Digital World



Apple renames Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' on US app

AFP - 1h ago

Apple has renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for US users of its mapping application to comply with an …

'Saudi is the best!': Why are TikTok mumfluencers lauding desert megacity?

AFP - 8h ago

Expat "mumfluencers" are taking to TikTok to sing the praises of life in Saudi Arabia and to extol the virtues of its …

AI feud: How Musk and Altman's partnership turned toxic

Feb 11 2025

The feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has become one of the bitterest rivalries in business history, with the Tesla …

US TV record 127.7 million watched Eagles win Super Bowl

Feb 11 2025

An estimated 127.7 million television viewers watched Super Bowl 59, ratings service Nielsen said Tuesday, making …

Vance puts Europe, China on notice over AI regulation

Feb 11 2025

US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned European allies against over-regulating the US-dominated artificial …

JD Vance puts Europe, China on notice at AI summit

Feb 11 2025

US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned European allies against over-regulating the US-dominated artificial …

Google changes name of Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' for US users

Feb 11 2025

Google on Monday changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" for those using its Maps platform inside …

YouTube, the online video powerhouse, turns 20

Feb 11 2025

YouTube has evolved from a dinner party lark 20 years ago into a modern lifestyle staple poised to overtake US cable …

Playgrounds come alive again with Brazil school phone ban

Feb 11 2025

In Rio de Janeiro, children are playing again "like in the old days," and their focus in class has improved after a …

Elon Musk heads group trying to buy control of OpenAI: report

Feb 10 2025

Elon Musk is leading an investment group offering $97.4 billion for the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, marking a new …

Macron vows at summit France to 'deliver' on AI acceleration

Feb 10 2025

President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said France would slash through red tape to build artificial intelligence (AI) …

Kanye West's account on X goes dark after hate-filled rant

Feb 10 2025

Kanye West's account on X has been deactivated after a days-long rant on the platform that included vitriolic, …

Labour impact and trade windfall on agenda at Paris AI summit

Feb 10 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) presents vast opportunities if correctly chanelled but is already sharpening gender pay …

Paris summit grapples with real-world impact of AI

Feb 10 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) risks reinforcing gender disparities rather than immediate widespread job destruction, the …

World and tech leaders grapple with AI challenges at Paris summit

Feb 10 2025

Political and tech industry leaders descended on Paris Monday for a two-day summit on artificial intelligence, hoping to …

Nokia CEO Lundmark to be replaced by Intel AI chief Hotard

Feb 10 2025

Finnish telecommunications equipment giant Nokia announced on Monday that chief executive Pekka Lundmark would step down …

Government chiefs and tech leaders gather in Paris for AI summit

Feb 10 2025

Political and tech industry leaders were set to descend on Paris Monday for a two-day summit on artificial intelligence, …

Macron beats French investment drum ahead of AI summit

Feb 09 2025

French President Emmanuel Macron trumpeted the benefits of artificial intelligence Sunday, ahead of a two-day Paris …

'Cool' Macron uses his deepfake videos to promote AI summit

Feb 09 2025

French President Emmanuel Macron has posted artificial intelligence-generated fake videos that he features in as he …

AI app offers a lifeline for S.Africa's abused women

Feb 09 2025

She says she was violated by police. Now she's brainstorming an AI-integrated app with a panic button that alerts …

PlayStation Network back online after 24-hour outage

Feb 09 2025

Sony PlayStation's online services came back online on Saturday, the Japanese group said, after a 24-hour outage …

Elon Musk says has no plans to acquire TikTok's US operations

Feb 08 2025

Elon Musk, the world's richest person and a top advisor to US President Donald Trump, said he has no interest in …

PlayStation outages frustrate users around the world

Feb 08 2025

From the United States to Thailand, users of the popular Sony PlayStation consoles might encounter "difficulties," the …

Macron says AI should not be 'Wild West'

Feb 07 2025

Development of artificial intelligence (AI) should not be an unregulated "Wild West", French President Emmanuel Macron …

AI starts to help India's struggling farms

Feb 07 2025

Each morning Indian farmer R Murali opens an app on his phone to check if his pomegranate trees need watering, …

'Lottery ticket': Crypto investors brace for bumpy ride under Trump

Feb 07 2025

Nick was enjoying his Saturday off work in Pennsylvania when he received an unexpected and alarming message: …

'Social Network' star Eisenberg slams Zuckerberg as 'obsessed with power'

Feb 07 2025

Hollywood star Jesse Eisenberg, who played Mark Zuckerberg in 2010 hit "The Social Network", told AFP the Facebook owner …

Big Tech's AI spending rattles markets

Feb 07 2025

E-commerce giant Amazon reported strong earnings Thursday but, like its big tech peers Microsoft and Google, saw its …

Amazon profits double, but cautious outlook disappoints

Feb 06 2025

E-commerce giant Amazon reported Thursday its fourth-quarter net income nearly doubled to $20 billion, driven by strong …

OpenAI says to host some customers' data in Europe

Feb 06 2025

ChatGPT developer OpenAI said Thursday that it would allow some European customers to store and process data from …

EU quizzes Shein over 'illegal' products

Feb 06 2025

The EU on Thursday told online fashion giant Shein to hand over information on risks linked to illegal products on its …

Scientists' conference kicks off global AI summit in Paris

Feb 06 2025

Global experts will debate threats from artificial intelligence (AI) at a gathering in Paris on Thursday and Friday, …

South Korea ministries, police block DeepSeek access

Feb 06 2025

South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to their computers, after the …

AI risks 'disaster' without 'cast-iron guarantees': expert

Feb 06 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems must come with "cast-iron guarantees" against mass harm to humans, especially as …

Google halts workplace diversity push

Feb 06 2025

Google parent company Alphabet has stopped making diversity and inclusion a workplace priority, according to a filing …

US Marine vet acquitted in NY subway death joins tech firm

Feb 05 2025

A US Marine veteran who was acquitted in the chokehold death of a homeless man on the New York subway -- a high-profile …

Australia bans DeepSeek AI program on government devices

Feb 05 2025

Australia has banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies, a top official said …

EU seeks new import fee on e-commerce packages

Feb 05 2025

The European Commission announced Wednesday it would seek to impose new fees on e-commerce imports, as part of efforts …

Google pledge against using AI for weapons vanishes

Feb 05 2025

Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the …

Google shares slide on spending plans despite sales jump

Feb 05 2025

Google's parent company Alphabet on Tuesday reported revenue jumped in the recently-ended quarter, but shares sank on …

Australia bans DeepSeek AI program on govt devices

Feb 04 2025

Australia has banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies, a top official said …

What Elon Musk's Twitter tactics may bode for US government

Feb 04 2025

As Elon Musk and his aides take control of the US Treasury's payments system, the drastic job cuts and other shake-ups …

AI regulation around the world

Feb 04 2025

Countries and economic blocs around the world are at different stages of regulating artificial intelligence, from a …

American VP Vance to attend Paris AI summit

Feb 04 2025

US Vice President JD Vance will join top tech players in Paris next week at an artificial intelligence summit billed by …

OpenAI chief Altman signs deal with South Korea's Kakao after DeepSeek upset

Feb 04 2025

OpenAI chief Sam Altman signed a deal with tech giant Kakao in South Korea on Tuesday as the US firm seeks new alliances …

Nintendo cuts net profit forecast as Switch sales slow

Feb 04 2025

Japanese video game giant Nintendo on Tuesday cut its annual net profit forecast after hardware and software sales for …

OpenAI chief Altman inks deal with S. Korea's Kakao after DeepSeek upset

Feb 04 2025

OpenAI chief Sam Altman inked a deal with tech giant Kakao in South Korea on Tuesday as the US firm seeks new alliances …

Apple blasts porn app for iPhones in Europe

Feb 04 2025

Apple on Monday called a pornography app available for iPhones in the European Union a danger to children, saying …

France pitches AI summit as 'wake-up call' for Europe

Feb 04 2025

France hosts top tech players next week at an artificial intelligence summit meant as a "wake-up call" for Europe as it …

Next round for strategy game lineage in 'Civilization VII'

Feb 03 2025

Fans have waited more than eight years for the new instalment in heavyweight strategy game Civilization, with the …

OpenAI announces new 'deep research' tool for ChatGPT

Feb 03 2025

US tech giant OpenAI on Monday unveiled a ChatGPT tool called "deep research" that can produce detailed reports, as …

South Korea appeals court upholds Samsung chief's fraud acquittal

Feb 03 2025

Samsung Electronics chief Lee Jae-yong was cleared again Monday of a raft of charges linked to a controversial 2015 …

Tradition and technology sync at China 'AI temple fair'

Feb 01 2025

A humanoid robot gyrates to pulsing music at a shopping mall in Beijing, part of an exhibition harnessing artificial …

