Google pays Italy taxes; Lyft and leather; ‘Halo’ to Hall of Fame

This photo provided by the Strong shows the four inductees for the 2017 class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame: “Halo: Combat Evolved,” “Donkey Kong,” “Pokémon Red and Green” and “Street Fighter II.” less This photo provided by the Strong shows the four inductees for the 2017 class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame: “Halo: Combat Evolved,” “Donkey Kong,” “Pokémon Red and Green” and “Street ... more Photo: Bethany Mosher, Associated Press Photo: Bethany Mosher, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Google pays Italy taxes; Lyft and leather; ‘Halo’ to Hall of Fame 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Number of the day

$334 million

That’s how much Google has agreed to pay to Italian authorities in back taxes for its operations in the country from 2002 to 2015, which is not exactly setting a Silicon Valley precedent. Apple had paid Italy slightly more than that for back taxes in late 2015. U.S. multinational corporations now hold an estimated $2.6 trillion in foreign earnings, most of it from tech companies’ global operations.

Lyft gets flexible

about leather

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Lyft has worked out a few kinks in its leather policy. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a blog post that the San Francisco ride-hailing company has changed its leather-only requirement in Lyft Premier vehicles to allow for vegan leather. PETA says it takes an average of three cows’ hides for the interior of a standard car, adding that many luxury automakers use substitutes.

Hall says hello, ‘Halo’

“Halo: Combat Evolved,” a science fiction shooter game that enthralled a legion of fans after its 2001 release with the Xbox system, has made it into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Also inducted Thursday were “Donkey Kong,” “Pokémon Red and Green” and “Street Fighter II.” All will be on permanent display at the Strong museum in Rochester, N.Y., where the hall was established in 2015 to recognize an industry that the Entertainment Software Association said generated $30.4 billion in revenue in the U.S. last year.

From San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle