Two of the world’s most ubiquitous companies, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), have agreed a peace-deal in a long running patent dispute.
They have agreed to drop some 20 lawsuits between them, relating to relating to software powering smartphones.
Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) is set to unveil its new chief executive, though it is going to be founder and current interim boss Jack Dorsey so there won’t be much of an adjustment period.
Dorsey, who stepped after Dick Costolo left in June, had been expected to remain in charge of his other venture Square – a mobile payments group expected to IPO before the year’s end – though there has been a certain momentum in recent reports suggesting he could run both companies.
It has also been suggested that under the new boss the social media group could find room for new characters – with an expanded message feature to go beyond the long-standing 140 limit.
In other high tech news, Japan is reportedly going to pilot a scheme for driverless taxis for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Closer to home, UK shoppers are set to get new rights to stop retailers wriggling out of refunds or hiding charges via a shake-up of consumer protection laws.
It is the first major change in consumer rights for a generation and, notably, it introduces specific protections for digital purchases like ebooks, games, music or movies for the first time.
Investment group Alliance Trust’s (LON:ATST) high profile boss Katherine Garrett-Cox is to step down from the 127-year old investment company’s main board after another top level shake-up.
Garrett-Cox’s departure, along with two other board members, follows a bitter public feud with activist investor and major shareholder Elliott Advisors earlier this year. In one of the most acrimonious boardroom battles seen in the fusty world of investment trusts, Elliott claimed Alliance had under-performed over a long period of time.
And finally … Sweden - the home of Zlatan, Absolut Vodka, and the ‘house mafia’ - reckons the rest of us are doing the working week wrong, as it is set to introduce shorter six-hour work days.
Businesses in the Scandinavian country expect employees with more personal time will have greater focus whilst in work and, with more energy, will be more productive during the time they’re there.