OpenAI chief says it needs new open-source strategy

Feb 01 2025

OpenAI chief Sam Altman on Friday said his high-profile artificial intelligence company is "on the wrong side of …

Taiwan bans government agencies from using DeepSeek

Feb 01 2025

Taiwan has banned workers in the public sector and at key infrastructure facilities from using DeepSeek, saying it was a …

South Korea, Ireland watchdogs to question DeepSeek on user data

Jan 31 2025

Data watchdogs in South Korea and Ireland said Friday they would ask Chinese AI startup DeepSeek to clarify how it …

South Korea watchdog to question DeepSeek over user data

Jan 31 2025

South Korea will ask Chinese AI startup DeepSeek to clarify how it manages users' personal information, its data …

Samsung operating profit hit by R&D spending, fight to meet chip demand

Jan 31 2025

The operating profit of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics sank almost a third in the fourth quarter owing to …

Apple profit climbs but sales miss expectations

Jan 31 2025

Apple on Thursday reported its revenue was a whopping $124.3 billion in the year-end holiday quarter, but sales growth …

UK prosecutors defend jail terms of environmental activists

Jan 30 2025

UK prosecutors on Thursday defended lengthy prison sentences handed down to 16 environmental activists, telling London's …

Six arrested over plot to kidnap French YouTube star

Jan 30 2025

French police have arrested six people on suspicion of plotting to kidnap YouTube star Inoxtag or one of his relatives …

Salvadoran town hopes Trump brings 'good times' for bitcoin

Jan 30 2025

Bitcoin enthusiasts seeking to turn a mountain town in El Salvador into a cryptocurrency haven hope that US President …

Meta agrees to pay Trump $25 mn to settle account ban lawsuit

Jan 30 2025

Meta has agreed to pay President Donald Trump $25 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit he filed claiming he was wrongfully …

With China's DeepSeek, US tech fears red threat

Jan 30 2025

The emergence of the DeepSeek chatbot has sent Silicon Valley into a frenzy, with calls to go faster on advancing …

Meta posts big profit, aims to take AI lead

Jan 29 2025

Social media giant Meta on Wednesday reported surging profits and revenue for 2024, announcing ambitious plans to expand …

Microsoft profit rises but cloud business misses mark

Jan 29 2025

Microsoft on Wednesday reported profits of $24.1 billion in the recently ended quarter, but shares slid on worries over …

Meta posts big profit, plans massive AI investment

Jan 29 2025

Social media giant Meta on Wednesday reported surging profits and revenue for 2024, announcing ambitious plans to expand …

Upstart DeepSeek faces heightened scrutiny as AI wows

Jan 29 2025

With around six million dollars and a stockpile of chips acquired before Washington banned their export to China, …

DeepSeek's 'Sputnik moment' exposes holes in US chip curbs

Jan 29 2025

US export controls on high-tech chips may have inadvertently fuelled the success of start-up DeepSeek's AI chatbot, …

Dutch chip giant ASML reports 2024 net profit dip but solid orders

Jan 29 2025

Dutch tech giant ASML, which sells cutting-edge machines to make semiconductor chips, reported a drop in annual net …

Blurred posts, banned accounts: Abortion groups decry Meta 'suppression'

Jan 29 2025

Blurred posts, downranked searches and deleted accounts: Since President Donald Trump's election, groups sharing …

Influential podcasts fuel 'harmful' health misinformation

Jan 29 2025

Unfounded cancer cures, dubious anti-vaccine narratives, and false claims that neurological disorders can be "reversed" …

Who might buy TikTok in the US?

Jan 29 2025

As the clock ticks down on TikTok's 75-day reprieve from divesting from its Chinese owners or being banned in the United …

OpenAI tailors version of ChatGPT for US government

Jan 28 2025

OpenAI on Tuesday launched a bespoke version of its ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool for use by the United States …

White House urges TikTokers to apply for press passes

Jan 28 2025

Donald Trump's new press secretary on Tuesday invited TikTokers and podcasters to apply for White House press passes, in …

DeepSeek shock shows Europe not out of AI race: experts

Jan 28 2025

China-based DeepSeek's artificial intelligence model has shaken the sector by offering high performance apparently at a …

US stocks, Nvidia shares steady after Chinese AI shock

Jan 28 2025

US stocks and shares in chip-making giant Nvidia on Tuesday clawed back some of their losses following a sell-off …

Pakistan outlaws disinformation with 3-year jail term

Jan 28 2025

Pakistan criminalised online disinformation on Tuesday, passing legislation dictating punishments of up to three years …

