Digital World



Booking.com to face tough new EU tech rules

AFP - 3h ago

The European Union on Monday added Dutch online travel giant Booking.com to its list of digital companies that are big …

France announces 'record' foreign investments worth 15 bn euros

AFP - 5h ago

France has received combined investment commitments from foreign companies of more than 15 billion euros ($16.2 …

Sweden's small game studios punching above their weight

AFP - 9h ago

"Minecraft", "Valheim", and "Raft", just to name a few: Small or even one-man teams from Sweden have produced more video …

Attacking birth control pills, US influencers push misinformation

AFP - 13h ago

US wellness influencers are increasingly targeting birth control pills, pushing their followers to abandon the …

Microsoft, Amazon to invest billions in French tech

May 12 2024

Microsoft on Sunday announced four billion euros in investment for developing data centres in France, joining fellow US …

Brazil's catastrophic weather spawns spate of conspiracy theories

May 11 2024

The climate catastrophe that has struck southern Brazil, killing more than a hundred people and displacing nearly two …

AI systems are already deceiving us -- and that's a problem, experts warn

May 10 2024

Experts have long warned about the threat posed by artificial intelligence going rogue -- but a new research paper …

Chip giant TSMC's April revenue jumps 60% on-year

May 10 2024

Taiwanese chip giant TSMC said on Friday that April revenue jumped nearly 60 percent on-year, riding a huge wave of …

Einstein and anime: Hong Kong university tests AI professors

May 10 2024

Using virtual reality headsets, students at a Hong Kong university travel to a pavilion above the clouds to watch an …

Apple apologizes for iPad 'Crush' ad after backlash

May 09 2024

Apple apologized on Thursday after an ad for its latest-edition iPad caused an uproar for showing an industrial press …

Low-cost MRI paired with AI produces high-quality results

May 09 2024

A magnetic resonance imaging device built with off-the-shelf parts and paired with AI matched the performance of …

Men or bears? Women's safety debate pops on social media

May 08 2024

If you're a woman alone in a forest, would you rather be approached by a random man or... a bear?

US revokes some licenses for exports to China's Huawei

May 08 2024

The United States has revoked some export licenses that allowed companies such as US chip firm Qualcomm to supply …

EU queries X over cut to content moderation resources

May 08 2024

The EU on Wednesday told digital platform X to explain a cut to content moderation resources, amid concerns over …

Global car giants seek tech allies in China's cutthroat EV market

May 08 2024

Struggling foreign automakers in China are looking for help from local tech giants to try to stay competitive in the …

OpenAI unveils tool to detect DALL-E images

May 07 2024

OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence company behind the popular image generator DALL-E, on Tuesday …

TikTok challenges potential US ban in court

May 07 2024

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance filed a legal challenge against the United States on Tuesday, taking aim …

Disney reports small loss but sees improvement in streaming

May 07 2024

Disney reported higher revenues Tuesday on a strong performance by its theme parks division and an improving streaming …

US, allies sanction LockBit leader over ransomware attacks

May 07 2024

The United States, Britain and Australia unveiled sanctions Tuesday against the leader of the Russian ransomware outfit …

Katy Perry fools internet with fake AI photos of Met Gala

May 07 2024

US singer Katy Perry said even her own mother was fooled by AI-generated fake images she posted Tuesday of herself …

UK says defence ministry targeted in cyberattack

May 07 2024

A senior British lawmaker said on Tuesday China was probably behind a massive cyberattack on the names and banking …

Nintendo says announcement on Switch successor 'this fiscal year'

May 07 2024

Nintendo said Tuesday it will make an announcement about a highly anticipated new console by the end of March 2025 as …

Amazon says will invest $9 billion in Singapore

May 07 2024

Amazon said Tuesday it would invest US$9 billion in Singapore over the next four years to expand its cloud computing …

Sony backtracks faced with anger of 'Helldivers 2' players

May 06 2024

Sony backtracked Monday after players of its popular cooperative third-person shooter game "Helldivers 2" pushed back …

Struggling French tech group Atos weighs financial lifelines

May 06 2024

Struggling French tech group Atos, an Olympics partner and key French defence contractor, said on Monday it would choose …

Far-right parties wage disinfo war ahead of EU vote

May 06 2024

Far-right populist parties are way ahead of their traditional rivals in the race for voter attention on social media, …

'Everybody is vulnerable': Fake US school audio stokes AI alarm

May 06 2024

A fabricated audio clip of a US high school principal prompted a torrent of outrage, leaving him battling allegations of …

