Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from April, 2023

EU Likely to Reach Political Agreement on AI Law This Year, Says Tech Regulator Chief Vestager

The European Union is likely to reach a political agreement this year that will pave the way for the world's first major artificial intelligence ( AI ) law, the bloc's tech regulation chief Margrethe Vestager said on Sunday. This follows a preliminary deal reached on Thursday by members of the European Parliament to push through the draft of the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act to a vote by a committee of lawmakers on May 11. Parliament will then thrash out the bill's final details with EU member states and the European Commission before it becomes law. At a press conference after a Group of Seven digital ministers' meeting in Takasaki, Japan, Vestager said the EU AI Act was "pro-innovation" since it seeks to mitigate the risks of societal damage from emerging technologies. Regulators around the world have been trying to find a balance where governments could develop "guardrails" on emerging artificial intelligence technology without stifling...
Post a Comment
Read more

Elon Musk Says Twitter Will Roll Out Per-Article Payment Plan for Media Publishers

Elon Musk on Saturday announced a plan for his Twitter platform to allow media publishers to charge users on a per-article basis with a single click. "This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article," the billionaire entrepreneur said on Twitter, adding, "Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public." He said the plan would begin next month, but provided no details on exact pricing or what cut Twitter would take. The announcement came as Musk has been struggling, amid frequent controversy, to make Twitter profitable. Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click. This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article.… — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2023 Media orga...
Post a Comment
Read more

Here's What Microsoft Can Do in $69 Billion Activision Deal After UK Ban

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday blocked Microsoft's $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,64,100 crore) acquisition of Call of Duty  maker Activision Blizzard over concerns it would hinder cloud gaming . The ruling was a shock after the regulator had already resolved its concerns about the consoles market, a sector dominated by Sony 's PlayStation and Microsoft 's Xbox , which dwarfs cloud gaming. Is the deal dead? Not necessarily. Microsoft said it remained fully committed and would appeal. The regulator's decision reflected a flawed understanding of the market, it said. How does the appeal process work? Microsoft can appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), an independent judicial body, which will only examine the CMA's decision-making process, not the merits of the merger. Microsoft will not be able to offer new remedies at this stage, such as offering to keep Activision content off its Xbox Game Pass , a subscrip...
Post a Comment
Read more

MediaTek Shifts Focus to Cars, AI Amid Supply Glut in Smartphone Market

Taiwan's top chip design company MediaTek is focusing more resources on chips for cars and AI computing as its smartphone clients face a supply glut and inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty dent demand for consumer electronics. "We are definitely moving our resources very, very rapidly towards the automotive and computing areas, because those areas will provide our growth in the next three to five years," MediaTek Chief Executive Rick Tsai told an earnings call. "In this very demanding environment, we are not reducing people. We're not increasing either. The critical thing is to allocate those precious resources," he said. Tsai said everyone, including MediaTek, was rushing to claim that they were able to support generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT . "We're confident that we will be able to provide the capability to our customers," Tsai said. MediaTek is investing heavily in AI because the new areas the company is foc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Amazon Records $3.2 Billion in Quarterly Profits as Revenue Climbs 9 Percent on Back of Cloud, Ads Units

Online retail titan Amazon on Thursday reported that its cloud and ads units helped it beat earnings expectations in the first quarter of this year despite shoppers and businesses being more careful about spending. "For the first time in several quarters, Amazon may finally have a bit of wind at its back," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Andrew Lipsman. Amazon shares spiked more than 10 percent shortly after release of the earnings figures, only to sink slightly below the day's closing price as it warned that customers were remaining watchful of their budgets. Amazon reported a profit of $3.2 billion (roughly Rs. 26,162 crore) on revenue that climbed 9 percent to $127.4 billion (roughly Rs. 10,41,616 crore) in the quarter. The net income was about a billion dollars more than analysts had forecast. "There's a lot to like about how our teams are delivering for customers, particularly amidst an uncertain economy," said Amazon chief executive s...
Post a Comment
Read more

iPhones, AirPods Replaced With Replicas by E-Commerce Delivery Executive in Gurugram

