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  • T-Mobile WFX Challenges Verizon and AT&T for the Enterprise

    T-Mobile WFX Challenges Verizon and AT&T for the Enterprise

    T-Mobile launched T-Mobile WFX, its latest Un-carrier move aimed at helping businesses embrace the digital transformation.

    CEO Mike Sievert opened the event, highlighting the company’s unrivaled 5G network, which is currently 2.5x larger than AT&T’s and 4x larger than Verizon’s. Sievert then talked about how having the largest 5G network put T-Mobile in a position to help address business pain points, especially in the midst of a pandemic-driven shift to remote work.

    “The pandemic pushed the fast forward button on the future of work, giving us a decade’s worth of progress in a year’s time. And it’s clear that work will never be the same,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “Tomorrow’s workplace won’t be anything like the old work from office (WFO) world, and it won’t be like today’s work from home (WFH) world. It’ll be something new: the work from anywhere (WFX) world. And T-Mobile WFX and our 5G network arrive at the right time to help businesses meet this moment head on … and come out the other side stronger.”

    The result is T-Mobile WFX, comprised of three services: T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited, T-Mobile Home Office Internet and T-Mobile Collaborate.

    T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited

    The company points out that Verizon and AT&T has 50% of enterprise employees locked into limited data plans, requiring customers to estimate how much data they’ll use and pay for overages. With data usage expected to increase with 5G, businesses will spend some $2.5 billion over the next five years just in overages.

    T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited is a new plan for businesses to give them unlimited 4G and 5G data at the same or better price than Verizon and AT&T charge for limited, shared pools of data.

    T-Mobile Home Office Internet

    T-Mobile Home Office Internet is aimed squarely at the remote worker, providing a fast, secure connection for employees. The included router prioritizes employee devices and filters non-business activity, so the connection remains fast and stable. Meanwhile, family members can continue browsing, gaming and watching videos without being impacted.

    The device also includes enterprise-grade security, greatly improving security over a standard home WiFi router.

    T-Mobile Collaborate

    T-Mobile Collaborate is a new product the company is introducing, designed to replace legacy phone systems with a modern, mobile-first, cloud-driven approach.

    The service is an enterprise-grade phone system that provides video and voice conferencing. It includes a built-in AI assistant that can take notes and follow up on items, and features integration with Microsoft 365 and other workplace apps.

    “From our experience, T-Mobile Collaborate is a modern, cost effective platform that scales with City of Los Angeles employees, so they can do the critical work needed to create a safe, livable, and prosperous city,” said Ted Ross, Chief Technology Officer, City of Los Angeles.

    The new service is powered by Dialpad, and T-Mobile has made an equity investment in the company via T-Mobile Ventures.

    Pricing

    T-Mobile WFX starts at $90 per line per month, while Enterprise Unlimited with T-Mobile Collaborate can be added together starting at $37 per line per month.

  • Postscript Raises $4.5 Million to Turbocharge Shopify SMS Marketing

    Postscript Raises $4.5 Million to Turbocharge Shopify SMS Marketing

    Postscript announced it has raised $4.5 million in seed funding to help bring turbocharged SMS marketing to Shopify and e-commerce stores.

    Postscript specializes in SMS marketing for e-commerce. The company’s goal is to help bring SMS marketing mainstream, while at the same time doing it in a way that respects users’ inboxes.

    The company has now raised $4.5 million to help it reach that goal. The investors include Y Combinator, Accomplice, 1984vc, and Ali Capital. Postscript also has the backing of some of the biggest entrepreneurial names in the e-commerce industry.

    “At Postscript, we obsess about supporting independent brands & e-commerce merchants and will always put their needs first,” said CEO Adam Turner. “Our approach to text messaging emphasizes brands build meaningful relationships with their customers by respecting the SMS inbox and encouraging two way communication. So far our competitive advantage has been our people and our product, and this funding will help us continue along that path. By operating remotely, we’re able to hire in any region, resulting in an extremely talented team dedicated to delivering a top-tier product and customer experience.”

    Postscript already claims Native, Brooklinen, StackCommerce, Frey, Oars + Alps and Olivers among its clients. The company also boasts 26x ROI with clickthrough rates ranging between 7.5% and 40%. Somewhat unique to the industry, Postscript guarantees a 4x ROI or they will refund a client’s investment — something they have not yet had to do.

