AP Technology

AP Entertainment
January 16, 2025
AP Sports
January 16, 2025
AP Entertainment
January 16, 2025
AP Sports
January 16, 2025
AP Technology

AP-Technology

Biden executive order aims to shore up US cyber defenses

WASHINGTON (AP) — An executive order issued by President Joe Biden just days before he leaves office aims to shore up America’s cyber defenses while making it easier to go after foreign countries that launch cyberattacks. Thursday’s order includes provisions requiring government contractors to show they’re meeting federal security standards, and changes rules on government sanctions to make it easier to impose them against foreign hackers. While President-elect Donald Trump may replace the order with his own policy, there’s broad support in both parties for strengthening the country’s defenses against cyberattacks mounted by China, Russia and other foreign adversaries.

Nintendo’s new Switch 2 console will come out in 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Nintendo Switch 2, the successor to the Nintendo Switch system, will be released in 2025. In a new promotional video, Nintendo showed off a larger version of the Switch that looks similar to its predecessor. The video shows that the next generation of the console includes an additional USB-C port. It also shows the system’s controllers, or Joy-Cons, now attach to the side of the main unit rather than slide in.

Biden warns the US risks becoming an ‘oligarchy.’ What does the term mean?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden in his Wednesday farewell speech to the nation warned that American democracy was sliding into an “oligarchy” of tech billionaires. But even before Biden’s speech, the rising wealth gap in the United States — as well as in China — raised concerns about whether the world’s two largest economies were becoming oligarchies.

Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in red and blue states

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Efforts to ban students’ cellphones at school is gaining rare bipartisan consensus in Republican and Democrat-led states. At least eight states have enacted such bans in recent years and proposals are being considered in several more states this year. The push for restrictions on cellphones at schools is being fueled by concerns about the impact screen time is having on children’s mental health and the distraction they’re posing in the classroom. But the bans are facing pushback from some parents and students who say the devices are needed to communicate in case of an emergency.

How much is TikTok worth and who could buy it?

NEW YORK (AP) — The supremely popular TikTok could be banned on Jan. 19 under a federal law that forces the video sharing platform to divest itself from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S. operations. Several parties have expressed interest in buying the platform, but ByteDance has repeatedly said it does not plan to sell. Experts have also noted the Chinese government is unlikely to approve a sale that includes TikTok’s coveted algorithm. But until the deadline passes, or until the Supreme Court takes action, the possibility of a purchase is still possible.

Trump adviser says president-elect is exploring options to ‘preserve’ TikTok

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, said during an interview on Wednesday that the president-elect is exploring options to “preserve” TikTok. Waltz made the comment after he was asked by Fox News anchor Bret Baier about a report from the Washington Post that said Trump was considering an executive order to suspend enforcement of the federal law that could ban the app by Sunday. Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the statute brought by TikTok its China-based parent company ByteDance, and users of the app. The Justices seemed likely to uphold the law.

Google signs deal with AP to deliver up-to-date news through its Gemini AI chatbot

Google says its artificial intelligence chatbot Gemini will now deliver up-to-date news from The Associated Press in the tech giant’s first such deal with a news publisher. Google announced the deal in a blog post Wednesday, saying that AP “will now deliver a feed of real-time information to help further enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app.” Neither company has disclosed how much Google will pay AP for the content. Google declined further comment on how it would present information from AP’s journalism and whether it would credit the news organization or link back to the original articles.

Taiwan takes a further step in production of AI chips with advanced new plant

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has taken another step in enhancing its key role in the production of advanced semiconductor chips used for artificial intelligence with the inauguration of a new plant by Siliconware Precision Industries Co. The ceremony Thursday marking the inauguration of the Tan-Ke factory in the central city of Taichung was attended by Jensen Huang, CEO and co-founder of California-based Nvidia Corp., a world leader in the design of AI chips, reinforcing the companies’ partnership in the production of advanced AI chips. Huang highlighted the growing complexity of semiconductor packaging and its central role in advancing AI. Huang’s visit reflects the critical role Taiwan plays in the global AI supply chain.

Supreme Court seems open to age checks for online porn, though some free-speech questions remain

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seems open to a Texas law aimed at blocking kids from seeing online pornography. But the justices could still send it back to a lower court for more consideration of how the age verification measure affects adults’ free-speech rights. Texas is among more than a dozen states with similar laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The states say they’re trying to protect children from near-instantaneous access to porn on smartphones. Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday access to pornography has “exploded.” An adult-entertainment industry trade group called The Free Speech Coalition says the Texas law wrongly affects adults by requiring them to submit personal identifying information online.

Head of US cybersecurity agency says she hopes it keeps up election work under Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — Outgoing U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly says she hopes her agency will be able to keep up its election-related work. She expressed pride on Wednesday in her agency’s efforts to build trust with state and local election officials and quickly notify the public of foreign influence efforts ahead of the 2024 election. That part of CISA’s work has been controversial among conservatives. Congressional Republicans and right-wing advocacy groups have suggested gutting CISA or reducing its election-related mission. President-elect Donald Trump has said it’s important to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure but hasn’t said whether he wants CISA to continue its election responsibilities. He has yet to nominate Easterly’s replacement.