Shares of Google parent Alphabet could make meaningful strides after the technology company's Monday earnings report, according to the options market.

Disney reports earnings after the bell on Tuesday for the first time since the launch of Disney+. Options traders aren't convinced the streaming service will propel the stock to new highs.

Millions of Tesla's options contracts have already changed hands this week, and savvy traders are making out like bandits.

One options trader is looking to cash in on a big bet that Wynn's earnings report will lead the casinos higher.

Options traders are betting the videoconferencing stock may be gearing up for a double-digit move higher.

The "Options Action" traders share their first moves for the market open.

Interest rates are in free fall, but that could be good news for one group of stocks that are already off to a strong start this year.

Markets are rebounding on Wednesday after two days of brutal selling. If you're looking for a way to get in on the action, using options could be the way to go.

The "Options Action" traders share their first moves for the market open.

One options trader is betting on a solid gold rally for the yellow metal into late spring.

One options trader won big on Joe Biden's Super Tuesday performance, cashing in on a sizable bullish bet on one health-care name.

Optimize Advisors President Michael Khouw explains how to use options to gauge where the markets will land amid wild volatility.

The Options Action traders give their final trades heading into next week.

Earnings take away from Apple's momentum. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Options Action Traders, Carter Worth, Mike Khouw and Tony Zhang.

A look at Microsoft after earnings. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Options Action Traders, Carter Worth, Mike Khouw and Tony Zhang.

Tony Zhang on a bearish Activision trade. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Options Action Traders, Carter Worth and Mike Khouw.

A gold move, with Mike Khouw. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Options Action Traders, Carter Worth and Tony Zhang.

Carter Worth on PayPal, with CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Options Action Traders, Tony Zhang and Mike Khouw.

Uber reports earnings after the bell Thursday, and traders in the options market are betting the ride-hailing giant won't match Lyft's surge higher.

Ian Bremmer, founder of Eurasia Group, says China is getting more powerful and not aligning with the West. This will lead to separate systems like two separate Internets.

Helen Zhu, head of China Equities at Blackrock, weighs in on the release Monday of China's fourth quarter economic data.

Sim Moh Siong, FX strategist at the Bank of Singapore, says there is "scope for more upside" for sterling if Brexit negotiations roll on past the March deadline.

Norman Villamin, chief investment officer at UBP, lays out why he is bullish on Chinese equities in 2019.

Cedomir Nestorovic, professor of geopolitics at ESSEC Business School, predicts that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's second Brexit deal will likely be rejected Monday, creating further scope for a near-term general election.

Edmund Phelps of Columbia University says China seems to think that it has solved its problems, and its economy will see a return to "somewhat higher" growth rates. He also says China could "break loose" with a long wave of rapid innovation.

Gerard Lyons tells CNBC there is too much fear about leaving the EU without a deal.

Hetal Mehta, senior European economist at Legal & General Investment Management, discusses the impact of Brexit on U.K. policymakers.

Stacey Widlitz, president at SW Retail Advisors, speaks to CNBC about the retail picture in both the U.K. and the U.S.

Samuel Greene, director of the Russia Institute and reader of Russian politics at King's College London, speaks to CNBC about new U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream 2.

Angel Gurria, secretary general of the OECD, discusses U.S.-China trade, multilateralism and digital taxes.

But Hussain Sajwani, chairman of Middle Eastern property development firm DAMAC, says he doesn't expect President Donald Trump to secure a deal in the Middle East this year.

U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette talks about the strategic energy partnership with India, and how it will boost trade in oil and natural gas.

Virtual banks may compete with traditional banks, but they also help lenders like Standard Chartered cut costs, says Paul Pong of Pegasus Fund Managers.

USB-C, faster processors and new design options continue to keep Microsoft’s Windows 10 laptop near the top of the pile

Microsoft’s top-quality laptop is now in its third generation, with new ports, new processors and a slight redesign, with the option to ditch the unique Alcantara for plain old aluminium.

The £999 and up Surface Laptop 3 is Microsoft’s vision of what a traditional laptop should be. For the most part that’s the same as everyone else, with traditional aluminium body, glass-covered screen and hinge that does not rotate all the way round to the back.

