Tag: computers

Departing Apple engineer stole autonomous car tech: FBI

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — An ex-Apple engineer on Monday was charged with stealing secrets from a hush-hush self-driving car technology project days before he quit to go to a Chinese startup. Xiaolang Zhang was in custody for stealing trade secrets from the Apple project, according to a copy of the criminal complaint posted online. The charge is punishable by 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. “Apple takes confidentiality and the protection […]

Facebook bug unblocks unwanted connections for a bit

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Monday said it is notifying more than 800,000 users that a software bug temporarily unblocked people at the social network and its Messenger service. The glitch active between May 29 and June 5 has been fixed, according to Facebook, which has been striving to regain trust in the aftermath of a Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal. “We know that the ability to block someone is important,” Facebook […]

Ubisoft sees blockbusters shaped by fans and stars

by Glen Chapman Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — French video game giant Ubisoft is teaming up with a firm founded by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt to crowd source material for a forthcoming title, the companies announced Monday on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Ubisoft has long tapped into feedback from players while designing games, but the latest step will allow some to make content woven into scenes. An invitation to collaborate […]

Microsoft looks past next-gen Xbox to cloud games

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The head of Xbox on Sunday said Microsoft is hard at work on a next-generation console along with a cloud service that would let players stream games to any device. Microsoft is adding five new game studios, one it is creating in Southern California and another four it is buying, Xbox team chief Phil Spencer said. “We are making one of our greatest single year’s investments in teams by […]

Facebook says Chinese phone makers got access to data

  by Glenn Chapman © Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday confirmed that a Chinese phone maker deemed a national security threat by the US was among companies given access to data on users. Huawei was able to access Facebook data to get the leading social network’s applications to perform on smartphones, according to the California-based company. “Facebook along with many other US tech companies have worked with them and other […]

Facebook to swap ‘trending’ topics for breaking news

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Friday said it is getting rid of a “trending” topics feature as it tests ways for publishers to deliver reliable breaking news. The Trending feature introduced four years ago listed stories buzzing on Facebook at any given time. “We’re exploring new ways to help people stay informed about timely, breaking news that matters to them, while making sure the news they see on Facebook is from trustworthy […]

Facebook makes major management overhaul

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday confirmed an unprecedented management team shakeup in the aftermath of a major data privacy scandal that has rocked the social network. Co-founder Mark Zuckerberg remained chief of Facebook, with chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg his second-in-command. Chris Cox, a longtime member of Zuckerberg’s inner circle, was put in charge of Facebook’s core application as well as smartphone services Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, the California-based company confirmed. […]

Leaked Facebook memo questions cost of growth

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook troubles worsened late Thursday with the leak of a two-year-old memo from a high-ranking executive hinting that the social network was determined to grow despite risks to users. The 2016 memo published by news website Buzzfeed was written by veteran Facebook executive Andrew Bozworth, considered part of chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s inner circle. “The ugly truth is that we believe in connecting people so deeply that anything that […]

Facebook security chief says he is still “fully engaged” with work at FB; changes role to focus on election fraud

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook’s chief of security said late Monday his role has shifted to focusing on emerging risks and election security at the global social network, which is under fire for letting its platform be used to spread bogus news and manipulate voters. Alex Stamos announced the change in his work role after The New York Times reported he was leaving Facebook in the wake of internal clashes over how to […]

Qualcomm mulls ‘next steps’ in Broadcom takeover bid

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Qualcomm said Wednesday its board would “promptly” consider a hostile $121 billion takeover bid by Singapore-based Broadcom following a meeting of top executives of the two computer chipmaking giants. “We met with representatives of Broadcom for two hours earlier today, and listened carefully to what they had to say,” Qualcomm said in a statement. “The Qualcomm board will promptly meet to discuss the meeting and to determine next steps.” The meeting […]

Alibaba’s Ma hopes Beijing 2022 can be smarter, cheaper, faster

GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AFP) — Billionaire Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma foresees an Olympics that is better for fans and athletes and is more economical — and hopes Beijing 2022 will be the pinnacle of that vision. Ma’s e-commerce giant in January launched a multimillion-dollar partnership until 2028 with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) designed to propel the Olympics headlong into the digital era. The deal was particularly significant with the 2022 Winter Olympics taking place on Alibaba’s […]

Computer chip ‘flaw’ sparks security debate amid scramble for fix

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Technology giant Intel acknowledged a vulnerability Wednesday that could allow hackers to access stored data on most modern computer systems, but said the security risks were minimal. The computer chipmaker issued a statement amid a flurry of concerns voiced after researchers discovered what was described as a “flaw” which could allow privately-stored data in computers and networks to be leaked. Intel labelled as “incorrect” the […]