Chief Justice Roberts casts a wary eye on the uses of artificial intelligence in the federal courts

Chief Justice John Roberts is turning his focus to the promise and shortcomings of artificial intelligence in the federal courts.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/chief-justice-roberts-casts-a-wary-eye-on-the-uses-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-federal-courts/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Video games let them choose a role. Their transgender identities flourished

Some transgender people have turned to video games as places where they can safely express themselves.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/video-games-let-them-choose-a-role-their-transgender-identities-flourished/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

What your favorite streaming services will cost you in 2024

If you were planning on watching the final season of “Jack Ryan” or eight seasons of “House” without commercials on Amazon Prime next year, get ready to dig a little deeper into your pockets.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/what-your-favorite-streaming-services-will-cost-you-in-2024/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google settles $5 billion privacy lawsuit over tracking people using ‘incognito mode’

Google has agreed to settle a $5 billion privacy lawsuit alleging it spied on people who used the “incognito" mode in its Chrome browser — along with similar “private” modes in other browsers — to track their internet use.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/google-settles-5-billion-privacy-lawsuit-over-tracking-people-using-incognito-mode/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Federal agency orders recall of hazardous magnetic-ball kits sold at Walmart.com

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has ordered a recall of toys sold at Walmart.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/federal-agency-orders-recall-of-hazardous-magnetic-ball-kits-sold-at-walmart-com/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says he unwittingly sent AI-generated fake legal cases to his attorney

Former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen says he unwittingly passed along to his attorney bogus artificial intelligence-generated legal case citations he got online before they were submitted to a judge in New York.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/ex-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-says-he-unwittingly-sent-ai-generated-fake-legal-cases-to-his-attorney/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

SpaceX back for another try at Falcon Heavy launch of secret spacecraft

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — First it was weather, then something went awry on the ground, but SpaceX and the Space Force are set to once again try to send up the powerhouse Falcon Heavy rocket with the secretive X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on board Thursday night. And if all goes well, SpaceX could follow up with a Falcon 9 launch just hours later. Flying for only the ninth time ever, but fifth time ...

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/spacex-back-for-another-try-at-falcon-heavy-launch-of-secret-spacecraft/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Lumen to pay $825K to WA customers whose phones were disconnected during pandemic

Washingtonians whose phones were disconnected by Lumen in violation of an emergency moratorium will get checks of $707.55 for each disconnection.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/lumen-to-pay-825k-to-wa-customers-whose-phones-were-disconnected-during-pandemic/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

The best video games of 2023, from Baldur’s Gate to Alan Wake 2

Returning to the Dark Place, web-slinging around New York, agonizing over friendships and betrayals: These are the video games that captivated us in 2023.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/video-games/the-best-video-games-of-2023-from-baldurs-gate-to-alan-wake-2/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

US court rejects Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba’s effort to quash faked Squishmallows case

A judge in New York has ruled that Alibaba must face a lawsuit by a U.S. toymaker alleging that the Chinese ecommerce giant's online platforms were used to sell counterfeit Squishmallows.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/us-court-rejects-chinese-ecommerce-giant-alibabas-effort-to-quash-faked-squishmallows-case/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Seattle’s Zulily will ‘wind-down’ its business and liquidate its assets

Shortly after announcing a final sale, online retailer Zulily will liquidate its inventory, according to an updated note on its website.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/seattles-zulily-will-wind-down-its-business-and-liquidate-its-assets/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

The New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over the use of its stories to train chatbots

The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, trying to end the practice of using its stories to train chatbots.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/the-new-york-times-sues-openai-microsoft-over-use-of-its-stories-used-to-train-chatbots/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

A look back at the top business stories of 2023

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the reassertion of union power and the turmoil at OpenAI were just some of the big business stories in 2023.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/a-look-back-at-the-top-business-stories-of-2023/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

As social media guardrails fade and AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections

Experts are warning that the spread of misinformation could get worse in the coming presidential election contest.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/as-social-media-guardrails-fade-and-ai-deepfakes-go-mainstream-experts-warn-of-impact-on-elections/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Should WA schools restrict cellphones? One district has.

A Gig Harbor school district banned social media and restricted cellphone use in class this year. There have been surprisingly few complaints about the policy.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/what-schools-could-be-like-without-cellphones/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple’s Newest Headache: An App That Upended Its Control Over Messaging

Beeper Mini, which offers iPhone messaging on Android phones, has grown fast and its duel with the tech giant has gotten the attention of antitrust regulators.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/apples-newest-headache-an-app-that-upended-its-control-over-messaging/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Toyota small car maker Daihatsu shuts down Japan factories during probe of bogus safety tests

Daihatsu, a unit of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp., has shut down production lines at all its four factories in Japan while transport ministry officials investigate improper tests for safety certifications.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/toyota-small-car-maker-daihatsu-shuts-down-japan-factories-during-probe-of-bogus-safety-tests/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

