Google Opposes Proposal To Sell Chrome

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to propose that Google should sell Chrome, Bloomberg has reported. However, the tech giant that such a proposal would ultimately harm consumers and businesses.

Judge Amit Mehta ruled Google operates an online search monopoly in August, and has been considering what remedies or penalties to impose.

The DOJ has not commented on the report - but Google has made clear in several news releases that they vehemently oppose the proposal.

"The DOJ continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case," said Google executive Lee-Anne Mulholland in a statement.

Google will also reportedly be asked to establish new measures around its artificial intelligence, Android operating system and use of data.

"The government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed," Mulholland added.

Chrome is the most used browser worldwide - with web traffic tracker Similarweb placing its global market share at 64.61 percent in October.

Meanwhile Google search corners an almost 90 percent share of the global search engine market as of October, according to Statcounter.

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Pebble's Demise Was Inevitable

During the negotiation about FitBit's possible acquisition of struggling smartwatch maker Pebble in 2017, the chatter among the latter team was that they would continue working on their product under the wing of a new, more stable corporate parent.

Fitbit's co-founder James Park even visited Pebble's offices and, following a brief introduction from Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, talked reassuringly about how excited he was to welcome Pebble into the Fitbit family. That was all a fuss.

But within a month it became apparent that Fitbit’s US$ 40 million acquisition wasn’t a lifeline for Pebble, it was a fire sale.

Choice assets and employees were cherry picked, the rest discarded. Most employees out of Pebble's staff of about 100 were laid off, their stock suddenly worthless.

It was a sad ending for a company once seen as a brilliant example of Silicon Valley chutzpah, a scrappy startup that had forced tech giants like Apple, Samsung, and Google to play catch-up.

But it also capped a tumultuous year of poor sales, supplier problems, failed acquisition talks, and a general lack of consumer interest in smartwatches, according to Business Insider.

"By the time we got into late spring and June of this year, I was like, OK, it does not look good," one Pebble insider said. "I didn't think we were going to make it to 2017. It was dragged out forever."

At a time when Silicon Valley is racing towards the next big thing, from artificial intelligence to self-driving cars, the demise of Pebble is a stark reminder that even the most promising and buzzed about innovations don’t always survive the harsh realities of the marketplace.

According Business Insider, the signs of trouble for Pebble began to appear early on, though they were often ignored among the excitement of a nascent smartwatch business that many believed would be as big as smartphones.

But things started getting hairy in 2015 when Apple, the world's largest technology company, released its long-awaited smartwatch. Apple was so big that it sucked out all the oxygen from Pebble. After that, Pebble's downfall is inevitable.

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Sophie Turner Set To Relaunch "Tomb Raider" Franchise

"Games of Thrones" star Sophie Turner is set to lead Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming TV adaptation of the popular video game franchise "Tomb Raider". Negotiations are still on-going, but sources say both parties are near in agreement and is expected to close the deal soon.

Turner is will be playing the role of protagonist Lara Croft in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s new series, according to Deadline.

"Fleabag" star and creator Waller-Bridge will write and executive produce the show, which was greenlit by Amazon earlier this year. Reports of its development initially broke in January 2023.

Last month, it was reported that Turner was up against Lucy Boynton ("Bohemian Rhapsody") for the role. Emma Corrin and Mackenzie Davis were also among the actors on the producer’s wish list, but ultimately they did not screen test for the role, per Deadline.

Turner, 28, who starred as Sansa Stark in HBO’s hit drama "Game of Thrones", is the latest in a string of actors to take on the role of the British archaeologist.

Angelina Jolie first starred as the titular heroine in 2001’s "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and 2003’s "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life". Alicia Vikander later took on the role in Warner Bros’ 2018 "Tomb Raider" reboot.

Though the latter received middling reviews, Vikander was praised for her portrayal and was expected to return for a sequel. However, MGM lost the rights to Tomb Raider in 2022, and the project disintegrated.

At the time, the rights to the beloved character were part of a bidding war between multiple Hollywood studios, with one source describing it as a "feeding frenzy."

