Browsing: Technology

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, will pay $725 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in 2018. Following Facebook’s revelation that 87 million users’ data had been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, tied to former President Donald Trump’s election campaign, a lawsuit was filed. Cambridge Analytica obtained Facebook user data through an app developed by a third party. The “This is Your Digital Life” app was downloaded by only 270,000 Facebook users, but its permissions allowed it to access their friends’ data. The developer passed the 87 million-user dataset on to Cambridge Analytica, contravening Facebook’s terms of service. Many of the…

The Twitter San Francisco offices have been stripped out, fulfilling predictions that 75% of the company’s employees would be laid off. Somewhere, Elon Musk found even more people to fire as tumbleweeds blew through Twitter’s empty halls and empty office spaces. As first reported by Tech Crunch, the flailing social media company laid off half of its remaining public policy team this week. According to a report from The Information, the platform also cut additional engineering staff responsible for site infrastructure last Friday. Managing legal and civil interactions regarding topics such as speech rights, privacy, and safety is/was the responsibility…

The Mars InSight lander has been withdrawn from service by NASA four years after arriving on the surface of the red planet, the U.S. space agency announced on Wednesday. When two consecutive attempts to re-establish radio contact with InSight ended in failure, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles determined the mission had ended. InSight’s solar-powered batteries had run out. Due to an increasing accumulation of dust on the solar panels and its inability to recharge its batteries, NASA predicted that the spacecraft would reach the end of its operational life in a matter of weeks. Engineers at JPL…

India’s maiden human space flight – the H-1 mission – is to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024, India’s Minister of State for Space, Science, Technology, Earth Sciences and Atomic Energy, Dr. Jitendra Singh said. India’s overall human space flight programme is known as Gaganyaan. This is a major achievement made possible under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “In view of the paramount importance of crew safety, two test vehicle missions without crew are planned before the H-1 mission to demonstrate the performance of the crew escape system and parachute-based deceleration system for different flight conditions,” Singh…

The European Commission, which is the executive arm of the EU, has found Meta to be in violation of EU antitrust law. This is because it has distorted competition in the markets for online classified ads. In its decision, the Commission expressed concern over Meta’s decision to pair its personal social network, Facebook, with the Facebook Marketplace service. The Facebook Marketplace service allows users to list items for sale. It is possible that Meta could be fined up to $11.8 billion if it is found guilty of the charges. In its decision, the Commission took issue with Meta’s decision to…

A NASA-led mission was set to blast off from Southern California early on Thursday on a major Earth science mission to survey the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers for the first time. The advanced radar satellite, known as SWOT, or Surface Water and Ocean Topography, will provide scientists with unprecedented insights into the life-giving fluid covering 70 percent of the planet, which may shed light on climate change’s mechanics and consequences, according to the article. The SWOT spacecraft was scheduled to launch from Vandenberg U.S. Space Force Base in California, located about 275 km northwest of Los Angeles, on Thursday…

Sunday marked the first time in the history of the Arab world that a lunar rover had successfully launched into space. Rashid Rover, built by UAE Space Agency and the first Emirati mission to the surface of the Moon, took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, US, at 11.38am UAE time today aboard a Space X Falcon 9 rocket. UAE becomes the first Arab country and fourth country in the world to land on the lunar surface after the United States, Soviet Union, and China. Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) said that…

Apple is ramping up its plans to shift more and more iPhone production to India as China becomes embroiled with frequent COVID-19 outbreaks and citizen protests. Apple’s contract manufacturers in India are set to increase production sharply, according to a prominent Indian newspaper. As a result of the government’s Rs 41,000 crore PLI scheme, Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron are preparing to ramp up production. Experts expect locally made iPhones to reach 20% of global shipments within three to four years, from 5% now. Two sources quoted by CNBC said India is in talks with Apple to manufacture iPads. However, no…

Samsung Gulf Electronics announced the launch of two revolutionary foldable smartphones: Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4. Both devices have customizable form factors, tailored experiences, and upgraded performance. The Galaxy Z series, in its fourth generation, brings new, impactful interactions to everyday life. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip4 adds a larger battery, expanded customization, and an improved camera experience to its iconic form factor. Featuring a shape-shifting design, immersive displays, PC-like multitasking features, advanced camera technology, and powerful mobile processors, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4 is Samsung’s most comprehensive smartphone to date. The Galaxy Z Flip4 enhances users’ favorite features, allowing…

MENA Newswire: Canon today announces the expansion of its MAXIFY range for those working at home, or in small businesses, with the MAXIFY GX3050 and MAXIFY GX4050. Built with collaboration, efficiency and productivity in mind, the expanded series is ideal for a reaching a wide range of needs within different workspaces – whether its hybrid working from home or running a small business. Equipped with MegaTank refillable ink tank technology, both models have low total cost of ownership and low cost per page. They are easy to maintain and easy to use – saving time to focus on other business matters.…