Ransomware attack disables computers at blood center serving 250 hospitals in southeast US

A not-for-profit blood center serving much of the southeastern United States is facing a ransomware attack.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/ransomware-attack-disables-computers-at-blood-center-serving-250-hospitals-in-southeast-us/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Delta CEO says airline is facing $500 million in costs from global tech outage last week

Delta CEO Ed Bastian says the airline is facing $500 million in costs for the global technology breakdown last week.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/delta-ceo-says-airline-is-facing-500-million-in-costs-from-global-tech-outage-last-week/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Etsy plans to test its first-ever loyalty program as it aims to boost sales

Etsy says it will begin testing its first-ever loyalty program in September.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/etsy-plans-to-test-its-first-ever-loyalty-program-as-it-aims-to-boost-sales/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Samsung posts a 15-fold increase in operating profits in last quarter

Samsung Electronics Co. has reported a 15-fold increase in its operating profit for the second quarter this year.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/samsung-posts-a-15-fold-increase-in-operating-profits-in-last-quarter/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Full-time scientist and part-time basketball player Canyon Barry chases gold in 3×3 at Paris Games

Canyon Barry is a part-time basketball player.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/full-time-scientist-canyon-barry-and-part-time-basketball-player-chases-gold-in-3x3-at-paris-games/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces scrutiny from UK competition watchdog

Britain’s competition watchdog said Tuesday it’s looking into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, adding fresh regulatory scrutiny to investment money flooding into the AI industry.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/googles-partnership-with-ai-startup-anthropic-faces-scrutiny-from-uk-competition-watchdog/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Tesla recalling more than 1.8M vehicles due to hood issue

Tesla is recalling more than 1.8 million vehicles because of a hood issue that could increase the risk of a crash.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tesla-recalling-more-than-1-8m-vehicles-due-to-hood-issue/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Insider Q&A: LinkedIn is bullish on AI. Will that help job seekers?

Like many other tech companies, LinkedIn is all in on artificial intelligence systems that can create text, images and other media in response to queries.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/insider-qa-linkedin-is-bullish-on-ai-will-that-help-job-seekers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Seattle area leads the world in big new tech office leases

The region's office market is a shell of its former self. But lately it's seen a surge in tech companies leasing more than they have in four years.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/seattle-area-leads-the-world-in-big-new-tech-office-leases/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Vandalism hits communication lines in France during Paris Olympics

The French government says multiple telecommunications lines have been hit by acts of vandalism, affecting fiber lines and fixed and mobile phone lines as cities around France are hosting events for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/vandalism-hits-communication-lines-in-france-during-paris-olympics/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

What to stream this week: Zendaya hits aces, Orville Peck duets and Elizabeth Taylor sparkles

This week’s new streaming entertainment releases include an EP from country-turned-pop singer Maren Morris, Léa Seydoux and George MacKay lead the intriguing French sci-fi “The Beast,” and an HBO documentary lets Elizabeth Taylor tell her story by relying on 40 hours of recently discovered audio.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/what-to-stream-this-week-zendaya-hits-aces-orville-peck-duets-and-elizabeth-taylor-sparkles/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

A manipulated video shared by Musk mimics Harris’ voice, raising concerns about AI in politics

A manipulated video that mimics the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris saying things she did not say is raising concerns about the power of artificial intelligence to mislead just three months away from November’s elections.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/a-manipulated-video-shared-by-musk-mimics-harris-voice-raising-concerns-about-ai-in-politics/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Data centers guzzle power, threatening WA’s clean energy push

Some Washington utility officials might face a daunting choice: violate a state green energy law limiting fossil fuel use or risk rolling blackouts.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/power-hungry-how-the-data-center-boom-drained-wa-of-hydropower/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Inslee vetoed a study of data center power use. Here’s what other states are doing

Like Washington, other states have struggled to meet the ravenous power demands of data centers, but in some cases have take stronger steps to prepare.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/how-other-states-are-responding-to-a-data-center-driven-power-crunch/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Can tech help solve the Los Angeles homeless crisis? Finding shelter may someday be a click away

Can tech help solve Southern California's homeless crisis.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/can-tech-help-solve-the-los-angeles-homeless-crisis-finding-shelter-may-someday-be-a-click-away/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple has reached its first-ever union contract with store employees in Maryland

Apple has reached a tentative collective bargaining contract with the first unionized company store in the country.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/apple-has-reached-its-first-ever-union-contract-with-store-employees-in-maryland/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Technology’s grip on modern life is pushing us down a dimly lit path of digital land mines

“Move fast and break things,” a high-tech mantra popularized 20 years ago by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was supposed to be a rallying cry for game-changing innovation.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technologys-grip-on-modern-life-is-pushing-us-down-a-dimly-lit-path-of-digital-land-mines/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Critically low Northwest blood banks hurt by CrowdStrike outage

Northwest blood banks are in critically low supply, in part because of the recent CrowdStrike outage that led to scheduling issues and delayed shipments. 

