AP Technology
AP-Technology
Supreme Court backs law banning TikTok if it’s not sold by its Chinese parent company
WASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok’s CEO is thanking President-elect Donald Trump for “his commitment” to keeping the app available after the Supreme Court upheld the federal law banning it beginning Sunday unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company. The court held Friday the risk to national security posed by TikTok’s ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the U.S. The court’s decision means new users won’t be able to download the app and updates won’t be available, but it won’t disappear from users’ phones. Trump has said he’ll “save” TikTok, but it’s unclear what he’ll do.
How to prepare for a TikTok ban, including how to save your content
TikTok has cemented itself as the quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news. The platform, though, could vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday. If you are an avid user – or a creator who relies on the platform for income – here’s what you need to know to prepare. Users will continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones. But the app is expected to disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores, which means people won’t be able to download or update it. There are also some workarounds around a ban. But some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.
Apple pulls error-prone AI-generated news summaries in its beta iPhone software
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple is suspending an error-prone feature that used artificial intelligence to deliver bogus news alerts to some iPhone owners. The decision was disclosed Thursday as part of a test version for the next software update, iOS 18.3. The beta version is only available to a relatively small group of iPhone users. The same features are typically released to all iPhone users in a similar software updates several weeks after tests begin. Apple said it is disabling the AI-generated feature for news and entertainment while it tries to fix the issue causing the technology to fabricate information.
Bitcoin soars past $100,000 ahead of possible early action on crypto by Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — The price of bitcoin topped $100,000 again early Friday as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry expects early action by Donald Trump when he’s sworn in as president next week. Trump has vowed on the campaign trail to take steps in early in presidency to make the U.S. into the “crypto capital” of the world. His promises including creating a U.S. crypto stockpile, enacting industry-friendly regulation and even appointing a crypto “czar” for his administration. The crypto industry is celebrating Trump’s inauguration with a first-ever “Crypto Ball.”
As Biden warns of an ‘oligarchy,’ Trump will be flanked by tech billionaires at his inauguration
The super-rich have long played a role in U.S. politics but have an unusually prominent spot in incoming President Donald Trump’s new administration. President Joe Biden’s farewell warning about a tech-fueled “oligarchy” is due to that. Biden and his fellow Democrats have also long been supported by billionaires, but not in the same direct way or with the same dynamics of threats and demands for loyalty that come from Trump. The use of the term “oligarchy” harkens to Russian politics.
Biden’s new 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 requires government contractors to show they’re meeting federal security standards and makes it easier for U.S. authorities to impose sanctions 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 says its new Switch 2 console will be released 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. The initial reaction to the Nintendo Switch 2 was lackluster, and the company’s Tokyo-traded shares slumped 4.3% on Friday.
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.
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.
