Daily Archives: January 31, 2021

Tech giants are running out of avenues for growth. In the search for their next batch of users, most of them have turned their attention to India, where more people have logged onto the internet for the first time in the last couple of years than the U.S.s entire online population. And one startup has emerged as their hot ticket into the countrys most idiosyncratic audience: ShareChat.

Headquartered in the southern city of Bangalore, famously referred to as Indias Silicon Valley, ShareChat is an India-centric social network that supports over a dozen regional languages and offers most of the trappings youd expect from such a service, such as a feed influenced by your interests and the people you follow; the ability to share media and text as well as comment and like other posts; and more.

ShareChat is wired to feed off of Indias soaring appetite for content. Its designed to fuel new internet users obsession with information, andeven more importantlytheir proclivity to forward that information on WhatsApp, the countrys most popular messaging app.

Resembling Reddit more than Facebook or Twitter, ShareChat doesnt make you follow or friend anyone to get going. When you first log in, your home feed will be filled with posts from a wide variety of topics such as news, tabloid gossip, good-morning messages, and moreall in the local language of your choice.

ShareChat is available in many languagesbut not English. [Image: courtesy of ShareChat]On top of that, ShareChat comes equipped with public chat rooms where you can jump in and just start talking to strangersa common internet perk that new Indian internet users from underdeveloped regions especially find fascinating. To serve this specific behavior, ShareChat even has a feature called Shake-N-Chat that connects two strangers engaging with similar kinds of topics over personal chat.

But the biggest difference between ShareChat and other familiar social experiences is that it has no English-language option. Thats part of whats made western tech giants sit up and take notice. ShareChat is the only startup Twitter has invested in (twice). Its rumoredto be on the cusp of raising more money from Google and Snapchat. At one point, talks of Google acquiring ShareChat for a billion dollars surfaced as well.

For Google and many other western tech giants, banking on Indian startups has been a regular affair of late. Most recently, Google, Facebook, Qualcomm, and Intel poured hundreds of millions into Reliance Jio, Indias leading telecom operator. And late last year, Microsoft and Google invested in DailyHunt, a news aggregator and content app.

Thats not all. Most of these tech companies have also spent much of the last few years trying to optimize their offerings for India, where the median household income is about $3,600 and the cost of devices and internet service is a major factor in adoption. For instance, you can talk to the Google Assistant via a toll-free numberno internet needed. Amazon sells a battery-powered Echo smart speaker to cater to the countrys electricity-deficient regions. Facebook, Google, and Twitter offer their apps on inexpensive dumbphones. Netflix has a $3 mobile-only plan that lets users stream TV shows and movies in non-HD standard quality on their phones. The list is endless.

The tech giants enthusiasm for the Indian market is understandable. Its the second-fastest growing internet economy and hosts over 650 million online users. Last year, Cisco forecast that this figure wouldsurpass 900 million by 2023.

Much of the credit for Indias digital revolution can be attributed to wireless carrier Reliance Jio, which four years ago began offering cellular 4G services for dirt-cheap prices, forcing the rest of the competition to match the prices in order to survive. (Most of them didnt, or got rolled up into mergers.) Today, a 4G plan with unlimited calls and 2 GB of data per day costs about $3 a month in India.

Further, since only about half of Indias population is onlinecompared to the U.S. and the UK where over 90% of people are on the internettheres plenty more to come and tech companies cant afford to miss out.

The problem is breaking into the Indian market isnt easy, especially as only 10% of its population speaks English and the majority of the countrys internet users are from non-English-speaking rural areas. Soon, nine out of 10 internet users in India are likely to communicate in local languages.

Theres where ShareChat comes into the picture. Its social network for non-English speakers has 160 million monthly active users who spend 31 minutes on the app every day, on par with competitors such as Facebook.

With TikTok banned in India, ShareChats Moj has been booming. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]In addition, ShareChat also introduced a TikTok-like short-form video app, Moj (entertainment in Hindi) that has accumulated 80 million monthly active users in six months. Unlike ShareChat, Moj is available in English. Its growth was helped along by Indias ban on dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok, a move that has also pretty much eliminated local competition for ShareChat. While ShareChat has been around since 2015, 100 million of its 160 million users have signed up in the last year alone.

Moj is decidedly TikTok-esque. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]Amit Sharma, an analyst at GlobalData, points out that users who are new to the internetlet alone social mediadont know how discovery works, especially if theyre from a low-literacy background. ShareChat solves that hurdle by bringing the content to them.By tapping into this model, companies like Google and Twitter can expand into territories that were otherwise inaccessible for them, and monetize new users through advertising.

