APPLE EXEC DEFENDS THE DECISION TO MAKE GOOGLE ITS DEFAULT SEARCH ENGINE ON IPHONES & MACS

A top Apple executive defended the tech giant’s decision to make Google the default search engine on Apple iPhones and Macs, saying there was no “valid alternative.’’

IS BROADBAND ESSENTIAL, LIKE WATER OR ELECTRICITY? NEW NET NEUTRALITY EFFORT MAKES THE CASE

Landmark net neutrality rules rescinded under former President Donald Trump could return under a new push by U.S. Federal Communications Commission chair Jessica Rosenworcel. The rules would reclassify broadband access as an essential service on par with other utilities like water or power.

Series 9

2023 GENERATION IMPROVEMENTS, UPDATES, AND NEW FEATURES

PHOTO GIANT GETTY TOOK A LEADING AI IMAGE-MAKER TO COURT. NOW IT'S ALSO EMBRACING THE TECHNOLOGY

Anyone looking for a beautiful photograph of a desert landscape can find many choices from Getty Images, the stock photography collection.

THE THREAT OF WILDFIRES IS RISING. SO ARE NEW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS TO FIGHT THEM

Wildfires fueled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fueling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence.

THE AVERAGE LONG-TERM US MORTGAGE RATE REACHES HIGHEST POINT IN NEARLY 23 YEARS, HITTING 7.31%

Home loan borrowing costs climbed again this week, pushing the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its highest level in nearly 23 years, another blow to prospective homebuyers facing an increasingly unaffordable housing market.

ONCE RIVALS, NOW PARTNERS: PELOTON AND LULULEMON TO COLLABORATE ON CONNECTED FITNESS AND APPAREL

Peloton and athletic wear maker Lululemon have announced a five-year partnership, effectively closing the curtain on Lululemon’s recently acquired connected fitness device, Mirror.

DRIVE A HYUNDAI OR KIA? SEE IF YOUR CAR IS ONE OF THE NEARLY 3.4 MILLION UNDER RECALL FOR FIRE RISKS

Nearly 3.4 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the U.S. are under recall due to the risk of engine compartment fires and it’s important for drivers to check if their car is one of them.

IN HOLLYWOOD WRITERS' BATTLE AGAINST AI, HUMANS WIN (FOR NOW)

After a 148-day strike, Hollywood screenwriters secured significant guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence in one of the first major labor battles over generative AI in the workplace.

CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM SAYS HE WILL SIGN CLIMATE-FOCUSED TRANSPARENCY LAWS FOR BIG BUSINESS

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he plans to sign into law a pair of climate-focused bills intended to force major corporations to be more transparent about greenhouse gas emissions and the financial risks stemming from global warming.

UK'S NEW ONLINE SAFETY LAW ADDS TO CRACKDOWN ON BIG TECH COMPANIES

British lawmakers have approved an ambitious but controversial new internet safety law with wide-ranging powers to crack down on digital and social media companies like TikTok, Google, and Facebook and Instagram parent Meta.

DID YOUR KIDS BUY GEAR IN FORTNITE WITHOUT ASKING YOU? THE FTC SAYS YOU COULD GET A REFUND

Parents whose kids bought virtual gear without their knowledge on the popular Fortnite video game could soon be able to get a refund.

UAW STRIKE EXPOSES TENSIONS BETWEEN BIDEN'S GOALS OF TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUPPORTING UNIONS

Two of President Joe Biden's top goals fighting climate change and expanding the middle class by supporting unions are colliding in the key battleground state of Michigan as the United Auto Workers go on strike against the country's biggest car companies.

WHAT IF PUBLIC TRANSIT WAS LIKE UBER? A SMALL CITY ENDED ITS BUS SERVICE TO FIND OUT

When a small city abruptly parked all its buses to launch a publicly subsidized van service offering $1.50 trips anywhere in town, only one of its bus drivers — a big-city transplant — went along for the ride.

THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS FROM FIRST-TIME EV BUYERS

As sales of electric vehicles continue to grow, so do the number of questions curious shoppers have when considering making the switch to a fully electrified car, truck or SUV. Undoubtedly, the experience of driving and owning an electric vehicle is different from the traditional one for a gas-powered vehicle. To help first-time EV shoppers, the automotive experts address the most common concerns car shoppers have about going electric.

