Covid-19

Australia to make Google and Facebook pay for news content

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Global digital platforms Google and Facebook will be forced to pay for news content in Australia, the government said Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic causes a collapse in advertising revenue. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would release in late July draft […]

Facebook to warn users who 'liked' coronavirus hoaxes

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press Facebook will soon let you know if you shared or interacted with dangerous coronavirus misinformation on the site, the latest in a string of aggressive efforts the social media giant is taking to contain an outbreak of viral falsehoods. The new notice will be sent to users […]

Ways that AI is helping the fight against COVID-19

Initial cases of COVID-19 were first declared in December 2019, in Wuhan, China. After four months, the virus has now been diagnosed in 167 countries and almost 140,000 people have died. The impact of the disease throughout the world will have unprecedented consequences for virtually all aspects of the global economy. The world seems to […]

Tech companies step up fight against bad coronavirus info

By AMANDA SEITZ and BARBARA ORTUTAY The Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Potentially dangerous coronavirus misinformation has spread from continent to continent like the pandemic itself, forcing the world’s largest tech companies to take unprecedented action to protect public health. Facebook, Google and others have begun using algorithms, new rules and factual warnings to knock […]

Crowdsourcing – collecting data to combat COVID-19

The majority of us are not healthcare workers or scientists and so may be feeling a little helpless at the moment. We can of course do out bit by staying inside and washing our hands, but is there anything else we can do? Luckily technology once again, provides an answer. Thanks to the internet, social […]

NBC's Peacock launching in July with 'handful' of originals

By TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writer NBCUniversal says its video-streaming service Peacock will launch nationally in July as planned, even though just a handful of its original series will be ready. The service was meant to have a mix of originals, classic shows and movies, and current NBC programming like its late-night shows and “Law […]

The Open COVID Pledge – an IP licensing program

In these times, we all have a responsibility to do our part in the current pandemic. This could be simply staying home, maintaining good respiratory hygiene and washing hands frequently. Some major tech innovators around the world have an even greater share of responsibility as key intellectual property and niche manufacturing capabilities can provide a […]

City Lights Bookstore launches successful GoFundMe campaign

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — One of the world’s most famous independent booksellers, City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, was in dire financial shape because of the coronavirus outbreak and asked for help. Help quickly arrived. Within days of starting a GoFundMe campaign last week seeking $300,000, the store received […]

Singapore stops Zoom for online education as hackers strike

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Singapore has suspended the use of Zoom for online education after hackers hijacked a lesson and showed obscene images to students. In what is known as “Zoombombing,” two hackers interrupted a geography lesson a day after Singapore closed schools on Wednesday in partial lockdown measures to […]

Ooredoo Group steps up customer support during Coronavirus

Ooredoo Group has taken measures to support its customers across its digital footprint as the Coronavirus continues to spread, with digital solutions and relief measures, Ooredoo engineers are currently sharing knowledge online internationally that will better serve and support their customers. With the current surge in online usage, Ooredoo Group have drastically optimized network performance […]