Technology category, Page 31
Samsung’s version of Apple’s AirDrop launching next monthVideo
Samsung Galaxy owners may soon be able to directly transfer files between devices. Apple users have long been able to send photos and other files among Macs and iOS devices using the company’s AirDrop service. The function does not use email or texting, but sends files to any Apple device...
U.K. lays out tough child data privacy rules
LONDON — Social media sites, games and other online services won’t be allowed to “nudge” British kids into revealing personal details or lowering their privacy settings, under tough new rules drawn up by the country’s privacy regulator. The set of standards aimed at protecting children’s online privacy were released Wednesday...
Study ranks Pittsburgh 5th best city for STEM professionals
The Pittsburgh metro area has been identified as one of the best markets in the country for people who work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The personal finance website WalletHub on Wednesday released results of a new study that has Pittsburgh ranked fifth overall, ahead of such...
Google CEO calls for regulation of artificial intelligence
LONDON — Google’s chief executive called Monday for a balanced approach to regulating artificial intelligence, telling a European audience that the technology brings benefits but also “negative consequences.” Sundar Pichai’s comments come as lawmakers and governments seriously consider putting limits on how artificial intelligence is used. “There is no question...
Excela Latrobe introduces improved surgical robotVideo
Students from Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Valley school districts joined other local residents Friday in trying out the controls of an improved surgical robot introduced during an open house at Excela Latrobe Hospital. Seventeen Excela surgeons use the robot and one like it at Excela Westmoreland Hospital to perform precision...
Microsoft: ‘carbon-negative’ by 2030, even for supply chain
Microsoft is pledging to become 100% “carbon-negative” by 2030 by removing more carbon from the environment than it emits. CEO Satya Nadella said Thursday that the commitment will happen “not just across our direct emissions, but across our supply chain, too.” It’s a major step up from Microsoft’s previous green...
Remember DVDs? Two studios have a plan to preserve the near-dead format
LOS ANGELES — The market for DVD and Blu-ray discs has been on life support for years, as streaming has become the technology of choice for home video customers. In the past decade, the U.S. market for physical discs has gone from a more than $10-billion business in the United...
Harrisburg University, Nerd Street Gamers partner for new esports degreeVideo
Harrisburg University has launched a new esports degree in partnership with Nerd Street Gamers. Beginning this spring semester, students at the Pennsylvania school will be able to enroll in Harrisburg’s esports program, which will help provide with them skillsets for a career in this industry, reports Cheddar Business. Nerd Street...
Microsoft ends free Windows 7 security updates on Tuesday
If you’re still using Microsoft’s Windows 7, your computer might soon be at risk. Microsoft will stop providing free security updates for the system on Tuesday, meaning computers using it will be more vulnerable to malware and hacking. Users who want to protect their computers need to upgrade to Windows...
Facebook again refuses to ban political ads, even false onesVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Despite escalating pressure ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Facebook reaffirmed its freewheeling policy on political ads Thursday, saying it won’t ban them, won’t fact-check them and won’t limit how they can be targeted to specific groups of people. Instead, Facebook said it will offer users slightly...
Facebook riles tiny Oregon town with plan for undersea cable
TIERRA DEL MAR, Ore. — A battle playing out in Oregon is pitting residents of a tiny coastal town with no stoplights or cellphone service against one of the world’s biggest tech companies. Locals in Tierra del Mar are trying to stop Facebook from using property in their quiet community...
Facebook bans deepfakes in fight against online manipulation
LONDON — Facebook says it is banning “deepfake” videos, the false but realistic clips created with artificial intelligence and sophisticated tools, as it steps up efforts to fight online manipulation. The social network said late Monday that it’s beefing up its policies to remove videos edited or synthesized in ways...
White House proposes guidelines for regulating the use of AI
The Trump administration is proposing new rules to guide future federal regulation of artificial intelligence used in medicine, transportation and other industries. But the vagueness of the principles announced by the White House is unlikely to satisfy AI watchdogs who have warned of a lack of accountability as computer systems...