CALIFORNIA LAW RESTRICTING COMPANIES' USE OF INFORMATION FROM KIDS ONLINE IS HALTED BY FEDERAL JUDGE

A federal judge has halted implementation of a California law intended to restrict companies' use of information gathered from young internet users in order to protect the privacy of minors.

FOR FILMMAKERS, 'OPPENHEIMER'S' $900M-PLUS HAUL IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR HOLLYWOOD AND THEATERS

Hopes were always high for Christopher Nolan's \"Oppenheimer. The studio knew the film was great, and commercial. But no one in the industry expected that a long, talky, R-rated drama released at the height of the summer movie season would earn over $900 million at the box office.

GOOGLE SUED FOR NEGLIGENCE AFTER MAN DROVE OFF COLLAPSED BRIDGE WHILE FOLLOWING MAP DIRECTIONS

The family of a North Carolina man who died after driving his car off a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence, claiming it had been informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system.

GOOGLE BRINGS ITS AI CHATBOT BARD INTO ITS INNER CIRCLE, OPENING DOOR TO GMAIL, MAPS, YOUTUBE

Google is introducing Bard, its artificially intelligent chatbot, to other members of its digital family — including Gmail, Maps and YouTube — as it seeks ward off competitive threats posed by similar technology run by Open AI and Microsoft.

AMAZON UNVEILS A "SMARTER AND MORE CONVERSATIONAL" ALEXA AMID AI RACE AMONG TECH COMPANIES

Amazon has unveiled a slew of gadgets and an update to its popular voice assistant Alexa, infusing it with more generative Al features to better compete with other tech companies who've rolled out flashy chatbots.

iPhone 15

SUPERCHARGING THE ENTRANCE MODEL WITH PRO FEATURES

HUNDREDS OF FLYING TAXIS TO BE MADE IN OHIO, HOME OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AND ASTRONAUT LEGENDS

The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced this week between the state and Joby Aviation Inc.

INSTACART'S IPO SURGES AS THE GROCERY DELIVERY COMPANY GOES FROM THE SUPERMARKET TO THE STOCK MARKET

Instacart delivered in its stock market debut.

THE AVERAGE LONG-TERM US MORTGAGE RATE EDGED UP TO 7.19% THIS WEEK, SLIGHTLY BELOW ITS 2023 HIGH

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged up again this week, another setback for wouldbe homebuyers navigating an increasingly less affordable housing market.

NASA SPACECRAFT DELIVERING BIGGEST SAMPLE YET FROM AN ASTEROID

Planet Earth is about to receive a special delivery — the biggest sample yet from an asteroid.

CISCO BUYING CYBERSECURITY FIRM SPLUNK FOR $28 BILLION, BOLSTERING DEFENSES AS USE OF AI WIDENS

Cisco is buying the cybersecurity firm Splunk in a $28 billion deal as it bolsters its defenses against potential security threats that may be heightened by the widening use of artificial intelligence.

TECH COMPANIES TRY TO TAKE AI IMAGE GENERATORS MAINSTREAM WITH BETTER PROTECTIONS AGAINST MISUSE

Artificial intelligence tools that can conjure whimsical artwork or realistic-looking images from written commands started wowing the public last year. But most people don’t actually use them at work or home.

AS US EAST COAST RAMPS UP OFFSHORE WIND POWER PROJECTS, MUCH REMAINS UNKNOWN

As the U.S. races to build offshore wind power projects, transforming coastlines from Maine to South Carolina, much remains unknown about how the facilities could affect the environment.

FROM SPACESHIPS TO 'BATMAN' PROPS, A HOLLYWOOD MODEL MAKER'S CREATIONS & COLLECTION UP FOR AUCTION

From an early model of the iconic alien mothership from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to a complete Stormtrooper costume from “Star Wars,” bidding opens on thousands of pieces Hollywood model maker Greg Jein collected over his lifetime, including many he created during his nearly half-century career.

THE IPHONE 12 EMITS TOO MUCH RADIATION AND APPLE MUST TAKE IT OFF THE MARKET, FRENCH AGENCY SAYS

French regulators ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12, saying it emits electromagnetic radiation levels that are above European Union standards for exposure. The company disputed the findings and said the device complies with regulations.