Tech

CEO of GM's Cruise autonomous vehicle unit to leave company

Dan Ammann, CEO of General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary, is leaving the Detroit company. GM didn’t give a reason in a short statement Thursday but said that Kyle Vogt, president and chief technical officer, would be Cruise’s interim CEO. The leadership change comes just as Cruise is about to start a fully autonomous ride-hailing […]

Google smart-city spinoff folding over founder's health

Google parent company Alphabet is folding one of its subsidiaries back into Google as the startup’s founder steps down to confront a neurological disease. Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff said Thursday he’s leaving the company focused on urban planning technology because he “very likely” has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Sidewalk Labs was […]

India unveils $10.2B plan to attract semiconductor makers

India on Wednesday announced a $10.2 billion plan to try to attract global chipmakers to set up shop in the country and transform it into a production hub of semiconductors. The plan unveiled by Information Technology and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw comes amid a severe shortage of semiconductors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has […]

EU plan for sweeping update of Big Tech rules gains momentum

The European Union’s ambitious plan to update its pioneering internet rules gained momentum Tuesday after a key committee passed measures requiring technology companies to better police content and lawmakers prepared to vote on regulations to rein in Big Tech. The 27-nation bloc has for the past year been drafting a sweeping overhaul of regulations for […]

Instagram Hits 2 Billion Active Users Without Admitting

Instagram is reported to have reached 2 billion monthly active users without officially announcing it, according to anonymous employees who broke the news to CNBC. The reason behind not announcing it is that the platform was under surveillance in the past few months for potentially causing harm to children and teens. The last time the […]

Norway fines dating app Grindr $7.16M over privacy breach

Norway’s data privacy watchdog on Wednesday fined gay dating app Grindr 65 million kroner ($7.16 million) for sending sensitive personal data to hundreds of potential advertising partners without users’ consent — a breach of strict European Union privacy rules. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said it imposed its highest fine to date because the California-based […]

EXPLAINER: The security flaw that's freaked out the internet

Security pros say it’s one of the worst computer vulnerabilities they’ve ever seen. They say state-backed Chinese and Iranian hackers and rogue cryptocurrency miners have already seized on it. The Department of Homeland Security is sounding a dire alarm, ordering federal agencies to urgently eliminate the bug because it’s so easily exploitable — and telling […]

Netflix slashes prices to compete with Disney+, Amazon

In its attempt to compete with its rivals Disney and Amazon, the famous streaming service Netflix cut on Tuesday the prices of its services in India for the first time since launching five years ago. As it aims to reach higher on the streaming ladder, Netflix slashed its prices by 60 percent to $2.62 paid […]

Sony to bring PlayStation to phones, PlayStation Now

After Microsoft and Apple, Sony is preparing to launch its PlayStation Now cloud gaming service on mobile phones, a confidential document reveals. As such, the documents noted that “The service would stream over 450 PS3 games at first, and follow up with PS4 titles.” Apple mentioned the PlayStation Now expansion as it was in the […]