Technology

Alphabet Inc will donate more than $800 million in funds towards producing medical supplies used to fight COVID-19, and in ad credits to government and health organizations and businesses, Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said on Friday.

Some lower-paid U.S. workers could effectively get a short-term raise if they lose their jobs during the coronavirus crisis, thanks to government computer systems that rely on 1950s-era technology.

Apple Inc and the White House said on Friday that the iPhone maker worked with the Trump administration and federal agencies to release an app and website that will direct users to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control on the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Senior officials in the Trump administration agreed to new measures to restrict the global supply of chips to China's Huawei Technologies, sources familiar with the matter said, as the White House ramps up criticism of China over coronavirus.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp will pay an extra 25% of base pay to some employees in India and the Philippines as a majority of its offshore workforce work from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, taking on extra work, Chief Executive Officer Brian Humphries said.

Chinese ride hailing giant Didi Chuxing said on Friday it would restart its evening Hitch service in some cities, with improved safety features and more rigorous driver and passenger verification procedures.

Mobile operator Vodafone said on Friday it would introduce 30-days free access to unlimited mobile data for half a million of its Pay Monthly customers and upgrade the contracts for those who are flagged as vulnerable.

HOOQ Digital, a video streaming service majority owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, said it was filing for liquidation as it had not been able to grow sufficiently to provide sustainable returns nor cover escalating costs.

For Samsung Electronics Co Ltd , the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were going to be its springboard to attain a long-held goal - making significant inroads into Japan's lucrative smartphone market where Apple Inc dominates.

U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc plans to slash on-site staff at its Nevada battery plant by around 75% due to the coronavirus pandemic, the local county manager said on Thursday.

China's Tencent Holdings launched a co-innovation lab with Huawei to develop a cloud game platform, the world's biggest game company said in a statement Friday.

Facebook Inc on Thursday named the U.S. Treasury's former deputy secretary, Robert Kimmitt, to its board as lead independent director, effective immediately.

China's Huawei Technologies unveiled its new flagship photography-focused P40 smartphones on Wednesday in an online presentation after the coronavirus scuppered the event it had planned.

(This March 25 story corrects after E.ON says it will not provide energy solutions to Tesla and has not been given 18 months to do it)

Several of Britain's digital banks are still waiting to hear if they can offer government-backed loans to struggling small businesses damaged by the coronavirus outbreak, days after a multi-billion pound rescue scheme was launched.

Governments across Europe are turning to technology to track the spread of the coronavirus and monitor people under quarantine, an approach that seeks to learn from Asia but is also putting the region's privacy rules to the test.

The use of virtual annual meetings by companies during the coronavirus epidemic must not become the norm once restrictions on people's movements are lifted, responsible investment campaign group ShareAction said on Thursday.

Austria to will postpone its 5G frequency auction due to the coronavirus crisis, telecoms regulator RTR said on Thursday.

The coronavirus pandemic is hobbling U.S. efforts to produce lithium, rare earths and other materials used in electric vehicles and high-tech equipment, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump's plan to curb Chinese control of the strategic minerals sector.

Global smartphone sales tumbled 14% in February as the coronavirus spread in China and overseas, Counterpoint Research said on Thursday, a likely harbinger of more declines as outbreaks worsen in many parts of the world.