Digital World



AI expected to star at CES gadget extravaganza

AFP - 24h ago

Gadgets, robots and vehicles imbued with artificial intelligence will once again vie for attention at the Consumer …

Microsoft expects to spend $80 bn on AI this fiscal year

AFP - Jan 03 2025

Microsoft president Brad Smith on Friday said the company is on track to pump about $80 billion into artificial …

Indian food delivery app rolls out ambulance service

Jan 03 2025

A popular Indian food delivery app has started offering a private ambulance service, looking to use its logistics …

Beijing slams US over potential Chinese drone ban

Jan 03 2025

China said on Friday it would take "all necessary measures" in response to the United States announcing it was …

US court blocks Biden-era net neutrality rules

Jan 03 2025

A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that US regulators overstepped their authority by reinstating "net neutrality" …

Apple agrees to $95 mn deal to settle Siri eavesdropping suit

Jan 02 2025

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing its digital assistant Siri of listening in on users' …

Extradited SKorean crypto 'genius' in court to face US charges

Jan 02 2025

The South Korean co-founder of Terraform Labs appeared in a New York court on Thursday to face fraud charges stemming …

Nick Clegg leaves Meta global policy team

Jan 02 2025

Former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said Thursday he is stepping down from his role as president of Meta's …

Secret lab developing UK's first quantum clock: defence ministry

Jan 02 2025

A top-secret lab in the UK is developing the country's first quantum clock to help the British military boost …

US mulls new restrictions on Chinese drones

Jan 02 2025

The United States is considering new rules to address risks posed by drones with tech from foreign adversaries like …

Sales surge in 2024 for Chinese EV giant BYD

Jan 02 2025

Leading Chinese electric car maker BYD's vehicle sales surged in 2024, the company said in a statement, as the firm …

Right-wing YouTubers back South Korea president's last stand

Jan 01 2025

Camped on the street winding up to the residence of South Korea's impeached president, protesters direct vitriol at …

Musk flummoxes internet with 'Kekius Maximus' persona

Jan 01 2025

Elon Musk adopted the moniker "Kekius Maximus" on X Tuesday, sparking speculation among his 210 million followers about …

German leaders hit back at Musk's support for far right

Dec 31 2024

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his deputy hit back Tuesday at Elon Musk's support for the far-right Alternative for …

Anger in Germany at Musk attempt to 'influence' election

Dec 31 2024

Germany's government said Monday US billionaire tech baron Elon Musk is trying to sway February elections by praising …

Venezuela fines TikTok $10 million over viral challenge deaths

Dec 31 2024

Venezuela's highest court on Monday fined TikTok $10 million in connection with viral challenges that authorities say …

EU universal charger rules come into force

Dec 28 2024

EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a …

Trump asks US Supreme Court to pause law threatening TikTok ban

Dec 28 2024

US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the …

Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force

Dec 25 2024

New Vietnamese internet rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities …

US agency focused on foreign disinformation shuts down

Dec 24 2024

A leading US government agency that tracks foreign disinformation has terminated its operations, the State Department …

How Finnish youth learn to spot disinformation

Dec 24 2024

Finland is consistently ranked as Europe's most media literate country and the skills needed to spot online hoaxes are …

Blogs to Bluesky: social media shifts responses after 2004 tsunami

Dec 24 2024

The world's deadliest tsunami hit nations around the Indian Ocean two decades ago before social media platforms …

Trump's TikTok love raises stakes in battle over app's fate

Dec 23 2024

President-elect Donald Trump's repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent …

US probes China chip industry on 'anticompetitive' concerns

Dec 23 2024

The United States said Monday it is opening an investigation into China's policies for its semiconductor industry, over …

'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears

Dec 23 2024

Social media users in Vietnam on platforms including Facebook and TikTok will need to verify their identities as part of …

'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying

Dec 23 2024

A US health boss's murder sparked a torrent of online misinformation and calls for violence against other executives, …

Secretive game developer codes hit 'Balatro' in Canadian prairie province

Dec 22 2024

There are no photos or videos of LocalThunk, an anonymous computer programmer who lives in the vast and desolate …

One billion users, but controversies mount up for TikTok

Dec 21 2024

TikTok's breakneck rise from niche video-sharing app to global social media behemoth has drawn intense scrutiny, …

Albania announces shutdown of TikTok for at least a year

Dec 21 2024

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Saturday the government would shut down social network TikTok for at least a year …

Sierra Leone student tackles toxic air pollution

Dec 21 2024

In his small Freetown workshop, engineering student James Samba tinkered with batteries and electrical parts he hoped …