    “The Postscript team has taken a product-first approach to a gigantic, fast-growing market, and the growth speaks for itself,” said angel investor Paul English, founder of Kayak. “They have outstanding founder/product/market fit, and I believe what they’re building will be an essential part of any e-commerce company’s marketing stack. I’m proud to support them in this round.”

  • Apple Refurbished M1 MacBook Air Models Now Available

    Apple Refurbished M1 MacBook Air Models Now Available

    The first batch of refurbished M1 MacBook Airs is showing up on Apple’s online store, providing a less-expensive option.

    The latest generation of MacBook Airs run Apple’s custom silicon, the M1 chip. The M1 is an Arm-based design that’s a more powerful version of the chip in the iPhone and iPad. As such, it offers many advantages over Intel processors, including cooler operation, better battery life, improved performance and the ability to run iOS apps.

    Apple’s computers have never been the cheapest on the market, but the company’s refurbished program offers a less-expensive way of getting the latest and greatest. As part of the deal, all of Apple’s refurbished machines come with the same one-year warranty and are indistinguishable from a brand-new device.

    The available machines start at $849, or $150 less than brand-new. Although there is no option to customize refurb machines — it’s a first-come, first-served affair, based on what machines have been returned — as of the time of writing there are also higher end MacBook Airs available. The high-end models come in at $1,059, or $$190 off.

    A refurbished MacBook Air makes a good option for employees looking for a remote work machine, or students that need a laptop for their studies.

  • FCC Proposes Emergency Broadband Rules to Assist Low-Income Households

    FCC Proposes Emergency Broadband Rules to Assist Low-Income Households

    FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed rules to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP) to assist low-income households.

    Late in 2020, Congress authorized the creation of a $3.2 billion federal initiative to help low-income households stay connected via discounts to their internet bills. Qualifying households may also receive a discount on a computer or tablet. The initiative is especially important during the pandemic, when record numbers are working from home or engaging in remote learning.

    The EBBP allows for households to received up to $50 per month off of their broadband bill, while those on Tribal lands may receive up to $75 per month.

    “As we work our way through a pandemic that has upended so much in our day-to-day life, we have been asked to migrate so many of the things we do online. From work to healthcare to education, this crisis has made it clear that without an internet connection too many households are locked out of modern life. It’s more apparent than ever that broadband is no longer nice-to- have. It’s need-to-have,” said Rosenworcel. “But too many of us are struggling to afford this critical service. Late last year Congress directed the FCC to establish a new Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to assist families struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. Today I’m proud to advance a proposal to my colleagues to implement this program so we can help as many eligible households as possible. No one should have to choose between paying their internet bill or paying to put food on the table. With the help of the Emergency Broadband Benefit, we have a new way for households to access virtual learning, for patients to connect to telehealth providers, and for those struggling in this pandemic to learn new online skills and seek their next job.”

  • UK Court Blocks Epic’s Case Against Apple

    UK Court Blocks Epic’s Case Against Apple

    The UK antitrust tribunal has blocked Epic from pursuing its case against Apple — over how the App Store and in-app payments work — in the UK.

    Epic sparked a confrontation with Apple and Google when it tried bypassing both companies’ in-app purchasing rules and the two removed Fortnite from their app stores. Epic filed lawsuits, first against Apple, claiming Apple harmed its business by banning Fortnite from the App Store.

    In her initial ruling, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers pointed out that Epic can’t argue it was harmed by Apple’s actions when it was Epic that started the problem by breaking its agreement with Apple and then crying foul. The company could have challenged Apple in court, and then collected back damages if it prevailed. By breaking its agreement first, Epic looks to have intentionally created a fake crisis specifically to take advantage of the situation.

    It appears UK courts want no part of the dispute, ruling that Epic will not be able to pursue its case in the UK, according to Reuters. The UK tribunal did not exclude Epic’s against Google, but believes the US is the best jurisdiction to handle the Apple case.

    The ruling is the latest victory in challenges against Apple and Google’s app stores, after the North Dakota legislature voted against a bill that would have required the companies to support third-party app stores and payment systems.

