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Australia's federal court found Alphabet Inc's Google misled consumers about personal location data collected through Android mobile devices, the country's competition regulator said on Friday.

The tech giant has been embroiled in legal action in the country in recent months as the government mulled and later passed a law to make Google and Facebook pay media companies for content on their platforms.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said the court found Google wrongly claimed it could only collect information from the location history setting on user devices between January 2017 and December 2018.&nbsp;

A setting to control web and application activity, when turned on, also enabled Google to collect, store and use the data and was turned on by default on the devices, according to the ACCC.

Users were also not informed that turning off location history but leaving the "Web &amp; App Activity" setting on would allow Google to continue to collect data, the court found.

The regulator said it would seek penalties, but did not specify the amount.

A Google spokesman said that while the court had rejected many of ACCC's claims, the company disagreed with the remaining findings and was reviewing its options, including a possible appeal.

(With input from agencies)

Australia's federal court found Alphabet Inc's Google misled consumers about personal location data collected through Android mobile devices, the country's competition regulator said on Friday.

Australia's federal court found Alphabet Inc's Google misled consumers about personal location data collected through Android mobile devices, the country's competition regulator said on Friday. The tech giant has been embroiled in legal action in the country in recent months as the government mulled and later passed a law to make Google and Facebook pay media companies for content on their platforms. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said the court found Google wrongly claimed it could only collect information from the location history setting on user devices between January 2017 and December 2018. A setting to control web and application activity, when turned on, also enabled Google to collect, store and use the data and was turned on by default on the devices, according to the ACCC. Users were also not informed that turning off location history but leaving the "Web & App Activity" setting on would allow Google to continue to collect data, the court found. The regulator said it would seek penalties, but did not specify the amount. A Google spokesman said that while the court had rejected many of ACCC's claims, the company disagreed with the remaining findings and was reviewing its options, including a possible appeal. (With input from agencies)

Australia finds Google misled customers over data collection

Advocates for children from around the world urged&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens.

Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.

Instagram "exploits young people's fear of missing out and desire for peer approval," the letter contended.

"The platform's relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents' privacy and well-being," it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies, and inappropriate content.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-building-a-version-of-instagram-for-children-under-13-371695">Facebook building a version of&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;for&nbsp;children&nbsp;under 13</a>

Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social network for children under 13, with parental controls.

Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the internet makes it challenging to catch all rule-breakers.

"The reality is that kids are online,"&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokeswoman Stephanie Otway said.

"They want to connect with their family and friends, have fun and learn, and we want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate."

Facebook&nbsp;is working with child development and mental health experts to prioritise safety and privacy, according to Otway.

Instagram, which has more than a billion users, recently unveiled technology aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know.

The platform is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens.

The children's advocates were dubious about the proposed youth version.

"Facebook's long track record of exploiting young people and putting them at risk makes the company particularly unsuitable as the custodian of a photo sharing and social messaging site for children," their letter said.

"In short, an Instagram site for kids will subject young children to a number of serious risks and will offer few benefits for families."

(With input from agencies)

Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens. Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.

Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens. Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg. Instagram "exploits young people's fear of missing out and desire for peer approval," the letter contended. "The platform's relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents' privacy and well-being," it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies, and inappropriate content. Also read| Facebook building a version of Instagram for children under 13 Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social network for children under 13, with parental controls. Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the internet makes it challenging to catch all rule-breakers. "The reality is that kids are online," Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway said. "They want to connect with their family and friends, have fun and learn, and we want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate." Facebook is working with child development and mental health experts to prioritise safety and privacy, according to Otway. Instagram, which has more than a billion users, recently unveiled technology aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know. The platform is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens. The children's advocates were dubious about the proposed youth version. "Facebook's long track record of exploiting young people and putting them at risk makes the company particularly unsuitable as the custodian of a photo sharing and social messaging site for children," their letter said. "In short, an Instagram site for kids will subject young children to a number of serious risks and will offer few benefits for families." (With input from agencies)

Ditch plans for kids' version of Instagram, advocates for children urge Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

In France, soldiers recently trained to fight with robots when cadets ran drills with robot dogs and tanks at a military school

Inside a building, this robot leads a group of cadets to the rooftop. As soon as the robot senses the presence of a grenade, it lies down.

In March this year, cadets from the French combined arms military schools trained alongside real robots. They tested them in various combat situations using the robots for reconnaissance, support, cover and as mules.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/new-normal-robots-being-used-for-home-deliveries-due-to-surge-in-covid-cases-377223">New normal? Robots being used for home deliveries due to surge in COVID cases</a>

A soldier was seen surveilling the scene with a screen that looks a lot like a gaming device. This tablet could prove to be a powerful tool in the hands of a soldier.

These robots came equipped with cameras, allowing troops on the ground to sweep the scene, before a potential invasion.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-in-france-soldiers-conduct-drills-with-robots-377623">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-in-france-soldiers-conduct-drills-with-robots-377623/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The robot that looks like a dog is called Spot which was sent into this room for a recce where a grenade exploded.

There is also the Nexter Optio robot which resembles a real tank and comes equipped with a gun. Soldiers can take cover behind it and attack targets.

Another robot with big rotating cameras used for scanning the area is also available now.

The French cadets didn't just test robots for combat but also tried a machine for moving injured soldiers from a battleground. To test this, they placed a dummy on it and practised what looked like an evacuation.

The French military isn't the only one that's testing robots for the battlefield. Other defence forces, too, have access to a number of drones that can be operated by soldiers sitting miles away from the combat.

In France, soldiers recently trained to fight with robots when cadets ran drills with robot dogs and tanks at a military school Inside a building, this robot leads a group of cadets to the rooftop.

In France, soldiers recently trained to fight with robots when cadets ran drills with robot dogs and tanks at a military school Inside a building, this robot leads a group of cadets to the rooftop. As soon as the robot senses the presence of a grenade, it lies down. In March this year, cadets from the French combined arms military schools trained alongside real robots. They tested them in various combat situations using the robots for reconnaissance, support, cover and as mules. Also read | New normal? Robots being used for home deliveries due to surge in COVID cases A soldier was seen surveilling the scene with a screen that looks a lot like a gaming device. This tablet could prove to be a powerful tool in the hands of a soldier. These robots came equipped with cameras, allowing troops on the ground to sweep the scene, before a potential invasion. Watch | The robot that looks like a dog is called Spot which was sent into this room for a recce where a grenade exploded. There is also the Nexter Optio robot which resembles a real tank and comes equipped with a gun. Soldiers can take cover behind it and attack targets. Another robot with big rotating cameras used for scanning the area is also available now. The French cadets didn't just test robots for combat but also tried a machine for moving injured soldiers from a battleground. To test this, they placed a dummy on it and practised what looked like an evacuation. The French military isn't the only one that's testing robots for the battlefield. Other defence forces, too, have access to a number of drones that can be operated by soldiers sitting miles away from the combat.

Robot soldiers are the new combat weapons in age of technology

At a time when people are trying to be more considerate about each other’s traumas and feelings, Instagram has had a major error, leading to several users feeling "triggered."

The search function in the social media app had automatically started recommending terms such as "fasting", "appetite suppressants" and such terms to some people.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/instagram-launches-experiment-to-hide-likes-377629" hreflang="en">Instagram launches experiment to hide 'likes'</a>

People suffering from eating disorder felt triggered due to these suggestions and some even felt they might relapse.

Instagram has now removed all those harmful terms from the platform and has apologised for the damage caused. The company has termed it as a “mistake” which has been resolved, a spokesperson said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/instagram-launches-new-stickers-on-ramzan-heres-how-to-use-them-377488" hreflang="en">Instagram launches new stickers on Ramzan, here's how to use them</a>

"We recently rolled out a new search functionality on Instagram beyond hashtags and usernames, to help you more easily discover and explore content you’re most interested in," a spokesperson for Facebook, owner of Instagram, said.

"As part of this new feature, when you tap on the search bar, we’ll suggest topics you may want to search for," he added. "Those suggestions, as well as the search results themselves, are limited to general interests, and weight loss should not have been one of them."

At a time when people are trying to be more considerate about each other’s traumas and feelings, Instagram has had a major error, leading to several users feeling "triggered.

At a time when people are trying to be more considerate about each other’s traumas and feelings, Instagram has had a major error, leading to several users feeling "triggered." The search function in the social media app had automatically started recommending terms such as "fasting", "appetite suppressants" and such terms to some people. Also read | Instagram launches experiment to hide 'likes' People suffering from eating disorder felt triggered due to these suggestions and some even felt they might relapse. Instagram has now removed all those harmful terms from the platform and has apologised for the damage caused. The company has termed it as a “mistake” which has been resolved, a spokesperson said. Also read | Instagram launches new stickers on Ramzan, here's how to use them "We recently rolled out a new search functionality on Instagram beyond hashtags and usernames, to help you more easily discover and explore content you’re most interested in," a spokesperson for Facebook, owner of Instagram, said. "As part of this new feature, when you tap on the search bar, we’ll suggest topics you may want to search for," he added. "Those suggestions, as well as the search results themselves, are limited to general interests, and weight loss should not have been one of them."

Instagram apologises for promoting 'eating disorder' phrases

More than 20 Chinese tech giants have made a public pact to abide by anti-monopoly guidelines, after regulators told them to note "the warning" of a record fine against e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Beijing is taking China's tech firms to task to curtail the reach of private companies into the daily finances of the Chinese public,&nbsp;and, analysts say, to rein in their runaway expansion.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/alibaba-says-to-lower-entry-barriers-after-record-antitrust-fine-376969/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In a series of individual statements published by China's market regulator on Wednesday and Thursday, some of the country's biggest brands,&nbsp;including ByteDance, Baidu and CTrip,&nbsp;promised to "ensure fair competition", "not abuse market dominance", and "not implement unfair price behaviour".

The oaths come after regulators summoned 34 tech companies on Tuesday and warned them to "rectify" any anti-competitive measures and "heed the warning of Alibaba's case".

The firms were given one month to undergo complete rectification after conducting internal checks, and to correct practices that harmed competition.

Ride-hailing service Didi, video platforms Kuaishou and Bilibili, as well as e-commerce firm JD.com are also among those who have since published commitments.

JD.com said it would not force the practice of "choosing one of two" on its retailers,&nbsp;where merchants are compelled to work only with one platform and not its rivals -- a move which Alibaba had come under fire for.

Meanwhile, in its statement, Didi pledged: "Except where necessary for regular business activities, we will not illegally collect or misuse personal information."&nbsp;

The next front in Beijing's assault on big tech could be the huge volumes of data they scoop up from China's consumers.

On Saturday, regulators hit Alibaba with a $2.78 billion penalty, after a months-long investigation found it had been abusing its dominant market position.

Alibaba and JD.com, along with messaging and gaming giant Tencent, have become hugely profitable on the back of growing Chinese digital lifestyles and government restrictions on major US competitors in the domestic market.

But as the platforms amassed hundreds of millions of regular users, concern has risen over their influence in China, where they are used for a huge array of daily tasks.

(With input from agencies)

More than 20 Chinese tech giants have made a public pact to abide by anti-monopoly guidelines, after regulators told them to note "the warning" of a record fine against e-commerce giant Alibaba.

