Man gets prison time for false bomb threats made to schools

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A hacker who made dozens of phony bombing and shooting threats to schools in the United States and the United Kingdom and made a false hijacking report about a California-bound jetliner was sentenced Monday to federal prison. Timothy Dalton Vaughn, 22, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was sentenced by a federal judge […]

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Zoom reports big 3Q gains, but slowing growth sinks stock

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Zoom’s videoconferencing service remains a fixture in pandemic life, but its breakneck growth is showing signs of tapering off as investors debate whether the company will be able to build upon its recent success after a vaccine enables people to intermingle again. For now, Zoom is thriving as tens of […]

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FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who ended net neutrality, to leave agency next year

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced plans to step down from his post on Inauguration Day, capping a four-year stint atop the nation's telecom agency that had been marked with contentious fights over his ambitious deregulatory agenda.

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WA Notify system goes live with COVID exposure notifications for iPhone and Android users in Washington state

Washington Exposure Notifications — which aim to let folks know of possible COVID-19 exposures — are live for iPhone and Android users. Here's how the technology works and how it protects your privacy.

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FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to leave telecom agency on January 20

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican, says he is leaving the telecommunications regulator on Inauguration Day. President-elect Joe Biden will choose a new Democratic head for the agency. A new administration typically picks a new chairman. Pai has presided over a contentious FCC over the last four years. He undid net neutrality rules […]

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UK to ban new Huawei gear installations after Sept

LONDON (AP) — Wireless carriers in the U.K. won’t be allowed to install Huawei equipment in their high-speed 5G networks after September 2021, the British government said Monday, hardening its line against the Chinese technology company. The deadline is part of a roadmap the British government is laying down to remove “high risk” equipment suppliers […]

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Snap to pay $1 million a day to creators for spotlight videos

Snap is rolling out a new tool for its Snapchat app to feature popular videos, called Spotlight, and said it will pay out $1 million a day to creators of the top-performing posts.

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TV and film producers bring new technology to sets amid pandemic

A group of technology companies are capitalizing on the demand for safe TV and film productions. Emerging in response to new safety protocols on sets, they are supplying everything from remote-operated robotic cameras to tracking technology that helps enforce social distancing.

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Can we make our robots less biased than we are?

A robot with algorithms for facial recognition, or predicting people’s actions, or deciding on its own to fire “nonlethal” projectiles is a robot that many researchers find problematic. The reason: Many algorithms are biased against people of color and others.

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Technology in policing can reinforce racial bias, U.N. panel warns

Police departments across the U.S. have been drawn to the use of digital technology for surveillance and predicting crime on the theory that it will make law enforcement more accurate, efficient and effective. The alarming reality, U.N. human rights experts warned, is that they risk reinforcing racial bias and abuse.

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Black Friday sees record online as US shoppers stay home

Black Friday online sales hit a new record this year as pandemic-wary Americans filled virtual carts instead of real ones. Consumers spent an estimated $9 billion on U.S. retail websites on Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping. That was a 22% increase over the previous record of $7.4 billion in 2019. […]

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Why does my voice sound like Darth Vader during Zoom meetings?

Patrick Marshall answers your computer technology questions. This week's topics cover an unwanted Darth Vader-sounding voice during Zoom meetings, a Windows 10 taskbar that won't go away, and poor video during videoconferencing. a computer that has trouble printing via Wi-Fi and the connection speeds of a laptop with Wi-Fi 6.

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How to take better pet portraits

Even if you don’t have an expensive camera, you can capture memorable images with your smartphone, the right software and a few tricks. Many of the editing tools and filters are in your phone's app. Here's how to use them.

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France resumes tax on tech giants, seeks deal with US

PARIS (AP) — France is resuming collection of a special tax on Big Tech companies like Amazon and Facebook despite the threat of U.S. retaliatory tariffs on French Champagne, cheese, handbags and other goods. The tax brought about 400 million euros to the French budget last year, but the government agreed to suspend it in […]

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For Big Tech, Biden brings a new era but no ease in scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama-Biden administration was a charmed era for America’s tech companies — a moment when they were lionized as innovators, hailed as job creators and largely left alone. Now Joe Biden is coming back, this time as president. But times have changed. The halcyon days of an adoring Washington are unlikely to […]

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US agency investigating Tesla front suspension failures

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating complaints that suspensions can fail on nearly 115,000 Tesla electric vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 43 complaints that linkages near the ball joints can fail, allowing contact between the tire and wheel liner. The probe announced Friday covers 2015 […]

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UK to launch new watchdog next year to police tech giants