  • North Dakota Votes Against App Store Bill

    North Dakota Votes Against App Store Bill

    North Dakota has voted against a bill that world force Apple and Google to support third-party app stores and in-app payment methods.

    North Dakota made headlines last week when a bill — the first of its kind in the US — was introduced that targeted Apple’s App Store, as well as the in-app payment methods Apple and Google use. The bill would have forced the companies to embrace third-party options, as well as protect developers from retaliation if they chose to go that route. The bill was touted as a way to level the playing field and protect smaller developers.

    Apple, in particular, has faced increasing criticism over the App Store. Some developers object to the fees Apple charges, want third-party store options, want to bypass Apple for in-app payments, or all of the above. Meanwhile, Apple has consistently said the App Store is critical to the iOS and iPadOS ecosystem, as it provides a layer of security that is one of the company’s selling points.

    Erik Neuenschwander, an Apple software manager specializing in privacy, underscored the point in his testimony (PDF) for the ND legislature:

    The App Store is curated. I understand some of you have owned stores yourselves, so this will be familiar to you: you don’t put just any product on your shelves; you stock your shelves only with products that meet your standards for safety and quality. You don’t want to sell products that don’t work or pose a danger to your customers. And that’s how we run the App Store: to keep out apps that would steal your banking information, or break your phone, or spy on your kids. Each week, we review about 100,000 submissions, and we reject about 40% of them because they don’t meet our standards. And we know that our approach works: research shows that iPhone has far fewer malware infections than the Android Platform.

    Neuenschwander also emphasized that customers can vote with their wallets if they don’t like Apple’s walled-garden approach:

    And, remember: customers can make this choice for themselves. Today, if a customer wants our curated App Store approach, he can buy an iPhone; but if he wants a different approach without the protections Apple provides, then he can choose one of our competitors. We think our approach is better, but at the end of the day, it’s the customer’s choice to go with us or with someone else. Senate Bill 2333 could eliminate that choice if it required all mobile device makers to adopt the same approach of stocking their shelves without first screening the products.

    Ultimately, it appears Apple’s arguments were effective, as the ND legislature voted against the bill 36-11.

  • Zillow CEO: Hybrid Work Model Could Lead to Two-Class System

    Zillow CEO: Hybrid Work Model Could Lead to Two-Class System

    Zillow CEO Rich Barton has warned that a hybrid work model could lead to a two-class system of employees.

    The pandemic has forced companies to reimagine the workforce, adapting to unprecedented conditions. As a result, more employees are working from home than ever before. Companies, especially in the tech industry, are increasingly adopting various forms of remote, flex, or hybrid work options permanently.

    Barton, however, sees a risk of a dual-class system developing. This is especially a concern with hybrid work, where some employees are in the office and some remote, or where some workers only come in a day or two a week..

    “We must ensure a level playing field for all team members, regardless of their physical location,” Barton said in an earnings call. “There cannot be a two-class system — those in the room being first-class and those on the phone being second-class.”

    Other tech executives have similarly warned of the dangers of a hybrid workforce, with some companies going all-in on full remote as the solution.

    Zillow CEO Rich Barton comments during Q4 Earnings Call:

    Of course, there are challenges to not being in the office together, but that is temporal. In a post-COVID world, our workplace design goal is to maximize flexibility for our high demand talent. We will have awesome offices for those who want or need to come in. At the same time, we must ensure a level playing field for all team members, regardless of their physical location. There cannot be a two-class system, those in the room being first-class and those on the phone being second class. We are entering the most interesting and innovative period for workplace design in our lifetimes, and our people and facilities teams at Zillow are out in front.

  • Box CEO: I’m A Pretty Annoying Founder

    Box CEO: I’m A Pretty Annoying Founder

    Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie recently appeared on the Jason Calacanis podcast, This Week In Startups, where he talked about being annoying and stubborn:

    I’m a pretty annoying founder. I’m very stubborn and very steadfast. Sort of this is my very strongly held opinion and belief and I’m gonna run into a wall to prove it out. That has certain characteristics that can be annoying at times I’m sure both at the investor level as well as for anybody that is working with me. I’ve been able to tone it down over the years and control it more and contain it. I think it’s not causing probably as much annoyance.