[ShareChat] encompasses a massive following in Tier II, III, and IV cities and towns, one amongst the major reasons to make ShareChat a sought-after outlet for these western tech companies to add into their . . . portfolio, says Sharma.

As for ShareChats lack of English-language support, it didnt start out that way. The social network initially offered an English option, but the founders noticed people who selected it were barely engaging with the service.

Users were choosing English because of their aspirational value, not because of comfort. Indic language users showed the highest levels of engagement, says ShareChat cofounder and CEO Ankush Sachdeva. This propelled us to discontinue English and go the Indic language way.

A little English can sneak even into an app that isnt designed to support it. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]The lack of English language support is also responsible for the one criticism ShareChat hasnt been able to overcomethat it spreads misinformation. As it only works in regional languages, it has managed to largely fly under the radar of independent fact-checking and moderation groups and has run into trouble in the past for being one of the most active sources of fake news. On top of that, its built-in share option allows its users to easily forward whatever post or media they come across to WhatsApp, a significant channel for misinformation in India.

Since the Indian government cracked down on social networks for their failures in handling fake news in 2018, ShareChat says it has dramatically ramped up efforts to deal with misinformation, partnering with certified third-party fact-checkers, and actively taking down posts and accounts.

So where is ShareChat headed next? The answer to that can be found in the startups new research center in Palo Alto, California. Though the company has nothing to say about possible English-language support or U.S. market expansion, its eager to tap into the Bay Areas talent pool as it thinks about its future.

Led by former senior Uber VP of product Gaurav Mishra, ShareChat Labs looks to experiment with machine learning technologies to take on the social networks most pressing issues like detecting NSFW content, hate speech, and fake news and build infrastructure to power its next-gen products. One of the areas ShareChat is primarily exploring is camera tech for developing familiar social features such as augmented reality experiences, lenses, filters, stickers, live video streaming, and more, for both ShareChat and Moj.

Back home in India, ShareChat has made a series of acquisitions over the last couple of years, including a fashion marketplace, a hyperlocal information service, meme creator app, a video production and talent agency firm for influencers, and more. They paint a rather clear picture of where its headed: an all-encompassing social media platform that can challenge behemoths such as Facebook at a wider scale.

Until then, Sachdeva maintains that he isnt worried about competition. We have never been influenced by competition to design our business model, he says. We believe that we are in a favorable position with our understanding of the nerve of the market.

Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Digital Trends, HuffPost, and more. You can reach out to him on Twitter.

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India's ShareChat is being courted by US tech giants - Fast Company

U.S. stocks gyrated on Jan 22 but managed to finish in the green last week, mostly banking on encouraging fourth-quarter 2020 results. No doubt, the corporate earnings season is off to a flying start with major names like Netflix, Inc. NFLX and Morgan Stanley MS coming up with promising results.

However, there were concerns that the relentless rise in coronavirus cases and record-high hospitalization rates could have hampered corporate profits in the quarter. Whats more, the coronavirus outbreak has increased threats of further government curbs that could derail economic progress and raise risks of a recession. However, the early reports of fourth-quarter earnings suggest that companies, to some extent, have been successful in implementing measures to weather the coronavirus pandemic and register strong quarterly results.

After all, as of Jan 22, 66 S&P 500 members reported results with total earnings rising 0.3% compared to the same period last year on 0.6% higher revenues (read more: Q4 and 2021 Earnings Estimates Keep Going Up).

However, all eyes are on this weeks releases, with majority of the S&P 500 and Dow members poised to report quarterly results. This weeks results will tell whether businesses have been able to withstand the coronavirus onslaught during the last quarter of 2020.

Interestingly, market pundits believe that tech stocks, in particular, have done well and may have witnessed a sales jump amid the pandemic. This is because peoples dependence on tech products and services grew during this period as many continue to work, learn and entertain themselves at home. Lest we forget, the stay-at-home trend has been the new normal as coronavirus cases continued to rise, in fact more than ever, in the last quarter of 2020.

Against this backdrop, its prudent to watch out for three big technology-driven companies set to release their quarterly results this week. First on the list is Microsoft Corporation MSFT, which is due to report fiscal second-quarter results on Jan 26, after market close.

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Lets admit that the economy in the December quarter improved compared to the earlier quarters when the pandemic had struck. Thus, small and mid-sized businesses bumped up outlays on tech initiatives, driving Microsofts revenues.