AI pioneer says public discourse on intelligent machines must give ‘proper respect to human agency’

She’s an important figure behind today’s artificial intelligence boom, but not all computer scientists thought Fei-Fei Li was on the right track when she came up with the idea for a giant visual database called ImageNet that took years to build.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ai-pioneer-says-public-discourse-on-intelligent-machines-must-give-proper-respect-to-human-agency/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Inside Amazon’s effort to challenge Musk’s Starlink internet business

Amazon execs tend to describe Project Kuiper in philanthropic terms. Less altruistically, Amazon also hopes the project makes it a telecommunications giant.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/inside-amazons-effort-to-challenge-musks-starlink-internet-business/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Nevada tribe says coalitions, not lawsuits, will protect sacred sites as US advances energy agenda

A Nevada tribe is gearing up for a different kind of fight against the U.S. government as it tries to build more public support for protecting Native American sacred sites.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nevada-tribe-says-coalitions-not-lawsuits-will-protect-sacred-sites-as-us-advances-energy-agenda/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

The 10 best tech books of 2023 | Brian Merchant

You could skip past most of the "big" tech books of the year. Here's what columnist Brian Merchant says you should be reading for a deep dive and for fun.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/the-10-best-tech-books-of-2023-brian-merchant/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Pornhub’s parent company admits to profiting for years from sex trafficking

Aylo, which was previously called MindGeek, operates several websites that allow third parties to post and distribute adult content, according to prosecutors.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/pornhubs-parent-company-admits-to-profiting-for-years-from-sex-trafficking/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Seattle faces a pack of cities hungry for its technology talent

Seattle can't be complacent as many new tech hubs are rising, fueled by private investments and federal incentives, columnist Jon Talton writes.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/seattle-faces-a-pack-of-cities-hungry-for-its-technology-talent/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

China’s BYD to build its first European electric vehicle factory in Hungary

One of the world’s largest electrical vehicle manufacturers, China’s BYD, will open its first European EV production factory in Hungary, the country’s foreign minister said on Friday.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/chinas-byd-to-build-its-first-european-electric-vehicle-factory-in-hungary/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

China drafts new rules proposing restrictions on online gaming

China has released draft guidelines aimed at curbing excessive spending on online gaming.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/china-drafts-new-rules-proposing-restrictions-on-online-gaming/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

The war took away their limbs. Now bionic prostheses empower wounded Ukrainian soldiers

Russia’s war on Ukraine has created a massive need for prosthetic limbs.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/the-war-took-away-their-limbs-now-bionic-prostheses-empower-wounded-ukrainian-soldiers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Ohio gives historical status to building that once housed internet service pioneer CompuServe

A Central Ohio building that once served as the global headquarters for CompuServe has been recognized with historic marker status by the state.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ohio-gives-historical-status-to-building-that-once-housed-internet-service-pioneer-compuserve/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple loses latest bid to thwart patent dispute threatening to stop U.S. sales of two watch models

Apple has been rebuffed in its latest attempt to untangle a patent dispute that is pushing the company into suspending sales of two popular Apple Watch models as the holiday shopping season wraps up.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/apple-loses-latest-bid-to-thwart-patent-dispute-threatening-to-stop-u-s-sales-of-two-watch-models/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

A Dutch court has sentenced a man convicted in a notorious Canadian cyberbullying case to 6 years

A Dutch man who was convicted in British Columbia of charges including extortion and harassment related to a Canadian teenager who took her own life after he blackmailed her online has had his sentence cut by an Amsterdam court from 13 years to six.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/a-dutch-court-has-sentenced-a-man-convicted-in-a-notorious-canadian-cyberbullying-case-to-6-years/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

AI systems can’t be named as the inventor of patents, UK’s top court rules

Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that an artificial intelligence system can’t be registered as the inventor of a patent, denying machines the same status as humans.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ai-systems-cant-be-named-as-the-inventor-of-patents-uks-top-court-rules/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Rite Aid banned from using facial recognition technology in stores for five years

Rite Aid has been banned from using facial recognition technology for five years over allegations that a surveillance system it used incorrectly identified potential shoplifters, especially Black, Latino, Asian or female shoppers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rite-aid-banned-from-using-facial-recognition-technology-in-stores-for-five-years/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Three of the biggest porn sites must verify ages to protect kids under Europe’s new digital law

Three of the world’s biggest porn websites face new requirements in the European Union that include verifying the ages of users.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/three-of-the-biggest-porn-sites-must-verify-ages-to-protect-kids-under-europes-new-digital-law/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Abuse in the machine: Study shows AI image-generators being trained on explicit photos of children

Hidden inside the foundation of popular artificial intelligence image-generators are thousands of images of child sexual abuse, according to a new report that urges companies to take action to address a harmful flaw in the technology they built.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/abuse-in-the-machine-study-shows-ai-image-generators-being-trained-on-explicit-photos-of-children/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Xfinity notifies its customers of data breach linked to software vulnerability

