Engadget reports: This is a bit ironic. When FCC chairman and former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai uploaded a video this week detailing all the things we’ll still be able to do after he killed net neutrality, he apparently forgot one key step: asking permission. You see, part of the smarmy and glib clip the FCC produced with The Daily Caller …
Read More »Tag Archives: technology
Late Night Hosts Tear Into “Jackhole” FCC Chairman
The Daily Beast reports: “The Federal Communications Commission did something absolutely despicable today: They voted to put an end to net neutrality,” announced Jimmy Kimmel. The late-night host dedicated a portion of his Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue Thursday night to the net neutrality vote, which ruled 3-2 (three Republicans for, two Democrats very much against) in favor of dismantling the …
Read More »Ted Cruz Ridicules Net Neutrality “Snowflakes”
The Washington Examiner reports: Sen. Ted Cruz sought to burn so-called “snowflakes” Thursday, mocking the Internet outrage over the Federal Communications Commission’s vote to repeal the so-called “net neutrality” regulations of the Obama era. Using a slang label for people who take offense easily to a lack of political correctness, the Texas Republican indicated that the backlash to Thursday’s decision …
Read More »FCC Repeals Net Neutrality In 3-2 Vote [VIDEO]
The New York Times reports: The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to dismantle landmark rules regulating the businesses that connect consumers to the internet, granting broadband companies power to potentially reshape Americans’ online experiences. The agency scrapped so-called net neutrality regulations that prohibited broadband providers from blocking websites or charging for higher-quality service or certain content. The federal government …
Read More »Apple Buys Shazam In $400 Million Deal
The Guardian reports: Apple has bought Shazam, a London-based app that allows smartphone users to identify music, for a reported $400m (£300m). The US company, which revolutionised music with the introduction of the the iPod and iPhone, said Shazam was a natural fit for its Apple Music streaming service. “Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion …
Read More »Google To Block YouTube From Amazon Devices
Reuters reports: A rare public spat in the technology industry escalated on Tuesday when Google said it would block its video streaming application YouTube from two Amazon.com Inc devices and criticized the online retailer for not selling Google hardware. The feud is the latest in Silicon Valley to put customers in the crossfire of major competitors. Amazon and Google, which …
Read More »REVEALED: Comcast Deleted Net Neutrality Pledge On Day FCC First Announced Plans To Repeal Rules
Ars Technica reports: Comcast spokesperson Sena Fitzmaurice has been claiming that we got the story wrong. But a further examination of how Comcast’s net neutrality promises have changed over time reveals another interesting tidbit—Comcast deleted a “no paid prioritization” pledge from its net neutrality webpage on the very same day that the Federal Communications Commission announced its initial plan to …
Read More »Meet The Guy Who Took Down Trump’s Twitter Account
TechCrunch has tracked down the former Twitter staffer (technically a contract employee) who early this month briefly took down Trump’s Twitter account on his last day on the job. From their deep-dive interview: We were among those looking for the contractor, and through a string of events found out his name, Bahtiyar Duysak, and got him to agree to talk …
Read More »Uber Reveals Having Paid Hackers $100,000 To Delete Personal Data Stolen From 57 Million Customers
Bloomberg reports: Hackers stole the personal data of 57 million customers and drivers from Uber Technologies Inc., a massive breach that the company concealed for more than a year. This week, the ride-hailing company ousted Joe Sullivan, chief security officer, and one of his deputies for their roles in keeping the hack under wraps. Compromised data from the October 2016 …
Read More »FDA Approves First Digital Pill
The Associated Press reports: U.S. regulators have approved the first drug with a sensor that can track whether patients have taken their medicine. The Abilify pill was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002 to treat schizophrenia, and the sensor technology was approved for marketing in 2012. The FDA said in a statement Monday that the digitally-enhanced …
Read More »Twitter Doubles Character Limit For All Users
USA Today reports: Our commander-in-chief is going to have a lot more room to tweet. Twitter announced Tuesday it will roll out a 280-character limit for single tweets after testing the option among a handful of users since September. The new character limit applies to languages where cramming is an issue, such as English. The change won’t apply to Chinese, …
Read More »CNET Gives The iPhone X Their Drop Test [VIDEO]
CNET reports: If you just spent $1,000 or more on an iPhone X, put a case on it now! Apple’s tenth-anniversary iPhone has a slick new look with a nearly bezel-less screen, glass back and stainless steel frame. Just like the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the glass back allows the X to have wireless charging– but it also means …
Read More »T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Deal Falls Apart
Reuters reports: Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc said over the weekend they have called off merger talks to create a stronger U.S. wireless company to rival market leaders, leaving No. 4 provider Sprint to engineer a turnaround on its own. The announcement marks the latest failed attempt to combine the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers, as Sprint parent …
Read More »REPORT: “Rogue” Twitter Staffer Who Briefly Took Down Trump’s Account Was Outsourced Contract Worker
The New York Times reports: Twitter blamed the deletion of President Trump’s Twitter account on Thursday night on a rogue customer support employee. That employee has since been hailed in social media as a hero and as a scourge for acting against the president, who said the move reflected the impact his Twitter messages have had. Yet it turns out …
Read More »Apple Set To Become First Trillion-Dollar Company
Reuters reports: Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook quashed concerns recently about muted demand for the iPhone X, saying pre-orders for the 10th anniversary smartphone were “off the charts,” but it might be the company’s market capitalization that needs a bigger graph. Positive reviews for the new device and expectations that many users are on the verge of upgrading from older …
Read More »Facebook Tests Taking Non-Promoted Media Posts Out Of User Feeds, Outlets Report Massive Drop In Hits
The Hill reports: Facebook is testing a new update that would move non-promoted posts out of users’ newsfeeds, which could be a major hit to media publishers who use the platform to bring traffic to their websites. The changes are currently being tested in six countries including Slovakia, Serbia and Sri Lanka, according to Filip Struhárik, a journalist at Slovakian …
Read More »Smartphones Blamed For Spike In Traffic Deaths
After decades of decline mostly attributed to safer vehicles and stiffer DUI penalties, traffic deaths in the US have spiked by 14.4% over the last two years. The government has yet to formally blame the rise on smartphone use, but others are convinced. Bloomberg reports: There are three big clues, and they don’t rest along the highway. One, as you …
Read More »Supreme Court To Hear DOJ’s Digital Privacy Case
Bloomberg reports: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether law enforcement officials conducting a criminal investigation can demand data held overseas by Microsoft Corp. and other technology companies in a high-stakes clash over digital privacy. The justices will review a federal appeals ruling that the Trump administration says has become a major obstacle in criminal probes. Already, Google Inc. …
Read More »Paris To Ban All Gas And Diesel Cars By 2030
Reuters reports: Paris authorities plan to banish all petrol and diesel-fueled cars from the world’s most visited city by 2030, Paris City Hall said on Thursday. The move marks an acceleration in plans to wean the country off gas-guzzlers and switch to electric vehicles in a city often obliged to impose temporary bans due to surges in particle pollution in …
Read More »Facebook, Instagram Outages Hit Users Worldwide
Mashable reports: Bad news, friends: Facebook appears to be down for a large number of users. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is reportedly struggling too. Users of the social media platform began reporting issues around 11:11 a.m. EST, and it appears the outage has spread. The problems appear to be affecting users on both desktop and mobile. Multiple services, …
Read More »