A delivery executive of an e-commerce firm allegedly stole 10 iPhones by replacing them with dummy phones on the way to deliver them to the customer here, police said on Thursday. Station in-charge of Matrix Finance Solution, which delivers Amazon 's parcel, Ravi in his complaint alleged that on March 27 delivery executive Lalit was handed over a customer's parcel, which contained 10 iPhones and an AirPods , at his address, they said. However, instead of delivering the parcel, Lalit replaced the iPhones with replicas and sent his brother Manoj to deposit them back to the company claiming that the customer could not be contacted, Ravi said in his complaint. Suspecting some tampering with the packaging, the parcel was opened and the delivery company found the fake phones inside, police said. Meanwhile, upon not receiving his parcel, the customer also cancelled his order, they said. An FIR has been registered against Lalit under sections 420 (cheating), 408 (criminal breach ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Microsoft, Alphabet, Other AI Companies Urged to Prioritize Security Measures for New Technologies

The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday urged CEOs of several artificial intelligence (AI) companies to prioritize security measures, combat bias, and responsibly roll out new technologies. Democratic Senator Mark Warner raised concerns about potential risks posed by AI technology. "Beyond industry commitments, however, it is also clear that some level of regulation is necessary in this field," said Warner, who sent letters to the CEOs of OpenAI , Scale AI,  Meta Platforms ,  Alphabet 's Google , Apple , Stability AI, Midjourney, Anthropic, Percipient.ai, and Microsoft . "With the increasing use of AI across large swaths of our economy, and the possibility for large language models to be steadily integrated into a range of existing systems, from healthcare to finance sectors, I see an urgent need to underscore the importance of putting security at the forefront of your work," Warner said. Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck S...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Flash Trailer: Michael Keaton’s Batman Springs Into Action in a Multiversal Battle

The Flash just got a new trailer in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. At this year's CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, Warner Bros. dropped the second trailer for the standalone 'Scarlet Speedster' movie, which will serve as the reset point for the DC Universe, drawing inspiration from the Flashpoint storyline. Michael Keaton's Batman gets a lot more screentime here, as he touches upon the often talked about pas of Bruce Wayne, and teams up with the two Barry Allens (Ezra Miller) on a dangerous mission to thwart General Zod. The Flash releases June 16 in theatres worldwide, with the release having been brought forward to avoid clashing with Disney's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny . The Flash trailer The trailer for The Flash opens with a voiceover from Bruce Wayne ( Keaton ), as we see two versions of Barry Allen ( Miller ) walking through the mist into Wayne Manor. “I lost my parents. That pain made me who I am,” he says, as we're treated to glimpses o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Apple vs Epic Games: US Appeals Court Says Apple's App Store Rules Don't Violate Antitrust Law

A US appeals court on Monday upheld a federal court's order that could force Apple to change payment practices in its App Store. Apple said it may appeal the decision. The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeal upheld a 2021 order in an antitrust case brought by " Fortnite " creator Epic Games that could require Apple to allow developers to provide links and buttons for third-party in-app payment options and avoid paying sales commissions to the iPhone maker. Apple shares ended the day up slightly at $165.33 (roughly Rs. 13,500). The appeals court sided with Apple on nine other matters in the case, agreeing with the trial court that Apple's App Store rules do not violate antitrust laws and allowing its commissions of up 30 percent for in-app payments to stand. "For the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple abides by antitrust laws at the state and federal levels," Apple said in a statement. "We respectfully disagree with the court...
Post a Comment
Read more

Big Tech to Face New Law Designed to Strengthen UK's Competition Watchdog

Britain said on Tuesday it would introduce a new law to rein in the power that big tech companies such as Google , Facebook and Amazon are able to wield to stifle competition in digital markets. The legislation will also bolster protection for consumers by making it easier to opt out of online subscriptions and by making it easier to tackle fake reviews, the government said. Britain's antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), set up a dedicated Digital Markets Unit two years ago, armed with the expertise to regulate new markets, such as social media. But it has lacked the legal "teeth" to underpin its remit. The bill, once passed by parliament, will rectify that by giving the DMU new powers over tech companies that have a global turnover of more $31.2 billion (roughly Rs. 2,55,673 crore) or a British turnover above GBP 1 billion (roughly Rs. 10,229 crore). The European Union last year brought in its own law to tackle big tech's dominance,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Samsung Faces $303 Million Jury Verdict for Patent Infringement

