Air-launch rocket builder Virgin Orbit took another step in making low-cost rockets a reality in a new deal with satellite developer Cloud Constellation. The Virgin Galactic spinoff, which is owned by billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, on Tuesday signed an agreement to launch a dozen communications satellites for Cloud Constellation’s SpaceBelt system. The rocket company expects […]

Federal regulators on Thursday approved the first mobile app to help treat substance use disorders. The app, developed by a start-up called Pear Therapeutics, is designed to be prescribed by clinician and used alongside counseling. Pear’s technology digitizes a form of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which focuses on “examining the relationships […]

Three female former employees of Alphabet’s Google filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing the tech company of discriminating against women in pay and promotions. The proposed class action lawsuit filed in California state court in San Francisco comes as Google is facing a sex bias investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The plaintiffs are […]

Scores of accounts on Equifax‘s website in Argentina allegedly were protected by the same generic username and password: “admin.” Researchers at Hold Security, a Milwaukee-based cybersecurity firm, found that after some guesswork, they were able to uncover personal employee information housed on Equifax’s South American site, including names, emails, and Social Security equivalents of over […]

Facebook said its Messenger app now has 1.3 billion monthly users, up 30 percent in just over a year and rivaling the popularity of WhatsApp. The milestone, disclosed on Thursday, comes two months after WhatsApp, Facebook’s other message service, said it was serving 1.3 billion users a month. Facebook wants to generate more revenue from […]

Equifax’s massive data breach affecting an estimated 143 million Americans has “probably happened before,” said Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of tech investment firm Social Capital. During an appearance on CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report” on Thursday, Palihapitiya cautioned against worrying yourself “into a puddle,” because the data was probably already out there, he said. “It’s almost […]

Nestle has acquired a majority stake in premium coffee company Blue Bottle Coffee. Nestle already owns brands such as Nespresso, Nescafe and creamer brand Coffeemate. Blue Bottle will expand Nestle’s reach in the premium coffee market. “This move underlines Nestlé’s focus on investing in high-growth categories and acting on consumer trends,” Nestle CEO Mark Schneider […]

Even though he was once an executive at Facebook, Chamath Palihapitiya favors investing in Amazon instead, he told CNBC’s “Fast Money: Halftime Report” on Thursday. President Donald Trump has been a critic of Amazon, tweeting his disdain for coverage from The Washington Post, which is a personal holding of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. But Palihapitiya […]

Social Capital founder Chamath Palihapitiya said Thursday “people are fundamentally misunderstanding the demand of the [Tesla] Model 3.” In an hour-long appearance on CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report,” Palihapitiya said the new auto model will outpace the comparable BMW 3 Series, saying “that entire business is going to go to zero.” Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jones […]

Snap shareholders have felt the pain of its March IPO, as shares have tumbled more than 27 percent over the past 6 months, dipping below the public offering price. That could have been avoided if the IPO wasn’t mispriced, Chamath Palihapitiya told CNBC’s “Fast Money: Halftime Report” on Thursday. “You have a bank, in that […]