Digital World



Thousands protest in Serbian city over fatal roof collapse

AFP - 3h ago

Thousands of protesters, red paint and smashed windows at the city hall: The Serbian city where a train station roof …

Dutch, French authorities raid Netflix offices in tax probe

AFP - 5h ago

French and Dutch authorities raided streaming giant Netflix's offices in Paris and Amsterdam on Tuesday as part of a tax …

South Korea fines Meta for illegal collection of user data

AFP - 14h ago

US tech giant Meta illegally harvested sensitive data including on sexual orientation from nearly a million South Korean …

World's first wooden satellite launched into space

AFP - 17h ago

The world's first wooden satellite has blasted off on a SpaceX rocket, its Japanese developers said Tuesday, part of a …

Fake X accounts promote COP hosts UAE, Azerbaijan

Nov 04 2024

The social media platform X has for months been aflush with praise for United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan in posts …

Nuts! NY authorities euthanize Instagram squirrel star

Nov 01 2024

A squirrel named Peanut who was propelled to the heights of internet celebrity has been euthanized, New York authorities …

Nvidia to join Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing Intel

Nov 01 2024

Chip giant Nvidia will join the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the iconic Wall Street index announced Friday, …

Fake US election video signals sprawling Russian disinformation ops

Nov 01 2024

American intelligence officials on Friday blamed Russia for a fake video of a Haitian immigrant claiming to have voted …

Indonesia adds Google Pixel phones to ban list with iPhone 16

Nov 01 2024

Indonesia has banned the sale of Google Pixel phones over the tech giant's failure to meet investment regulations, its …

TikTok bandits terrorise, transfix Pakistan riverlands

Nov 01 2024

With a showman's flair and an outlaw's moustache, the Pakistani gangster dials the hotline on his own most wanted notice …

Deceptive 'bait-and-switch' Facebook groups snare US voters: study

Nov 01 2024

Dozens of Facebook groups bill themselves as Kamala Harris fan pages but mount racist attacks, criticize her record on …

Musk's millions: Five ways the world's richest man helps Trump

Oct 31 2024

In an extraordinary twist that has upended an already unpredictable election, the world's richest man has become Donald …

OpenAI releases ChatGPT search engine, taking on Google

Oct 31 2024

OpenAI on Thursday beefed up its ChatGPT generative AI chatbot with search engine capabilities, as the startup takes on …

Musk a no-show at $1 mn giveaway US court hearing

Oct 31 2024

Billionaire Elon Musk dodged a Philadelphia court hearing on Thursday after asking to move a lawsuit seeking to halt his …

Musk to appear in court as part of Trump campaign suit

Oct 31 2024

Billionaire Elon Musk was expected in court in Philadelphia on Thursday, after a judge ordered him to attend a hearing …

Faker: eSports legend and South Korea 'national treasure'

Oct 31 2024

Lee Sang-hyeok wanted only to be a "normal kid". He was anything but, and is now a multi-millionaire eSports superstar …

Meta shows strong growth as AI spending surges

Oct 30 2024

Facebook owner Meta saw net income and revenues top expectations on Wednesday as the company said it would expand …

China's second-generation factory owners go digital to combat challenges

Oct 30 2024

Dressed in a pristine white knit top, Robyn Qiu cut an incongruous figure in her parents' dusty, hangar-like metal …

Global police shut down malware group 'targeting millions'

Oct 29 2024

A global police operation shut down the servers of one of the world's largest malware platforms that targeted millions …

Apple rolls out AI features across devices

Oct 28 2024

Apple on Monday rolled out its first set of artificial intelligence features, dubbed "Apple Intelligence," across its …

Waymo ramps up robotaxi push with $5.6 bn in funding

Oct 25 2024

Waymo on Friday said it raised $5.6 billion from investors to expand a robotaxi program now operating in Los Angeles, …

Google urged to step up efforts to demonetize climate falsehoods

Oct 24 2024

Civil society groups implored Google on Thursday to rigorously enforce its policy to demonetize environmental …

US unveils national security plan to step up use of AI

Oct 24 2024

The United States on Thursday ordered the Pentagon and intelligence agencies to step up use of artificial intelligence …

