Latest
-
Streaming
Spotify says piracy activists hacked its music catalogue
Music streaming service Spotify said Monday it had disabled accounts from a piracy activist hacker group that claimed to have "backed up" millions of Spotify's music files and metadata.
-
Technology
Italy watchdog orders Meta to halt WhatsApp terms barring rival AI chatbots
MILAN, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority (AGCM) on Wednesday ordered Meta Platforms to suspend contractual terms that could shut rival AI chatbots out of WhatsApp, as it investigates the U.S. tech group for suspected abuse of a dominant position.
-
AI
Podcast industry under siege as AI bots flood airways
Chatty bots are sharing their hot takes through hundreds of thousands of AI-generated podcasts. And the invasion has just begun.
-
Social media
Do online comments sections reflect public opinion? Study casts doubt
Anyone using social media has likely long perceived that some people are not only prolific commentators but that debates on arenas such as X and Reddit often end up dominated by a handful of such keyboard warriors.
-
AI
AI resurrections of dead celebrities amuse and rankle
In a parallel reality, Queen Elizabeth II gushes over cheese puffs, a gun-toting Saddam Hussein struts into a wrestling ring, and Pope John Paul II attempts skateboarding.
-
Drones
US adds new models of China’s DJI and all other foreign-made drones to its blacklist
The FCC move, which does not affect existing DJI models, is a significant escalation in Washington's battle to crack down on Chinese drones.
-
Internet
US denies visas to EU ex-commissioner, four others over tech rules
The measure targeted Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, who often clashed with tech tycoons such as Elon Musk over their obligations to follow EU rules.
-
Internet
Online daters are getting serious about vetting their matches
Background checks, FaceTime calls and lots of online sleuthing are just part of romance these days.
-
Technology
Waymo to update software after San Francisco power outage snarls self-driving vehicles
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Waymo said on Tuesday it will update software used to operate its self-driving vehicles and improve its emergency response protocols after its robotaxis stalled in parts of San Francisco on Saturday due to a widespread power outage that snarled traffic and gridlocked parts of the city.
-
Technology
Apple to allow third-party app stores in Brazil to settle iOS case with regulator
SAO PAULO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Apple will allow other app stores besides its own in the tech giant's iOS operating system in Brazil to settle a three-year case with the country's antitrust regulator CADE, both parties said on Tuesday.
-
Technology
US judge blocks Texas app store age law meant to protect children
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday blocked Texas from enforcing a new state law aimed at protecting children by requiring app stores and developers to verify the age of users, in a win for Apple , Alphabet's Google and other technology companies.
-
Technology
Trump's AI hiring campaign draws interest from 25,000 hopefuls
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Roughly 25,000 people have expressed interest in joining the Trump administration's cadre of engineers known as Tech Force, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday, as the U.S. government looks to install staff with artificial intelligence expertise in federal roles.
-
Technology
Samsung Electronics unit Harman to acquire ZF Group's ADAS business for $1.8 billion
SEOUL, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics announced on Tuesday a $1.8 billion deal to acquire Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen's autonomous driving technology unit to combine it with its audio business and offer next-generation in-car platforms.
-
Technology
Paramount's new offer for Warner Bros is not sufficient, major investor says
Dec 23 (Reuters) - Paramount Skydance's latest offer to buy Warner Bros Discovery is still not good enough for prominent shareholder Harris Oakmark, the investor told Reuters on Monday.
-
Technology
AI data centers are forcing dirty ‘peaker’ power plants back into service
CHICAGO, Dec. 23 - In Chicago's working-class Pilsen neighborhood, a 60s-era oil-fired power plant rises up from an industrial lot behind Dvorak Park, which in warmer weather is packed with children climbing on its colorful playground and zooming down slides.
-
Driverless vehicle
After power outage, San Francisco wonders: Can robot taxis handle a big earthquake?
City officials have called for a hearing investigating Waymo after the company's self-driving taxis suffered widespread problems during a power outage.
-
Technology
Amazon's Zoox to recall 332 US vehicles over software error
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Amazon's self-driving unit Zoox said on Tuesday it is recalling 332 self-driving robotaxis because vehicles may cross the yellow center line and drive into or stop in front of oncoming traffic near intersections, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
-
Driverless vehicle
Uber and Lyft plan to bring robotaxis to London in partnerships with China's Baidu
Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft plan to bring robotaxi services to London next year in separate partnerships with Chinese tech giant Baidu, the companies said Dec 22.
-
AI
Vodafone CEO among UK bosses who see AI, cyberattacks as top 2026 risks
Next year will see AI make "real impacts to customer experience," the telecommunications group's CEO predicted.
-
Driverless vehicle
China delays plans for mass production of self-driving cars after accident
After years of planning for cars that would let drivers take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, China's regulators have become more cautious.
