Technology

France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s

(Corrects typo in first ⁠paragraph)

Technology

Stablecoin issuer Tether says KPMG US has audited its 2025 statements

PARIS, ⁠Aug 14 (Reuters) - El Salvador-based Tether, which issues the ⁠world's largest stablecoin, said KPMG U.S. had performed ‌a "full independent audit" of its financial statements for the first time. 

Technology

Alphabet's SpaceX bet grows 100-fold over a decade to $94 billion

Aug 14 (Reuters) - Alphabet's early bet ⁠on SpaceX has multiplied more than 100-fold, with the Google parent disclosing a stake worth about $94 billion at the end of June, up from a $900 ⁠million investment in Elon Musk's rocket company in 2015.

Technology

Applied Materials slips as investors seek faster growth after stellar run

Aug 14 (Reuters) - ⁠Applied Materials shares fell about 4% in early trading ⁠on Friday, as the chip equipment maker's upbeat ‌outlook failed to soothe investors worried about the threat from intensifying competition.

Driverless vehicle

Uber and China’s Pony AI to deploy 2,000 robotaxis in Europe

Pony AI Inc said it plans to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe in partnership with Uber Technologies Inc, accelerating the race to commercialise autonomous mobility in the region.

AI

Z.ai aims to catch Anthropic, OpenAI in coding with new AI model

Z.ai Co is set to upgrade its flagship AI model, adding to a series of Chinese open-weight offerings seeking to outcompete Anthropic PBC and OpenAI.

Technology

French taxpayers' data stolen in cyber attack, French Finance Ministry says

PARIS, Aug ⁠14 (Reuters) - French taxpayers' data, both ⁠individuals and professionals, were stolen in ‌a cyberattack, the French Finance Ministry said late on Thursday.

Technology

Social media firms urge caution on early Australia under-16 ban data

SYDNEY, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Top social ⁠media platforms urged the Australian government not to place too much weight on early evidence showing most ⁠children still use their products despite a landmark under-16 ban, as lawmakers weigh tougher penalties and investigative ‌powers for regulators.

Technology

The FAA needs more air traffic controllers. Now video gamers are part of its plan to fill the gap

The US agency says recruiting gamers helped it hit 94% of its hiring target so far this year.

AI

Indian startup leans on cancer-sniffing dogs and AI for early detection

On a two-acre farm outside Bengaluru in southern India, Billy, Jessie and Banu put on their gear, enter a laboratory packed with samples and clock in for a shift detecting early signs of cancer.

Technology

Flock announces privacy updates to its car-tracking cameras

Critics say the measures are "public relations" and leave room for continued misuse.

Robotics

US robot vacuum maker one-ups China rivals with voice commands

Matic Robots Inc, a US-based robot vacuum maker, is upgrading its consumer model with advanced voice commands that will allow the product to clean messes or entire rooms without the user having to initiate the process from a smartphone.

AI

Opinion: I tested a popular AI slop detector. It felt empowering

Pangram excels at distinguishing chatbot-generated words from human writing. But it's not reliable for spotting artificial images.

Internet

Taiwan briefly slows its mobile Internet to text-only speed as part of defence drill

The slowdown on Aug 13 for people in the capital, Taipei, and six other cities and localities was part of the last phase of the island's annual Han Kuang exercises.

Technology

Goldman in talks with investors on Nvidia financing deal after landing prized role, sources say

NEW YORK, Aug 14 (REUTERS) - Goldman ⁠Sachs is in talks with potential investors about participating in Nvidia's $500 billion AI financing initiative, after leveraging its long-standing relationship with the chipmaker to ⁠secure a coveted role in the deal, people familiar with the matter said.

Technology

Analysis-AI-driven surge in bond yields could be next risk for markets and growth

LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Market gauges of inflation-adjusted borrowing costs ⁠have shot to their highest in more than a decade across major economies as AI companies and governments ramp up bond sales, raising risks for stock markets and ⁠the world economy.

AI

Google debuts new Gemini Flash while top AI model still delayed

Alphabet Inc's Google released another instalment of its workhorse Gemini Flash artificial intelligence model but didn't say when it would release its most powerful AI model.

Internet

Twitch sparks gamers' wrath with Amazon AI sharing deal

Livestream gaming giant Twitch has raised hackles among its millions of users after declaring it will share their data with its parent company Amazon to better train the online retailer's AI models.

Smartphones

One Tech Tip: Hidden iPhone keyboard shortcuts to raise your texting and typing game

Texting friends, replying to a business email, tapping out some text for a social media post. We do a lot of writing on our smartphones, which are increasingly essential for our work and personal lives.

Social media

Meta says it’s shut down 750,000 under-16 accounts in Australia

Meta Platforms Inc says it has removed access to more than 750,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts in Australia believed to belong to people under 16 since it began complying with the country's landmark youth social media ban last year.