple executives have seemingly learnt their lesson from Amazon after the Jeff Bezos-owned company was chided by the US government. In April, a news report claimed that Amazon might show the impact of tariffs on its shoppers. Immediately after, the White House called it a hostile act, prompting Amazon to state that the idea "was never approved and is not going to happen". Instead, Apple is now considering linking the price hikes to other developments, which might include new features and designs. The company is also now importing a larger portion of its iPhones from India, rather than China, to mitigate tariffs. Apple CEO Tim Cook has already highlighted that current tariff policies would lead to $900 million in additional costs in this quarter, and more after that. Consequently, the tech giant has shifted additional production to India to mitigate the tariff costs. What do we know about iPhone 17? Apple is expected to debut an ultra-thin iPhone this year, as per multiple leaks. The camera panel might be integrated in the back of the phone, creating a seamless look, while the current 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 16 series may give way to the 48-megapixel telephoto lens. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models are expected to be equipped with Apple's next-generation A19 Pro chipset, which might be manufactured using an advanced 3nm process. US-China deal The development comes in the backdrop of the US and China on Monday (May 12), agreeing to pause respective reciprocal tariffs on each other for 90 days. The combined 145 per cent US levies on most Chinese imports will be reduced to 30 per cent, while the 125 per cent Chinese duties on US goods will drop to 10 per cent. The White House called the agreement a "trade deal" in an initial statement on Sunday, but it is still unclear what an acceptable goal is for both sides or how long it will take to get there.
New York Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Cash-strapped Washington Post threw $1M brunch at ritzy DC venue during White House Correspondents' Dinner weekend: report
The Washington Post is facing fresh employee outrage after reportedly spending more than $1 million on a brunch at a high-end venue that charges $100,000 just to get in the door — despite the fact that the paper has imposed layoffs as it lost a reported $100 million last year. The Jeff Bezos-owned left-leaning broadsheet hosted an extravagant Sunday brunch at Ned's Club, a private venue with sweeping views of the White House and Washington monuments, according to the Status newsletter. Guests who were in town for the weekend to mark the White House Correspondents' Dinner were treated to lavish food spreads, including generous helpings of caviar, in a display that far exceeded typical WHCD weekend budgets, Status reported. 6 The Washington Post reportedly spent lavishly on a Sunday brunch over the weekend to mark the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Christopher Sadowski Ned's Club in Washington, DC, is an elite members-only social club located near the White House, offering opulent dining and exclusive access to its top-tier clientele. Membership starts at $5,000 annually with a $5,000 initiation fee, but the Founders tier requires a staggering $125,000 initiation fee and $25,000 in yearly dues. Dining at the club is equally lavish, with dishes like a $195 bone-in ribeye and caviar service starting at $150, underscoring the club's ultra-exclusive status among Washington's elite. While media outlets often spend between $200,000 and $300,000 on related events, the Washington Post's seven-figure tab was well outside the norm, according to the report. 6 The newspaper owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos lost $100 million last year. Bezos is seen right with his fiancée Lauren Sánchez. WWD via Getty Images The event has fueled growing unease inside the newsroom, where employees have been warned repeatedly about the need for belt-tightening measures, Status reported. Inside the newsroom, morale has hit a low point, with many staffers reportedly expressing frustration over what they see as mixed signals from management. While they are asked to accept budget cuts, hiring freezes, and the elimination of certain newsroom initiatives, leadership has simultaneously greenlit high-profile, high-cost events like the WHCD brunch, according to Status. 6 Ned's Club in Washington, DC, is an elite members-only social club located near the White House. The Washington Post via Getty Images A Washington Post spokesperson told The New York Post that the newspaper has a 'larger strategic partnership' with Ned's Club and that the brunch was designed to showcase the publication and its journalists for clients as part of its efforts toward 'modernizing' its events programming. The spokesperson declined to confirm the reported $1 million price tag. The Washington Post has been mired in financial difficulties over the past year, struggling with steep revenue losses and declining readership. 6 Membership starts at $5,000 annually with a $5,000 initiation fee, but the Founders tier requires a staggering $125,000 initiation fee and $25,000 in yearly dues. The Washington Post via Getty Images In late 2023, the paper revealed it had lost more than $100 million, prompting aggressive cost-cutting initiatives, including a major round of layoffs. In January, management culled nearly 100 jobs — constituting around 4% of 021the workforce. In early 2024, the paper eliminated approximately 240 positions, about 10% of its workforce, citing the need to realign with the harsh realities of the digital news economy. 6 Dining at the club is equally lavish, with dishes like a $195 bone-in ribeye and caviar service starting at $150, underscoring the club's ultra-exclusive status among Washington's elite. The Washington Post via Getty Images The financial turmoil has coincided with a wave of high-profile departures from the newsroom. Longtime executive editor Sally Buzbee stepped down last year amid reported tensions with CEO Will Lewis and concerns about the paper's editorial direction. In the fall, Bezos intervened to spike his editorial board's planned endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris — a move which prompted tens of thousands of readers to cancel their subscriptions. Bezos earlier this year also moved to overhaul the left-leaning editorial page, which led to the resignation of its top editor. 6 Prominent mainstream journalists from outlets such as CNN gathered at the Washington Hilton for the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday. AFP via Getty Images Several Washington Post staffers resigned in protest over what they perceived as Bezos showing favoritism toward President Trump. Bezos, the founder of Amazon who remains the company's largest shareholder despite stepping down from the CEO position in 2021, received a phone call from Trump on Tuesday after it was reported that the e-commerce giant was thinking of including a line item highlighting a new tariff surcharge. After the phone call, Amazon announced that it was considering the move but that it ultimately decided against it.
NDTV
24-04-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Accept Payout Or Get Fired: Microsoft's New Offer To 'Low-Performing' Employees
Microsoft is offering its underperforming employees an option to accept a payout to leave the company or risk getting fired while on performance improvement plan (PIP). The move is intended to tighten the company's performance management system as it seeks to release the low-performing workers, according to a report in Business Insider. The tech giant is offering 16 weeks of pay to employees, identified as "low performers" who are willing to leave voluntarily. The earmarked staffers have five days to decide which option they want to take. If an employee decides to start the PIP, they will be unable to receive the payout. "This performance improvement process is available year-round so you can act quickly to transparently address performance issues, while offering employees choice," Amy Coleman, Microsoft's new chief people officer, wrote in an email. The affected employees can enter PIP or quit and accept a "global Voluntary Separation Agreement (GVSA)," the email added. The new policy also includes a two-year rehire ban for employees who leave after receiving low performance scores or during a PIP. Additionally, underperforming employees will be barred from transferring to other positions within Microsoft. "Employees with zero and 60 per cent Rewards outcomes and/or on an active PIP will not be eligible for internal transfers. Former employees who left with zero or 60 per cent Rewards or during/after a PIP will not be eligible for rehire until two years after their termination date," the email noted. Notably, the new PIP system may work differently outside the US, as other countries have different laws. Microsoft copying Amazon? The approach by Microsoft has drawn parallels to Amazon's controversial "Pivot" programme, which also offers similar buyout packages. Experts have criticised Amazon's programme for being more focused on meeting termination targets than supporting employee development. Despite the criticism, the Jeff Bezos-owned company had defended the system, saying it provides managers "with tools to help employees improve their performance and grow in their careers". "This includes resources for employees who are not meeting expectations and may require additional coaching." Earlier this year, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg also targeted low performers when the company eliminated thousands of jobs. The fired employees were put on "block lists" to stop them from being rehired.
