Innholdsfortegnelse for #534 i Techlife News

Amazon says it plans to open a clothing store in a Southern California mall later this year, a first for the online behemoth and a fresh challenge for already struggling traditional retailers. Amazon said Thursday that the store, which will sell women’s and men’s clothing as well as shoes and other accessories, will open at the Americana at Brand mall in Glendale, California. Shoppers will get personalized recommendations pushed to their phones as they browse the new Amazon Style store stocked mostly non-Amazon fashion labels, the Seattle based company said. Amazon declined to offer any more details on the labels. The store will be about 30,000 square feet, similar in size to a Kohl’s but about one-third the size of other department stores, like Macy’s. But it will offer more…

Online companies would have to ramp up efforts to keep harmful content off their platforms and take other steps to protect users under rules that European Union lawmakers voted. The 27-nation bloc has gained a reputation as a trendsetter in the growing global push to rein in big tech companies as they face withering criticism over misinformation, hate speech and other harmful content on their platforms. Here’s a look at the proposed EU rules, known as the Digital Services Act, and why they would make an impact: WHAT IS THE DIGITAL SERVICES ACT? The legislation is part of a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s digital rules aimed at ensuring online companies, including tech giants like Google and Facebook parent Meta, protect users on their platforms and treat rivals fairly.…

Microsoft is paying nearly $70 billion for Activision Blizzard, the maker of Candy Crush and Call of Duty, to boost its competitiveness in mobile gaming and virtual-reality technology. The all-cash $68.7 billion deal will turn Microsoft, maker of the Xbox gaming system, into one of the world’s largest video game companies. It will also help it compete with tech rivals such as Meta, formerly Facebook, in creating immersive virtual worlds for both work and play. If the deal survives scrutiny from U.S. and European regulators in the coming months, it could be one of the biggest tech acquisitions in history. Dell bought data-storage company EMC in 2016 for around $60 billion. Activision has been buffeted for months by allegations of misconduct and unequal pay. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed the…

GOP members of the Ohio congressional delegation asked House and Senate leaders to fully fund a law meant to address a global shortage of semiconductor chips used in phones, cars and video games. The request comes as multiple media reports say Santa Clara, California-based Intel Corp. intends to build a massive computer-chip factory near Columbus, the latest semiconductor company to announce expansion plans in the U.S. The letter sent urges top Congressional leaders to fully fund the $52 billion CHIPS for America Act, allowing for stateside investment in semiconductor factories. Not only has the chip shortage disrupted the U.S. economy, it is creating a vulnerability in the country’s defense system since eight of every 10 chips are produced in Asia, the letter said. “These products are vital to U.S. technology…

The chip and supply chain shortages of 2021 have been difficult for automakers and consumers alike. But something positive has emerged from the chaos for 2022: more new car introductions. Among other things, the shortage forced many brands to delay the release of all-new and redesigned vehicles that were originally scheduled for 2021. To help you sort through the debuts, the experts have compiled a list of the five hottest vehicles that will arrive at dealerships in the next six to nine months. 2022 FORD F-150 LIGHTNING The all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup will be one of the most significant EVs to ever hit the market. That it’s based on the best-selling vehicle in America would be reason alone. But the Lightning, which has dual motors and all-wheel drive, will…

AT&T will postpone new wireless service near some airports planned for this week after the nation’s largest airlines said the service would interfere with aircraft technology and cause massive flight disruptions. The company said it would delay turning on new cell towers around runways at some airports — it did not say how many — and work with federal regulators to settle a dispute over potential interference from new 5G service. The decision came after the airline industry raised the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near major airports. Here is a rundown of the issue. WHOSE SIDE IS THE GOVERNMENT ON? Both.…

Netflix is raising prices for its video streaming customers in the U.S. and Canada, less than a year and a half since its last price increase, as competition from other streaming services increases. The Los Gatos, California, company said that prices are going up by $1 to $2, depending on the plan. The “standard” plan that most people take is increasing by $1.50, to $15.50. The Canadian version is going up by the same amount in local currency, to $16.50 Canadian dollars. Price increases are becoming more of a regular feature at Netflix, which is facing saturation in the U.S. market. Of Netflix’s 213.5 million subscribers, some 74 million are in the U.S. and Canada. It got an influx of global subscribers early in the pandemic, but is investing in…

The European Space Agency has narrowed the candidate list for its next generation of astronauts, including dozens who have a physical disability. The agency announced last year that it had received a record number of 22,589 applications from people hoping to become the continent’s next generation of space travelers. ESA said this week it has reduced these to fewer than 1,400 — 29 of whom have a physical disability — and hopea to cut the shortlist down to several tens of candidates by the end of the year for the four to six positions on its astronaut training program. The agency’s director-general, Josef Aschbacher, said the selection process would be accompanied by a feasibility study to determine the implications of choosing candidates with disabilities “but, yes, we are committed at…

