Just one day after its launch, Threads, the latest social media network, was blocked by the Islamic Republic, denying access to the Iranian population. This action occurred even though an account had been created for Iran President Ebrahim Raisi on the platform. On Thursday afternoon, Raisi’s user account, under the address raisi.ir, was established on … continue reading -> “Iran Blocks Public Access to Threads App; Raisi’s Account Created”

Ukraine has been using drones for reconnaissance and attacks since the start of Russia’18s invasion. But sometimes combat drone operators use them to save civilians — or even capture the enemy. Anna Kosstutschenko went to the Donbas region to find out more. Camera: Pavel Suhodolskiy Produced by: Pavel Suhodolskiy …

Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries — including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan. Despite some early glitches, 30 million people had signed up before … continue reading -> “What Is Threads? Questions About Meta’s New Twitter Rival, Answered”

Tens of millions of people have signed up for Meta’s new app, Threads, as it aims to challenge competitor platform Twitter. Threads launched on Wednesday in the United States and in more than 100 other countries. In a Thursday morning post on the platform, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 30 million people had signed up. … continue reading -> “Meta’s New Twitter Competitor, Threads, Boasts Tens of Millions of Sign-Ups”

Facebook behemoth Meta officially launched Threads, its text-based rival to Twitter, on Wednesday — but its release in Europe has been delayed over data privacy concerns.  Threads is the biggest challenger yet to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, which has seen a series of potential competitors emerge but not yet replace one of social media’s most iconic … continue reading -> “Meta Launches Threads App, a Challenger to Twitter”

In India, a recent court judgement that dismissed a legal petition by Twitter challenging the federal government’s orders to block tweets and accounts is a setback for free speech, according to digital rights activists.   The Karnataka High Court, which delivered its judgement last week, also imposed a fine of $ 61,000 on the social media … continue reading -> “Indian Court’s Dismissal of Twitter’s Petition Sparks Concerns About Free Online Speech”

Elon Musk spent the weekend further alienating Twitter users with more drastic changes to the social media giant, and he is facing a new challenge as tech nemesis Mark Zuckerberg prepares to launch a rival app this week. Zuckerberg’s Meta group, which owns Facebook, has listed a new app in stores as “Threads, an Instagram … continue reading -> “Twitter Chaos Leaves Door Open for Meta’s Rival App”

U.S. President Joe Biden says he wants every American to have access to high-speed internet. VOA’s Julie Taboh has our story about the United States’ more than $40 billion-dollar investment to expand the service. …

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — Sweden on Monday ordered four companies to stop using a Google tool that measures and analyzes web traffic, as doing so transfers personal data to the United States. One company was fined the equivalent of more than $1.1 million.  Sweden’s privacy protection agency, the IMY, said it had examined the use of Google Analytics … continue reading -> “Sweden Orders Four Companies to Stop Using Google Tool”

Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week could face a new source of disruptions starting Saturday, when wireless providers are expected to power up new 5G systems near major airports. Aviation groups have warned for years that 5G signals could interfere with aircraft equipment, especially devices using radio … continue reading -> “In US, 5G Wireless Signals Could Disrupt Flights Starting This Weekend”

Elon Musk announced Saturday that Twitter would temporarily restrict how many tweets users could read per day, in a move meant to tamp down on the use of the site’s data by artificial intelligence companies.  The platform is limiting verified accounts to reading 6,000 tweets a day. Non-verified users — the free accounts that make … continue reading -> “In AI Tussle, Twitter Restricts Number of Posts Users Can Read”

If you logged onto social media over the past few months, you may have seen it – a video of the Russian Embassy on a gray, overcast day in Washington with the sounds of passing cars and buses in the background. A man’s voice asks in English, “Do you want to change your future?” Russian … continue reading -> “FBI Turning to Social Media to Track Traitors”

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said Friday that a cybersecurity incident involving one of its IT hardware suppliers has led to the leak of the vendor’s company data.  “TSMC has recently been aware that one of our IT hardware suppliers experienced a cybersecurity incident that led to the leak of information pertinent to server initial setup … continue reading -> “Chipmaker TSMC Says Supplier Was Targeted in Cyberattack”

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA – Chinese and Russian companies will invest more than $1.4 billion in the extraction of lithium in Bolivia, one of the countries with the largest reserves of the mineral used in electric car batteries, the government in La Paz said Friday.   China’s Citic Guoan and Russia’s Uranium One Group — both with … continue reading -> “Chinese, Russian Firms to Build Lithium Plants in Bolivia”

Meta Platforms’ Oversight Board on Thursday called for the suspension of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for six months, saying a video posted on his Facebook page had violated Meta’s rules against violent threats. The board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, said the company erred in leaving up the video and ordered … continue reading -> “Meta Oversight Board Urges Cambodia Prime Minister’s Suspension from Facebook”

Geoffrey Hinton, one of the so-called godfathers of artificial intelligence, on Wednesday urged governments to step in and make sure that machines do not take control of society. Hinton made headlines in May when he announced he had quit Google after a decade of work to speak more freely on the dangers of AI, shortly … continue reading -> “‘Godfather of AI’ Urges Governments to Stop Machine Takeover”

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a devoted and very active user of Facebook — on which he has posted everything from photos of his grandchildren to threats against his political enemies — said Wednesday that he would no longer upload to the platform and would instead depend on the Telegram app … continue reading -> “Cambodia’s Hun Sen Leaves Facebook for Telegram “

U.S. President Joe Biden says he wants to make sure that every American has access to high-speed internet. VOA’s Julie Taboh has our story about the United States’ more than $40 billion-dollar investment to expand the service. (Videographer:  Adam Greenbaum; Produced by Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum)     …

Since the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT launched last fall, a torrent of think pieces and news reports about the ins and outs and ups and downs of generative artificial intelligence has flowed, stoking fears of a dystopian future in which robots take over the world.   While much of that hype is indeed just hype, a … continue reading -> “Generative AI Might Make It Easier to Target Journalists, Researchers Say”

The commission that enforces rules for U.S. elections is not regulating AI-generated deepfakes in political advertising ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Deana Mitchell has the story. …

Robot makers who want to explore the oceans are looking to one of Earth’s most successful sea creatures for design inspiration. Steve Baragona reports. …

Just a dot on the horizon at first, the bug-like and surprisingly quiet electrically-powered craft buzzes over Paris and its traffic snarls, treating its doubtless awestruck passenger to privileged vistas of the Eiffel Tower and the city’s signature zinc-grey rooftops before landing him or her with a gentle downward hover. And thus, if all goes … continue reading -> “Lean Green Flying Machines Take Wing in Paris, Heralding Transport Revolution”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with U.S. and Indian technology executives in Washington on Friday, the final day of a state visit where he agreed to new defense and technology cooperation and addressed challenges posed by China.  U.S. President Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for Modi on Thursday, declaring after about 2-1/2 … continue reading -> “Indian PM Modi Wraps Up Washington Trip With Appeal to Tech CEOs “

Titans of business, fashion, entertainment and more made the guest list for Thursday’s big White House dinner in honor India’s Narendra Modi, with the likes of designer Ralph Lauren, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and tennis legend Billie Jean King rubbing shoulders with tech leaders from Apple, Google and Microsoft.  Shyamalan powered past reporters as he … continue reading -> “Big Names in Fashion, Tech, Entertainment Attend DC Dinner for India’s Modi”

Kenyan video gamers are joining forces to advocate for bringing to Africa more world-class gaming servers that provide greater stability and control. Apart from South Africa, many African countries lack servers, placing players at a disadvantage and discouraging many from joining esports. Mohammed Yusuf has more from Nairobi. …