AP Technology
AP-Technology
AI made its way to vineyards. Here’s how the technology is helping make your wine
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As AI continues to grow, experts say that the wine industry is proof that businesses can integrate the technology efficiently to supplement labor without displacing a workforce. New agricultural tech like AI can help farmers to cut back on waste, and to run more efficient and sustainable vineyards by monitoring water use and helping determine when and where to use products like fertilizers or pest control. AI-backed tractors and irrigation systems can minimize water use by analyzing soil or vines, while also helping farmers manage acres of vineyards by providing more accurate data on the health of a crop or what a season’s yield will be.
They were forced to scam others worldwide. Now thousands are detained on the Myanmar border
MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) — Thousands of sick, exhausted and terrified young men and women, from countries all over the world squat in rows, packed shoulder to shoulder, surgical masks covering their mouths and, some, their eyes. Weeks after being released from locked compounds where they were forced to trick Americans and others out of their life savings, they’re still stuck in Myanmar waiting for a way home. Meanwhile, conditions in the place where they’re being held are dire as people complain of no medical attention for illnesses, and few toilets shared among hundreds. They are just a small fraction of what could be 300,000 people working in similar operations across the region, and their release does not mean these scams will be stopped.
Trump tells crypto leaders at White House summit he’s committed to helping their industry
President Donald Trump said Friday that he’s committed to making the U.S. a world leader in cryptocurrencies as industry leaders heaped praise on him for reversing what they said had been unfair attacks on digital assets by the previous administration. The first-ever White House “Crypto Summit” included crypto company executives, cabinet officials and lawmakers, many of whom took turns raving about Trump’s leadership on digital assets. The emboldened industry said it was unfairly treated by the Biden administration and spent heavily to help Trump and Republicans in the last election. Trump reiterated his eagerness to help the crypto industry with friendly legislation and light-touch regulations.
Elon Musk’s PAC is running ads touting Trump’s accomplishments — and his
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has refired the political action committee he spent heavily on in supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, this time with the group’s first television advertisement, one lauding the first six weeks of the administration, where he is working as a close adviser to the president. America PAC began airing this week an ad nationally and in Washington, D.C., declaring that, with former President Joe Biden’s departure, “our long national nightmare is finally over, and with Trump, “America is back.” The 60-second spot hails Trump’s moves on immigration, energy and and “slashing billions in waste at home,” a nod to the federal workforce purge Musk has led as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
Siemens announces $285 million investment in US manufacturing
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Siemens plans to invest $285 million in manufacturing in the United States, the tech company said Thursday, including two new facilities in California and Texas. The U.S. is the largest market for the company. The recent investments in the company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint and the planned acquisition of Altair, a Michigan-based software company, marks a larger $10 billion investment in the U.S. by the company.
Ariane 6 rocket roars skyward carrying a French military reconnaissance satellite
PARIS (AP) — An Ariane 6 rocket has roared skyward with a French military reconnaissance satellite aboard in the first commercial flight for the European heavy-lift launcher. The rocket took off smoothly Thursday from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, quickly disappearing into thick clouds. Video images beamed back from the rocket showed the Earth’s beautiful colors and curvature. The rocket’s mission was to deliver the CSO-3 military observation satellite into orbit at an altitude of around 800 kilometers (500 miles). It was the first commercial mission for Ariane 6 after its maiden flight in July 2024.
Book Review: ‘The Dream Hotel’ is a dystopian world in which people are detained for dreams
Novelist Laila Lalami imagines a dystopian world in which people are detained for dreams about future crimes in her new book “The Dream Hotel.” She draws on the tracking of our every move these days by Big Tech. Protagonist Sara Hussein is detained at the airport after returning to Los Angeles from London. A dream she doesn’t remember about killing the husband she loves is considered enough to hold her for observation against her will. Associated Press reviewer Anita Snow says the book recalls the societal oppression and alienation found in the works of Margaret Atwood and Franz Kafka.
Utah becomes the first state to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify ages
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has become the first state to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify users’ ages and get parental consent for minors to download apps to their devices. The bill headed to the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox has pitted Facebook and Instagram operator Meta against app store giants Apple and Google over who should be responsible for verifying ages. Similar bills have been introduced in at least 12 other states in the latest fight over children’s digital safety. The proposals targeting app stores come after legal fights over laws requiring social media platforms to verify the ages of users.
Trump signs executive order to establish government bitcoin reserve
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency’s journey towards possible mainstream acceptance. Under Trump’s new order, the U.S. government will retain the estimated 200,000 bitcoin it’s already seized in criminal and civil proceedings, according to Trump’s “crypto czar” David Sacks. The executive order calls for a “full accounting” of the government’s bitcoin holdings, which Sacks said has never been fully audited. He added that the U.S. government has previously sold off about 195,000 bitcoin over the last decade for $366 million. He said those bitcoins would be worth about $17 billion if the government hadn’t sold them.
Albania shuts down TikTok for a year amid concerns over violence among children
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The Albanian Cabinet has decided to shut down TikTok for 12 months, blaming the video-sharing platform for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu says officials are in contact with TikTok on installing filters like parental control and the inclusion of the Albanian language in the application. The minister said authorities had conducted 1,300 meetings with some 65,000 parents who “recommended and were in favor of the shut down or limiting the TikTok platform.” The Cabinet initiated the move last year after a teen stabbed another teenager to death in November after a quarrel that started on TikTok.TikTok did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the government’s decision.