More than 20 Chinese tech giants have made a public pact to abide by anti-monopoly guidelines, after regulators told them to note "the warning" of a record fine against e-commerce giant Alibaba. Beijing is taking China's tech firms to task to curtail the reach of private companies into the daily finances of the Chinese public, and, analysts say, to rein in their runaway expansion. In a series of individual statements published by China's market regulator on Wednesday and Thursday, some of the country's biggest brands, including ByteDance, Baidu and CTrip, promised to "ensure fair competition", "not abuse market dominance", and "not implement unfair price behaviour". The oaths come after regulators summoned 34 tech companies on Tuesday and warned them to "rectify" any anti-competitive measures and "heed the warning of Alibaba's case". The firms were given one month to undergo complete rectification after conducting internal checks, and to correct practices that harmed competition. Ride-hailing service Didi, video platforms Kuaishou and Bilibili, as well as e-commerce firm JD.com are also among those who have since published commitments. JD.com said it would not force the practice of "choosing one of two" on its retailers, where merchants are compelled to work only with one platform and not its rivals -- a move which Alibaba had come under fire for. Meanwhile, in its statement, Didi pledged: "Except where necessary for regular business activities, we will not illegally collect or misuse personal information." The next front in Beijing's assault on big tech could be the huge volumes of data they scoop up from China's consumers. On Saturday, regulators hit Alibaba with a $2.78 billion penalty, after a months-long investigation found it had been abusing its dominant market position. Alibaba and JD.com, along with messaging and gaming giant Tencent, have become hugely profitable on the back of growing Chinese digital lifestyles and government restrictions on major US competitors in the domestic market. But as the platforms amassed hundreds of millions of regular users, concern has risen over their influence in China, where they are used for a huge array of daily tasks. (With input from agencies)

Over 20 Chinese tech giants make public pact to abide by anti-monopoly guidelines

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to conduct an 'astronaut rehearsal' during the 15th launch of its New Shepard rocket, dubbed NS-15, which is targeting liftoff on Wednesday from Launch Site One in West Texas.&nbsp;

This flight is a 'verification step' for the vehicle and operations prior to flying astronauts, Blue Origin said on Monday.&nbsp;

During the mission, astronaut operational exercises will be conducted in preparation for human space flight. &nbsp;

The primary operations will entail Blue Origin personnel standing in as astronauts entering into the capsule prior to launch. &nbsp;

These astronauts will climb the launch tower, get into their seats, buckle their harnesses, and conduct a communications check from their seat with CAPCOM, the Capsule Communicator.&nbsp;

The tower operations team will prepare the capsule cabin for launch and then briefly close the capsule hatch. &nbsp;

The astronauts will then exit the capsule prior to launch, Blue Origin said, adding that the launch window for the flight on Wednesday opens at 8 am CDT (Central Daylight Time).&nbsp;

Post-landing, the astronauts will get inside the capsule to rehearse hatch opening, and exiting the capsule at the landing site. &nbsp;

However, it is still not clear when Blue Origin will launch the first commercial flights.&nbsp;

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to conduct an 'astronaut rehearsal' during the 15th launch of its New Shepard rocket, dubbed NS-15, which is targeting liftoff on Wednesday from Launch Site One in West Texas.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to conduct an 'astronaut rehearsal' during the 15th launch of its New Shepard rocket, dubbed NS-15, which is targeting liftoff on Wednesday from Launch Site One in West Texas. This flight is a 'verification step' for the vehicle and operations prior to flying astronauts, Blue Origin said on Monday. During the mission, astronaut operational exercises will be conducted in preparation for human space flight. The primary operations will entail Blue Origin personnel standing in as astronauts entering into the capsule prior to launch. These astronauts will climb the launch tower, get into their seats, buckle their harnesses, and conduct a communications check from their seat with CAPCOM, the Capsule Communicator. The tower operations team will prepare the capsule cabin for launch and then briefly close the capsule hatch. The astronauts will then exit the capsule prior to launch, Blue Origin said, adding that the launch window for the flight on Wednesday opens at 8 am CDT (Central Daylight Time). Post-landing, the astronauts will get inside the capsule to rehearse hatch opening, and exiting the capsule at the landing site. However, it is still not clear when Blue Origin will launch the first commercial flights.

Blue Origin's next launch to run 'astronaut rehearsal' 

A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match.&nbsp;

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Williams' experience was the first case of wrongful arrest due to facial recognition technology to come to light in the US, according to the ACLU.&nbsp;

"I came home from work and was arrested in my driveway in front of my wife and daughters, who watched in tears, because a computer made an error," Williams said in a statement.&nbsp;

"This never should have happened, and I want to make sure that this painful experience never happens to anyone else."&nbsp;

After a shoplifter allegedly stole several watches at a Shinola store in Detroit in 2018, Detroit police officers tried to identify the thief by using a blurry image from the store's surveillance camera video and feeding it through facial recognition technology.&nbsp;

The lawsuit cites studies that show that facial recognition technology is poor at accurately identifying Black people, especially in cases like this one when the photo is grainy, the lighting is poor, and the suspect is not looking at the camera.&nbsp;

Williams was held for 30 hours in a Detroit detention centre where he was forced to sleep on a raised cement slab due to overcrowding.&nbsp;

"We know that facial recognition technology threatens everyone's privacy by turning everybody into a suspect," said Phil Mayor, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Michigan.&nbsp;

"We've repeatedly urged the Detroit Police Department to abandon its use of this dangerous technology, but it insists on using it anyhow."&nbsp;

The lawsuit seeks damages and policy changes to stop the abuse of facial recognition technology.&nbsp;

A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on Tuesday.

A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on Tuesday. Williams' experience was the first case of wrongful arrest due to facial recognition technology to come to light in the US, according to the ACLU. "I came home from work and was arrested in my driveway in front of my wife and daughters, who watched in tears, because a computer made an error," Williams said in a statement. "This never should have happened, and I want to make sure that this painful experience never happens to anyone else." After a shoplifter allegedly stole several watches at a Shinola store in Detroit in 2018, Detroit police officers tried to identify the thief by using a blurry image from the store's surveillance camera video and feeding it through facial recognition technology. The lawsuit cites studies that show that facial recognition technology is poor at accurately identifying Black people, especially in cases like this one when the photo is grainy, the lighting is poor, and the suspect is not looking at the camera. Williams was held for 30 hours in a Detroit detention centre where he was forced to sleep on a raised cement slab due to overcrowding. "We know that facial recognition technology threatens everyone's privacy by turning everybody into a suspect," said Phil Mayor, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Michigan. "We've repeatedly urged the Detroit Police Department to abandon its use of this dangerous technology, but it insists on using it anyhow." The lawsuit seeks damages and policy changes to stop the abuse of facial recognition technology.

US man sues police for wrongful facial recognition-based arrest 

Instagram on Wednesday said it is testing a feature of hiding "like counts" in a bid to ease the pressure of getting approval from others.&nbsp;

"In 2019, we started hiding like counts for a small group of people to understand if it lessens some pressure when posting to Instagram," a Facebook spokesperson told news agency AFP.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-testing-video-speed-dating-app-sparked-377364">Facebook testing video speed dating app 'Sparked'&nbsp;</a>

"Some people found this beneficial but some still wanted to see like counts so they could track what’s popular."

It has been often seen that social media users keep a check on the number of people who have "liked" their content and builds pressure of increasing one's social acceptance and popularity, especially amongst the youth.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/instagram-launches-new-stickers-on-ramzan-heres-how-to-use-them-377488">Instagram launches new stickers on Ramzan, here's how to use them</a>

This has also led to addictive and adverse effects on one's mental health.&nbsp;

With this experiment, Instagram is allowing a small number of people across the world the option whether they want other people to see the number of "likes" on their posts.

"We're testing this on Instagram to start, but we're also exploring a similar experience for Facebook," the spokesperson added.&nbsp;

Facebook said it was working with experts to see that the design tweaks such as this one on Instagram can help users well-being.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Instagram on Wednesday said it is testing a feature of hiding "like counts" in a bid to ease the pressure of getting approval from others. "In 2019, we started hiding like counts for a small group of people to understand if it lessens some pressure when posting to Instagram," a Facebook spokesperson told news agency AFP.

Instagram on Wednesday said it is testing a feature of hiding "like counts" in a bid to ease the pressure of getting approval from others. "In 2019, we started hiding like counts for a small group of people to understand if it lessens some pressure when posting to Instagram," a Facebook spokesperson told news agency AFP. Also read | Facebook testing video speed dating app 'Sparked' "Some people found this beneficial but some still wanted to see like counts so they could track what’s popular." It has been often seen that social media users keep a check on the number of people who have "liked" their content and builds pressure of increasing one's social acceptance and popularity, especially amongst the youth. Also read | Instagram launches new stickers on Ramzan, here's how to use them This has also led to addictive and adverse effects on one's mental health. With this experiment, Instagram is allowing a small number of people across the world the option whether they want other people to see the number of "likes" on their posts. "We're testing this on Instagram to start, but we're also exploring a similar experience for Facebook," the spokesperson added. Facebook said it was working with experts to see that the design tweaks such as this one on Instagram can help users well-being.

Instagram launches experiment to hide 'likes'

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that it completed a $1 billion round of funding, that includes an additional $200 million strategic investment from Sony Corporation.&nbsp;

With the new funding round that involved over a dozen investors, Epic's equity valuation has touched $28.7 billion. &nbsp;

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said on Tuesday that the company will use the investment to "help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys, while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and the Epic Games Store."&nbsp;

Epic has used Sony's PS5 console to reveal its next-gen Unreal Engine 5 engine.&nbsp;

The two companies worked closely together on developing the PS5's storage architecture.&nbsp;

"We are excited to strengthen our collaboration to bring new entertainment experiences to people around the world. I strongly believe that this aligns with our purpose to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology," said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. &nbsp;

Epic Games will defend its stance during a lawsuit hearing against Apple in the US that starts from May 3, as the two companies got themselves involved in a legal battle over the use of an in-game payment system.&nbsp;

While Epic Games argues about Apple's monopoly over the app market and treats 30 per cent standard fee amount to anti-competitive behaviour that must be regulated by antitrust law, Apple contends that "the whole antitrust allegation and associated dust-kicking is little more than a PR stunt".&nbsp;

Apple CEO Tim Cook as well as Epic Games Founder and CEO Sweeney may testify in the trial. &nbsp;

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that it completed a $1 billion round of funding, that includes an additional $200 million strategic investment from Sony Corporation.

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that it completed a $1 billion round of funding, that includes an additional $200 million strategic investment from Sony Corporation. With the new funding round that involved over a dozen investors, Epic's equity valuation has touched $28.7 billion. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said on Tuesday that the company will use the investment to "help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys, while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and the Epic Games Store." Epic has used Sony's PS5 console to reveal its next-gen Unreal Engine 5 engine. The two companies worked closely together on developing the PS5's storage architecture. "We are excited to strengthen our collaboration to bring new entertainment experiences to people around the world. I strongly believe that this aligns with our purpose to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology," said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. Epic Games will defend its stance during a lawsuit hearing against Apple in the US that starts from May 3, as the two companies got themselves involved in a legal battle over the use of an in-game payment system. While Epic Games argues about Apple's monopoly over the app market and treats 30 per cent standard fee amount to anti-competitive behaviour that must be regulated by antitrust law, Apple contends that "the whole antitrust allegation and associated dust-kicking is little more than a PR stunt". Apple CEO Tim Cook as well as Epic Games Founder and CEO Sweeney may testify in the trial.

