Forget next-gen consoles. The biggest gaming platform is already in your pocket

A decade ago, mobile gaming was underestimated and considered "casual" by both gamers and developers, compared to its more sophisticated siblings, like PCs, PlayStations and Xboxes. But the mobile gaming sector is so big now, it can't be ignored.

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Going to the moon via the cloud

High-performance cloud computing has allowed startups to develop prototypes and run simulations — including one to the moon — that were previously done on supercomputers available only to governments or the most well-heeled corporations.

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Facebook’s AI treats Palestinian activists like it treats American Black activists. It blocks them.

Days after violent conflict erupted in Israel and the Palestinian territories, both Facebook and Twitter copped to major faux pas. Experts said the issues are connected to overzealous software algorithms

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Kenyan arrested in Qatar first targeted by phishing attack

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Kenyan security guard now facing charges in Qatar after writing compelling, anonymous accounts of being a low-paid worker there found himself targeted by a phishing attack that could have revealed his location just before his arrest, analysts say. While analysts from Amnesty International and Citizen Lab said they […]

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iTrapped: All the things Apple won’t let you do with your iPhone

We've become so accustomed to restrictions Apple built into the iPhone, we don't even realize how we're contorting ourselves to comply — or what we're missing out on. Tech writer Geoffrey Fowler walks us through some of the limitations.

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When it comes to taxes, being tracked can be a good thing

With remote work more common now, tax apps that track your location have become relevant for professionals who want to work wherever they want to live.

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China launches cargo rocket with supplies for space station

BEIJING (AP) — An automated cargo rocket carrying supplies for China’s new space station blasted off Saturday from an island in the South China Sea. A Long March 7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 took off at 8:50 p.m. (1250 GMT) from the Wenchang launch center on Hainan Island, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The […]

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How can I access new emails in Outlook without having copies kept on a server?

Patrick Marshall answers your tech questions. This week's topics cover how to access new emails in Outlook without having copies kept on a server, whether there's a key logger built into Windows 10, and whether WinZip should be avoided.

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5 tips to take command of your iPhone

Recent updates to Apple’s mobile operating system offer new ways to open apps, chat with friends and interact with your device. Tech writer J.D. Biersdorfer offers a few quick tips for enhancing the iPhone experience.

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SEC says group illegally raised $2B in crypto offering

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators have accused a group of people of promoting a securities offering tied to digital currency that raised over $2 billion from retail investors without being properly registered. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed the civil lawsuit Friday in federal court in Manhattan. It alleges that an outfit called BitConnect used […]

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Court: YouTube channel not consider media under records law

A YouTube channel does not qualify as media, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision was made in the case of a Washington man who sought access to records, claiming his YouTube channel was a news outlet.

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Microsoft: SolarWinds hackers target 150 orgs with phishing

BOSTON (AP) — The state-backed Russian cyber spies behind the SolarWinds hacking campaign launched a targeted spear-phishing assault on U.S. and foreign government agencies and think tanks this week using an email marketing account of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Microsoft says. The effort targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different […]

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EU challenges TikTok over consumer rights breaches claim

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission said on Friday it has given one month to the Chinese-owned video app TikTok to answer complaints from an European consumers group over its commercial practices. The EU’s executive arm said it has started discussions involving the platform and the national consumer authorities following an alert launched earlier this […]

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Will hiding likes on Instagram and Facebook improve users’ mental health? We asked experts.

Likes are just one part of the social media experience, but research has shown that they can have powerful effects on mental health and well-being, both positive and negative. Facebook and Instagram have launched a way to hide them. Will people use it?

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Why Apple and Google’s virus-alert apps had limited success

When Apple and Google announced last year that they were working together to create a smartphone-based system to help stem the virus, their collaboration seemed like a game changer. It didn't really turn out that way.

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Senate eyes R&D bill to counter China, bolster manufacturing

WASHINGTON (AP) — What started as a pragmatic effort to boost scientific research and development has morphed into sweeping Senate bill aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China and other countries, including $50 billion in emergency funds to shore up domestic computer chip manufacturing. The American Innovation and Competition Act is key to […]

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JD Logistics shares jumps in Hong Kong stock debut

HONG KONG (AP) — JD Logistics’ shares jumped 14% in their trading debut Friday in Hong Kong. The company is a subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com. It is the latest technology company to list in the semi-autonomous Chinese city as Beijing intensifies scrutiny of the technology sector. The firm raised $3.1 billion in its […]

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Microsoft: SolarWinds hackers target 150 orgs with phishing

BOSTON (AP) — The state-backed Russian cyber spies behind the SolarWinds hacking campaign launched a targeted spear-phishing assault on U.S. and foreign government agencies and think tanks this week using an email marketing account of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Microsoft said. The effort targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft-solarwinds-hackers-target-150-orgs-with-phishing/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Senate eyes R&D bill to counter China, bolster manufacturing

