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AI behind bars (Image source: Generated using DALL·E 3)

California one step away from putting AI on a short leash

Defended by Elon Musk and feared by the executives of iconic tech companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Meta, California’s antagonistic AI safety bill, SB 1047, is now just one step away from reshaping the tech landscape. After pa...

Codrut Nistor, 29 Aug 2024 18:25

Telegram CEO faces up to 20 years in prison. Image source: Pavel Durov

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, has been arrested by French authorities. The detention is allegedly linked to an ongoing investigation into Telegram's operations, which focuses on insufficient content moderation and lack...

Andrew Sozinov, 25 Aug 2024 17:13

Antonio De Rosa has made some wonderful concept designs, including this one of the iPhone Air (Image source: ADR Studio)

Apple concept artist’s designs may look “too real” for comfort, says letter from Apple’s lawyers

Concept designer Antonio De Rosa, known for his high quality conceptual designs of possible Apple products, has received a letter from the tech giant’s legal team, informing him that some of his designs seem “too real”, and reques...

Vishal Bhardwaj, 17 Aug 2024 21:40

Image source: Thibault Penin on Unsplash - edited

Disney Plus TOS bar unrelated lawsuit against Disney

A man whose wife suffered an allergic reaction while eating at a restaurant in Disney Springs is seemingly unable to sue due to a clause in the terms of service for Disney Plus. The document features a forced arbitration clause. T...

Daniel Fuller, 15 Aug 2024 21:27

Image source: Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Extreme data breach may affect over 2 billion people

In August of 2024, one of the largest data breaches in history took place, exposing roughly 2.7 billion personal records. The set reportedly contains data on citizens of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Daniel Fuller, 15 Aug 2024 07:18

Nvidia is banned from selling H100 datacenter GPU to Chinese customers. (Image source: Nvidia, ridvan-selli on Pixabay, edited)

Smugglers reportedly supply China with banned Nvidia AI chips worth millions of dollars as US looks to tighten trade embargo

China firms, including state-affiliated institutes, have been getting a steady supply of Nvidia’s AI chips the sale of which have been banned by the United States. A whole economy surrounding the procurement of Nvidia chips has re...

Fawad Murtaza, 06 Aug 2024 12:00

Nvidia engineers are scraping videos from YouTube and other sources to train the company's Cosmos video foundation model. (Image Source: Nvidia)

Leaked internal comms reveal Nvidia scraping lifetime worth of YouTube videos daily to train video AI model, Jensen happy with the progress

Internal Nvidia Slack communications obtained by 404 Media revealed that the company's staff working on the Cosmos video foundation model has so far compiled 38.5 million hours of video from various sources, primarily YouTube. Emp...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 06 Aug 2024 10:25

US Senate passes “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA) to protect children online

The US Senate has passed the “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA) to protect children online. The bill requires large social media, online gaming, and virtual reality sites that act as forums for user-generated content to actively prev...

David Chien, 03 Aug 2024 04:41

With a 65% usage share among browsers, Chrome has been criticised for not blocking third-party cookies that track user activity

Google’s years-long plan to rid Chrome of third-party cookies crumbles

After years of working on a plan to eliminate third-party cookies, which enable tracking user activity across websites, from the Chrome browser, Google has decided not to go ahead with it, citing adverse effects on its advertising...

Vishal Bhardwaj, 23 Jul 2024 19:29

Social engineering: Perpetrators employ devious methods to gain access to your personal data. (Image source: Bermix Studio on Unsplash)

Port-out hijacking: A how-to for keeping you safe from SIM card swap attacks

CheckMag So many people rely on mobile devices of all stripes to keep their data secure. Let’s look at why this is not such a good idea - and the options available to fight back.

Jonathan Bester, 15 Jul 2024 22:51

The largest password compilation ever was recently published. (Image via coolist.com)

Almost 10 billion passwords leaked in largest password compilation ever

In what some security experts are calling the largest password compilation in history, over 9.9 billion passwords were posted on a dark web forum. These passwords were compiled from multiple hacks and leaks, including some that oc...

Sam Medley, 07 Jul 2024 02:17

Apple could be the first company to be fined under the Digital Markets Act. (Image: Alex Kalinin)

Apple faces fine in the billions: EU investigates alleged violations of Digital Markets Act

The European Commission is accusing Apple of having violated the rules of the Digital Markets Act, which could potentially result in a fine of over EUR 30 billion for the iPhone manufacturer.