LONDON (AP) — Britain plans to create a new watchdog to police big tech companies including Google and Facebook to counter their market dominance and prevent them from exploiting consumers and small businesses. The U.K. government said Friday that it’s setting up a “Digital Markets Unit” next year to enforce a new code of conduct […]

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Man United unable to fully restore systems after cyberattack

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has been unable to fully restore its computer systems a week after being targeted in a cyberattack. The Premier League club’s staff still did not have access to email on Thursday night, and some other functions were also unavailable. “Following the recent cyberattack on the club, our IT team […]

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South Korean chat room operator gets 40 years for blackmail

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The operator of an online chat room in South Korea was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison for blackmailing women, including minors, into filming sexually explicit video and selling them to others. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Cho Ju-bin, 24, of violating the laws on protecting minors and […]

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Amazon Web Services outage hits cloud customers

Amazon.com's cloud-computing division, the largest provider of rented computing power and software services, suffered an outage that affected several customers, including Roku and Adobe and Flickr.

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EU plans new rules giving Europeans more control of data

LONDON (AP) — The European Union is laying out new standards for data giving Europeans more control over their personal information as it seeks to counter the power of U.S. and Chinese tech companies. The EU’s executive Commission on Wednesday proposed new rules on the handling of data that would aim to give people, businesses […]

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Danish news agency rejects ransom demand after hacker attack

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s biggest news agency will stay offline for at least another day following a hacking attack this week and has rejected a ransom demand by hackers to release locked data, the wire service said Wednesday. Ritzau CEO Lars Vesterloekke couldn’t say how big the ransom demand was because those behind the […]

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Q&A: Will Twitter, Facebook crack down on Trump?

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — For the past four years, President Donald Trump has enjoyed the special status of a world leader on Twitter and Facebook, even as he used his perch atop the social media pyramid to peddle misinformation and hurl abuse at his critics. While regular users could have faced being suspended or even […]

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Conservatives grumbling about censorship say they’re flocking to Parler. They told us so on Twitter.

Maria Bartiromo, the Fox network anchor seen on TV six days a week, has joined a chorus of pro-Trump commentators urging followers to flock to Parler, the social network that promises no fact-checking or “editorial bullies trying to tell you what to think.” She told Parler chief executive John Matze in an interview earlier this […]

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Home Depot agrees to $17.5m settlement in 2014 data breach

BOSTON (AP) — Home Depot has reached a $17.5 million settlement with the attorney generals of 46 states and the District of Columbia over a 2014 data breach that exposed the payment card information of some 40 million customers. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office detailed the settlement in a statement Tuesday, saying Home Depot agreed […]

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Left for dead, twice, RadioShack gets another shot online

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — RadioShack, a fixture at the mall for decades, has been pulled from brink of death, again. It’s the most prized name in the basket of brands that entrepreneur investors Alex Mehr and Tai Lopez have scooped up since the coronavirus pandemic bowled over the U.S. retail sector and sent a […]

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India bans 43 more mobile apps, including many from China

NEW DELHI (AP) — India banned 43 mobile apps on Tuesday, including many from China, with which it is locked in a military standoff along their border in the Himalayas. India’s information technology ministry said the apps threaten the “sovereignty and integrity of India.” The banned apps include four from Chinese retail giant the Alibaba […]

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Main Danish news agency offline following hacking attack

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s biggest news agency that delivers text and photos to Danish media was knocked offline following a hacking attack Tuesday. “Ritzau has been the target of a hacker attack early this morning. It appears to be a professional attack,” the news agency’s CEO Lars Vesterloekke said. “We have now chosen to […]

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Texts: US census manager told counters to use fake answers

The texts from an Alabama census supervisor had an urgent tone. “THIS JUST IN …,” one of them began. It then laid out how census takers should fake data to mark households as having only one resident even if they had no idea how many people actually lived there. The goal of the texts from […]

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Drones to the rescue: Berlin lab seeks quicker virus tests

A company is testing drone deliveries on the 7-mile route between a hospital and Labor Berlin, hoping to cut standard delivery times from about an hour to around 10 minutes when service on the route begins in January.

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UK telecom companies face big fines under new security law

LONDON (AP) — Telecom companies in Britain face hefty fines if they don’t comply with strict new security rules under a new law proposed in Parliament on Tuesday that is aimed at blocking high-risk equipment suppliers like China’s Huawei. The Telecommunications (Security) Bill tightens security requirements for new high speed 5G wireless and fiber optic […]

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Apple’s head of security indicted on bribery charges

Apple's head of global security was charged with bribery for allegedly promising to donate iPads to a Sheriff's Office in exchange for concealed-weapons permits, according to an indictment made public Monday.

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Muslims reel over a prayer app that sold user data: ‘A betrayal from within our own community’

The Muslim Pro app has features that make it easier to practice Islam. But revelations about the app's data collection and sales practices have left some users wondering if the convenience is worth the risk.

