China OKs 105 Online Games Days After Hitting Industry with Draft Rules

On

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Chinese authorities approved 105 new online games this week, bolstering support for the industry just days after proposing regulatory restrictions that sent stocks tumbling. The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) announced approval of the 105 games Monday via WeChat, describing the move as a show of support for “the prosperity and healthy development of the online game industry. “It was only Friday that those same regulators announced a wide range of proposed guidelines to ban online game companies from offering incentives for daily logins or purchases. Other proposed rules include limiting how much users can recharge andmore

Leave a comment

Israel Grants Intel $3.2B for New $25B Chip Plant, Biggest Company Investment in Country

On

Jerusalem — Israel’s government agreed to give Intel a $3.2 billion grant for a new $25 billion chip plant it plans to build in southern Israel, both sides said on Tuesday, in what is the largest investment ever by a company in Israel.  The news comes as Israel remains locked in a war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. It also is a big show of support by a major U.S. company and a substantial offer by Israel’s government at a time when Washington has increased pressure on Israel to takemore

Leave a comment

Apple Watch Import Ban Goes Into Effect in US Patent Clash

On

Washington — A U.S. import ban on certain Apple smartwatch models came into effect Tuesday, after the Biden administration opted not to veto a ruling on patent infringements. The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) decided in October to ban Apple Watch models over a patented technology for detecting blood-oxygen levels. Apple contends that the ITC finding was in error and should be reversed, but last week paused its US sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The order stemmed from a complaint made to the commission in mid-2021 accusing Apple of infringing on medical device makermore

Leave a comment

Insect Compasses, Fire-Fighting Vines: 2023’s Nature-Inspired Tech

On

Paris — Even as human-caused climate change threatens the environment, nature continues to inspire our technological advancement. “The solutions that are provided by nature have evolved for billions of years and tested repeatedly every day since the beginning of time,” said Evripidis Gkanias, a University of Edinburgh researcher.  Gkanias has a special interest in how nature can educate artificial intelligence. “Human creativity might be fascinating, but it cannot reach nature’s robustness — and engineers know that,” he told AFP. From compasses mimicking insect eyes to forest fire-fighting robots that behave like vines, here’s a selection of this year’s nature-based technology. Insect compassmore

Leave a comment

US Investors See Value in Israeli Tech Firms Despite War

On

HERZLIYA, Israel — Nearly 7,000 miles away in Portland, Oregon, venture capitalist George Djuric said he was compelled to visit Israel during the country’s war with Palestinian militant group Hamas and to pledge support for the high-tech sector. Djuric, chief technology officer at yVentures who arrived in the United States as a 3-year-old refugee from Bosnia during the Bosnian war in the mid-1990s, this week joined some 70 other U.S. tech executives and investors on a trip to Israel. “Coming here is a chance to stand in solidarity with Israel and also support the tech ecosystem, which is the world’s secondmore

Leave a comment

Artists Use Tech Weapons Against AI Copycats

On

NEW YORK — Artists under siege by artificial intelligence that studies their work and then replicates their styles, have teamed with university researchers to stymie such copycat activity. U.S. illustrator Paloma McClain went into defense mode after learning that several AI models had been trained using her art, with no credit or compensation sent her way. “It bothered me,” McClain told AFP. “I believe truly meaningful technological advancement is done ethically and elevates all people instead of functioning at the expense of others,” she said. The artist turned to free software called Glaze created by researchers at the University of Chicago.more

Leave a comment

Russia Arrests Head of Space Equipment Maker, Suspected of Fraud

On

MOSCOW — The head of a company that makes navigation systems for Russia’s space program was arrested in Moscow and charged with major fraud, state media reported Friday. TASS news agency quoted an unidentified law enforcement official as saying that Yevgeny Fomichev had been interrogated and charged with large-scale fraud, which carries a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of 1 million rubles ($10,972). TASS said Moscow’s Basmanny District Court, which often handles high-profile cases, ordered Fomichev to be held in pretrial detention until Feb. 21 at the request of Russia’s Investigative Committee, which deals with seriousmore

Leave a comment

Chinese Chip Import Concerns Prompt US to Review Semiconductor Supply Chain  

On

washington — The U.S. Department of Commerce said Thursday that it would launch a survey of the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and national defense industrial base to address national security concerns from Chinese-sourced chips.  The survey aims to identify how U.S. companies are sourcing so-called legacy chips — current-generation and mature-node semiconductors — as the department moves to award nearly $40 billion in subsidies for semiconductor chip manufacturing.  The department said the survey, which will begin in January, aims to “reduce national security risks posed by” China and will focus on the use and sourcing of Chinese-manufactured legacy chips in themore

Leave a comment

Republican Party Consolidates Control of Deep South Statehouses

On

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — The January 8 inauguration of Jeff Landry as Louisiana governor consolidates Republican Party control of statehouses in America’s Deep South and the region’s shift to more conservative governance. Nearly 60% of Louisiana voters chose Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Republicans are ready for change at the statehouse in Baton Rouge. As a candidate and as the state’s attorney general, Landry backed banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths, expanding rights for gun owners and enacting a near-total abortion ban without exceptions for rape and incest. “I’m tired of the government doing everything for everybody, becausemore

Leave a comment