In another fracturing of the global internet, Apple has complied with orders from Beijing to remove WhatsApp and the new Threads app from its App Store in mainland China. The takedowns, which the tech giant said resulted from national security concerns cited by Chinese censors, further isolate the country’s digital ecosystem from Western services and escalate tensions over data sovereignty. “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” an Apple spokesperson told CNN on Friday. “The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based…
Author: Louis Cromwell
With just two rounds remaining in the Candidates tournament in Toronto, the competition couldn’t be tighter. Three players are tied for the lead, with another trailing closely behind. The €500k tournament will determine which of the eight contenders will challenge China’s Ding Liren for the world crown later this year. The leaders after 12 rounds (of 14) were Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia), Hikaru Nakamura (US), and Gukesh Dommaraju (India), all at 7.5 points; followed closely by Fabiano Caruana (US) at 7 points and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (India) at 6 points. The upcoming key games to watch include Saturday’s round 13 match between…
On Saturday at 5:15 pm, Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, will take to the pitch against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final. This clash comes merely 72 hours after City’s heart-wrenching exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid. Guardiola, however, expects his team to display resilience and determination, showcasing their intent to bounce back swiftly from the disappointment. Guardiola emphasized that there’s no room for self-pity in their approach. Despite their best efforts against Madrid, City couldn’t secure the win. However, dwelling on the loss isn’t an option as they’re focused on the next challenge.…
In the cult of Taylor Swift fandom, there are few greater sins than spoiling the meticulously choreographed release of new music. So when her latest album The Tortured Poets Department began leaking online three days ahead of its official drop, a civil war erupted among the pop superstar’s obsessive fanbase. On one side were the self-professed “true fans” – activists willing to fight any hint of premature listening with the same ferocity as anonymous government censors. Across Twitter and other platforms, these militant Swifties made it their mission to shame those who couldn’t resist the temptation of leaked links proliferating…
For a city that has carefully cultivated an image of architectural spectacle and over-the-top luxury, the events of the past 48 hours in Dubai have been nothing short of apocalyptic. The skies opened up, unleashing a torrent that exposed the fragility lurking beneath the Emirates’ gilded veneer. Roughly 25cm (10 inches) of rain deluged the desert metropolis in a single day – double Dubai’s typical annual rainfall. Gale-force winds transformed serene marinas into churning whirlpools as expensive cars floated like bathtub toys down newly formed river roads. From high-rise apartments, stunned residents witnessed a Surreal scene of patio furniture and…
When Sammy left her rural hometown in Sichuan over a decade ago to pursue a university degree, she was embarking on a path that would lead her to an entirely unexpected destination – the murky underworld of synthetic drug trafficking. As the first in her family to attain higher education, the English language graduate had dreams of becoming a teacher and putting her passion for foreign languages to use. Little did she know, she would eventually find herself an unlikely player in a deadly trade she initially knew nothing about. After graduating, Sammy took a job at a chemicals company…
A startling new report from Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has revealed that nearly one in four children aged five to seven now possess their own smartphone. This statistic is raising alarm bells about the potential risks associated with such young ages having unfettered access to the digital world. Even more concerning, the study found a significant uptick in social media usage among this age group compared to just a year prior. A staggering 38% of five-to-seven year olds are now active on platforms like WhatsApp, despite age restrictions clearly prohibiting children under 13 from joining. Mark Bunting from Ofcom’s…
In an unexpected turn of events, 911 systems in several states experienced outages, with the culprit being identified as the installation of a light pole, according to Lumen, a company that supports some of these systems. Lumen’s Global Issues Director, Mark Molzen, clarified that the outage, which affected customers in Nevada, South Dakota, and Nebraska, was caused by a third-party company installing a light pole, unrelated to Lumen’s services. The outage lasted less than three hours, during which Lumen worked diligently to restore services promptly. While Molzen didn’t delve into specifics regarding how the installation of a light pole led…
In April 2022, OpenAI unveiled DALL-E 2, a groundbreaking AI model capable of generating photorealistic images based solely on textual descriptions. This technological marvel captured the imagination of many, sparking both awe and ethical debates within the AI community. Last week, OpenAI made the decision to discontinue new customer access to DALL-E 2, signaling the end of an era. While the move wasn’t entirely unexpected given the emergence of more advanced models like DALL-E 3, it marked the conclusion of a transformative period in AI history. The debut of DALL-E 2 was met with astonishment and excitement, particularly among a…
TikTok, a social media juggernaut, stands at a pivotal juncture in the United States as lawmakers grapple with the prospect of its ban. The House of Representatives has taken a decisive stance, passing a bill that mandates TikTok to either divest to a U.S. entity or exit the country, leaving the Senate to determine its ultimate fate. Caitlin Chin-Rothmann, a technology policy analyst at the Brookings Institution, provides valuable insights into the implications of TikTok’s predicament and the broader regulatory landscape in an interview with Investor’s Business Daily’s Industry Insights show. Chin-Rothmann delves into the accusations leveled against TikTok and…