Moreover, a remote-work economy has likely boosted the companys cloud computing business in the December quarter, lifting Azures revenues. In fact, CFO Amy Hood recently said that the company expects December-quarter sales for the Intelligent Cloud segment of healthy $13.55 billion to $13.8 billion, as quoted in a Barrons article.

Microsoft is thus expected to earn $1.64 a share on revenues of $40.12 billion in the December quarter compared to the year-ago earnings of $1.51 per share on revenues of $36.91 billion. Notably, commendable earnings results are expected to lift its share price. Thus, Microsofts expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter and year is 11.4% and 16.8%, respectively. Microsoft currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Second on the list is Apple Inc AAPL, due to report its December-quarter results after the close of trading on Jan 27. The tech behemoth is now projected to earn revenues worth more than $100 billion for the first time ever in a quarter. In Apples fiscal first quarter, it started to roll out iPhone 12, particularly from the month of October. The demand for such a 5G-enabled smartphone had been immense and should certainly get reflected in the companys revenue results.

Thanks to the pandemic, the company witnessed high demand for its Macs and iPads as more people are working and studying from home. Needless to say, the company launched its latest iPad in the latter half of last year. Thus, the companys earnings for the December quarter is expected at $1.39 a share on revenues of $102.61 billion, suggesting an improvement from the year-ago quarters earnings of $1.25 a share on $91.82-billion revenues.

The pandemic in no way could impede Apples rally in recent times, with the companys earnings growth for the current quarter and year now expected at 45.3% and 22.9%, respectively. The company at present has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Lastly, social media giant Facebook Inc FB is set to report December-quarter results on Jan 27, after the close of trading. Its worth pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic, strong negative reaction from Trump supporters and even antitrust lawsuit couldnt impact the companys performance in the latter half of last year. And that should surely get reflected in the companys December-quarter results.

The company, actually, is widely assumed to have performed well in the said quarter, mostly due to an uptick in daily and monthly average users. At the same time, when it comes to advertising, the company has the highest reach compared to any other social media platform. Thus, it is expected to witness an improvement in advertising revenues as well.

Facebook, therefore, is likely to see earnings per share of $3.22 on revenues of $26.26 billion in the December quarter, up from the year-ago earnings of $2.56 a share on $21.08 billion in revenues.

Facebooks projected earnings growth rate for the current quarter and year is 24.6% and 11.8%, respectively. To top it, the company at this time has a Zacks Rank #2.

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3 Tech Giants to Watch in the Busiest Week of Earnings - Yahoo Finance

There is a trust gap between Big Tech, the government and the population. Lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe are considering ways to rein in social media platforms where disinformation thrives. And ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, people have been waking up to how their data is used. Plenty feel that governmentsto say nothing of private corporationshave no right to know about our private lives and are electing to withhold data wherever they can (even though that data is typically anonymized and treated as algorithmic raw material rather than personal information).

This lack of trust translates into a lack of critical data infrastructure and sharing. But if America is to remain competitive in the 21st century, it needs needs more, and higher quality data the raw material for Artificial Intelligence. Without it, well fall even further behind China, the undisputed leader in the contest for AI.

To achieve Chinese levels of digital sophistication, while respecting democratic norms and free market liberties, we need a new relationship between Big Tech and its users. A relationship built on mutual cooperation, revenue sharing and a shared purpose.

To begin with, citizens must be shown the potential benefits of sharing data and fuelling AI. Corporations and government need to work together to highlight benefits that are more significant than personalized shopping ads, and more long-term than the pandemic response.

Benefits like the statistical modelling that has led to the early identification of breast cancer risk and saved countless lives, for example. The big data and machine learning has been shown to spot likely terrorist attacks before they happen. Whether the threat is breast cancer or a suicide bomber, data and AI can save your life. And it can save America from decline.

But sharing the benefits is not enough. The profits must be shared too. We need to find an economic model that engages the user in an open, transparent and consensual trade.

Data is a hugely valuable asset that we are all generating everytime we perform a digital action. The combined revenue of Facebook, Google and Tencent in 2018 was $236 billion. Big Tech has profited from brokering the data we have created to third-parties, and for too long they have hoped we wouldnt find out or that we wouldnt care. We did, and we do. It is understandable that we feel short-changed.

