Tech

In this articleAMZNPeter Endig | AFP | Getty ImagesAmazon warehouse workers are injured at higher rates than those at rival companies, according to a new study.In 2020, there were 5.9 serious injuries for every 100 Amazon warehouse workers, which is nearly 80% higher than the serious injury rate at non-Amazon warehouses, the Strategic Organizing Center wrote in a new report published Tuesday. The SOC said serious injuries include any injuries that require employees to either miss work entirely, known as “lost time injuries,” or be placed on light or restricted duty.The SOC, which is a coalition of labor unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union, analyzed recently released data reported by Amazon to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration covering work-related injuries between 2017 and 2020.Amazon’s 2020 injury rates were higher than Walmart, one of its closest retail competitors. Amazon’s overall injury rate in 2020 was 6.5 cases for every 100 workers, according to the study. That’s more than twice that of Walmart, which reported three cases for every 100 employees in 2020.Separately, The Washington Post on Tuesday published an analysis of OSHA data, which showed that Amazon’s serious injury rates are nearly double

In this article2330-TWMemory chips are seen on a Samsung Electronics memory module in this arranged photograph in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, July 26, 2018.SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe world’s 10 biggest chip manufacturing companies saw their revenues surge to a record high in the first quarter of 2021, according to market research firm TrendForce.The combined quarterly total revenue of the chipmakers, known as foundries, rose to a record high of $22.75 billion in the first quarter, according to a TrendForce blog published Monday.Chips are used in everything from cars and games consoles, to washing machines and toothbrushes. They form part of the life blood of the global economy and are vital to many of the world’s biggest industries. But they’re also in short supply —  and the shortage could last until 2023.”Owing to soaring demands for various end devices, manufacturers have been ramping up their component procurement activities, and foundry capacities, as a result, have been in shortage since 2020, with various foundries raising their wafer prices and adjusting their product mixes to ensure profitability,” TrendForce analyst Joanne Chiao wrote.Around 57% of the world’s chip foundry revenues in the last quarter were generated by one Taiwanese chipmaker:

In this photo illustration, the TransferWise logo is seen displayed on an Android mobile phone.Omar Marques | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesFinancial technology firm Wise said Tuesday that users in India would now be able to send money abroad to 44 countries around the world.That includes places like Singapore, the U.K., the United States, the United Arab Emirates as well as countries in the euro zone.India’s outward remittances in the fiscal year 2019-2020 was around $18.75 billion, with more than 60% of it categorized under travel and paying for studying abroad, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India. Under a liberalized remittance scheme, the central bank allows residents to freely send up to $250,000 abroad to fund personal expenses or education per financial year — which begins in April and ends in March the following year.Typically, the inward remittance market is comparatively larger as many Indians working abroad send money back to their families in the country. World Bank data for 2019 showed personal remittances received in India exceeded $83 billion.Kristo Kaarmann, CEO and co-founder of Wise, which was previously called TransferWise, told CNBC that the ability to send money out of India was one of

In this articleETH=BTC.BS=-USSTIGRFUTUIn this photo illustration a Bitcoin logo seen displayed on a smartphone with stock market percentages in the background.Omar Marques | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Two of China’s rivals to stock trading app Robinhood are looking to cryptocurrencies as a way to compete overseas.The companies, Futu and Tiger Brokers, disclosed during earnings calls last month they are applying for licenses in Singapore and the U.S. that would allow local customers to trade digital currencies.The move comes as cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin have climbed back into the spotlight in recent months, while Chinese regulators have increased their efforts to limit speculation in the market. In the last few weeks, authorities issued new warnings against digital currency trading and a crackdown on bitcoin mining — an energy-heavy computing process that allows participants to earn bitcoin.But in the financial trading world, demand for cryptocurrencies is high as bitcoin’s price surged to record levels above $60,000, before dropping sharply to around $35,000.Robinhood, which launched bitcoin and ethereum trading in the U.S. in early 2018, has added 3 million customers a month this year for its crypto business. In April, U.S.-based cryptocurrency trading site Coinbase debuted on the Nasdaq.”We

China is set to become a major player in the “highly lucrative” satellite navigation market, as it seeks to compete with the U.S. government-owned Global Positioning System (GPS), an analyst said Monday.But China’s homegrown Beidou system is not likely to overtake the GPS system for now, said Craig Singleton, adjunct fellow at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies.”China has marked a major step in its race to increase market share in this highly lucrative sector,” Singleton told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.””The completion of the system also reaffirms China’s status as a world power. It represents a major declaration about its technical independence from the West, which carries wide-ranging geopolitical implications,” said Singleton.Flags of the U.S. and China fly along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, 2011.Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMore than 120 countries — including Pakistan and Thailand — are using China’s Beidou system for purposes such as monitoring traffic at ports or guiding rescue operations, the analyst said.And Beijing is counting on its massive Belt and Road Initiative to “convince” more countries to use Beidou, he added.The Beidou system was completed in June last year. Chinese state media Xinhua said last week that the