Computer-memory company Netlist convinced a federal jury in Texas on Friday to award it more than $303 million (roughly Rs. 2,500 crore) for Samsung Electronics 's infringement of several patents related to improvements in data processing. The jury in Marshall, Texas determined after a six-day trial that Samsung's "memory modules" for high-performance computing willfully infringed all five patents that Netlist accused the Korean tech giant of violating. Representatives for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Netlist stock was up 21 percent following the verdict on Friday afternoon. Irvine, California-based Netlist sued Samsung in 2021, alleging Samsung memory products used in cloud-computing servers and other data-intensive technology infringe its patents. Netlist said its innovations increase the power efficiency of memory modules and allow users to "derive useful information from vast amounts of data in a shorter period of tim...
Post a Comment
Read more

SpaceX Starship Explodes Minutes After Liftoff; Elon Musk Says ‘Learned a Lot’

SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft exploded minutes after liftoff in an uncrewed test flight from South Texas on Thursday, cutting short a key step in Elon Musk's development of a rocket vessel to eventually take humans to the moon and Mars. The flight test was the first for Starship mounted atop the company's new Super Heavy rocket, and the first launch ever for that lower-stage booster, which SpaceX has touted as the most powerful launch vehicle on Earth. Even though the two-stage rocket ship made it less than halfway to the edge of space, climbing to just under 25 miles (40 km), the flight achieved a primary objective of getting the new vehicle off the ground at liftoff despite some of its engines failing. While SpaceX officials were heartened by the outcome, the mission fell short of reaching several objectives. The plan was for Starship to soar into space at least 90 some miles (150 km) above Earth before it would re-enter the atmosphere and plunge int...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meta Lays Off Engineers, Adjacent Tech Teams as Employees Express Frustration With Job Cuts

Meta Platforms on Wednesday carried out another round of job cuts, this time hitting engineers and adjacent tech teams, as Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg further moved to streamline the business in a bid to make 2023 a "year of efficiency." Meta in March became the first Big Tech company to announce a second round of mass layoffs, which it said would take place in three main batches over several months and impact 10,000 employees. Wednesday's cuts, though expected, prompted expressions of frustration from Meta employees. Layoffs were the subject of the most popular questions posted on an internal company forum on Wednesday ahead of an upcoming employee town hall. "You've shattered the morale and confidence in leadership of many high performers who work with intensity. Why should we stay at Meta?" read one question seen by Reuters. The question references comments Zuckerberg made last year urging employees to work with more "intensity" to me...
Post a Comment
Read more

Google Wins Appeal in $20 Million Patent Lawsuit Over Chrome's Anti-Malware Technology

Alphabet's Google on Tuesday convinced a US appeals court to cancel three anti-malware patents at the heart of a Texas jury's $20 million (roughly Rs. 163 crore) infringement verdict against the company. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said that Alfonso Cioffi and Allen Rozman's patents were invalid because they contained inventions that were not included in an earlier version of the patent. Google spokesperson José Castañeda said the company appreciated the decision. Representatives for the inventors did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cioffi and the late Rozman's daughters sued Google in East Texas federal court in 2013, alleging anti-malware functions in Google's Chrome web browser infringed their patents for technology that prevents malware from accessing critical files on a computer. A jury decided in 2017 that Google infringed the patents and awarded the plaintiffs $20 million (roughly Rs. 163 crore) plus ongoing royalti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Don’t Regulate AI with One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Experts Suggest Flexible Rules Besides Digital India Act

Kritika Seth, Founding Partner, Victoriam Legalis-Advocates & Solicitors, said though the Digital India Act could help address some of the legal and ethical challenges associated with AI systems in India, a legal framework alone may not be enough to address all complexities from Top Tech News- News18.com https://ift.tt/ziTIaH8
Post a Comment
Read more

