The Upload: Your tech news briefing for Wednesday, April 15
EU finally charges Google with antitrust
It’s been expected for months: the European Commission has formally accused Google of abusing its dominant position in search in Europe by systematically favoring its own services. The Commission also opened a separate antitrust investigation into the Android mobile OS, centered on concerns about whether Google is compelling licensees to exclusively pre-install its own applications or services, whether it’s stopping device makers from developing competing versions of the OS, and whether it’s tying or bundling Google applications and services for Android with other Google apps and services.
Intel sales sag under PC slowdown
Intel’s first-quarter revenue of $12.8 billion, reported Tuesday, was flat from the same quarter last year and lower than financial analysts had expected—the result of sluggish sales of PCs, which the chipmaker still relies on. But it said that decline was offset by strong sales of servers and other data center products. Profit for the quarter was $2 billion, or $0.41 per share, up slightly from last year and in line with expectations.
Three new lawsuits challenge FCC’s net neutrality rules
The rush is on to sue the U.S. Federal Communications Commission over its net neutrality rules, with three trade groups and AT&T filing legal challenges Tuesday. The agency now faces six lawsuits related to the regulations. New plaintiffs include the mobile trade group CTIA, cable trade group the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the American Cable Association and AT&T.
Nokia to acquire Alcatel-Lucent, may sell off Here mapping business
Nokia has cut a deal to buy Alcatel-Lucent and charge to the forefront of the telecommunications gear market as a €26 billion company. The deal values Alcatel-Lucent at €15.6 billion (US$16.5 billion). The headquarters of the new company, called Nokia Corporation, will be in Finland though some significant business operations and research and development will continue in France. Nokia is also considering selling its Here mapping business.
Segway rolls off to Beijing
Old-timers will remember when Segway founder Dean Kamen cornered the market on breathless hype and no lesser eminences than Steve Jobs and John Doerr compared his two-wheeler to the PC and the Internet. Well, the company has just been acquired for the third time, now by Beijing-based Ninebot.
Uber among the biggest Bay Area employers—but don’t call them employees!
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that 20,000 Bay area residents now drive for ride-hailing app Uber, which would make it one of the region’s largest employers if it admitted that workers ringing up its profits were employees. The “driver partners” are classified as independent contractors, which means no health insurance, overtime, paid vacation, sick days, and so on.
Apple bolsters diversity with scholarships to WWDC
Apple has increased the number of scholarships it will offer to attendees of its Worldwide Developers Conference in June from last year’s 200 to 350, in a move meant to make the event more accessible to young women, blacks and Latinos, re/code reports. An Apple report on the demographic makeup of its workforce revealed it to be 70 percent male and 30 percent female, and about 55 percent white, 15 percent Asian, 11 percent Latino and 7 percent black, the site said.
Watch now
It’s your daily shot of rocket fuel: see the Space X Falcon 9 rocket lift off in multiple views.
One last thing
If you missed Mark Zuckerberg’s AMA on Reddit, here are some highlights from Geekwire.
