Technology

In a series of letters to tech executives, European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton warned that financial penalties could be issued against social media platforms that do not follow new EU laws governing hate speech and disinformation.

World News

'Walk the talk' or face fines: EU boss tells Musk, Zuckerberg and TikTok chief

4:28pm October 12, 2023

by Bobby Allyn

As Hamas-Israel misinformation spreads, EU digital chief says social media platforms have to quickly remove content featuring hate speech and disinformation or face big fines under new laws.

The Iron Dome intercepts rockets fired by Hamas in May 2021.

Here's how Israel's 'Iron Dome' stops rockets — and why Ukraine doesn't have it

2:43pm October 12, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

The highly sophisticated, multibillion-dollar defense system has been under constant redevelopment since its inception in the early 2000s. Here's how it works.

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AI similar to the kind used to make images is now being used to design synthetic proteins. Scientists say its radically sped up their research.

New proteins, better batteries: Scientists are using AI to speed up discoveries

11:28am October 12, 2023

by Geoff Brumfiel

New artificial intelligence tools are being rapidly developed across the sciences. They may not be able to solve every problem, but in some cases, they're shortening the time to new breakthroughs.

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Set your strategy adventure in either the shifting sands or the sci-fi stars.

Arts

'Total War: Pharaoh' and 'Star Trek: Infinite': boldly going where we've been before

11:01am October 12, 2023

by Alex Curley

Two big strategy games debut this week: the historical Total War: Pharaoh and the sci-fi Star Trek: Infinite. Both build on legacy predecessors, but with a heavy dose of the familiar.

Amazon faces a landmark federal lawsuit that accuses it of squeezing independent sellers like this Michigan company, Top Shelf Brands, which used to sell hair and beauty products on the platform. In 2022, the company stopped operating and filed for bankruptcy.

Amazon sellers say they made a good living — until Amazon figured it out

2:54pm October 11, 2023

by Dara Kerr

The federal government has sued Amazon for allegedly using its monopoly power to stamp out rivals. Now, some small businesses that sell on the marketplace reveal what it's like to depend on Amazon.

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An example of the photos surfaced by PimEyes when a photo of author Bobby Allyn was uploaded to the site. Some of the photos are easily found from a Google search. But even the person depicted in the photo didn't know some of these images existed online.

World News

'Too dangerous:' Why even Google was afraid to release this technology

11:05am October 11, 2023

by Bobby Allyn

A startup called PimEyes allows anyone to identify a stranger within seconds with just a photo of the person's face. The technology has alarmed privacy advocates worldwide.

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Books

Leading voice in AI, who worries about its consequences, favors regulating it

5:22am October 11, 2023

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to AI entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of the AI firm DeepMind, about containing how state actors use artificial intelligence. He's the author of The Coming Wave.

Israeli troop reinforcements take position at the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Monday. Social media and messaging apps have been flooded with false and out of context images since fighting started this weekend.

Video game clips and old videos are flooding social media about Israel and Gaza

1:28pm October 10, 2023

by Shannon Bond

"This is propaganda 101. You flood the gap, especially in those early hours, with content that suggests a certain narrative," said one observer.

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Health & Safety

Can we combat our sedentary lives? New podcast series 'Body Electric' investigates

5:09am October 10, 2023

Our bodies aren't designed for spending hours in a chair. Body Electric examines how we can change the relationship between technology and our bodies to sit less, get off our screens and feel better.

The story of the drug-running DEA informant behind the databases tracking our lives

4:53pm October 09, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

You might not know Hank Asher. But you'll recognize how his creation and monetization of online databases helped change modern life.

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