    You have to be stubborn and right is the key. Stubborn and wrong means new job. There’s a Venn diagram of stubborn and right and you want to be right in that target zone. I look back when when I was 20, 21, or 22 and learning this trade and there were plenty of times where I was stubborn and wrong where maybe I took too long to pivot.

    My co-founder was telling me we’ve got to go enterprise probably for three to six months earlier than we actually did. What are three to six months in compounding terms? I don’t know. Maybe we’d be 20 percent bigger now as a result of if I had not been so stubborn at that stage and not seeing the information in the way that he was? That can just be sometimes an annoying pattern that people run into.

    Box CEO: I’m A Pretty Annoying Founder
  • Pandemic Reinvention Is Real For SMBs, Says Bill.com CEO

    Pandemic Reinvention Is Real For SMBs, Says Bill.com CEO

    “I believe SMBs deserve innovation,” says Bill.com CEO and founder Rene Lacarte. “That innovation that we focus on is around the digital processes that are lacking in the back office of SMBs. We’ve seen it in part with the pandemic showing that there’s a need for being digital and to be able to run your business from anywhere. It’s a requirement now. The pandemic reinvention is real and something that we think is going to stick around.”

    Rene Lacarte, CEO of Bill.com, says that the pandemic reinvention is real for small and medium-sized businesses and that they need to innovate and digitize the back office:

    SMBs Deserve Innovation

    At the core of why I started the company is that I believe SMBs deserve innovation. That innovation that we focus on that I really believe is missing out there is around the digital processes that are lacking. We digitize the back office. Then we connect that back office to the banking system so money can move, to the accounting system so records can be reported, and to the accounting firms that they’re involved with.

    All of that connection creates a connective tissue that operates and automates the financial operations. Because of that it’s driving demand, it’s driving opportunity, and it’s driving growth across our existing customers as well as the new customers coming in. That’s how we do it. That’s how we bring the back office into the back pocket.

    Pandemic Reinvention Is Real For SMBs

    Nobody gets into business to actually do the back office. I grew up in small businesses. My parents had small businesses. My grandparents had small businesses. A lot of our friends had small businesses. This was always the bane of existence. This is what people had to do on Friday night. Who wants to do this on a Friday night? That’s what people are doing when they’re trying to run their business from their back pocket when they don’t have the tools. They have to do it at night at home.

    We take care of that. We automate the processes. That’s what’s driving the demand, it’s the opportunity. We’ve seen it in part with the pandemic showing that there’s a need for being digital. This opportunity to be able to run your business from anywhere is a requirement now. The pandemic reinvention is real and something that we think is going to stick around.

    Pandemic Reinvention Is Real For SMBs, Says Bill.com CEO Rene Lacarte
  • DOJ Halts Net Neutrality Lawsuit Against California

    DOJ Halts Net Neutrality Lawsuit Against California

    The Department of Justice (DOJ) has withdrawn a lawsuit challenging California’s net neutrality rules.

    Net neutrality rules were passed during the Obama administration, with widespread support from companies, tech advocates and citizens. In short, net neutrality ensures a company can’t discriminate against a certain type of internet traffic just because it may have a financial motivation to do so. For example, Comcast would not be allowed to charge more for access to Netflix, just because Netflix competes against Comcast’s media properties.

    Under the Trump administration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to repeal net neutrality. A coalition of companies sued to overturn the ruling, but the court upheld the FCC’s right to repeal. At the same time, however, the courts also ruled that the FCC could not prevent individual states from establishing their own net neutrality legislation.

    California was quick to pass its own rules and, despite the court’s initial ruling, the FCC sued to try to block California’s efforts. With a change of administration, however, the DOJ has withdrawn its suit against California.

    In a statement, acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel praised the DOJ’s decision:

    I am pleased that the Department of Justice has withdrawn this lawsuit. When the FCC, over my objection, rolled back its net neutrality policies, states like California sought to fill the void with their own laws. By taking this step, Washington is listening to the American people, who overwhelmingly support an open internet, and is charting a course to once again make net neutrality the law of the land.

