Alibaba’s Jack Ma turns up in Japan as college professor

Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma will be a visiting professor at Tokyo College, a research institute run by the prestigious University of Tokyo.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/alibabas-jack-ma-turns-up-in-japan-as-college-professor/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How developing countries are being failed by the West’s green ambitions

South Africa's $8.5 billion transition to green energy showpiece looks more like a cautionary tale.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/how-developing-countries-are-being-failed-by-the-wests-green-ambitions/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Telegram app back on in Brazil after judge lifts suspension

The Telegram messaging app is up and running again in Brazil after a federal judge revised an earlier ruling suspending it over the company's failure to hand over data on neo-Nazi activity.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/telegram-app-back-on-in-brazil-after-judge-lifts-suspension/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How to avoid phishing after online activity | Q&A with Patrick Marshall

The good news is that the phishing emails you receive only work if you open them or click on links. And be aware that tracking pixels can be in images embedded in emails.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-to-avoid-phishing-after-online-activity-qa-with-patrick-marshall/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

NYC transit agency pulls the brake on Twitter service alerts

The transit authority that runs subways, commuter trains and buses in New York City is giving up on a system that sent automated alerts about service disruptions through Twitter.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nyc-transit-agency-pulls-the-brake-on-twitter-service-alerts/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

NYC transit agency ends Twitter alerts, says it’s unreliable

New York City's Metropolitan Transit Agency, which for 13 years has provided real-time information on subway, train and bus service outages, delays and other important updates for its 1.3 million followers, will stop using Twitter for such alerts.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nyc-transit-agency-ends-twitter-alerts-says-its-unreliable/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Telegram CEO claims complying with Brazil order impossible

Telegram’s CEO says the company will appeal a Brazilian judge’s decision to block access to the social media platform in Brazil for failing to hand over data on neo-Nazi activity.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/telegram-ceo-claims-complying-with-brazil-order-impossible/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon profits jumped to $3.2B as it shed workers at the start of 2023

The pressure on Amazon may be easing up, company executives told investors Thursday as it reported $3.2 billion in profits for the first three months of the year.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-profits-jumped-to-3-2b-as-it-shed-workers-at-the-start-of-2023/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon stocks surge after Q1 revenue, profit wins

Amazon on Thursday reported a slowdown in its cloud computing unit AWS, but stronger-than-expected revenue and profits for the first quarter sent its stocks higher in after-hours trading.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-stocks-surge-after-q1-revenue-profit-wins/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Robots run the show as Swiss radio tests AI voices for a day

Listeners of an offbeat Swiss public radio station have been repeatedly given the message: Today’s programming is brought to you by Artificial Intelligence.

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OpenAI offers new privacy options for ChatGPT

OpenAI is letting people opt to withhold their ChatGPT conversations from use in training the artificial intelligence company's models. 

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/openai-offers-new-privacy-options-for-chatgpt/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

China pushes to digitize mines in attempt to make them safer

SHENMU, China (AP) — China is using “smart” technology to try to improve its safety record in coal mines, as part of a push by the National Energy Administration to bolster output and stem frequent accidents and collapses. Smart-mine sensors monitor aspects such as gas buildup and flooding or ventilation levels, and set off an […]

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Brazil judge orders temporary suspension of Telegram

A federal judge in Brazil on Wednesday ordered a temporary suspension of messaging app Telegram, citing the social media platform’s alleged failure to provide all information Federal Police requested on neo-Nazi chat groups.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/brazil-judge-orders-temporary-suspension-of-telegram/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Explainer: Is Microsoft still buying Activision Blizzard?