Users need to view their data as a privately-owned asset that they are monetizing by sharing. In turn, Big Tech needs to regard the user not as a resource but as a shareholder, with the right not only to a cut of its profits but a say in how the enterprise is run, and how its assets (ie. user data) are used.

If that data is properly leveraged for AI purposes, it could be a win-win for corporations and citizens. Various challenger apps to Facebook have tried this model, but failed to scale so far. If Big Tech copied this business model we would give them not only more data, but higher quality (i.e. more honest and accurate) data.

This in turn would give America the competitive edge it needs to use data to develop its AI industry, and demonstrate that our liberty and free markets are more effective than Chinese state control. It might also help the public see tech firms as business partners, and not corporate leviathans that need breaking up.

Most importantly, the increased quantity and quality of data made available under the new model would accelerate economic and technological growth. McKinsey predicts that AI will contribute $15 trillion per year (the size of Chinas GDP) to the world economy by 2030.

For America to capture its share of that prize, there needs to be a new bond of trust between users, tech firms and the government. That can only happen if the population is educated to know that data is used to benefit us as a nation, not to spy on us as individuals. In return, we as individuals need to be ready to contribute to be ready to become the data infantry and volunteer our services.

Theres a Chinese way to get ahead in AI, by single-minded authoritarianism. Lets come together to make an American way thats even more successful.

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America's Tech Giants Need to Regain Trust to Help the U.S. Compete With China. Heres How - TIME

BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union called Tuesday on U.S. President Joe Biden to help draw up a common rule book to rein in the power of big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter and combat the spread of fake news that is eating away at Western democracies.

In a speech to the Davos World Economic Forum, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the Biden administration to join forces against the darker sides of the digital world, which she said was partly behind the shock storming of Capitol Hill on Jan. 6.

The business model of online platforms has an impact and not only on free and fair competition, but also on our democracies, our security and on the quality of our information, von der Leyen said. That is why we need to contain this immense power of the big digital companies.

She urged the White House to join the 27-nation blocs efforts, saying that together, we could create a digital economy rule book that is valid worldwide, and would encompass data protection, privacy rules and the security of critical infrastructure.

Von der Leyen said the EU wants the onus put on the tech giants, with it clearly laid down that internet companies take responsibility for the manner in which they disseminate, promote and remove content.

In December, the European Commission proposed two new pieces of EU legislation to better protect consumers and their rights online, make tech platforms more accountable, and improve digital competition, building on the blocs data protection rules, which are among the most stringent in the world.

We want the platforms to be transparent about how their algorithms work, von der Leyen said. Because we cannot accept that decisions that have a far-reaching impact on our democracy are taken by computer programs alone.

Von der Leyen also referred to the decision earlier this month by Facebook and Twitter to cut off President Donald Trump from their platforms for allegedly inciting the assault on the U.S. Capitol, an unprecedented step that underscored the immense power of tech giants to regulate speech.

No matter how tempting it may have been for Twitter to switch off President Trumps account, such serious interference with freedom of expression should not be based on company rules alone, she said. There needs to be a framework of laws for such far-reaching decisions.

Trumps permanent suspension from Twitter and Facebook is prompting EU member Hungary to push its own measures to regulate social media companies.

Hungarys justice minister said Tuesday that large tech companies might face Hungarian government regulation over what she called deliberate, ideological censorship on social media.

In a Facebook post, Justice Minister Judit Varga wrote that the government would move to place restrictions on tech giants that she said arbitrarily silence users of online platforms, including the accounts of government state leaders - a reference to decisions by Twitter and Facebook to permanently suspend former U.S. president Donald Trump after his supporters mounted an assault on the U.S. capitol on Jan. 6.

Varga called for the transparent and controllable operation of tech companies, and said she would submit a bill on the matter to Hungarys parliament in the spring to counter what she called their systematic abuse of free speech.

Hungarys next parliamentary election is scheduled for 2022. Recent polls showed a tight race between the ruling Fidesz party and a six-party opposition coalition.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally, has been accused of overseeing the consolidation of the countrys media into the hands of business interests with ties to his party.

Opposition parties have used social media to reach potential voters amid a lack of coverage in Hungarys public outlets. A 2018 report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe found that national elections that year were characterized by a pervasive overlap between state and ruling party resources and media bias.

Last week, Varga claimed that tech companies limit the visibility of Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions, and that power groups behind global tech giants were capable of deciding elections. She alleged that she had personally been shadow banned by Facebook, a term referring to social media platforms restricting the visibility of users profiles or posts without their knowledge.

