Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.
- The CEO of Cisco disagreed with a Trump administration proposal to take an ownership stake in Nokia and Ericsson to counter China's 5G offensive. Chuck Robbins said he disagreed with a Trump Administration proposal to buy an ownership stake in Ericsson and Nokia to counter China in 5G.
- Apple has added $18 billion in market value after its Chinese factories accelerated their post-coronavirus re-openings. Foxconn, which produces Apple's iPhones and Airpods, hopes to resume 80% of all China production in March, according to Reuters.
- Google says the EU's hardline antitrust punishments threaten internet innovation as it starts the first of three legal battles against $9 billion in EU fines. The tech giant has criticized the EU's antitrust measures as it begins to challenge the EU's strict antitrust punishments.
- SoftBank's Masayoshi Son is reportedly considering a new type of fund for startup investing as the Vision Fund 2 struggles to gain funds. According to Bloomberg, Son may make startup investment deals using only SoftBank's capital for one or two years.
- Tesla is recalling 15,000 Model Xs because of a power-steering issue. On its website, the electric carmaker said it's recalling most of the Model X SUVs it built before October 2016.
- Amazon's top spokesman has blasted politicians and 'elite newspapers' for falsely accusing Amazon of 'taking over grocery in America'. Jay Carney made the remarks after the Federal Trade Commission announced an antitrust probe into acquisitions made by Amazon and other tech giants.
- Facebook's ambitious plan to build a constellation of satellites isn't dead - and it could launch the first one into space as soon as March 2020. Years of scandals haven't dimmed Facebook's extraterrestrial ambitions.
- Facebook's dating app rollout in Europe has been delayed after regulators raise questions about data privacy. The social media giant recently launched its in-app dating feature in the United States, and was scheduled to launch it in Europe the day before Valentine's Day.
- Android founder Andy Rubin's startup Essential is shutting down, saying there is 'no clear path' to deliver its new phone to customers. The three-year-old company was initially regarded as a promising venture, but struggled as its product the Essential Phone failed to gain traction.
- Jeff Bezos has reportedly broken California's record for the most expensive home sale of all time with his purchase of a $165 million Beverly Hills mansion. The Amazon CEO's new estate was originally designed for Warner Bros. executive Jack Warner in the 1930s and features a nine-hole golf course.
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