Amazon, which later acquired MGM in 2022, is rumored to have purchased the rights to the video game series for US$ 600m.

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Holtermann's Bakery Was Packed After Goldberg Disses Them

It looks like Whoopi Goldberg's attempt to discredit and malign a historic bakery on Staten Island didn't work. Worse, it backfired tremendously.

Goldberg initially claimed that the bakery wouldn’t fill a dessert request that she’d made because the business didn’t like her politics. This was debunked by the owner, Holtermann’s, who said that a major maintenance issue at the business had prevented it from filling any large orders.

Now, people from across Staten Island and way beyond have stepped up to show support for Holtermann’s, and, they said, to send a message of disapproval to Goldberg.

The comedienne, actress and host of the talk show "The View" sparked controversy on the show last 13 November when she showcased a large tray of what Goldberg called her mother’s favorite dessert. It’s called Charlotte Russe. It’s a small, individual piece of cake with raspberry curd, wrapped in decorative paper, and topped with whipped cream with a maraschino cherry on top.

"The place that made these refused to make them for me," Goldberg said during a segment. "[My] folks went and got them anyway," Goldberg continued, "which is why I’m not telling you who made them," she said. "Perhaps they did not like my politics."

She said during the segment that a large order for the treats had been placed in her name but was turned down. Even though Goldberg didn’t name the bakery, its unique packaging identified the source as Holtermann’s, and word about Goldberg’s displeasure quickly spread.

By 15 November, there was a long line outside of the bakery on Arthur Kill Road well before it opened at 7:30 A.M. Long lines remained throughout the day until closing time at 6:00 P.M.

The business almost completely sold out of its stock. Its staff baked non-stop, all day.

Holtermann’s has been baking on Staten Island for 146 years. Its many devoted customers call it an institution.

"I’ll be 82 in January," said Penny Clark, who'd come to buy coffee cake. "As a little girl," she continued, "my birthday cakes came from here, holiday cakes came from here. I’ve never stepped away."

Thomas and Elizabeth Barnes are also regular customers, but they’d never tried the Charlotte Russe "until now," Elizabeth said.

"The bakery didn’t do anything wrong," her husband Thomas added, "and we’re here to support them. If it helps them get some extra business, then good for them."

Bakery owner Jill Holtermann Bowers said that when Goldberg’s order came in early this month, the bakery’s boiler was being replaced. As a result, said the owner, she couldn’t promise to fill any big orders.

"The boiler was from like there to there," said Holtermann Bowers, pointing to two theoretical points about 12 feet apart. "It took five guys to cut it up, remove it, and then you have to change all the piping."

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Sydney Sweeney: "Women Empowering Other Women" Is Fake

Actress Sydney Sweeney has unwittingly found herself at the center of news earlier this year when veteran Hollywood producer Carol Baum said Sweeney is "not pretty" and "can’t act" — and then slammed Sweeney’s hit rom-com "Anyone but You" as "unwatchable." These statements are expected to generate a torid response and it did.

A representative for the actor fired back at Baum immediately after that, slamming the producer for having the audacity to "attack another woman." Recently, Sweeney herself addressed the incident in a new interview with Vanity Fair.

"It’s very disheartening to see women tear other women down, especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard — hoping to achieve whatever dreams that they may have — and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they’ve done," Sweeney said. "This entire industry, all people say is 'Women empowering other women.' None of it’s happening. All of it is fake and a front for all the other shit that they say behind everyone’s back."

"I mean, there’s so many studies and different opinions on the reasoning behind it," she continued. "I’ve read that our entire lives, we were raised — and it’s a generational problem — to believe only one woman can be at the top. There’s one woman who can get the man. There’s one woman who can be, I don’t know, anything. So then all the others feel like they have to fight each other or take that one woman down instead of being like, ‘Let’s all lift each other up.’ I’m still trying to figure it out. I’m just trying my best over here. Why am I getting attacked?"

Baum, a longtime Hollywood producer and executive behind films including "Dead Ringers," "Father of the Bride" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," made the disparaging comments about Sweeney during a discussion in Pleasantville, N.Y., with New York Times film critic Janet Maslin.

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