A representative for Facebook told local media that the company had not interfered with Vargas account. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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EU urges US to draft joint rule book to rein in tech giants - Associated Press

A coalition of leading tech companies has announced a new initiative to continue documenting key web technologies.

The Open Web Docs (OWD) project aims to fund and contribute to the existing MDN Web Docs initiative, which is a documentation repository for web developers thats used by Mozilla, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung among other.

Open Web Docs was created to ensure the long-term health of web platform documentation on de facto standard resources like MDN Web Docs, independently of any single vendor or organization, wrote Robert Nyman, one of the co-founders of the initiative.

The need for OWD arose after Mozilla announced major job cuts last year which saw many of its MDN Web Docs staff being made redundant.

Nyman asserted that OWD is not a replacement for MDN Web Docs and goes on to explain that the initiative will instead ensure theres a steady stream of funds to finance the writing staff.

The major founding sponsors of OWD are Google, Microsoft, and Coil, the developers of a new open web monetization platform. Mozilla will serve as a member of the Open Web Docs steering committee.

OWD was established sometime last year, and Nyman adds that their priority in 2021 include working with Mozillas MDN writers and engineers to support the recent infrastructure transition and to prioritize and move forward with key documentation work, developing a community of contributors around core web technology documentation, browser compatibility data, and improving JavaScript documentation.

He added that the participating organizations will hold weekly editorial and OWD steering committee meetings.

Via: ZDNet

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Tech giants come together to form Open Web Docs initiative - TechRadar

A screen at the data centre of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com in Beijing displays sales and trends.

This is the latest sign that artificial intelligence and, specifically, algorithm-based advertising and sales, is shaping up as a new front in the countrys push to control tech giants. It comes amid a broader national conversation about how such companies use their technology to control the information available to individual consumers, and use personal data for profit.

By Flynn MurphyA government-backed Chinese consumer group has accused the nations tech giants of using their data-based algorithms to bully consumers and put them at a disadvantage.At a symposium on the topic held by the China Consumers Association (CCA) on Jan. 7, the group released a three-section, 14-point document outlining the ways data-driven algorithms impinge the rights of consumers in their interactions with large tech platforms, and

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Pushback against China tech giants grows with accusations of algorithmic bullying - Economic Times

