Eight U.S. newspapers sue ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement
A group of eight U.S. newspapers is suing ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the technology companies have been โpurloining millionsโ of copyrighted news articles without permission or payment to train their artificial intelligence chatbots.
Russia convicts the spokesperson for Facebook owner Meta in a swift trial in absentia
An independent Russian news site has reported that a court in Russia convicted the spokesperson of U.S. technology company Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison in absentia.
State AGs send letter to Meta asking it to take 'immediate action' on user account takeovers
A group of 40 state attorneys general have sent a letter to Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta expressing concern over what they say is dramatic uptick of consumer complaints about account takeovers and lockouts.
A teen girl found an iPhone in an airplane bathroom. Her family says it was put there to record her
The family of a 14-year-old girl who allegedly discovered an iPhone taped to the back of a toilet seat on a recent flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston said they believe it was put there to record her by a member of the crew.
Both sides use trove of cell data at Alex Murdaugh trial
A state agent testifying in Alex Murdaughโs double murder trial meticulously reconstructed activity from his iPhone and the cellphones of his son and wife the night they were killed to try to link the disgraced South Carolina attorney to the shooting deaths.
Apple's app store chief fends off attacks in antitrust trial
Appleโs top app store executive faced a barrage of documents lobbed by an Epic Games lawyer aiming to prove allegations that the iPhone maker has been gouging app makers as part of a scheme hatched by Appleโs late co-founder Steve Jobs.
Facebook finds Chinese hacking operation targeting Uyghurs
Facebook says hackers in China used fake accounts and impostor websites in a bid to break into the phones of Uyghur Muslims, Facebook announced Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)Hackers in China used fake Facebook accounts and impostor websites to try to break into the computers and smartphones of Uyghur Muslims, the social network said Wednesday. The hackers attempted to gain access to the computers and phones by creating fake Facebook accounts for supposed journalists and activists, as well as fake websites and apps intended to appeal to a Uyghur audience. In some cases, the hackers created lookalike websites almost identical to legitimate news sites popular with Uyghurs. FireEye, however, said in a statement that โwe believe this operation was conducted in supportโ of the Chinese government.
Stripe continues cash haul, now valued at $95 billion
The online payment company continues to attract investors, raising $600 million in funding to reach a company valuation of $95 billion, making it the most valuable private fintech company in the world. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)The online payment company Stripe continues to attract investors, raising $600 million in funding to reach a whopping company valuation of $95 billion. Stripe is by far the most valuable private fintech company in the world. Robinhood, the trading platform recently making headlines, just raised $3 billion to reach a valuation of around $11.2 billion. Companies that enable online payments have thrived in the pandemic.
With 'big one' coming, quake alert system launches in Oregon
FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2019, file photo, a mobile phone customer looks at an earthquake warning application on an iPhone in Los Angeles. An earthquake early warning system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey has been activated in Oregon on the 10th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)SALEM, Ore. โ People in Oregon will be better prepared for earthquakes โ particularly important in the Pacific Northwest because experts say โthe big one" is coming โ as an early warning system launched Thursday, the 10th anniversary of a devastating quake and tsunami in Japan. California already has the system, while Washington state will join in May to complete coverage of the West Coast. โWhen a Cascadia event happens, the critical seconds of notice ShakeAlert warnings provide will save lives and reduce damage to important lifeline systems,โ Oregon Gov.
Facebook says it will pay $1B over 3 years to news industry
The social networking giant, which has been tussling with Australia over a law that would make social platforms pay news organizations, said it has invested $600 million since 2018 for news. The social networking giant, which has been tussling with Australia over a law that would make social platforms pay news organizations, said it has invested $600 million since 2018 in news. Google said in October that it would pay publishers $1 billion over the next three years. News companies want Google and Facebook to pay for the news that appears on their platforms. Facebook was criticized for its ban, which also temporarily cut access to government pandemic, public health and emergency services on the social networking site.
