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Showing posts from December, 2023

Chief Justice Roberts casts a wary eye on artificial intelligence in the courts

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Chief Justice Roberts casts a wary eye on artificial intelligence in the courts https://ift.tt/Z5pQaGJ Roberts focused on the promise and shortcomings of artificial intelligence in the courts in his annual report that made no mention of Supreme Court ethics or legal cases involving Donald Trump. (Image credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

One reason social media companies aren't doing more to protect children? Ad revenue

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One reason social media companies aren't doing more to protect children? Ad revenue https://ift.tt/gkjeMH8 NPR's Rob Schmitz asks Amanda Raffoul of Harvard's School of Public Health about a new estimate of the amount of money social media companies make on advertisements to users 17 and younger.

The crypto comeback

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The crypto comeback https://ift.tt/eIkmpUH At the start of the year, the market for cryptocurrencies was in the midst of a monthslong crash. But as we close out 2023, some digital currencies are surging.

The year is ending on a very different note for driverless cars than how it started

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The year is ending on a very different note for driverless cars than how it started https://ift.tt/WnBAzPY This year started out with hype for driverless car companies, but it's ending with trouble — especially at GM's Cruise.

Google settles $5 billion privacy lawsuit over tracking people using 'incognito mode'

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Google settles $5 billion privacy lawsuit over tracking people using 'incognito mode' https://ift.tt/OwZXDqL The class-action lawsuit said Google misled users into believing that it wouldn't track their internet activities while using 'incognito mode.' Terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. (Image credit: Matt Slocum/AP)

Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible year

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Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible year https://ift.tt/4AOohN5 After rapidly expanding its self-driving car program, things took a disastrous turn for Cruise when one of its robotaxis struck a pedestrian. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A preview of what the internet could bring us in the new year

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A preview of what the internet could bring us in the new year https://ift.tt/gLBMQYz A surge in people "dating" chatbots. That is among the predictions offered by experts that we asked to weigh in on what the internet might bring us in 2024.

This year in science: AI, James Webb Space Telescope research and climate change

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This year in science: AI, James Webb Space Telescope research and climate change https://ift.tt/JpGwSnV NPR's Short Wave hosts Geoff Brumfiel and Regina Barber wrap up of the year in AI, James Webb Space Telescope research and climate change.

2023 showed how online platforms can die

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2023 showed how online platforms can die https://ift.tt/ja3NJlk NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with tech journalist Cory Doctorow about how 2023 was the year when a lot of people pointed out that some important places on the Internet are getting worse.

'New York Times' sues over AI using its articles without permission

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'New York Times' sues over AI using its articles without permission https://ift.tt/TKBZEhC The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft claiming their artificial intelligence tools are using the publisher's content without permission.

U.S. appeals court grants Apple's request to pause smartwatch import ban

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U.S. appeals court grants Apple's request to pause smartwatch import ban https://ift.tt/t8GHyDg The order temporarily halts an import ban on some watches as Apple appeals a U.S. International Trade Commission ruling that it infringed on the patents of medical technology company Masimo. (Image credit: Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

The New York Times sues ChatGPT creator OpenAI, Microsoft, for copyright infringement

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The New York Times sues ChatGPT creator OpenAI, Microsoft, for copyright infringement https://ift.tt/TcPqjvH The Times is the first major news publisher to take OpenAI to court over the use of its copyright material in its popular chatbot. The suit follows months of tense negotiations between the two sides. (Image credit: Mark Lennihan/AP)

After a brutal stretch, a remarkable thing is happening: Cryptocurrencies are surging

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After a brutal stretch, a remarkable thing is happening: Cryptocurrencies are surging https://ift.tt/4zU1Met Bitcoin and other digital currencies are rallying, emerging from a stormy period with the conviction that crypto is here to stay. (Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

How AI is already impacting jobs in the U.S.

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How AI is already impacting jobs in the U.S. https://ift.tt/EeJILcP Whether or not artificial intelligence is coming for your job, it's almost certain to change it. Here's how Americans are dealing with AI at work.

2023 was a year of big anniversaries

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2023 was a year of big anniversaries https://ift.tt/i1VxQLy In 2023, we marked 20 years since the Iraq War, 50 years since the birth of hip-hop, and 60 years since the JFK assassination. Here's a roundup of historical events we wrote about over the past year. (Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Nike will lay off workers as part of $2-billion cost-cutting plan

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Nike will lay off workers as part of $2-billion cost-cutting plan https://ift.tt/2x8MT7o The company slashed its sales forecast and said it plans to cut up to $2 billion in costs over three years. Slowing sales in China are a big reason why. (Image credit: Julia Nikhinson/AP)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discusses the promise and potential perils of AI

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discusses the promise and potential perils of AI https://ift.tt/6YNRask NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the opportunities and potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

TV stations are upgrading their over-the-air signals, but the rollout has been bumpy

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TV stations are upgrading their over-the-air signals, but the rollout has been bumpy https://ift.tt/zHsmv6e A decade and a half after TV stations shut down analog broadcasts and fully transitioned to digital, the industry is once again making major changes to the way stations transmit over-the-air signals.

