Apple's bad week: FTC pressure, delayed Siri AI, and a stock sell-off
Apple News faces FTC scrutiny
Government articles
Automakers lose emissions credits for start-stop technology under new EPA rules
The EPA is taking away what made start-stop unavoidable
DOJ faces investigation over alleged pressure on Apple and Google to remove ICE apps
The inquiry raises First Amendment concerns
CISA is ordering US federal agencies to remove outdated routers and firewalls
Obsolete edge gear is now seen as a primary intrusion path for state-backed hackers
TL;DR: When attackers probe government systems, they often begin not with stolen credentials or phishing emails but with aging routers and firewalls left running long past their expiration dates. Those neglected edge devices have become a top federal concern, and US agencies are now being told to remove them before attackers take advantage.
France bans social media for teens under 15, no phones in school
Other European countries are drafting similar legislation
The big picture: Following Australia's lead, France's National Assembly has approved a bill that would prohibit social media access for children under 15 and impose a blanket ban on mobile phone use in high schools. The proposals must now pass the Senate before they can be signed into law by President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump says tech giants, not consumers, must pay higher electricity costs tied to AI data centers
Microsoft could respond later today as pressure over AI data centers grows
AI data centers may run on nuclear reactors from retired Navy aircraft carriers and submarines
The concept repurposes Cold War-era technology for modern computing needs
Instacart says it doesn't manipulate prices using AI, but the FTC isn't convinced
Instacart's pricing manipulation is raising fresh questions about fairness online
Senators probe whether AI data centers are driving up electricity costs
Warren, Van Hollen, and Blumenthal question whether tech companies are shifting grid costs to local communities
Amazon is building a massive $50 billion AI cloud for the US government
The new infrastructure will exclusively serve the needs of thousands of federal agencies
Software is the next battleground in the US-China tech war
Trump considers curbs on US software exports, China has vowed to retaliate
Hackers compile personal data on 22,000 US officials using stolen Salesforce records
Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters linked government dossiers to corporate cloud breaches
Apple changes App Store policies to comply with new Texas age verification law
A growing trend with nearly 20 other states planning to follow suit
858TB gone forever: South Korea's data center fire shows the cost of no backups
Amid outrage over lost data, tragedy strikes one of the recovery team members
Department of Defense approves Google Pixel phones for federal use
A secure, reliable platform from the company that held an illegal monopoly over search
Birmingham faces IT catastrophe as Oracle project costs balloon from £20m to £170m
Birmingham, Europe's largest local authority, has not filed audited accounts since replacing its SAP system in April 2022
Elon Musk's xAI lands US government contract to provide Grok chatbot at 42 cents per agency
Musk and Trump bury the hatchet as Grok joins federal AI lineup
Russian hacking groups long seen as rivals now appear to be teaming up in Ukraine
Evidence shows hacking groups Turla and Gamaredon have been collaborating
Intel could sell up to 49% of foundry business under US restrictions, but full spinoff or IPO is off the table
Co-investment deals raise funds but leave Intel juggling complex ownership structures
Intel shareholders uneasy after Washington converts CHIPS funding into ownership
Markets are weighing the risks following the $11 billion deal Washington struck with Intel
SoftBank invests $2 billion in Intel as US government considers 10% stake
Intel's share price is up 14%
US government weighs buying a stake in Intel after Trump meets CEO
Trump opens door to Intel deal
In context: Barely a week after President Trump called for Intel's new CEO to resign, reports suggest that the White House is considering buying a stake in the beleaguered chip giant, with its current boss presumably still in place. If implemented, the plan would mark the second time in the past 12 months that the government has mulled direct intervention in the United States' only advanced semiconductor manufacturer.
US government strikes $1 ChatGPT deal to bring generative AI to federal agencies
Federal data won't be used to train models, and participation is opt-in
Swedish prime minister admits to using AI chatbots for insight on political decisions
Political storm brews over Swedish prime minister's use of AI
Internet Archive joins federal library system as official repository for government documents
The Archive will help with content digitization - if it can survive the lawsuits