Technology

Apple wins appeal against UK's decision to investigate its mobile browser

LONDON (Reuters) - Apple Inc won its appeal against the decision by Britain's antitrust regulator to launch an investigation into its mobile browser and cloud gaming services, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled on Friday.

Technology

GM plans to phase out Apple CarPlay in EVs, with Google's help

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors plans to phase out widely-used Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies that allow drivers to bypass a vehicle's infotainment systems, shifting instead to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google for future electric vehicles.

Technology

Hindenburg says Block response confirms it inflated Cash App user counts

(Reuters) - U.S. short seller Hindenburg Research said on Friday Block Inc's response to its allegations confirmed it had reported inflated user counts on its Cash App to investors for years.

Technology

AI experts disown Musk-backed campaign citing their research

LONDON (Reuters) - Four artificial intelligence experts have expressed concern after their work was cited in an open letter – co-signed by Elon Musk – demanding an urgent pause in research.

Technology

Britain's digital banks need support amid banking turmoil - trade body

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's digital banks will need support over the next few weeks and months to help them cope with the market fallout from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, a trade body representing UK fintechs said on Friday.

Technology

Italy data protection agency opens ChatGPT probe on privacy concerns

MILAN (Reuters) -Italy's data protection agency said on Friday it had opened a probe into OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot over a suspected breach of the artificial intelligence application's data collection rules.

Social media

TikTok propaganda labels fall flat in ‘huge win’ for Russia

A year ago, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, TikTok started labelling accounts operated by Russian state propaganda agencies as a way to tell users they were being exposed to Kremlin disinformation.

TECH

Owner of stolen truck tracks it with AirTag and kills man inside, US police say

Before a Texas family’s truck was stolen from their home, authorities said they tagged it with a GPS tracking device.

Technology

Brazil meal payments overhaul delayed by central bank standoff

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Fresh competition in Brazil's lucrative meal voucher market must wait, according to people familiar with discussions between the Finance Ministry and central bank, which disagree about how to regulate a new system in time for its scheduled launch in May.A law passed in September under former President Jair Bolsonaro allows workers to move their meal credit between providers and spend it at any participating restaurant. But under new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, government efforts to regulate such a "portable" and "interoperable" system have stalled.Tech companies including the financial services arm of Mercado Libre and meal delivery company iFood expect the rules to let them take a bigger bite of a nearly 150 billion reais ($29 billion) market dominated by a handful of companies. More competitive options for tens of millions of Brazilians spending their employer-provided meal vouchers may dent profit margins for Sodexo and Edenred subsidiary Ticket. Sodexo got 26% of its operating revenue from Brazil last year and Edenred got 22%, according to investor presentations. The Finance Ministry says the central bank has jurisdiction to regulate payment systems, but sources said the central bank resisted early proposals to shake up the market and sought to keep its hands off the segment.

Technology

Siemens investigating report employee worked for Russian hacking firm

ZURICH (Reuters) - Siemens has launched an investigation after Der Spiegel reported a former programmer from Russian IT company NTC Vulkan - which has reported links to Russian security services - worked for the German engineering and tech company.

AI

AI generator Midjourney pauses service over deepfake ‘abuse’

Research laboratory Midjourney has paused free trials of its image-generation software after users cranked out realistic deepfakes including of former US president Donald Trump getting arrested and Pope Francis in a puffer jacket.

Technology

Taiwan says US officials have visited to discuss concerns about chip subsidies

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The United States has sent officials to Taiwan to listen to concerns in the chip industry about the criteria for new U.S. semiconductor subsidies, Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Friday.

Cybersecurity

Users hit by multiple unauthorised transactions hope banks will expedite refunds

After being charged with multiple unauthorised transactions, many are pleading for the amount to be refunded quickly, as Hari Raya is approaching.

Technology

Hong Kong police seek HK$5.2bil for new 5G system to handle ‘massive’ data gathered by frontline officers

The force says new system is necessary to address national security needs and improve efficiency of policing and emergency services. Current technology is unable to send real-time information in the form of audio, video and images, police say.

Gadgets

Man used hidden cam to secretly video victims in fitting room, US cops say

San Francisco police arrested a man they say used a camera that was inside a clock to secretly record women undressing in a fitting room at a clothing cleaners shop on Divisadero Street.

Gadgets

AirTag locates stolen bag at US airport, suspect arrested

A traveller used an AirTag to track a bag stolen from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, prompting police to arrest the suspect.

Social media

Slip, sliding away: Video of two men jumping into river to save runaway car in China delights mainland social media

A runaway car collided with a man and rolled into a river before the miraculously uninjured man and another jumped in to pull the vehicle out. Mainland Internet users were stunned by video of the man’s lucky escape and the actions of his companion in ‘rescuing’ the car from the water.

Social media

Hyundai offers free steering locks to combat TikTok thefts

Hyundai Motor Co will distribute free steering-wheel locks in the US and upgrade anti-theft software on four million vehicles after a spate of TikTok-inspired car thefts.

Social media

Tweeters, and celebs, await ‘blue tick’ ultimatum

All eyes are on whether Elon Musk will go through with stripping blue checkmarks from celebrities and other high-profile Twitter users starting April 1 unless they pay for the privilege.

Singapore

Sending sexually explicit videos of children lands WhatsApp group admin in jail

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A man who was an administrator of a WhatsApp group when he sent out 17 clips involving child sexual abuse was jailed for 18 months and two weeks on Friday (March 31).