TECHNOLOGY

The lead European Union privacy regulator for Meta hit the tech giant with a fine worth more than $100 million Thursday over failing to properly store some users’ passwords. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said Meta was fined 91 million euros, equal to nearly $106 million, following a years-long investigation. Meta informed the commission … Read more

Due to their strength and speed, robotic arms are typically permanently attached to floors or other structures for added stability, which limits their reach. The goal of the research, conducted at the EPFL’s Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory (LASA), was to develop a bimodal robotic hand with expanded grasping capabilities, including occasional independence from the … Read more

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) vented his frustration on the Senate floor Wednesday evening after Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), in an unusual exchange, objected to a bipartisan bill sponsored by Cruz that would crack down on fake revenge porn generated by artificial intelligence. The clash is a sign that Democrats don’t want to give the … Read more

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) is pushing the federal government to boost assistance to state and local governments to help them identify and prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2024 election. In a letter to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly, Warner emphasized the “vital role” … Read more

The Justice Department has charged several Iranian operatives in connection with the hack of former President Trump’s 2024 campaign. Prosecutors on Friday unsealed charges against Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yasar Balaghi — all members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the nation’s armed forces.   They each face 18 counts, … Read more

In response to security concerns, Microsoft is detailing how it has overhauled its controversial AI-powered Recall feature that creates screenshots of mostly everything you see or do on a computer. Recall was originally supposed to debut with Copilot Plus PCs in June, but Microsoft has spent the past few months reworking the security behind it to make … Read more

Wireless charging is less efficient than plugging in a wire, but it’s certainly convenient — especially when you add magnets. Most people who have an iPhone 12 or later and want a magnetic charger should get a Qi2 charger. Any Qi2-certified charger will charge a MagSafe iPhone at up to 15W — just as fast … Read more

CNN will put some of its digital content behind a subscription paywall starting next month, The New York Times reports. The experiment will test similar subscription models to those used by publications like The New Yorker, Wired, and The Wall Street Journal, with CNN reportedly hoping to bring in additional revenue amid a decline in … Read more

Amtrak fares and trip suggestions are getting integrated into Google Search as part of Google’s efforts to offer greener ways of travel over flights. Now, when you search for airline fares on Google or Google Flights between destinations with Amtrak terminals, you’ll also get suggestions for train rides that you can click through to Amtrak’s … Read more

Steam just removed its forced arbitration policy, opening the door for lawsuits against its parent company, Valve. In an update on Thursday, Steam says its subscriber agreement “now provides that any disputes are to go forward in court instead of arbitration.” Many companies include a forced arbitration clause in their user agreement, waiving a person’s … Read more