Apple BKC Store Opening Live Updates: Tim Cook To Be There At India’s First Apple Store Launch

After years of waiting, Apple’s first store in India is opening to the public on April 18, 11AM onwards. The store is named Apple BKC and Apple CEO Tim Cook will be present at the opening of the store and he is also expected to interact with some visitors. Stay tuned to this space for live updates. from Top Tech News- News18.com https://ift.tt/f6P2Agz
Post a Comment
Read more

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5 to Offer Easier Battery Replacements: Report

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 are expected to go official in August during the company's Galaxy Unpacked event. Ahead of the official debut, a new report surrounding these flagship Samsung foldable smartphones suggests their battery specifications. The battery pack of Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 reportedly appeared on the South Korean certification body Safety Korea suggesting their battery model numbers. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is said to carry two batteries with model numbers EB-BF731ABY and EB-BF732ABY. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 could also pack two batteries with model numbers EB-BF946ABY and EB-BF947ABY. They are said to come with a pull tab to make battery replacement easier. As per a report by GalaxyClub (Dutch), the batteries of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 have been certified by the South Korean safety certification authority. The Galaxy Z Fold 5's battery pack reportedly appeared on the site with model numbers EB-BF946ABY and EB-BF947ABY. The...
Post a Comment
Read more

Twitter Launches User Content Subscriptions; Elon Musk Says Platform Won’t Take Cut for 12 Months

Twitter -owner Elon Musk said on Thursday users of the social media platform will be able to offer their followers subscriptions to content, including long-form text and hours-long video. Users offering the subscription, a feature they can access through the "Monetization" tab in settings, will get all the money subscribers pay apart from the charges platforms such as Android and iOS levy. Twitter will not take a cut for the first 12 months. "That's 70 percent for subscriptions on iOS & Android (they charge 30 percent) and ~92 percent on web (could be better, depending on payment processor)," Musk said in a tweet, adding Twitter will also help promote the creators' work and maximize earnings. Google rejected Musk's claim in an email to Reuters and said it had lowered the service fee for all subscriptions on Google Play to 15 percent from 30 percent in 2022. Musk has been bringing in changes to boost revenue at Twitter after the social media pl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Twitter Tells Karnataka HC Its Petition Against MeitY's Content Takedown Orders Are Maintainable

Social media company Twitter on Wednesday informed the High Court of Karnataka that its petition challenging the various takedown orders of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was maintainable, as the concept of reasonableness in Article 19 of the Constitution of India pertaining to Freedom of Speech was applicable to it. Advocate Manu Kulkarni, appearing for Twitter, submitted to the single-judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit that the Supreme Court in the 'Shreya Singhal case' had interpreted that Section 69A of the Information Technology Act incorporated Article 19 of the Constitution. I have my office in Bengaluru and services are provided in India, so I am carrying on business in India," he argued. The high court on Monday asked the Central government and Twitter to clarify the issue of how Indian entities would be treated in the US and foreign jurisdictions on such issues. On Wednesday Twitter informed the high court that under Arti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Croma Summer Travel Essentials Sale 2023: Top Deals on Smartwatches, Power Banks, More

Are you planning a trip anytime soon? If so, you don't want to miss Croma's Summer Travel Essentials sale! Croma is offering up to 50 percent off on a wide range of summer travel essentials. From smartwatches and backpacks to headphones and power banks, there's something for everyone. And if that's not enough, you may also get an additional 10 percent instant discount, up to Rs. 2,500, when you use your HDFC, Federal, HSBC, or ICICI Bank credit or debit card. Read on to see more about some of the fantastic deals: URBN 20,000mAh 12W Fast Charging Power Bank The URBN 20,000mAh 12W Fast Charging Power Bank is a powerful and convenient option for travellers. It has a large 20,000mAh battery and fast charging technology, allowing you to charge your devices quickly. The power bank can charge two devices simultaneously with its two USB Type-A power output ports, and it has both USB Type-C and Micro USB Type-B power input ports for versatility. With four layers of protection,...
Post a Comment
Read more