Google’s new Pixel Tablet on its default Home screen.
CNBC
I’ve been breaking out of my usual wheelhouse and getting hands-on with Google’s new Pixel Tablet for the last few days. It’s in stores now, and starts at $499 for the base 128 GB model. You can also spring for the $599 256 GB model, and at only $100 more, I think it’s a worthwhile upgrade to double your storage capacity, depending on your use case.
It’s been years since Google rolled out a new tablet, and besides the included charging dock and attendant Hub Mode, the company hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel. You won’t find pro-oriented accessories like you do on the iPad: no stylus, no keyboard, and aside from a matching case with kickstand, not much in the way of Google-designed accessories.
But in my few days of testing, it seems like this might have been by design. And there’s really one kind of consumer Google had in mind for this product, and if that’s you, this tablet may be worth the price.
What’s good
Hub Mode, Hub Mode, Hub Mode. If you’re a consumer who’s already enmeshed in Google’s ecosystem and are interested in a Google Home-compatible array of smart home devices, the Pixel Tablet may just become your new best friend.
The Pixel Tablet’s best feature is Hub Mode, which turns the device into a landing page for your whole life when you click it to the dock.
CNBC
Here’s how it works: When you dock your Pixel tablet with the included charging speaker dock, the tablet visually responds and transforms its lock screen into a customizable screen.
It’s the kind of feature that works well if you already have Google Home devices. From the lock screen, you can view cameras, tweak lighting and adjust your blinds, if you’re one of the lucky folks with smart window treatments. If someone rings your Nest or Ring doorbell, it’ll show you who’s at the door as well.
It could work well in the kitchen or family room — somewhere with a lot of people moving in and out — and can feed in alerts about package delivery, running timers or even when your Uber or Lyft is en route.
I opted for Google’s dynamic on-screen clock in the Prime skin. The clock faces are beautiful and manage to be visually engaging without being a needless distraction.
Unfortunately, my smart-home devices are all set up for Apple HomeKit, which made it difficult to see how it fit into my ecosystem. But the functionality that Hub Mode can offer makes it a step up from relying just on your Nest Hub, because it’s portable.
The Pixel Tablet docked.
CNBC
You can buy charging docks individually and dot them around your home, moving your tablet(s) from location to location as you go about your day. For example, you could find a recipe from the couch, tote your Pixel Tablet to the kitchen and get to cooking.
Hub Mode also lets you cast video from your phone or computer to the Hub.
Multitasking is also solid, although it definitely isn’t a computer-killer — nor is Google positioning it as one. It’s perfectly adequate for streaming video and weeding through your inbox at the same time, although depending on the angle of the tablet or the optional case with kickstand, your typing experience may vary.
What’s bad
The Tensor G2 SoC processor, new to the Pixel Tablet, offers a snappy experience, but its power felt constrained by some aspects of the user interface, such as a momentary lag when you pull down to access the control panel.
Google’s Pixel Tablet in Chrome.
CNBC
Although the emoji background is a great concept and responds to user touch, the lag muted the experience a bit.
This is a tablet that requires you to get used to its shortcomings: Getting the angle of motion precisely right to go to the home screen rather than switching to another app, for example. Some of those weak points, though, are likely my inexperience with Android.
This isn’t a tablet for a power user, either. It’ll help you do what you need to do as far as basic productivity, but don’t expect to be penning a novel or a tablet review on it. It’s a similar story with the twinned 8MP cameras. My colleague and I both felt that the 7MP front-facing camera on an older iPad Pro outshone the front-facing camera on the Pixel, which seemed a little washed out and unusually sharp in comparison.
Should you buy it?
Go for the Pixel Tablet if you think there’s a space in your home and routine for a portable smart hub. Hub Mode is where this device shines, and even little things such as the air quality indicator on the lock screen and the improved speaker quality made my morning routine noticeably better. At $499 for the 128GB model, it’s got more than enough storage at a reasonable price, especially if you’re already integrated into the Google ecosystem.
Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis delivers remarks before Gov. Ron DeSantis took to the stage during his Don’t Tread on Florida Tour in Sarasota on Nov. 6, ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election, 2022.
Fresh off its victories in the 2024 election cycle, the crypto industry is going big in Florida.
Affiliates of the Fairshake super PAC, a fundraising group that helped elect pro-crypto candidates up and down the ticket, is trying to boost Republican candidates in two Florida races, which could determine whether Republicans hold their thin House of Representatives majority.
