Tech

Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip gets FDA ‘breakthrough device’ status — and could help blind people see again

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Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip gets FDA 'breakthrough device' status — and could help blind people see again

Elon Musk’s brain chip firm Neuralink has received “breakthrough device” status for an implant aimed at helping blind patients regain sight, the firm announced. Called “Blindsight,” the experimental brain implant received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to participate in the voluntary program. It is one of 58 devices to receive the designation … Read more

Instagram revamps safety features for teens as pressure from Congress mounts — here’s all the changes the social media giant is making

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Instagram revamps safety features for teens as pressure from Congress mounts — here's all the changes the social media giant is making

Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram unveiled what was billed as a major overhaul of its safety features for children on Tuesday — a move that online watchdogs quickly attacked as an effort to avoid an impending congressional crackdown on the social media giant. Instagram said it will automatically put users under the age of 18 on “teen … Read more

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov capitulates, says app will hand over user data to governments to stop criminals

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov capitulates, says app will hand over user data to governments to stop criminals

Embattled Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has reportedly agreed to hand over the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who use his encrypted messaging app to government authorities who make valid legal requests. Durov, the French-Russian billionaire who was arrested in France last month and hit with a slew of charges, including facilitating the spread … Read more

Jony Ive confirms new AI device in the works with OpenAI’s Sam Altman

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Jony Ive confirms new AI device in the works with OpenAI's Sam Altman

Former Apple design guru Jony Ive has confirmed that he is working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to build an AI-powered hardware device – roughly a year after rumors of the high-profile collaboration went public for first time. The still-quiet project appeared in a new profile of Ive, who is best known for working with … Read more

EU set to warn Google to change search practices or face huge fines: report

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EU set to warn Google to change search practices or face huge fines: report

European Union regulators are reportedly preparing to put Google on notice that it must make changes to its dominant search engine or face massive fines. EU regulators are preparing an “official charge sheet” that focuses on how Google displays links to its competitors within integrated search services such as Google Flights or Google Hotels, Bloomberg … Read more

TikTok under fire at appeals court as judges consider challenge to sell-or-ban bill

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TikTok under fire at appeals court as judges consider challenge to sell-or-ban bill

TikTok faced pointed questions from a US appeals court on Monday as the company tries to block a law that would force China-based ByteDance to sell the video-sharing app by January. 19 or face an outright ban. A lawyer for TikTok argued before a three-judge panel that the law, signed by President Joe Biden in … Read more

Republican lawmakers issue warnings to billionaire ‘left-wing Facebook’ board John Arnold

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Republican lawmakers issue warnings to billionaire 'left-wing Facebook' board John Arnold

Ahead of the election, Republican lawmakers are raising the alarm about Texas billionaire John Arnold, who was appointed to Meta’s board earlier this year — warning that he could undermine efforts to keep free and open speech on Facebook ahead of the election. presidential. Arnold, who is worth an estimated $2.9 billion according to Forbes, … Read more

Brain implant lets ALS patient control Amazon’s Alexa with thought: ‘Gives me back the independence I’m losing’

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Brain implant lets ALS patient control Amazon's Alexa with thought: 'Gives me back the independence I'm losing'

A man affected by ALS has become the first person in the world to control an Amazon Alexa digital assistant through his thoughts – thanks to a brain implant created by a New York-based neurotech startup. Synchron – a company specializing in medical technology solutions – has implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) into a blood … Read more

Apple users complain that iOS 18 is ‘killing’ their iPhone batteries – what to do if you’re affected

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Apple users complain that iOS 18 is 'killing' their iPhone batteries - what to do if you're affected

Apple users are upset about the latest software update, claiming that their device’s performance has taken a drastic hit. Overzealous customers eager to upgrade to the new iOS 18 – released on Monday ahead of the iPhone 16 launch – are facing battery problems, claiming the operating system drains their smartphones’ battery life. Already on … Read more

Meta bans Russian media, including RT, from Facebook and Instagram for “foreign interference”

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Meta bans Russian media, including RT, from Facebook and Instagram for "foreign interference"

Meta said it has banned Kremlin-run state media Russia Today as well as other networks controlled by President Vladimir Putin’s regime because of “foreign interference activity”. Russian-based broadcasters and websites such as RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other related media will no longer be available to users of Meta’s social networks, including Facebook and Instagram. “After … Read more