    Many are expecting federal net neutrality rules to be re-established, now that the White House is once again under Democratic control. The DOJ dropping its lawsuit seems like a first step in that direction.

  • Tesla Rocks Bitcoin Market With $1.5 Billion Purchase

    Tesla Rocks Bitcoin Market With $1.5 Billion Purchase

    Tesla announced in an SEC filing Monday that it has invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin. “We invested an aggregate $1.50 billion in bitcoin and may acquire and hold digital assets from time to time or longterm.” Tesla also announced that they will accept bitcoin as payment going forward. “Moreover, we expect to begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future, subject to applicable laws and initially on a limited basis, which we may or may not liquidate upon receipt.”

    This news rocked the bitcoin market causing bitcoin prices to soar to record heights. For the first time ever bitcoin moved above $43,000 and currently (as of this writing) sits at $43,735.84.

    Tesla SEC Filing:

    In January 2021, we updated our investment policy to provide us with more flexibility to further diversify and maximize returns on our cash that is not
    required to maintain adequate operating liquidity. As part of the policy, which was duly approved by the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors, we may
    invest a portion of such cash in certain alternative reserve assets including digital assets, gold bullion, gold exchange-traded funds and other assets as specified
    in the future. Thereafter, we invested an aggregate $1.50 billion in bitcoin under this policy and may acquire and hold digital assets from time to time or longterm. Moreover, we expect to begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future, subject to applicable laws and initially on a
    limited basis, which we may or may not liquidate upon receipt.

  • Homebrew Is Now Available for M1 Macs

    Homebrew Is Now Available for M1 Macs

    Good news for developers: Homebrew 3.0 has been released with support for M1 Macs.

    Homebrew is a popular package manager for macOS that many developers rely on. When Apple switched to its own M1 custom silicon, based on Arm designs, Homebrew was one of the applications that was not compatible with the new architecture. As a result, many developers had to wait to make the jump, or keep an Intel-based Mac around for compatibility.

    According to a blog post, Homebrew 3.0 has been released, and the biggest change is M1 support.

    “Today I’d like to announce Homebrew 3.0.0,” writes Mike McQuaid, Homebrew project leader. “The most significant changes since 2.7.0 are official Apple Silicon support and a new bottle format in formulae.”

    “Homebrew doesn’t (yet) provide bottles for all packages on Apple Silicon that we do on Intel x86_64 but we welcome your help in doing so,” McQuaid adds.

    The announcement is good news for developers and removes another obstacle to M1 adoption.

  • Microsoft Viva: Employee Experience Platform for Teams and Microsoft 365

    Microsoft Viva: Employee Experience Platform for Teams and Microsoft 365

    Microsoft has unveiled “Viva,” a new employee experience platform (EXP) designed to integrate with Teams and Microsoft 365.

    EXP is a $300 billion a year industry and is more important than ever during the pandemic. While an unprecedented number of employees are working from home, the response to remote work has been a mixed bag. The majority of employees want it to continue indefinitely, but many still struggle to feel connected with their coworkers or access the same resources available in the office.

    Microsoft is looking to address these issues with Viva, while simultaneously disrupting the EXP industry.

    Today we’re introducing Microsoft Viva, the first EXP built for the digital era. Microsoft Viva brings together communications, knowledge, learning, resources, and insights into an integrated experience that empowers people and teams to be their best, from anywhere. Powered by the full breadth and depth of Microsoft 365, it is experienced through Microsoft Teams and other Microsoft 365 apps that people use every day.

    Viva will be rolled out in four modules: Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Viva Learning, and Viva Topics.

    Viva Connections
    Viva Connections

    Viva Connections is designed to help employees connect with each other, serving as the central point for employee interaction. This is especially useful for new hires who may never have been to the office or met their coworkers face-to-face. Leaders can host company town halls, while employees can access company news, policies, benefits and more, as well as join employee community groups.

    Viva Insights
    Viva Insights

    Viva Insights is designed to help employees, managers and leaders make better use of their time and prevent burnout. The module helps individuals maintain a healthy work balance, protecting time for breaks, focused work and learning. Managers can use the module to monitor the health of their team and see who is at risk of burnout, while company leaders can see overall trends impacting the entire organization.