Sony invests additional $200M as Epic Games raises $1B 

Taiwan's Pegatron has chosen a site in El Paso, Texas, to build a plant that will provide components for&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;Inc, Taiwanese newspaper the Commercial Times reported on Wednesday.

The company said that details of its overseas plant investments, including timing, location, and investment amounts, were still in the planning stages.

It comes after&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;faces scrutiny in China where the military in March banned&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicle.&nbsp;

China is a key battleground for electric vehicles. In 2020&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;sold 30 per cent&nbsp;of its global total in the country.

Pegatron said in November that it would set up a factory in the United States to be closer to its clients there.

Pegatron is best known as a key supplier for Apple Inc, but it has said it sees electric vehicles as a major source of growth in coming years.

Shares of&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;climbed 3 per cent&nbsp;on Monday after Canaccord Genuity raised its rating on the electric car maker to "buy" and compared its brand to Apple.

Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer upgraded&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;to "buy" from "hold" and increased his price target to $1,071, the second-highest among 37 analysts tracked by Refinitiv.

(With input from agencies)

Taiwan's Pegatron has chosen a site in El Paso, Texas, to build a plant that will provide components for Tesla Inc, Taiwanese newspaper the Commercial Times reported on Wednesday.

Taiwan's Pegatron has chosen a site in El Paso, Texas, to build a plant that will provide components for Tesla Inc, Taiwanese newspaper the Commercial Times reported on Wednesday. The company said that details of its overseas plant investments, including timing, location, and investment amounts, were still in the planning stages. It comes after Tesla faces scrutiny in China where the military in March banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicle. China is a key battleground for electric vehicles. In 2020 Tesla sold 30 per cent of its global total in the country. Pegatron said in November that it would set up a factory in the United States to be closer to its clients there. Pegatron is best known as a key supplier for Apple Inc, but it has said it sees electric vehicles as a major source of growth in coming years. Shares of Tesla climbed 3 per cent on Monday after Canaccord Genuity raised its rating on the electric car maker to "buy" and compared its brand to Apple. Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer upgraded Tesla to "buy" from "hold" and increased his price target to $1,071, the second-highest among 37 analysts tracked by Refinitiv. (With input from agencies)

Taiwan's Pegatron to build components for Tesla

Germany's lead data protection regulator for Facebook said on Tuesday that it was taking action against the social network to prevent the collection of personal data from users of its WhatsApp messaging app.

The regulator in the city-state of Hamburg said that it had opened emergency proceedings against Facebook after WhatsApp earlier this year informed users that they would need to consent to new data terms or stop using the service.

"We have reason to believe that the data sharing policy between WhatsApp and Facebook is being impermissibly enforced due to the lack of voluntary and informed consent," said Hamburg's data protection officer Johannes Caspar.

Caspar, who leads domestic oversight of Facebook under Germany's federal system as its country office is in Hamburg, said he was opening a formal administrative procedure "to prevent an illegal mass exchange of data", with a view to reaching a decision before May 15.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said: “Our recent update includes new options&nbsp;people will have to message a business on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.

"To be clear, by accepting WhatsApp’s updated terms of service, users are not agreeing to any expansion in our ability to share data with Facebook, and the update does not impact the privacy of their messages with friends or family."

The regulatory action opens a new front in Germany over Facebook's privacy policies, with the national antitrust regulator already waging a legal battle over data practices it alleges reflect an abuse of the social network's market dominance.

Since 2018, online privacy has been subject to a European Union rulebook, called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under the GDPR, Ireland leads oversight of Facebook because the company's European headquarters is there.

Caspar said that he was seeking to impose a three-month freeze on WhatsApp's collection of user data, citing "extraordinary circumstances" foreseen in the GDPR. The measures can be extended by the European Data Protection Board, a forum that groups regulators from the bloc's 27 member states.

Germany's lead data protection regulator for Facebook said on Tuesday that it was taking action against the social network to prevent the collection of personal data from users of its WhatsApp messaging app.

Germany's lead data protection regulator for Facebook said on Tuesday that it was taking action against the social network to prevent the collection of personal data from users of its WhatsApp messaging app. The regulator in the city-state of Hamburg said that it had opened emergency proceedings against Facebook after WhatsApp earlier this year informed users that they would need to consent to new data terms or stop using the service. "We have reason to believe that the data sharing policy between WhatsApp and Facebook is being impermissibly enforced due to the lack of voluntary and informed consent," said Hamburg's data protection officer Johannes Caspar. Caspar, who leads domestic oversight of Facebook under Germany's federal system as its country office is in Hamburg, said he was opening a formal administrative procedure "to prevent an illegal mass exchange of data", with a view to reaching a decision before May 15. A WhatsApp spokesperson said: “Our recent update includes new options people will have to message a business on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data. "To be clear, by accepting WhatsApp’s updated terms of service, users are not agreeing to any expansion in our ability to share data with Facebook, and the update does not impact the privacy of their messages with friends or family." The regulatory action opens a new front in Germany over Facebook's privacy policies, with the national antitrust regulator already waging a legal battle over data practices it alleges reflect an abuse of the social network's market dominance. Since 2018, online privacy has been subject to a European Union rulebook, called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under the GDPR, Ireland leads oversight of Facebook because the company's European headquarters is there. Caspar said that he was seeking to impose a three-month freeze on WhatsApp's collection of user data, citing "extraordinary circumstances" foreseen in the GDPR. The measures can be extended by the European Data Protection Board, a forum that groups regulators from the bloc's 27 member states.

German regulator taking action against WhatsApp  over 'illegal' data collection

Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram has rolled out new features on the occasion of Ramzan.

The platform has launched three new stickers created for Ramzan that started today and will continue until May 12. The new stickers can be used in Instagram Stories.

Instagram&nbsp;frequently launches stickers to celebrate festivals, and commemorate important events around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ramazan-the-pandemic-377389/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Tara Bedi, Public Policy and Community Outreach Manager, Instagram, Facebook India, posted the stickers on her Instagram account and spoke about the new features.

Instagram worked with Hala AlAbbasi, an illustrator from Bahrain, to create the three stickers for the occasion."Ramzan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem! Today we`re launching new themed product features, while celebrating acts of kindness around in this #MonthofGood," Bedi wrote in the caption.

"Stickers: We worked with @haluulie to create 3 new stickers so that you can share the traditions of Ramadan on Instagram. Hala AlAbbasi, an illustrator in Bahrain, was inspired by her favourite aspects of the holiday, and chose to reflect on the "beautiful moments that we share together," added Bedi.

"Hala hopes that her stickers will be used throughout Ramadan to mark moments of celebration, from greetings to special suhoors and iftars, all the way to celebrating Eid. Swipe to see all 3 stickers," the post further read.

The three stickers include the moon, iftar food, and a mosque in colourful illustrations. Instagram has also placed the stickers under `Featured` so they appear on top in the sticker stray.

The recently-released stickers will also be visible through a multi-author story on Instagram. So if you have people you follow, use any of the stickers, they'll appear together in a collated story in your feed.

How to use the stickers:

1. Open the camera on your Instagram application.

2. Take a photo or record a video that you wish to put up as a story.

3. Tap on the sticker icon available on the top bar.

4. The new stickers will be visible under `Featured`.

5. Select any as per your liking or all of the stickers and place them on your story.

Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram has rolled out new features on the occasion of Ramzan. The platform has launched three new stickers created for Ramzan that started today and will continue until May 12.

Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram has rolled out new features on the occasion of Ramzan. The platform has launched three new stickers created for Ramzan that started today and will continue until May 12. The new stickers can be used in Instagram Stories. Instagram frequently launches stickers to celebrate festivals, and commemorate important events around the world. Tara Bedi, Public Policy and Community Outreach Manager, Instagram, Facebook India, posted the stickers on her Instagram account and spoke about the new features. Instagram worked with Hala AlAbbasi, an illustrator from Bahrain, to create the three stickers for the occasion."Ramzan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem! Today we`re launching new themed product features, while celebrating acts of kindness around in this #MonthofGood," Bedi wrote in the caption. "Stickers: We worked with @haluulie to create 3 new stickers so that you can share the traditions of Ramadan on Instagram. Hala AlAbbasi, an illustrator in Bahrain, was inspired by her favourite aspects of the holiday, and chose to reflect on the "beautiful moments that we share together," added Bedi. "Hala hopes that her stickers will be used throughout Ramadan to mark moments of celebration, from greetings to special suhoors and iftars, all the way to celebrating Eid. Swipe to see all 3 stickers," the post further read. The three stickers include the moon, iftar food, and a mosque in colourful illustrations. Instagram has also placed the stickers under `Featured` so they appear on top in the sticker stray. The recently-released stickers will also be visible through a multi-author story on Instagram. So if you have people you follow, use any of the stickers, they'll appear together in a collated story in your feed. How to use the stickers: 1. Open the camera on your Instagram application. 2. Take a photo or record a video that you wish to put up as a story. 3. Tap on the sticker icon available on the top bar. 4. The new stickers will be visible under `Featured`. 5. Select any as per your liking or all of the stickers and place them on your story.

Instagram launches new stickers on Ramzan, here's how to use them

A US court has authorised Federal Bureau of Investigation to directly investigate backdoors into hundreds of Microsoft Exchange email servers across the US. Four months ago, hackers had used vulnerabilities in the server&nbsp;to attack multiple networks.

As part of this move, the FBI will be allowed to copy and remove backdoors, as announced by the Justice Department on Tuesday, TechCrunch first reported.

Microsoft had discovered a new hacking group from China in March called “Hafnium” which targeted Exchange servers on company networks. Clubbed together, the four vulnerabilities allowed hackers to get access to a vulnerable Exchange server and successfully steal its contents.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/putins-chef-urges-fbi-to-remove-his-name-from-wanted-list-of-criminals-372814" hreflang="en">'Putin's chef' urges FBI to remove his name from wanted list of criminals</a>

Even though Microsoft claimed that the vulnerabilities were patched, but the patches from backdoors did not close. After the loopholes became public, multiple hacking groups began capitalising on servers and installing ransomware.

According to a Justice Department statement, hundreds of Microsoft Exchange servers continue to remain vulnerable as backdoors remain difficult to identify and to get rid of.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/fbi-releases-new-footage-of-washington-pipe-bomb-suspect-369262" hreflang="en">FBI releases new footage of Washington pipe bomb suspect</a>

The FBI is attempting to inform owners of servers via email after removal of backdoors. According to the Justice Department, the operation only removed the backdoors, but failed to fix the loopholes in place. In addition, the malware installed by hackers has not been removed. This marks the first FBI intervening in private networks after a cyberattack.&nbsp;

A US court has authorised Federal Bureau of Investigation to directly investigate backdoors into hundreds of Microsoft Exchange email servers across the US. Four months ago, hackers had used vulnerabilities in the server to attack multiple networks.

A US court has authorised Federal Bureau of Investigation to directly investigate backdoors into hundreds of Microsoft Exchange email servers across the US. Four months ago, hackers had used vulnerabilities in the server to attack multiple networks. As part of this move, the FBI will be allowed to copy and remove backdoors, as announced by the Justice Department on Tuesday, TechCrunch first reported. Microsoft had discovered a new hacking group from China in March called “Hafnium” which targeted Exchange servers on company networks. Clubbed together, the four vulnerabilities allowed hackers to get access to a vulnerable Exchange server and successfully steal its contents. Also read: 'Putin's chef' urges FBI to remove his name from wanted list of criminals Even though Microsoft claimed that the vulnerabilities were patched, but the patches from backdoors did not close. After the loopholes became public, multiple hacking groups began capitalising on servers and installing ransomware. According to a Justice Department statement, hundreds of Microsoft Exchange servers continue to remain vulnerable as backdoors remain difficult to identify and to get rid of. Also read: FBI releases new footage of Washington pipe bomb suspect The FBI is attempting to inform owners of servers via email after removal of backdoors. According to the Justice Department, the operation only removed the backdoors, but failed to fix the loopholes in place. In addition, the malware installed by hackers has not been removed. This marks the first FBI intervening in private networks after a cyberattack.

FBI to remove backdoors from hacked Microsoft Exchange servers, in a first for federal agency

Hoping to capitalise on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city state.

Developed by OTSAW Digital and both named "Camello", the robots' services have been offered to 700 households in a one-year trial.

Users can book delivery slots for their milk and eggs, and an app notifies them when the robot is about to reach a pick-up point,&nbsp;usually the lobby of an apartment building.

The robots, which are equipped with 3D sensors, a camera and two compartments each able to carry up to 20 kg (44 lb) of food or parcels ordered online, make four or five deliveries per day on weekdays and are on call for half day on Saturday.

They use ultraviolet light to disinfect themselves after every trip, said OTSAW Digital's chief executive, Ling Ting Ming.

"Especially during this pandemic period, everybody is looking at contactless, humanless," he said.

For the time being, staff accompany the robots on their rounds to ensure no problems arise.

Tashfique Haider, a 25-year-old student who has tried out the service, said it could be particularly helpful for the elderly so they wouldn't have to carry goods home.

But a passerby worried the technology might be too much trouble for some.

"The younger customers will like it. I don't think they (the older generation) will, because these are gadgets that younger people like," said 36-year-old housewife Xue Ya Xin.

Similarly,&nbsp;Domino's Pizza Inc and Nuro Inc, a Silicon Valley startup, said on Monday they will launch a robotic pizza delivery service in Houston this week as they seek to satisfy increasing online orders during the pandemic.

With small, low-speed vehicles to carry packages instead of people, Nuro has been pulling ahead of other autonomous vehicle startups in gaining regulatory approvals. It won US&nbsp;clearance last year to start unmanned delivery services.

Nuro recently secured a $500 million including an equity investment from Woven Capital, the mobility investment arm of a Toyota Motor Corp subsidiary, which made its total valuation more than $5 billion, a person familiar with the matter said.

The delivery service will begin at a Domino's outlet in Houston before expanding to serve customers in many other locations as part of a long-term partnership, said Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partner relations.

"It’s generally difficult for large companies to hire enough drivers to fill their delivery demand," Leipold said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Leipold said Nuro, which has already partnered with retailers Kroger Co, Walmart Inc and CVS Health Corp to deliver groceries and prescriptions, said its weekly deliveries had nearly tripled in the first three months of the pandemic.

Houston, the fourth-largest US&nbsp;city, has one of the country's highest road fatality rates. "Houston’s roadways create challenging scenarios for our technology to work with," Leipold added.

Nuro and&nbsp;Domino’s&nbsp;had said in 2019 they expected to launch robot pizza delivery late that year. "Nuro and&nbsp;Domino’s&nbsp;have taken a measured approach to prioritize a smooth and safe deployment," Leipold said.

Nuro, founded by two former Google engineers in 2016, previously raised $940 million from the SoftBank Vision Fund.

(With input from agencies)

Hoping to capitalise on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a Singapore technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city state.

Hoping to capitalise on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a Singapore technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city state. Developed by OTSAW Digital and both named "Camello", the robots' services have been offered to 700 households in a one-year trial. Users can book delivery slots for their milk and eggs, and an app notifies them when the robot is about to reach a pick-up point, usually the lobby of an apartment building. The robots, which are equipped with 3D sensors, a camera and two compartments each able to carry up to 20 kg (44 lb) of food or parcels ordered online, make four or five deliveries per day on weekdays and are on call for half day on Saturday. They use ultraviolet light to disinfect themselves after every trip, said OTSAW Digital's chief executive, Ling Ting Ming. "Especially during this pandemic period, everybody is looking at contactless, humanless," he said. For the time being, staff accompany the robots on their rounds to ensure no problems arise. Tashfique Haider, a 25-year-old student who has tried out the service, said it could be particularly helpful for the elderly so they wouldn't have to carry goods home. But a passerby worried the technology might be too much trouble for some. "The younger customers will like it. I don't think they (the older generation) will, because these are gadgets that younger people like," said 36-year-old housewife Xue Ya Xin. Similarly, Domino's Pizza Inc and Nuro Inc, a Silicon Valley startup, said on Monday they will launch a robotic pizza delivery service in Houston this week as they seek to satisfy increasing online orders during the pandemic. With small, low-speed vehicles to carry packages instead of people, Nuro has been pulling ahead of other autonomous vehicle startups in gaining regulatory approvals. It won US clearance last year to start unmanned delivery services. Nuro recently secured a $500 million including an equity investment from Woven Capital, the mobility investment arm of a Toyota Motor Corp subsidiary, which made its total valuation more than $5 billion, a person familiar with the matter said. The delivery service will begin at a Domino's outlet in Houston before expanding to serve customers in many other locations as part of a long-term partnership, said Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partner relations. "It’s generally difficult for large companies to hire enough drivers to fill their delivery demand," Leipold said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Leipold said Nuro, which has already partnered with retailers Kroger Co, Walmart Inc and CVS Health Corp to deliver groceries and prescriptions, said its weekly deliveries had nearly tripled in the first three months of the pandemic. Houston, the fourth-largest US city, has one of the country's highest road fatality rates. "Houston’s roadways create challenging scenarios for our technology to work with," Leipold added. Nuro and Domino’s had said in 2019 they expected to launch robot pizza delivery late that year. "Nuro and Domino’s have taken a measured approach to prioritize a smooth and safe deployment," Leipold said. Nuro, founded by two former Google engineers in 2016, previously raised $940 million from the SoftBank Vision Fund. (With input from agencies)

New normal? Robots being used for home deliveries due to surge in COVID cases

After Facebook Dating, the social networking platform is now testing a video speed-dating app called Sparked that will first allow 4-minute dates to help users find if they are compatible to each other.&nbsp;

Once you 'both have a great time’, dates will then be scheduled for a 10-minute duration. &nbsp;

After that point, Sparked can let the users exchange contact information and stay in touch via Instagram, iMessage, or email, The Verge reported on Tuesday. &nbsp;

Sparked is developed by the company's in-house NPE (New Product Experimentation) team.&nbsp;

The free-to-use app will offer no public profiles, no swiping and no direct messages (DMs) but a simple video speed-chat. &nbsp;

During the sign-up process, users need to explain what makes them a kind dater. The responses will be 'reviewed by a human at Sparked' before you can go on speed dates. &nbsp;

"Users also have to choose whether they want to date men, women, or nonbinary people, and then are asked if they are open to dating trans people," the report noted. &nbsp;

In 2019, the company rolled out Facebook Dating in the US, and later to various countries, including the UK. &nbsp;

The Dating app helps users explore potential romantic relationships within their own extended circle of friends.&nbsp;

Facebook also quietly launched a new app last year, just for couples who can connect to each other intimately like a personal dating app.&nbsp;

Called Tuned, the app allowed couples to share their mood, exchange music via Spotify and create a digital scrapbook. &nbsp;

After Facebook Dating, the social networking platform is now testing a video speed-dating app called Sparked that will first allow 4-minute dates to help users find if they are compatible to each other.

After Facebook Dating, the social networking platform is now testing a video speed-dating app called Sparked that will first allow 4-minute dates to help users find if they are compatible to each other. Once you 'both have a great time’, dates will then be scheduled for a 10-minute duration. After that point, Sparked can let the users exchange contact information and stay in touch via Instagram, iMessage, or email, The Verge reported on Tuesday. Sparked is developed by the company's in-house NPE (New Product Experimentation) team. The free-to-use app will offer no public profiles, no swiping and no direct messages (DMs) but a simple video speed-chat. During the sign-up process, users need to explain what makes them a kind dater. The responses will be 'reviewed by a human at Sparked' before you can go on speed dates. "Users also have to choose whether they want to date men, women, or nonbinary people, and then are asked if they are open to dating trans people," the report noted. In 2019, the company rolled out Facebook Dating in the US, and later to various countries, including the UK. The Dating app helps users explore potential romantic relationships within their own extended circle of friends. Facebook also quietly launched a new app last year, just for couples who can connect to each other intimately like a personal dating app. Called Tuned, the app allowed couples to share their mood, exchange music via Spotify and create a digital scrapbook.

Facebook testing video speed dating app 'Sparked' 

Huawei on Tuesday blamed the US for a global chip shortage as it called for cooperation with South Korea, Japan and Europe to form a new semiconductor supply chain.&nbsp;

The move came hours after US President Joe Biden urged more spending in the chipmaking sector to resolve the chip shortage and build up a stable supply chain, Yonhap news agency reported.&nbsp;

A recent shortage of semiconductors has stalled production across manufacturing industries, especially in the auto sector.&nbsp;

Karl Song, Huawei's Vice President of Corporate Communications, called for the lifting of US sanctions, which the Chinese network equipment maker claimed has led to the recent chip crisis.&nbsp;

Currently, the Chinese telecom equipment giant is being cut off from semiconductors made with US equipment, software and designs due to US sanctions over national security concerns.&nbsp;

"The current global chipset shortage is due to the sanctions (Huawei) faces and its impact on the companies that we cooperate with," Song said in a press conference.&nbsp;

"We hope to cooperate with advanced semiconductor countries, such as South Korea, Japan and Europe, to form a global supply chain again," he said.&nbsp;

Eric Xu, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, said on Monday that US sanctions against the company have hurt the broader semiconductor industry as they have created supply uncertainties.&nbsp;

The US has long alleged that Huawei's equipment is used to spy on foreign networks, a claim repeatedly rejected by the Chinese company.&nbsp;

The US sanctions have hurt the Chinese tech giant, which requires semiconductors for its telecom equipment and electronic devices.&nbsp;

Huawei said it still plans to further strengthen its presence in South Korea by collaborating with South Korean companies, adding that it has made purchases worth $37 billion from South Korea over the past five years.&nbsp;

LG Uplus, the smallest of South Korea's three major mobile carriers, currently uses equipment manufactured by Huawei for its 5G network.&nbsp;

In Washington, Biden said on Monday that the US will increase its investment in infrastructure to protect its supply chains, including the supply chain of semiconductors.&nbsp;

His remarks came in a meeting with the top executive officers of 19 global firms, including South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics, to discuss ways to address the ongoing shortage of semiconductors.&nbsp;

Huawei on Tuesday blamed the US for a global chip shortage as it called for cooperation with South Korea, Japan and Europe to form a new semiconductor supply chain.

