Microsoft in Brazilian antitrust regulator's crosshairs after Opera complaint
Opera, in its complaint filed on Tuesday, alleged that Microsoft pre-installs Edge as the default browser across Windows devices and computers, thereby preventing rivals from competing on the merits of the products.
Opera had 6.78% of the Brazilian desktop browser market in June versus Edge's 11.52% and market leader Google Chrome's 75%.
CADE said it had opened an administrative inquiry and set an August 15 deadline for Microsoft to respond to Opera's allegations about its Windows operating system licences, the Microsoft 365 software and its Jumpstart programme.
The Jumpstart programme allows Microsoft clients to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents for routine tasks, a move which could help the company monetise its billion-dollar investments in AI. Other Big Tech companies have similar tools.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
Opera has been complaining about its competitor since December 2007 when it took its grievance about the latter's internet Explorer browser bundled with its Windows operating system to the European Commission, resulting in a 561-million-euro ($640 million) fine for the U.S. tech giant.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Just like NBA stars, US AI experts are now receiving $250 million pay packages
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High-value offers and personal outreach Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly offered 24-year-old AI researcher Matt Deitke a compensation package worth approximately $250 million over four years. According to The New York Times, the offer included as much as $100 million in the first year alone. Mr Deitke, who co-founded the startup Vercept, had initially declined an earlier offer of around $125 million in stock and cash. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Legendary Cars from the Past Undo Following further negotiation and a personal meeting with Mr Zuckerberg, Mr Deitke accepted the revised offer. Recruitment efforts have become highly personalised. Zuckerberg has been directly messaging potential recruits, often following up with larger offers. As quoted by The New York Times, some Meta employees likened this strategy to the approach of sports franchise owners. The publication also reported that companies see these high compensation packages as justifiable, with the potential to significantly increase revenue through AI advancements. Recruitment tactics reflect professional sports culture The current AI hiring environment is marked by a level of intensity resembling that of major sports leagues. Companies have been poaching talent from each other, and social media has mirrored this dynamic with graphics and posts styled after sports trade announcements. One such post, made by the tech-focused online streaming platform TBPN, read: 'BREAKING: Microsoft has poached over 20 staff members from DeepMind over the last six months,' as cited by The New York Times. Many young AI researchers have reportedly formed private online groups to discuss offers, compare compensation packages, and advise each other on negotiation strategies. These discussions have taken place on platforms such as Slack and Discord, according to the report. The growing influence of these informal networks has shaped how researchers approach career decisions. Computing resources and recruitment networks In addition to financial compensation, companies like Meta are also offering vast computing resources. As per The New York Times, some recruits have been promised access to 30,000 graphical processing units (GPUs) — a critical asset for developing and training large AI models. Recruitment efforts are also being guided by internal documents, including one referred to as 'the List.' This list, as reported by The New York Times, contains names of top researchers with qualifications such as a Ph.D. in an AI-related field, experience at leading research labs, and a record of contributing to significant AI breakthroughs. Market shifts and internal challenges The demand for elite AI talent has also affected internal structures at companies like OpenAI. According to The New York Times, OpenAI's Chief Research Officer Mark Chen acknowledged in a staff meeting that the company has been countering offers from competitors. However, he noted that OpenAI had not matched Meta's financial proposals, stating, 'I personally think that in order to work here, you have to believe in the upside of OpenAI,' as quoted in the report. This rapid escalation in compensation has led to a redefinition of how value is assigned to AI expertise in the US, with new recruits often attempting to bring former colleagues into their teams. The New York Times also noted that researchers frequently try to recruit friends after joining a new lab, strengthening internal cohesion and collaboration. Background on Matt Deitke and Vercept Mr Deitke, who left a Ph.D. programme at the University of Washington, previously worked at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, where he contributed to the development of Molmo — an AI chatbot capable of handling images, sounds, and text. In November, he and several colleagues founded Vercept, a startup building autonomous AI agents. Vercept has reportedly raised $16.5 million in funding, including investment from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Following Mr Deitke's decision to accept Meta's offer, Vercept's CEO posted on social media: 'We look forward to joining Matt on his private island next year,' as cited by The New York Times. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Microsoft kills Windows 11 SE, support ends officially in October 2026