    Viva Learning
    Viva Learning

    Viva Learning helps make learning a part of the everyday corporate culture. According to Microsoft’s LinkedIn, 94% of people would stay at a company longer if it invested in ongoing learning, making Viva Learning an important part of the platform.

    Viva Topics
    Viva Topics

    Microsoft describes Viva Topics as “a Wikipedia with AI superpowers for your organization.” It’s designed to save employees the estimated seven weeks a year spent searching for or re-creating information, putting all the company’s relevant knowledge and resources in a centralized place.

    “There is no question that, over the last year, we have seen lasting structural change across ever aspect of our society and economy,” CEO Satya Nadella said when introducing Viva. “No area has undergone more rapid transformation than the way we work.”

    “As the world recovers, there is no going back. Flexibility in when, where and how we work will be key,” Nadella added. “Today, we want to talk about what this means and how we’re ensuring every organization will have the technology required to support their employees and help them thrive in this new era of flexible work.”

  • Verizon Commits $10 Million to Help One Million Small Businesses

    Verizon Commits $10 Million to Help One Million Small Businesses

    Verizon has announced it is committing $10 million to help up to one million small business through grants.

    Small businesses have born the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. Without the deep pockets and resilience of large companies, many small businesses have had to shut their doors. This is especially true of brick-and-mortar businesses that have been heavily impacted by stay-at-home orders.

    Verizon is working to help offset the challenges small businesses are facing, committing $10 million in grants through LISC, a national nonprofit organization.

    “For small business owners today, we know that opening a digital front door is as important as a physical one,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “This multi-year effort underscores the role financial assistance, technology and training will play in rebuilding small businesses for both short-term and long-term economic recovery.”

    The company is using Super Bowl LV as its kick-off event, with The Big Concert for Small Business after the game. The event will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish, and feature Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Christina Aguilera, Eric Church, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan, Luke Bryan and Miley Cyrus. The concert will be live-streamed on Twitch, Yahoo, YouTube, as well as broadcast on several networks.

    “Small businesses are so important and we need to do whatever we can to keep them alive; our communities can’t recover without them,” said Alicia Keys. “I’m excited to be partnering with Verizon and the rest of these amazing artists to not only be able to take the stage and bring that good music and light but to do it for such a meaningful cause.”

  • Amazon Stiffs Drivers $62 Million in Tips

    Amazon Stiffs Drivers $62 Million in Tips

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced Amazon is settling to the tune of $61.7 million for tips it withheld from drivers.

    As part fo the Amazon Flex program, drivers were promised $18–25 per hour for making deliveries. In addition, ads recruiting Flex drivers routinely said: “You will receive 100% of the tips you earn while delivering with Amazon Flex.”

    Amazon also assured customers that any tips they gave would go straight to drivers. There’s only one problem: Amazon didn’t pay its drivers the tips from customers, pocketing nearly $62 million.

    “Rather than passing along 100 percent of customers’ tips to drivers, as it had promised to do, Amazon used the money itself,” said Daniel Kaufman, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Our action today returns to drivers the tens of millions of dollars in tips that Amazon misappropriated, and requires Amazon to get drivers’ permission before changing its treatment of tips in the future.”

    “This theft did not go unnoticed by Amazon’s drivers, many of whom expressed anger and confusion to the company,” said FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra. “But, rather than coming clean, Amazon took elaborate steps to mislead its drivers and conceal its theft, sending them canned responses that repeated the company’s lies. The complaint charges that Amazon executives chose not to alter the practice, instead viewing drivers’ complaints as a ‘PR risk,’ which they sought to contain through deception.”

    To make matters worse, in 2016, Amazon lowered the hourly rate they were paying drivers without notifying them. Instead, Amazon used the tips it had been withholding as a fund to maintain the $18-25 per hour rate, making drivers think they were receiving the same hourly rate.

    In essence, Amazon was ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul,’ stealing from drivers tips to cover for the fact that it had lowered drivers hourly rates without telling them. Amazon only stopped this behavior after it became aware of the FTC’s investigation in 2019.

    The $61.7 million settlement will be used by the FTC to compensate those drivers who were impacted. Amazon is also “prohibited from making any changes to how a driver’s tips are used as compensation without first obtaining the driver’s express informed consent.”