Huawei on Tuesday blamed the US for a global chip shortage as it called for cooperation with South Korea, Japan and Europe to form a new semiconductor supply chain. The move came hours after US President Joe Biden urged more spending in the chipmaking sector to resolve the chip shortage and build up a stable supply chain, Yonhap news agency reported. A recent shortage of semiconductors has stalled production across manufacturing industries, especially in the auto sector. Karl Song, Huawei's Vice President of Corporate Communications, called for the lifting of US sanctions, which the Chinese network equipment maker claimed has led to the recent chip crisis. Currently, the Chinese telecom equipment giant is being cut off from semiconductors made with US equipment, software and designs due to US sanctions over national security concerns. "The current global chipset shortage is due to the sanctions (Huawei) faces and its impact on the companies that we cooperate with," Song said in a press conference. "We hope to cooperate with advanced semiconductor countries, such as South Korea, Japan and Europe, to form a global supply chain again," he said. Eric Xu, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, said on Monday that US sanctions against the company have hurt the broader semiconductor industry as they have created supply uncertainties. The US has long alleged that Huawei's equipment is used to spy on foreign networks, a claim repeatedly rejected by the Chinese company. The US sanctions have hurt the Chinese tech giant, which requires semiconductors for its telecom equipment and electronic devices. Huawei said it still plans to further strengthen its presence in South Korea by collaborating with South Korean companies, adding that it has made purchases worth $37 billion from South Korea over the past five years. LG Uplus, the smallest of South Korea's three major mobile carriers, currently uses equipment manufactured by Huawei for its 5G network. In Washington, Biden said on Monday that the US will increase its investment in infrastructure to protect its supply chains, including the supply chain of semiconductors. His remarks came in a meeting with the top executive officers of 19 global firms, including South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics, to discuss ways to address the ongoing shortage of semiconductors.

Huawei blames US for global chip shortage 

Facebook’s oversight board on Tuesday announced an expansion of its remit so that users can appeal content left up on the site as well as the content taken down.

Here are some key facts about how the board works:

WHAT DOES THE OVERSIGHT BOARD REVIEW?

The board, which some have dubbed Facebook Inc’s “Supreme Court,” can overturn the company’s decisions on whether some individual pieces of content should be displayed on Facebook or its photo-sharing platform Instagram. 
 
It can also recommend changes to Facebook’s content policy, based on a case decision or at the company’s request, but these are not binding.

The board, which only makes rulings on a small slice of Facebook’s content decisions, said it aims to pick cases with wider relevance. It said it has received more than 300,000 cases since it opened its doors in October 2020 and it has ruled on fewer than 10.

Cases so far have involved issues such as hate speech, violence and nudity. Facebook has said the board’s remit will in future include ads, groups, pages, profiles and events, but has not given a time frame.

It will not deal with Instagram direct messages, Facebook’s messaging platforms WhatsApp and Messenger, its dating service, or its Oculus virtual reality products.

HOW DOES THE BOARD WORK?

The board, which is supported by staff, decides which cases it reviews. Cases can be referred either by users who have exhausted Facebook’s appeals process or by Facebook itself for “significant and difficult” cases.

Each case will be reviewed by a panel of five members, with at least one from the same geographic region as the case originated. The panel can ask for subject matter experts to help make its decision, which then must be finalized by the whole board.

The board’s case decision - which is binding unless it could violate the law - must be made and implemented within 90 days, though Facebook can ask for a 30-day expedited review for exceptional cases, including those with “urgent real-world consequences.”

Users will be notified of the board’s ruling on their case and the board will publicly publish the decision. When the board gives policy recommendations, Facebook has to publish a response within 30 days.

WHO IS ON THE OVERSIGHT BOARD?

The board will eventually have about 40 members.

Facebook chose the four co-chairs - former U.S. Circuit Judge Michael McConnell and constitutional law expert Jamal Greene from the United States, Colombian attorney Catalina Botero-Marino and former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt - who selected 16 other members jointly with Facebook.

Some picks resulted from the global consultations conducted by Facebook to obtain feedback on the oversight board.

The part-time members also include civil rights advocates, academics, journalists, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights. One member, Pamela Karlan, recently left to join the Biden administration and is being replaced.

The members are paid by a trust that Facebook has created and will serve three-year terms for a maximum of nine years.

The trustees can remove a member before the end of their term for violating the board’s code of conduct, but not for content decisions.

Facebook’s oversight board on Tuesday announced an expansion of its remit so that users can appeal content left up on the site as well as the content taken down.

Facebook’s oversight board on Tuesday announced an expansion of its remit so that users can appeal content left up on the site as well as the content taken down. Here are some key facts about how the board works: WHAT DOES THE OVERSIGHT BOARD REVIEW? The board, which some have dubbed Facebook Inc’s “Supreme Court,” can overturn the company’s decisions on whether some individual pieces of content should be displayed on Facebook or its photo-sharing platform Instagram. It can also recommend changes to Facebook’s content policy, based on a case decision or at the company’s request, but these are not binding. The board, which only makes rulings on a small slice of Facebook’s content decisions, said it aims to pick cases with wider relevance. It said it has received more than 300,000 cases since it opened its doors in October 2020 and it has ruled on fewer than 10. Cases so far have involved issues such as hate speech, violence and nudity. Facebook has said the board’s remit will in future include ads, groups, pages, profiles and events, but has not given a time frame. It will not deal with Instagram direct messages, Facebook’s messaging platforms WhatsApp and Messenger, its dating service, or its Oculus virtual reality products. HOW DOES THE BOARD WORK? The board, which is supported by staff, decides which cases it reviews. Cases can be referred either by users who have exhausted Facebook’s appeals process or by Facebook itself for “significant and difficult” cases. Each case will be reviewed by a panel of five members, with at least one from the same geographic region as the case originated. The panel can ask for subject matter experts to help make its decision, which then must be finalized by the whole board. The board’s case decision - which is binding unless it could violate the law - must be made and implemented within 90 days, though Facebook can ask for a 30-day expedited review for exceptional cases, including those with “urgent real-world consequences.” Users will be notified of the board’s ruling on their case and the board will publicly publish the decision. When the board gives policy recommendations, Facebook has to publish a response within 30 days. WHO IS ON THE OVERSIGHT BOARD? The board will eventually have about 40 members. Facebook chose the four co-chairs - former U.S. Circuit Judge Michael McConnell and constitutional law expert Jamal Greene from the United States, Colombian attorney Catalina Botero-Marino and former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt - who selected 16 other members jointly with Facebook. Some picks resulted from the global consultations conducted by Facebook to obtain feedback on the oversight board. The part-time members also include civil rights advocates, academics, journalists, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights. One member, Pamela Karlan, recently left to join the Biden administration and is being replaced. The members are paid by a trust that Facebook has created and will serve three-year terms for a maximum of nine years. The trustees can remove a member before the end of their term for violating the board’s code of conduct, but not for content decisions.

What is Facebook's content Oversight Board?: All you need to know

Facebook’s oversight board on Tuesday announced that it will begin accepting cases from users of the social networks who believe the company wrongfully allowed harmful content to remain on its platform.

Facebook set up the oversight panel last year to act as the ultimate referee on whether specific content should be allowed on its platforms, amid furious criticism about its inability to respond to a tide of misinformation, hate speech and other harmful content. The board is empowered to make binding rulings on whether posts or ads violate the company’s rules.

The board includes former judges, journalists and human rights activists, who review appeals from users on material that has been taken down from Facebook and Instagram, and make binding content decisions for the social networking platforms.

"Enabling users to appeal content they want to see removed from Facebook is a significant expansion of the Oversight Board's capabilities," Thomas Hughes, director of the Oversight Board-Administration, said in a statement.

The Oversight Board said this new capability -- long sought by advocates of independent content moderation -- represents an important step toward delivering a more principled and transparent model of content moderation.

Decisions made through the Board's independent judgment are binding on Facebook.

Hughes noted that the Oversight Board was created to ensure that fewer decisions about highly significant content issues be taken by Facebook alone.

Better decisions can be delivered through an independent and transparent process that works to safeguard human rights and freedom of expression and the latest announcement is another step towards realising this, Hughes said.

Since October 2020, users have been able to appeal to the Oversight Board about their content being removed.

With an expanding rollout over the coming weeks, users -- after exhausting Facebook's appeals process -- will receive an Oversight Board Reference ID and can formally appeal for independent review. &nbsp;

The content eligible for review includes posts, status updates, photos, videos, comments and shares, the statement said.

As content will be live on Facebook and Instagram, many people may report the same piece of content. In these cases, multiple user appeals will be gathered into a single case file for the Board, providing the greater context of the impact of the content.

As with appeals on content that users want to be restored to Facebook, users may appeal to the Oversight Board once they have exhausted the appeals process with the company, the statement said.

The Oversight Board started receiving cases in October 2020. So far, the Board has received over 300,000 user appeals and thousands of public comments.

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook’s oversight board on Tuesday announced that it will begin accepting cases from users of the social networks who believe the company wrongfully allowed harmful content to remain on its platform.

Facebook’s oversight board on Tuesday announced that it will begin accepting cases from users of the social networks who believe the company wrongfully allowed harmful content to remain on its platform. Facebook set up the oversight panel last year to act as the ultimate referee on whether specific content should be allowed on its platforms, amid furious criticism about its inability to respond to a tide of misinformation, hate speech and other harmful content. The board is empowered to make binding rulings on whether posts or ads violate the company’s rules. The board includes former judges, journalists and human rights activists, who review appeals from users on material that has been taken down from Facebook and Instagram, and make binding content decisions for the social networking platforms. "Enabling users to appeal content they want to see removed from Facebook is a significant expansion of the Oversight Board's capabilities," Thomas Hughes, director of the Oversight Board-Administration, said in a statement. The Oversight Board said this new capability -- long sought by advocates of independent content moderation -- represents an important step toward delivering a more principled and transparent model of content moderation. Decisions made through the Board's independent judgment are binding on Facebook. Hughes noted that the Oversight Board was created to ensure that fewer decisions about highly significant content issues be taken by Facebook alone. Better decisions can be delivered through an independent and transparent process that works to safeguard human rights and freedom of expression and the latest announcement is another step towards realising this, Hughes said. Since October 2020, users have been able to appeal to the Oversight Board about their content being removed. With an expanding rollout over the coming weeks, users -- after exhausting Facebook's appeals process -- will receive an Oversight Board Reference ID and can formally appeal for independent review. The content eligible for review includes posts, status updates, photos, videos, comments and shares, the statement said. As content will be live on Facebook and Instagram, many people may report the same piece of content. In these cases, multiple user appeals will be gathered into a single case file for the Board, providing the greater context of the impact of the content. As with appeals on content that users want to be restored to Facebook, users may appeal to the Oversight Board once they have exhausted the appeals process with the company, the statement said. The Oversight Board started receiving cases in October 2020. So far, the Board has received over 300,000 user appeals and thousands of public comments. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook, Instagram users can move Oversight Board to remove harmful content

Italy aims to spend almost 7 billion euros ($8.33 billion) in European recovery funds on ultra-fast networks, up 60% from a previous goal, as ministers layout alternatives to a long-delayed single national broadband plan, sources told Reuters. 
 
