Jeff Bezos sells $4 billion shares as Amazon makes viewers pay for Dolby features
Multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos has sold more of his shares in Amazon, bringing the total value of sales in recent days to more than $4bn (£3.2bn). The technology giant, which Mr Bezos founded in 1994, said he has sold 24 million Amazon shares this month. Mr Bezos, who is the firm’s executive chair, last sold Amazon shares in 2021. Earlier this month, the company said he was planning to sell 50 million shares over the next year, which are worth around $8.4bn at current prices. BBC
Amazon added adverts to Prime Video earlier this month, forcing subscribers to watch a short ad break during episodes and films in its streaming library. The arrival of adverts did not lower the price of the subscription, which still starts from £5.99 for a standalone Prime Video subscription or £8.99 for a fully-fledged Prime membership. But it turns out that wasn’t the only change made by Amazon on February 5. Prime Video viewers not only have to contend with adverts ― but have also lost out on high-end Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos viewing experience with their current subscription. GB News
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg took to Instagram on Tuesday to knock Apple’s new Vision Pro headset while singing the praises of his own company’s Quest 3 alternative. In a video lasting 3 minutes and 40 seconds and shot entirely on the Quest 3, The Zuck only had two positive things to say about the Vision Pro, praising its higher screen resolution and its “really nice” eye-tracking. For the rest of it, he lauds Meta’s Quest 3 headset while at the same time tearing into Apple’s competing device, which launched earlier this month. Digital Trends
Google announced a partnership with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today to map methane pollution and oil and gas infrastructure from space. Google and EDF hope to be able to pinpoint where much of those methane emissions are leaking from — which could perhaps help put a plug in those leaks. Next month, EDF plans to launch its MethaneSAT, a satellite that will track emissions of methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The Verge
The CEO of nexfibre, Rajiv Datta, has revealed in a new interview with the CEO of ISP Zen Internet, Richard Tang, that they intend to roll-out their full fibre (FTTP) broadband network to “more homes in 2024 than any [other] altnet” and will shortly pass 1 million homes. But Virgin Media (VMO2) remains their only ISP, for now. In case anybody has forgotten. Telefónica, Liberty Global and InfraVia Capital Partners created a new joint venture called nexfibre in 2022. ISPreview
Lyft beat estimates for fourth-quarter profits on Tuesday and said it would generate positive free cashflow for the first time in 2024, as the ride-share platform reaps the benefits of heavy cost-cutting. Company shares surged nearly 60% in extended trading but erased a third of those gains after Lyft’s chief financial officer corrected a major mistake in the earnings report. Rides to stadiums grew more than 35% last year from 2022, mainly driven by Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour and sporting events, Lyft said. Guardian
Continental will cut 7,150 jobs worldwide by 2025 as it navigates the difficult switch to electric vehicles. The group, which makes tyres and supplies components to car manufacturers, said it would shed 1,750 jobs in research and development. Meanwhile, it will also lose around 5,400 posts as part of a previously announced cost-cutting programme aimed at saving the group €400m (£341m) by 2025. Telegraph