Screen: 13.5in LCD 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI)

Processor: quad-core Intel Core i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 720P front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: wifi 6 (ax), Bluetooth 5, USB-A, USB-C, headphones, Surface Connect TPM

Dimensions: 308.1 x 223.3 x 14.5mm

Weight: 1,265 or 1,288g

Due to the angle of the side of the machine it can be difficult to plug the magnetic power cable in without lifting the side up for more leverage.

The black paint can be scratched revealing the silver aluminium underneath.

The screen supports 10-point touch and Microsoft’s Surface Pen stylus.

Pros: great keyboard, good trackpad, Alcantara or aluminium, sleek design, USB-A and USB-C port, great screen, good battery life, Windows Hello, powerful processor.

Cons: no SD card reader, limited configuration options, no Thunderbolt 3, only one USB-C port.

Surface Laptop 2 review: Microsoft’s sleeker answer to the MacBook Air

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: a fantastic tablet PC you shouldn’t buy

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

Matt is resurrecting a 10-year-old laptop with only 4GB of memory. How can he make it run faster?

I am trying to resurrect an old but good-in-its-day laptop for my son to use for his A-levels. I have bought a cheap 256GB SSD to improve the read/write speeds, but it seems I am stuck with the current 4GB of memory. Its two memory slots could support 8GB but 4GB DDR2 memory modules are prohibitively expensive at roughly £65 each. It doesn’t seem to make sense spending that sort of money on outdated memory technology for a 10-year-old laptop.

What is the best way to set up Windows 10 so it runs fast on relatively limited memory? Is it worth using a different browser to Chrome? Is Microsoft Office too much of a resource hog?

Chip costs are driven by production volumes, so obsolete types of memory are no longer in production, or are very expensive to produce. Often, there are alternatives, such as buying second-hand memory modules, and cannibalising laptops sold on eBay for “spares or repair”.

Amazon requested the injunction after alleging that bias from Donald Trump caused the contract to be awarded to Microsoft

A federal court has ordered a temporary halt in Microsoft’s work on a $10bn military cloud contract that Amazon was initially expected to win. Amazon sued in December to revisit that decision, alleging that Donald Trump’s bias against the company hurt its chances to win the project.

Amazon requested the court injunction last month. The documents requesting the block and the judge’s decision to issue the temporary injunction are sealed by the court.

Related: From books to bullets: inside Amazon's push to 'defend' America

The UK’s fund management industry is losing the war against index tracking

What’s gone wrong with Britain’s fund management industry? Over the past year share prices have soared globally, which usually translates into boom times for asset managers, whose income is based on a percentage cut from the total amount of money under management. Yet the UK’s industry is beset with scandals and sliding fortunes among some of the once most-revered names.

Jupiter is attempting to arrest its decline with a £370m takeover of Merian (once Old Mutual’s investment arm), creating a £65bn group that boss and serial deal maker Andrew Formica promises investors will be “highly earnings accretive”.

Microsoft confirms key specs of games console plus new ‘Smart Delivery’ feature allowing one-size-fits-all game purchases

Microsoft has confirmed that its next games console, the Xbox Series X, will feature a 12 teraflops graphics processor, eight times more powerful than the Xbox One graphics chipset.

The announcement, made by the Xbox chief, Phil Spencer, via Microsoft’s Wire news site, confirmed recent rumours about the machine, which is launching this winter.

Related: Follow your Dreams: how the future of playing video games is making them

Related: Xbox chief: 'We discussed whether we should even do another console'

Announcements made following coronavirus guidance from Washington state officials instructing workplaces to allow employees to work remotely

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across Washington state, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have advised their Seattle-area employees to work from home for the next few weeks.

Related: Coronavirus: Google leads tech charge to work from home

Long battery life, 4G and beautiful design can’t stop it being held back by a lack of apps for its ARM chip

The Surface Pro X is a glimpse of an ARM-powered Windows future, combining the best bits of phones and computers, but while that future is closer than ever, it isn’t quite ready yet.

The new £999 Surface Pro X might look like the rest of Microsoft’s Surface tablets on the outside, but it is fundamentally a different beast on the inside.