The vacancies emerged after sitting Republican members left to join President Donald Trump’s second administration. One of them, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, withdrew his nomination for attorney general as he faced a number of legal controversies. The other, Michael Waltz, stepped down to become Trump’s national security adviser.
Fairshake is backing State Sen. Randy Fine with $1.16 million in ad spending, and investing another $345,000 to support Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer. Both have expressed support for digital assets.
Orlando school teacher Josh Weil is the Democratic nominee going up against Fine for the seat previously held by Waltz. Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun violence prevention activist in Pensacola, is looking to take over Gaetz’s seat.
Early voting in Florida begins this weekend. Democrats are aiming to flip both seats in races that have brought in more than $16 million combined, with the vast majority of the cash going towards backing the challengers. The districts have historically leaned red, but Democrats see an opportunity to compete due to the market and economic volatility that have headlined President Trump’s first two months in office.
Fairhsake, which aims to shape Congress in a way that supports favorable crypto regulation, is backed by crypto companies including Coinbase and Ripple as well as venture firm Andreessen Horowitz. It emerged as a major political force in the 2024 House and Senate races, outraising sectors like oil and banking. Fairshake and its affiliates brought in around $170 million in the 2024 cycle, and have $116 million in cash on hand.
The House is currently operating four members short due to recent Democratic vacancies in Texas and Arizona. A sweep by Democrats in those races and the Florida contests could leave Republicans with just a one-seat majority.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at the Microsoft Build AI Day event in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 1, 2024.
Chalinee Thirasupa | Reuters
With about 10 minutes left until the market’s close, Microsoft’s stock was down for the week. It would’ve been the first eight-week losing streak since 2008.
But the shares popped just before the end of trading, pushing the stock up 0.7% for the week to close at $391.26. It’s still down 7% for the year.
The last time Microsoft had a weekly slump like its seen this year was between January and February 2008, when the country was in the midst of a financial crisis. Microsoft shares fell nine straight weeks.
Microsoft’s 2025 downdraft is notable as the company is viewed as central to the artificial intelligence boom. It has a hefty stake in OpenAI, is investing heavily in its Azure cloud infrastructure and has many products that are incorporating generative AI technologies.
Along with its megacap peers, Microsoft has seen a recent pullback on concerns that President Donald Trump’s tariffs and massive cost cuts will hurt the economy, possibly leading to a recession.
Since reaching a closing high of $467.56 in July 2024, Microsoft is down about 16%, pushing its market cap to $2.9 trillion. The company issued disappointing revenue guidance on Jan. 30.
Within cloud and AI, competition is heating up across the board from rivals like Amazon and Google as well as from emerging startups. Earlier this week, Google announced its intent to acquire cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion.
The StubHub logo is seen in a former store in New York City on April 18, 2024.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
StubHub, an online marketplace for reselling tickets, on Friday filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “STUB.”
In its prospectus for an initial public offering, the company said it had a net loss of $2.8 million on revenue of $1.77 billion for 2024, compared with a $405 million profit on $1.37 billion in revenue for 2023.
StubHub has been a longtime player in the ticketing industry since its launch in 2000. It was purchased by eBay for $310 million in 2007, but reacquired by its co-founder Eric Baker in 2020 for $4 billion through his new company Viagogo.
More than 40 million tickets were sold on StubHub’s marketplace last year from roughly 1 million sellers, the company said in its prospectus.
StubHub had eyed an IPO last year, but it shelved its plans due to stagnant market conditions, CNBC previously reported.
Online ticketing rival SeatGeek was evaluating a potential IPO last year, according to media reports. Bloomberg reported in June that Citigroup and Wells Fargo joined son the company’s planned listing. Other StubHub competitors include Vivid Seats, which was taken public via a special purpose acquisition company in 2021, and Live Nation.
After an extended IPO lull dating back to early 2022, the market is showing clear signs of thawing. Artificial intelligence infrastructure provider CoreWeave is expected to debut next week. Klarna, a provider of buy now, pay later loans filed its IPO prospectus last Friday. Earlier in March, Hinge Health, a provider of digital physical therapy services, filed with the SEC.
Cloud software vendor ServiceTitan hit the market in December, marking the first significant venture-backed tech IPO since Rubrik’s debut in April. A month before that, Reddit started trading on the NYSE.
There haven’t been many other tech IPOs of note in the U.S. since late 2021, when rising interest rates and soaring inflation pushed investors out of risky assets.