Hannes Brecher, 22 Jun 2024 05:35

Japanese courthouse (Source: DALL·E 3-generated image)

Japan forces Google and Apple to support third-party app stores

After the European Union, Japan is stepping in by promoting a law that forces both Apple and Google to stop keeping third-party app stores out of their ecosystems. For now, some details are still sketchy, but a fine of 20% of the ...

Codrut Nistor, 13 Jun 2024 23:24

The EU has a solid history of making decisions that actually make sense for consumers and the environment (Source: COE)

The EU's updated right to repair rules are the breath of fresh air consumers and the planet need

CheckMag The EU has a solid history of making decisions that actually benefit the consumer and the EU Right to Repair Directive (R2RD) may finally curb environmentally damaging and anti consumer practices employed by tech companies to keep...

David Devey, 09 Jun 2024 19:49

Adobe users are not happy with changes to the software's terms of use that raise questions about how Adobe plans to use its users' content. (Image source: Adobe / X - edited)

Adobe responds to terms of use fiasco, insists no unauthorised AI training — user scepticism ensues

Adobe recently stirred up controversy with an update to its terms of use, seemingly demanding unfettered access to user-generated content. The concerns were amplified by fears of Adobe using user content to train its Firefly gener...

Julian van der Merwe, 07 Jun 2024 23:12

Aptoide app store on the web (Source: Own)

Aptoide app store hits iOS in the European Union

As a direct consequence of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Google Play alternative Aptoide is now ready to take on iOS as well. The closed launch will take place tomorrow, and new users will need an invitation ...

Codrut Nistor, 05 Jun 2024 07:52

Google labeled "an illegal monopolist" by US federal judge

After Epic Games' unexpected win, veteran antitrust US federal judge James Donato is now taking the story one step further by asking Google to calculate the costs incurred by allowing the Epic Games Store inside the Google Play St...

Codrut Nistor, 25 May 2024 12:34

Asus recently found itself in hot water over an incident involving an RMA of an ROG Ally gaming handheld. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Asus responds yet again, retools warranty process to address major concerns raised by GamersNexus ROG Ally repair debacle

After missing the mark in its initial response to the damning Gamers Nexus report highlighting major shortcomings in Asus's warranty process for the YouTube outfit's ROG Ally, Asus has responded with more sweeping changes to its R...

Julian van der Merwe, 25 May 2024 09:16

Motorola Edge 50 Pro now banned in Germany (Source: Motorola)

Multiple Motorola and Lenovo devices banned in Germany

In the aftermath of a patent dispute, Motorola and Lenovo are no longer allowed to sell smartphones and laptops with WWAN modules. Although some targeted Lenovo laptops can still be acquired as long as existing stocks last, the br...

Codrut Nistor, 13 May 2024 16:55

Gamers Nexus has discovered yet another flawed Asus warranty process with the Asus ROG Ally handheld PC. Image source: Notebookcheck - edited)

Asus warranty déjà vu for broken ROG Ally thumb stick — YouTuber catches Asus attempting to dodge repair request over "tiny" mark

Asus is back in the news for shady business surrounding warranty repairs. This time, Gamers Nexus is back at the forefront of it all with an Asus ROG Ally that needed warranty repair. Asus subsequently tried to charge GN for unnec...

Julian van der Merwe, 12 May 2024 08:15

TikTok files federal appeal to fight TikTok ban despite Chinese access of American user data

TikTok and ByteDance have filed a federal appeal to fight the recently passed TikTok ban. The companies counter that the ban in unconstitutional and unfairly targets TikTok despite prior reports of Chinese employee and government ...

David Chien, 08 May 2024 08:26

It is said the cryptocurrency exchange platform created by Zhao was engineered to grow at all costs (Image source: Binance.com)

Binance founder to serve 4 months in prison

The founder of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, has been sentenced to four months in prison for putting profits above the law. The company was found guilty of inadvertently helping fund various criminal activities around the globe. Zhao p...

Sergey Tarasov, 01 May 2024 22:18

It appears that the Amazon team working on improving Alexa's search results and AI functionality has been illegally using copyrighted data for training purposes. (Image source: Amazon - edited)

Amazon AI team flouted copyright laws to win arms race - former AI lead dev

Dr Viviane Ghaderi, an ex-Amazon executive and lead AI engineer, has revealed in a California lawsuit that she was told to ignore company protocol and copyright law in order to beat the competition in an AI arms race.

