Technology

Autonomous agents and profitability to dominate AI agenda in 2025, executives forecast

NEW YORK - Autonomous "agents" and profitability are likely to dominate the artificial intelligence agenda next year, business executives and researchers predicted this week in interviews at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York.

Technology

UN body to protect 'vulnerable' submarine cables after ruptures

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. technology agency has created a new body to boost protection for submarine cables, aiming to help shore them up against damage and accelerate repairs after a series of high-profile failures.

Technology

Elon Musk's net worth tops $400 billion, Forbes billionaires list shows

(Reuters) - Tesla CEO Elon Musk's net worth crossed $400 billion on Thursday, the Forbes real-time billionaires list showed, boosted by a nearly 71% surge in the automaker's shares this year and the soaring valuation of his rocket company SpaceX.

Technology

Google says feedback shows old search result format is bad for hotels

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A return to the format of 10 blue links in search results from years ago could reduce user traffic to hotels, Google said on Thursday, as it seeks to balance demands from price comparison websites and hotels in trying to comply with EU tech rules.

Technology

Warner Bros Discovery plans two-way split aiming for potential cable deal

(Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery on Thursday decided to separate its declining cable TV business from the streaming and studio operations, laying the groundwork for a potential sale or spinoff of its TV business as cord-cutting picks up pace.

Technology

Meta donates $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund

(Reuters) - Meta Platforms has donated $1 million to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, a company spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed response.

Technology

'Fortnite' maker Epic brings game store to millions of Android devices with Telefonica tie-up

(Reuters) - Telecom giant Telefonica is partnering with Epic Games to bring the "Fortnite" video game maker's marketplace app directly to millions of devices on the Spanish company's network, the companies said on Thursday.

Technology

Adobe falls as annual revenue forecast triggers concerns on delayed AI returns

(Reuters) -Shares of Adobe fell nearly 12% on Thursday after the Photoshop maker's downbeat full-year revenue forecast led to concerns that returns from AI investments into its software applications might take longer than expected.

Technology

Samsung accuses India antitrust body of detaining employees, seizing data unlawfully

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Samsung has accused India's competition watchdog of unlawfully detaining its employees and seizing data in a raid carried out in connection with an antitrust investigation on Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart, a legal filing shows.

Smartphones

Experts: How to protect your communications through encryption

After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, US cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications.

AI

Apple’s latest iPhones get the gift of more AI as holiday shopping season heats up

Apple is pumping more artificial intelligence into the latest iPhones during the holiday shopping season with a free software update that includes a feature that enables users to create customised emojis within a matter of seconds.

eWallet

Payments are going digital, but many US seniors still rely on cash

No-cash policies disadvantage a number of groups, including low-income people who don’t have bank accounts, people who have accounts but don’t qualify for credit or debit cards, the homeless, immigrants in the country without legal status and older adults.

Technology

China must innovate in semiconductor design or fall behind the global market, expert says

China Semiconductor Industry Association’s Wei Shaojun sees new design architecture and microsystem integration as pathways to progress.

Social media

Amazon targets influencer reviews on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram

Amazon.com Inc is asking online shoppers to provide information about product testimonials they’ve posted on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, suggesting the ecommerce giant is more aggressively targeting paid reviews that merchants can use to gain a competitive edge.

e-Hailing

Singapore’s Tada launches in Hong Kong, driving fresh competition with Uber

Ride-hailing operator arrives ahead of government plan to regulate services next year.

Mobile apps

Ukraine asks if Telegram, its favourite app, is a sleeper agent

What has been a salvation has increasingly turned into a major source of concern. In recent months, Ukrainian officials have become more alarmed by the country’s dependence on Telegram, as worries that the app was used as a vector of disinformation and a spying tool for Russia have mushroomed.

Internet

Australia plans to tax digital platforms that don’t pay for news

The Australian government said Dec 12 it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organisations.

Technology

Australia orders $5.1 million fine on Kraken crypto exchange operator

(Reuters) -Australia's corporate watchdog said on Thursday that the country's federal court ordered crypto exchange Kraken's local operator to pay an A$8 million ($5.1 million) fine for unlawfully issuing a credit facility to more than 1,100 customers.

Internet

Remember what you searched for on Google? Here’s what 2024 trends show

Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does.

Social media

Why was a murder suspect’s Instagram taken down, but not his Goodreads?

Moments after authorities announced that Luigi Mangione had been arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Dec 9, people delved into his digital trail.