US election disinformation targets non-citizen voting

May 04 2024

Illegal immigration on the US southern border is a top talking point among Republican politicians, but some are taking …

Germany, Czech Republic accuse Russia of cyberattacks

May 03 2024

Germany and the Czech Republic on Friday blamed Russia for a series of recent cyberattacks, prompting the European Union …

SK Hynix says high-end AI memory chips almost sold out through 2025

May 03 2024

South Korean semiconductor giant SK Hynix said Friday its entire 2024 production of high-end memory chips was sold out …

Apple profit ebbs as iPhone sales under pressure

May 02 2024

Apple on Thursday said its quarterly profit ebbed but topped market forecasts as it announced an unprecedented $110 …

Apple profit falls but beats expectations

May 02 2024

Apple on Thursday said its quarterly profit ebbed but topped market forecasts as it announced a massive $110 billion …

US judge grills both sides in landmark Google antitrust trial

May 02 2024

A US judge on Thursday pushed against the central pleas of both US government and Google lawyers as he heard their …

TikTok reaches music licensing deal with Universal, ending feud

May 02 2024

TikTok and Universal announced a new licensing agreement Thursday, ending a months-long dispute that saw popular music …

Microsoft announces $2.2 bn AI, cloud investment in Malaysia

May 02 2024

Microsoft pledged a $2.2 billion investment in artificial intelligence and cloud computing in Malaysia on Thursday to …

13 years in US prison for Ukrainian REvil hacker

May 01 2024

A Ukrainian man was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison in Texas on Wednesday for his role in ransomware attacks …

Nepalis fight TikTok ban in court, or ignore it entirely

May 01 2024

When Nepal suddenly announced a ban on TikTok last year, lawyer Sunil Rajan Singh was determined to fight what he said …

Amazon triples quarterly profit as cloud surges

Apr 30 2024

E-commerce titan Amazon on Tuesday said profit in the first three months of 2024 tripled as its cloud, ads, and retail …

Amazon triples quarterly profit as cloud and ads grow

Apr 30 2024

E-commerce titan Amazon on Tuesday said profit in the first three months of 2024 tripled as its cloud, ads, and retail …

Ex-Binance chief jailed for four months in US

Apr 30 2024

The founder of cryptocurrency firm Binance was sentenced to four months in US prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to …

Changpeng Zhao, the 'normal guy' who conquered crypto

Apr 30 2024

During his time at the helm of the world's biggest cryptocurrency firm, former Binance boss Changpeng Zhao, who was …

Vienna conference urges regulation of AI weapons

Apr 30 2024

The world should establish a set of rules to regulate AI weapons while they're still in their infancy, a global …

Chinese tech giant Huawei profit surges 564%, biting into Apple sales

Apr 30 2024

Tech giant Huawei's first-quarter profits surged over fivefold year-on-year, a company filing showed Tuesday, as the …

EU probes Facebook, Instagram over election disinformation worries

Apr 30 2024

The EU on Tuesday launched an investigation into Meta's Facebook and Instagram over concerns the platforms are failing …

Asia's first spot bitcoin, ether ETFs start trading in Hong Kong

Apr 30 2024

Hong Kong on Tuesday launched trading of Asia's first spot bitcoin and ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), moving …

India's influencers still struggle years after TikTok ban

Apr 30 2024

Choreographer Sahil Kumar found fame showcasing folk dances on TikTok, but his profile has been dormant since the video …

Microsoft CEO pledges $1.7 bn AI, cloud investment in Indonesia

Apr 30 2024

Microsoft's chief executive officer pledged a $1.7 billion investment in artificial intelligence and cloud computing to …

Samsung says Q1 operating profits soar nearly tenfold on-year

Apr 30 2024

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that its first-quarter operating profits had risen nearly tenfold year-on-year amid …

Ex-Binance chief set for sentencing in US court

Apr 30 2024

US federal prosecutors are calling for ex-Binance chief Changpeng Zhao to be sent to prison when he appears Tuesday for …

ChatGPT faces Austria complaint over 'uncorrectable errors'

Apr 30 2024

A Vienna-based privacy campaign group said Monday it would file a complaint against ChatGPT in Austria, claiming the …

Ex-NSA employee who tried to spy for Russia sentenced to 21 years

Apr 29 2024

A cyber specialist who briefly worked at the top secret US National Security Agency (NSA) was sentenced to more than 21 …