California vastly expands digital privacy. Will people use it?
SAN FRANCISCO — Forty million Californians will soon have sweeping digital-privacy rights stronger than any seen before in the U.S., posing a significant challenge to Big Tech and the data economy it helped create. So long as state residents don’t mind shouldering much of the burden of exercising those rights,...
Drones need huge tracking network for expanded flights, FAA says
WASHINGTON — All but the smallest civilian drones would have to broadcast radio tracking data to ensure greater safety and prevent terrorism under a sweeping proposal unveiled by U.S. regulators Thursday. The long-awaited draft rules call for a massive new tracking network for everything from toys to larger commercial drones...
Special software can help the blind access the internet, but not every website supports it. A wave of lawsuits is pushing to change that
CHICAGO — Jose Martinez has been thwarted when buying concert tickets online. He changed banks after finding his financial institution’s mobile app wouldn’t work for him. Sometimes, when he can’t finalize a purchase on an e-commerce site, he simply takes his business elsewhere. Martinez, 37, is legally blind. The Chicago...
Twitter fights interference, deletes 5,929 Saudi accounts
NEW YORK — Twitter has identified and removed nearly 6,000 accounts that it said were part of a coordinated effort by Saudi government agencies and individuals to advance the country’s geopolitical interests. Separately, Facebook said it removed hundreds of Facebook accounts, groups and pages linked to inauthentic behavior from two...
Twitter brings back election labels for 2020 US candidates
Twitter is bringing back special labels to help users identify accounts and tweets from U.S. political candidates. The company, which first used such labels for the midterm elections last year, said it is trying to provide users with original sources of information and prevent spoofed and fake accounts from fooling...
Reports: FTC may try to block Facebook from integrating apps
Facebook’s stock dropped almost 3% in regular trading after news reports suggested that the FTC may take antitrust action to prevent Facebook from integrating its disparate messaging apps. The reports said the Federal Trade Commission may seek a court injunction that would block Facebook’s “interoperability” plans for Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp...
What was trending on Google in 2019? Find out here
Can you believe it? Another year (almost) gone. But while you get nostalgic about 2019 or try to find ways to skip ahead to 2020, check out the work Google has done to recap what was trending in the United States this year. In overall searches, Disney took the top...
George Laurer, inventor of ubiquitous UPC, dies at 94
WENDELL, N.C. — George J. Laurer, whose invention of the Universal Product Code at IBM transformed retail and other industries around the world, has died. He was 94. A funeral was held on Monday for Laurer, who died Thursday at his home in Wendell, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh....
Duolingo touts $1.5B valuation; language company to hire 100 more people, mostly in Pittsburgh
Duolingo has earned the title of Pittsburgh’s first tech “unicorn” — investing lingo for those rare startups that achieve a valuation topping $1 billion. Now valued at $1.5 billion, the 7-year-old digital language learning company plans to increase its workforce by about 50% — which could bring nearly 100 new...
Experts speculate on Amazon’s approach to future grocery stores — a new format, lots of automation?
As Amazon readies its grocery chain, analysts and competitors are trying to predict how the commerce giant will make what many expect to be a major move into the biggest category of retail spending. Picture a grocery store with a miniature version of a highly automated fulfillment center on an...
Twitter details political ads ban, issue ads allowed
Twitter says its new ban on political ads will cover appeals for votes, solicitations for campaign contributions and any political content. Twitter is defining political content to include any ad that references a candidate, political party, government official, ballot measure, or legislative or judicial outcome. The ban also applies to...
Amazon appeals $10B Pentagon contract won by Microsoft
SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon is protesting the Pentagon’s decision to award a $10 billion cloud-computing contract to Microsoft, citing “unmistakable bias” in the process. Amazon’s competitive bid for the “war cloud” project drew criticism from President Donald Trump and its business rivals. The project, formally called the Joint Enterprise Defense...
