Microsoft
Opinion
World markets
Bubble fears: Wall Street’s new age of uncertainty
In the two decades since the dot-com crash, investors have been bracing themselves for another tech bubble to burst. Now there is serious talk that the correction everyone feared might finally be happening.
- by Parmy Olson
Latest
Microsoft to help cover workers’ travel costs for abortions as new restrictions loom in US
Microsoft is the latest corporate giant to confront the issue following the release of a draft Supreme Court opinion last week that would overturn a landmark ruling that legalised abortion throughout the US.
- by Dina Bass and Nick Turner
Opinion
Digital business
Digital revolution is leaving economists scratching their heads
The new digital era is throwing economists’ models out the window.
- by Ross Gittins
Analysis
Investing
Young investors feel the heat of tech share meltdown
The decade-long bull market in US technology stocks appears over with the US Federal Reserve expected to lift interest rates this week, crimping demand for the big-name tech darlings.
- by John Collett
Big Tech has a fight on its hands in Australian courts
The Federal Court of Australia’s insistence that local laws override Big Tech’s contracts with users could pose a threat to the US platforms’ legal strategy. It may explain why the platforms are so eager to fight this fight.
- by Laurel Henning and James Panichi
Analysis
Video games
Microsoft’s historic $96b deal comes with a lot of games - and a spotty reputation
Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Crash Bandicoot and more will soon be under the Xbox umbrella, along with Activision Blizzard’s tarnished reputation.
- by Tim Biggs
Microsoft buys Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard in multibillion-dollar deal
The deal will unite two of the biggest forces in video games to create the world’s third-biggest gaming company.
- by Dina Bass and Nate Lanxon
Former Google CEO spends $90 million on vacant block
Despite the price it’s still considered a bargain by many, considering the original asking price of $209 million when it first hit the market in 2018.
- by James Robinson
Analysis
Gadgets
The gadgets that were almost game changers in 2021
Plenty of devices were created this year as companies took a big swing at something new that didn’t quite make it. But these three could become must-haves in their next iterations.
- by Tim Biggs
Opinion
Social media
Bigger and stronger, but swarmed by doubts: The year in tech empires
Big Tech got bigger-er and stronger in 2021. The empires of technology also appeared more vulnerable than ever to the forces of regulation, competition, and perhaps hubris.
- by Shira Ovide
Apple leads tech stocks lower on Wall Street as investors reconsider Fed moves
US technology and internet stocks fell overnight as investors assessed the longer-term implications of the Federal Reserve’s hawkish policy on corporate balance sheets.
- by Ryan Vlastelica and Jessica Menton