Tag: lifestyle

Microsoft surges toward trillion-dollar value as profits rise

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Microsoft said profits climbed in the past quarter on its cloud and business services as the US technology giant saw its market value close in on the trillion-dollar mark. Profits in the quarter to March 31 rose 19 percent to $8.8 billion on revenues of $30.8 billion, an increase of 14 percent from the same period a year earlier. Microsoft shares gained some three percent in after-hours trade, pushing it […]

Tesla eyes ‘robotaxis’ by 2020 with new self-driving technology

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Tesla said Monday it is expecting to deploy self-driving “robotaxis” by 2020 as it unveiled its upgraded technology for driverless vehicles. Chief executive Elon Musk told an investor presentation he expected regulator approval in some jurisdictions for autonomous ride-hailing that could use some of the Teslas on the road if their owners agree to share the vehicles. “I feel very confident in predicting autonomous robotaxis next year,” Musk told […]

Samsung delays launch of folding Galaxy smartphone

by Glenn CHAPMAN SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Samsung said Monday it was delaying the launch of its folding smartphone after trouble with handsets sent to reviewers. Some reviewers who got their hands on the Galaxy Fold early reported problems with screens breaking. Samsung said it decided to put off this week’s planned release of the Fold after some reviews “showed us how the device needs further improvements.” The South Korean consumer electronics giant […]

Facebook blames server problem for massive outage

by Glenn CHAPMAN / with Rob Lever in Washington MENLO PARK, United States (AFP) — Facebook blamed a “server configuration change” Thursday for a massive outage affecting its applications around the world and brought fresh attention to the embattled social networking leader. The outage affected users for at least 12 hours in most areas of the world, with the biggest impact in North America and Europe, according to the tracking website downdetector.com. After acknowledging the […]

Amid turmoil, Facebook chief product officer quits

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook said Thursday its chief product officer Chris Cox was leaving the company, becoming the highest-ranking executive to depart amid the turmoil at the leading social network. Cox made his announcement in on his Facebook page, saying he was leaving “with great sadness” after 13 years. While Cox gave no specific reason for his move, he noted that Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled a new direction away from […]

Facebook faces criminal probe of data deals: report

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — US prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Facebook’s practice of sharing users’ data with companies without letting the social network’s members know, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed information from at least two major smartphone makers about such arrangements with Facebook, according to the Times. Regulators, investigators and elected officials around the world have already been digging into the […]

Facebook’s privacy move: major pivot or headfake?

by Rob Lever WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — After building the world’s biggest and most powerful social network in history, Mark Zuckerberg says the future of Facebook is something else. The strategic shift announced this week by Zuckerberg suggests Facebook no longer wants to be a “digital town square,” but a “digital living room” for secure, private communications, in what could be a major transformation on privacy. But Zuckerberg’s announcement also prompted considerable head-scratching on […]

Zuckerberg sees Facebook future in private, small-scale messaging

by Julie CHARPENTRAT / with Rob LEVER in Washington SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook is moving away from being a “digital town square” to meet growing demands for secure, private messaging on a smaller scale, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday as he outlined a broad vision for transforming the world’s biggest social network. Zuckerberg’s announcement signals a strategic shift for Facebook as it seeks to navigate a drawn-out crisis over privacy and […]

Tesla’s ‘mass market’ $35k electric car ready to order, online

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Tesla said Thursday its Model 3 — heralded as an electric car for the masses — is available for order online only, at a price of $35,000 with delivery promised within a month. The announcement fulfills a vision of Tesla founder and chief Elon Musk, who has touted a more affordable electric car as part of his vision of weaning drivers from gasoline-powered […]

Facebook’s ‘Workplace’ claims two million users

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — A version of Facebook tailored for businesses collaboration announced Thursday that it has more than two million paying subscribers “Workplace by Facebook” is an enterprise-oriented version of the social network that, instead of distracting workers, lets them connect and collaborate. The software-as-a-service business began as an internal collaboration platform used at Facebook and was launched as a separate business in 2016. Workplace by Facebook went from no paid subscribers […]

TikTok app fined in US for illegally gathering children’s data

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The fast-growing, Chinese-owned video sharing network TikTok agreed to pay a $5.7 million fine to US authorities to settle charges that it illegally collected personal information from children, officials said Wednesday. The Federal Trade Commission said the penalty by the social network, which had been known as Musical.ly, was the largest ever in a children’s privacy investigation. The social network, which has been surging in popularity with young smartphone users […]

Samsung bends over backwards to rev smartphone desire

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Samsung on Wednesday is expected to unveil new flagship smartphones including one with a screen that can fold closed like a book as it seeks to boost the moribund market. Much of what is in store at a Galaxy Unpacked event that the South Korean consumer electronics giant is hosting in San Francisco has been revealed in leaks, including a Galaxy 10 television commercial […]