WASHINGTON (AP) — What started as a pragmatic effort to boost scientific research and development has morphed into sweeping Senate bill aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China and other countries, including $50 billion in emergency funds to shore up domestic computer chip manufacturing. The American Innovation and Competition Act is key to […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/senate-eyes-rd-bill-to-counter-china-bolster-manufacturing/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Safety ratings yanked after Tesla pulls radar from 2 models

DETROIT (AP) — Two key groups that offer automobile safety ratings have yanked their top endorsements of some Tesla vehicles because the company has stopped using radar on its safety systems. Consumer Reports pulled its “Top Pick” status for Tesla’s Model 3 and Y vehicles built after April 27, while the Insurance Institute for Highway […]

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Florida sued over law to ban social media content blocking

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Two groups representing online companies sued Florida on Thursday over a new law that seeks to punish large social media businesses like Facebook and Twitter if they remove content or ban politicians. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that will allow the state to fine large social media sites […]

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European privacy groups challenge facial scan firm Clearview

LONDON (AP) — Privacy campaign groups filed legal complaints Thursday with European regulators against Clearview AI, alleging the facial recognition technology it provides to law enforcement agencies and businesses breaches stringent European Union privacy rules. Four privacy campaign groups complained to data protection authorities in France, Austria, Greece, Italy and the U.K. about Clearview’s practices. […]

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Twitter urges Indian gov’t to respect freedom of expression

NEW DELHI (AP) — Twitter on Thursday said it is worried about the safety of its staff in India and called for the government to respect freedom of expression, days after Indian police visited its office in New Delhi over its labeling of a tweet by a governing party spokesman as “manipulated media.” Twitter has […]

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US pipelines ordered to increase cyber defenses after hack

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. pipeline operators will be required for the first time to conduct a cybersecurity assessment under a Biden administration directive in response to the ransomware hack that disrupted gas supplies in several states this month. The Transportation Security Administration directive being issued Thursday will also mandate that the owners and operators of […]

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Redmond cloud-based payments firm Paymentus Holdings leaps after IPO

Shares of Redmond-based Paymentus Holdings, which provides online bill-paying services used by millions of customers of retailers, utilities and others, jumped 36.2% after an initial public offering in which the company sold 10 million shares.

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Tesla phases out radar sensors, shifts to camera-based autopilot

Tesla updated its website Tuesday to announce that Model 3 and Model Y cars built for North America and shipping this month will no longer be equipped with radar. The electric vehicle maker is pursuing full autonomy, which has proven elusive so far.

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EXPLAINER: How vaccine passports for global travel will work

Vaccination passports would add another digital layer to the multitude of existing coronavirus health and contact tracing apps many countries and U.S. states have rolled out. Their use domestically to reopen local economies has been hotly debated.

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8th noose found at Amazon site despite additional security

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — NAACP officials on Wednesday denounced what they called continued racism at an Amazon warehouse construction site in Connecticut where an eighth noose was found, despite additional security measures having been added last weekend. Another noose was found at the site in Windsor on Wednesday morning, the day of a scheduled meeting […]

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Amazon to buy MGM, studio behind James Bond and ‘Shark Tank’

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is going Hollywood. The online shopping giant is buying MGM, the movie and TV studio behind James Bond, “Legally Blonde” and “Shark Tank,” with the hopes of filling its video streaming service with more stuff to watch. Amazon is paying $8.45 billion for MGM, making it the company’s second-largest acquisition […]

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Ford: Electric vehicles to be 40% of global sales by 2030

DETROIT (AP) — Ford expects 40% of its global sales to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 as it adds billions to what it’s spending to develop them. Ahead of a presentation to Wall Street on Wednesday, the automaker says it will add about $8 billion to its EV development spending from this year to 2025. […]

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EU beefs up disinformation code to prevent digital ad profit

LONDON (AP) — European Union officials unveiled plans Wednesday to beef up the bloc’s code of practice on online disinformation, with the aim of preventing digital ad companies from profiting off of “fake news.” EU officials said they were strengthening the three-year-old voluntary code to make it more effective at fighting the false information flooding […]

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WhatsApp sues Indian government over new internet rules

NEW DELHI (AP) — The messaging app WhatsApp has sued the Indian government seeking to defend its users’ privacy and stop new rules that would require it to make messages “traceable” to external parties. WhatsApp filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the Delhi High Court. It is arguing that the government rules regarding the traceability of […]

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Microsoft teams up with Accenture, Goldman on greener software

Microsoft, Accenture, and Goldman Sachs are teaming up with nonprofits and climate groups to develop and share ways to build software that produces fewer carbon emissions when run in data centers, the energy-hungry networks of high-powered computers.