Screen: 13in LCD 2880x1920 (267 PPI)

Processor: Microsoft SQ1 (ARM)

RAM: 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256 and 512GB

Graphics: Adreno 685

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 10MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi ac, Bluetooth 5, 2x USB-C, Surface Connect, LTE, nano sim, esim

Dimensions: 287 x 208 x 7.3mm

Weight: 774g

The screen is far too dim on resuming from sleep until you hit the brightness button, at which point it returns to normal

The machine ran cool throughout, barely getting warmer than room temperature even when pushed hard

There’s no real mis-touch rejection at the edges of the screen, which means you have to be careful where you put your fingers when holding the tablet

Pros: slim, great 13in screen, 4G, kickstand, nine-hour battery, 2x USB-C, quick charging, Windows Hello, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), smart stylus holder, Windows 10

Cons: not much ARM-native software, no good photo editors, no SD card reader, no headphone socket, no Thunderbolt 3, keyboard not included

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: a fantastic tablet PC you shouldn’t buy

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

Cancellation of LA games convention over coronavirus fears leaves Microsoft hastily redrawing plans to promote new console

Microsoft will unveil its Xbox Series X console via an online event in June after it has been confirmed that the major games conference E3 has been cancelled.

The launch was set to be a major feature of the annual Los Angeles convention, which attracts 65,000 visitors a year and broadcasts press events to millions worldwide. On Wednesday, event organiser the Electronic Entertainment Association announced on its website that E3 2020 would not take place due to concerns over the coronavirus.

E3 has always been an important moment for Team Xbox. Given this decision, this year we'll celebrate the next generation of gaming with the @Xbox community and all who love to play via an Xbox digital event. Details on timing and more in the coming weeks https://t.co/xckMKBPf9h

Campuses have become ‘ghost towns’ as staffers depart – but many contractors still have to show up

• How to protect yourself against coronavirus
  
• What are the symptoms and should I see a doctor?

When Josh Borden arrived for work at the Google offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday morning, it felt like arriving in a “ghost town”. The parking lot was deserted, there was no breakfast being served in the cafeteria, and the nap rooms were tagged with signs announcing their closure “as a precaution given the Covid-19 situation”. “The office is so empty,” he told me. “Even more so than when the Googlers have their ski trip.”

The day before, Google had asked all its North American employees to begin working from home due to the coronavirus – a policy that has since been expanded to the rest of its global workforce. But Borden, a triage analyst who has worked for Google for about four years, is one of the approximately 135,000 people who make up Google’s “extended workforce”: temps and subcontractors who perform work for, but are not technically employed by, the $830bn company. And though Borden and his co-workers perform computer-based tasks that could just as easily be completed from home as those of other technical workers, Google does not allow them to access their work from home.

Related: Mike Bloomberg’s campaign is polluting the internet | Julia Carrie Wong

Tech firms will benefit, but some companies could find employees don’t want to return to the office

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Covid-19 could permanently shift working patterns as companies forced to embrace remote working by the pandemic find that their employees do not want to return to the office once the closures are lifted.

The sudden increase in working from home is presenting problems as well as opportunities: on the one hand, startups such as Slack and Zoom and established giants including Google and Microsoft are offering their tools for free, in the hope that people who start using them in a crisis may carry on once normality returns.

Related: The art of Skype set-dressing: how to video-call the office when in quarantine | Imogen West-Knights

You’ve bought the perfect PC – now you need to complete your setup to get the best from your games. Here are our suggestions

• Experts on how to build a gaming PC kit – from central processor to memory

When you’re buying a new gaming PC from scratch, the machine itself is only part of the picture. To get the very best out of the most demanding modern games, you’ll need the rest of your setup to be working hard too – especially if you ever want to win at Call of Duty: Warzone.

Here then, are our picks for the best gaming monitors, keyboards and mice. Helping me to make the selection are Alan Dexter, senior hardware editor at PC Gamer, Chris Wilson, design director at Cardboard Sword, Al Bickham, communications manager at Creative Assembly, and Nic Claassen, head of product business at Acer UK.

USB-C completes top Windows 10 tablet with great screen, design and kickstand, plus latest Intel chips

The Surface Pro 7 is an update of the excellent Surface Pro 6 with new processors and, finally, a USB-C port.

That means the design of the new Surface Pro 7 hasn’t changed since the 2017 Surface Pro 5, with Microsoft taking an “if it ain’t broke” approach. It’s competitively priced at £699 and up – but you have to pay at least £125 for the keyboard if you want one – which annoyingly is not included in the standard price.