Julian van der Merwe, 26 Apr 2024 02:11

TikTok ban in $95 billion package passes Senate, awaiting President Biden's signature to become law. (Source: TikTok)

TikTok dead-man walking after US Senate passes TikTok ban bill included in $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan

(Update: 2024-04-24 11:00 PST President Biden has signed the package into law.) TikTok is now a dead-man walking after the US Senate passed a ban included in a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. After Presiden...

David Chien, 24 Apr 2024 06:55

US Senate to pass TikTok ban stuffed into Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel support package as early as Tuesday

The U.S. Senate is set to pass a TikTok ban stuffed into an Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine support package that includes the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which itself passed the House Wedne...

David Chien, 21 Apr 2024 05:34

Chinese authorities have restricted the ability of iPhone users to download Threads. (Source: Julio Lopez on Unsplash/edited)

China forces Apple to delist WhatsApp and Threads from App Store

The Chinese Government has forced Apple to delist WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store according to a report by Wall Street Journal, resulting in the inability of the Chinese users to download the said apps from the official ch...

Fawad Murtaza, 19 Apr 2024 11:45

Delta multi-system emulator lands on official iOS App Store

Delta, the multi-system console emulator developer by Riley Testut, is now available on the official iOS App Store. The emulator was previously available only through Testut's AltStore service, which would use some iOS trickery to...

Sam Medley, 18 Apr 2024 18:06

A satellite Internet connection is much harder to control/regulate than normal one. (Image source: AI generated)

Elon Musk's Starlink forced to go on hold by officials in Zimbabwe

Starlink users in Zimbabwe face losing access to satellite Internet for an unknown period of time, much like their counterparts in Botswana and South Africa have. The problem appears to be one of a regulatory nature; officials of ...

Sergey Tarasov, 17 Apr 2024 15:55

New York City's official government chatbot seems to be confused about some laws and regulations. (Image: DALL-E 3 AI-generated image)

New York City government chatbot advises businesses to break laws

An AI-powered chatbot officially sanctioned by the government of New York City has been advising some business owners to skirt the law or fully violate city ordinances. The chatbot, which was implemented to help businesses navigat...

Sam Medley, 05 Apr 2024 16:04

WhatsApp users facing possible account suspension: new terms and conditions from April 11

Popular messenger service WhatsApp will soon update its privacy policy and terms of use. Users must agree to the new regulations, or their account may be suspended.

Ronald Matta, 29 Mar 2024 00:37

The Apple Watch notoriously does not support Android smartphones at all. (Image source: Apple)

Apple blames technical limitations for Apple Watch Android support failure — internal company emails disagree

The Apple Watch has evaded Android compatibility for nearly a decade now. Apple claims this was due to technical limitations, but an internal company email from 2019 suggests it was to protect Apple's iPhone sales and the ecosyste...

Julian van der Merwe, 22 Mar 2024 23:39

Nintendo Switch emulator Suyu issued DMCA takedown, removed from GitLab

Suyu, the follow-up to the popular Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, has been removed from GitLab following a DMCA takedown request issued by a "rightsholder." Suyu's developers' accounts were also blocked. The takedown comes just da...

Sam Medley, 22 Mar 2024 16:06

AltStore has been one of the best and safest ways to sideload on iOS, but can they finally go legit? (Source: AltStore)

AltStore could finally give iPhone users the freedom to install what they like, but only if you live in the EU

CheckMag For those familiar with sideloading on iOS, AltStore has been a staple for many years. Allowing users to sideload any app onto an un-jailbroken device with the use of a free Apple developer account. Now AltStore is going legit, bu...

David Devey, 17 Mar 2024 06:09

WhatsApp restricts screenshot function

To make life difficult for cyber criminals, Meta is restricting the screenshot function when using WhatsApp. However, the update has not yet arrived on all smartphones.

Marius Müller, 15 Mar 2024 12:45

TikTok previously faced a potential ban during the Trump Administration in 2020. (Source: Alexander Shatov on Unsplash/edited)

TikTok ban: US moves one step closer to outright banning short video pioneer after House of Representatives vote

The US House of Representatives has passed the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” putting TikTok one step closer to a complete ban in the US. The bill, if passed into law, will force ByteDanc...

Fawad Murtaza, 14 Mar 2024 05:41

A recent survey reveals that teens have more complex thoughts on smartphone usage than you might expect. (Image source: Robin Worrall on Unsplash - edited)

Teens divided on smartphones: peace, also anxiety reported as smartphone separation side-effects

A recent study exposes a gap in the way many US teens think about their smartphones. Around three quarters feel that they are more peaceful without them, while almost half still complain of separation anxiety.