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/critically-low-northwest-blood-banks-hurt-by-crowdstrike-outage/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Justice Department defends group’s right to sue over AI robocalls sent to New Hampshire voters

The federal Justice Department is defending the legal right to challenge robocalls sent to New Hampshire voters that used artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/justice-department-defends-groups-right-to-sue-over-ai-robocalls-sent-to-new-hampshire-voters/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

CrowdStrike failure demonstrates the risk of an interconnected world

The recent IT outage shows the perils of our interconnected world, columnist Jon Talton writes.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/crowdstrike-failure-demonstrates-the-risk-of-an-interconnected-world/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

One Tech Tip: To hide your internet activity or your IP address, use a virtual private network

VPNs should be a part of most people's internet security toolbox. For rookie users, they can initially seem technically bewildering. Here are the basics.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/one-tech-tip-to-hide-your-internet-activity-or-your-ip-address-use-a-virtual-private-network/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Meta’s Oversight Board says deepfake policies need update and response to explicit image fell short

Meta's Oversight Board says the company failed to take down an AI-generated intimate image of an Indian female public figure that violated its policies until the board got involved.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/metas-oversight-board-says-deepfake-policies-need-update-and-response-to-explicit-image-fell-short/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Small stocks are about to take over? Wall Street has heard that before.

After getting trounced by their larger rivals for years, some of the smallest stocks on Wall Street have shown much more life recently.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/small-stocks-are-about-to-take-over-wall-street-has-heard-that-before/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Japanese automaker Nissan lowers its profit forecast amid incentive, inventory woes

Nissan has lowered its full fiscal year outlook after the Japanese automaker reported a 73% decline in profit in the April-June quarter compared to the previous year.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/japanese-automaker-nissan-lowers-its-profit-forecast-amid-incentive-inventory-woes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Appeals judges rule against fund used to provide phone services for rural and low-income people

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has ruled unconstitutional a method the Federal Communications Commission uses to fund telephone and broadband services for rural and low-income users.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/appeals-judges-rule-against-fund-used-to-provide-phone-services-for-rural-and-low-income-people/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Delta Air Lines expects outage-related cancellations to end by Thursday, CEO says

The chief executive of Delta Air Lines expects flight cancellations and delays that resulted from a global technology breakdown last week to be resolved by Thursday.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/delta-air-lines-expects-outage-related-cancellations-to-end-by-thursday-ceo-says/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Crowdstrike blames bug for letting bad data slip through, leading to global tech outage

Crowdstrike has blamed a bug in an update that allowed its cybersecurity systems to push bad data out to millions of customer computers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/crowdstrike-blames-update-for-letting-bad-data-slip-through-causing-global-tech-outage/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Meta takes down thousands of Facebook accounts running sextortion scams from Nigeria

Meta says it has removed about 63,000 accounts engaging in financial sextortion scams — along with Facebook groups and pages that were trying to organize, recruit and train new scammers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/meta-takes-down-thousands-of-facebook-accounts-running-sextortion-scams-from-nigeria/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google’s corporate parent still prospering amid shift injecting more AI technology in search

Google’s corporate parent Alphabet Inc. delivered another quarter of steady growth amid an AI-driven shift in the ubiquitous search engine that is the foundation of its internet empire.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/googles-corporate-parent-still-prospering-amid-shift-injecting-more-ai-technology-in-search/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Cyber security startup Wiz reportedly rejects $23 billion acquisition proposal from Google

Wiz, a cloud security firm based in New York, has rejected a proposed $23 billion acquisition deal offered by Google parent Alphabet, according to a Wiz memo seen by CNBC.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/cyber-security-startup-wiz-reportedly-rejects-23-billion-acquisition-proposal-from-google/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google makes abrupt U-turn by dropping plan to remove ad-tracking cookies on Chrome browser

Google is dropping plans to eliminate cookies from its Chrome web browser, making a sudden U-turn on four years of work to phase out the technology that tracks users for ad purposes.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/google-makes-abrupt-u-turn-by-dropping-plan-to-remove-ad-tracking-cookies-on-chrome-browser/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

South Korean tech giant Kakao’s founder arrested in stock price manipulation case

South Korean prosecutors have arrested the founder of the country’s tech giant Kakao Corp. on suspicion of stock price rigging during his company’s takeover of a major K-pop agency last year.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/south-korean-tech-giant-kakaos-founder-arrested-in-stock-price-manipulation-case/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Philippine president orders shutdown of Chinese-run online gambling industry employing thousands

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an immediate ban on widespread and mostly Chinese-run online gaming operations in the Philippines accusing them of venturing into crimes, including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnapping and murder.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/philippine-president-orders-shutdown-of-chinese-run-online-gambling-outfits-employing-thousands/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How a network of tech billionaires helped JD Vance leap into power