California adopts rules to allow wastewater to be transformed into drinking water

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California adopts rules to allow wastewater to be transformed into drinking water https://ift.tt/rYtml90 California regulators have adopted rules that will eventually allow sewage to be transformed into drinking water that goes straight to taps. It's been touted as a tool to help cope with drought.

Biden has big plans for semiconductors. But there's a big hole: not enough workers

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Biden has big plans for semiconductors. But there's a big hole: not enough workers https://ift.tt/af2SziW President Biden has $52.7 billion to invest in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing plants. But there's a big shortfall in workers for the new jobs. (Image credit: Caitlin O'Hara for NPR)

Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly

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Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly https://ift.tt/IiOMShE The deal with dozens of states resolves a lawsuit that claimed Google engages in anticompetitive behavior through its Google Play store, which is how most people download apps on Android devices. (Image credit: Jeff Chiu/AP)

Apple stops selling latest Apple Watch after losing patent case

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Apple stops selling latest Apple Watch after losing patent case https://ift.tt/ISJRg58 Apple said sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches would be halted this week after it lost a case over whether the tech giant stole a patented blood oxygen feature from another company. (Image credit: Matthias Schrader/AP)

Once valued at billions of dollars, more tech startups are failing

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Once valued at billions of dollars, more tech startups are failing https://ift.tt/JYhpdbK The year of efficiency started with significant layoffs at some Silicon Valley giants. It's closing with many young tech startups — once appraised in the billions — selling for a few million.

Israel is using an AI system to find targets in Gaza. Experts say it's just the start

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Israel is using an AI system to find targets in Gaza. Experts say it's just the start https://ift.tt/1XftAZ4 Israel's military says the system makes it more efficient and reduces collateral damage. Critics see a host of problems with the nation's use of AI, but other militaries will likely follow suit. (Image credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)

In 'Asgard's Wrath 2,' VR gaming reaches a new God mode

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In 'Asgard's Wrath 2,' VR gaming reaches a new God mode https://ift.tt/BGXI9Q2 Meta Quest fans have been asking for an exclusive longform, big-budget game for years. Asgard's Wrath 2 delivers with diverse gameplay and a divine cast. (Image credit: Meta/Sanzaru Games)

Technology to stop drunk drivers could be coming to every new car in the nation

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Technology to stop drunk drivers could be coming to every new car in the nation https://ift.tt/1tUDZ7z Federal regulators have taken a first step toward making technology that prevents drunk driving standard in new cars. Their goal is to help end a problem that claimed more than 13,000 lives last year. (Image credit: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

Epic Games beat Google but lost to Apple in monopoly lawsuits. What does it all mean?

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Epic Games beat Google but lost to Apple in monopoly lawsuits. What does it all mean? https://ift.tt/5l24voY The tech giants' app stores are multibillion-dollar money-makers. Now the services are under threat like never before. (Image credit: AP)

Tesla recalls over 2 million vehicles to fix defective Autopilot monitoring system

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Tesla recalls over 2 million vehicles to fix defective Autopilot monitoring system https://ift.tt/At1n52u The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes — some deadly — that happened while the Autopilot system was in use. (Image credit: David Zalubowski/AP)

Parent and consumer groups warn against 'naughty tech toys'

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Parent and consumer groups warn against 'naughty tech toys' https://ift.tt/ak1cyhs The smart toy sector is worth close to $17 billion. But some parent and consumer support groups say these tech-driven toys are not safe for play. (Image credit: Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP)

A jury decided Google's Android app store benefits from anticompetitive barriers

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A jury decided Google's Android app store benefits from anticompetitive barriers https://ift.tt/GsjCuFg The maker of Fortnite sued three years ago, alleging that Google abused its power to shield its Play Store from competition in order to protect a gold mine that makes billions of dollars annually. (Image credit: Eric Risberg/AP file photo)

Elon Musk allows controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back on X

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Elon Musk allows controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back on X https://ift.tt/fHLzGkw Jones has been banned from most major social media platforms for spreading falsehoods, like saying school shootings are faked, and that survivors and parents of slain children are crisis actors. (Image credit: Sergio Flores/Getty Images)