Associated Press

News Agency

Russia blames space station lab incident on software failure

A Russian space official on Friday blamed a software problem on a newly docked science lab for briefly knocking the International Space Station out of position. The space station lost control of its orientation for 47 minutes on Thursday, when Russia’s Nauka science lab accidentally fired its thrusters a few hours after docking, pushing the […]

Square to buy installment payment firm Afterpay in $29B deal

Digital payments company Square Inc. says it has agreed to acquire Afterpay, which provides a “buy now, pay later” option for merchants, in an all-stock deal valued at about $29 billion. Square allows retailers to process credit card transactions using devices that plug into tablets or smartphones. The San Francisco-based company said Sunday it plans […]

EXPLAINER: The tech behind Tokyo Olympics' fast track

The Jamaican sprinter and her Olympic-record time captured everyone’s attention. What’s under foot, though, might have been a factor when Elaine Thompson-Herah broke a 33-year-old Olympic record in the women’s 100 meters. It’s shaping up as a fast track surface at Olympic Stadium. Runners are certainly on track to setting personal, Olympic and possibly even […]

Climate bid faces tricky path over money for electric cars

The bipartisan compromise on infrastructure cuts in half President Joe Biden’s call for $15 billion to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging outlets, raising the stakes as the administration seeks to win auto industry cooperation on anti-pollution rules to curb climate change. The Senate legislation provides $7.5 billion in federal grants to build a national network […]

Facebook profits top $10B as its CEO exalts the 'metaverse'

Concerns about a revenue growth slowdown pushed Facebook’s shares lower in after-hours trading Wednesday, not long after the company reported that its second-quarter profits doubled thanks to a massive increase in advertising revenue. But CEO Mark Zuckerberg set his sights far beyond the second half of 2021, exalting what he sees as the next phase […]

Google delays return to office, mandates vaccines

Google is postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-October and rolling out a policy that will eventually require everyone to be vaccinated once its sprawling campuses are fully reopened. The more highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is driving a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Google’s Wednesday announcement […]

Asia stocks advance, tech giants rally after Fed report

Asian stocks mostly rose Thursday after the Federal Reserve kept its accommodative monetary policies and signaled that economic recovery was on track. Chinese technology giants led the way, as authorities moved to soothe jitters over anti-monopoly and data security enforcement against the industry. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.4% to 27,687.28, while the Kospi in South […]

Smart Eye Deputy CEO Rana el Kaliouby talks automotive AI

Rana el Kaliouby co-founded and led Boston startup Affectiva, which uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyze mood and emotion. Now she’s got a new job as deputy CEO of Smart Eye, after the Swedish eye-tracking company bought Affectiva for $73.5 million in June. The auto industry is the prime market for el Kaliouby […]