It’s not “game over” yet for Microsoft’s quest to buy the video game maker Activision Blizzard, but the software giant is starting to run out of clear pathways to complete its $69 billion takeover.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/explainer-is-microsoft-still-buying-activision-blizzard/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Elizabeth Holmes delays going to prison with another appeal

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has avoided starting her more than 11-year prison sentence.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/elizabeth-holmes-delays-going-to-prison-with-another-appeal/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Microsoft opens top cloud data processing hub in Poland

Microsoft and Poland’s officials say that the IT giant has launched a top-notch hub for cloud data storage and processing in central Poland.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft-opens-top-cloud-data-processing-hub-in-poland/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

UK blocks Microsoft-Activision gaming deal, biggest in tech

British regulators have blocked Microsoft’s $69 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard over worries that it would stifle competition in the cloud gaming market.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/uk-blocks-microsofts-activision-deal-over-competition-fears/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Ukraine launching tech cluster to boost military capability

The Ukrainian government is launching an initiative to streamline and promote innovation in the development of drones and other technologies that have been critical during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ukraine-launching-tech-cluster-to-boost-military-capability/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Japan’s Honda outlines global strategy for electric cars

Honda is gearing up for an electrification shift in North America with two models developed with General Motors going on sale next year, and a bigger EV with a new platform in 2025, a year earlier than initially announced.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/japans-honda-outlines-global-strategy-for-electric-cars/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

US cyberwarriors thwarted 2020 Iran election hacking attempt

Iranian hackers broke into to a system used by a U.S. municipal government to publish election results in 2020 but were discovered by cyber soldiers operating abroad and kicked out before an attack could be launched, according to U.S. military and cybersecurity officials.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/us-cyberwarriors-thwarted-2020-iran-election-hacking-attempt/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Driver in fatal Uber autonomous crash set for June trial

An Uber driver involved in the first death connected to a fully autonomous vehicle faces a June trial.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/driver-in-fatal-uber-autonomous-crash-set-for-june-trial/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

U.S. officials seek to crack down on harmful AI products

The federal government will “not hesitate to crack down” on harmful business practices involving artificial intelligence, the head of the Federal Trade Commission warned Tuesday in a message partly directed at the developers of widely-used AI tools such as ChatGPT.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/u-s-officials-seek-to-crack-down-on-harmful-ai-products/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Big Tech crackdown looms as EU, UK ready new rules

TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Amazon and other Big Tech companies are facing rising pressure in Europe as London and Brussels advanced new rules to curb the power of digital companies.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/big-tech-crackdown-looms-as-eu-uk-ready-new-rules/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Twitter changes stoke Russian, Chinese propaganda surge

Russia, China and Iran are exploiting recent changes at Twitter to spread disinformation faster and farther.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/twitter-changes-stoke-russian-chinese-propaganda-surge/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

New this week: David Bowie, ‘Fatal Attraction’ and Smokey

This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Smokey Robinson and The National, a live action take on the classic Peter Pan story with Jude Law as Captain Hook and the David Bowie documentary “Moonage Daydream,” which is described as a one-of-a-kind trip into the mind of the celebrated rock star.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/new-this-week-david-bowie-fatal-attraction-and-smokey/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Twitter verification reappears, but some disavow Musk’s mark

Celebrities and other high-profile Twitter users don’t know why the blue check marks reappeared — nor do some seem too happy about it.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/twitter-verification-reappears-but-some-disavow-musks-mark/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Supreme Court takes social media cases with echoes of Trump

The Supreme Court will decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/supreme-court-takes-social-media-cases-with-echoes-of-trump/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Thai craft beer fancier fined for Facebook photo, review

A court in Thailand has given a beer lover a $4,360 fine for breaking a law on advertising alcoholic beverages by posting a photo and review of a beer on Facebook.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/thai-craft-beer-fancier-fined-for-facebook-photo-review/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Insider Q&A: OpenAI CTO Mira Murati on shepherding ChatGPT

OpenAI was building a reputation in the artificial intelligence field but wasn’t a household name when Mira Murati joined the nonprofit research lab in 2018.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/insider-qa-openai-cto-mira-murati-on-shepherding-chatgpt/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

South Korea restores Japan on trade ‘white list’

South Korea has formally restored Japan to its list of countries it gives preferential treatment in trade, three years after the neighbors downgraded each other’s trade status amid a diplomatic row over historical grievances.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/south-korea-restores-japan-on-trade-white-list/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Fox’s settlement with Dominion unlikely to cost it $787.5M

Fox Corp.’s hefty $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/foxs-settlement-with-dominion-unlikely-to-cost-it-787-5m/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Turning off Gmail 2FA comes with risks | Q&A with Patrick Marshall

If you must do it, know that your email and computer will be more vulnerable to hacking.

