Category: Business

TikTok returns to Apple and Google app stores in the US TikTok has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the U.S., after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban. Go to techxplore

Carbon capture more costly than switching to renewables, researchers find For most countries around the world, sourcing energy entirely from wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower by 2050 would reduce their energy needs and costs, improve air quality, and help slow climate change, according to a study in Environmental Science & Technology. Go to techxplore

How Elon Musk $97.4 billion bid complicates matters for OpenAI OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has dismissed a $97.4 billion takeover bid led by rival Elon Musk, but the unsolicited offer could complicate Altman’s push to transform the maker of ChatGPT into a for-profit company. Go to techxplore

When your boss is an algorithm: Warehouse employees face new challenges and stress The digital revolution has opened unimagined opportunities, but it comes with a threat of leaving the most vulnerable workers behind. Go to techxplore

Elon Musk says has no plans to acquire TikTok’s US operations Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and a top advisor to US President Donald Trump, said he has no interest in acquiring social media platform TikTok’s operations in the United States, in comments released Saturday. Go to techxplore

Sony PlayStation Network outage enrages gamers around the world A major outage of Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN) on Saturday has left tens of thousands of gamers unable to access online services, stores and multimedia apps. Go to techxplore

Airbus and Boeing eye India’s ‘soaring skies’ Air traffic is booming in India, even though only a tiny fraction of its people fly each year, and manufacturers are seeking lucrative deals at the flagship Aero India exhibition from Monday. Go to techxplore

Q&A: How DeepSeek is changing the AI landscape On Monday January 27, a little known Chinese start-up called DeepSeek sent shockwaves and panic through Silicon Valley and the global stock market with the launch of their generative artificial intelligence(AI) model that rivals the models of tech giants like OpenAI, Meta and Google. It’s AI assistant…

Meta mulling incorporation shift to Texas: report Meta is considering whether to move its incorporation to Texas, a US state seen as amenable to companies run by big shareholders like Mark Zuckerberg, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Go to techxplore

WhatsApp says disrupts Paragon spyware campaign Meta-owned WhatsApp announced Friday it has disrupted a spyware operation by surveillance firm Paragon Solutions that targeted approximately 90 users, including journalists and civil society members, through malicious PDF files sent in group chats. Go to techxplore

Q&A: DeepSeek and the future of AI News that artificial intelligence (AI) assistant DeepSeek can compete with models like ChatGPT and Gemini for a fraction of the cost and computing power made headlines on Jan. 27, 2025. The reporting caused technology and energy stocks to sink as much as 21% and raised questions about AI…

Why building big AIs costs billions, and how Chinese startup DeepSeek dramatically changed the calculus State-of-the-art artificial intelligence systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude have captured the public imagination by producing fluent text in multiple languages in response to user prompts. Those companies have also captured headlines with the huge sums they’ve…

AI’s analytical power boosts corporate financial accuracy and stakeholder trust The term artificial intelligence (AI) has perhaps been much misused, not least in hyperbolic reports in the media of its potential to destroy the creative industries and to wreak havoc on the job market. However, AI encompasses so many disparate tools, not just the generative…

Meta tests ads on Threads, its alternative to X Facebook parent Meta has begun testing ads on its newest social network Threads, an executive announced Friday, as the company continues to grow its alternative to Elon Musk’s X. Go to techxplore

Meta plans to invest $60 bn or more in AI this year Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Friday said the tech giant plans to invest at least $60 billion in artificial intelligence in 2025, aiming to lead in the technology. Go to techxplore

Electricity from offshore wind is more promising than ever—except for the politics A new study co-authored by a USC Price professor published in Energies finds that generating electricity with wind turbines off the coast of California is an even more attractive option than it was at the beginning of the decade. That was until the…

Musk slams Trump-backed AI mega project Tech titan Elon Musk cast doubt Wednesday on a $500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying the money promised for the investment actually wasn’t there. Go to techxplore

Tech billionaires take center stage at Trump inauguration US tech multibillionaires—including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos—were given prime positions at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, in an unprecedented demonstration of their power and influence in the White House. Go to techxplore

Trump launches his own meme coin, value soars US President-elect Donald Trump has launched his own cryptocurrency, appropriately called $TRUMP, sparking feverish buying that sent its market capitalization soaring on Saturday to several billion dollars. Go to techxplore

In US, teleworkers don’t want to turn back For Curtis Sparrer, a work-from-home evangelist, an office is nothing less than a “corporate jail.” Go to techxplore

