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☆ How to explore Greece's lesser-known islands like a local
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Morgan Awyong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But now it wants tourists to get to know lesser-known locations across its thousands of sprawling islands. Currently, Germany and the U.K. represent Greece's largest inbound tourism markets by revenue, followed by the United States, France and Italy. An eco-paradise surrounded by 24 islets, Lipsi forms part of the Dodecanese island collection in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Alonissos, SporadesDivers' delight Alonissos, part of the Sporades group of islands, is a diver's paradise and the site of Greece's first underwater museum. Alonissos, part of the Sporades archipelago in the northwest Aegean Sea, is known for its diving spots, including Greece's first underwater museum, the "Parthenon of the Wrecks."

The number of Twitter mobile app downloads actually declined 18% in February to 14.05 million from 17.2 million in January. Meanwhile, Twitter had 14.9 million app downloads in April, which is a 2% increase from the 14.6 million downloads it accumulated in March. Musk's Twitter makeover has sparked new interest in decentralized social networks. Elon Musk's Twitter is facing new competition from a rival called Bluesky, a so-called decentralized communications app that is backed by Twitter co-founder and twice-former CEO, Jack Dorsey. The front-end apps built atop these decentralized platforms are often clunky, not professional-looking or easy to use.

☆ EU antitrust regulators seeking more info on Apple Pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, May 10 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are seeking more information on Apple's (AAPL.O) mobile payment system, the European Commission said on Wednesday, a sign that the enforcer is looking to close any loopholes and boost its case against the iPhone maker. The EU competition watchdog last year accused Apple of restricting rivals' access to its tap-and-go technology, Near-Field Communication (NFC), used for mobile wallets, making it difficult for them to develop rival services on Apple devices. Norwegian mobile payment app and complainant Vipps said, however, that alternatives to NFC are cumbersome and not competitive. The commission's request for information to rivals and retailers is unusual as it comes three months after Apple defended itself at a Feb. 14 hearing. The regulator, which can fine Apple up to 10% of its global turnover if found guilty of breaching antitrust rules, typically issues decisions after such hearings.

☆ Lawmakers press companies that collect U.S. consumer data to reveal how they buy and sell it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In the letters, 10 lawmakers asked the companies for detailed responses on the types of sensitive information they gather, such as health, location and phone data, including apps consumers download to their devices. The companies were also asked what information they collect on minors. Last month, the subcommittee on oversight and investigations held a hearing with expert witnesses to examine "the role of data brokers in the digital economy." In that report, the regulator recommended that Congress force brokers to give consumers greater control over their data, but the "data brokers can easily circumvent existing rules and laws," the letter said. Here's the full list of data brokers who received the letter::AcxiomAtDataBabel StreetCoreLogic SolutionsEpsilon Data ManagementEquifaxExperianGravy AnalyticsInteliusKochavaLiveRampMylifeOracle AmericaPeopleConnectPlacer.aiRELXSafegraphSpokeoThomson ReutersTransUnionVerisk AnalyticsWhitepagesSubscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

☆ A Google exec's jab at Apple about texting issues between iPhones and Android drew cheers and applause at a conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Google exec took a thinly veiled jab at Apple at the company's Google IO conference. The exec said the company hopes every mobile operating system adopts a messaging standard called RCS. Google has campaigned for Apple to adopt RCS to make texting between iOS and Android a better experience. The moment was Google's latest attempt to pressure Apple to adopt something called the the RCS messaging standard, or Rich Communications Services. Samat said that over 800 million people currently use the RCS standard, with expectations that number will balloon to 1 billion by the end of the year.

Circuit Court of Appeals said Corellium lawfully recreated Apple's system under the U.S. copyright doctrine of fair use, furthering scientific progress by aiding important security research. Apple sued Corellium for copyright infringement in South Florida federal court in 2019. Apple unsuccessfully tried to buy Corellium for nearly $23 million before filing the lawsuit, the appeals court said. The appeals court rejected Apple's arguments that Corellium simply repackaged iOS in a different format for profit, harming Apple's market for its operating system and its security-research programs. Corellium "opened the door for deeper security research into operating systems like iOS," the circuit court said.

☆ What to know about Bluesky, the Twitter alternative that some celebrities and journalists are joining
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

While Bluesky's beta was made public in February, buzz surrounding the platform grew in April as more Twitter users began posting about flocking there. Although the Bluesky app has many similarities to Twitter, its key difference is that it is organized around a decentralized system. One person even claimed to sell Bluesky invite codes for more than $190 on eBay. The Bluesky app racked up 375,000 downloads on iOS worldwide as of Wednesday, according to analytics firm Data.ai. Jordan Uhl, a progressive activist with more than 271,000 followers on Twitter, joined Bluesky on April 14.

☆ Microsoft opens up Bing access and adds chat history and export features
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft said Thursday that it's dispensing with the waiting list it has had in place for the past three months for its revamped Bing search engine, allowing anyone with a Microsoft account to use it. Kumar said the company will provide more details on how developers can build for the Bing chatbot at its Microsoft Build developer conference, which starts on May 23. That means Google has yet to allow people to use the Bing chatbot from Google's dominant Chrome browser. Microsoft includes Edge in its Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems, and the default search engine in Edge is Bing. may ruin Alphabet's only real business: Google Search, says CIC Wealth's Malcolm Ethridge

☆ A new AI chatbot called Pi is designed to serve as your personal assistant — here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new chatbot called Pi, launched by Inflection AI, offers personal advice and support. There's a new AI chatbot on the scene — and this one wants to get personal. At one point, I asked Pi to share museum recommendations for a friend visiting New York City. Insider asked Pi how to restart the conversation, and Pi said to "start talking about whatever is on your mind." Inflection AI also said it's "creating a new form of 'boundary training' that will redefine how AIs learn and are trained."

☆ Google rolls out an alternative to the password
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —The days of having to think up new passwords that aren’t “password123” may be coming to an end – at least on your Google accounts. Google on Wednesday began rolling out support for passkeys, an alternative sign-in method for apps and websites that the company says is meant to serve as an “easier to use and more secure” alternative to the password. With passkeys, Google said users can access their various accounts the same way they might unlock their phone: with a fingerprint, face scan or screen lock PIN. Apple rolled out its passkey option with the release of iOS 16, allowing people to use the technology across apps, including Apple Wallet. Passkey support was rolled out on Chrome and Android devices in October 2022, but now the option is available across Google accounts, from Gmail to Drive.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are Apple's newest high-end smartphones. iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro: CamerasBoth the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pixel 7 Pro sport triple-lens camera systems, including main, ultrawide, and zoom cameras. iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro: Battery lifeThe iPhone 14 Pro Max (left) has better battery life than the Pixel 7 Pro (right) Antonio Villas-BoasThe iPhone 14 Pro Max has one of the best results we've seen in our battery life test at 67% remaining. iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro: Special featuresThis is where Google's Pixel 7 Pro comes into its own when compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. iPhone 14 Pro Max Google Pixel 7 Pro 128GB $1,099 $899 256GB $1,199 $999 512GB $1,399 $1,099 1TB $1,599 N/AiPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro: Which should you buy?

☆ Apple and Google are teaming up on a plan to make Bluetooth trackers like AirTags safer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Apple and Google are working together on a new industry-wide effort to help limit the risk of Bluetooth devices like AirTags being used for unwanted tracking after a number of reports about these products enabling stalking. The companies announced a joint proposal on Tuesday for a new technical specification for manufacturers to build into future products. It would allow location-tracking devices to implement “unauthorized tracking detection and alerts” and work on both iOS and Android platforms. But soon after its launch, some experts warned that the devices could be used to track individuals without their consent. The issue of unwanted tracking also “existed long before AirTags came on the market,” Erica Olsen, director of the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, told CNN last year.

☆ FTC proposes barring Meta from monetizing kids' data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Trade Commission proposed on Wednesday barring Facebook parent company Meta from monetizing kids' data after it says the company violated a 2020 privacy order. The FTC alleges Facebook also violated an earlier 2012 order by continuing to allow app developers access to private user information. The FTC is also accusing Meta of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule by misrepresenting parental controls on its Messenger Kids app. Compliance with the 2020 order would also extend to any companies Meta acquires or merges with. After Meta responds, the Commission will decide whether updating the 2020 order "is in the public interest or justified by changed conditions of fact or law."