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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Once a retail empire, Carrefour struggles to win back investors
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Bompard responded by offloading flagging operations in Italy, and a better-than-expected sales print contributed to an uptick in shares. But that was quickly replaced by concerns over the grocer's future after years of stagnating profits. Investors are still asking the same question of Bompard from when he took the helm eight years ago - can he spur growth at Carrefour, when many previous CEOs have failed? Plenty of observers bet he can't. Carrefour is among the most-shorted grocery chains in Europe, with shares out on loan at 6% of the free float as of July 24, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The stock is still down about 10% this year, and in the last two decades it's the only major European grocer to provide a negative return. 'We are far from assuming this turnaround with the trends we see and in the context of the mixed track record of the company,' JPMorgan analyst Borja Olcese said in a note after the earnings last week. Despite the poor share performance, Bompard, who answers to shareholders including the billionaire Moulin family heirs and the descendants of late Brazilian businessman Abilio Diniz, is sticking around with the board intending to renew his mandate next year. Global Footprint Carrefour Chief Financial Officer Matthieu Malige said a strategic review still has plenty of scope and the company isn't ruling out selling its Polish business, which some analysts say is loss-making. 'There are many situations including the one in Poland that are being reviewed,' he said in an interview this week. The sale in Italy confirmed how little value was left in Carrefour's fifth biggest market, with the grocer paying the new owner, Italian food company NewPrinces SpA, €240 million ($277 million) to take it off its hands. Carrefour's expansion since the 1970s left it with a footprint in more than 40 countries, many of them underperforming. Part of the company's challenges lies in its dependence on the hypermarkets that sell everything from fresh fruit to clothes and washing machines at a time when shoppers prefer online purchases, especially for non-food items. Home and electrical products account for about 10% of sales, while for French rival Leclerc the category is 5% and for British supermarket J Sainsbury Plc it's 3%, according to a Bernstein report. Last year Carrefour acquired 55 more hypermarkets, raising concerns for some analysts about Bompard's strategy. 'They still need to fix the core basics of being a food retailer in terms of price and format and product,' said William Woods, an analyst at Bernstein. Challenges at Home France is particularly difficult to operate in as the majority of food retailers are private or cooperatives, which aren't bound by the same shareholder expectations. 'You're fighting against independent players who are playing a totally different game, can make it with smaller margins and have different ways to make a living, such as as renting part of their real estate into malls,' said Gilles Guibout, head of European equities at AXA IM. Unlike other countries, the French government polices relationships with suppliers to ensure prices are kept low for consumers while pushing retailers to pay more to farmers. Other major grocers have boosted their business through online delivery but Carrefour has been slower to this trend. It also doesn't have a tight operating model to allow it to compete aggressively on price with the likes of market leader Leclerc, according to analysts. Still, the picture is looking brighter as consumers recover from a period of hyperinflation and restore their purchasing power, Carrefour's Malige said. Profitability is increasing, online delivery is rapidly growing and a strategy to switch hypermarkets into a franchise model is bearing fruit, he added. Regional Deals Carrefour recently entered a buying alliance with France's fourth-biggest grocer, Cooperative U, to cut costs in Europe, but it's unclear how effective this will be after similar deals including with UK's Tesco Plc were shortlived. Meanwhile, failed mergers have been a thorn in the side of Bompard. The French government effectively blocked a $20 billion takeover proposal by Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. in 2021. Rival French grocer Auchan considered a potential offer multiple times, though a deal has never materialized. Bernard Arnault, the billionaire CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, sold off his remaining 5.7% stake in Carrefour after the Couche-Tard talks collapsed. It was an embarrassment for Arnault who sold at a €16 per share level after taking a holding in 2007, when prices were around €47 a share. Shrinking Value Carrefour's market value has shrunk to around €9 billion, which is less than the deal it struck to takeover rival Promodes in 1999 when it was in peak expansion mode among the world's largest retailers. As recently as 2009, Carrefour was just as valuable as LVMH, but the luxury giant now is worth €231 billion. Despite the board's backing for Bompard, some investors are voicing discontent. Activist Whitelight held a short position in the grocer last year but is now long, betting on a new takeover. 'What we need is a turnaround CEO who can really focus on raising the profitability of supermarkets' and 'take a look, asset by asset, on the hypermarkets,' said Kevin Romanteau, Whitelight Capital's founder. --With assistance from Lisa Pham, James Cone and Tara Patel. More stories like this are available on ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