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Elon Musk overtakes Bill Gates to grab world’s second-richest ranking

Tesla CEO Elon Musk passed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates Monday to become the world's second-richest person.

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Report: Mobile fingerprinting a core tool in US deportations

BOSTON (AP) — A mobile fingerprinting app U.S. immigration agents use to run remote ID checks in the field has become a core tool in President Donald Trump’s deportation crackdown, a pair of immigration rights groups say in a new report based on a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The 2,500 pages of documents obtained […]

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Twitter, Facebook transferring @POTUS accounts to Biden on inauguration day

Twitter and Facebook will hand over the digital keys to @POTUS, as well as other official social media accounts, to Joe Biden on Inauguration Day even as President Donald Trump continues to reject his election defeat. The social media giants said the @POTUS handle and those for the White House, vice president and first lady […]

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Google faces UK scrutiny over new advertising data revamp

LONDON (AP) — Google faces fresh regulatory scrutiny in Britain over plans to revamp its ad data system, after a group of competitors complained to regulators that the changes would cement the U.S. tech giant’s online dominance. Marketers for an Open Web, a coalition of technology and publishing companies, said Monday that it’s urging the […]

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China in final preparations for latest lunar mission

WENCHANG, China (AP) — Chinese technicians were making final preparations Monday for a mission to bring back material from the moon’s surface in what would be a major advance for the country’s space program. Chang’e 5 is China’s most ambitious lunar mission yet and marks the first time in four decades that any country has […]

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Do you really want Amazon’s new drugstore knowing your medical condition? | Commentary

For many consumers, Amazon Pharmacy represents greater convenience and the possibility of paying less for prescription drugs. It also means what little privacy you have left is rapidly disintegrating, writes columnist David Lazarus.

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Zillow surfing is the escape we all need right now

Millions of people have spent far more time at home than they expected to this year. It’s made many of them daydream about what it might be like to live somewhere else, often while scrolling through listings on Zillow.

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Don’t fear the robots, and other lessons from a study of the digital economy

An analysis three years in the making by a task force assembled by MIT examines how technology has changed, and will change, the workforce, and what policies would create opportunity for more Americans in the digital economy.

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Seattle startup WiBotic joins NASA-funded team to help moon robots survive the long lunar night

A team of engineers awarded a NASA contract to work on a shoebox-sized lunar rover has tapped Seattle-based WiBotic and the University of Washington to develop a fast, wireless charging system to help the tiny robots stay roving, even during lunar nights.

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US-European ocean monitoring satellite launches into orbit

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — A U.S.-European satellite designed to extend a decades-long measurement of global sea surface heights was launched into Earth orbit from California on Saturday. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 9:17 a.m. and arced southward over the Pacific Ocean. […]

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Why does computer think the printer is offline when it isn’t?

Patrick Marshall answers your computer technology questions. This week's topics cover a computer that has trouble printing via Wi-Fi and the connection speeds of a laptop with Wi-Fi 6.

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How to have a fully remote family Thanksgiving

Many individuals and families are skipping travel this year to stop the spread of COVID-19, but it still possible to share celebrations and give thanks. Here’s how to digitally reimagine the holiday, from meal prep to after-dinner activities.

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Manchester United announces cyber attack, systems shut down

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Cyber criminals have attacked Manchester United’s systems, the English Premier League club said on Friday. The northwest English club said it was confident “critical systems” required for matches to be staged at Old Trafford are secure, ensuring the team can host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. “The club has taken swift […]

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Musk guns for Gates’ No. 2 wealth ranking with Tesla on a tear

Another week like this past one would easily vault Musk past Gates.

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MLS debuts 2nd screen, enhanced data broadcasts for playoffs

Soccer fans who are also avid video game players will feel at home with the enhancements Major League Soccer is introducing for the postseason. Most MLS Cup playoff broadcasts will feature a second screen experience featuring data visualization technology, optical player tracking and enhanced metrics, such as player speed. MLS is the first professional soccer […]

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GM: New batteries cut electric car costs, increase range

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says a pending breakthrough in battery chemistry will cut the price of its electric vehicles so they equal those powered by gasoline within five years. The technology also will increase the range per charge to as much as 450 miles. The company’s product development chief promised a small electric SUV […]

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EU auditors: Antitrust probes too slow to curb tech giants

LONDON (AP) — The EU’s efforts to rein in the power of big tech companies such as Google and Facebook through antitrust investigations have taken too long, dulling their effectiveness, a report said Thursday. Legal tools available to the bloc’s competition regulators, meanwhile, have not kept pace with digital markets, allowing Silicon Valley giants to […]

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