News

Pentagon reaffirms Microsoft as winner of disputed JEDI deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon on Friday reaffirmed Microsoft as winner of a cloud computing contract potentially worth $10 billion, although the start of work is delayed by a legal battle over rival Amazon’s claim that the bidding process was flawed. “The department has completed its comprehensive re-evaluation of the JEDI cloud proposals and determined […]

Facebook curbs political ads - for 7 days before US election

Bracing for a contentious election with no immediate results and possible “civil unrest,” Facebook is enacting a host of measures to ensure its platform is not used to sow chaos and spread misinformation before, during and after the U.S. presidential election. But it’s not clear the changes are enough. The company said Thursday it will […]

US agency posts online map to track autonomous vehicle tests

DETROIT (AP) — If you’ve ever seen one of those self-driving vehicles with strange equipment on the roof and wondered where it’s going, then there’s a website for you. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday launched its autonomous vehicle online tracking tool, a map that shows some of the places where the […]

Zoom stock surges, market value tops Boeing, Starbucks

NEW YORK (AP) — A Zoom call has become an integral part of daily life during the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, Wall Street acknowledged as much by boosting the videoconferencing company’s market value above that of more established companies such as Citigroup, Boeing and Starbucks. Zoom shares rose 40.8% to $457.69, pushing its market value […]

Amazon wins FAA approval to deliver packages by drone

NEW YORK (AP) — Getting an Amazon package delivered from the sky is closer to becoming a reality. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had granted Amazon approval to deliver packages by drones. Amazon said that the approval is an “important step,” but added that it is still testing and flying the drones. It […]

Fad or future? Telehealth expansion eyed beyond pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Telehealth is a bit of American ingenuity that seems to have paid off in the coronavirus pandemic. Medicare  temporarily waived restrictions predating the smartphone era and now there’s a push to make telemedicine widely available in the future. Consultations via tablets, laptops and phones linked patients and doctors when society shut down […]

Zuckerberg says Facebook erred in not removing militia post

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook made a mistake in not removing a militia group’s page earlier this week that called for armed civilians to enter Kenosha, Wisconsin, amid violent protests after police shot Jacob Blake, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says. The page for the “Kenosha Guard” violated Facebook’s policies and had been flagged by “a bunch of […]

France won't ban Huawei but favors European 5G systems

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says France is not excluding Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its upcoming 5G telecommunication networks but favors European providers for security reasons. The French leader spoke after meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Paris on Friday. Macron said he had already told Chinese President Xi […]

Walmart joins Microsoft in bid for video app TikTok

Walmart is the latest company to want a piece of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video app that has come under fire from the Trump administration. The world’s largest retailer made a joint bid with tech giant Microsoft to buy TikTok’s U.S. business, according to a person close to the deal who isn’t authorized to discuss […]

TikTok CEO resigns amid US pressure to sell video app

HONG KONG (AP) — TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigned Thursday amid U.S. pressure for its Chinese owner to sell the popular video app, which the White House says is a security risk. In a letter to employees, Mayer said that his decision to leave comes after the “political environment has sharply changed.” His resignation comes […]