Amazon has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Defense Department.The complaint, filed Friday in a federal U.S. court, challenges the Pentagon’s decision to award a $10 billion computing contract to Microsoft.Amazon had been widely expected to receive the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract for the digital modernization of the Pentagon.In August, however, U.S. … continue reading -> “Amazon Sues Pentagon Over $10 Billion Contract Awarded to Microsoft”
Amazon.com Inc. Friday filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims contesting the Pentagon’s award of an up to $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft Corp.An Amazon spokesman said the company filed a complaint and supplemental motion for discovery. The filing was under seal. “The complaint and related filings contain source selection sensitive … continue reading -> “Amazon Contests Pentagon’s $10 Billion Microsoft Cloud Contract”
President Donald Trump’s visit this week to a Texas manufacturing plant highlights the ongoing dance between the iPhone maker and the Trump administration over China and tariffs.The visit came as the U.S. is set Dec. 15 to raise new tariffs on imports from China, as part of its trade war with Beijing.Among U.S. technology companies, … continue reading -> “Trump’s Visit to Apple Factory Brings Possibility of More Tariff Relief”
President Trump’s Thursday visit to a manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas, where Apple makes a line of computers, highlighted the iPhone maker’s delicate dance with the Trump administration over China, tariffs and U.S. manufacturing. Michelle Quinn takes a look at the relationship. …
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is taking on the workhorse heavy pickup truck market with his latest electric vehicle.The “cybertruck,” an electric pickup truck, will be in production in 2021, Musk said at the Los Angeles Auto Show Thursday.The pickup, which Musk said will cost $39,900 and up, will have an estimated battery range of more … continue reading -> “Tesla Enters Pickup Truck Market with Electric Model”
The U.S. Army is undertaking a security assessment of China-owned social media platform TikTok after a Democratic lawmaker raised national security concerns over the app’s handling of user data, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said Thursday.Speaking to reporters at an event at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, McCarthy said he ordered the assessment after the … continue reading -> “US Army Examines TikTok Security Concerns”
Microsoft Corp said Thursday it had been granted a license from the U.S. government to export software to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.“On November 20, the U.S. Department of Commerce granted Microsoft’s request for a license to export mass-market software to Huawei. We appreciate the department’s action in response to our request,” a Microsoft spokesman told … continue reading -> “Trump Administration OKs Microsoft License to Send Software to Huawei”
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Thursday morning he had asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to look into helping develop telecommunications infrastructure for speedy 5G wireless networks.During my visit yesterday to Austin, Texas, for the startup of the new Mac Pro, & the discussion of a new one $billion campus, also in … continue reading -> “Trump Says He Asked Apple’s Cook to Look Into Helping Build 5G in US”
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday after touring a plant that assembles Apple Inc computers that he was considering whether to exempt the U.S. company from tariffs on imports from China.”We’re looking at that,” Trump said in answer to a reporter’s question about the tariffs, after touring a plant in Austin, Texas, with Apple Chief … continue reading -> “Trump Considering Whether Apple Should be Exempt From China Tariffs “
The director of a Spanish research center says a giant telescope, costing $1.4 billion, is one step nearer to being built on the Canary Islands in the event an international consortium gives up its plans to build it in Hawaii. Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute Director Rafael Rebolo has told The Associated Press that … continue reading -> “Spain Has Permits to Build Giant Telescope Blocked in Hawaii”
DARPA, the main research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, is funding researchers to develop wearable devices that would have military applications such as using the mind to control unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, commonly known as drones. Instead of using brain implants to achieve this, DARPA is looking for non-invasive to minutely … continue reading -> “US Military Aims to Telepathically Control Drones in Four Years”
Google’s head of philanthropy says the company is having “a lot of conversations” internally amid worries about the tech giant’s bottomless appetite for consumer data and how it uses its algorithms. Vice President Jacqueline Fuller wouldn’t comment on specific data privacy controversies dogging Google lately, but says she shares other concerns many have … continue reading -> “Google’s Do-Good Arm Tries to Make Up For Everything Else”