Ireland fines LinkedIn 310 mn euros over EU data breach

Oct 24 2024

An Irish regulator helping to police European Union data privacy said Thursday it had fined professional networking …

US unveils national security memorandum on AI

Oct 24 2024

The United States unveiled Thursday a framework to address national security risks posed by artificial intelligence, a …

Taiwan's TSMC stops shipments to client after chips sent to Huawei

Oct 24 2024

Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC halted shipments to a customer this month after its semiconductors were sent to China's …

Microsoft pushes for gaming supremacy with 'Call of Duty' release

Oct 24 2024

Microsoft's ambition to become the "Netflix of video games" faces a huge test this week with the release of "Call of …

Perplexity seeks news allies as it challenges Google

Oct 23 2024

Perplexity AI chief Aravind Srinivas said Wednesday that he hopes to collaborate with news publishers which accuse the …

US fines Apple and Goldman Sachs over Apple Card

Oct 23 2024

The United States fined Apple and Goldman Sachs a total of $89 million on Wednesday, accusing them of deceiving users of …

Wolfspeed and ZF put German chip factory on ice

Oct 23 2024

US chipmaker Wolfspeed and the auto supplier ZF have put plans for a semiconductor factory in Germany on ice, local …

Don't let tech gurus decide the future: Nobel winner Simon Johnson

Oct 23 2024

Should our future by decided by the bosses of big tech firms? For Nobel economics prize winner Simon Johnson, giving too …

ABBA's Bjorn among 11,000 artists issuing AI warning

Oct 23 2024

Thousands of artists including ABBA singer Bjorn Ulvaeus, Hollywood actress Julianne Moore and Nobel laureate Kazuo …

Is Musk's million-dollar US voter lottery legal?

Oct 22 2024

Donald Trump surrogate Elon Musk's offer of a million dollars to one registered voter in a swing state every day until …

Beware: US election disinformation masked as 'breaking news'

Oct 21 2024

"Breaking" news, screamed an online post by a conservative American influencer as he pushed disinformation about Kamala …

Google wins delay in opening Android app store to rivals

Oct 19 2024

A US judge on Friday let Google delay opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops, suspending a November 1 …

Google wins delay opening Android app store to rivals

Oct 18 2024

A US judge on Friday let Google put off opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops while the tech titan …

US regulator probes Tesla's self-driving mode after crashes

Oct 18 2024

The US auto safety regulator said Friday that it has opened an investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) …

Meta unveils AI tie-up with horror movie producers

Oct 18 2024

Tech giant Meta has unveiled a partnership with horror film production company Blumhouse to road-test its latest AI …

Drought forces Big Tech to rethink thirsty LatAm data centers

Oct 18 2024

A prolonged drought in much of South America has forced tech giants like Google and Amazon to rework their plans for …

Netflix adds millions of subscribers but growth slows

Oct 17 2024

Netflix on Thursday said it added more than five million subscribers in the recently ended quarter but signaled slowing …

TikTok, Facebook approve ads with US election disinformation, study says

Oct 17 2024

TikTok and Facebook approved advertisements containing blatant US election falsehoods just weeks ahead of the vote, a …

Onboard wifi is latest frontline in airline competition

Oct 17 2024

Free onboard wifi has become the latest battleground between the world's leading airlines as the once expensive and …

Instagram moves to face rising tide of sextortion scams

Oct 17 2024

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on Thursday announced new measures to fight sextortion, a form of …

'Love match' apps rival traditional matchmaking in Pakistan

Oct 17 2024

Pakistan's traditional matchmakers play a revered role in moulding daughters into potential brides, but marriage apps …

Amazon bets on nuclear power to fuel AI ambitions

Oct 16 2024

Amazon announced significant investments in nuclear energy on Wednesday, joining other tech giants in aiming to meet the …

Musk's X escapes tough EU competition rules

Oct 16 2024

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's X platform will not face the EU's stringent competition rules aimed at keeping digital …

Myanmar and China have lowest internet freedom, says study

Oct 16 2024

Myanmar and China have the world's worst internet freedom, with declines reported in a number of other countries led by …