US Supreme Court declines to hear Musk appeal over Tesla posts

Apr 29 2024

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by Elon Musk of a settlement that requires the billionaire to …

EU says Apple iPad operating system to face stricter rules

Apr 29 2024

The EU on Monday said Apple's operating system for iPads must comply with tougher new rules that Brussels is imposing to …

France moves to acquire key activities of tech giant Atos

Apr 28 2024

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday said he had moved to acquire the "sovereign activities" of debt-laden …

TikTok creators fear economic blow of US ban

Apr 28 2024

Ayman Chaudhary turned her love for reading into a living on TikTok, posting video snippets about books like those …

Aaron Sorkin working on new Facebook movie tied to Jan 6 riots

Apr 26 2024

Aaron Sorkin, Oscar-winning writer of "The Social Network," is working on a follow-up movie about Facebook that will …

Junta-led Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for two weeks

Apr 26 2024

Burkina Faso has blocked local internet access to the BBC and Voice of America after they aired a rights report accusing …

Cybersecurity firm Darktrace accepts $5 bn takeover

Apr 26 2024

Cybersecurity firm Darktrace said Friday it had accepted a $5.3-billion takeover bid from US private equity firm Thoma …

Kenyan rugby player turned TikTok star cooks to fight depression

Apr 26 2024

"Done!" -- the catchphrase punctuating former rugby player Dennis Ombachi's cooking videos is as famous as the balcony …

China's EV execs bullish on Western pressure at Beijing car show

Apr 26 2024

Electric vehicle executives at a top car show in China were bullish on prospects for growth, despite a gruelling price …

Rescue pup to meme star: the real-life 'Dogecoin' dog

Apr 26 2024

Her fluffy face now frail, Kabosu still flashes the enigmatic smile that made her the go-to meme dog for millennials and …

ByteDance says 'no plans' to sell TikTok after US ban law

Apr 26 2024

Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell TikTok after a new US law put it on a deadline to divest …

Japan anime studio draws on talent of autistic artists

Apr 26 2024

Diagnosed with autism, Shoko Sakuma says she struggled working in accounting but now she is putting her childhood love …

Snap shares pop after revenue tops expectations

Apr 26 2024

Shares in social media company Snap, which runs the youth-focused Snapchat, soared nearly 25 percent on Thursday after …

Microsoft expands its AI empire abroad

Apr 26 2024

Microsoft, the tech titan most closely associated with AI, has announced nearly $10 billion in investments in artificial …

Microsoft, Google earnings shine as AI drives revenue

Apr 25 2024

Microsoft and Google on Thursday drubbed quarterly earnings expectations as the tech titans continued investing heavily …

Google parent Alphabet's Q1 profits beat estimates: company

Apr 25 2024

Google's parent Alphabet on Thursday trounced revenue and profit expectations for the first quarter of this year, …

As 'news deserts' spread, US journalism fights on

Apr 25 2024

Baltimore Banner reporter Matti Gellman is first to leap in with questions during a recent press appearance by …

US conspiracy website Gateway Pundit declares bankruptcy

Apr 24 2024

US far-right conspiracy website Gateway Pundit is filing for bankruptcy, its founder said Wednesday, as it battles a …

Meta profits soar but costs of AI cause worry

Apr 24 2024

Facebook-owner Meta on Wednesday said its quarterly profits soared last quarter, but worries about the cost of …

Meta sees profits soar in first quarter

Apr 24 2024

Facebook-owner Meta on Wednesday said its quarterly profits soared last quarter as the company continues to see stellar …

TikTok to fight US ban law in courts

Apr 24 2024

TikTok's CEO vowed Wednesday to fight in the courts to overturn a newly signed US law that could see the popular app …

TikTok suspends rewards programme after EU probe

Apr 24 2024

TikTok on Wednesday announced the suspension of a feature in its spinoff TikTok Lite app in France and Spain that …

Italy fines Amazon over 'recurring' purchase option

Apr 24 2024

Italy's competition authority said Wednesday it had fined two Amazon companies 10 million euros ($10.6 million) for …

Chinese sellers go to TikTok school to reach buyers abroad

Apr 24 2024

Donning hijabs and floor-length abaya gowns over shorts and tank tops, Chinese students at an e-commerce school perform …

China, future HQ: New ASML boss faces bulging in-tray

Apr 24 2024

Frenchman Christophe Fouquet takes the reins of Dutch chip giant ASML on Wednesday with a daunting to-do list, top of …

Recycled 'zombie' misinformation targets US voters

Apr 24 2024

Migrants, vaccines, pedophilia rings -- old conspiracy theories are resurfacing ahead of the US election despite being …

'Harvesting data': Latin American AI startups transform farming

Apr 23 2024

For centuries, farmers used almanacs to try to understand and predict weather patterns.