Julian van der Merwe, 13 Mar 2024 00:28

Developers will soon be able to offer direct iOS apps downloads from a website in the EU. (Image via Apple and Wikimedia Commons, w/ edits)

Apple to allow iOS app downloads directly from developer websites

Apple will soon push an update that will allow software developers to distribute their software to iOS devices directly from their websites. This is in addition to alternative app stores, but this practice will only be available t...

Sam Medley, 12 Mar 2024 17:23

It appears that, even without direct prompts, AI image generators are able to recreate classic photos, like the Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. (Image source: Public domain / DALL-E via PetaPixel)

Photographer highlights generative AI copyright minefield, creates convincing copies of "most iconic photos of all time"

A photographer set out with the goal of recreating some of the most recognisable images of all time using Midjourney and DALL-E. In a surprise to absolutely no-one, the AI systems were able to surprisingly accurately recreate each...

Julian van der Merwe, 08 Mar 2024 07:56

Apple hits back at public criticism of its policies by Epic Games's Tim Sweeney. (Image source: Apple / Epic Games - edited)

Apple punishes Epic Games over spicy social media comments, closes Epic developer account before EGS store launches on iOS

The latest development in the war between Apple and Epic Games sees the tech giant close down Epic's developer account. Supposedly the reason for the account closure? A spicy social media post by Epic CEO, Tim Sweeney, on X (forme...

Julian van der Merwe, 08 Mar 2024 00:01

Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu officially shuts down in settlement with Nintendo

The developers behind Yuzu, a Nintendo Switch emulator, have officially shut the project down after settling a lawsuit filed against them by Nintendo earlier this month. In the proposed settlement, the developers will also have to...

Sam Medley, 04 Mar 2024 20:27

Apple backpedals on decision to kill Home Screen web apps in EU

In a statement released on its developer page, Apple announced it has changed its mind regarding Home Screen web apps. While the company earlier said it would no longer allow web apps as of iOS 17.4, the company has backpedaled an...

Sam Medley, 01 Mar 2024 21:04

EmulationStation emulator frontend delisted from Amazon App Store, other emulators still available

EmulationStation Desktop Edition, or ES-DE, was recently made available on the Amazon App Store. However, Amazon has now delisted the application. Interestingly, several emulators are still available on the Amazon App Store, and h...

Sam Medley, 29 Feb 2024 17:46

A screenshot from a dark web site taken by ThreatMon claims that ransomware group Mogilevich has stolen nearly 200 GB of data from Epic Games. (Image source: ThreatMon on X)

Epic Games data breach allegedly exposes 189 GB of customer data, source code — company denies claims

Ransomware group Mogilevich has reportedly managed to access 189 GB of Epic Games's customer data in a recent data breach. The group claims to be in possession of emails, usernames, passwords, payment information, and source code,...

Julian van der Merwe, 28 Feb 2024 20:08

Content published on WordPress and Tumblr may soon be used to train AI models. (Image: DALL-E-3 generated image)

Owner of WordPress and Tumblr reportedly in talks to sell user content to train AI

The company that owns WordPress and Tumblr is allegedly working out a deal to sell content created on those sites to AI companies for training AI bots. While users will reportedly be given the option to opt out of this program, it...

Sam Medley, 28 Feb 2024 16:33

An Android trojan resurface by piggybacking on apps available on Google Play. (Image via Android w/ edits)

Anatsa malware targeting European Android users via apps on Google Play app store

Anatsa is a trojan that specifically targets banking use on Android smartphones. Deployed by seemingly innocuous apps on Google Play, the malware has infected more than 100,000 European users.

Sam Medley, 19 Feb 2024 18:48

Intel is no longer allowed to sell a number of CPUs in Germany (symbolic image, Badar ul islam Majid)

Patents: Intel loses legal dispute, extensive sales ban on processors in Germany

Intel has lost a patent dispute in Germany and is no longer allowed to sell certain processors in the country. But this may not yet be the end of the matter.

Silvio Werner, 08 Feb 2024 07:57

German police breaks previous record with $2.1 billion Bitcoin seizure

As part of an ongoing investigation that involves German authorities, an unnamed forensic IT company from Munich, and the FBI. Roughly 50,000 bitcoins were seized from two people suspected of money laundering and more. The two ind...

Codrut Nistor, 01 Feb 2024 18:19

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg at F8 2019. Image source: Meta

Senators grill Meta's Zuckerberg, CEOs of Tiktok and X for failing to protect minors and children

A growing number of minors are being harmed online, which worries lawmakers. However, some social media companies are supposedly ignoring the problem. Mark Zuckerberg expressed regret to families on the negative effects of social ...