The government of Mario Draghi, which took office in February, is revising a national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) that would entitle it to some 206 billion euros by 2026 from an EU programme to help nations hardest hit by the novel coronavirus. 
 
Two sources close to the matter told Reuters Rome planned to raise the amount spent on broadband, 5G and satellite infrastructure to 6.7 billion euros from 4.2 billion euros earmarked in January by the previous government. 
 
The total funds for boosting digitalisation amount to some 49 billion euros, up from a previous 46.3 billion euros, including investments in public administration and grants for small and medium-sized companies, one of the sources added on condition of anonymity. 
 
Italy ranked fourth to last in the European Union for digital competitiveness in 2019, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) compiled by the European Commission found. 
 
The government is also devising alternatives to a previous plan to merge the fixed-line access network of former monopoly Telecom Italia (TIM) with those of smaller rival Open Fiber, the sources said. 
 
Talks between the two have stalled over disagreements around governance and the value of the assets to be folded in the new operator. 
 
Open Fiber is jointly controlled by Italy`s biggest utility Enel and state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). CDP is TIM`s No. 2 shareholders behind France`s Vivendi 
 
TIM has repeatedly said it would not agree to own less than 50% of any combined entity - something that could trigger regulatory issues. 
 
Draghi`s ministers are discussing an alternative plan to use EU funds to roll out fast broadband networks across Italy`s 20 regions using the best technologies available, including Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) systems, the sources said. 
 
Such a scheme - championed by Innovation Minister Vittorio Colao - includes bonuses to help consumers pay ultrafast connection fees. 
 
The government is also studying a less ambitious plan to merge Open Fiber with Fibercop, a vehicle controlled by TIM that runs the group`s secondary network going from street cabinets to homes, a third source said. 
 
Under this project, TIM would not fold its primary network - connecting switching centres to street cabinets - into the venture, preventing the former phone monopoly from having a majority stake. 
 
Both options under discussion leave the door open to co-investment schemes allowing operators to build their own networks in some areas and have commercial agreements elsewhere.

Italy aims to spend almost 7 billion euros ($8.33 billion) in European recovery funds on ultra-fast networks, up 60% from a previous goal, as ministers layout alternatives to a long-delayed single national broadband plan, sources told Reuters.

Italy aims to spend almost 7 billion euros ($8.33 billion) in European recovery funds on ultra-fast networks, up 60% from a previous goal, as ministers layout alternatives to a long-delayed single national broadband plan, sources told Reuters. The government of Mario Draghi, which took office in February, is revising a national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) that would entitle it to some 206 billion euros by 2026 from an EU programme to help nations hardest hit by the novel coronavirus. Two sources close to the matter told Reuters Rome planned to raise the amount spent on broadband, 5G and satellite infrastructure to 6.7 billion euros from 4.2 billion euros earmarked in January by the previous government. The total funds for boosting digitalisation amount to some 49 billion euros, up from a previous 46.3 billion euros, including investments in public administration and grants for small and medium-sized companies, one of the sources added on condition of anonymity. Italy ranked fourth to last in the European Union for digital competitiveness in 2019, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) compiled by the European Commission found. The government is also devising alternatives to a previous plan to merge the fixed-line access network of former monopoly Telecom Italia (TIM) with those of smaller rival Open Fiber, the sources said. Talks between the two have stalled over disagreements around governance and the value of the assets to be folded in the new operator. Open Fiber is jointly controlled by Italy`s biggest utility Enel and state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). CDP is TIM`s No. 2 shareholders behind France`s Vivendi TIM has repeatedly said it would not agree to own less than 50% of any combined entity - something that could trigger regulatory issues. Draghi`s ministers are discussing an alternative plan to use EU funds to roll out fast broadband networks across Italy`s 20 regions using the best technologies available, including Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) systems, the sources said. Such a scheme - championed by Innovation Minister Vittorio Colao - includes bonuses to help consumers pay ultrafast connection fees. The government is also studying a less ambitious plan to merge Open Fiber with Fibercop, a vehicle controlled by TIM that runs the group`s secondary network going from street cabinets to homes, a third source said. Under this project, TIM would not fold its primary network - connecting switching centres to street cabinets - into the venture, preventing the former phone monopoly from having a majority stake. Both options under discussion leave the door open to co-investment schemes allowing operators to build their own networks in some areas and have commercial agreements elsewhere.

Italy to spend 60% more of EU funds on better broadband, sources say

Microsoft&nbsp;Corp said on Monday it would buy artificial intelligence and speech technology firm Nuance Communications Inc for about $16 billion, as it expands cloud solutions for healthcare customers.

The deal comes after the companies partnered in 2019 to automate clinical administrative work such as documentation. It shows&nbsp;Microsoft's ambition to extend its leadership into an industry where digital transformation has picked up speed during the pandemic. Healthcare providers have invested more in technology to improve productivity and digital health services.

"This acquisition brings our technology directly into the physician and patient loop, which is central to all healthcare delivery. The acquisition will also expand our leadership in cross-industry enterprise AI and biometric security,"&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;CEO Satya Nadella said on an investor call.

Nuance's technology includes a conversational AI tool versed in specialised medical terms, freeing physicians from note-taking and allowing better patient-physician interactions in person or in the telemedicine appointments that have taken off during the pandemic, executives said.

Microsoft's offer of $56 per share represents a premium of 22.86 per cent&nbsp;to Nuance's closing price on Friday. The shares gained 16 per cent&nbsp;to close at $52.85 on Monday.

Nuance, known for pioneering speech technology and helping launch Apple Inc's virtual assistant, Siri, has gone through strategic reviews led by Chief Executive Mark Benjamin.

Once offering voice recognition technologies across industries, the company now focuses on healthcare and enterprise AI after spinning off and selling a number of less profitable business units.

The company said it serves 77 per cent&nbsp;of US&nbsp;hospitals, providing intelligent solutions including clinical speech recognition, medical transcription, and medical imaging.

"Nuance's strong position at the edge (medical dictation and transcription) will ultimately tie healthcare customers more strongly into&nbsp;Microsoft's Azure Cloud and intelligent services,” Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder wrote in a note on Monday.

With operations in 28 countries, the Burlington, Massachusetts-based company reported $1.5 billion in revenue in fiscal-year 2020, with two-thirds of it coming from healthcare.

Benjamin will remain CEO of Nuance and will report to Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Cloud and&nbsp;AI at&nbsp;Microsoft, the company said.&nbsp;

The deal follows&nbsp;Microsoft's recent $7.5 billion acquisition of gaming company ZeniMax Media, and reports that&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;was in talks to buy messaging platform Discord, which also allows live audio events.

Once closed, the deal for Nuance would be&nbsp;Microsoft's second-biggest, after its $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016. Including net debt, the all-cash transaction is valued at $19.7 billion.

Goldman Sachs is the financial adviser to&nbsp;Microsoft, while Evercore advised Nuance.

Last year, the Redmond, Washington-based giant integrated Nuance Communication's Dragon Ambient eXperience program into its Teams communications software, which enables remote transcription of medical conversations."

'No brainer'

Like other technology heavyweights,&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;has been a big beneficiary of the economic dislocations during Covid-19.

The company's earnings jumped by 33 percent in the latest quarter to $15.5 billion and included a boost from cloud computing and personal computing, including its Xbox video games.&nbsp;

Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives called the Nuance tie-up a "trophy" deal for the company founded by Bill Gates, which is on a "strategic offensive" in search of targets to buy.

"For Nadella &amp; Co, this is the right acquisition at the right time with&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;doubling down on its healthcare initiatives over the coming years," he said in an analysis. "The Nuance deal is a strategic no brainer in our opinion for MSFT and fits like a glove into its healthcare endeavors."

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft Corp said on Monday it would buy artificial intelligence and speech technology firm Nuance Communications Inc for about $16 billion, as it expands cloud solutions for healthcare customers.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday it would buy artificial intelligence and speech technology firm Nuance Communications Inc for about $16 billion, as it expands cloud solutions for healthcare customers. The deal comes after the companies partnered in 2019 to automate clinical administrative work such as documentation. It shows Microsoft's ambition to extend its leadership into an industry where digital transformation has picked up speed during the pandemic. Healthcare providers have invested more in technology to improve productivity and digital health services. "This acquisition brings our technology directly into the physician and patient loop, which is central to all healthcare delivery. The acquisition will also expand our leadership in cross-industry enterprise AI and biometric security," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on an investor call. Nuance's technology includes a conversational AI tool versed in specialised medical terms, freeing physicians from note-taking and allowing better patient-physician interactions in person or in the telemedicine appointments that have taken off during the pandemic, executives said. Microsoft's offer of $56 per share represents a premium of 22.86 per cent to Nuance's closing price on Friday. The shares gained 16 per cent to close at $52.85 on Monday. Nuance, known for pioneering speech technology and helping launch Apple Inc's virtual assistant, Siri, has gone through strategic reviews led by Chief Executive Mark Benjamin. Once offering voice recognition technologies across industries, the company now focuses on healthcare and enterprise AI after spinning off and selling a number of less profitable business units. The company said it serves 77 per cent of US hospitals, providing intelligent solutions including clinical speech recognition, medical transcription, and medical imaging. "Nuance's strong position at the edge (medical dictation and transcription) will ultimately tie healthcare customers more strongly into Microsoft's Azure Cloud and intelligent services,” Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder wrote in a note on Monday. With operations in 28 countries, the Burlington, Massachusetts-based company reported $1.5 billion in revenue in fiscal-year 2020, with two-thirds of it coming from healthcare. Benjamin will remain CEO of Nuance and will report to Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Cloud and AI at Microsoft, the company said. The deal follows Microsoft's recent $7.5 billion acquisition of gaming company ZeniMax Media, and reports that Microsoft was in talks to buy messaging platform Discord, which also allows live audio events. Once closed, the deal for Nuance would be Microsoft's second-biggest, after its $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016. Including net debt, the all-cash transaction is valued at $19.7 billion. Goldman Sachs is the financial adviser to Microsoft, while Evercore advised Nuance. Last year, the Redmond, Washington-based giant integrated Nuance Communication's Dragon Ambient eXperience program into its Teams communications software, which enables remote transcription of medical conversations." 'No brainer' Like other technology heavyweights, Microsoft has been a big beneficiary of the economic dislocations during Covid-19. The company's earnings jumped by 33 percent in the latest quarter to $15.5 billion and included a boost from cloud computing and personal computing, including its Xbox video games. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives called the Nuance tie-up a "trophy" deal for the company founded by Bill Gates, which is on a "strategic offensive" in search of targets to buy. "For Nadella & Co, this is the right acquisition at the right time with Microsoft doubling down on its healthcare initiatives over the coming years," he said in an analysis. "The Nuance deal is a strategic no brainer in our opinion for MSFT and fits like a glove into its healthcare endeavors." (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft bets big on health with $19.7 billion purchase of Nuance

A senior&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;Inc executive has agreed to testify before the US&nbsp;Senate on competition issues related to mobile app stores, days after panel leaders criticised the company for refusing to appear.

The company said in a letter sent to senators that Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer will be available to testify at an April 21 hearing held by part of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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App makers have long complained that mandatory revenue sharing payments and strict inclusion rules set by&nbsp;Apple's App Store for iPhones and iPads, along with Google's Play store for Android devices, amount to anti-competitive behavior.

