News

NBC hopes 'free' makes Peacock stand out in streaming era

By TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writer NEW YORK (AP) — NBCUniversal is launching a new streaming service that will have a large part available for free, an approach it hopes will resonate with people who aren’t interested in traditional TV. The service, Peacock, will debut April 15 for customers of Comcast, NBCUniversal’s parent company. Everyone […]

HBO Max chief dismisses streamer's high-end fee as obstacle

By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — HBO Max’s high-end subscription fee won’t be an obstacle to the streaming service’s launch, said Kevin Reilly, its chief content officer. “People do not shop for their entertainment experiences with price being the primary” motivation, Reilly told a TV critics meeting Wednesday. “People don’t say, […]

UK police use of facial recognition tests public's tolerance

By KELVIN CHAN Associated Press LONDON (AP) — When British police used facial recognition cameras to monitor crowds arriving for a soccer match in Wales, some fans protested by covering their faces. In a sign of the technology’s divisiveness, even the head of a neighboring police force said he opposed it. The South Wales police […]

News flash from Florida legislators: Telegraph era is over

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers are transmitting a news bulletin: The telegraph era is over. Before there was instant messaging, emails and even corded telephones, there was the reliable telegraph to instantaneously transmit messages far and wide. Now, people turn to the internet, text messaging, Twitter, gifs and emojis to […]

Ahead in the clouds: Alibaba plans to change the Olympics

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Alibaba’s promise to the Olympic family is to bring its technological might to help organizers, broadcasters and fans. The Chinese tech giant’s Olympic sponsorship deal is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and runs for 12 years, starting in 2017 and continuing through the upcoming […]

EU legal opinion: mass data retention at odds with EU law

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN undefined BRUSSELS (AP) — A legal adviser at the European Union’s highest court said Wednesday that the bloc’s data protection rules should prevent member states from indiscriminately holding personal data seized from Internet and phone companies, even when intelligence agencies claim that national security is at stake. In a non-binding opinion on […]

Dating apps leak personal data, Norwegian group says

LONDON (AP) — Dating apps including Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder leak personal information to advertising tech companies in possible violation of European data privacy laws, a Norwegian consumer group said in a report Tuesday. The Norwegian Consumer Council said it found “serious privacy infringements” in its analysis of how shadowy online ad companies track and […]

NSA finds major security flaw in Windows 10, free fix issued

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer The National Security Agency has discovered a major security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system that could let hackers intercept seemingly secure communications. But rather than exploit the flaw for its own intelligence needs, the NSA tipped off Microsoft so that it can fix the system for everyone. […]

UK's Johnson says Huawei critics should suggest alternatives

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that opponents of Huawei should suggest alternatives to the Chinese technology company as countries start start building out next-generation wireless networks. Johnson’s comments in an interview with the BBC come after American national security and telecom officials met their British counterparts in London, ahead of […]

Visa buys financial technology company Plaid for $5.3B

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Visa is purchasing the financial technology company Plaid for $5.3 billion, a major push by the payment processing giant into other types of money transfer systems outside of Visa’s traditional credit and debit card business. Plaid allows consumers to link their bank accounts to financial […]