Robert Gelo, 31 Jan 2024 19:59

Apple may still make money on sideloaded apps. (Image via Apple and Getty Images, w/ edits)

Apple may charge fees and review apps installed via sideloading

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to institute policies that will charge fees related to apps installed on an iPhone outside the App Store. These new policies would only apply in Europe, per the Journal, in r...

Sam Medley, 24 Jan 2024 16:44

A recent dump of breached accounts included 12 TB of data. (Images: stock photos w/ edits)

"Mother of all Breaches:" Massive data leak includes 12 TB of hacked info across billions of accounts

Dubbed the "Mother of all Breaches" by Cybernews, a massive leak containing over 12 terabytes of data was recently discovered. The data includes information from billions of accounts and records from large corporations like Twitte...

Sam Medley, 23 Jan 2024 17:06

Cyberlaw

California one step away from putting AI on a short leash

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France

Apple concept artist’s designs may look “too real” for comfort, says letter from Apple’s lawyers

Disney Plus TOS bar unrelated lawsuit against Disney

Extreme data breach may affect over 2 billion people

Smugglers reportedly supply China with banned Nvidia AI chips worth millions of dollars as US looks to tighten trade embargo

Leaked internal comms reveal Nvidia scraping lifetime worth of YouTube videos daily to train video AI model, Jensen happy with the progress

US Senate passes “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA) to protect children online

Google’s years-long plan to rid Chrome of third-party cookies crumbles

Port-out hijacking: A how-to for keeping you safe from SIM card swap attacks

Almost 10 billion passwords leaked in largest password compilation ever

Apple faces fine in the billions: EU investigates alleged violations of Digital Markets Act

Japan forces Google and Apple to support third-party app stores

The EU's updated right to repair rules are the breath of fresh air consumers and the planet need

Adobe responds to terms of use fiasco, insists no unauthorised AI training — user scepticism ensues

Aptoide app store hits iOS in the European Union

Google labeled "an illegal monopolist" by US federal judge

Asus responds yet again, retools warranty process to address major concerns raised by GamersNexus ROG Ally repair debacle

Multiple Motorola and Lenovo devices banned in Germany

Asus warranty déjà vu for broken ROG Ally thumb stick — YouTuber catches Asus attempting to dodge repair request over "tiny" mark

TikTok files federal appeal to fight TikTok ban despite Chinese access of American user data

Binance founder to serve 4 months in prison

Amazon AI team flouted copyright laws to win arms race - former AI lead dev

TikTok dead-man walking after US Senate passes TikTok ban bill included in $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan

US Senate to pass TikTok ban stuffed into Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel support package as early as Tuesday

China forces Apple to delist WhatsApp and Threads from App Store

Delta multi-system emulator lands on official iOS App Store

Elon Musk's Starlink forced to go on hold by officials in Zimbabwe

New York City government chatbot advises businesses to break laws

WhatsApp users facing possible account suspension: new terms and conditions from April 11

Apple blames technical limitations for Apple Watch Android support failure — internal company emails disagree

Nintendo Switch emulator Suyu issued DMCA takedown, removed from GitLab

AltStore could finally give iPhone users the freedom to install what they like, but only if you live in the EU

WhatsApp restricts screenshot function

TikTok ban: US moves one step closer to outright banning short video pioneer after House of Representatives vote

Teens divided on smartphones: peace, also anxiety reported as smartphone separation side-effects

Apple to allow iOS app downloads directly from developer websites

Photographer highlights generative AI copyright minefield, creates convincing copies of "most iconic photos of all time"

Apple punishes Epic Games over spicy social media comments, closes Epic developer account before EGS store launches on iOS

Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu officially shuts down in settlement with Nintendo

Apple backpedals on decision to kill Home Screen web apps in EU

EmulationStation emulator frontend delisted from Amazon App Store, other emulators still available

Epic Games data breach allegedly exposes 189 GB of customer data, source code — company denies claims

Owner of WordPress and Tumblr reportedly in talks to sell user content to train AI

Anatsa malware targeting European Android users via apps on Google Play app store

Patents: Intel loses legal dispute, extensive sales ban on processors in Germany

German police breaks previous record with $2.1 billion Bitcoin seizure

Senators grill Meta's Zuckerberg, CEOs of Tiktok and X for failing to protect minors and children

Apple may charge fees and review apps installed via sideloading

"Mother of all Breaches:" Massive data leak includes 12 TB of hacked info across billions of accounts

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