Hackers accessed Xfinity customers’ personal information by exploiting a vulnerability in software used by the company, the Comcast-owned telecommunications business announced this week.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/xfinity-notifies-its-customers-of-data-breach-linked-to-software-vulnerability/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

WA Android users who bought apps from Google’s store may get payout

The lawsuit claims Google's practices monopolized the Android app market and drove up prices. The payout will go to dozens of states and cost in the millions.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/android-users-who-bought-apps-from-googles-store-may-get-a-payout/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Meta’s initial decisions to remove 2 videos of Israel-Hamas war reversed by Oversight Board

A quasi-independent review board is recommending that Facebook parent company Meta overturn two decisions it made this fall to remove posts “informing the world about human suffering on both sides” of the Israel-Hamas war.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/oversight-board-reverses-metas-initial-decisions-to-remove-2-videos-of-israel-hamas-war/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Activision Blizzard to pay $54 million to settle California state workplace discrimination claims

Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay about $54 million to settle discrimination claims brought by California’s civil rights agency on behalf of women employed by the video game maker.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/activision-blizzard-to-pay-54-million-to-settle-california-state-workplace-discrimination-claims/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Klarna CEO Siemiatkowski says buy now, pay later is used by shoppers who otherwise avoid credit

Sebastian Siemiatkowski is a co-founder and CEO of Klarna, the Sweden-based company that’s one of the world’s biggest providers of buy now, pay later services to customers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/klarna-ceo-siemiatkowski-says-buy-now-pay-later-is-used-by-shoppers-who-otherwise-avoid-credit/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Using artificial intelligence to talk to the dead

Some people are turning to AI technology as a way to commune with the dead, but its use as part of the mourning process has raised ethical questions.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/using-artificial-intelligence-to-talk-to-the-dead/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

European Union investigating Musk’s X over possible breaches of social media law

The investigation will look into whether X failed to do enough to curb the spread of illegal content and was transparent enough with researchers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/european-union-investigating-musks-x-over-possible-breaches-of-social-media-law/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

A suspected cyberattack paralyzes the majority of gas stations across Iran

Iran’s state TV says nearly 70% of the nation’s gas pumps are out of service after possible sabotage — a reference to cyberattacks.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/a-suspected-cyberattack-paralyzes-the-majority-of-gas-stations-across-iran/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Ray-Ban Meta review: How Meta’s new face camera heralds a new age of surveillance

Meta’s $300 smart glasses look cool but lack a killer app, and they offer a glimpse into a future with even less privacy and more distraction, according to tech writer Brian X. Chen.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/ray-ban-meta-review-how-metas-new-face-camera-heralds-a-new-age-of-surveillance/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Electric bikes offer climate solutions in Asia, Africa

The big shift to tiny EVs is underappreciated in the U.S., where, despite the popularity of electric bicycles and scooters, the focus has been mainly on cars.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/electric-bikes-offer-climate-solutions-in-asia-africa/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

TikTok quietly changes user terms amid growing legal scrutiny

TikTok removed rules that had required user disputes to be handled through private arbitration and instead said that complaints must be filed in one of two California courts.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tiktok-quietly-changes-user-terms-amid-growing-legal-scrutiny/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Internet gambling and sports betting set new records in New Jersey

Internet gambling and sports betting set new records in New Jersey in November as the Atlantic City gambling market continues to evolve and become less dependent on physical casinos.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/internet-gambling-and-sports-betting-set-new-records-in-new-jersey/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Guidelines around a new tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel is issued by Treasury Department

The Treasury Department is spelling out the rules for tax credits designed to stimulate production of sustainable aviation fuel.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/guidelines-around-a-new-tax-credit-for-sustainable-aviation-fuel-is-issued-by-treasury-department/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Who would give this tech guy millions to build his own utopia?

Dryden Brown is big on promises and light on specifics, such as where on the 28,600-mile Mediterranean coast his city will be.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/who-would-give-this-tech-guy-millions-to-build-his-own-utopia/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Key leaders depart GM’s Cruise amid ongoing investigation into San Francisco accident

Several key leaders are no longer with General Motors’ Cruise amid an ongoing investigation into an October accident involving one of its driverless cars, the robotaxi service confirmed late Wednesday.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/key-leaders-depart-gms-cruise-amid-ongoing-investigation-into-san-francisco-accident/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon won’t have to pay hundreds of millions in back taxes after winning EU case

Amazon won’t have to pay about $273 million in back taxes after European Union judges ruled in favor of the U.S. e-commerce giant.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/news/amazon-wont-have-to-pay-hundreds-of-millions-in-back-taxes-after-winning-eu-case/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

2023: The year we played with artificial intelligence — and weren’t sure what to do about it

ChatGPT was the catalyst for a year that took artificial intelligence mainstream.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/2023-the-year-we-played-with-artificial-intelligence-and-werent-sure-what-to-do-about-it/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology