Technology

After Mark Zuckerberg's big announcement that Meta will no longer fact check, Google is also sending a message to the European Union: The search giant is opting out of a new EU law that requires fact checks.

While tech companies might feel emboldened now to make such policy decisions in an attempt to curry favor with President-elect Donald Trump, it's a little different in Google's case — the company has never quite provided fact-checking of its search products or videos on YouTube, which it owns. So, at least as of now, Google isn't rolling back anything, it's just not committing to go any further.

A letter from Google’s global affairs president Kent Walker to Renate Nikolay, the European Commission’s content and technology czar, was obtained by Axios and lays out Google's rejection of the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation.

The code would require that Google develop fact-checking capabilities into its search engine ranking and YouTube algorithms. 

Signing on to these rules was voluntary as the disinformation code isn't legally binding. However, many social media platforms including Google, Meta, and even Twitter — before Elon Musk's acquisition — previously signed onto the code. As The Verge points out, even prior to the sudden policy changes at Meta, the European Fact-Checking Standards Network found that many of the online platforms that voluntarily signed on were "reneging on their commitments."

The code was created before the EU's official content moderation law, the Digital Services Act or DSA, went into effect in 2022. The DSA is legally binding so it will be interesting to see if any of the disinformation code gets implemented under the DSA and what Big Tech companies would do about it when that happens.

Google's letter to the European Commission states that the company would "pull out of all fact-checking commitments in the Code before it becomes a DSA Code of Conduct."

Accessory maker Logitech has announced a new product: a webcam that mounts on the ceiling and pans, tilts, and zooms to track the speaker. It's probably not for you, though.

I have bought almost every Zelda game, but no matter what, I lose steam within a few hours and never finish them. Despite this series being so acclaimed, Zelda just doesn't click for me.

These are wildly uncertain times for TikTok — and things don't appear to be getting any less complicated. Facing a losing Supreme Court decision and looming ban, TikTok CEO Shou Chew put out a statement praising President-elect Donald Trump in an extremely thinly veiled effort to sway the incoming commander-in-chief.

The U.S. Supreme Court released its decision upholding the ban on Friday. With reports that outgoing President Joe Biden won't enforce the ban, that leaves the decision in Trump's completely normal-sized hands. Chew released a response to the decision on TikTok's channels on Friday. It was all but a personal plea to the incoming president.

"I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” he said. "This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship."

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

Chew added: "We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process."

Trump famously loves to be flattered, so it is perhaps a winning strategy from Chew. In fact, Chew reportedly plans to attend Trump's inauguration on Monday. He's far from the only tech bigwig who'll be in attendance. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and X's Elon Musk are all reportedly planning to show up.

SEE ALSO: TikTok ban countdown: See the latest updates as time runs short

TikTok's future, and the futures of its many users, still remains uncertain, but perhaps Chew can turn the tides.

Linux Mint 22.1 “Xia” has now been released, with software updates and security fixes promised until 2029. You can download it now on your PC.

Android phones and tablets are at just as much risk as any other device for snooping, surveillance, and cybercrime. To help you combat these dangers, we’ve put together these five best VPNs for Android so you can surf more securely.

Severance fan theorists, step aside. Severance star Zach Cherry, who plays Dylan G., has a theory of his own.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most WTF moments from 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1

As The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott dives into Season 2 of Apple TV+'s acclaimed workplace thriller, Stiller and Scott have started a segment where Cherry — whom Stiller and Scott jokingly describe as "a clairvoyant" — shares his theories about what will happen in the show's next episodes.

Stiller jokingly clarified: "These predictions are what Zach thinks, based on, really, probably only having read his sides and his scenes."

"He doesn't like reading other people's lines," Scott added.

For his theory about what will happen in Season 2, episode 2, Cherry dove deep into the mystery of Gemma/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) and Cold Harbor.

"Next time on Severance," Cherry began. "Ms. Casey is trapped in the number four. And then when Mark finishes Cold Harbor, she moves up to number five. But she doesn't want to get to number seven, because obviously seven ate nine, and that's some scary stuff."

He's done it; he's cracked Severance's entire mystery box wide open!

But that's not all. Cherry also came up with a creative solution for Mr. Milchick's (Tramell Tillman) biggest problem — namely, that his computer screen still says, "Hello, Ms. Cobel" instead of his own name.

"I think Milchick is going to to change his name to Ms. Cobel, so then he doesn't have to feel sad about his computer login screen," Cherry said. "Maybe they'll send him two paychecks by accident."

Needless to say, Stiller and Scott are less than impressed by Cherry's theories, with Stiller even calling out his "seven ate nine" moment as a "second-grader joke." I don't know, maybe Cherry really is onto something, and Stiller and Scott are just trying to throw viewers off the scent.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday. You can follow along with The Severance Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.

While we've now seen an official Switch launch trailer, it's entirely devoid of technical specifications. As you might expect, some gamers can't wait to see the numbers under the hood of the Switch 2, and so "leaked" specs have been floating around the internet with rather mixed reactions.

Sony is about to release black versions of its PlayStation 5 accessories, and you can pre-order them starting today ahead of release next month.

While practically every smart home product has now pivoted to using "AI" somewhere in their marketing material, the actual impact of recent AI development hasn't impacted the smart home experience much. However, with the rise of AI agents, that's set to change in a big way.

SAVE 75%: As of Jan. 17, score a two-pack of Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless Bluetooth earbuds for $34.99. That's a 75% discount or $104.99 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Skullycandy two-pack of Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless Bluetooth earbuds $34.99
$139.99 Save $105.00 Get Deal

What’s better than owning one pair of wireless earbuds? Getting two for the price of one.

As of Jan. 17, you can get two pairs of Skullcandy Indy Evo true wireless in-ear Bluetooth earbuds for $34.99 at Woot. We’re pretty sure Woot inflated the list price to $139.99 because Amazon has these same buds for $26.99 on average (though the price fluctuates). Even so, $34.99 is a good deal for two sets of top-rated (40K+ reviews on Amazon) earbuds with decent sound quality, comfortable fit, and long-lasting battery life.

SEE ALSO: Skullcandy's $40 eco-friendly wireless earbuds sound surprisingly good

Each set includes a charging case, stability ear gels (small and large), and a USB-C charging cable. They also have an IP55 rating and are water- and dust-resistant.

The cool thing about these buds, aside from their performance and 30-hour battery life, is that they come with Tile tech built-in, so you'll always be able to track them down if you accidentally leave them somewhere. All you have to do is download the Tile app and pair it with the buds.

If you're looking for affordable wireless earbuds for yourself or to gift to a friend or family member, jump on this deal before it's gone.

Our yearly celebration of the best infographics and data-visualisations from around the world is back for 2023! Now in its eleventh year and in association with The Data Visualisation Society, a professional home and community for those working in this discipline.

If you create in this field, you may wish to submit your work.

We welcome entries of any type: infographics, data journalism, maps, interactives, information art, video, animation, app, site, sculpture, or artwork. Pieces can be created in any software, platform, or medium, using any type of materials.

Here are the categories open for submission:

» Arts, Entertainment & Culture
» Business Analytics
» Current Affairs & Politics
» Humanitarian
» Leisure, Games & Sport
» People, Language & Identity
» Places, Spaces & Environment
» Science, Technology & Health
» Unusual

Entries are currently open and will close on 31st Jan 2025.
Any work created between Sep 1st 2023 and Dec 31st 2023 is eligible.
Winner will share prizes from a $20,000 pot.

» See more criteria for entry

You can see previous years’ winners and entries on the Information is Beautiful Awards Showcase.

GET DOUBLE KINDLE POINTS: As of Jan. 17, get double Kindle Points for each Kindle purchase, today only.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Double Kindle Points with each Kindle book purchase Kindle Rewards Get Deal

Are you a voracious reader? Looking to get paid back for some of the money you spend on Kindle books? Amazon's Kindle Rewards program lets you earn points per dollar spent on Kindle e-books, and print books as well. You can redeem earned points for rewards and discounts (to buy even more books)/. And today, you can stock up on Kindle books and earn more points right now.

As of Jan. 17, you can earn double points on all the Kindle books you purchase today as part of the Kindle Rewards program. Between 12:00 a.m. PT and 11:50 p.m. PT, you can shop 'til you drop and get six points per dollar you spend on Kindle title, and one point per dollar you spend on print books.

SEE ALSO: Prime members can save on the brand new Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

The rewards you can earn through this program can net you cash for more books. You get $3 for every 300 points you earn, and for a limited time you can choose to redeem 300 points on your next Kindle purchase for $3 off.

It might not seem like a lot, but if you're buying Kindle books anyway, you may as well earn a little cash back on each purchase. Even the smallest of discount can mean a very affordable Kindle book, since there are some titles on sale for as low as 99 cents. You can fill your device with tons of reading material just by splurging on some of the books you've had your eye on.

This deal is only going on today, so if you have some books in mind you still need to buy, go ahead and snag them. Those points aren't going to earn themselves.

Don't settle for the default Steam boot animation. Instead, grab some alternatives from the Points Shop, or use your own custom video. Here's how to change your startup movie on Steam Deck and Big Picture.

