Technology

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a case involving social media, scoring a significant practical victory. The ruling rejected a Republican challenge that sought to prevent the government from communicating with social media platforms to combat misinformation. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that the plaintiffs, including states and individuals, had not suffered direct harm that would have entitled them to sue. The decision leaves unresolved broader questions about the First Amendment’s limits on government influence over tech companies, which control much of the flow of information online. The case arose from the government’s…

Seventeen years ago, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, a revolutionary device that combined an iPod, a telephone, and an Internet browser in one. At $500, it was expensive, but its innovation justified the cost, despite some initial flaws. Fast forward to today, and my experience with Apple’s new $3,500 Vision Pro headset has been less than stellar. This ski-goggle-style virtual reality headset aims to merge the physical and digital worlds. Apple bills it as a “space computer” designed for work, entertainment, and play. Without an advance review unit from Apple, I purchased the Vision Pro myself. With essential add-ons like…

In Japan, engineers are working to create robots that can mimic human expressions, particularly smiles. They developed a face mask using human skin cells, which they attached to robots using a new technique that hides the bond and is flexible enough to form expressions such as a grimace or a slight smile. The look is a mix between the disturbing Hannibal Lecter mask and the claymation character Gumby. However, scientists believe that these prototypes could lead to more advanced robots. These robots would have a durable, elastic outer layer that protects the machine while making it more human-like. The “skin…

In May, CoreWeave, a provider of cloud computing services for AI companies, raised $1.1 billion, followed by $7.5 billion in debt, reaching a valuation of $19 billion. Scale AI, a data provider for AI companies, secured $1 billion, at a valuation of $13.8 billion. Additionally, xAI, founded by Elon Musk, raised $6 billion, reaching a valuation of $24 billion. According to Kyle Stanford, research analyst at PitchBook, these funding rounds have increased overall deal volume in the industry, both in terms of dollar amounts and number of deals. "It's not declining anymore," he said. "The bottom has already fallen out."…

Is your phone constantly warning you about low storage space? Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling to find a particular photo? Over time, our phones accumulate countless images, apps, and files that can clog up space. Here's how to effectively clean up your photo library and free up storage space using tools readily available on your device. Check your storage space First, assess how much space is left on your device and identify what is taking up space. For Android users, go to the Settings app and select Storage. On Samsung Galaxy devices, go to Settings, choose Device care or…

If the Biden administration is successful, many more electronic chips will be produced in factories located in, say, Texas or Arizona. These chips will then be shipped to partner countries like Costa Rica, Vietnam, or Kenya for final assembly and global distribution, powering everything from refrigerators to supercomputers. These places aren’t the first that come to mind when you think of semiconductors. But administration officials are trying to transform the global chip supply chain, and they’re negotiating hard to make that happen. Key elements of the plan include convincing foreign companies to invest in U.S. chipmaking and finding other countries…

When Chelsia Potts took her 10-year-old daughter to a psychologist for an evaluation for autism spectrum disorder, she decided, almost as an afterthought, to get tested herself. The results were surprising: Like her daughter, Ms. Potts was diagnosed with autism. At 35, Ms. Potts thought she was dealing with anxiety or something else. A first-generation college graduate, she had earned a Ph.D. in education and become a high-level administrator at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After seeing a psychologist, she had to figure out how this diagnosis would affect her work life. “I was confused at first and kept it…

In a new factory in northern Italy, Ferrari chassis slide onto robot trucks as engineers in cherry-red uniforms add components like the engine block, dashboard, and steering wheel, turning these bodies into hybrids. Soon: fully electric. There’s a lot at stake in Ferrari’s €200 million “e-building,” which opened last month. Almost twice the size of Rome’s Colosseum, the factory aims to propel the 77-year-old sports car maker, famous for the roar of its combustion engines, into the age of electrification. However, this effort comes at a delicate time for the auto industry. The transition to electric vehicles, which should have…