    For a company already accused of illegally firing workers for trying to organize unions, and using Pinkerton detectives to monitor workers and thwart unionization efforts, it’s little wonder that Amazon employees continue working to unionize.

    Amazon’s behavior in this matter is reprehensible, and represents a new low for corporate/worker relations.

  • Google Backs Out of Game-Making, Shuts Down Stadia Game Studios

    Google Backs Out of Game-Making, Shuts Down Stadia Game Studios

    Google is backing away from making games for its Stadia gaming platform, shutting down the involved studios.

    Google Stadia is a cloud gaming platform, allowing gamers to play on a variety of devices. Because its a cloud platform, users don’t have to invest in heavy-duty gaming equipment to play, relying on the platform to stream the game’s content to them.

    To help the service gain widespread adoption, Google initially invested in its own in-house studios to develop games for the service. It appears the cost has the company reconsidering, as it is ending its own development efforts.

    Phil Harrison, Google Stadia Vice President and GM, broke the news in a blog post:

    In 2021, we’re expanding our efforts to help game developers and publishers take advantage of our platform technology and deliver games directly to their players. We see an important opportunity to work with partners seeking a gaming solution all built on Stadia’s advanced technical infrastructure and platform tools. We believe this is the best path to building Stadia into a long-term, sustainable business that helps grow the industry.

    Creating best-in-class games from the ground up takes many years and significant investment, and the cost is going up exponentially. Given our focus on building on the proven technology of Stadia as well as deepening our business partnerships, we’ve decided that we will not be investing further in bringing exclusive content from our internal development team SG&E, beyond any near-term planned games. With the increased focus on using our technology platform for industry partners, Jade Raymond has decided to leave Google to pursue other opportunities. We greatly appreciate Jade’s contribution to Stadia and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. Over the coming months, most of the SG&E team will be moving on to new roles. We’re committed to working with this talented team to find new roles and support them.

    Harrison emphasizes that Google is committed to the platform and cloud gaming, and will continue to work with third-party game developers. It simply won’t be creating its own in-house games anymore.

  • Elon Musk: BitCoin On the Verge of Widespread Acceptance

    Elon Musk: BitCoin On the Verge of Widespread Acceptance

    Elon Musk has said bitcoin is on the verge of achieving wide acceptance among investors and conventional finance people.

    Tesla’s famous CEO has been on a roll in the last few weeks with his commentary on various companies, services and technology. His tweet about messaging app Signal helped drive unprecedented growth in the wake of WhatApp’s privacy mishap. A tweet about GameStop helped drive further investment in the stock. Musk recently added #bitcoin to his Twitter profile, leading to a 14% jump in bitcoin’s price, and has now predicted the cryptocurrency is on the verge of widespread acceptance.

    “I am a supporter of bitcoin,” Musk said in his first discussion on Clubhouse, the invitation-only social media app, according to Business Insider.

    “I think bitcoin is on the verge of getting broad acceptance by conventional finance people,” he added, while also admitting he should have invested in the currency eight years ago.

    “I was a little slow on the uptake … I do think at this point that bitcoin is a good thing.”

    Musk’s comments are the latest indication of the inroads bitcoin has been making, with even an NFL player’s salary being paid in part with the cryptocurrency.

  • Remote Work IT Spending Will Hit $332.9 Billion In 2021

    Remote Work IT Spending Will Hit $332.9 Billion In 2021

    Gartner is predicting companies will spend some $332.9 billion on remote work IT in 2021 as the digital transformation continues.

    The coronavirus pandemic has sparked an unprecedented digital transformation, as organizations have turned to remote work, schools have turned to remote learning and individuals have had to rely on videoconferencing to stay in touch.

    That trend is expected to continue full force for the next several years. In fact, Gartner predicts businesses will have to accelerate their digital transformation by at least five years through 2024, as they continue to deal with a permanently altered workforce — one where remote work is part of the new reality.

    “There are a combination of factors pushing the devices market higher,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished research vice president at Gartner.. “As countries continue remote education through this year, there will be a demand for tablets and laptops for students. Likewise, enterprises are industrializing remote work for employees as quarantine measures keep employees at home and budget stabilization allows CIOs to reinvest in assets that were sweated in 2020.”