InvestorPlace

A few months ago, I began prodding around the idea of, What are the future FAANG stocks? Weve seen Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and other tech stocks swell from modest winners to worldwide behemoths. These stocks went from $100 billion to $1 trillion in market capitalization. So many people talk about what it would be like if we had bought Apple in the 1980s or Amazon in 1999. While anyone who did and was able to hold on until now is ridiculously rich, they also sat through a ton of volatility. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Further, investors could have waited until after Apples iPhone moment or Amazons clear dominance of e-commerce and still made a 10x or more return on their investment. Dont believe me? Apple is up over 1,000% over the past decade, while Amazon is up 1,760%. Over just the last five years when it was absurdly clear these two were established leaders Apple and Amazon are up 463% and 442%, respectively. That led me to ponder, what are the next tech stocks that could become new FAANG leaders? Specifically, I am looking for companies in the $50 billion to $300 billion market cap range that can go to $400 billion to $1 trillion or more. Its an admittedly wide range, but who cares these winners are right under our noses. Lets look at seven tech stocks: 7 Safe Stocks to Buy for Solid Returns in Tumultuous Times PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) Adobe Systems (NASDAQ:ADBE) Tech Stocks to Buy for Future Gains: PayPal (PYPL) Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Current Market Cap: $295 billion Many investors have continued to underestimate PayPal. When it comes to FAANG tech stocks in their younger years, that seems to be a staple observation of them as well. However, PayPal has found a way to become a payment juggernaut. While sending money to friends and family is free and convenient, thats simply one part of the ecosystem. The company also makes a sliver of sales when involving another business or merchant. Its become a safe, trusted and convenient way for businesses to sell online or to make subscriptions a piece of cake. PayPals acquisition of Venmo and Honey have only added to those layers of engagement, while e-commerce will continue to be the main catalyst behind its growth. For those looking at tech stocks, the power and trend of e-commerce doesnt need to be explained. Lastly, PayPals now in the cryptocurrency game, allowing customers to buy and sell Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Etherium and Litecoin. Maybe PayPal wont be able to collect its current fee read: commission on these transactions forever, based on how stock commissions vanished almost overnight in the brokerage industry. However, for now it should act as an additional growth catalyst. Bonus: At a $100 billion market cap, Square (NYSE:SQ) could also be a consideration as a member of new FAANG tech stocks in this respect. Salesforce (CRM) Source: Bjorn Bakstad / Shutterstock.com Current Market Cap: $206 billion. It should go without saying that given the massive gains the stock market has registered over the past nine months, the ideal scenario would be a sizable correction for several of the stocks on this list. However, that doesnt apply to all of them. Take Salesforce for example. This company keeps on printing money as revenue continues to chug higher. For all the doubt that Salesforce has endured over the years, it has done quite well. It doesnt seem like management plans on stopping, either. For instance, management is looking to generate $60 billion in revenue by 2034. Most recently, it aims to scoop up Slack (NYSE:WORK), growing its workstation presence and scaling up its fight against Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). 8 Cheap Stocks to Buy With Your Next Stimulus Check As we are talking about pullbacks, Salesforce is a great example. At the recent low, shares were 25% off the highs. That seems like a great opportunity for a company that continually sports 20%-plus revenue growth. Nvidia (NVDA) Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com Current Market Cap: $335 billion Admittedly a bit larger than what we were looking for, Nvidia needs to be included on this list. Almost every major technological trend is growing in demand. More internet traffic is creating strain in the cloud, increasing demand for edge-cloud computing. More data is creating more need for datacenters. Increasing self-driving vehicle capabilities demand more computing power. Better computers demand better graphics. The list goes on and on and Nvidia is there at every turn. The companys products cater to multiple end markets with impressive secular growth. Thats why, despite the pandemic, Nvidia saw such an extreme acceleration in both earnings and revenue. Its savvy M&A strategy has allowed it to add high-quality names like Mellanox at reasonable valuations. Now Nvidia is going after Arm, a massive $40 billion deal. Nvidia is already nearing an unstoppable state, but with Arm it would be a juggernaut. From a pure antitrust perspective, Nvidia should be fine. However, this juggernaut position might cause some hiccups. Either way, this is a high-quality name that will only grow in size over time. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com Current Market Cap: $111.5 billion For Nvidias smaller sibling, we have Advanced Micro Devices. At about one-third the size, AMD has quickly climbed the ladder while drastically improving its financials. CEO Lisa Su has orchestrated one of the most impressive comeback stories in the stock market. Once left for dead, AMD was trading firmly below the $2 mark in 2016. Now sporting a 52-week high of $99-and-change, the leadership has been stellar. Like Nvidia, AMD is situated in multiple secular growth themes as rising demand in technology results in rising demand for AMD. Also like Nvidia, AMD saw a massive rise in revenue and profit during the pandemic. In one last final comparison to Nvidia, AMD is also working to close a large acquisition. In October, the company agreed to acquire Xilinx for $35 billion. 9 Stocks Selling at a Discount Right Now While it would require years worth of more growth, its not hard to imagine AMD growing to the size of Nvidia ($300 billion). Eventually clearing this level could put it on the lower end of the FAANG status in terms of its size. Roku (ROKU) Source: jejim / Shutterstock.com Current Market Cap: $53 billion Roku is a tough one, because its certainly the smallest name on this list (by a lot) and it just went on a massive rally. Shares are up 90% over the past three months, as Roku has climbed from a market cap of just $28 billion to where it is today. Additionally, investors just dont understand this company. They still think its going head-to-head with Amazon with its stick players. While thats kind of true, the story behind Roku isnt the hardware its the platform. Roku doesnt care if its making money on the hardware. Instead, its focus is on the platform, where it collects fees from content providers and on ad revenue from its free Roku channel. In that respect, growth continues to explode. Analysts expect roughly 50% revenue growth this year, followed by 40% growth in 2021 and 36% growth in 2022. Respectfully, I believe that may be conservative. Bulls will acknowledge that a pullback may be in order (and a potentially large one at that). However, I dont think the top is in for Roku. For AMD I mentioned the lower end of the FAANG status, which would be Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX). Currently, thats a $250 billion market cap and remember, NFLX is at a new high. I could see a scenario where Roku pulls back 20% to 25% giving it a roughly $40 billion market cap and ultimately roaring on to a $200-plus billion entity. Shopify (SHOP) Source: justplay1412 / Shutterstock.com Current Market Cap: $145 billion There is one problem with Shopify and several other names on this list: The rallies. While the massive rallies great for long-term investors, it makes the stocks susceptible to large pullbacks as well. If and when we get those declines, thats investors opportunity to pounce. For Shopify, the bullish reasoning is multifold. First, Shopify is riding a much large trend e-commerce and therefore will continue to benefit from robust growth. When the coronavirus hit, sales were not negatively impacted. Instead, merchants flocked to its platform, driving Shopifys revenue higher. Second, its building out the anti-Amazon business platform giving merchants big and small power and control of the customer experience. Now the reward here is massive, as Shopify builds out multiple business segments likes shipping, credit, Shopify Pay and others. However, the risk is present as well. That is, can these companies that crave independence from Amazon delivery quality experiences for the customer? In the end, businesses and merchants are at least willing to try. In December 2019 I said investors could buy Shopify despite its lofty valuation. My argument centered on its valuation, saying this name could go from a $40 billion market cap to a $100 to $120 billion market cap in a decade. 7 Safe Stocks to Buy for Solid Returns in Tumultuous Times It was not obvious that the more than tripling in its value would take place in just a few months. In the long, long run, its not hard to imagine this name being significantly higher. Adobe Systems (ADBE) Source: r.classen / Shutterstock.com Current market cap: $228 billion Last but not certainly not least is Adobe. This company does a lot more than just Flash or Photoshop. Its become a mainstay in e-commerce while also becoming a beacon in the graphics, digital and creative landscape. Find me a freelance graphic designer whos not using Adobe. The stock has quietly racked up enormous gains as well. Adobe is up 140% over the past three years and 430% over the past five years. Over the last decade, the stock has rallied more than 1,300%, as its market cap was around $16 billion just 10 years ago. Thats some impressive action and Adobe doesnt show many signs of letting up. Analysts expect double-digit earnings and revenue growth this year and next year, while the company gross margins remain solidly above 85%. While its top-line margins have been steady, its bottom-line profit margins have been soaring. Adobe is quickly yet quietly becoming a technology juggernaut right in front of us. Like some others on this list, the stock has been consolidating nicely over the past six months or so. Lets see if this name can resolve to the upside. On the date of publication, Bret Kenwell held a long position in AAPL, ROKU, CRM and NVDA. Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. More From InvestorPlace Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner It doesnt matter if you have $500 in savings or $5 million. Do this now. The post 7 Tech Stocks That Could Be the Future FAANG appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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Hungary says to target tech giants over alleged manipulation of social media platforms - Yahoo Finance

