TECH - Page 40

Meta Platforms is considering charging $14 per month for ad-free subscriptions to Instagram or Facebook for European users, according to a proposal the company submitted to regulators. The idea is to offer an alternative to the free versions of social media platforms for those concerned about data usage and privacy while still earning revenue from advertising. It’s also a way to comply with new regulations in the European Union that require tech companies to allow users to opt out of

The company formerly known as Twitter has been hit with a lawsuit from a marketing agency that claims the tech mogul’s overnight rebranding to X Corp infringes on its trademark incorporating the letter “X.” X Social Media, an advertising and marketing firm based in Florida, filed the federal suit Monday against X Corp. The lawsuit alleges that rebranding the company as X infringes on its X logo and other trademarks. The suit also claims X is liable for unfair competition

The race to harness artificial intelligence is escalating into a fierce battleground for content. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella testified Monday in a landmark U.S. trial against its rival Google, saying tech giants are competing for vast troves of the material needed to train artificial intelligence. He complained that Google, which dominates the online search market, was locking up content with expensive and exclusive deals with publishers. “It’s like the early days of distribution deals,” he said. The tech industry

The global mining company Glencore Plc may look elsewhere for a European recycling hub for electric car batteries after the Italian region of Sardinia rejected a fast-track approval process for its pilot project, the mining firm said. The regional government said it would submit the demonstration project for a battery materials processing hub in Portovesme to a full environmental impact assessment, potentially disrupting its timeline and making it economically unviable. Li-Cycle Holdings Corp and Glencore said in May that they

Tokyo-based startup Tsubame Industries has developed a 4.5-metre-tall (14.8-feet), four-wheeled robot that looks like “Mobile Suit Gundam” from the wildly popular Japanese animation series, and it can be yours for $3 million. THIS GIGANTIC MECHA IS called ARCHAX, after the avian dinosaur archaeopteryx. It has cockpit monitors that receive images from cameras hooked up to the exterior so the pilot can maneuver the arms and hands with joysticks inside its torso. It will debut at the Japan Mobility Show later

The chipmaker said on Friday it had begun high-volume production using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines at its $18.5 billion plant in Ireland, calling it a “landmark” moment as it seeks to regain ground on its rivals. The EUV tools, theoretically precise enough to hit a thumb with a laser pointer from the moon, will play a significant role in Intel’s goal of delivering five generations of technology every four years. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has vowed to return the

Electronic Arts (EA.O) launched its first soccer game without the FIFA tag, betting its “FC 24” title will maintain the momentum in its best-selling franchise and provide a bulwark against an industry slowdown. The videogame maker has retained its licenses for the world’s top soccer leagues, clubs, and players, and analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities expects the name change to free up some additional marketing money that will help offset a slight decline in sales this year. FC 24

Across the UK capital, the equivalent of 60 Gherkin skyscrapers is lying empty. As the number of empty spaces in the West End, City, and Canary Wharf business hubs hit a 30-year high, financial services company Jefferies said in a note that the capital’s office market is suffering an office recession. It added that there had been a 20 percent contraction in London office usage as working from home and hybrid working continue to be priorities. The New York-based firm

Ryan Cohen, founder of Chewy and a significant investor in GameStop, has tightened his grip on the ailing brick-and-mortar videogame retailer he intends to turn around. On Thursday, the company named him its CEO and chairman, firing longtime chief Matthew Furlong and promoting Cohen to the top job. The move comes just a week after GameStop posted a quarterly loss and revenue that was better than expected but fell short of expectations. The company said in a news release that

Microsoft-backed ChatGPT users can now surf the web, expanding the data the viral chatbot can access beyond its earlier September 2021 cutoff. The artificial intelligence startup said on Wednesday it had introduced an internet browser to the ChatGPT platform that could search the web for answers to queries and display them to users, bringing it closer to widely used AI voice assistants like Apple’s Siri. The company said the new feature is available for premium ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users