Technology News
Meta planning sweeping layoffs as AI costs mount
Meta planning sweeping layoffs as AI costs mount
Meta is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Meta seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers. MORE..
Games with loot boxes to get minimum 16 age rating across Europe
Games with loot boxes to get minimum 16 age rating across Europe
Games which feature loot boxes will soon be given an age rating of 16 across Europe, including in the UK, under a host of changes by the European video game ratings organisation. MORE..
One-fifth of Australian teens still use TikTok, SnapChat after social media ban
One-fifth of Australian teens still use TikTok, SnapChat after social media ban
One-fifth of Australian teenagers under 16 were still using social media two months after the country banned platforms from allowing minors, industry data showed, raising questions about the effectiveness of age-gating methods they are using. MORE..
China unveils world’s strongest ultra-high-strength carbon fiber
China unveils world’s strongest ultra-high-strength carbon fiber
China on Wednesday unveiled an independently developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, the world’s strongest of its kind, designed for use in aerospace and other advanced industries. MORE..
UK watchdogs press Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube to block children
UK watchdogs press Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube to block children
Britain’s media and privacy regulators on Thursday demanded that major social media platforms do more to keep children off their services, warning that companies were failing to enforce their own minimum age rules. MORE..
YouTube opens deepfake detection tool to politicians and journalists
YouTube opens deepfake detection tool to politicians and journalists
YouTube on Tuesday started offering a free tool to government officials, journalists and political candidates to help them identify and remove AI-generated videos that resemble their appearance. MORE..
UK parliament votes to reject social media ban for under-16s
UK parliament votes to reject social media ban for under-16s
A ban on social media for under-16s has been rejected by members of parliament in the UK. MORE..
Apple’s cheapest ever MacBook unveiled
Apple’s cheapest ever MacBook unveiled
Apple has unveiled the MacBook Neo, a new entry-level laptop designed to bring the Mac experience to a wider audience with a significantly lower starting price. MORE..
Indonesia to ban social media for children under 16
Indonesia to ban social media for children under 16
Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday. MORE..
India’s tech state Karnataka bans social media for children under 16
India’s tech state Karnataka bans social media for children under 16
The southern Indian state of Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, has banned the use of social media by those under the age of 16, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday, becoming the first in India to do so. MORE..
TikTok won’t protect DMs with controversial privacy tech, saying it would put users at risk
TikTok won’t protect DMs with controversial privacy tech, saying it would put users at risk
TikTok will not introduce end-to-end encryption (E2EE) - the controversial privacy feature used by nearly all its rivals - arguing it makes users less safe. MORE..
Amazon cloud unit’s data centers in UAE, Bahrain damaged in drone strikes
Amazon cloud unit’s data centers in UAE, Bahrain damaged in drone strikes
Amazon said on Monday some of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were damaged by drone strikes in the Middle East conflict, disrupting cloud services and making a recovery “prolonged”. MORE..
Iran internet blackout continues with no end in sight
Iran internet blackout continues with no end in sight
For more than 36 hours, internet access has been largely blocked in Iran after US and Israeli strikes on the country, according to internet monitoring organisations. MORE..
Poland plans social-media ban for children under 15 – reports
Poland plans social-media ban for children under 15 – reports
Poland plans to introduce new legislation to ban social media for children under 15 years of age and will hold platforms responsible for age verification, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka told Bloomberg News in an interview published on Friday. MORE..
WhatsApp Web Down: Users face login issues on Meta-owned desktop platform
WhatsApp Web Down: Users face login issues on Meta-owned desktop platform
Several WhatsApp Web users have reported difficulties logging into their accounts, with the issue appearing to affect primarily iPhone users. MORE..
Instagram to alert parents on teen suicide searches as UK weighs social media ban
Instagram to alert parents on teen suicide searches as UK weighs social media ban
Instagram said it would notify parents if their teenager repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period, as pressure grows for governments to follow Australia’s ban on the use of social media for under 16s. MORE..
Google disrupts hackers that attacked 53 groups globally
Google disrupts hackers that attacked 53 groups globally
Google disrupted a Chinese-linked hacking group that breached at least 53 organizations across 42 countries, the company said Wednesday. MORE..
US ‘leading the fight’ against Southeast Asian scam compounds - FBI official
US ‘leading the fight’ against Southeast Asian scam compounds - FBI official
A senior FBI official said on Tuesday that the United States was “committed to leading the fight” against multi-billion dollar Southeast Asian fraud factories targeting Americans. MORE..
US sets initial duties on Indian solar imports at 126%
US sets initial duties on Indian solar imports at 126%
The Trump administration set preliminary duties of 126% on solar imports from India after determining the country unfairly subsidized manufacturing. MORE..
Russia investigating Telegram founder Durov as part of criminal case: Report
Russia investigating Telegram founder Durov as part of criminal case: Report
Russia is investigating Telegram founder Pavel Durov as part of a criminal case on the “facilitation of terrorist activities”, state-run newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB). MORE..
Baby boy born from dead donor womb transplant in UK first
Baby boy born from dead donor womb transplant in UK first
A baby boy has become the first child in Britain to be born to a mother with a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. MORE..
Xbox fans split as AI exec takes over Microsoft’s top gaming role
Xbox fans split as AI exec takes over Microsoft’s top gaming role
Xbox fans have been left divided after Microsoft announced Phil Spencer, boss of its gaming division, and Xbox president Sarah Bond would step down from their roles. MORE..
MRI scans show exercise can make the brain look younger: Study
MRI scans show exercise can make the brain look younger: Study
New research suggests that regular aerobic exercise can help keep your brain biologically younger. Adults who exercised regularly for a year showed brains that appeared nearly a year younger than those who didn’t change their habits. MORE..
Nasa targets early March to send humans back around the Moon
Nasa targets early March to send humans back around the Moon
Nasa is targeting early March to launch a crew around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, in what would be humankind’s furthest trip into space. MORE..
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said Friday it considered last year alerting Canadian police about the activities of a person who months later committed one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history. MORE..