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned against the increasing influence large tech companies wield. He said that these tech giants were "competing" with states. Russia is ramping up pressure on foreign internet companies. The companies usually are not subject to state censorship that majority of Russian media outlets work under.

Putin sounded the warning during his virtual address at Davos virtual economic summit. He said it was unclear where the line should be drawn between a "succesful global business" and "attempts to crudely, at their own discretion, control society".

"We just saw it all in the United States," he added, referring to riots earlier this month in Washington led by supporters of then US President Donald Trump.

Moscow earlier this week accused US tech giants of interfering in Russia's internal affairs, in particular during anti-government protests led by supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Saturday.

Ahead of the rallies, Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor ordered several online platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, to delete posts by users calling for protesters to attend demonstrations.

On Wednesday, the chairman of the lower house State Duma's foreign interference committee, Vasily Piskaryov, said that the head of TikTok's Russian branch had been invited to parliament for a conversation.

Piskaryov was cited by the TASS news agency as saying that "questions had piled up" about the China-based video-sharing service.

In recent months, TikTok has emerged as a popular platform for young Russians to express their political views.

Also Read | After Biden-Putin phone call, Russia's lower house of Parliament approves New START nuclear control treaty

Hashtags dedicated to Navalny have been trending on TikTok, garnering more than 1.5 billion views, after the anti-corruption campaigner was jailed on his return to Russia from Germany.

(With AFP inputs)

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Putin warns against influence of tech giants, says they `compete` with states - WION

The Federal Government has tech giants' power firmly in its sights, with the consumer watchdog warning of a lack of competition and transparency in the digital advertising space.

A new interim report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) inquiry into digital advertising zeros in on Google's "significant presence" in the ad tech supply chain.

The report notes the company has "the ability and the incentive to preference its own ad tech businesses in ways that affect competition".

It follows an ongoing debate about whether or not Google and Facebook should pay for news content that appears on their platforms.

As audiences have moved online, traditional media companies, including newspapers and television stations, have lost significant advertising revenue.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2020, created by the ACCC, seeks to rectify this by forcing the tech companies to pay media outlets.

