Talk Fuse

    Topic: Companies

    Companies covers the businesses shaping media, technology, entertainment and consumer services, from global platforms and game publishers to broadcasters and private providers.

    Readers can follow corporate decisions on products, prices, jobs, ownership and regulation, alongside the wider effects those choices can have on workers, customers and public life.

    • House Democrats Probe StubHub CEO Over Claims of “Market Manipulation and Self-Dealing”

      House Democrats are investigating StubHub chief executive Eric Baker over concerns that his separate ticket-broking company, Andro Capital, may have received preferential treatment on StubHub’s resale platform. The inquiry matters because lawmakers believe the arrangement could have inflated ticket prices, disadvantaged smaller sellers and harmed consumers in an already contentious secondary-ticketing market. Baker is co-owner…

    • Meta just created a moderation nightmare for its smart glasses

      Meta says it will remove from Instagram some videos filmed with its smart glasses that secretly record, exploit or harass people, particularly “pickup line” pranks targeting women and service workers. The move highlights a problem for the company: glasses designed to make recording effortless are now linked to privacy concerns and abusive content, forcing Meta…

    • Midjourney is buying horoscope app Co-Star, which users will surely be thrilled about

      Midjourney has agreed to buy the astrology app Co-Star and appoint its chief executive, Banu Guler, as Midjourney’s Chief Design Officer. Co-Star is expected to remain under Guler’s control, but will gain Midjourney’s resources; the deal signals Midjourney’s effort to expand beyond AI image and video generation into more consumer-facing products. Guler described the acquisition…

    • Midjourney bought the astrology app Co-Star

      Midjourney has acquired Co-Star, a personalised astrology app, expanding the AI image-generation company into consumer apps. The deal matters because Co-Star’s founder and team are expected to help Midjourney develop its first dedicated applications, including an image-generation app beyond its current web and Discord access. Co-Star provides free daily horoscopes and friend-compatibility features, using human…

    • Funko at Comic-Con: Ultra-Rare ‘Invincible’ Pops!, Absolute Batman and a Figure Worth $10,000

      Funko has become one of Comic-Con’s busiest attractions, using exclusive products and carefully limited releases to draw large crowds at the San Diego event. The company says the convention lets it sell directly to genuine fans rather than automated buyers and resellers, while also promoting its wider range of Pop! figures, Mondo posters and vinyl…

    • Blizzard Employee Out Of A Job After Allegedly Helping Friends Cheat In WoW

      Blizzard has reportedly dismissed an employee after allegations that they used their position to help friends cheat in World of Warcraft. The case matters because it raises concerns about fairness, staff access and confidence in the enforcement of rules within a major online game. The available article text does not provide details of the alleged…

    • DJI camera clone company Xtra is halting and refunding all preorders

      Xtra Technology has halted preorders for its Muse 2 Pro camera and will refund the $20 deposits already collected, saying it cannot provide a reliable launch timetable. The decision matters because Xtra sells cameras widely seen as rebranded DJI products, while US regulators are increasing scrutiny of firms allegedly helping DJI technology remain on the…

    • Nothing confirms layoffs, but calls market exit rumors ‘fake news’

      Nothing has confirmed that it is reorganising and cutting some roles, while denying reports that it plans to leave 12 markets. Cofounder Akis Evangelidis described the reported scale of layoffs as exaggerated and said the company is consolidating country operations into regional hubs as part of a growth strategy that includes an AI-focused unit. The…

    • Why Cognition bought Poke: AI personality is becoming a competitive advantage

      Cognition has acquired Poke, a conversational AI assistant designed to interact like a friend, in a deal valued in the low nine figures. The acquisition aims to bring Poke’s personality-driven interaction style to Cognition’s coding agent, Devin, reflecting a broader belief that engaging user experiences can be as commercially important as underlying AI models. Launched…

    • Water bosses’ total pay rises despite bonus ban and public fury over sewage

      Water company executives’ total reported pay increased despite a government ban on bonuses for firms linked to serious pollution or financial failures. The disclosure is likely to intensify public and political anger over rising bills, sewage discharges and the financial instability of Thames Water, while raising questions about whether companies are circumventing the restrictions. Analysis…