Tech
Former Sony execs laying down data security gambit to tech giants
When Kazumasa Sato was assigned to Sony Corp.'s information technology section as a fresh economics graduate in 1980, he was baffled. Maintaining an information system using IBM mainframe computers was not precisely what he envisioned doing at one of the country's most famous tech companies known for innovative products such… Read
The end-call button on your iPhone could move soon with Apple's iOS 17 change
Hanging up that phone call? The location of Apple's red end-call button is set to slightly move with upcoming iOS 17 updates to the phone app, so be wary of your thumb's muscle memory. As iPhone users know, the “End” button currently sits prominently away from other call options, in… Read
U.S. lab repeats nuclear fusion feat, with higher yield
U.S. scientists responsible for a historic nuclear fusion breakthrough say they have repeated the feat -- this time achieving a greater yield of energy. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory stunned the world in December when it announced it had carried out an experimental nuclear reaction that put out more energy… Read
Tech investor SoftBank trims losses and promises offensive turnaround
Japanese technology company SoftBank Group Corp. continued to rack up losses for the fiscal first quarter as technology investments soured amid a market downturn. But SoftBank’s April-June red ink, at 477.6 billion yen ($3.4 billion), was smaller than a year ago, when losses totaled 3.16 trillion yen ($22 billion), the… Read
Zoom, which thrived on remote work revolution, wants workers back in the office part-time
The company whose name became synonymous with remote work is joining the growing return-to-office trend. Zoom, the video conferencing pioneer, is asking employees who live within a 50-mile radius of its offices to work onsite two days a week, a company spokesperson confirmed in an email. The statement said the… Read
Recalling a wild ride with robotaxi named Peaches as regulators mull San Francisco expansion plan
I won’t forget the first time I took a ride in a car without anyone sitting in the driver’s seat. It happened one night last September when a Chevy Bolt named Peaches picked me up outside a San Francisco bar. Our ensuing half-hour ride together produced, at first, a titillating… Read
China drafts rules for using facial recognition data
Firms using facial recognition in China will be required to obtain consent or legal permission before collecting personal information, draft regulations released Tuesday said, while stipulating the rules would not apply to some bodies. China is one of the most surveilled societies on Earth, with thousands of CCTV cameras scattered… Read
Russia to launch first moon lander since 1976 in race with Indian spacecraft
Russia will launch its first lunar landing spacecraft in 47 years on Friday in a race with India to the south pole of the moon, a potential source of water to support a future human presence there. The launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome, 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow,… Read
Musk says his cage fight with Zuckerberg will be streamed on X
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the CEO of Facebook's… Read
AI gaining U.S. state lawmakers' attention, and they have a lot of questions
As state lawmakers rush to get a handle on fast-evolving artificial intelligence technology, they're often focusing first on their own state governments before imposing restrictions on the private sector. Legislators are seeking ways to protect constituents from discrimination and other harms while not hindering cutting-edge advancements in medicine, science, business,… Read