Ghana is regarded as a West African hub of invention, with growing numbers of young people looking at local solutions to local problems. In December, Ghana is hosting two conferences on innovation and technology.Alhassan Baba Muniru, co-founder of the Recycle Up company, wants to clean up the natural environment in Ghana.But he also wants to … continue reading -> “Ghana’s Innovation and Startup Culture Thriving”
The United States on Monday granted another 90 days for companies to cease doing business with China’s telecoms giant Huawei, saying this would allow service providers to continue to serve rural areas.President Donald Trump in May effectively barred Huawei from American communications networks after Washington found the company had violated US sanctions on Iran and … continue reading -> “US Extends License For Businesses to Work With Huawei by 90 Days”
A few Pakistani women friends, working for big tech companies in the U.S., decided they wanted to create the mentoring and professional network they wished they’d had when coming up in the business. The result is the Seattle based Pakistani Women in Computing or PWIC. VOA’s Nadeem Yaqub recently visited the Seattle chapter of PWIC … continue reading -> “Pakistani Women Advance in Tech”
It’s looking like an anti-robocall bill will be sent to President Donald Trump this year, helping tackle an infuriating problem in the U.S.House and Senate leaders said Friday they’ve reached an agreement in principle on merging their two bills against robocalls.The House bill had gone further than the Senate one. Details about what’s in the … continue reading -> “House, Senate Agree on Something: A Way to Fight Robocalls”
Twitter’s new ban on political ads will cover appeals for votes, solicitations for campaign contributions and any political content. But the company quickly acknowledged Friday that it expects to make mistakes as individuals and groups look for loopholes. Twitter is defining political content to include any ad that references a candidate, political party, government official, ballot … continue reading -> “Twitter Details Political Ad Ban, Admits It’s Imperfect “
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday he was certain that the awarding of a $10 billion cloud-computing contract to Microsoft instead of Amazon was done fairly. The Pentagon awarded the contract to Microsoft in late October, and Amazon said there was “unmistakable bias” on the government’s part and it intended to challenge the decision … continue reading -> “Esper Defends as Fair Pentagon Contract Disputed by Amazon”
Facebook Inc signed a lease for over 1.5 million square feet of office space across 30 floors and three buildings in New York City’s Hudson Yards, according to a statement by the luxury and commercial real estate development on Thursday.Hudson Yards is a $25 billion complex of commercial and residential skyscrapers built on Manhattan’s far … continue reading -> “Facebook Signs Lease for Office Space in Hudson Yards”
China invited observers to a successful test Thursday of its Mars lander as the country pushes for inclusion in more global space projects.The demonstration of hovering, obstacle avoidance and deceleration capabilities was conducted at a site outside Beijing simulating conditions on the Red Planet, where the pull of gravity is about one-third that of Earth.China … continue reading -> “China Tests Mars Lander in Push for International Cooperation”
Facebook released its Community Standards Enforcement Report on Wednesday, detailing its work in regulating its main app and Instagram from terrorist groups to child porn.The company said it removed more than 3.2 billion fake accounts between April and September, compared with more than 1.5 billion during the same period last year. The company also said it … continue reading -> “Facebook Removes Millions of Posts and Billions of Fake Accounts”
Microsoft is bringing holograms to the office. The company recently started shipping its 2nd version of HoloLens, a headset that allows users to touch and interact with 3D holograms in everyday settings. Various industries have begun experimenting with the new computing device and VOA’s Tina Trinh had a chance to check it out. …
As the world becomes more connected people are vulnerable of being victims of cybercriminals. Police departments, hospitals, universities and businesses everywhere are also at risk. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows how the city of Los Angeles is fighting this problem, by sharing and pooling critical information about cyberattacks. …
Nine privacy, social justice and consumer groups are calling for the U.S. government to block Google’s $2.1 billion acquisition of fitness-gadget maker Fitbit, citing antitrust and privacy concerns.They say in a Wednesday letter to the Federal Trade Commission that the deal would consolidate Google’s dominance over internet services like search, advertising and smartphone operating systems.They … continue reading -> “Privacy, Consumer Groups Seek to Block Google-Fitbit Deal”
As the world becomes more connected people are vulnerable of being victims of cybercriminals. Police departments, hospitals, universities and businesses everywhere are also at risk. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows how the city of Los Angeles is fighting this problem, by sharing and pooling critical information about cyberattacks. …