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Google’s Android Plea: Oracle Took No Risk, Wants Big Payday

Alphabet ’s ( GOOGL ) Google says Oracle ( ORCL ) “took none of the risk” in developing and marketing Android software, but now wants “a lot of the money” from the mobile operating system’s success, says a report from tech website Ars Technica . In closing arguments to a jury, Google attorney Robert Van Nest said the copyright infringement case’s outcome is important for the software industry, reported Ars Technica. Oracle is seeking nearly $9 billion in damages from Google. It’s slated to make its closing statement Monday afternoon. Oracle claims that Google violated its copyright on parts of the Java programming language when it created the Android mobile operating system, now used in mobile phones worldwide. Oracle acquired Java when it purchased Sun Microsystems in 2010. “This is a very important case, not only for Google, but for innovation and technology in general,” Van Nest told the jury. “What Google engineers did was nothing out of that mainstream. They built Android from scratch, using new Google technology, and adapted technology from open sources. “Now we’re in a situation where Oracle, which had no investment in Android, took none of the risk — they want all the credit and a lot of the money. And that’s not fair.” Oracle says Google has earned $21 billion in profit from Android-based smartphones. At its I/O developer’s conference last week, Google showcased the Android N software upgrade, which includes an automotive variant and a virtual reality mode for smartphones. If Oracle wins its court case, it might also seek royalties, analysts say. Shares of both Alphabet and Oracle were down a fraction in afternoon trading in the stock market today .

Facebook’s Alleged Liberal News Bias Gets Comedy Treatment

Facebook ( FB ) CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with conservative news figures this week to address concerns that editors of the social network’s Trending Topics feature have been suppressing conservative viewpoints. That gave comedians and satirists a great opening to take some shots at Facebook for its alleged liberal bias. “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert slammed Facebook for having misplaced priorities. “Apparently, Facebook censored popular stories about conservative topics from appearing on the trending news section. Folks, I think this is wrong,” Colbert said. “If Facebook is going to censor things, why not get rid of the stuff people really don’t want to see, like your ex’s tropical honeymoon? Or invitations to co-workers’ improv shows?” Satirical news website The Onion presented a fake response from Zuckerberg, who questioned why people are getting their news from Facebook to begin with. “Facebook is a great place to connect with friends and family, but frankly, if you’re on our site for 20 minutes or longer during the day and you’re reading the articles on here as your main connection to what’s actually happening in the world, then I’d say you’re a little mistaken about what this site is actually all about,” fake Zuckerberg said. “I’m happy to show anyone how to get to a regular news site if you need a little help.” Online comic The Joy of Tech also took a jab at the Facebook bias controversy. Plus, the story was material for political cartoonists including Jeff Darcy of Cleveland.com and Rick McKee of the Augusta Chronicle . Amazon, Tesla Also Come In For Some Zingers Facebook’s trending-news hullabaloo isn’t the only tech subject tickling funny bones lately. What follows are recent jokes from late-night comedians Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien and James Corden. Their zingers were directed at Amazon.com ( AMZN ), CBS ( CBS ), Alphabet ( GOOGL )-owned Google, Priceline ( PCLN ), Tesla Motors ( TSLA ), Twitter ( TWTR ) and Uber Technologies. Fallon: Tesla unveiled its new model 3 electric car. And I saw that fans were camping outside Tesla stores to reserve one. Camping out is actually great practice for when their cars run out of power 30 miles from the nearest outlets. Fallon: Amazon Prime just unveiled new buttons you can press to order Doritos, Red Bull, and Trojan condoms. Yeah, Doritos, Red Bull and condoms. Or as that’s called in New Jersey, “A gift basket.” Fallon: The CEO of Priceline just resigned after it was revealed that he had an affair with an employee. As you can imagine, his wife is pretty mad, but on the bright side, at least he knows where to find a good deal on hotels. Fallon: CBS announced that season 33 of “Survivor” will be called “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X.” It’ll start in September, and end 20 minutes later when both teams realize there’s no Wi-Fi. Conan: This week is the 43rd anniversary of the first cellphone call. Historians still don’t know which movie theater it took place in. Conan: Over the weekend, a man broke the world record for “Donkey Kong,” making it through the entire game using up just one life. That’s right — his own. Conan: Google has created several new emojis aimed at empowering women. So congratulations women, you asked for equal pay and you got five new emojis. Corden: The social media platform Twitter just signed a historic deal with the NFL to live stream Thursday Night Football games this coming season. Before this, the only thing Twitter ever live streamed was Kanye West’s meltdowns. Corden: The driverless car thing seems like it’s really catching on lately. In fact, the ride-sharing company Uber has begun testing driverless cars on the streets of Pittsburgh. Finally, Uber found a way to make out-of-work actors even more out of work. Corden: But don’t worry, for all of you who love Uber, the experience isn’t really going to change. To keep in line with Uber’s brand, their driverless cars will be programmed to smell like cologne and also make female passengers really uncomfortable.

Apple Has Largest Cash Stockpile, Twice That Of Microsoft’s

Apple ( AAPL ) continues to reign as the Scrooge McDuck of the corporate world, keeping a virtual treasure vault of gold coins that it can swim in. Apple accounted for $215.7 billion, or 12.8%, of total corporate cash in 2015, Moody’s Investors Service reported Friday. That’s up from $178 billion, or 10.7%, in 2014, and $159 billion, or 9.7%, in 2013. The top five U.S. companies stockpiling cash, all tech companies, collectively held $504 billion, or 30% of the total corporate cash balance among non-financial companies. That’s up from $440 billion, or 27%, in 2014 and $404 billion, or 25%, in 2013. The top five are: Apple, Microsoft ( MSFT ), Google parent Alphabet ( GOOGL ), Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) and Oracle ( ORCL ). U.S. non-financial companies rated by Moody’s held $1.68 trillion in cash at the end of 2015, up 1.8% from $1.65 trillion at the end of 2014. But much of the cash is parked overseas, and U.S. companies are reluctant to bring it home, lest they face stiff tax penalties. Overseas cash is estimated at $1.2 trillion, or 72% of total cash. That’s up from $1.1 trillion, or 64% of cash in 2014, and $950 billion, or 58% of total cash, in 2013. Technology, health care/pharmaceuticals, consumer products and energy are the most cash-flush industries, with $1.3 trillion, or 71%, of the corporate cash total. The tech sector has the largest cash pile, at $777 billion, or 46%, of the total, Moody’s said. Microsoft, the second-most cash-rich company in the U.S., had $102.6 billion, less than half of Apple’s total. Alphabet came in third with $73.1 billion, followed by Cisco ($60.4 billion) and Oracle ($52.3 billion). Apple shares ended Friday trades up 1.1%. Microsoft and Alphabet finished the day up less than 1% on the stock market today . Cisco and Oracle each climbed 1.5%.