WhatsApp has a new boss: Chris Daniels, the guy who’s been running Internet.org
Just one week after WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum said he was leaving the company, Facebook announced his replacement: Chris Daniels will take over as the new VP of WhatsApp. He’s the Facebook product executive who has been running Internet.org, the company’s effort to bring free internet services to the masses.
Daniels has been with Facebook for more than seven years, and while he hasn’t worked on WhatsApp previously, the kind of stuff he has worked on has a lot of relevance.
NASA, Uber to Explore Safety, Efficiency of Future Urban Airspace
NASA has signed a second space act agreement with Uber Technologies, Inc., to further explore concepts and technologies related to urban air mobility (UAM) to ensure a safe and efficient system for future air transportation in populated areas.
Under this agreement, Uber will share its plans for implementing an urban aviation rideshare network. NASA will use the latest in airspace management computer modeling and simulation to assess the impacts of small aircraft – from delivery drones to passenger aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capability – in crowded environments.
This is NASA’s first such agreement specifically focused on modeling and simulation for UAM operations.
Walmart loses $10 billion market cap after Flipkart buyout
Bengaluru: Walmart’s investors reacted negatively to news of the retail giant’s Flipkart buyout on Wednesday, wiping away $10 billion worth of Walmart’s market capitalization, as investors punished the stock in early morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
In pre-market trading at around 6.30 pm IST, Walmart’s shares on the NYSE were down a little over 5%. Walmart’s market cap currently stands at $252 billion, according to stock data from NYSE. However, the stock of Walmart’s biggest rival in the US, Amazon, rose marginally in early market trade. Amazon’s market cap currently stands at $776 billion.
Earlier on Wednesday, Walmart said it had agreed to buy 77% of Flipkart for $16 billion, valuing India’s largest e-commerce firm at roughly $21 billion. Walmart, however, added that it expected operating losses as a result of the deal, along with a negative impact to its earnings per share.
Google names Nitin Bawankule head of India cloud business
BENGALURU: Google said it had appointed Nitin Bawankule as the country head for its cloud business in India, as the search giant looks at taking a larger share of the booming demand for those services in the country.
Bawankule has been with Google for six years and was previously head of sales for its ecommerce, retail and classifieds and education business. Bawankule will report to Rick Harshman, managing director of Asia Pacific for Google Cloud.
TRAI releases draft of telecom interconnection regulation setting a deadline of 42 days for port provision between telcos
The Indian telecom regulator on Tuesday released the draft amendment of telecommunication interconnection where it has set time-frame for provisioning of ports for initial interconnection and augmentation to be increased to a maximum 42 working days.
The draft said a service provider may request the other service provider for additional ports at a Point of Interconnection (POI), if the projected utilisation of the capacity of such POI at the end of 60 days from the date of placing the request, is likely to be more than 85 percent and such projected utilisation of the capacity of POI shall be determined on the basis of the daily traffic for the preceding 60 days at the POI during busy hour.
Carlos Alvarado sworn in as Costa Rican president
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Journalist Carlos Alvarado was sworn in Tuesday as Costa Rica’s president through 2022, promising a “plural” and inclusive government following an election and runoff where same-sex marriage became a key issue.
During an inauguration ceremony at Democracy Square in the capital, San Jose, Alvarado accepted the sash of office from his predecessor and ally, Luis Guillermo Solis.
HTT wants to set up a 700 km long Hyperloop transport system in Andhra Pradesh
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies on 7 May proposed to set up the Hyperloop transportation system in Andhra Pradesh connecting Anantapur-Amaravati-Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam as part of 700-800 km long integrated public transit system.
The US-based company presented the pre-feasibility route study to officials from the state Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) and other nodal state departments.