What will happen to TikTok on Apple and Google’s app store on Sunday? With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app off their platforms in just two…

TikTok’s journey from fun app to US security concern As a law that could get TikTok banned in the United States is poised to go into effect, here is a look at the rise of the video-sharing social media platform. Go to techxplore

US TikTok ban looms as Trump seeks last-ditch solution TikTok says it will “go dark” in the United States on Sunday, threatening access to the app for 170 million users, unless the government provides assurances that a law mandating its sale or ban won’t be used to punish service providers. Go to techxplore

Telegram boss admits ‘seriousness’ of French allegations: source Telegram founder Pavel Durov has told investigating magistrates in France, where he was charged with infractions linked to enabling organized crime, that he “realized the seriousness of all the allegations”, AFP learned Saturday from a source familiar with the case. Go to techxplore

Marketing experts share how Spotify shapes your music listening habits with playlists It’s a common assumption that music streaming has changed how we listen to music in a physical sense, but a new study has revealed just how streaming has impacted consumers’ listening tastes. The research, which focused on Spotify, has found that when people…

Game theory approach finds some public benefit to platforms like Google and Waze collecting user data Researchers from Tel Aviv University have used mathematical tools from game theory to show that in certain situations, allowing platforms to retain decision-making power over the collection and commercialization of their users’ data can enhance overall welfare. Go to…

Boeing 2024 plane deliveries tumble on labor, safety woes Boeing delivered just 348 commercial planes in 2024 according to figures released Tuesday that showed the ugly effects from a year of labor disruption and safety setbacks. Go to techxplore

Meta to lay off 3,600 employees in performance-based cuts Meta plans to dismiss approximately 3,600 employees identified as low performers and replace them with new hires, according to an internal memo reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday. Go to techxplore

Study investigates how digital platforms are transforming the agricultural sector Digitalization is ushering in far-reaching change in all areas of our lives, not least in the agricultural sector. Researchers from the University of Bonn have now published a study in Big Data & Society on how international agricultural corporations and Big Tech firms are using…

Apple wants to keep diversity programs disavowed by other US firms Apple’s board of directors has recommended shareholders vote against a proposal to end the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, going against the grain of decisions by other large US corporates. Go to techxplore

Supreme Court looks poised to uphold TikTok ban The US Supreme Court appeared likely on Friday to uphold a law that would force TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the wildly popular online video-sharing platform or shut it down. Go to techxplore

TikTok could be banned this month. Here’s what users can do to prepare TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news. Go to techxplore

Airbus boosts plane deliveries in 2024 European plane maker Airbus said Thursday it increased aircraft deliveries to 766 even as the company struggles to return to pre-pandemic production levels. Go to techxplore

Enhanced tandem solar modules promise lower costs and higher efficiency Increasing module efficiency and expanding manufacturing capacity play complementary roles in reducing costs of metal halide perovskite/silicon tandem solar modules, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Each cost lever can play a similar role depending on a…

Are A-B tests leading market researchers and online advertisers astray? Study says they could be Researchers from Southern Methodist University and the University of Michigan published a study that examines platforms’ A-B testing of online ads and uncovers significant limitations that can create misleading conclusions about ad performance. Go to techxplore

How US policies and perceptions impact Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure Northeastern University chemistry professor Eugene Smotkin was in his home in the Puerto Rican residential district of Old San Juan when he, like more than a million other residents on the island, lost power on New Year’s Eve. Go to techxplore

Amazon’s Seattle campus still quiet as 5-days-in-office deadline hits Amazon’s first day back in the office felt like any other Thursday. Which is to say, none too busy in downtown Seattle. Go to techxplore

California’s tech titans say H-1B visas are vital: Will Trump defy MAGA and support them? Of all the rich and powerful people cozying up to President-elect Donald Trump, few have rushed to Mar-a-Lago faster than the crowned heads of big tech, including California’s own chiefs of Google and Meta. Go to techxplore

China’s rare earth dominance: A strategic advantage with global implications China’s dominance in critical minerals is shaping the global green transition—but at what cost? Go to techxplore

How Japan pioneered the global phenomenon of entrepreneur pitch shows like Dragons’ Den Before Dragons’ Den in the UK became a global hit and America’s Shark Tank turned startup pitches into mainstream entertainment, there was Manē no Tora (Tiger of Money or Money Tigers). Launched in Japan in 2001 by Nippon TV and Sony Pictures…

