Google has counter-sued Match seeking monetary damages and a judgement that would let it kick Tinder and the group’s other dating apps out of the Play Store, Bloomberg has reported. Earlier this year, Match sued Google alleging antitrust violations over a decision requiring all Android developers to process “digital goods and services” payments through the Read more about Google files a lawsuit that could kick Tinder out of the Play Store because Match refuses to pay illegally forced fees[…]

[…] On its ConnectedDrive Store in South Korea, BMW owners can pay a monthly fee to have a creature comfort such as heated seats. It costs ₩24,000 or approximately $18 at current exchange rates. Alternatively, you can get a one-year plan for $176 or a three-year subscription for $283. The BMW ConnectedDrive Store is a Read more about BMW Heated Seats Subscription Is Real And It Costs $18 Per Month. Also heated steering wheel, paid separately. In a car you own and paid for the heated seats and wheel.[…]

We have done many, many posts explaining how, unfortunately, it seems the idea of a person owning the things they’ve bought has become rather passe. While in the age of antiquity, which existed entire tens of years ago, you used to be able to own things, these days you merely license them under Ts and Read more about You Don’t Own What You’ve Bought: Sony Removes 100s Of Movies Bought Through PS Store[…]

This graphic compares the cost of living and purchasing power of 578 cities worldwide, using New York City as a benchmark for comparison. Source: Comparing the Cost of Living Around the World What they do is compare cost of living to purchasing power. There are some surprising results. The graphic in the link allows you Read more about Comparing the Cost of Living Around the World[…]

[…] the European Union has passed a pair of landmark bills designed to rein in Big Tech’s power. The Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act are intended to promote fairer competition, improve privacy protection, as well as banning both the use of some of the more egregious forms of targeted advertising and misleading practices. Read more about European Union passes landmark laws to rein in big tech, but worres about enforcement[…]

On 23 December 2021, the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) appears to have imposed an administrative fine of 2 million euros on the DeGiro of the German company flatexDEGIRO Bank AG (FlatexDeGiro) because the online broker reported unusual transactions too late and incorrectly to Financial Intelligence. Unit – Netherlands (FIU). DeGiro did this Read more about DeGiro online broker fined EUR 2 million for failing to report unusual transactions[…]

FBI officials and federal prosecutors announced Ignatova’s new designation in a press conference Thursday. Ignatova was charged in 2019 with wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering for her part in the OneCoin crypto company that prosecutors alleged was just a ponzi scheme. Michael Driscoll, the FBI’s assistant director-in-charge for New York Read more about ‘Cryptoqueen’ On FBI’s Most Wanted List – on the run with $2.5 billion ponzi-ing suckers[…]

The European Union (EU) finally agreed on landmark anti-money laundering rules for crypto transactions Wednesday, despite industry concerns over the law harming privacy and innovation. The final proposals will mean customer identity needs to be verified for even the smallest crypto transfers, if it’s between two regulated digital wallet providers – but payments to unhosted Read more about No anti money laundering Checks For Most Transfers To Unhosted Crypto Wallets, EU Policymakers Decide[…]

One of Apple’s most senior legal executives, whom the iGiant trusted to prevent insider trading, has admitted to insider trading. Gene Levoff pleaded guilty to six counts of security fraud stemming from a February 2019 complaint, according to a Thursday announcement from the US Department of Justice on Thursday. Levoff used non-public information about Apple’s Read more about Apple’s insider trading prevention guy pleads guilty to … insider trading[…]

The collapse of the tokens linked to the Terra ecosystem, stablecoin terraUSD (UST) and Luna (LUNA), has led to some major investors coming clean and detailing their losses. Two more backers of Terra are disclosing exactly how their balance sheets have been affected. Delphi Digital, a research firm and boutique investor, said in a blog Read more about Hashed Takes $3.5B Hit, Delphi Digital Discloses Loss After Terra’s LUNA Collapse[…]

Melvin Capital, once one of Wall Street’s most successful hedge funds which then lost billions in the meme stock saga, will shut down after it was hit again by this year’s market slump. Gabe Plotkin, widely regarded as one of the industry’s best traders after posting years of double digit returns, told investors that the Read more about Melvin Capital shutters down after trying to kill Gamestop[…]

Apple has announced an update to its subscription policy that’s supposed to make auto-renews seamless but could also lead to surprise charges. Under the old policy, the tech giant will ask users to opt in before they’re charged for a subscription that has recently raised its price. Going forward, however, it will allow developers to Read more about Apple will allow some apps to automatically charge you higher subscription prices[…]

Amazon.com Inc.’s main European retail business reported 1.16 billion euros ($1.26 billion) of losses in 2021, which allowed the company to pay no income tax and receive 1 billion euros in tax credits, corporate filings seen by Bloomberg show. The Luxembourg-based business recorded sales of 51.3 billion euros last year, up 17% from 43.8 billion Read more about Amazon (AMZN) Europe Unit Pays No Taxes on $55 Billion Sales in 2021[…]

Pokémon-style NFT battler Axie Infinity was one of the biggest “success” stories in the world of crypto gaming. Now it’s responsible for one of the biggest thefts in the history of the technology. The gaming-focused blockchain Ronin Network announced earlier today that an Axie Infinity exploit allowed a hacker to “drain” roughly $600 million worth Read more about Pokémon-Like NFT Game Axie Infinity Scammed Out Of $600 Million[…]

GameStop  (GME) – Get GameStop Corp. Class A Report shares extended declines Tuesday, after being halted by officials on the New York Stock Exchange, in a move that could snap the meme stock’s longest winning streak in more than a decade. Both GameStop and AMC Entertainment  (AMC) – Get AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. Class A Report names Read more about GameStop, AMC Stocks Halted On NYSE after reaching above $500,- per share[…]

A now-former HP finance planning manager pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns that follow from the misappropriation of company funds. According to the US Justice Department, Shelbee Szeto, 30, of Fremont, California, worked at HP Inc from August 2017 through June 2021, first as an Read more about HP staffer blew $5m on personal expenses with company card[…]

Satish Kumbhani, who is accused of scamming people out of $2.4bn in a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, has disappeared while evading an American watchdog, a court was told this week. The BitConnect founder fled his home nation of India and went to ground in another country as the US Securities and Exchange Commission sought to serve Read more about BitConnect boss accused of $2.4bn fraud has disappeared[…]

We’ve said it over and over again, if libraries did not exist today, there is no way publishers would allow them to come into existence. We know this, in part, because of their attempts to stop libraries from lending ebooks, and to price ebooks at ridiculous markups to discourage libraries, and their outright claims that Read more about Penguin Random House Demands Removal Of Maus From Digital Library Because The Book Is Popular Again after ban in the US[…]

At the same time car companies are fighting the right to repair movement (and the state and federal legislation popping up everywhere), they’re continuing the quest to turn everyday features — like heated seats — into something users have to pay a recurring fee for. In 2019, BMW had to abandon a plan to charge Read more about Automakers Can’t Give Up The Idea Of Turning Everyday Features Into Subscription Services With Fees[…]