FTC preparing possible antitrust suit against Facebook. The case preparations come after the Federal Trade Commission has spent more than a year investigating concerns that Facebook has been using its market position to stifle competition. The WSJ reports that if the company were to lose an antitrust case, the FTC could seek a range of remedies from restrictions on how Facebook operates to breaking off pieces of its business. No final decision has been made on whether to sue Facebook. Making money making offices safe. Apps to guide office traffic, sensors that detect when to call in the cleaners, germ-repelling paint and plant-bedecked partitions are among the growing array of products and services aiming to virus-proof workplaces, the WSJ's Ruth Bender reports. Towards a workplace safety tech stack? “All startups I keep track of are suddenly stopping what they’re doing and are creating Covid solutions,” says Charles Reed Anderson, a property technology consultant. The risk, he said, is that building owners find themselves with even more different technology platforms to manage in an already fragmented market. Cloud-based data management Snowflake to enter hot IPO market. The company, which offers businesses cloud-based data management, priced its IPO at $120 a share for a valuation of roughly $33 billion. Snowflake is set to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SNOW on Wednesday. A deluge. Through the end of last week, companies listing in the U.S. have raised more than $78 billion in their IPOs, on pace for one of the biggest money-raising years for new issues since the tech boom of 2000, according to Dealogic. (WSJ) Justice Department probes electric-truck startup Nikola. Federal prosecutors are probing allegations that Nikola misrepresented progress it made in developing key technology core to releasing new models. The company, which went public in June, hasn’t sold any trucks yet. (WSJ) Apple shows off new devices. Apple typically introduces new iPhones come September, but the focus was on wearables, tablets and services at a virtual launch event held on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal’s Tim Higgins reports. The devices include the Watch Series 6 and a faster iPad Air. Apple also appears to be trying to tap into that Peloton pandemic magic, announcing Fitness+, a streaming service that offers online workouts and helps users track and improve performance. Amazon beefs up air logistics. Amazon added nine planes to its Amazon Air fleet between May and June, bringing its fleet up to about 70 planes. The company expects to have more than 80 planes by 2021. (CNBC) YouTube Tests TikTok-like service in India. YouTube Shorts is designed to create 15- second videos similar to Bytedance Ltd.’s TikTok. India has banned many Chinese apps, including TikTok, citing security concerns. (BBC) |