When April Schneider’s children returned to in-person classrooms this year, she thought they were leaving behind the struggles from more than a year of remote learning. No more problems with borrowed tablets. No more days of missed lessons because her kids couldn’t connect to their virtual schooling. But coronavirus cases in her children’s New York City classrooms, and the subsequent quarantines, sent her kids back to learning from home. Without personal devices for each child, Schneider said they were largely left to do nothing while stuck at home. “So there you go again, with no computer, and you’re back to square one as if COVID just begun all over again in a smaller form,”Schneider said. As more families pivot back to remote learning amid quarantines and school closures, reliable, consistent…

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which is best known for helping war victims, says hackers broke into servers hosting its data and gained access to personal, confidential information on more than a half-million vulnerable people. The Geneva-based agency said the breach by unknown intruders this week affected data about some 515,000 people“including those separated from their families due to conflict, migration and disaster, missing persons and their families, and people in detention.”It said the information originated in at least 60 Red Cross and Red Crescent chapters around the world. “An attack on the data of people who are missing makes the anguish and suffering for families even more difficult to endure,” Robert Mardini, the ICRC’s director-general, said in a statement. “We are all appalled and perplexed that this…

American Airlines lost $931 million in the fourth quarter and the omicron variant of COVID-19 is delaying its recovery from nearly two years of pandemic. First-quarter revenue is expected to be down about 20% to 22% compared with the first quarter of 2019, and it will fly slightly less than it did two years ago, the airline said Thursday. CEO Doug Parker, who retires this spring, said over the past year that American has swung from periods of high travel demand followed by declines as new variants of COVID-19 emerged, creating an unprecedented challenge to airlines’ ability to plan. “Our results were significantly improved over 2020, but the impact of the omicron variant has affected the timing of a full revenue recovery,” Parker and Robert Isom, who will become CEO…

Microsoft stunned the gaming industry when it announced this week it would buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, a deal that would immediately make it a larger video-game company than Nintendo. Microsoft, maker of the Xbox gaming system, said the deal would be good for gamers and advance its ambitions for the metaverse — a vision for creating immersive virtual worlds for both work and play. But what does the deal really mean for the millions of people who play video games, either on consoles or their phones? And will it actually happen at a time of increased government scrutiny over giant mergers in the U.S. and elsewhere? SO, IS IT GOOD FOR GAMERS? Some industry watchers think so, especially if Microsoft’s games-for-everybody mission and mountain of cash…

As climate change pushes states in the U.S. to dramatically cut their use of fossil fuels, many are coming to the conclusion that solar, wind and other renewable power sources might not be enough to keep the lights on. Nuclear power is emerging as an answer to fill the gap as states transition away from coal, oil and natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stave off the worst effects of a warming planet. The renewed interest in nuclear comes as companies, including one started by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, are developing smaller, cheaper reactors that could supplement the power grid in communities across the U.S. Nuclear power comes with its own set of potential problems, especially radioactive waste that can remain dangerous for thousands of years. But supporters…

Federal safety officials are directing operators of some Boeing planes to adopt extra procedures when landing on wet or snowy runways near impending 5G service because, they say, interference from the wireless networks could mean that the planes need more room to land. The Federal Aviation Administration said that interference could delay systems like thrust reversers on Boeing 787s from kicking in, leaving only the brakes to slow the plane. That “could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the runway,” the FAA said. Similar orders could be issued in the coming days for other planes. The FAA has asked Boeing and Airbus for information about many models. Boeing said it is working with its suppliers, airlines, telecom companies and regulators “to ensure that every commercial airplane model can safely and…

Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings” series has forged a name for itself. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” was announced this week as the full title of the drama set to debut Sept. 2, with episodes to be released weekly on the streaming service. In a statement, producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said the series will unite “all the major stories of Middle-earth’s Second Age,” including the making of the rings, rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the tale of Numenor and the last alliance of Elves and Men. Amazon went big on the title’s unveiling, releasing a video in which the name’s letters are created in metal at a foundry. The series is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s famed…

Newly unredacted documents from a state-led antitrust lawsuit against Google accuse the search giant of colluding with rival Facebook to manipulate online advertising sales. The CEOs of both companies were aware of the deal and signed off on it, the lawsuit alleges. The original, redacted lawsuit, filed in December 2021, accused Google of “anti-competitive conduct” and of teaming up with the social networking giant. But the unredacted version offers details on the involvement of Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in approving the deal. Facebook has since renamed itself Meta. According to the lawsuit, Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, was “explicit that ‘this is a big deal strategically’” in a 2018 email thread about the deal that included Facebook’s CEO. While the names of the Facebook…

Formula One racing got a huge boost in interest in North America through the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.” Netflix now is expanding to a documentary series on golf, with the PGA Tour and the organizers of the four major championships granting access for a behind-the-scenes look. Among those who have signed up (without pay) to participate are multiple major champions like Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa. Also on the list are Max Homa and Joel Dahmen, who have revealed their personalities through various social media. For the players, it’s a chance to increase their exposure and grow their brands. Koepka was said to have spent an hour with the producers during the Hero World Challenge. Rick Anderson, the chief media officer at the PGA Tour,…

