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Technology

HSBC taps French start-up Mistral to supercharge generative-AI rollout

Dec 1 (Reuters) - HSBC said on Monday it had signed a multi-year deal with French start-up Mistral AI to integrate generative artificial intelligence tools across the bank, aiming to speed up automation, lift productivity, and enhance client services.

Technology

Electric vehicle prowess helps China's flying car sector take off

Globally, technical and regulatory challenges have prevented the much-hyped flying car sector from getting off the ground.

Technology

Amazon and Google launch multicloud service for faster connectivity

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Amazon and Google introduced a jointly developed multicloud networking service on Sunday to meet growing demand for reliable connectivity the companies said in a statement, at a time when even brief internet disruptions can cause major outages.

Social media

Selfie-based age checks boom as govts push for online controls

As governments crack down on online platforms from social networks to porn sites, business is booming for one sector offering AI age checks based on selfies.

Technology

In Delhi's e-waste hub, India's informal workers lose business

As e-waste shifts from neighbourhoods to licensed factories, informal recyclers fear being left out.

eWallet

A tap-to-pay society is leaving these New Yorkers behind

As fewer people carry cash, vendors, street performers and people experiencing homelessness and unemployment are at a disadvantage.

Internet

New York lacked an affordable housing portal. So these teenagers made one.

Two "children of the pandemic" did something the grown-ups who run the city have never managed to do.

Technology

Australia's ASX announcements platform operational issue 'largely resolved'

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Embattled stock exchange operator Australian Securities Exchange is facing fresh pressure to enact its turnaround plan, after its announcements platform suffered an outage on Monday, forcing about 80 stocks to be placed on a trading halt. 

Technology

Databricks in talks to raise capital at $134 billion valuation, The Information reports

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Data analytics firm Databricks is in talks to raise $5 billion at a valuation of $134 billion, which is roughly 32 times this year's expected sales of about $4.1 billion, The Information reported on Sunday, citing investor documents and a person familiar with the matter.

Technology

Let the mind games begin

Every four years at the Cybathlon, teams of researchers and technology "pilots" compete to see whose brain-computer interface holds the most promise.

Mobile apps

WhatsApp's new profile page adds a replyable speech bubble

WhatsApp has overhauled its profile page, letting users add an emoji and a few words to the picture shown in their profile and in one-to-one chats.

Technology

Opinion: Can you convert your old photos and negatives to digital at home?

This week I heard from a reader, "I have a ton of old photos, negatives (both 35mm and medium format 120/220mm), 16mm movie film, slides, camcorder video and a few VHS cassettes that I need to convert to digital. I know there are phone apps that advertise their ability to quickly and easily convert all but movies and video, as well as services like Legacy Box who can do it all. I would love your recommendations."

Cybersecurity

Connected cars at growing risk of remote hijacking, researchers warn

The increasing automation and connectivity of cars is not only taking the driving out of driving – and for some, the fun too – but could also be leaving owners vulnerable to hackers trying to remotely hijack their vehicles, analysts say.

Video games

A walking lighthouse and a bird: 'Keeper' is a surreal, unique game

There's no question: "Keeper", from Double Fine Productions, is a strange game.

Technology

Top South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang apologises over massive data breach

SEOUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) - South Korea's biggest online retailer, Coupang, apologised on Sunday over the breach of personal information from 33.7 million customer accounts through unauthorized data access.

Technology

AI helps drive record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending

Nov 29 (Reuters) - AI-powered shopping tools helped drive a surge in U.S. online spending on Black Friday, as shoppers bypassed crowded stores and turned to chatbots to compare prices and secure discounts amid concerns about tariff-driven price hikes. 

Technology

Micron to invest $9.6 billion in Japan to build AI memory chip plant, Nikkei reports

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Micron Technology will invest 1.5 trillion yen ($9.6 billion) to build a new plant in Hiroshima in western Japan to produce advanced high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, the Nikkei reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Smartphones

Trump Mobile mystery: The made-in-USA smartphone that never hit the market

Despite an August release announcement and the collection of US$100 (RM413) deposits for the US$499 (RM2,060) device, there is still no evidence that the product – presented in gold colour and with the American flag on the back – is actually ready for the market.

Operating systems

Apple’s next iOS updates will address one of the company’s biggest weaknesses

iPhone users can look forward to bug fixes and some badly needed improvements to Siri and AI, according to a new report.

Social media

The 'rough edges' of X’s new feature have sewn chaos and confusion

The Internet is still reeling days after Elon Musk's social media platform X unveiled its new "About this account" feature.