Selling fear: Marketing for cybersecurity products often leaves consumers less secure You have likely seen multiple ads for products and services designed to make you more secure online. When you turn on your television, see online ads, or even when you get in-app notifications, you are likely to encounter cybersecurity technology marketed as the ultimate…

OpenAI outlines plans to becoming for-profit company ChatGPT-maker OpenAI laid out plans Friday for a new corporate structure shifting away from control by a non-profit—an issue of contention for the artificial intelligence trailblazer. Go to techxplore

Montenegro to extradite crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon to US Montenegro announced on Friday that it would extradite South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon to the United States, following a year and a half of dizzying court rulings and subsequent reversals over his removal. Go to techxplore

Taiwan blocks Uber-Foodpanda merger over monopoly concerns Taiwan has rejected ride-hailing giant Uber’s plan to buy Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda on the island, stating on Wednesday that the deal would significantly harm market competition. Go to techxplore

Telegram founder says messaging app profitable for first time The founder and chief executive of the Telegram encrypted messaging app Pavel Durov said on Monday that the platform had recorded a net profit for the first time in 2024, with annual revenue exceeding $1 billion. Go to techxplore

Secretive game developer codes hit ‘Balatro’ in Canadian prairie province There are no photos or videos of LocalThunk, an anonymous computer programmer who lives in the vast and desolate prairies of Canada’s Saskatchewan province, far from Silicon Valley. Go to techxplore

Google counters bid by US to force sale of Chrome Google late Friday countered a US call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting a judge address antitrust concerns by barring the firm from making favorable treatment of its software a condition of licensing. Go to techxplore

Qualcomm scores key win in licensing dispute with Arm A federal jury in the United States on Friday delivered a key win to mobile commputing titan Qualcomm in a licensing dispute with Arm, although proceedings between the chipmakers ended in mistrial. Go to techxplore

Australian behind false Bitcoin claim given suspended jail term An Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin received a suspended jail sentence Thursday in Britain for contempt of court after breaching a judge’s order. Go to techxplore

Spain targets Airbnb in illegal ads probe Spain’s leftist government on Wednesday opened an investigation into holiday rental platform Airbnb for allegedly failing to take down adverts for thousands of apartments without a tourist license. Go to techxplore

AI startup Databricks raises $10 bn as value soars Young startup Databricks, which specializes in scaling and building artificial intelligence, said Tuesday it raised $10 billion, bringing the company’s valuation to $62 billion. Go to techxplore

Dynamic model reveals best policies for clean energy adoption How can we ensure that as many households as possible adopt not only solar panels, but also their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump, and an electric car? Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Geneva have looked into just this question. Go…

Tech companies claim AI can recognize human emotions. But the science doesn’t stack up Can artificial intelligence (AI) tell whether you’re happy, sad, angry or frustrated? Go to techxplore

OpenAI’s legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI ‘dictatorship’ A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit…

Low adoption of solar tech in the Philippines is not just due to cost, study finds Despite the immense potential for solar energy in urban areas of the Philippines, the technology’s upfront cost and a lack of public awareness of its benefits remain major hurdles to its widespread use. Government subsidies and promotional campaigns are…

YouTube TV is hiking its monthly price, again. Here’s what to know Are you a YouTube TV subscriber? Your monthly bills are about to get more expensive again. Go to techxplore

US clean energy, defense to be impacted by China export curbs China’s retaliatory export controls could take a toll on the growing US clean energy sector and its defense industry, analysts say, as a trade tussle escalates between the world’s two biggest economies. Go to techxplore

Elon Musk asks US court to block OpenAi’s for-profit conversion Elon Musk has again asked a US court to stop ChatGPT-maker OpenAI from converting into a for-profit enterprise, CNBC reported Saturday. Go to techxplore

Retrieve-Revise-Refine: A novel framework for retrieval of concise entailing legal articles Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to redefine the boundaries of legal technology, offering to automate advanced tasks such as legal question answering and consultation. In the domain of statute law, a particular challenge is the task of retrieving the concise set of entailing legal articles…

Google and the US government faced off in a federal court on Monday, as each side delivered closing arguments in a case revolving around the technology giant’s alleged unfair domination of online advertising.

A team of cybersecurity researchers at Stony Brook University has uncovered a new way for scammers to steal from unsuspecting cryptocurrency users. They have posted a paper to the arXiv preprint server describing the new crypto scam and how users can protect themselves.

Australia has ditched plans to fine social media companies if they fail to stem the spread of misinformation, the country’s communications minister said Sunday.