"These companies have got enormous market power," ACCC chair Rod Sims told 7.30.

"I think it's only fair they pay for it."

The Government says it wants digital platforms and media companies to strike commercial deals outside of the code but if a price cannot be agreed upon, an independent arbiter will decide.

The tech giants have argued the proposed code is one-sided and leaves them open to unreasonable demands for compensation.

Facebook said it would stop all news content being shared on its platform if the code goes ahead.

During a Senate hearing last week, Google Australia managing director Melanie Silva said the company would be left with "no choice" but to remove its search engine from Australia.

"Google and Facebook are being asked to do something they really don't want to do, which is to pay for something they now get for free," Mr Sims told 7.30.

Newscorp, Nine, Seven, the ABC and SBS are among those who could receive payments under the code.

Mr Sims told 7.30 he expects lump sum payments would be made by tech companies for access to news, instead of pays per click.

Critics of the code are concerned it could endanger a free and open internet, branding the legislation "absurd" and "unprecedented in its idiocy".

Journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the City University of New York, is a long-time defender of Google.

"This legislation is pure protectionism out of the brain of Rupert Murdoch to try to create a tax on his competitors," Professor Jarvis told 7.30.

"What's happening right now is the big old institutions are trying to preserve what they used to do.

"If the Australian Government pushes ahead with this they could well lose the internet to Australia."

The City University of New York has received funding from Facebook for programs in the past.

Former Facebook Australia chief executive officer Stephen Scheeler believes the influence of the tech giant has grown to disrupt access to high-quality journalism.

"This isn't just about who makes how much money," Mr Scheeler told 7.30.

"This is about [how] we need a vibrant public interest, investigative, free journalism ecosystem in this country and in every democracy around the world."

Mr Scheeler explained how his former employer is simply trying to fend off a threat to its business model.

"Facebook and Google are trying to hold back the dam from bursting," he said.

"That opens the floodgates to having to perhaps pay for everything that goes on the internet that they happen to curate through their platforms."

Other countries such as Spain and France have attempted similar regulation to varying degrees of success.

"We have this unique situation where sovereign countries are having to confront companies that, in many ways, are more powerful than they are," Mr Scheeler said.

Google and Facebook declined interviews with 7.30.

Both companies say they hope to see a more workable code developed. They maintain they are open to paying for news, but would like to see their own news licensing programs used.

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ACCC vows to pursue Google's ad dominance, as tech giant threatens to remove its search engine from Australia - ABC News

Few tech sectors had more to gain from the events of 2020 than home fitness. Interest in the category was swift, as gyms were declared one of the bigger problem areas amid the worldwide spread of COVID-19. Suddenly home workouts were more than just luxury.

For YC-backed Aviron, it was the ideal time to pivot. The Toronto-based startup had been providing gamified rowing machines for the B2B market specifically for use in high-traffic settings like hotels and apartment buildings. Its still a small operation with 10 employees and around $750,000 raised to date.

Suddenly the company found itself attempting to compete for market share against tech giants like Peloton.

Of course, thus far Avirons own sales are considerably more humble than the cycling giants. Until now, the company has largely relied on word of mouth sales, having sold in the neighborhood of 1,000 rowing machines since launching for the consumer market in July. The equipment retails for $2,299 a piece though you can find it online for less.

Aviron works with an ODM to create the machine. While it touts some nice touches like a quiet nylon belt and 100 pounds of automatic electronic resistance, Aivrons main differentiator is the software especially a connected gaming experience via the built-in display. The monthly subscription runs $20-$30 and the company is quick to note that you can cancel at any time.

Rowing engages 85% of your muscles, founder and CEO Andy Hoang tells TechCrunch. Its low impact. There are a ton of benefits, but its super boring and super tough. When you combine it with high-intensity training, you have a death machine that pretty much no ones gonna want to do. What better way to make it fun and exciting than by putting video games on there?

The system sports six different workout categories, including real-time competition with other rowers. There are a few introductory workouts, to ensure that first-timers dont injure themselves by just jumping directly into competitive rowing, but on the whole, the system avoids Peloton-style classes.

Our workouts are short, says Hoang. Theyre like 10-15 minutes. You do maybe one or two of them, and by the end of it, you feel like youre going to die because its so tough. Peloton is typically 40-60 minutes, a little bit lower intensity and with less resistance. And obviously its a class led by an instructor, rather than getting chased by zombies.

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Pivoting to home fitness, Aviron offers gamified rowing machines - TechCrunch