Category Archives: oud

Facebook: No ‘Systemic’ Bias, But We’re Changing Our ‘Trending’ Rules

Facebook ( FB ) said Monday that it found no evidence of “systemic political bias” in its Trending Topics, but is nevertheless changing its guidelines after an internal probe. Facebook, in a response to Sen. John Thune , R-S.D., said an internal investigation discovered no clear political bias, following a Gizmodo report that human editors favored liberal stories and sources over conservative media. That spurred Sen. Thune’s request for details, The world’s largest social network said it “could not fully exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias.” So it’s altering its guidelines. Facebook, which boasts some 1.65 billion users, is becoming the leading news source for more and more people, surpassing Alphabet ( GOOGL ) unit Google as well as mainstream media. So conservatives are worried that the social network has the power to shape, suppress or promote stories or topics not only on its site, but in the broader political discussion. It will no longer rely on so-called news leaders such as the New York Times ( NYT ). It also will stop using curated RSS news feed using the “Media 1K” list of 1,000 news sources. Human editors will get clearer guidelines and more training to try to avoid bias. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met last week with various conservative figures to try to defuse the issue.

Microsoft’s Addictive Video Game ‘Minecraft’ Reaches China

Microsoft ( MSFT ) has signed a deal with NetEase ( NTES ) to distribute the wildly popular video game “Minecraft” in China. Under the five-year deal, Chinese online services firm NetEase will introduce versions of the sandbox, or world-building, game for personal computers and mobile devices in China. “Minecraft” already has more than 100 million registered players worldwide. “We are excited to bring Minecraft to Chinese audiences, and expect our large online community to embrace this pre-eminent game,” NetEase founder and CEO William Ding said in a statement . Microsoft bought “Minecraft” developer Mojang for $2.5 billion in September 2014. Tencent Eyes Supercell Investment In other gaming news, Chinese Internet company Tencent Holdings ( TCEHY ) is in talks with SoftBank ( SFTBY ) to buy the Japanese telecom giant’s majority stake in Supercell, the Finland-based maker of some of the world’s most popular mobile games, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday . SoftBank owns 73% of Supercell, which last year was valued at $5.25 billion, the Journal said. Supercell is best known for its combat games “Clash of Clans” and “Clash Royale.” Tencent is a leader in PC games thanks to its purchase of U.S.-based Riot Games, maker of “League of Legends.” And last year, it bought minority stakes in mobile game publishers Glu Mobile ( GLUU ) and Pocket Gems. RELATED: Britney Spears Game Lifts Glu, But Big Publishers Winning

Could iPhone 7 Production Ramp Mark True Turnaround In Apple Stock?

Loading the player… Apple ( AAPL ) rallied in the stock market today as reports signal the consumer tech giant’s iPhone production is on the rise. Taiwan’s Economic Daily said Apple told its iPhone 7 suppliers to produce 72 million to 78 million units this year, many more than the 65 million units Wall Street has projected. That production target is also the highest in about two years. The iPhone 7 is due out in September and could give Apple the boost it needs after the company reported its first-ever quarterly decline in iPhone sales last month. Shares closed up 1.3% in below-average volume, hitting their highest level in nearly a month. But the stock still has a lot of recovering to do after gapping down on its latest quarterly report, as it’s down about 27% from its 52-week high. Chip Suppliers Get A Boost Meanwhile, Apple chip suppliers Taiwan Semiconductor ( TSM ), Broadcom ( AVGO ), Qorvo ( QRVO ) and Skyworks Solutions ( SWKS ) are also getting a boost from the report. Taiwan Semiconductor rallied 1.5% in light turnover, but hit resistance at its 50-day line. Shares are trading 7% below their March high and a flat-base buy point of 26.72. Broadcom climbed 1% in below-average volume, but it’s also hitting resistance at the 50-day line. Broadcom’s stock is 7% below its April peak and a potential buy point. Qorvo rose 2% in big volume after having retaken its 50-day and 200-day moving averages in Friday’s session. The stock is nearing a cup-with-handle buy point of 52.05, but it’s trading 42% below its high reached last June. Skyworks added 1.9% in fast trade, but it’s still 41% below its June high.