SAN FRANCISCO: Google parent Alphabet on Monday reported that profit in the first three months of this year sagged under the weight of a hefty antitrust fine in the European Union. Alphabet said that profit in the first-quarter fell 29% to US$6.7 billion (RM28 billion) on revenue that climbed 17% to US$36.3 billion (RM105 billion). The earnings took a hit from a European Commission fine that amounted to US$1.7 billion (RM7 billion) at the end of March, according to the quarterly update. Google shares were down 7.2% to US$1,202.39 (RM5,000) in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings report. Though profits excluding the one-time costs were better than expected, revenue growth was below forecasts for the technology colossus which is the dominant internet search company and operator of the ubiquitous Android mobile operating system. Chief financial officer Ruth Porat said in the release the results showed “robust growth” led by mobile search, ad revenues from … [Read more...] about EU fine on Google weighs on parent Alphabet profits
Parenting
Woman charged with blackmailing parents of dying child
PETALING JAYA A Malaysian woman is alleged to have tried to extort money from a young couple in Australia by demanding A$1,000 (S$960) for the return of a lost phone which contained the only photos of their dying baby daughter. Parents Jay and Dee Windross launched a public appeal last week for the return of the mobile phone, which was lost in a shopping centre near Melbourne over the Easter long weekend. They begged for the Samsung Galaxy S8 with a purple cover to be returned, no questions asked, as it contained priceless memories of their terminally ill daughter, reported The Age. Siti Nurhidayah Kamal allegedly contacted the couple via WhatsApp on April 23 after they made desperate posts on social media to retrieve the phone, the Daily Mail reported. She claimed she had the phone and wanted A$1,000. Mr Windross said Siti continued to text him through the night while he had been trying to spend "every emotional minute" with his child. "It was a hoax. Not only was it a complete and … [Read more...] about Woman charged with blackmailing parents of dying child
News EU fine on Google weighs on parent Alphabet profits
SAN FRANCISCO -- Google parent Alphabet on Monday reported that profit in the first 3 months of this year sagged under the weight of a hefty antitrust fine in the European Union. Alphabet said that profit in the first-quarter fell 29 percent to $6.7 billion on revenue that climbed 17 percent to $36.3 billion. The earnings took a hit from a European Commission fine that amounted to $1.7 billion at the end of March, according to the quarterly update. Google shares were down 6.1 percent to $1,208.50 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings report. Although profits excluding the one-time costs were better than expected, revenue growth was below forecasts for the technology colossus which is the dominant internet search company and operator of the ubiquitous Android mobile operating system. Chief financial officer Ruth Porat said in the release the results showed "robust growth" led by mobile search, ad revenues from YouTube videos and cloud computing. "We remain focused … [Read more...] about News EU fine on Google weighs on parent Alphabet profits
Apple says it pulled parental control apps over privacy concerns
Apple Inc. said it removed several parental control apps from its store because of security and privacy concerns, issuing a rare public response to a media report that the iPhone maker was eliminating competition with its own tools. The New York Times reported on Saturday Apple had removed 11 of the 17 most popular programs that help users restrict features or the amount of time kids spend on devices. It said Apple started cracking down on such software after launching its own Screen Time feature last year, which also lets people set limits on certain iPhone and iPad functions and keep track of children’s usage. That sparked anti-competitive concerns, as two app makers filed complaints with the European Union, according to the report. But Apple said in a 500-word post on its website it removed the applications because they “put users’ privacy and security at risk.” Apple said the applications it barred relied on a technology called Mobile Device Management or … [Read more...] about Apple says it pulled parental control apps over privacy concerns
‘Lady of the Hills’ parents wonder if they’ll see her funeral
“We are already so old,” 72-year-old Joomsri Seekanya lamented last week. Her husband, Buasa, is 75. The Thai Women Network in the UK admitted recently it’s impossible to exhume the body of the couple’s daughter, Lamduan Armitage, nee Seekanya, until the British authorities decide whether criminal charges are warranted in the case. “We initially thought we would be able to cremate the body on April 19 and send her ashes back to Thailand on April 21,” network president Setthinaree Veness said while visiting Joomsri and Buasa in Udon Thani yesterday. But British law gives the spouse or offspring of the deceased the right to exhume an interred body, not the parents, she said. “So we have to wait for now, but it will definitely not happen until a verdict is reached on the manner of her death,” she said. Accompanying Setthinaree were several Thai officials who wanted to ensure that the parents, who speak a northeastern … [Read more...] about ‘Lady of the Hills’ parents wonder if they’ll see her funeral