Vance spent less than five years in Silicon Valley’s tech industry, but the connections he made with Peter Thiel and others became crucial to his political ascent.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/how-a-network-of-tech-billionaires-helped-jd-vance-leap-into-power/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Small businesses grapple with global tech outages created by CrowdStrike

Businesses from airlines to hospitals have been grappling with faulty software update that caused technological havoc worldwide on Friday.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/small-businesses-grapple-with-global-tech-outages-created-by-crowdstrike/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Meet the new robot aiming to help WA surgeons improve patient outcomes

Doctors across the U.S. are coming to Washington to see the new sleek, four-armed surgical robot aiming to improve efficiency and outcomes for patients.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/meet-the-new-robot-aiming-to-help-wa-surgeons-improve-patient-outcomes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

What to know about the Kids Online Safety Act and its chances of passing

The last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was in 1998 — before Facebook, before the iPhone and long before today’s oldest teenagers were born.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/what-to-know-about-the-kids-online-safety-act-and-its-chances-of-passing/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

California officials say largest trial court in US victim of ransomware attack

California officials say that a ransomware attack has shut down the computer system of the largest trial court in the country.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/california-officials-say-largest-trial-court-in-us-victim-of-ransomware-attack/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Capitol Hill Block Party lineup shifts with CrowdStrike-caused flight delays

Flight delays related to the global CrowdStrike debacle have caused lineup changes for this weekend's Capitol Hill Block Party music festival. Here's the deal.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/capitol-hill-block-party-lineup-shifts-with-crowdstrike-caused-flight-delays/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

8.5 million computers running Windows affected by faulty update from CrowdStrike

As the world continues to recover from massive business and travel disruptions caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, malicious actors are trying to exploit the situation for their own gain.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/8-5-million-computers-running-windows-affected-by-faulty-update-from-crowdstrike/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Tech outage latest | Airlines rush to get back on track after global tech disruption

Transport providers, businesses and governments are rushing to get all their systems back online after long disruptions following a widespread technology outage.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tech-outage-latest-airlines-rush-to-get-back-on-track-after-global-tech-disruption/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How global tech outage is affecting Sea-Tac Airport flights, Seattle area

Systems at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle Children's and more are impacted.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/how-global-tech-outage-is-affecting-sea-tac-airport-flights-seattle-area/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Besides the big three, plenty of other Fortune 500 companies power WA economy

The Puget Sound region might be best known for planes, software, online retail and coffee, but there are many more companies that help drive our economy.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/besides-the-big-three-plenty-of-other-fortune-500-companies-power-wa-economy/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Microsoft users worldwide report widespread outages affecting banks, airlines and broadcasters

Microsoft says users worldwide may be unable to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services, in a widespread outage reportedly connected to the U.S. cybersecurity company Crowdstrike.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft-users-worldwide-report-widespread-outages-affecting-banks-airlines-and-broadcasters/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

NASA cancels its moon rover mission, citing cost overruns and launch delays

NASA is canceling a water-seeking moon rover because of cost overruns and launch delays.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/nasa-cancels-its-moon-rover-mission-citing-cost-overruns-and-launch-delays/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Artists are taking things into their own hands to protect their work from generative AI

As image-generating AI continues to evolve, artists are increasingly fighting against what they see as an existential threat to their craft.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/artists-are-taking-things-into-their-own-hands-to-protect-their-work-from-generative-ai/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Nokia sees double-digit fall in Q2 profit, sales in weak 5G market but sees improved 2nd half

Wireless and fixed-network equipment maker Nokia has reported a double-digit fall in profit and sales in the second quarter due to a continuing weak market as clients are holding off investments in 5G technology.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nokia-sees-double-digit-fall-in-q2-profit-sales-in-weak-5g-market-but-sees-improved-2nd-half/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Big Tech stocks hammered as political concerns mount in markets

The world's largest technology companies got hammered as concern about tighter U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China spurred a selloff in the industry.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/big-tech-stocks-hammered-as-political-concerns-mount-in-markets/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Blade collapse, New York launch and New Jersey research show uneven progress of offshore wind

Three events Wednesday highlighted the uneven progress of the offshore wind industry in the northeastern U.S. They include the start of the Sunrise Wind project in New York, research aimed at preventing environmental damage in New Jersey, and a temporary shutdown of a wind farm in Massachusetts after a broken turbine blade washed ashore in Nantucket.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/blade-collapse-new-york-launch-and-new-jersey-research-show-uneven-progress-of-offshore-wind/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Is this the craziest sneaker you have ever seen?

On and Hellen Obiri are taking the running-shoe game to a whole new level. Yes, spray-on shoes are happening.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/is-this-the-craziest-sneaker-you-have-ever-seen/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology