Technology

Huda Mohamed, a student at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., has an immunodeficiency. She decided to take extra precautions by using Virginia's COVIDWISE app, which alerts users who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Such apps are only

A Tech Powerhouse, U.S. Lags In Using Smartphones For Contact Tracing

8:31am September 23, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

Google and Apple teamed up on using smartphones to track coronavirus infections. But the systems are only available in a few states, where they're being used by a tiny percentage of the population.

Buildings are engulfed in flames as a wildfire ravages Talent, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2020. Unfounded rumors that left-wing activists were behind the fires went viral on social media, thanks to amplification by conspiracy theorists and the platforms' own desig

National

Can Circuit Breakers Stop Viral Rumors On Facebook, Twitter?

6:36pm September 22, 2020

by Shannon Bond

False claims that blame left-wing activists for wildfires in Oregon have spread on social media. To stop the rumors, some experts say platforms should take inspiration from the stock market.

Facebook says the fake accounts it removed focused mainly on Southeast Asia. But they also included some content about the U.S. election, which did not gain a large following.

Facebook Removes Chinese Accounts Posting About Foreign Policy, 2020 Election

6:34pm September 22, 2020

by Shannon Bond

Most of the operation's activity focused on Chinese interests in the South China Sea but also included some content about U.S. politics.

What Can Social Media Do To Slow Down The Spread Of Misinformation?

6:30am September 22, 2020

by Shannon Bond

On social media, it's easy for rumors to go viral. One proposal to fix this is a "circuit breaker" for viral posts, modeled on how stock markets stop trading when shares are too volatile.

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President Trump said he approved a deal struck with U.S. companies Oracle and Walmart to keep TikTok alive, but the agreement does not accomplish what the president sought to achieve.

Trump's TikTok Deal: What Just Happened And Why Does It Matter?

7:24pm September 21, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

President Trump is claiming victory after blessing a deal in which Oracle and Walmart will own a stake of TikTok, but experts wonder whether the terms of the agreement will really change anything.

Microsoft announced Monday that it will acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of popular video game publisher Bethesda, for $7.5 billion. Here, a Microsoft store is shown in March in New York City.

Arts

Microsoft To Buy Bethesda In $7.5 Billion Deal, Acquiring Fallout, The Elder Scrolls

5:02pm September 21, 2020

by Reese Oxner

The deal is set to be one of the largest ever acquisitions in the video game industry. Once the deal is finalized, Microsoft will own popular franchises such as Wolfenstein, Quake, and DOOM.

A federal judge in San Francisco has blocked the Trump administration's order that would have banned Chinese-owned app WeChat, which millions in the U.S. use to stay in touch with family and friends and conduct business in China

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's U.S. WeChat Ban

12:22pm September 20, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

A judge in San Francisco said Trump's order targeting the popular Chinese-owned app has a "modest" basis in national security and represents a free speech violation for U.S. users of the app.

President Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in July.

TikTok Ban Averted: Trump Gives Oracle-Walmart Deal His 'Blessing'

12:11pm September 20, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

U.S. tech company Oracle is joining hands with Walmart to become a technology partner with TikTok, an arrangement that satisfies the White House's concerns over the security of American user data.

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Health & Safety

Users Flock To Cameo To Celebrate Life's Events During The Pandemic

11:14am September 19, 2020

It's tough marking special events these days. The New Yorker's Naomi Fry explains many people are now turning to an app called Cameo for personalized celebrity messages for their friends and family.

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The U.S. To Limit Access To TikTok And WeChat On Sunday

3:58pm September 18, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

The U.S. Commerce Department says people in the U.S. won't be able to download or update the popular video-sharing app TikTok or the messaging app WeChat, starting Sunday.