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Chile’s plan for state control in lithium dismays business

The Chilean government’s newly announced plan to have the state take a majority stake in the lithium industry has disconcerted business leaders.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/chiles-plan-for-state-control-in-lithium-dismays-business/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Lyft gears up to make ‘significant’ layoffs under new CEO

Lyft is preparing to lay off hundreds of employees.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/lyft-gears-up-to-make-significant-layoffs-under-new-ceo/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

After 4 US price cuts, Tesla raises cost for older models

After cutting U.S. vehicle prices four times this year, Tesla raised them overnight on its slow-selling more expensive models.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/after-4-us-price-cuts-tesla-raises-cost-for-older-models/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Elon Musk’s Twitter drops government-funded media labels

Twitter has removed labels describing global media organizations are government-funded or state-affiliated.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/musks-twitter-drops-labels-for-government-funded-media/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Tableau shrinks Seattle-area offices as owner Salesforce cuts costs

Salesforce will sublease in total nearly 200,000 square feet of Tableau office space as it looks to reduce its real estate footprint.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/tableau-shrinks-seattle-area-offices-as-owner-salesforce-cuts-costs/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Twitter begins removing blue checks from users who don’t pay

After several false starts, Twitter began making good on its promise Thursday to remove the blue checks from accounts that don't pay a monthly fee to keep them.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/twitter-begins-removing-blue-checks-from-users-who-dont-pay/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Israel aims to sell missile defense system to Germany

Israel’s Defense Ministry says it has begun talks to sell an advanced missile defense system to Germany.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/israel-aims-to-sell-missile-defense-system-to-germany/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Movie theaters and streamers may end up friends, after all

Not long ago, some were predicting more and more films would be diverted from theaters and sent straight into homes.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/movie-theaters-and-streamers-may-end-up-friends-after-all/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Nokia profits down, sees economy impacting client spending

Wireless and fixed-network equipment maker Nokia has reported lower than expected profits as it warned that the current uncertain economic situation was starting to impact spending by operators and other customers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nokia-profits-down-sees-economy-impacting-client-spending/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

US Navy sails first drone through Mideast’s Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. Navy has sailed its first drone boat through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies where American sailors often faces tense encounters with Iranian forces.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/us-navy-sails-first-drone-through-mideasts-strait-of-hormuz/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

House committee hears testimony on DC health data breach

A top administrator with Washington’s health insurance exchange apologized to House members on Wednesday for the data breach that resulted in the disclosure of personal information for thousands of users, including members of Congress.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/house-committee-hears-testimony-on-dc-health-data-breach/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Price cuts cause Tesla 1Q income, profit margins to fall

Price reductions across the model lineup cut into Tesla’s first-quarter net income, causing it to fall 24% from a year ago.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/price-cuts-cause-tesla-1q-income-profit-margins-to-fall/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Are you a Facebook user? You could get some settlement cash

Anyone in the U.S. who has had a Facebook account at any time since May 24, 2007, can now apply for their share of a $725 million privacy settlement that parent company Meta has agreed to pay.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/are-you-a-facebook-user-you-could-get-some-settlement-cash/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Board OKs Microsoft data center in southeastern Wisconsin

Local leaders have approved plans for a massive Microsoft data center in a southeast Wisconsin village where the world’s largest electronics manufacturer has a huge campus.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/board-oks-microsoft-data-center-in-southeastern-wisconsin/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Free cash coming to Facebook users. Here’s how to claim your share

Parent company Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over its alleged sharing of user data. Here's what you need to know.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/free-cash-coming-to-facebook-users-heres-how-to-claim-your-share/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Twitter removes policy against deadnaming transgender people

Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.”.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/twitter-removes-policy-against-deadnaming-transgender-people/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

EU nears deal on $47B law to boost computer chip production

The European Union is closing in on approval for a plan to ramp up semiconductor production.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/eu-nears-deal-on-47b-law-to-boost-computer-chip-production/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Sweden public radio exits Twitter, says audience already has

Sweden’s public radio says it would stop being active on Twitter, but it didn't blame new labels that Elon Musk’s social media platform has slapped on public broadcasters.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/sweden-public-radio-exits-twitter-says-audience-already-has/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology