Author: GT

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian parliament’s upper house on Friday quickly approved a bill that punishes online searches for information officially branded “extremist,” the latest in a series of moves by authorities to tighten control of the internet.The legislation makes what it describes as “deliberately searching for and accessing extremist materials” online punishable by a fine of up to the equivalent of $64.The bill, which was endorsed by the lower house earlier this week, is now set to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.The official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like the…

A self-styled “leaking and cracking forum” where users advertise and share breached databases, stolen credentials, and pirated software was leaking the IP addresses of its logged-in users to the open web, security researchers have found. Leak Zone left an Elasticsearch database exposed to the internet without a password, according to researchers at UpGuard. In a blog post shared with TechCrunch ahead of its publication, the researchers said they discovered the database on July 18 and found its data was accessible to anyone with a web browser.  The exposed database contained more than 22 million records storing the IP address and…

Netflix and Spotify have teamed up to launch a golf-inspired game as a way to promote “Happy Gilmore 2,” the sequel to Adam Sandler’s 1996 comedy film, which premieres on Netflix this Friday, July 25. This partnership represents a new venture for Spotify, as the music platform has never teamed up with another company to create a gaming experience within its app before. Gaming is an area Spotify has largely overlooked, so working with the streaming giant is notable, even if only for a promotional campaign, as it could serve as a test to see if consumers resonated with the…

KYOTO, Japan (AP) — Nishijinori, the intricate weaving technique for kimonos that dates back more than a thousand years in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto, is getting a high-tech collaborator: artificial intelligence.The revered colorful weaving style associated with “The Tale of Genji” of the 11th-century Heian era, has gone through its share of ups and downs. But its survival is more perilous than ever today, as demand for kimonos nose-dives among Japanese grappling with modernization.Hironori Fukuoka, the fourth-generation successor to his Nishijinori business, is determined to keep alive the art he’s inherited, even if that means turning to AI.“I want…

If you omit some key details, all Preston Thorpe has to do to become a senior software engineer at a promising tech company is walk through the door. For about six months, Thorpe was a prolific volunteer contributor to an open source project led by database company Turso. His work was impressive enough that Turso’s CEO, Glauber Costa, quickly offered him a job. That was also when Costa realized that Thorpe is anything but an ordinary programmer. “I checked his GitHub profile, and he mentions the fact that he is incarcerated,” Costa told TechCrunch. “It’s a story I’ve never seen…

Amazon is making its color screen Kindle more affordable. Following the launch of the Kindle Colorsoft last year, the retailer on Thursday introduced a lower-cost version of the normally $279.99 device. The new device offers a $30 discount for 16GB of storage instead of 32GB, bringing the cost down to $249.99. A Kids edition is also now available. The original 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition was designed to bring a more engaging visual experience to the popular Kindle e-reader, ideal for digitally browsing comics and other graphic novels or highlighting in different colors. The device offered an adjustable, glare-free display…

Google on Thursday is launching a new AI-powered feature called Web Guide for organizing Google Search results. Web Guide is a Search Labs experiment that leverages AI technology to organize the search results page by grouping pages related to specific aspects of the search query. Search Labs experiments are a way for Google to test out new ideas by letting users opt in to those they find interesting. The experiments can be turned on or off at any time and include things like Google’s AI Mode, Notebook LM, filmmaking tool Flow, and other, more niche ideas, like an audio show…

Apple released the first public beta of its new mobile operating system, iOS 26, featuring its “Liquid Glass” user interface and improved AI features. The release allows early adopters to get their hands on Apple’s latest software before its wider public availability later this fall. The update represents the most notable visual transformation since iOS 7, featuring a “Liquid Glass” design that offers a more transparent, glass-like feel to user interface elements, like buttons, screens, and in-app navigation and controls, among other things. Liquid Glass is integrated throughout iOS 26, including in key apps like Phone, Camera, Safari, Music, and…

As our lives grow increasingly digital and we spend more time interacting with eerily humanlike chatbots, the line between human connection and machine simulation is starting to blur.  Today, more than 20% of daters report using AI for things like crafting dating profiles or sparking conversations, per a recent Match.com study. Some are taking it further by forming emotional bonds, including romantic relationships, with AI companions.  Millions of people around the world are using AI companions from companies like Replika, Character AI, and Nomi AI, including 72% of U.S. teens. Some people have reported falling in love with more general…

When industrial AI startup CVector meets with manufacturers, utility providers, and other prospective customers, the founders are often asked the same question: Will you still be here in six months? A year?  It’s a valid concern in an environment where the biggest, richest tech companies are luring top talent with eye-watering salaries and increasingly targeting rising AI startups with elaborate acqui-hire deals.  The answer that CVector founders Richard Zhang and Tyler Ruggles give every time is also the same: They’re not going anywhere. And that matters to their customers — a list that includes national gas utilities and a chemical manufacturer…