Home! And no longer alone. The 19-year-old Belgian-British pilot Zara Rutherford set a world record as the youngest woman to fly solo around the world, touching her small airplane down in western Belgium on Thursday — 155 days after she departed. She made it count for herself, her family and dedicated it to all young women trying to succeed in male-dominated sectors like aviation, and the exact sciences that drive the industry. “Go for it. It takes a lot of time, patience, a lot of work, but it is incredible,” she said after an adventure that gave her as many thrills as scares — from the frozen tundra in Siberia to typhoons in the Philippines and the stark beauty of the Arabian desert. One time, her one-seater Shark microlight plane…

The holidays have left without a trace. Well, almost. Long after the decorations have come down, you still have debt hanging around. Don’t let it put a damper on your year. Here’s what you can do to take control of your holiday debt. REVIEW WHAT YOU OWE First, gather a few important details about your debt. Make a list of your accounts for each type of debt you have. Perhaps you spread holiday purchases across a couple of different credit cards and a “buy now, pay later” loan, for example. For each debt, note how much you owe, the minimum payment amount, interest rate and payment due date. Staying organized can prevent bills from sneaking up on you. Then, look closely at the receipts from your holiday purchases, says Bruce…

The pandemic has touched virtually every aspect of our lives, not least the way we work. Gone are the days of hour-long commutes and endless meetings; instead, we work from home or hot desk, relying on apps to keep us productive and connected. It can be tough to choose the right device - with both the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro offering unique benefits you won’t find anywhere else. Comparing the two will allow you to find the right machine. WORKING WITH THE iPAD PRO Apple revolutionized the way we think about computers when it launched the iPad Pro back in 2015, and since then, the Cupertino company has been on a mission to create the world’s best tablet. It’s worked; right now, the iPad range holds more than a…

Tesla is turning to Mozambique for a key component in its electric car batteries in what analysts believe is a first-of-its-kind deal designed to reduce its dependence on China for graphite. Elon Musk’s company signed an agreement last month with Australia’s Syrah Resources, which operates one of the world’s largest graphite mines in the southern African country. It’s a unique partnership between an electric vehicle manufacturer and a producer of the mineral that is critical for lithium-ion batteries. The value of the deal hasn’t been released. Tesla will buy the material from the company’s processing plant in Vidalia, Louisiana, which sources graphite from its mine in Balama, Mozambique. The Austin, Texas-based electric automaker plans to buy up 80% of what the plant produces — 8,000 tons of graphite per year…

The FBI and other federal agencies are increasingly looking to counter cyber threats through tools other than criminal indictments, the head of the bureau’s cyber division said in an interview. Arrests and indictments of foreign cybercriminals are still appropriate in certain circumstances and something the FBI pursues “every day of the week,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran. But as federal agencies look to have the most disruptive impact possible on cyber crime, FBI officials are thinking carefully about how best to time an indictment, or whether an indictment is even the best action. “We’re just much more mature in the space of working with our interagency partners, and really keeping an eye down the road in terms of how we have the biggest impact,”Vorndran said. The FBI, he said, is…

Ring. Ring. Twenty-six years after the original, “Scream” calls again. We’re now up to the fifth film in the franchise, but the first since 2011’s “Scream 4.” Enough time has passed that this one, titled simply “Scream,” bears no number, no caller ID. That’s presumably because this “Scream,” which features the original cast and introduces a new generation of callers and stabbers, is sequel and reboot in one. Or, as one character explicitly defines in “Scream,” a “requel.” Part of the charm of the original “Scream,” a glossy, couldn’t-be-more-’90s slasher, was its knowingness. Wes Craven’s film, written by Kevin Williamson, made a plaything of genre conventions by having the characters openly discuss horror tropes while also being bludgeoned by them. The bright idea of the new “Scream” is to double…

Months after requesting documents from more than a dozen social platforms, the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection has issued subpoenas targeting Twitter, Meta, Reddit and YouTube after lawmakers said the companies’ initial responses were inadequate. The committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, demanded records from the companies relating to their role in allegedly spreading misinformation about the 2020 election and promoting domestic violent extremism on their platforms in the lead-up to the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. “Two key questions for the Select Committee are how the spread of misinformation and violent extremism contributed to the violent attack on our democracy, and what steps — if any — social media companies took to prevent their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalizing people to violence,”Thompson, D-Miss., said in the letter.…

A smartphone app that athletes and others attending next month’s Winter Games in Beijing must install has glaring security problems that could expose sensitive data to interception, according to a report published this week. Citizen Lab, an internet watchdog group, said in its report the MY2022 app has seriously flawed encryption that would make users’ sensitive data — and any other data communicated through it — vulnerable to being hacked. Other important user data on the app wasn’t encrypted at all, the report found. That means the data could be read by Chinese internet service providers or telecommunications companies through Wi-Fi hotspots at hotels, airports and Olympic venues. China is requiring all international Olympic attendees — including coaches and journalists — to download and start using the app 14 days…