Month: May 2023
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The EU and UK are preparing to implement new regulations, signaling an upcoming crackdown on Big Tech companies.
TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Amazon are facing rising pressure from European authorities as London and Brussels advanced new rules this week to curb the power of digital companies. They’re among those on a list of the 19 biggest online platforms and search engines that the European Union’s executive arm said must meet extra obligations…
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The UK has prevented the largest technology acquisition in history, involving Microsoft and Activision, in the gaming industry.
British antitrust regulators this week blocked Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard, thwarting the biggest tech deal in history over worries that it would stifle competition for popular titles like Call of Duty in the fast-growing cloud gaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority said in its final report that “the…
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A biographical movie about Little Richard honors his legacy as a trailblazer in the world of rock music.
The king of rock ‘n’ roll didn’t die at Graceland in 1977. He died just three years ago in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and he never really got the crown he deserved. That’s the persuasive case made by Lisa Cortés’ documentary “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” an insightful biography of an unlikely hero who emerged in the…
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Alphabet’s first-quarter results were affected by the continued decline in Google’s advertising revenue.
Google’s advertising malaise persisted during the first quarter while the internet company also grapples with advancements in artificial intelligence technology that threaten to undercut its dominant search engine. An unprecedented downturn in Google’s digital ad revenue – the company’s main moneymaker for more than 20 years – came into sharper focus with the release of…
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US authorities are aiming to take strong action against AI products that are considered to be detrimental.
The U.S. government will “not hesitate to crack down” on harmful business practices involving artificial intelligence, the head of the Federal Trade Commission warned in a message partly directed at the developers of widely-used AI tools such as ChatGPT. FTC Chair Lina Khan joined top officials from U.S. civil rights and consumer protection agencies to…
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As Microsoft advances AI, it announces an increase in profits and revenue.
Microsoft reported a 9% increase in profit for the January-March quarter, as growth in cloud computing sales helped bolster its plans to expand its use of artificial intelligence. The company reported quarterly profit of $18.3 billion, or $2.45 per share, beating Wall Street expectations for earnings of $2.24 a share. The software maker posted revenue…
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The court of appeals affirms Apple’s authority over the iPhone app store.
An appeals court upheld Apple’s exclusive control over the distribution of iPhone apps, rejecting the latest attempt to force one of the world’s most powerful companies to dismantle the digital walls protecting its most lucrative product. The 92-page decision issued by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirmed the findings of a lower-court…
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Prominent Twitter users distance themselves from Musk due to his stance on the verification process being reinstated.
Celebrities, professional athletes and other high-profile Twitter users are once again being verified by the social media platform and they don’t know why their blue check marks reappeared — nor do they seem too happy about it. Twitter removed the blue marks last week from accounts that don’t pay a monthly fee. But the check…
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Metropolitan areas are revitalizing their downtown districts by repurposing office spaces into residential units.
On the 31st floor of what was once a towering office building in downtown Manhattan, construction workers lay down steel bracing for what will soon anchor a host of residential amenities: a catering station, lounge, fire pit and gas grills. The building, empty since 2021, is being converted to 588 market-rate rental apartments that will…
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Following a slow start to the year, airlines anticipate a profitable summer season.
Most U.S. airlines lost money in the first quarter, traditionally the weakest time of year for travel, but they are all eagerly looking ahead to a summer of full planes and high fares. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines said Thursday that they expect to be solidly profitable in the second quarter. They joined Delta Air…