Google counters bid by US to force sale of Chrome

Dec 21 2024

Google late Friday countered a US call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting a judge address antitrust concerns by …

Anger after Musk backs German far right

Dec 20 2024

A post from Elon Musk on his platform X claiming that only the far-right AfD party can "save Germany" sparked …

'Angry gamblers' behind half of abusive tennis social media posts - report

Dec 20 2024

Tennis chiefs revealed Thursday that "angry gamblers" accounted for almost half of abusive social media posts targeting …

El Salvador plans to sell or shut its crypto wallet

Dec 20 2024

El Salvador will privatize or close the cryptocurrency wallet "Chivo" created by President Nayib Bukele when he made …

'President Musk' makes his presence felt in Washington

Dec 19 2024

Elon Musk's role in wrecking a bipartisan Congress deal to avert a US government shutdown has underlined his …

Amazon workers in US strike days before Christmas

Dec 19 2024

Thousands of workers at Amazon facilities across the United States went on strike Thursday, the Teamsters Union said, …

Sony buys 10% of 'Elden Ring' owner for $320 mn

Dec 19 2024

Japanese electronics titan Sony said Thursday it had paid more than $300 million for a 10 percent stake in the media …

TikTok's rise from fun app to US security concern

Dec 18 2024

As the US Supreme Court considers whether to uphold a law that could get TikTok banned in the United States, here is a …

US Supreme Court agrees to hear TikTok ban case

Dec 18 2024

The US Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear TikTok's appeal of a law that would force its Chinese owner to sell the …

Dutch authorities fine Netflix 4.75 mn euros over personal data use

Dec 18 2024

Dutch authorities fined video streaming giant Netflix 4.75 million euros ($4.98 million) Wednesday over its handling of …

Ireland fines Meta 251 mn euros over Facebook hacks

Dec 17 2024

An Irish regulator helping police European Union data privacy on Tuesday said it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 251 …

EU launches probe into TikTok over Romania vote 'interference'

Dec 17 2024

The EU said on Tuesday it had opened a formal investigation into TikTok following allegations the platform was used by …

TikTok asks Supreme Court to temporarily block looming US ban

Dec 17 2024

TikTok asked the US Supreme Court on Monday to temporarily block a law that would force its Chinese owner to sell the …

Brazil judge orders Adele song be pulled globally

Dec 17 2024

A Brazilian judge has ordered a song by British pop superstar Adele, "Million Years Ago," be pulled worldwide -- …

ChatGPT search opens to all users in challenge to Google

Dec 17 2024

OpenAI on Monday said it is making ChatGPT-powered internet search available to all users, escalating its threat to …

Schools targeted with AI learning apps despite experts' doubts

Dec 14 2024

Apps infused with AI are being marketed to schools across the world and governments are rushing to embrace the …

'Astro Bot' wins highest award at Oscars of video games

Dec 13 2024

Video game "Astro Bot" -- a family-friendly sci-fi adventure -- was named 2024's Game of the Year on Thursday at the …

'Alarming' US mystery drones confound officials, scare locals

Dec 12 2024

A rash of unexplained drone sightings in the skies above New Jersey has left locals rattled and sent US officials …

Google renews push into mixed reality headgear

Dec 12 2024

Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with …

Australia to force tech titans to pay for news

Dec 12 2024

Australia will force Meta and Google to pay for news shared on their platforms under a new scheme unveiled Thursday, …

Australia to force tech titans to pay for news shared on platforms

Dec 12 2024

Australia will force Meta and Google to pay for news shared on their platforms under a new scheme unveiled Thursday, …

Video game bosses gather at 'darkest hour' for industry

Dec 12 2024

The movers and shakers of the video game industry will gather Thursday in Los Angeles to celebrate the annual Game …

Lithium-rich Bolivia lags behind in race to mine key metal

Dec 12 2024

In a patch of South America rich in lithium, used to make batteries for electric cars and other tech, Bolivia is lagging …

Google unveils latest AI model, Gemini 2.0

Dec 11 2024

Google on Wednesday announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the …

Apple adds ChatGPT integration in latest software update

Dec 11 2024

Tech giant Apple on Wednesday rolled out major updates to its artificial intelligence offerings that integrate OpenAI's …

US offers $10 mn reward for wanted Chinese hacker

Dec 11 2024

The United States offered a $10 million reward on Tuesday for information leading to the arrest of a Chinese man and …

GM abandons robotaxi operations derailed by accident

Dec 11 2024

US auto giant General Motors announced Tuesday it will abandon its robotaxi development efforts after a highly …