    As a result, Gartner predicts remote work-related global IT spending will reach $332.9 billion in 2021, an increase of 4.9% from 2020.

    “Digital business represents the dominant technology trend in late 2020 and early 2021 with areas such as cloud computing, core business applications, security and customer experience at the forefront. Optimization initiatives, such as hyperautomation, will continue and the focus of these projects will remain on returning cash and eliminating work from processes, not just tasks,” said Mr. Lovelock.

    Gartner’s report is the latest evidence that remote work has become a permanent part of society, with workers continuing to demonstrate their preference for it.

  • Short-Seller Losses Top $70 Billion In the War on Wall Street

    Short-Seller Losses Top $70 Billion In the War on Wall Street

    Short-sellers have lost a staggering $70 billion in the War on Wall Street between institutional investors and day traders on Reddit.

    Day traders on Reddit began driving up the price of stocks traditional Wall Street investors had recommended shorting, most notably GameStop, which saw its price go up some 1,000%. AMC, Bed Bath and Beyond, Blackberry and others also saw stock jumps as a result of the day traders.

    None of the companies in question saw their stock rise as a result of any fundamental change or improvement in their business. Instead, the phenomenon seemed to be a continuation of the Wall Street protests following the ‘08 crash, with everyman investors teaming up to stick it to Wall Street. Even Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Sr. highlighted how the whole situation was showcasing the power of community.

    That community effort is taking a tangible toll on Wall Street, with Reuters reporting that investors have lost some $70.87 billion as a result of their short positions on US companies. GameStop makes up a sizable portion of those loses, coming in at $1.03 billion, Bed Bath & Beyond, meanwhile, accounts for $600 million.

    It remains to be seen where this saga will end but, now that everyman traders have had a taste of the power they can wield, it’s hard to imagine stock trading will ever be the same.

  • Robinhood Blocks GameStop Trading, Faces Backlash

    Robinhood Blocks GameStop Trading, Faces Backlash

    Robinhood has weighed in on the war on Wall Street, blocking buys of GameStop, AMC, Blackberry and others, and facing backlash for it.

    Day traders have been waging war against Wall Street, targeting stocks institutional investors have recommended shorting. The traders have been using Reddit to encourage others to buy those stocks, pumping them to record heights. GameStop surged as high as $247 from the $18 it was sitting at a couple of weeks ago.

    The end result has been staggering losses by Wall Street investors who had shorted those stocks, in many cases being forced to buy them back at much higher prices. The situation has even caught the attention of the White House and Treasury Department.

    Meanwhile, Wall Street investors have denounced the phenomenon, saying it’s not based on facts or the merits of the companies’ performance. Instead, the situation seems to be the latest example of community activism, fueled by frustration over how established institutions have done business.

    Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Sr. made that point on Twitter:

    Stock trading app Robinhood has taken action, blocking trades of $AAL, $AMC, $BB, $BBY, $CTRM, $EXPR, $GME, $KOSS, $NAKD, $NOK, $SNDL, $TR, and $TRVG. Needless to say, users are outraged, with some filing SEC complaints and others jumping ship for competing platforms, such as CashApp.

    Robinhood may find itself reaping the same collective whirlwind Wall Street has been on the receiving end of, hurting its own business.

  • Day Traders Continue to Pump Stocks, WH and Treasury Monitoring

    Day Traders Continue to Pump Stocks, WH and Treasury Monitoring

    Day traders continued to take on Wall Street investors, pumping stocks traditional investors have been shorting.

    GameStop made headlines when its stock surged after Citron Research’s Andrew Left urged investors to short it. Traders took to Reddit to urge others to buy, causing the stock to hit as high as $247 in after hours trading Tuesday, a far cry from the $18 it was at a couple of weeks ago.

    GameStop isn’t the only company to see its stock take off. AMC has risen some 310%, Blackberry 24% and Bed Bath & Beyond 46%, according to Business Insider. It appears that day traders are engaging in a new level of activism, targeting stocks that institutional investors are shorting. The end result is volatile trading that has caused traditional investors to suffer heavy losses.

    The situation is not going unnoticed, with WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying the White House and Treasury Department were monitoring the situation.