Sony PlayStation boss Jim Ryan privately didn’t think Microsoft was trying to take Call of Duty exclusive when it bid for Activision Blizzard, a Microsoft lawyer said in federal court Thursday.
Driving the news: The private email to former Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Chris Deering was quoted during Microsoft’s opening statement as part of hearings over the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to secure a preliminary injunction against the deal and ultimately block it.
TikTok chief operating officer V Pappas is stepping down from the company, they announced on Twitter.
Why it matters: TikTok remains under intense pressure from the U.S. government to sell its U.S. operations, as the firm's Chinese ownership raises security and privacy concerns and efforts to ban the app have gained bipartisan steam.
A majority of Latinos in a new survey say it's important to shift to electric vehicles to minimize climate change damage, but they expressed more interest in buying gas-powered cars over EVs.
Why it matters: Experts say that illustrates a lack of access to electric vehicles, which can be more expensive, as U.S. leaders push toward widespread adoption.
Big Money is still being wooed into crypto, only this time it's the Wall Street firms — not the crypto natives — doing the beckoning.
Why it matters: There is an inner battle emerging in the crypto market, pitting the benefits that come with an influx of institutional money against the ideological soul of the crypto OGs.
A team of Stanford researchers is warning that leading AI models are woefully non-compliant with responsible AI standards, represented by the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act.
Driving the news: The House Science Committee meets Thursday to probe AI executives on how to develop AI "towards the national interest."
Facebook still isn’t fully reviewing all the content users flag as potentially violating its rules, three years after a pandemic-related shift to rely more heavily — and in some cases exclusively — on automated systems for content moderation.
Why it matters: Civil rights groups and regulators say the practice is dangerous and adding to an already toxic environment for marginalized groups.
Australia's online safety regulator sent a legal notice to Twitter demanding the social network explain the steps it is taking to combat online hate or risk being slapped with fines.
Why it matters: In the letter, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said her office has received more complaints about Twitter than any other social network over the last 12 months, with an increased number of reports of serious abuse since Elon Musk took over ownership last October.
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon, accusing the company of enrolling customers in its Prime program without consent and making it difficult to cancel subscriptions.
Driving the news:The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington charges that Amazon "has knowingly duped millions of consumers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime."
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son on Wednesday said his firm is "ready to shift to offense mode" and to "lead the AI revolution."
Why it matters: The comments, made during SoftBank's annual shareholder meeting, suggests that one of the world's most prolific startup investors is back after several years spent licking its well-earned wounds.
Before last week, I'd never taken a Waymo robotaxi, despite growing up in the East Valley suburb of Phoenix where the company began testing self-driving cars more than six years ago.
I figured it was time to face my fears and hop in beside the wheel.
Why it matters: Modi's India is a global leader in both tech innovation and democratic backsliding, and American tensions with China have placed urgent new demands on the U.S.-India relationship.
The arrival of new employers — most notably Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC — is forcing Arizona to skill, re-skill and upskill its workforce to meet the demands of the booming advanced manufacturing industry.
What's happening: Arizona community colleges and universities have developed training courses and degree programs to fill the immediate and long-term needs of new high-tech companies sprouting in metro Phoenix.
Recent major investments in computer chip manufacturing and electric and autonomous vehicles have made it the overnight darling of the U.S. innovation elite.
Key to making a great video game is enabling the player to feel good about what they’re doing, to let them feel like they’re pulling off something spectacular, Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon tells Axios.
Why it matters: Boon is one of the longest-tenured active game developers, having worked in the field since 1986 and on the Mortal Kombat fighting game series since the 1992 original.
A new documentary about one of gaming’s most famous creators provides an intriguing but frustratingly shallow look at Metal Gear lead creator Hideo Kojima.
Driving the news: “Hideo Kojima — Connecting Worlds” premiered at New York City’s Tribeca Festival on Saturday. The packed audience of hundreds came for the hourlong documentary and a Q&A with Kojima afterward.
A new program is ramping up to help Democratic Party technology providers discover bugs in their systems before malicious hackers do.
Why it matters: Political organizations are often wary of participating in bug bounty programs — where researchers poke at an organization's systems to see if there are vulnerabilities — over fears that the findings would be weaponized against them by their opponents.