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Hack prompts new security regulations for US pipelines

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government will issue cybersecurity regulations in the coming days for U.S. pipeline operators following a ransomware attack that led to fuel shortages across much of the Eastern Seaboard. The Transportation Security Administration, which oversees the nation’s network of pipelines, is expected to issue a security directive this week that will […]

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Social media heavyweights wooed for Pfizer smear campaign

LE PECQ, France (AP) — Social media influencers in France with hundreds of thousands of followers say a mysterious advertising agency offered to pay them if they agreed to smear Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine with negative fake stories. French YouTuber Léo Grasset was among those contacted. He said Tuesday that he was offered a potentially lucrative […]

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The Army’s latest night-vision tech looks like something out of a video game

New technology for the Army combines night-vision goggles, thermal imagery and augmented reality. The goggles represent a shift away from the green-washed imagery typical of traditional night equipment, which can cause eyestrain and fatigue.

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Court rules UK surveillance breached European rights law

LONDON (AP) — Europe’s top human rights court ruled Tuesday that British mass surveillance and intelligence gathering practices breached human rights laws, in a partial victory for civil rights groups that had challenged the practices exposed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights upheld […]

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German regulator probes Google’s market position, data use

BERLIN (AP) — German regulators have launched an investigation into Google’s position in the market, and how the search engine and advertising giant handles user data. The Federal Cartel Office, or Bundeskartellamt, said Tuesday that it has started proceedings against Google entities in Germany, Ireland and California based on new provisions in German competition law […]

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Judge digs into Apple app store policies as Epic trial ends

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers opened a window into her thoughts during a three-hour session with lawyers for Apple and its adversary, Epic Games, during the final day of a three-week trial.

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Gaza-based journalists in Hamas chat blocked from WhatsApp

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A few hours after the latest cease-fire took effect in the Gaza Strip, a number of Palestinian journalists in the coastal enclave found they were blocked from accessing WhatsApp messenger — a crucial tool used to communicate with sources, editors and the world beyond the blockaded strip. The Associated […]

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Florida law seeks to rein in large social media companies

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Standing at a lectern with a sign reading “STOP BIG TECH CENSORSHIP,” Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that seeks to punish social media platforms that remove conservative ideas from their sites. The new law will enable the state to fine large social media companies $250,000 a […]

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Microsoft and Apple wage war on gadget right-to-repair laws

Many states have considered measures designed to undo rules businesses set to restrict repairs to authorized providers for a vast range of gadgets. One reason these legislative efforts have failed is opposition by big tech firms.

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Biden’s solar ambitions collide with China labor complaints

BEIJING (AP) — The Biden administration’s solar power ambitions are colliding with complaints the global industry depends on Chinese raw materials that might be produced by forced labor. A big hurdle is polysilicon, used to make photovoltaic cells for solar panels. The global industry gets 45% of its supply from Xinjiang, the northwestern region where […]

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Should Alexa read our moods? | Commentary

It’s worthwhile to start a public conversation about what could go wrong with voice technology and decide together where our collective red lines are — before they are crossed, writes Shira Ovide.

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Once tech’s favorite economist, Paul Romer is now a thorn in its side

Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer was once Silicon Valley’s favorite economist. Not anymore. His call for government activism, particularly toward the big tech companies, reflects “a profound change in my thinking.”

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Belarus opposition figure detained when flight diverted

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A founder of a messaging app channel that has been a key information conduit for opponents of Belarus’ authoritarian president was arrested Sunday after an airliner in which he was traveling on was diverted to Belarus because of a bomb threat. The presidential press service said President Alexander Lukashenko personally ordered […]

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Drone companies are preparing to deliver COVID vaccines in rural U.S.

Drone companies are positioning themselves to deliver refrigerated medical products, including COVID-19 vaccinations, to people working on oil rigs or living in rural areas miles from the nearest doctor's office or pharmacy.

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India’s national carrier says hack leaked data of passengers

NEW DELHI (AP) — Personal data of an unspecified number of travelers has been comprised after a company that serves India’s national carrier was hacked, Air India said. The hackers were able to access 10 years’ worth of data, including names, passport and credit card details from the Atlanta-based SITA Passenger Service System, Air India […]

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Latest feature on crime app Citizen raises alarms as it accuses the wrong man of arson

The Citizen app offered a $30,000 reward for information on a suspect connected to a Los Angeles wildfire. But it was the wrong man.

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Why some programs on your laptop might appear miniature and almost unreadable

Patrick Marshall answers your tech questions. This week's topics cover programs appearing miniature on a laptop, Windows Update notifications on an older computer, and ways to edit photos after scanning them using an HP printer.

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