Fake AI history photos cloud the past

Oct 16 2024

A wave of touching photos showing great moments in time is fascinating amateur historians online. The problem? They are …

Trump's crypto platform falters on first day of sales

Oct 16 2024

Former US president Donald Trump's cryptocurrency platform had a faltering sales launch Tuesday, with only a fraction of …

Russia, China step up cybercriminal recruitment, warns Microsoft

Oct 15 2024

Russia, China and North Korea are becoming more aggressive and sophisticated in their recruitment of cybercriminals to …

Google signs nuclear power deal with startup Kairos

Oct 14 2024

Google on Monday signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power artificial intelligence.

Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases

Oct 14 2024

Aroosa Khan's son was chatting on WhatsApp but suddenly found himself the target of "vigilante" investigators who …

'Stolen satire' feeds US election misinformation

Oct 14 2024

Did a Donald Trump supporter burn down his house while igniting an LGBTQ flag? Did a conservative think tank recommend …

Ubisoft fears assassin's hit over falling sales

Oct 13 2024

Ubisoft's battle to maintain its share price has become almost as epic as its "Assassin's Creed" franchise as the video …

Last-minute legal ruling allows betting on US election

Oct 12 2024

Millions of dollars have poured into bets on who will win the US election after a last-minute court ruling opened up …

X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report

Oct 11 2024

X was "alert" to any platform manipulation attempts, the Elon Musk-owned site told AFP Friday, following a report that …

Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being

Oct 11 2024

TikTok teams identified harmful effects of its platform on young users but limited preventive measures so as to avoid a …

Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites

Oct 11 2024

Brazilian authorities on Friday began closing down more than 2,000 betting sites, including those that sponsors popular …

Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation

Oct 11 2024

Monster hurricanes slamming the United States in recent weeks have triggered a torrent of misinformation, with …

EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk

Oct 11 2024

The EU on Friday told Chinese-founded e-commerce platform Temu to hand over more information as it suspects the site is …

Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win

Oct 11 2024

Major South Korean bookstores sold out of author Han Kang's books Friday, as sales skyrocketed and the share price of …

Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'

Oct 11 2024

Elon Musk on Thursday unveiled what he said was a robotaxi capable of self-driving, predicting it would be available by …

Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed

Oct 11 2024

Tesla fans were kept waiting on Thursday for the unveiling of Elon Musk's robotaxi, years after the brash billionaire …

In Trump 'Truths,' conspiracies, attacks -- and doubts about the election

Oct 11 2024

Donald Trump has been lashing out against Kamala Harris incessantly on Truth Social as next month's US presidential …

A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast

Oct 11 2024

The BBC on Thursday apologised after a graphic incorrectly forecast winds of more than 13,000 miles (20,000 kilometres) …

Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach

Oct 11 2024

The Internet Archive, an online repository of web pages, was offline Thursday after its founder confirmed a major …

Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi

Oct 10 2024

Elon Musk has been promising a car that can drive itself for years, pledging a series of reveals that never …

'A casino in every kitchen': Brazil's online gambling craze

Oct 10 2024

Fernanda, a cleaner from Rio de Janeiro, lists off the items she sold to feed her online gambling addiction, one of …

'Sleeper agent' bots on X fuel US election misinformation, study says

Oct 09 2024

Hundreds of apparent pro-Russian bot accounts on X are pushing US election misinformation and amplifying false …

Discord seen as online home for renegades

Oct 09 2024

Known for its appeal to online renegades, chat platform Discord finds itself in the crosshairs of Turkey and Russia.

Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge

Oct 09 2024

Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was banned in Brazil for 40 days in a legal tussle over disinformation, was …

Call her savvy? Harris unleashes unconventional media blitz

Oct 09 2024

She loves raisin bran and exercise, and is as comfortable talking about abortion as she is about beer. Meet Kamala …

Musk's X available again in Brazil after 40-day ban

Oct 09 2024

Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was banned in Brazil for 40 days in a legal tussle over disinformation, was …

US weighs Google breakup in landmark trial

Oct 09 2024

The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would demand that Google make profound changes to how it does business …

Sega ninja game 'Shinobi' gets movie treatment

Oct 09 2024

Sega said Wednesday one of its most popular games, "Shinobi", will be made into a movie in a joint project with …

Nobel-winning physicist 'unnerved' by AI technology he helped create

Oct 09 2024

A US scientist who won the 2024 Nobel physics prize for his pioneering work on artificial intelligence said Tuesday he …

Scientists sound AI alarm after winning physics Nobel

Oct 08 2024

British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton and American John Hopfield won the Nobel physics prize on Tuesday for their pioneering …

Brazil lifts ban on Musk's X, ending standoff over disinformation

Oct 08 2024

Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its …

Brazil Supreme Court lifts ban on Musk's X

Oct 08 2024

Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its …

US states accuse TikTok of harming young users

Oct 08 2024

A group of 14 US states on Tuesday filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of ensnaring young users with addictive features, then …

Duo wins Physics Nobel for 'foundational' AI breakthroughs

Oct 08 2024

Geoffrey Hinton, known as the Godfather of AI, and physicist John Hopfield won the Nobel physics prize on Tuesday for …

Neural networks, machine learning? Nobel-winning AI science explained

Oct 08 2024

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists on Tuesday for discoveries that laid the groundwork for the …

Geoffrey Hinton, soft-spoken godfather of AI

Oct 08 2024

For a brief moment in spring last year, the bird-like features of bespectacled British-born researcher Geoffrey Hinton …

Taiwan's Foxconn says building world's largest 'superchip' plant

Oct 08 2024

Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn said on Tuesday it is building the world's largest production plant for US hardware leader …

'Appeals Centre' to referee EU social media disputes

Oct 08 2024

An independent appeals panel was unveiled Tuesday to decide disputes between social media firms and their users in the …

Will Tesla's robotaxi reveal live up to hype?

Oct 08 2024

After years of talking up Tesla's prowess on autonomous driving, Elon Musk is set to host Thursday a much-hyped robotaxi …

US judge orders Google to open Android to rival app stores

Oct 08 2024

A US judge on Monday ordered Google to open its Android smartphone operating system to rival app stores, in a fresh …

Mission to probe smashed asteroid launches despite hurricane

Oct 07 2024

Europe's Hera probe successfully launched Monday on a mission to inspect the damage done by a NASA spacecraft that …

Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane

Oct 07 2024

Europe's Hera probe launched Monday on a mission to inspect the damage done by a NASA spacecraft when it smashed into an …

Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound

Oct 04 2024

Meta on Friday provided a look at a generative artificial intelligence model it is working on that lets people create …

Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'

Oct 04 2024

A Prague hospital said Friday it was treating five children who had swallowed magnets following a "piercing challenge" …

Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court

Oct 04 2024

Social media platforms such as Meta's Facebook must limit the use of personal data including someone's sexual …

More than AI misinformation, US voters worry about lying politicians

Oct 04 2024

As a bitterly contested US election campaign enters its final stretch, misinformation researchers have raised the alarm …

AI bubble or 'revolution'? OpenAI's big payday fuels debate

Oct 04 2024

Fear of missing out has rocketed the value of artificial intelligence companies, despite few signs as to when the …

Civil society groups demand action against 'sexist' AI disinformation

Oct 04 2024

More than two dozen international civil society organizations will call on major tech firms to bolster their AI policies …

What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?

Oct 03 2024

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has become an AI powerhouse after securing Silicon Valley's largest-ever funding round. The company …

US seizes internet domains allegedly used by Russian hackers

Oct 03 2024

The United States announced the seizure on Thursday of 41 internet domains allegedly used by Russian intelligence agents …

Will AI one day win a Nobel Prize?

Oct 03 2024

Artificial intelligence is already disrupting industries from banking and finance to film and journalism, and scientists …

Historic funding round values OpenAI at $157 billion

Oct 02 2024

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, secured $6.6 billion in new funding, propelling its valuation to $157 billion and …

EU queries Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube over 'harmful' content risks

Oct 02 2024

The EU voiced concerns about "harmful" content posted on Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube as it told the digital platforms …