On Friday, US&nbsp;Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, and Mike Lee, a Republican, sent a letter to&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;Chief Executive Tim Cook calling it "unacceptable" the company was refusing to send a witness. The pair are leaders of the Senate Judiciary panel's subcommittee on competition policy and antitrust.

Google has already agreed to testify at the hearing, according to Klobuchar's spokeswoman.

A senior Apple Inc executive has agreed to testify before the US Senate on competition issues related to mobile app stores, days after panel leaders criticised the company for refusing to appear.

A senior Apple Inc executive has agreed to testify before the US Senate on competition issues related to mobile app stores, days after panel leaders criticised the company for refusing to appear. The company said in a letter sent to senators that Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer will be available to testify at an April 21 hearing held by part of the Senate Judiciary Committee. App makers have long complained that mandatory revenue sharing payments and strict inclusion rules set by Apple's App Store for iPhones and iPads, along with Google's Play store for Android devices, amount to anti-competitive behavior. On Friday, US Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, and Mike Lee, a Republican, sent a letter to Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook calling it "unacceptable" the company was refusing to send a witness. The pair are leaders of the Senate Judiciary panel's subcommittee on competition policy and antitrust. Google has already agreed to testify at the hearing, according to Klobuchar's spokeswoman.

Apple to testify before US Senate on app store antitrust concerns

A luxury handbag, some coveted make-up, high fashion and even an eye-catching pair of sunnies. These are some of the iconic brand Michael Kors' popular merchandise.&nbsp;

But a smartwatch?&nbsp;

Well, it's flashy, gorgeous and packs a punch when it comes to technology features. The Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci is a keeper -- if you like big dials and a little bit of bling. For all those, who want a statement piece on the wrist, here's a detailed review. &nbsp;

Fun fact -- the E in Gen 5E stands for 'essential'. So, how essential does this smartwatch prove to be?&nbsp;

Design&nbsp;

I have been walking around with the Darci on my wrist for more than two weeks now and several people have asked me, "what's that on your wrist?" When it comes to design, the name Michael Kors is synonymous with luxury and high fashion. And the brand has put all its design prowess into the smartwatch. The design alone makes it a disruptor in the smartwatch space. &nbsp;

While the sparkly frame of the circular dial makes it a better fit for women, the large real estate on the 1.19-inch AMOLED screen for all your notifications and health data will appeal to many. The stainless steel 7-link bracelet adds to the premium feel on the wrist. For those who want design over rugged features and yet compatibility with most smartphones, this design is ideal.&nbsp;

Connectivity and compatibility&nbsp;

Here's requesting all iOS user to sit down and not raise your hands. The Gen 5E Darci is powered with Wear OS by Google Technology and will be easy to decode by Android users or those who are familiar with Wear OS. &nbsp;

As a challenge, I decided to pair the Gen 5E Darci with my iPhone. As a habitual user of the Apple Watch, I was intrigued and apprehensive. But much to my delight, the pairing was easy and the compatibility ranks high on the scale. It comes with Bluetooth-enabled calling and you can answer calls, view notifications and even get candid with the Google Assistant. The in-built speaker performs well and you can hear sound alerts and even play music directly from your smartwatch.&nbsp;

My only gripe was that WhatsApp notifications took a while to configure. You may have to configure settings multiple times through the Wear OS app for better customisation.&nbsp;

Pricing&nbsp;

The Gen 5E Darci is priced at Rs 25,995. Interestingly, the pricing puts in the "affordable luxury" segment when it comes to smartwatches. Comparisons with other Android smartwatches as well as the undisputed king of the smartwatch space, the Apple Watch Series 6, are going to happen. But the Apple Watch Series 6 starts at more than Rs 40,000. So if you think about it, you get a more attractive watch with similar features at a lower price point in the Gen 5E Darci. But Apple loyalists will need to be convinced to make the switch. And Michael Kors will have to try harder to appease them if the brand wants to tap into that market.&nbsp;

Fitness Tracking&nbsp;

Let's be frank. Why do we wear a smartwatch these days? To be independent of our phones? No. To have some wrist candy? Probably. To track fitness, heart rate and overall health? Definitely yes. The Darci comes with a step-tracker, a calorie tracker, and a new Wellness app to monitor real-time metrics. I tried wearing it during high-intensity cardio workouts and strength training and it performed well. &nbsp;

However, the gorgeous metallic strap was a bit uncomfortable and I would shudder to damage it with sweat! So, fitness enthusiasts may not lean towards this smartwatch to meet their fitness objectives. Having said that, I was impressed with its cardio-fitness tracking which helped me track my resting heart rate and other biometrics. Another noteworthy feature -- the watch is water-resistant up to 30 meters. This means it may be shower-proof but certainly not swim-proof.&nbsp;

Battery&nbsp;

The deal-clincher or deal-breaker in most cases with gadgets is the battery life. The watch lasted around 8 hours on a full charge and that's because I am addicted to a smartwatch and use it for multiple purposes. The brand claims the watch comes with multi-day battery mode and you can switch between more efficient modes to make your smartwatch last longer. All in all, the battery life was predictable, satisfactory and in line with its competition.&nbsp;

Should you buy it?&nbsp;

At nearly Rs 26,000, the Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci is somewhere between aspirational and affordable for smartwatch users who like to invest in their technology. &nbsp;

Just like a Michael Kors handbag, this smartwatch carries with it the tag of aspiration and luxury -- one that is synonymous with the brand. The luxe feel of the watch on the wrist, at times, compensates for the lack of other features which may be available at a lower price point. It doesn't look ostentatious or garish despite the sparkle and will be a perfect accessory for a boardroom meeting or to flaunt during a Zoom meeting.&nbsp;

So, I say, go for this timepiece if you like bling and elegance, with a dash of technology to keep you going through the day.&nbsp;

A luxury handbag, some coveted make-up, high fashion and even an eye-catching pair of sunnies. These are some of the iconic brand Michael Kors' popular merchandise.

A luxury handbag, some coveted make-up, high fashion and even an eye-catching pair of sunnies. These are some of the iconic brand Michael Kors' popular merchandise. But a smartwatch? Well, it's flashy, gorgeous and packs a punch when it comes to technology features. The Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci is a keeper -- if you like big dials and a little bit of bling. For all those, who want a statement piece on the wrist, here's a detailed review. Fun fact -- the E in Gen 5E stands for 'essential'. So, how essential does this smartwatch prove to be? Design I have been walking around with the Darci on my wrist for more than two weeks now and several people have asked me, "what's that on your wrist?" When it comes to design, the name Michael Kors is synonymous with luxury and high fashion. And the brand has put all its design prowess into the smartwatch. The design alone makes it a disruptor in the smartwatch space. While the sparkly frame of the circular dial makes it a better fit for women, the large real estate on the 1.19-inch AMOLED screen for all your notifications and health data will appeal to many. The stainless steel 7-link bracelet adds to the premium feel on the wrist. For those who want design over rugged features and yet compatibility with most smartphones, this design is ideal. Connectivity and compatibility Here's requesting all iOS user to sit down and not raise your hands. The Gen 5E Darci is powered with Wear OS by Google Technology and will be easy to decode by Android users or those who are familiar with Wear OS. As a challenge, I decided to pair the Gen 5E Darci with my iPhone. As a habitual user of the Apple Watch, I was intrigued and apprehensive. But much to my delight, the pairing was easy and the compatibility ranks high on the scale. It comes with Bluetooth-enabled calling and you can answer calls, view notifications and even get candid with the Google Assistant. The in-built speaker performs well and you can hear sound alerts and even play music directly from your smartwatch. My only gripe was that WhatsApp notifications took a while to configure. You may have to configure settings multiple times through the Wear OS app for better customisation. Pricing The Gen 5E Darci is priced at Rs 25,995. Interestingly, the pricing puts in the "affordable luxury" segment when it comes to smartwatches. Comparisons with other Android smartwatches as well as the undisputed king of the smartwatch space, the Apple Watch Series 6, are going to happen. But the Apple Watch Series 6 starts at more than Rs 40,000. So if you think about it, you get a more attractive watch with similar features at a lower price point in the Gen 5E Darci. But Apple loyalists will need to be convinced to make the switch. And Michael Kors will have to try harder to appease them if the brand wants to tap into that market. Fitness Tracking Let's be frank. Why do we wear a smartwatch these days? To be independent of our phones? No. To have some wrist candy? Probably. To track fitness, heart rate and overall health? Definitely yes. The Darci comes with a step-tracker, a calorie tracker, and a new Wellness app to monitor real-time metrics. I tried wearing it during high-intensity cardio workouts and strength training and it performed well. However, the gorgeous metallic strap was a bit uncomfortable and I would shudder to damage it with sweat! So, fitness enthusiasts may not lean towards this smartwatch to meet their fitness objectives. Having said that, I was impressed with its cardio-fitness tracking which helped me track my resting heart rate and other biometrics. Another noteworthy feature -- the watch is water-resistant up to 30 meters. This means it may be shower-proof but certainly not swim-proof. Battery The deal-clincher or deal-breaker in most cases with gadgets is the battery life. The watch lasted around 8 hours on a full charge and that's because I am addicted to a smartwatch and use it for multiple purposes. The brand claims the watch comes with multi-day battery mode and you can switch between more efficient modes to make your smartwatch last longer. All in all, the battery life was predictable, satisfactory and in line with its competition. Should you buy it? At nearly Rs 26,000, the Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci is somewhere between aspirational and affordable for smartwatch users who like to invest in their technology. Just like a Michael Kors handbag, this smartwatch carries with it the tag of aspiration and luxury -- one that is synonymous with the brand. The luxe feel of the watch on the wrist, at times, compensates for the lack of other features which may be available at a lower price point. It doesn't look ostentatious or garish despite the sparkle and will be a perfect accessory for a boardroom meeting or to flaunt during a Zoom meeting. So, I say, go for this timepiece if you like bling and elegance, with a dash of technology to keep you going through the day.

Luxury Tech review: A statement on your wrist 

Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday social media company&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;Inc removed 16,000 groups that were selling and buying fake reviews of various products and services, the second time the regulator had to intervene.

US-based&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;also made further changes to detect, remove and prevent paid content that could mislead users on its platforms, including popular photo-sharing app Instagram, UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday.

"We have engaged extensively with the CMA to address this issue. Fraudulent and deceptive activity is not allowed on our platforms, including offering or trading fake reviews," a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;representative said.

The CMA began a crackdown on false reviews from 2019 when it first asked&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and e-commerce platform eBay Inc to check their websites after it found evidence of a growing marketplace for misleading customer reviews on the platforms.

Facebook&nbsp;has also been under scrutiny by the CMA for antitrust concerns over the technology company's acquisition of GIF website Giphy. It has been under pressure the world over for its data sharing practices as well as fake news and hate speech.

"The pandemic has meant that more and more people are buying online, and millions of us read reviews to enable us to make informed choices when we shop around. That's why fake and misleading reviews are so damaging," said CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli.

CMA's crackdown on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;coincides with Britain's efforts to set up a dedicated digital markets unit within the regulatory authority to specifically look at governing digital platforms.

Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday social media company Facebook Inc removed 16,000 groups that were selling and buying fake reviews of various products and services, the second time the regulator had to intervene.

Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday social media company Facebook Inc removed 16,000 groups that were selling and buying fake reviews of various products and services, the second time the regulator had to intervene. US-based Facebook also made further changes to detect, remove and prevent paid content that could mislead users on its platforms, including popular photo-sharing app Instagram, UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday. "We have engaged extensively with the CMA to address this issue. Fraudulent and deceptive activity is not allowed on our platforms, including offering or trading fake reviews," a Facebook representative said. The CMA began a crackdown on false reviews from 2019 when it first asked Facebook and e-commerce platform eBay Inc to check their websites after it found evidence of a growing marketplace for misleading customer reviews on the platforms. Facebook has also been under scrutiny by the CMA for antitrust concerns over the technology company's acquisition of GIF website Giphy. It has been under pressure the world over for its data sharing practices as well as fake news and hate speech. "The pandemic has meant that more and more people are buying online, and millions of us read reviews to enable us to make informed choices when we shop around. That's why fake and misleading reviews are so damaging," said CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli. CMA's crackdown on Facebook coincides with Britain's efforts to set up a dedicated digital markets unit within the regulatory authority to specifically look at governing digital platforms.

Facebook axes 16,000 groups for selling or buying fake reviews of products, services

Billionaire entrepreneur&nbsp;Elon&nbsp;Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink released footage on Friday&nbsp;that it says shows a macaque monkey playing video games using a brain-computer interface implant.

The three-minute video released by the San Francisco-based company shows a male monkey called Pager with Neuralink chips implanted on each side of its brain, using a joystick to follow a cursor on a screen.

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Monkey MindPong <a href="https://t.co/7zstTZ1X1w">https://t.co/7zstTZ1X1w</a> <a href="https://t.co/GYrYNsJ68u">pic.twitter.com/GYrYNsJ68u</a>
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The voice-over explains that Neuralink records from more than 2000 electrodes implanted in the regions of the monkey's motor cortex that coordinate hand and arm movements.

"Using these data, we calibrate the decoder by mathematically modelling the relationship between patterns of neural activity and the different joystick movements they produce. After only a few minutes of calibration, we can use the output from the decoder to move the cursor instead of the joystick," the voice-over says.

The monkey still moves the joystick out of habit, but the scientists have unplugged it; Pager is controlling the cursor entirely with decoded neural activity.

The video goes on to show Pager playing 'Mind Pong'; controlling his paddle simply by thinking about moving his hand up or down.

The voice-over adds: "He's focussed and he's playing entirely of his own volition. It's not magic. The reason Neuralink works is because it's recording and decoding electrical signals from the brain."

Co-founded by&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;in 2016, Neuralink aims to implant wireless brain-computer interfaces that include thousands of electrodes in the most complex human organ to help cure neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and spinal cord injuries and ultimately fuse humankind with artificial intelligence.

In August 2020,&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;unveiled a pig with a Neuralink chip installed, at the time describing it as "a Fitbit in your skull".

Musk&nbsp;has a history of bringing together diverse experts to drastically accelerate the development of innovations previously limited to academic labs, including rocket, hyperloop and electrical vehicle technologies through companies such as Tesla Inc and SpaceX.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink released footage on Friday that it says shows a macaque monkey playing video games using a brain-computer interface implant.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink released footage on Friday that it says shows a macaque monkey playing video games using a brain-computer interface implant. The three-minute video released by the San Francisco-based company shows a male monkey called Pager with Neuralink chips implanted on each side of its brain, using a joystick to follow a cursor on a screen. Monkey MindPong https://t.co/7zstTZ1X1w pic.twitter.com/GYrYNsJ68u — Neuralink (@neuralink) April 8, 2021 × The voice-over explains that Neuralink records from more than 2000 electrodes implanted in the regions of the monkey's motor cortex that coordinate hand and arm movements. "Using these data, we calibrate the decoder by mathematically modelling the relationship between patterns of neural activity and the different joystick movements they produce. After only a few minutes of calibration, we can use the output from the decoder to move the cursor instead of the joystick," the voice-over says. The monkey still moves the joystick out of habit, but the scientists have unplugged it; Pager is controlling the cursor entirely with decoded neural activity. The video goes on to show Pager playing 'Mind Pong'; controlling his paddle simply by thinking about moving his hand up or down. The voice-over adds: "He's focussed and he's playing entirely of his own volition. It's not magic. The reason Neuralink works is because it's recording and decoding electrical signals from the brain." Co-founded by Musk in 2016, Neuralink aims to implant wireless brain-computer interfaces that include thousands of electrodes in the most complex human organ to help cure neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and spinal cord injuries and ultimately fuse humankind with artificial intelligence. In August 2020, Musk unveiled a pig with a Neuralink chip installed, at the time describing it as "a Fitbit in your skull". Musk has a history of bringing together diverse experts to drastically accelerate the development of innovations previously limited to academic labs, including rocket, hyperloop and electrical vehicle technologies through companies such as Tesla Inc and SpaceX.

Elon Musk's neuroscience startup Neuralink shows monkey playing video games via brain chip

Out of the 740 million users that are now part of the LinkedIn service, Data from over 500 million users is being sold online to hackers, marking the second major cybersecurity incident to be revealed in the past week, following news of a similar occurrence involving Facebook.&nbsp;

&nbsp;An archive with data purportedly scraped from 500 million LinkedIn profiles has been put for sale on a popular hacker forum, with another 2 million records leaked as a proof-of-concept sample by people behind the hack.

"The four leaked files contain information about the LinkedIn users whose data has been allegedly scraped by the threat actor, including their full names, email addresses, phone numbers, workplace information, and more," reports CyberNews.

The leaked data up on sale includes LinkedIn IDs, full names, email addresses, phone numbers, genders, links to LinkedIn profiles, links to other social media profiles, professional titles and other work-related data

"While users on the hacker forum can view the leaked samples for about $2 worth of forum credits, the threat actor appears to be auctioning the much-larger 500 million user database for at least a 4-digit sum, presumably in bitcoin," the report mentioned.

LinkedIn said in a statement on Thursday that it has "investigated an alleged set of LinkedIn data that has been posted for sale and have determined that it is an aggregation of data from several websites and companies".

"It does include publicly viewable member profile data that appears to have been scraped from LinkedIn. This was not a LinkedIn data breach, and no private member account data from LinkedIn was included in what we've been able to review," the company said.

"When anyone tries to take member data and use it for purposes LinkedIn and our members haven't agreed to, we work to stop them and hold them accountable".

The author of the post, however, claims that the data was scraped from LinkedIn.

Earlier this month, personal data of nearly 533 million (53.3 crores) Facebook users, including 61 lakh Indians, emerged online after a hacker posted the details on a digital forum.

The leaked data included Facebook ID numbers, profile names, email addresses, location information, gender details, job data, and other details.

Facebook said this was old data that it previously reported on in 2019.

"We found and fixed this issue in August 2019," a Facebook spokesperson said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Out of the 740 million users that are now part of the LinkedIn service, Data from over 500 million users is being sold online to hackers, marking the second major cybersecurity incident to be revealed in the past week, following news of a similar occurrence involving Facebook.

Out of the 740 million users that are now part of the LinkedIn service, Data from over 500 million users is being sold online to hackers, marking the second major cybersecurity incident to be revealed in the past week, following news of a similar occurrence involving Facebook. An archive with data purportedly scraped from 500 million LinkedIn profiles has been put for sale on a popular hacker forum, with another 2 million records leaked as a proof-of-concept sample by people behind the hack. "The four leaked files contain information about the LinkedIn users whose data has been allegedly scraped by the threat actor, including their full names, email addresses, phone numbers, workplace information, and more," reports CyberNews. The leaked data up on sale includes LinkedIn IDs, full names, email addresses, phone numbers, genders, links to LinkedIn profiles, links to other social media profiles, professional titles and other work-related data "While users on the hacker forum can view the leaked samples for about $2 worth of forum credits, the threat actor appears to be auctioning the much-larger 500 million user database for at least a 4-digit sum, presumably in bitcoin," the report mentioned. LinkedIn said in a statement on Thursday that it has "investigated an alleged set of LinkedIn data that has been posted for sale and have determined that it is an aggregation of data from several websites and companies". "It does include publicly viewable member profile data that appears to have been scraped from LinkedIn. This was not a LinkedIn data breach, and no private member account data from LinkedIn was included in what we've been able to review," the company said. "When anyone tries to take member data and use it for purposes LinkedIn and our members haven't agreed to, we work to stop them and hold them accountable". The author of the post, however, claims that the data was scraped from LinkedIn. Earlier this month, personal data of nearly 533 million (53.3 crores) Facebook users, including 61 lakh Indians, emerged online after a hacker posted the details on a digital forum. The leaked data included Facebook ID numbers, profile names, email addresses, location information, gender details, job data, and other details. Facebook said this was old data that it previously reported on in 2019. "We found and fixed this issue in August 2019," a Facebook spokesperson said. (With inputs from agencies)

Data from half a billion LinkedIn users leaked and put online

Facebook on Wednesday launched Hotline, an experimental online forum in an attempt by the social media giant to occupy space in live audio trend made popular by Clubhouse. The Facebook application is essentially a spin on Reddit's Ask Me Anything sessions and Clubhouse, the audio-only social media sensation launched a year ago which has boomed during the pandemic.

Hotline provides users with a blend of voice, text and video options for participating in online discussions with hosts.&nbsp;

On Hotline, users can ask the questions in writing. This is not possible on Clubhouse. &nbsp;Speakers, meanwhile, can choose who to invite "on stage" to speak.

"With Hotline, we're hoping to understand how interactive, live multimedia Q&amp;As can help people learn from experts in areas like professional skills, just as it helps those experts build their businesses," a Facebook spokeswoman told AFP.

Session headliners will have the option of turning on their web cameras to be seen, and can also remove abusive comments from text chats, Facebook said, confirming an earlier report on the website TechCrunch.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that Twitter held discussions to acquire Clubhouse for USD 4 billion. However, it was further reported that the talks are no longer taking place.

(With AFP inputs)

Facebook on Wednesday launched Hotline, an experimental online forum in an attempt by the social media giant to occupy space in live audio trend made popular by Clubhouse.

Facebook on Wednesday launched Hotline, an experimental online forum in an attempt by the social media giant to occupy space in live audio trend made popular by Clubhouse. The Facebook application is essentially a spin on Reddit's Ask Me Anything sessions and Clubhouse, the audio-only social media sensation launched a year ago which has boomed during the pandemic. Hotline provides users with a blend of voice, text and video options for participating in online discussions with hosts. On Hotline, users can ask the questions in writing. This is not possible on Clubhouse. Speakers, meanwhile, can choose who to invite "on stage" to speak. "With Hotline, we're hoping to understand how interactive, live multimedia Q&As can help people learn from experts in areas like professional skills, just as it helps those experts build their businesses," a Facebook spokeswoman told AFP. Session headliners will have the option of turning on their web cameras to be seen, and can also remove abusive comments from text chats, Facebook said, confirming an earlier report on the website TechCrunch. Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that Twitter held discussions to acquire Clubhouse for USD 4 billion. However, it was further reported that the talks are no longer taking place. (With AFP inputs)

Facebook, Twitter move to capture social space bagged by Clubhouse

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