Google announces quantum computing chip breakthrough

Dec 10 2024

Google on Monday showed off a new quantum computing chip that it said was a major breakthrough that could bring …

China probes Nvidia for 'violating' anti-monopoly law

Dec 09 2024

China on Monday launched an investigation into US chip giant Nvidia for allegedly violating its anti-monopoly laws, a …

OpenAI releases Sora AI video generator to public

Dec 09 2024

OpenAI on Monday released the latest version of its highly anticipated Sora video generator to the public, stepping into …

'Lord of the Rings' gets anime makeover with 'War of the Rohirrim' film

Dec 09 2024

No elves, no dwarves, and not a hobbit in sight: "The Lord of the Rings" returns to the big screen this month with a new …

TikTok closer to US ban after losing court appeal

Dec 06 2024

TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the …

TikTok faces US ban after losing court appeal

Dec 06 2024

TikTok faces a US ban after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its …

London police make 500 arrests using facial recognition tech

Dec 06 2024

London's Metropolitan Police force said on Friday that it had used facial recognition technology to make more than 500 …

TikTok loses appeal of US law ordering sale from Chinese owner

Dec 06 2024

TikTok faces a US ban after an appeals court on Friday rejected its challenge to a law requiring the video-sharing app …

Harrison Ford gets de-aged again for 'Indiana Jones' video game

Dec 06 2024

Harrison Ford was de-aged last year for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on the big screen, and video game makers …

EU steps up monitoring of TikTok ahead of Romania vote

Dec 05 2024

The European Commission on Thursday said it had stepped up its monitoring of TikTok, after receiving information about …

Trump says 'you're welcome' after bitcoin leaps over $100,000

Dec 05 2024

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday took credit for bitcoin's historic surge past $100,000, telling his social …

Google says AI weather model masters 15-day forecast

Dec 05 2024

A new artificial intelligence-based weather model can deliver 15-day forecasts with unrivaled accuracy and speed, a …

Why does UK lag on 5G mobile connectivity?

Dec 05 2024

By approving a merger of Vodafone and Three in the UK, the country has secured a commitment from the mobile phone …

Shopping app Temu suspended in Vietnam: state media

Dec 05 2024

Shopping app Temu has been forced to suspend its services in Vietnam after it failed to register with authorities, state …

Chinese shopping app Temu suspended in Vietnam: state media

Dec 05 2024

Chinese shopping app Temu has been forced to suspend its services in Vietnam after it failed to register with …

Bitcoin hits $100,000 for first time

Dec 05 2024

Bitcoin broke $100,000 for the first time Thursday as traders cheered Donald Trump's decision to pick a crypto fan to …

Amazon launches AI models to challenge rivals

Dec 03 2024

Amazon on Tuesday unveiled a suite of artificial intelligence models in its boldest move yet to compete with tech giant …

China curbs exports of key chipmaking components to US

Dec 03 2024

Beijing said Tuesday it would restrict exports to the United States of some key components in making semiconductors, …

Meta says no sign of AI bedeviling elections in 2024

Dec 03 2024

Meta on Tuesday said fears that artificial intelligence would unleash a torrent of misinformation to deceive voters …

Japan to use AI to tackle online manga and anime piracy

Dec 03 2024

Japan is planning to use AI to police anime and manga pirating websites that the pop-culture powerhouse accuses of …

Deepfakes weaponised to target Pakistan's women leaders

Dec 03 2024

Pakistani politician Azma Bukhari is haunted by a counterfeit image of herself -- a sexualised deepfake video published …

US unveils fresh export curbs targeting China's chip sector

Dec 02 2024

The United States announced new export restrictions Monday targeting China's ability to make advanced semiconductors, …

Australian PM ready to 'engage' with Musk on social media teen ban

Nov 30 2024

Australia's prime minister said Sunday he was ready to "engage" with billionaire X owner Elon Musk over his criticism of …

Teen news boss criticises Australian social media ban

Nov 29 2024

An Australian teenage news boss says landmark legislation barring under-16s from social media is a "really bad idea" …

PlayStation at 30: How Sony's grey box conquered gaming

Nov 29 2024

Japanese electronics giant Sony is set to celebrate 30 years since it launched the PlayStation console, the little grey …

PlayStation: Fun facts to know as Sony's console turns 30

Nov 29 2024

Since 1994, PlayStation's five consoles have changed video game history. From the development of the controller to …

Father of PlayStation says 'everyone told us we would fail'

Nov 29 2024

The PlayStation has been a colossal consumer hit, but three decades ago, its creator Ken Kutaragi struggled to convince …