Author: iMaster

Author: iMaster

Apple Updates App Store Payment Rules in Concession to Developers
10/23/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Apple has updated its App Store rules to allow developers to contact users directly about payments, a concession in a legal settlement with companies challenging its tightly controlled marketplace. According to App Store rules updated Friday, developers can now contact consumers directly about alternate payment methods, bypassing Apple’s commission of 15 or 30%. They will

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Another Whistleblower Accuses Facebook of Wrongdoing: Report
10/23/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

A former Facebook worker reportedly told U.S. authorities Friday the platform has put profits before stopping problematic content, weeks after another whistleblower helped stoke the firm’s latest crisis with similar claims. The unnamed new whistleblower filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal financial regulator, that could add to the company’s

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China’s Reach Into Africa’s Digital Sector Worries Experts
10/22/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Chinese companies like Huawei and the Transsion group are responsible for much of the digital infrastructure and smartphones used in Africa. Chinese phones built in Africa come with already installed apps for mobile money transfer services that increase the reach of Chinese tech companies. But while many Africans may find the availability of such technology

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Facebook Kept Oversight Board in Dark about Special Treatment of VIP Accounts
10/21/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook’s quasi-independent oversight board criticized the company Thursday, saying many high-profile accounts such as celebrities and politicians are not held to the same standards as other accounts. In a blog post, the board said, “Facebook has not been fully forthcoming with the Board on its ‘Cross-Check’ system, which the company uses to review content decisions

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New Name for Facebook? Critics Cry Smoke and Mirrors
10/21/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook critics pounced Wednesday on a report that the social network plans to rename itself, arguing it may be seeking to distract from recent scandals and controversy. The report from tech news website The Verge, which Facebook refused to confirm, said the embattled company was aiming to show its ambition to be more than a

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Facebook to Pay Up to $14 Million Over Discrimination Against US Workers 
10/19/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook must pay a $4.75 million fine and up to $9.5 million in back pay to eligible victims who say the company discriminated against U.S. workers in favor of foreign ones, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.  The discrimination took place from at least January 1, 2018, until at least September 18, 2019.  The Justice Department

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Catching a Ride: A ‘Robotaxi’ Drives Itself to You
10/19/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Consider it a “robotaxi.” For customers who need a ride in Las Vegas, they can now use a ride-hailing startup whose cars drive themselves to customers. Tina Trinh reports. …

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Facebook Plans to Hire 10,000 in EU to Build ‘Metaverse’
10/18/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook says it plans to hire 10,000 workers in the European Union over the next five years to work on a new computing platform. The company said in a blog post Sunday that those high-skilled workers will help build “the metaverse,” a futuristic notion for connecting people online that encompasses augmented and virtual reality. Facebook

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US Puts Cryptocurrency Industry on Notice Over Ransomware Attacks 
10/15/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Suspected ransomware payments totaling $590 million were made in the first six months of this year, more than the $416 million reported for all of 2020, U.S. authorities said on Friday, as Washington put the cryptocurrency industry on alert about its role in combating ransomware attacks.  The U.S. Treasury Department said the average amount of

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US Authorities Disclose Ransomware Attacks Against Water Facilities
10/15/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

U.S. authorities said on Thursday that four ransomware attacks had penetrated water and wastewater facilities in the past year, and they warned similar plants to check for signs of intrusions and take other precautions.  The alert from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) cited a series of apparently unrelated hacking incidents from September 2020 to August

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Facebook Objects to Releasing Private Posts About Myanmar’s Rohingya Campaign
10/15/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook was used to spread disinformation about the Rohingya, the Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar, and in 2018 the company began to delete posts, accounts and other content it determined were part of a campaign to incite violence.  That deleted but stored data is at issue in a case in the United States over whether

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Microsoft to Shut Down LinkedIn in China Over Censorship Concerns
10/14/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Microsoft will close LinkedIn in China later this year, the company announced Thursday. The professional networking site, which started operating in China in 2014, faces a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements” in the country, it said in a blog post. “We recognized that operating a localized version of LinkedIn in China

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US Staging Global Conference to Combat Ransomware Attacks
10/13/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The White House is holding a two-day international conference starting Wednesday to combat ransomware computer attacks on business operations across the globe that cost companies, schools and health services an estimated $74 billion in damages last year. U.S. officials are meeting on Zoom calls with their counterparts from at least 30 countries to discuss ways

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Forum Urges Social Networks to Act Against Antisemitism
10/13/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Social media giants were urged to act Wednesday to stem online antisemitism during an international conference in Sweden focused on the growing amount of hatred published on many platforms.  The Swedish government invited social media giants TikTok, Google and Facebook along with representatives from 40 countries, the United Nations and Jewish organizations to the event

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Computers and Brains: Sensors Implanted in the Brain Help Paralyzed Man Write
10/12/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Brain computer interfaces, where computers analyze brain signals and help paralyzed people to write and carry out other actions, is a burgeoning area of research. VOA’s Deana Mitchell has the story of one breakthrough. …

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Facebook Unveils New Controls for Kids Using Its Platforms
10/11/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook, in the aftermath of damning testimony that its platforms harm children, will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo sharing app Instagram, and “nudging” teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that’s not conducive to their well-being.   The Menlo Park, California-based Facebook is also

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Facebook-backed Group Launches Misinformation Adjudication Panel in Australia
10/11/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said on Monday it has set up an industry panel to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts.  Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week labeled social media “a coward’s palace,” while

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Infrastructure Successes Have Transformed America, Can Biden’s Plan do the Same?
10/10/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Congress appears poised to pass a bipartisan, $1 trillion plan that would be the largest federal investment in infrastructure in more than a decade. History shows that investing in infrastructure can transform the United States, changing how Americans move, bolstering economic prosperity, and significantly improving the health and quality of life for many.    “When the transcontinental railroad

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Is Steve Jobs’ Legacy at Apple Wearing Thin?
10/09/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Ten years ago, Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer at 56. He played a huge role in making Apple one of the most successful companies in the world. But what does Apple’s future look like? Karina Bafradzhian has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. …

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Chinese Cyber Operations Scoop Up Data for Political, Economic Aims 
10/09/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Mustang Panda is a Chinese hacking group that is suspected of attempting to infiltrate the Indonesian government last month. The reported breach, which the Indonesians denied, fits the pattern of China’s recent cyberespionage campaigns. These attacks have been increasing over the past year, experts say, in search of social, economic and political intelligence from Asian

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Facebook Messenger, Instagram Service Disrupted for Second Time in a Week
10/08/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook confirmed on Friday that some users were having trouble accessing its apps and services, days after the social media giant suffered a six-hour outage triggered by an error during routine maintenance on its network of data centers.  Some users were unable to load their Instagram feeds, while others were not able to send messages

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Americans Agree Misinformation Is a Problem, Poll Shows
10/08/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Nearly all Americans agree that the rampant spread of misinformation is a problem. Most also think social media companies, and the people that use them, bear a good deal of blame for the situation. But few are very concerned that they themselves might be responsible, according to a new poll from The Pearson Institute and

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