• EU tells Apple to ‘open gates’ to competitors

  Sep 27, 2023 | 15:27 pm

  After lobbying against it for years, Apple was recently forced to make a change it didn’t want to make. To comply with the EU’s new rules on standardising mobile chargers, the tech giant has ditched its Lightning charging cable for a USB-C wire. Now, Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, is asking the company to take a step further. That is, “opening up gates to competitors,” he tweeted, following a meeting with Apple’s Tim Cook on Tuesday. Together with Apple’s CEO @tim_cook 🍏 “Only one” — making cable clutter a thing of the past 🔌 Next: opening up gates to…This[…]

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• JPMorgan’s Chase UK bans crypto transactions amid surge in scams

  Sep 27, 2023 | 14:29 pm

  JPMorgan’s digital bank Chase will restrict all cryptocurrency-related transactions for its customers in the UK, as lenders step up measures to tackle fraud on their networks. Starting 16 October, customers of Chase Bank in the UK will no longer be able to make crypto transactions using their debit cards or through outgoing bank transfers.  Chase, which offers fee-free banking via its mobile app, has reportedly amassed more than 50 million active users worldwide. The latest restrictions will only impact its UK customer base, representing some 1.6 million people.   “If we think you’re making a payment related to crypto assets, we’ll…This[…]

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• Volkswagen cuts EV production as demand falters

  Sep 27, 2023 | 12:05 pm

  In the first two weeks of October, Volkswagen will stop making two of its flagship EV models at a pair of its factories in Germany. The automaker is citing shrinking demand, fuelled by recent cuts to government subsidies.  Production of VW’s ID.3 and Cupra’s Born will be put on hold at the carmaker’s main EV factory in Zwickau until October 16. Assembly of the ID.3 at a small-scale plant in Dresden will cease for the first two weeks of October, a spokesperson said. Production of the ID4, ID5, Audi Q4 e-tron, and Audi Q4 Sportsback e-tron models will continue as…This[…]

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• Twitter/X is biggest source of social media disinformation, EU warns

  Sep 27, 2023 | 10:33 am

  Twitter — or rather, X — is the biggest source of disinformation of all the six major social media networks, an EU-commissioned report has found. The study examined over 6,000 posts and over 4,000 user accounts across X , Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It focused on three countries considered to be at risk due to upcoming elections and the associated threat of Russian propaganda: Slovakia, Poland, and Spain. X had the highest ratio of disinformation posts and actors, followed by Facebook. YouTube came last. “The Russian state has engaged in the war of ideas to pollute our information…This[…]

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• German energy giant tests power-generating kite at new facility in Ireland

  Sep 26, 2023 | 15:07 pm

  German energy giant RWE has put a new airborne wind test facility in Ireland to work for the first time, as it explores alternative forms of green electricity.  The experimental technology was developed by Dutch startup Kitepower. It connects a large kite to a generator with an ultra-strong rope, generating electricity as the kite goes up in altitude. “Kitepower, as the name suggests, uses a large kite structure with a hybrid inflatable and fixed fibreglass skeleton to hold the kite open. It has a wingspan of 60 square metres and weighs only 80kg, including the Kite Control and sensor unit,”…This[…]

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• With Spotify’s ‘Jam’ your whole squad becomes the DJ

  Sep 26, 2023 | 12:38 pm

  Spotify has launched a new feature today called “Jam,” which will give you and your buddies a way to curate a shared playlist and listen to it together in real-time.   Unlike existing multi-playlist features Blend and Duo Mix, Jam will sync everyone’s playback so you’re all listening to the same songs simultaneously — whether you’re in the same room, or scattered across the world.  Now, explains the hugely successful Swedish company, instead of having one person in control of the music at a social gathering, everyone can have their say.   The feature is available to both free and Premium subscribers,…This[…]

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• EU blocks Booking’s €1.6B takeover of online travel agency Etraveli

  Sep 26, 2023 | 11:28 am

  The EU Commission has blocked Booking’s €1.6bn takeover of Swedish online travel agency Etraveli, citing competition concerns. “Booking’s acquisition of Etraveli would strengthen Booking’s dominant position in the online travel agencies market and likely lead to higher costs for hotels and, possibly, consumers,” said Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice. According to the Commission, Booking is already the leading online hotel agency in the EEA, accounting for a 60% share of the total market. Meanwhile, Etraveli is the number two provider of flight services. The merger would, therefore, enable the travel giant to broaden its travel services ecosystem, increase traffic on…This[…]

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• New erotic roleplaying chatbots promise to indulge your sexual fantasies

  Sep 26, 2023 | 04:00 am

  AI has thrust deeper into carnal pleasures with the launch of a new “roleplaying” chatbot system. The feature is the brainchild of Bloom, an erotic audio platform based in Germany. The app also comes with 800 original sex stories, which range from the vanilla to the kinky (anyone for sploshing?). Some of the tales offer guided erotic play, while others feature creator content from real couples. There are even stories that synchronise with the vibrations of sex toys. The new chatbots add another level of interaction. Hannah Albertshauser, Bloom’s CEO, says the feature takes the character-driven storytelling “to the next…This[…]

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• Bioniq taps big data algorithms to make supplements bespoke

  Sep 25, 2023 | 14:40 pm

  London-based startup Bioniq, which creates hyper-personalised supplements for its customers — who range from pro athletes to regular people on the quest for longer life — has gone global. Founded in 2019, Bioniq leverages a patented algorithm based on blood test data from more than 40,000 people across 4 million biochemical data points to create a supplement regime tailor-made to your body and health goals.  “STOP GUESSING which mass-made supplements to take. None are meant for you,” it exclaims on its website.  The company was founded by former German national team basketball player Vadim Fedotov and Dr Konstantin Karuzin, a…This[…]

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• EU online piracy on the rise as consumers feel the pinch

  Sep 25, 2023 | 11:20 am

  With the plethora of legitimate streaming options available today, you’d be forgiven for thinking pirated TV shows were a thing of the past. But a new study by the EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that after a multi-year decline, online piracy is on the up.  The study, based on data from UK piracy tracking firm MUSO, suggests that there was a notable increase in piracy levels over the past two years.  “The main finding is that the declining trend seen in the earlier studies seems to be reversing, with piracy increasing again, mainly due to increases in piracy of…This[…]

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