Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have banded together to fight an Ohio utility that wants them to pay for upgrades to the electric grid that will be necessary to support the Big Tech firms’ plans to install energy-intensive data centers to power artificial intelligence technology. American Electric Power Ohio, which serves cities such as Columbus … Read more
Snapchat reserves the right to put photos of its users’ faces in ads as part of the terms of service of its “My Selfie” tool, which lets people and their friends create artificial intelligence-generated images that are trained on their selfies. “My Selfie is used to power Generative AI, Cameos and other experiences on Snapchat … Read more
TikTok faced sharp questions from a US appeals court on Monday as the company scrambles to block a law that will force China-based ByteDance to sell the video-sharing app by Jan. 19 or face a total ban. A TikTok lawyer argued in front of a three-judge panel that the law, signed by President Joe Biden … Read more
Elon Musk’s brain chip firm Neuralink has received “breakthrough device” status for an implant aimed at helping blind patients regain their sight, the firm announced Wednesday. Dubbed “Blindsight,” the experimental brain implant gained clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration to participate in the voluntary program. It is one of 58 devices to receive … Read more
Ahead of the election, Republican lawmakers are raising alarm bells about Texas billionaire John Arnold, who was appointed to Meta’s board earlier this year — warning he could undermine the efforts to keep speech free and open on Facebook ahead of the presidential election. Arnold, who is worth an estimated $2.9 billion according to Forbes, … Read more
They think iOS 18 is a POS. Apple’s highly-anticipated iOS 18 has received app-ocalyptic online reviews since its Monday debut. Many techies have slammed the so-called “biggest upgrade in history” for making it easier for philandering partners to cheat and also for having an unusable photo function that made them “want to throw up,” among … Read more
A man afflicted with ALS has become the first person in the world to control an Amazon Alexa digital assistant through his thoughts — thanks to a brain implant created by a New York-based neurotech startup. Synchron — a company specializing in medical technology solutions — has implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) in a blood … Read more
Apple users are bitter over the latest software update, claiming their device performance has taken a drastic hit. Overly zealous customers eager to upgrade to the new iOS 18 — released on Monday ahead of the iPhone 16 launch — are met with battery troubles, claiming the operating system drains the battery life of their smartphones. … Read more
Meta said it has banned Kremlin-run state media outlet Russia Today as well as other networks controlled by the regime of President Vladimir Putin due to alleged “foreign interference activity.” Russia-based broadcasters and web sites such as RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other affiliated media outlets will no longer be available to users of Meta’s social … Read more
Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram unveiled what was billed as a major overhaul of safety features for kids on Tuesday – a move that online watchdogs quickly blasted as a bid to avoid a looming congressional crackdown on the social media giant. Instagram said it will automatically place users under age 18 into “teen accounts” and block … Read more