In this articleAMZNGetty ImagesMy son turned one earlier this month. We received a lot of presents from friends and family through Amazon. But we aren’t sure where to send some of the thank you cards.If you buy an item from Amazon and have it shipped somewhere else, it’ll just arrive in a box without any sort of note for the recipient about who sent it. Amazon knows you have a record of the purchase through its website. It makes sense most of the time. But, if you’re sending a gift, you need to mark it as a gift before you finish the purchase.When you do that, Amazon will ship the item with a gift receipt and a note that shows who bought the item. And then people like me will know who to thank. (Thank you for the gifts, by the way.)How to send items as gifts on Amazon so people know who sent itFind an item you want to buy and add it to your Amazon cart.On the cart subtotal screen that opens next, click the small checkbox that says “This order contains a gift.”Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsHow to send a gift from AmazonClick proceed to checkout.You’ll see

Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi speaks about CarPlay on stage during Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on June 05, 2017.Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty ImagesIn the early 2010s, automotive manufacturers and their suppliers were excited about building sophisticated apps for car dashboards that went beyond a CD player and a tiny LED screen.Partnering with companies like Microsoft, car makers started to come up with services for maps, music, and on-road assistance, often bundled into an upgrade package. They entered into large consortiums to create industry standards to connect smartphones to cars.Then Apple came in and changed everything.Apple introduced CarPlay in 2014 as a way to integrate the iPhone and a car’s dashboard. Since then, it’s become ubiquitous in new cars.Around the world, over 80% of new cars sold support CarPlay, Apple said last year. That works out to about 600 new models, including cars from Volkswagen, BMW, and Chrysler. Toyota, one of the longest holdouts, started including CarPlay in 2019 models.It’s also a top feature for many drivers and car buyers. Twenty-three percent of new car buyers in the U.S. say they “must have” CarPlay and 56% percent are “interested” in

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus tabletTodd Haselton | CNBCI’ve been testing Amazon’s new Fire HD 10 Plus tablet for the past several days. It started shipping to customers earlier this week and starts at $179.99, a little more than half the price of the entry-level iPad.The Fire HD 10 Plus is Amazon’s most high-end tablet and has a few more features, like extra RAM and wireless charging, that make it a better buy than the $149.99 regular Fire HD 10.Unlike Apple, Amazon’s tablet business doesn’t generate a considerable bulk of the company’s revenues. Instead, they’re just portals into Amazon’s content and services. They’re compelling because they’re cheap but let you stream movies, music and read books. They’re great if that’s all you need out of a tablet. Still, I think most people who can save a bit longer will find they can do a lot more with an iPad.Here’s what you need to know about the new Fire HD 10 Plus.What’s goodAmazon Fire HD 10 PlusAmazonIf you’re like lots of people who just want a tablet to poke around some basic games, read Kindle books, stream Netflix and Amazon Prime video or listen to music from services like Spotify, Pandora,

In this photo illustration the HBO Max and Discovery Communications logo seen displayed on a smartphone.Rafael Henrique | LightRocket | Getty ImagesAT&T’s decision to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery and Amazon’s $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM Studios has kicked off another round of media consolidation.The last significant set of mergers brought Discovery and Scripps together, AT&T and Time Warner, Comcast and Sky, Viacom and CBS, and Disney with most of Fox.Given all of those deals, there are fewer companies remaining to find dance partners. But there’s also added pressure on companies like NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS, who have global streaming video aspirations, to add more content.Here are a few combinations of companies that make strategic sense.NBCUniversal and LionsgateBuying Lionsgate would help Comcast’s NBCUniversal on two different fronts. First, it would add more content to Peacock, NBCUniversal’s subscription video service. Lionsgate owns shows including “Mad Men,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Nashville” and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Lionsgate currently licenses those shows to a grab bag of streaming services. Second, Lionsgate owns premium network Starz, which would fit seamlessly with NBCUniversal’s offerings. NBCUniversal doesn’t have a premium network, unlike competitors WarnerMedia (HBO) and ViacomCBS (Showtime).On the streaming front, a Starz-Peacock combination — either together

In this articleNIOTSLASan Francisco-based Ample has brought electric vehicle battery swapping to the U.S. The company was in stealth mode for seven years before launching recently with five swapping stations in the Bay Area. Uber drivers in the area are Ample’s first customers.The concept isn’t new. A start-up called Better Place launched an EV and battery swapping company after it raised $850 million in venture funding, but it ultimately went bankrupt in 2013. Tesla also demoed battery swapping in 2013 but only opened one station for about a year. Elon Musk said Tesla owners were not interested in it.Battery swapping is already common in China. Electric vehicle maker Nio, for example, plans to double its network of swapping stations to 500 this year and plans to open stations in Norway as part of its expansion into Europe.Ample has a different approach, with modular batteries and a focus on fleets. CNBC got an inside look at its headquarters and battery factory in San Francisco to learn how the company plans to bring battery swapping into the mainstream.