Technology

Microsoft is outstripping Alphabet in the race to make money from generative artificial intelligence through early bets on OpenAI and focus on big clients, raising worries that the Google parent could lose share in the cloud-computing market. Cloud spending by businesses preparing to roll out AI features powered a rebound in growth for Microsoft’s Azure platform in its first quarter, …

Dozens of U.S. states are suing Meta Platforms and its Instagram unit, accusing them of fueling a youth mental health crisis by making their social media platforms addictive. In a complaint filed on Tuesday, the attorneys general of 33 states including California and New York said Meta, which also operates Facebook, repeatedly misled the public about the dangers of its …

TAIPEI: Foxconn, a major supplier of Apple’s iPhones, is facing a tax probe in China, two sources close to Foxconn confirmed on Monday, saying they believed it was disclosed by a state-backed paper for political reasons tied to Taiwan’s upcoming elections. On Sunday, China’s state-backed Global Times tabloid said some of Foxconn’s key subsidiaries in China were the subject of tax audits …

WASHINGTON: During the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 – the last time people walked on the moon – US astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan collected about 243 pounds (110.4 kg) of soil and rock samples that were returned to Earth for further study. A half century later, crystals of the mineral zircon inside a coarse-grained igneous rock fragment collected …

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday successfully launched the first unmanned trial run of its upcoming crewed orbital mission, in the latest milestone for its spacefaring ambitions. The Gaganyaan (“Skycraft”) mission is slated to send three astronauts into Earth’s orbit in 2025, an important yardstick of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) technical capabilities. Saturday’s rocket tested the emergency escape system …

Finnish telecom gear group Nokia will cut up to 14,000 jobs to reduce costs, it said on Thursday, after weaker demand for next-generation 5G equipment lowered third-quarter sales by a fifth, adding it did not expect a market recovery soon. The company’s shares were down 5% in early trade. As demand has slowed in countries such as the United States, …

The American multinational technology conglomerate, Meta, has extended its option to block the data collection to its photo and video sharing application, Instagram, which was previously available only on Facebook. Meta introduced a new tool, “Activity Off-Meta Technologies,” which enables the user to manage how information from other businesses is linked to their personal Facebook and Instagram accounts, which allows …

WASHINGTON: In what it claims ‘a trial aimed at reducing spam’, the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, has said it has started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features such as posting messages. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who bought Twitter last year for $44 billion, has long complained about fake accounts, bots and spam …

SadaPay, a Pakistani Fintech company, announced that their SadaBiz freelancers will now be able to receive payments via Apple Pay. Earlier this year, Sadapay had launched a business account — SadaBiz —tailored for freelancers which aimed to provide an avenue for global payments with no hidden fees. The announcement came as part of SadaPay’s first ever SadaSummit held last Friday …

AMSTERDAM: As the situation in Gaza worsens, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions in an electronic fog of war. An Israeli strike at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides bolster their own side’s narrative and cast doubts …