Spotify swings to profit, paying subscribers rise

Apr 23 2024

Music and podcast streaming giant Spotify reported Tuesday an increase in the number of paying subscribers and a rare …

Musk lashes Australian order demanding X remove stabbing videos

Apr 23 2024

Tech bad boy Elon Musk on Tuesday vowed to challenge demands that his social media platform X take down videos of a …

In Brazil, hopes to use AI to save wildlife from roadkill fate

Apr 23 2024

In Brazil, where about 16 wild animals become roadkill every second, a computer scientist has come up with a futuristic …

EU threatens to suspend TikTok Lite app's 'addictive' rewards

Apr 23 2024

The EU on Monday launched a probe into TikTok's spinoff Lite app and threatened to suspend an "addictive" feature on it …

Musk says X will appeal Australia injunction on church stabbing videos

Apr 23 2024

Elon Musk said Tuesday his social media platform X will appeal against an Australian injunction forcing it to take down …

N. Korea animators may have worked on Amazon, Max cartoons: report

Apr 22 2024

North Korean animators appear to have worked on upcoming Amazon and Max cartoons, without the knowledge of either …

'Tomb Raider' owner Embracer splits into three companies

Apr 22 2024

Sweden's Embracer, owner of the "Tomb Raider" franchise, announced Monday it would split into three separate companies …

InstaDeep CEO takes AI from Tunis to London

Apr 21 2024

Karim Beguir launched the artificial intelligence start-up InstaDeep in Tunisia in 2014 with just two computers and …

Women journalists bear the brunt of cyberbullying

Apr 21 2024

Women journalists face greater threats online in the course of their work, and the trend is increasing, one expert told …

Bill to ban TikTok in US moves ahead in Congress

Apr 20 2024

The US House of Representatives approved a bill Saturday that would force the wildly popular social media app TikTok to …

Elon Musk's X fights Australian watchdog over church stabbing posts

Apr 20 2024

Elon Musk's X said Saturday it will fight an Australian watchdog's order to take down content related to the brutal …

AI's relentless rise gives journalists tough choices

Apr 20 2024

The rise of artificial intelligence has forced an increasing number of journalists to grapple with the ethical and …

'Halving' arrives for bitcoin miners

Apr 20 2024

The bitcoin market on Friday engineered the "halving" of the reward for operating the cryptocurrency, a much-anticipated …

Microsoft teases lifelike avatar AI tech but gives no release date

Apr 19 2024

Researchers at Microsoft have revealed a new artificial tool that can create deeply realistic human avatars -- but …

X owner Musk says opposed to US ban of competitor TikTok

Apr 19 2024

Elon Musk on Friday came out against banning TikTok in the United States, even if it would mean less competition for his …

US ski great Vonn hails use of AI to protect Olympic athletes from online hate

Apr 19 2024

US skiing great Lindsey Vonn has welcomed plans to use artificial intelligence to shield Olympic athletes from vicious …

Olympic chief Bach says AI can be a game changer for athletes

Apr 19 2024

IOC president Thomas Bach said artificial intelligence can help identify talented athletes "in every corner of the …

Quarter of UK 5 to 7-year-olds have smart phone: study

Apr 19 2024

Around a quarter of British children aged between five and seven-years-old now have a smart phone, a study by the UK …

Meta releases beefed-up AI models

Apr 19 2024

Meta on Thursday introduced an improved AI assistant built on new versions of its open-source Llama large language …

Apple drops WhatsApp, Threads from China App Store on govt order: reports

Apr 19 2024

Apple has removed Meta's WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on orders from the country's internet …

Apple drops WhatsApp, Threads from China app store on official order: report

Apr 19 2024

Apple has removed the Meta-owned WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China following an order from the country's …

Japan doctors sue Google Maps over 'punching bag' reviews

Apr 19 2024

Around 60 doctors in Japan have accused Google Maps of ignoring vitriolic reviews of their clinics in a class-action …

Netflix beats expectations on profit and subscribers

Apr 18 2024

Netflix topped expectations Thursday as it reported 9.3 million new subscribers and profits of $2.3 billion in the first …

US Congress to take on TikTok ban bill -- again

Apr 18 2024

The US House of Representatives will again vote Saturday on a bill that would force TikTok to divest from Chinese parent …