Technology category, Page 22
Meta disables Russian propaganda network targeting Europe
A sprawling disinformation network originating in Russia sought to use hundreds of fake social media accounts and dozens of sham news websites to spread Kremlin talking points about the invasion of Ukraine, Meta revealed Tuesday. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it identified and disabled the operation before...
As TikTok eats the world, YouTube makes a bid for creators’ hearts — and wallets
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — Gathered in the company’s historic Spruce Goose hangar Tuesday morning, a host of YouTube leaders laid out a roadmap for the platform’s evolving relationship with both video creators and the music industry, announcing new monetization tools and industry partnerships in the cavernous event space where Howard...
Serious breach at Uber spotlights hacker social deception
The ride-hailing service Uber said Friday that all its services were operational following what security professionals are calling a major data breach, claiming there was no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data. But the breach, apparently by a lone hacker, put the spotlight on an increasingly effective...
As data centers proliferate, neighbors knock the noise
MANASSAS, Va. — In a universe of cloud computing, northern Virginia might be in a perpetual fog. More of the data centers that feed the cloud are clustered in the region outside the nation’s capital than anywhere else in the world. As cloud computing — which enables data storage and...
Cheaper electric vehicles coming despite high battery costs
WARREN, Mich. — Even though battery costs are rising, auto companies are rolling out more affordable electric vehicles that should widen their appeal to a larger group of buyers. The latest came Thursday from General Motors, a Chevrolet Equinox small SUV with a starting price somewhere around $30,000 and a...
Apple maintains prices on new iPhones despite inflation
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple’s latest lineup of iPhones will boast better cameras, faster processors and a longer lasting battery at the same prices as last year’s model, despite the inflationary pressure that has driven up the cost of many other everyday items. That decision, revealed Wednesday during Apple’s first in-person...
KeyBank: Hackers of third-party provider stole customer data
BOSTON — Hackers stole personal data including Social Security numbers, addresses and account numbers of home mortgage holders at KeyBank, the bank reports, in the breach of a third-party vendor that serves multiple corporate clients. The hackers obtained the information on July 5 after breaking into computers at the insurance...
FTC investigating Amazon’s $3.9B purchase of One Medical
NEW YORK — The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Amazon’s $3.9 billion acquisition of the primary health organization One Medical, a move that could delay the completion of the deal. Both One Medical and Amazon received a request for additional information Friday in connection with an FTC review of the...
Southwestern Pa. awarded $63M to boost robotics and AI industries in region
Southwestern Pennsylvania has secured a $62.7 million federal grant that local officials hope will boost the region’s robotics and artificial intelligence industries and allow small businesses to take advantage of that growth. The White House announced Thursday the newly formed Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative will receive its funding through...
Musk cites whistleblower as new reason to exit Twitter deal
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Twitter lobbed more accusations at each other Tuesday in the latest round of legal filings over Musk’s efforts to rescind his offer to buy the social media platform. Musk filed more paperwork in his bid to terminate the deal, this time based on information in...
Tesla hopes new investors go for the ride after stock split
NEW YORK — Unlike its cars, Tesla shares are about to get less expensive. Tesla is splitting its stock 3 for 1, so after the close of trading Tuesday, investors will receive two additional Tesla shares for every one they owned as of Aug. 17. In theory, that should drop...
Meta reveals future of realistic avatars at offices in Pittsburgh
The future of ultra-realistic human avatars has started, and technology for it is being developed in Pittsburgh. Meta, the Menlo Park, Calif.- based global tech company that operates Facebook, Oculus and other tech firms, provided a media tour of its Strip District offices on Tuesday. The company moved into the...
Don’t dawdle with latest iPhone update. Here’s why and how
Apple regularly issues updates to the software powering the iPhone, and sometimes it’s OK to dawdle when it comes to installing them. But that’s not the case with its latest — an upgrade that Apple released Wednesday to close a security hole that could allow hackers to seize control of...
Elon Musk sells $7B in Tesla shares ahead of Twitter fight
Elon Musk has sold nearly $7 billion worth of shares in Tesla as the billionaire gets his finances in order ahead of his court battle with Twitter. Musk disclosed in series of regulatory filings that he unloaded about 8 million shares of his company Tesla Inc. in recent days. “In...
Former Twitter worker convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia
SAN FRANCISCO — A former Twitter employee has been convicted of failing to register as an agent for Saudi Arabia and other charges after accessing private data on users critical of the kingdom’s government in a spy case that spanned from Silicon Valley to the Middle East. Ahmad Abouammo, a...
Billions pour into bioplastics as markets begin ramping up
CLEVELAND — In a world increasingly troubled by the persistent harm that plastic — manufactured in petrochemical plants — has had on the environment, companies are investing billions of dollars to ramp up production of plastics made from natural, renewable materials that can be safely composted or can biodegrade under...
‘We want to fill this program’: Seton Hill to launch varsity esports program this fall
Seton Hill track and field athlete Logan Lindenmuth will become a multi-sport athlete this fall. With the Greensburg university adapting its unofficial gaming club into a varsity program in the coming academic year, Lindenmuth — a rising junior studying computer science — will be among the first official esports players...
Amazon to buy vacuum maker iRobot for roughly $1.7B
NEW YORK — Amazon on Friday announced it has agreed to acquire the vacuum cleaner maker iRobot for about $1.7 billion, scooping up another company to add to its collection of smart home appliances amid broader concerns about the company’s market power. iRobot sells its products worldwide and is most...
Twitter responds to Elon Musk’s claims, calls them ‘excuses’
SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter denied in a court filing that it had deprived its would-be acquirer, billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, of necessary information or misrepresented details about its business. Musk originally made those charges to justify his attempt to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy...
New crypto oversight legislation arrives as industry shakes
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday proposed a bill to regulate cryptocurrencies, the latest attempt by Congress to formulate ideas on how to oversee a multibillion-dollar industry that has been racked by collapsing prices and lenders halting operations. The regulations offered by Senate Agriculture Committee chair Debbie...
Amazon to buy primary care provider One Medical for $3.9B
NEW YORK — Amazon will acquire the primary care organization One Medical in a deal valued roughly at $3.9 billion, marking another expansion for the retailer into health care services. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant said Thursday it is buying One Medical for $18 per share cash. Its one of Amazon’s...
Facebook gives users new way to see all their friends’ posts
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Facebook is rolling out an update that enables its 2 billion daily users to more easily view their friends’ posts in chronological order. The new feature is the company’s latest attempt to keep people coming back to its social network amid intensifying competition with its trendier...
Amazon sues admins of 10K Facebook groups over fake reviews
Amazon has filed a lawsuit against administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups it accuses of coordinating fake reviews in exchange for money or free products. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant said in a statement posted on its website Tuesday the Facebook groups were set up to recruit people “willing to...
Twitter-Musk takeover dispute heading for an October trial
Tesla CEO Elon Musk lost his fight to delay Twitter’s lawsuit against him as a Delaware judge on Tuesday set an October trial, citing the “cloud of uncertainty” over the social media company after the billionaire backed out of a deal to buy it. “Delay threatens irreparable harm,” said Chancellor...
Crypto plunge is cautionary tale for public pension funds
MINNEAPOLIS — When the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund bought $25 million in cryptocurrencies, with the fund’s chief investment officer touting their potential, retired fire Capt. Russell Harris was concerned. Harris, 62, has attended the funerals of 34 firefighters killed in the line of duty. He was already worried...