Screen: 12.3in LCD 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)

Processor: Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 4, 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel UHD (i3) or Intel Iris Plus (i5/i7)

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5, USB 3.0, USB-C, headphones, TPM, microSD

Dimensions: 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm

Weight: 775 or 790g (i7 version)

The Surface Pro 7 ships with a standard version of Windows 10 Home with device encryption

The tablet no longer supports on-screen interaction with Microsoft’s Surface Dial accessory

Pros: great screen, good battery life, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), microSD card reader, excellent kickstand, Windows Hello, solid build, easy to carry, USB-A and USB-C

Cons: no Thunderbolt 3, fairly expensive, keyboard should be included, Core i7 version fans are more audible

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: not yet ready for prime time

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

From FaceTime to Houseparty, there is no shortage of platforms for work and play as you shelter in place

With offices and schools around the world temporarily shut amid the coronavirus crisis, the video platform Zoom has seen overnight success. But growing concerns over security across the platform have many consumers wondering about tech alternatives.

Privacy-minded consumers should consider video chat options carefully, said Arvind Narayanan, an associate computer science professor at Princeton University who has been outspoken about the security concerns surrounding Zoom.

Related: ‘Zoom is malware’: why experts worry about the video conferencing platform

From being a goose on the loose to controlling whole galaxies, here’s a world of experiences for all the family

• Modern Toss on video games ...

The cinemas may be shut, the gig venues closed, but there is one place you can still meet your friends and be entertained without leaving your house: the world of gaming. For many of us, it has been years since we could really justify spending all day in our pyjamas slaying virtual dragons – now that way of life, for some at least, is a little less frowned-upon. But if you’re returning to serious gaming after a few years away, where exactly should you be spending your valuable money and time? Here are no less than 100 highly recommended titles, from family favourites to epic sci-fi sagas – all available on current platforms, be it PC, smartphones or consoles. Whether you want to be moved, terrified, relaxed or intellectually challenged, alone or with pals, we’ve got more than enough here to keep you occupied until you’re out and about again …

Well-publicized philanthropy shows how afraid the super-rich are of a larger social safety net – and higher taxes

As millions of jobless Americans line up for food or risk their lives delivering essential services, the nation’s billionaires are making conspicuous donations – $100m from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos for food banks, billions from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for a coronavirus vaccine, thousands of ventilators and N95 masks from Elon Musk, $25m from the Walton family and its Walmart foundation. The list goes on.

Related: Call for super-rich to donate more to tackle coronavirus pandemic

Why should we believe that Gates or any other billionaire’s 'boldness' necessarily reflects society’s values and needs?

Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few and The Common Good. His new book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, is out now. He is a columnist for Guardian US

The tech giant’s pledge to go carbon negative by 2030 leans heavily on nascent technology such as machines that suck carbon out of the air

Microsoft drew widespread praise in January this year after Brad Smith, the company’s president, announced their climate “moonshot”.

While other corporate giants, such as Amazon and Walmart, were pledging to go carbon neutral, Microsoft vowed to go carbon negative by 2030, meaning they would be removing more carbon from the atmosphere than they produced.

It will cost them money, but it will allow the technologies to come online and for the next company to follow their footsteps

It’s extremely hard to lead if there’s no one there to follow

Pay-monthly service sees huge surge in players and gaming time due to Coronavirus lockdown

Microsoft has announced that its Xbox Game Pass subscription service has passed 10 million members. The initiative, which adopts a similar model to Netflix and other streaming platforms, gives subscribers unlimited access to more than 100 Xbox and PC games for a monthly fee.

Commenting on the figure, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that use of Game Pass, as well as the company’s online multiplayer gaming service Xbox Live, had increased substantially in recent weeks due to Covid-19. “Since March, Xbox Game Pass members have added over 23 million friends on Xbox Live, which is a 70% growth in friendship rate,” he said. “Game Pass members are also playing twice as much and engaging in more multiplayer gaming, which has increased by 130%.”

We saw record engagement in gaming this quarter:
• Xbox Live has nearly 90 million monthly active users
• Xbox Game Pass has more than 10 million subscribers
• Project xCloud has 100s of thousands of active users in preview across 7 countries, with more coming