Top News
* San Jose, Calif.-based technology hardware component supplier Super Micro Computer Inc. strongly denied claims in a Bloomberg Businessweek report that some of the company's server motherboards were compromised in 2015 by a microchip improperly inserted during factory assembly. The statement came after Bloomberg Businessweek claimed that Chinese spies used the microchips to target 30 U.S. companies, including Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., in the hardware attack. Apple and Amazon have also denied claims that some products containing Super Micro-assembled components were impacted by the hardware breach.
* U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has strongly criticized what he said was China's "wholesale theft" of U.S. technology and urged Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC unit to end its reported efforts to build a censored search engine for China. Speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute, Pence said more business leaders are exercising caution before entering the Chinese market "if it means turning over their intellectual property or abetting Beijing's oppression." More organizations must follow suit, Pence said, adding that Google needs to end development of its "Dragonfly" app project in China.
* The local broadcast streaming service Locast.org is still going strong after almost one year of service and plans to expand further. While some believe the site's success thus far proves it is legal, others say broadcasters will quash the service.
Publishing
* Tronc Inc. will change its name back to Tribune Publishing Co., effective Oct. 9. Tronc's common stock will resume trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker TPCO, upon opening of trading Oct. 10, the company said in a news release.
OTT
* Netflix Inc. has struck a a multiyear series overall deal with showrunner and writer Eric Newman. The deal is in addition to Newman's previously announced Netflix feature film overall deal via Screen Arcade, the company said.
* Netflix has acquired rights to Blake Crouch's book "Recursion" for a feature film and a television universe, the company said. To be published on June 11, 2019, "Recursion" is a sci-fi thriller, romance, and police procedural that explores what happens when a brilliant female scientist invents a technology that allows people not just to reactivate their most visceral memories but to reinvent them entirely.
* Netflix launched original docuseries, "Medal of Honor," to celebrate eight men who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor. The episodes of the docuseries will cover World War II, Afghanistan, The Korean War, Vietnam, Sylvester Antolak and Clint Romesha, among others, the company said.
* Sports-centric live TV streaming service fuboTV Inc. is now offering the out-of-market subscription service NBA League Pass to users, Multichannel News reports. The service, which shows nearly 1,000 pro hoops games a year outside of the user's market, is available as a $28.99 add-on.
Multichannel
* Cox Communications Inc. has integrated Google's YouTube Kids and NPR One into its Contour TV platform, Broadcasting & Cable reports. Users will be able to access content from YouTube Kids and NPR One in the apps section of the Contour guide.
* DISH Network Corp. and its Sling TV service have unveiled a new channel to help users learn English as a second language, ECN Magazine reports. The HD channel, Inglés Para Todos, is included in all DishLATINO subscribers' programming package, and Sling TV's Best of Spanish TV service, at no additional cost.
Click here to read about today's financial markets, setting out the factors driving stocks, bonds and currencies around the world ahead of the New York open.
The day ahead
Early morning futures indicators pointed to a mixed opening for the U.S. market.
In Asia, the Hang Seng slipped 0.19% to 26,572.57, and the Nikkei 225 declined 0.80% to 23,783.72.
In Europe, around midday, the FTSE 100 was down 0.49% to 7,382.69, and the Euronext 100 was down 0.31% to 1,044.33.
On the macro front
The employment situation report, the international trade report, the consumer credit report and the Baker-Hughes Rig Count report are due out today.
Featured news
The Daily Dose Europe: Banijay in talks to buy Endemol Shine; Comcast to further hike Sky stake: France's Banijay Group is in advanced talks to buy Netherlands-based production powerhouse Endemol Shine Group Ltd., while Comcast Corp. is set to further increase its ownership of pay TV giant Sky PLC to about 75%.
Bytedance seeking to raise billions; Swiggy in funding talks with Tencent: China's Beijing Byte Dance Telecommunications Co. Ltd. is in talks to raise around US$3 billion, while Indian online food delivery startup Swiggy is in talks to raise as much as US$700 million from investors such as Tencent Holdings Ltd.
The Daily Dose Asia-Pacific: SoftBank, Toyota forming mobility JV; ZTE hit with 2-year monitoring extension: Toyota Motor Corp. and SoftBank Group Corp. agreed to form a joint venture for new mobility services, while a U.S. judge extended the term of a monitor appointed to assess ZTE Corp.'s compliance with U.S. export control laws.
Hires and Fires: Facebook gets new Instagram head; FOX unveils leadership lineup for new entity: Facebook Inc. named Adam Mosseri, vice president of product, to head of Instagram Inc., while FOX, the company to be spun off in connection with the merger with Walt Disney Co., unveiled new leadership changes.
Hires and Fires Europe: Vodafone appoints CEO for Europe; RAI names new chairman: S&P Global Market Intelligence presents a biweekly rundown of executive and board changes in the European media and communications industries.
Featured research
Economics of TV & Film: PPV says goodbye to HBO: A look at some recent pay-per-view news/events, along with a list of upcoming events and video-on-demand movies.
Economics of TV & Film: Disney's 2017 film slate brings twice the net profits of the closest competitor: Disney's unprecedented run of box office winners continued in 2017 as its eight-film slate is projected to make $2.98 billion in net profit — more than double what second place Universal Studios is projected to make.
Technology: ZTE's absence allows others to prosper in Q2'18 North American smartphone market: Lenovo Group Ltd.'s market share has more than doubled as it became the primary beneficiary of ZTE's temporary exit from the smartphone market in the second quarter.
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