DeepSeek, Chinese AI startup roiling US tech giants

Jan 28 2025

Chinese startup DeepSeek, which has sparked panic on Wall Street with its powerful new chatbot developed at a fraction …

DeepSeek breakthrough raises AI energy questions

Jan 28 2025

Having shattered assumptions in the tech sector and beyond about the cost of artificial intelligence, Chinese startup …

Trump warns of 'wake-up call' as low-cost Chinese AI jolts sector

Jan 28 2025

Fears of upheaval in the AI gold rush rocked Wall Street on Monday following the emergence of a popular ChatGPT-like …

Games music composer with ambition to define an artform

Jan 28 2025

Far from the bleep-driven video game soundtracks of yesteryear, French composer Olivier Deriviere is determined to help …

Trump warns of 'wake-up call' as low-cost Chinese AI jolts Silicon Valley

Jan 28 2025

Fears of upheaval in the AI gold rush rocked Wall Street on Monday following the emergence of a popular ChatGPT-like …

Colombian 'webcam models' denounce abuse in online sex industry

Jan 28 2025

Filming in dirty, bug-infested rooms with scant breaks and shared sex toys: Colombia's "webcam models" are speaking out …

'Tell the world': Holocaust survivors entrust memories to AI

Jan 28 2025

Survivors of the Holocaust have entrusted their memories of the Nazi death camps to artificial intelligence to ensure …

Silicon Valley rattled by low-cost Chinese AI

Jan 27 2025

Fears of upheaval in the AI gold rush rocked Wall Street on Monday following the emergence of a popular ChatGPT-like …

Nvidia loses nearly $600 bn in value as Chinese AI firm jolts tech shares

Jan 27 2025

US chip-maker Nvidia led a rout in tech stocks Monday after the emergence of a low-cost Chinese generative AI model that …

Nigerian extradited, charged over sextortion that led to US teen's death

Jan 27 2025

A Nigerian man has been extradited to the United States to face charges in connection with the sextortion of a teenage …

Taiwan identifies 52 'suspicious' Chinese ships for close monitoring

Jan 27 2025

Taiwan has identified 52 "suspicious" Chinese-owned ships flying flags of convenience that require close monitoring if …

With Trump win, Silicon Valley's right flank takes on Washington

Jan 27 2025

One week into his second administration, Donald Trump has put technology at the forefront, featuring tech billionaires …

Universal, Spotify ink multi-year deal

Jan 26 2025

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, and streaming behemoth Spotify on Sunday announced a …

Meta plans to invest $60 bn or more in AI this year

Jan 24 2025

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Friday said the tech giant plans to invest at least $60 billion in artificial …

Meta profits from known pro-Russian disinfo network: researchers

Jan 24 2025

Social media giant Meta made hundreds of thousands of dollars last year from content posted by a well-known pro-Russian …

Meta guru urges Europe to gamble more on AI

Jan 24 2025

Europe should take greater risks and plough more money into artificial intelligence, Meta's chief AI scientist Yann …

OpenAI unveils 'Operator' agent that handles web tasks

Jan 24 2025

OpenAI on Thursday introduced an artificial intelligence program called "Operator" that can tend to online tasks such as …

US news giant CNN eyes 200 job cuts, streaming overhaul

Jan 23 2025

US news network CNN will shed six percent of staff, some 200 people, the outlet said Thursday as it embarks on a major …

How things stand in China-US trade tensions with Trump 2.0

Jan 23 2025

Donald Trump is back in the White House, promising to use the United States's vast economic weight to hit back at China …

Musk bashes Trump-backed AI mega project

Jan 23 2025

Tech titan Elon Musk cast doubt Wednesday on a $500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying …

Musk, Wikipedia founder in row over how to describe 'Nazi salute'

Jan 23 2025

The gesture was controversial enough, but now come the sub-controversies: Elon Musk is trolling Wikipedia and …

Larry Ellison, tech's original maverick, makes Trump era return

Jan 23 2025

US tech titans Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are taking a prominent place in the new Trump era, but another …

Instagram courts TikTok stars during turbulent times

Jan 23 2025

Meta-owned Instagram has been wooing creators from TikTok as the China-based video-snippet sharing app's future remains …

Musk seeks Trump pardon for 'Bitcoin Jesus,' charged with fraud

Jan 22 2025

Elon Musk said Tuesday he was exploring a presidential pardon for "Bitcoin Jesus," who was arrested last year on fraud …