CATEGORIES

MARYLAND BANS TIKTOK IN STATE AGENCIES, LATEST STATE TO ACT

Maryland is banning the use of TikTok and certain China and Russia-based platforms in the state’s executive branch of government, Gov. Larry Hogan said this week, the latest state to address cybersecurity risks presented by the platforms.

ΜΕΤΑ OVERSIGHT BOARD URGES CHANGES TO VIP MODERATION SYSTEM

Facebook parent Meta’s quasi-independent oversight board said that an internal system that exempted high-profile users, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, from some or all of its content moderation rules needs a major overhaul.

BUZZFEED CUTS 12% OF STAFF CITING WORSENING ECON CONDITIONS

Digital media company BuzzFeed is cutting 12% of its workforce, citing worsening economic conditions.

WORK FORGES AHEAD AS SCHEDULED ON KENTUCKY EV BATTERY PLANTS

Ford Motor Co. and a South Korean partner company showed off their progress in developing a massive battery production venture in Kentucky, where they have laid the groundwork for one of the \"big bets\" the automaker is making in its electric vehicle business.

NASA CAPSULE FLIES OVER APOLLO LANDING SITES, HEADS HOME

NASA's Orion capsule and its test dummies swooped one last time around the moon Monday, flying over a couple Apollo landing sites before heading home.

BOEING'S LAST 747 TO ROLL OUT OF WASHINGTON STATE FACTORY

After more than half a century, Boeing is set to roll its last 747 out of a Washington state factory on Tuesday.

REVIEW: WILL SMITH-LED 'EMANCIPATION' IS AN ACTION THRILLER

It comes as some relief that Antoine Fuqua's \"Emancipation,\" starring Will Smith as a runaway slave in Civil War-era Louisiana, is not, at least traditionally speaking, an Oscar movie.

FDA CHANGE USHERS IN CHEAPER, EASIER-TO-GET HEARING AIDS

It's now a lot easier and cheaper - for many hard-of-hearing Americans to get help.

TESLA LAUNCHES IN THAILAND, VYING TO COMPETE WITH CHINA EVS

Tesla has launched sales in Thailand, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices aimed at competing with rivals like China's BYD.

CHINA EASES ANTI-COVID MEASURES FOLLOWING PROTESTS

China rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 and dropped virus test requirements for some public places Wednesday in a dramatic change to a strategy that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign.

MICROSOFT STRIKES 10-YEAR DEAL WITH NINTENDO ON CALL OF DUTY

Microsoft agreed this week to make the hit video game Call of Duty available on Nintendo for 10 years should its $69 billion purchase of game maker Activision Blizzard go through an apparent attempt to fend off objections from rival Sony.

MAN GOES TO TRIAL ON CHARGES HE RAN UNLICENSED BITCOIN BIZ

A New Hampshire man accused of running an unlicensed bitcoin exchange business catered to romance and imposter scammers who conned their victims into wiring him money that he shared as virtual currency with the criminals after taking his cut, a prosecutor alleged during opening statements in his trial Tuesday.

BIDEN VISITS ARIZONA COMPUTER CHIP SITE, HIGHLIGHTS JOBS

President Joe Biden on Tuesday visited the site for a new computer chip plant in Arizona, using it as a chance to emphasize how his policies are fostering job growth in what could be a challenge to the incoming Republican House majority.

US POLICE RARELY DEPLOY DEADLY ROBOTS TO CONFRONT SUSPECTS

The unabashedly liberal city of San Francisco became the unlikely proponent of weaponized police robots last week after supervisors approved limited use of the remote-controlled devices, addressing head-on an evolving technology that has become more widely available even if it is rarely deployed to confront suspects.

APPLE MUSIC OFFERS A CHANCE TO SING WITH YOUR FAVORITES

Apple Music wants to help you and your friends sing along to your favorite songs with a new feature it's rolling out just as people gather for end-of-year parties.

THE MIND BEHIND THE RUBIK'S CUBE CELEBRATES A LASTING PUZZLE

If you've ever had trouble solving a Rubik's Cube, a good piece of advice is to break it down into steps. It's worth a shot: That advice is from the man who invented it.

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CUBA'S INFORMAL MARKET FINDS NEW SPACE ON GROWING INTERNET

In the Telegram group chat, the messages roll in like waves.

UK WATERS DOWN ONLINE RESTRICTIONS AFTER FREE SPEECH OUTCRY

The British government abandoned a plan to force tech firms to remove internet content that is harmful but legal, after the proposal drew strong criticism from lawmakers and civil liberties groups.

4 REASONS FOR THRIFT STORE GIFTS THIS YEAR

Thrifting is hot, and Goodwill finds are cool again. But while we’re thrilled to find the perfect throwback tee for our own closet, gifting used goods still carries a stigma for some.

NETFLIX NIGHTS STILL COME WRAPPED IN RED-AND-WHITE ENVELOPES

Netflix’s trailblazing DVD-by-mail rental service has been relegated as a relic in the age of video streaming, but there is still a steady — albeit shrinking — audience of diehards like Amanda Konkle who are happily paying to receive those discs in the iconic red-and-white envelopes.

DRUG SLOWS ALZHEIMER'S BUT CAN IT MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE?

An experimental Alzheimer's drug modestly slowed the brain disease's inevitable worsening, researchers reported this week -- but it remains unclear how much difference that might make in people's lives.

'STRANGE WORLD' EXPLORES BIG THEMES IN BOLD COLORS

Is Searcher Clade the most millennial dad in all of animated moviedom? He has that telltale hipster beard. A sensitive voice sorta like Jake Gyllenhaal. And he feeds his kid avocado toast, with an egg on top.

MLB SELLS SHARE OF BAMTECH TO WALT DISNEY CO. FOR $900M

Major League Baseball has sold its remaining share of a streaming service technology company to the Walt Disney Co. for $900 million.

US FCC BANS SALES IMPORT OF CHINESE TECH FROM HUAWEI, ZTE

The U.S. is banning the sale of communications equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE and restricting the use of some China-made video surveillance systems, citing an \"unacceptable risk\" to national security.

COMPETITORS CHIP AWAY AT TESLA'S US ELECTRIC VEHICLE SHARE

New electric vehicle models from multiple automakers are starting to chip away at Tesla's dominance of the U.S. EV market, according to national vehicle registration data.

TOYOTA RAV4 PRIME VS. HYUNDAI TUCSON PLUG-IN

Since its debut for the 2021 model year, the Toyota RAV4 Prime has served as a benchmark for what a small SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain can be. It's efficient, fast and nearly as practical as a regular RAV4. But now SUV shoppers have another choice to consider: the Hyundai Tucson PHEV. It too offers improved performance and efficiency over the standard gas-only Tucson.

BLOCKFI FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY, LATEST CRYPTO COMPANY TO FAIL

Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the latest casualty of the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.

CENSUS BUREAU CHIEF DEFENDS NEW PRIVACY TOOL AGAINST CRITICS

The U.S. Census Bureau's chief is defending a new tool meant to protect the privacy of people participating in the statistical agency's questionnaires against calls to abandon it by prominent researchers who claim it jeopardizes the usefulness of numbers that are the foundation of the nation's data infrastructure.

CHINA LAUNCHES 3 ASTRONAUTS TO COMPLETE SPACE STATION

China launched a rocket Tuesday carrying three astronauts to complete construction of the country’s permanent orbiting space station, during which they will expand the facility to its maximum capacity of six crew aboard.