Facebook steps up vaccine misinfo efforts. Will it work?
FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2019, file photo, an iPhone displays the Facebook app in New Orleans. Facebook says its going all in to block the spread of bogus vaccine claims. In practice, that means the social network plans to ban a new bunch of false claims in addition to the old bunch of false claims about vaccines or COVID-19 that it has already banned. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)As inoculation efforts for the coronavirus ramp up around the world, Facebook says itโs going all in to block the spread of bogus vaccine claims. In practice, that means the social network plans to ban a new bunch of false claims in addition to the manifold false claims about vaccines and COVID-19 that it has already banned.
Apple CEO escalates battle with Facebook over online privacy
Apple says it will roll out a new privacy control in spring 2021 to prevent iPhone apps from secretly shadowing people. Cook's broadside came as Apple prepares to roll out a new privacy control in the early spring to prevent iPhone apps from secretly shadowing people. Apple released the latest schedule update as part of Data Privacy Day. Apple has been holding off to give Facebook and other app makers more time to adjust to a feature that will require iPhone users to give their explicit consent to being tracked. Currently, iPhone users are frequently tracked by apps they install unless they take the extra step of going into iPhone settings to prevent it.
Widespread internet outages hit northeast U.S.
Users across the northeast U.S. reported widespread internet outages Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)Internet users across the northeast U.S. experienced widespread outages for several hours Tuesday, interrupting work and school because of an unspecified Verizon network issue. โAn internet issue impacting the quality of our Fios service throughout the Northeast has been resolved," said spokesman Rich Young in an emailed statement Tuesday afternoon. People posting on Twitter reported having issues connecting with various online services in the region stretching from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Comcast, another major internet service provider, said it had not observed problems with its network Tuesday.
Slack kicks off 2021 with a global outage
File-This Dec. 2, 2020, file photo shows the Slack app icon being displayed on a computer screen in Tokyo. Slack suffered a global outage Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, during the first day back to work for most people after the New Years holiday. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)Slack, the messaging service used by millions of people for work and school, suffered a global outage on Monday, the first day back for most people returning from the New Year's holiday. At 12:30 p.m., service was still sporadic and Slack said the outage was ongoing, but that some users may begin to see improvement. The outage comes about a month after Salesforce.com said it would acquire Slack for $27.7 billion.
Good Samaritan jumps into action as man struggles to escape burning pickup truck
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. โ A man was rescued from a burning pickup truck Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 95 by a Good Samaritan with an iPhone in hand. The heroic display went down in the northbound lanes of I-95 just south of the Dolphin Expressway, according to WPLG. Jim Angulo said he saw the flames and smoke from his driverโs side window, and noticed a man struggling to get out of the burning truck. I canโt!โโ Angulo recalled. The man in the pickup truck, who has not yet been identified, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Great weather will last through the weekend
ORLANDO, Fla. โ The high in Orlando Thursday made it 80 degrees. This run of great weather looks like it will make it all the way through the weekend. [DOWNLOAD FREE STORM TRACKING APP: iPhone | Android]Thursday night the low in Orlando will drop to 63, but the high Friday will make it back to 84 with partly cloudy conditions and no rain. Saturday will be nice with a high of 81. [MORE: Active alerts | Radar | Forecast |SHARE your photos]Sunday is looking to be fantastic, with a high of 83 and still no chance of rain
FDLE: Thieves, predators can track your family through photo posts
[WEB EXTRA: Geotagging guide]Special Agent Steve Brenton says the GPS setting for smart phone cameras including iPhone and Android models provide a "geo-location" that allows anybody to track "exactly where that photograph was taken." The information is precise including the exact longitude and latitude of the location where the shot was taken. "Bad guys know the social networking sites and social media sites that kids are going to," Brenton says. "They spend more time on the computer than the kids do, just to find the kids on these social networking sites." Each smart phone has a different setting to disconnect the GPS mode.