Wolf Man stars Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott join producer Beatriz Sequeira and writer/director Leigh Whannell to discuss how they reimagined the iconic werewolf tale and the essentials of telling a good werewolf story.

Wolf Man opens in theaters Jan. 17.

Apple might have a fix for overheating issues with the upcoming iPhone 17.

According to Chinese outlet MyDrivers via WCCF Tech, the iPhone 17 lineup will reportedly be built with a "vapor chamber cooling" system to address any overheating that might arise. Building phones with vapor cooling heatsinks is pretty commonplace for Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel lineups.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone 17 will come with a huge RAM upgrade, report claims

However, Apple has yet to introduce this method of managing overheating, which passes vaporized liquid through a chamber within the phone. This solution is slightly bulkier than traditional cooling methods, which might be why previous iPhones weren't built with this mechanism. Adopting a vapor cooling system will help maintain performance even during intensive use, such as gaming.

The iPhone 15 was plagued with overheating issues, according to users who reported their phones would become too hot to touch. Apple implemented a fix with a software update, and despite concerns that it might slow down the device, testers confirmed that it worked without any compromises to performance. Although the iPhone 16 had improved thermal cooling, there were still reports of overheating with the iPhone 16, although less widespread.

We've barely entered 2025, but there are already rumors about what to expect with the iPhone 17 lineup, expected this September. Apple might introduce the A19 chip for the iPhone 17 Pro, and all models might get a better selfie camera.

And then there's the rumored slimmest model yet, called "iPhone 17 Air" or "iPhone 17 Slim" to replace the Plus versions. That said, Apple is reportedly struggling to fit a 6mm battery within the slimmer size.

Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, and John Turturro dive into the challenges and joys of filming Season 2, from getting lost in the ever-growing maze of hallways to exploring their characters’ innies and outies.

Severance Season 2 is streaming now on Apple TV+, with a new episode every week.

A rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX exploded spectacularly during a test flight on Thursday. As one might expect, that caused some issues with air travel.

The Federal Aviation Administration told TechCrunch that it briefly had "slow and divert a number of aircraft" that were flying near the area. Flightradar24 data showed a number of aircraft slowing or changing course in airspace near Puerto Rico. Jet Blue had to delay a couple of flights to San Juan while American Airlines had to divert fewer than 10 flights, CNBC reported.

Tweet may have been deleted SEE ALSO: SpaceX catches Starship booster but loses ship in seventh flight test

In case you missed it, Starship experienced what SpaceX dubbed a "rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn." In non-euphemism, laymen's terms, that means the ship went kaboom. Apparent video of the debris falling to Earth, shared by Musk himself, was pretty spectacular to witness.

Tweet may have been deleted

Sure, the Starship might've exploded and caused issues with flights, but it definitely did look cool as it fell to the ground. So that's something.

The trailer for upcoming film Cold Wallet promises a home invasion movie with a cryptocurrency twist.

SEE ALSO: What to know about David Sacks, Trump's pick for AI and crypto czar

Directed by Cutter Hodierne and presented by Steven Soderbergh (Presence), Cold Wallet follows a group of Redditors who fell prey to a recent cryptocurrency scam. After losing everything, this trio — played by Raúl Castillo (Smile 2), Tony Cavalero (The Righteous Gemstones), and Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station) — decide to kidnap the financial influencer (Josh Brener, Saturday Night) who perpetrated the scam.

Of course, their plan falls apart once they make it to the influencer's mansion. As the trailer shows, the Redditors' target begins to manipulate his would-be kidnappers and turn them against one another. Check out the full trailer above for more crypto-fueled madness — including a nod to both the GameStop and AMC short squeezes from 2021.

Cold Wallet hits theaters Feb. 28.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the forthcoming ban of TikTok, which will see the app phased out of American users' digital diets starting Jan. 19.

Following a short deliberation, the court's unanimous decision keeps the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (as it is officially called) in place.

"There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary," the court decision says.

Despite several attempts to ban the app over the last few years, this is the first successful move against the China-owned company, which U.S. politicians have repeatedly accused of being a threat to national security.

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

TikTok filed an emergency motion for injunction in early December, requesting the Supreme Court hear arguments against the decision and halt it going into effect. Organizations like the ACLU have called the ban unconstitutional and a violation of free speech, joining a larger call by users and industry leaders to stop the ban. On Dec. 18, the court formally agreed to hear challenges.

In his final days before leaving office, President Joe Biden has said he will not actively enforce the ban, leaving the decision to implement the ban in the hands of the upcoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn in for the second time on Monday, Jan. 20, has pledged to save the app from leaving the U.S. market and asked the court to grant a stay for the ban's deadline.