Technology category, Page 33
Barr: Encryption creates U.S. security risk
NEW YORK — Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday increased encryption of data on phones and computers and encrypted messaging apps are putting American security at risk. Barr’s comments at a cybersecurity conference mark a continuing effort by the Justice Department to push tech companies to provide law enforcement with...
Fast-growing web of doorbell cams raises privacy fears
The woodsy community of Wolcott, Conn., doesn’t see a lot of crime. But when the police chief heard about an opportunity to distribute doorbell cameras to some homes, he didn’t hesitate. The police who keep watch over the town of 16,000 raffled off free cameras in a partnership with the...
How risky is it to use app that allows you to ‘see’ your older self?
You may have thought it was cute to allow a now-viral application to morph photos of you today into life-like images of you a generation from now. But did you read the fine print? According to Forbes Magazine, more than 100 million users of FaceApp have — maybe unknowingly —...
FaceApp lets you look older but prompts safety concerns
If you’ve ever wondered what you’ll look like when you’re older, you’re in luck. There’s an app for that. FaceApp, which first hit the tech scene about two years ago, has resurfaced this week and gone viral again after a new feature was added that allows you to age yourself...
Apple, Google continue inclusive push with new emojis
Apple and Google are rolling out dozens of new emojis that of course include cute critters, but also expand the number of images of human diversity. The announcement coincides with Wednesday’s World Emoji Day. Apple Inc. is releasing new variants of its holding hands emoji that allow people to pick...
National Science Foundation awards $10 million to fund new Pittsburgh supercomputer
There’s going to be a new genome-parsing, poker-playing supercomputer in town. The National Science Foundation awarded a $10 million grant to fund the construction of a new supercomputer at the Monroeville-based Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a joint research facility run by Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, according to...
Facebook to make jobs, credit ads searchable
BOSTON — Facebook says it will make advertisements for jobs, loans and credit card offers searchable for all U.S. users under a legal settlement designed to eliminate discrimination on its platform. The plan disclosed in an internal report Sunday voluntarily expands on a commitment the social medial giant made in...
Politicians’ tweets could get slapped with warning labels
SAN FRANCISCO — Presidents and other world leaders and political figures who use Twitter to threaten or abuse others could find their tweets slapped with warning labels. The new policy, announced by the company on Thursday, comes amid complaints from activists and others that President Donald Trump has gotten a...
Artist’s viral Juneteenth doodle leads to job offer from Google
Who says passive-aggression doesn’t earn any friends? It might not, but it reportedly earned artist Davian Chester a job with search engine-giant Google this past week. Chester, 26, called out Google for what he described as the company’s failure to highlight an important milestone for his ancestors, according to VladTV....
Feds crack down on robocallers from coast to coast
The Federal Trade Commission has stepped up its fight against robocalls. The commission worked with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies on “Operation Call it Quits” this week, charging three companies and one individual that are allegedly responsible for a combined 1 billion spam calls. “We’re all fed up...
Widespread web outage in Northeast traced to Pittsburgh, report says
Did your Verizon service go out Monday? Well, you’re not the only one. A widespread outage affecting Verizon customers as well as thousands of websites serviced by Cloudfare in the Northeast hit at about 7 a.m. The problem that caused it all can be traced to a small commercial internet...
The fun is back – pre-orders start for new Atari VCS console
Have you played Atari today? Odds are, probably not. But as early as March, the answer could be yes. Atari, which popularized home video gaming with its legendary cartridge-based Video Computer System, or 2600, is launching a new, retro-styled Atari VCS that the company says will play classic and modern...
Aurora partners with Fiat to build self-driving vehicles
Aurora Innovation is partnering with automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to build self-driving vehicles of different makes and models, including commercial vehicles. The company announced the partnership Monday. “As part of FCA’s autonomous vehicle strategy we will continue to work with strategic partners in this space to address the needs of...
Broadway insiders are quietly betting on streaming musicals
NEW YORK — This would seem like a strange moment to worry about Broadway’s future. The oldest entertainment business in the United States is thriving. Thanks to shows such as “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Be More Chill,” “Hamilton” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” young people are flocking to Broadway’s...
Pilgrim shutdown ends nuclear power era in Massachusetts
PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth has permanently shut down after 47 years of generating electricity, bring to a close the era of nuclear power in Massachusetts. The final shutdown occurred at 5:28 p.m. Friday. Entergy announced in 2015 it would retire Massachusetts’ only remaining reactor,...
Critics say FCC report overstates broadband availability
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Federal Communications Commission’s broadband report is being hammered by critics who say it paints too rosy a picture of high-speed internet availability in the U.S. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia joined two dissenting FCC commissioners in criticizing the report released Wednesday. The FCC’s annual...
Lego, NASA partner on Lunar Lander set for 50th anniversary of moon landing
Space enthusiasts will have a chance to build a Lego replica of the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander to celebrate the anniversary of the first moon landing. Lego has partnered with NASA to release Saturday the NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander building set. The cost for the set is $100. July...
Facebook: Fake account removal doubles in 6 months to 3B
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook removed more than 3 billion fake accounts from October to March, twice as many as the previous six months, the company said Thursday. Nearly all of them were caught before they had a chance to become “active” users of the social network. In a new report,...
Tesla Model 3 Autopilot was active before deadly collision, federal investigators say
Tesla’s Autopilot system was active in a Model 3 that collided with a tractor-trailer during a fatal crash in March, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. The crash in Delray Beach, Fla., that killed the Tesla driver is at least the third deadly collision in the United States involving...
The highest paying entry level jobs, according to Glassdoor
A decade after the Great Recession, when new college grads walked into an abysmal job market with long-lasting effects, the Class of 2019 is joining the workforce during an economic upswing, complete with historically low unemployment and rising wages. For technically minded graduates, the prospects are even brighter, according to...
White House launches survey looking for tech industry bias
SAN FRANCISCO — On the heels of President Trump’s repeated assertions claiming anti-conservative bias by tech companies, the White House has launched an online form asking people to share their experiences if they think political partisanship has led them to be silenced by social media sites. The White House’s official...
High-tech sex toy for women wins back a rescinded award
ARLINGTON, Va. — A trade group has reinstated an award to the makers of a robotic sex toy for women that it had taken away four months ago for not keeping with its image. The Consumer Technology Association on Wednesday restored the Consumer Electronics Show’s 2019 Innovation Award in the...
Parents can’t delete what kids tell Amazon voice assistant
Amazon met with skepticism from some privacy advocates and members of Congress last year when it introduced its first kid-oriented voice assistant , along with brightly colored models of its Echo Dot speaker designed for children. Now those advocates say the kids’ version of Amazon’s Alexa won’t forget what children...
Volkswagen names its new electric car ID.3 and starts preorders
Volkswagen’s upcoming electric car has a name. The ID.3 will not make it’s official debut until September but VW spilled the model name Wednesday. The company says the ID. portion of the name stands for intelligent design “intelligent design, identity and visionary technologies.” VW opens preorders for the ID.3, its...
SpaceX launches supplies to space station after power delays
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched a load of supplies to the International Space Station on Saturday following a pair of unusual power delays. A Falcon rocket raced into the pre-dawn darkness, carrying a Dragon capsule with 5,500 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of goods. This recycled Dragon — which is making...