☆ Apple and Google team up to stop unwanted AirTag tracking
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple and Google said on Tuesday that they were working together to prevent lost item trackers like Apple's AirTag from being used to track people without their permission. Apple's AirTag is intended to help people find lost items such as keys by displaying an item's nearly real-time location inside an iPhone app. In response, Apple previously built detection features into iPhones that allow users to detect unfamiliar AirTags in the user's area. Apple and Google said the features would be completed by the end of 2023 and then implemented "in future versions of iOS and Android." The change will also allow other lost item trackers, like those made by Samsung or Tile, to build similar iPhone and Android alert features.

☆ That simple 'hi' text from a stranger could be the start of a scam that ends up costing you millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

The scammer networks operate fake trading platforms that look "exactly the way they should look," Friedman told CNBC. "When I was looking at who had messaged, I was like, 'I don't know if this person is real,'" Kaimi told CNBC. When pressed, Kaimi told Mike about his financial difficulties, stemming from past credit-card debt. "I thought I was someone who knew when they were being scammed, was able to discern things," Kaimi told CNBC. But when Kaimi told Mike he was planning to withdraw his funds, the penny dropped.

☆ Apple to issue disappointing forecast this week, Bank of America predicts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should brace for lower forward guidance from tech giant Apple on Thursday, according to Bank of America. Research analyst Wamsi Mohan said the firm expects Apple to at least meet consensus expectations on both earnings per share and revenue for its fiscal second quarter. Bank of America is calling for earnings of $1.40 per share on revenue of $92.4 billion, compared to the Street's expectations of $1.43 in earnings per share and $92.9 billion. Asset management firm Bernstein also noted concern on Apple last week heading into earnings. Mohan also noted further points of contention for Apple include ongoing negotiations with Google and the rise of search engine Bing .

☆ What is Bluesky? A new Jack Dorsey-backed Twitter rival has people fighting for invites
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bluesky has been compared to Mastodon and is backed by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey. The Jack Dorsey-backed platform, Bluesky, is a Twitter clone with a very similar format to its established rival. Bluesky users set up a profile by choosing a picture, bio, display name, and domain name. However, unlike Mastodon, users don't have to choose a server when they sign up – something that appeared to be an issue for Mastodon users who found the process too complicated. In April last year, Bluesky clarified the company's relationship to Twitter, saying: "The bluesky project originated with Twitter in 2019, but the Bluesky PBLLC established this year is an independent company focused on decentralized social network R&D."

☆ Twitter to take 10% cut on content subscriptions after 12 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc CEO Elon Musk said on Friday that the social media platform will take a 10% cut on content subscriptions after the first year, as the company looks to monetize content on the website in a bid to diversify its revenue sources. Earlier this month, billionaire owner Musk said users of the social media platform will be able to offer their followers subscriptions to content, including long-form text and hours-long video. He had also said that the company will not take a cut for the first 12 months on content subscriptions. He added that the company's cut from subscriptions on iOS and Android platforms will drop to 15% in the second year from 30% in the first. loadingReporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bluesky Social: Twitter's former CEO has a new app that looks a lot like Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The buzzy new social media app of the moment looks so much like Twitter it’s almost hard to distinguish the two. But under the hood, Bluesky, developed by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, is vastly different. The Bluesky social media app logo is seen on a mobile device in April 2023. Like Mastodon, Bluesky appeals to a number of Twitter users who are frustrated with the direction of the platform under owner Elon Musk. As Eve 6 wrote on Twitter: “Bluesky invite codes are the new blue check.”

☆ Mihoyo's new video game tops download charts as big launches return to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blockbuster debut bodes well for several other games due to launch this summer in the world's largest video games market. As of Thursday, the Shanghai-based company's strategy game "Honkai: Star Rail", where anime characters battle space monsters, had amassed 20 million downloads across smartphones and personal computers, miHoYo said. 1 on the iOS game download chart in more countries than any prior game," Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad said on Twitter. It is scheduled to test action game "Valorant" in May ahead of its official release this year. Tencent will invest in launching an esports league in China for the game.

☆ What Is Bluesky and Why Are People Clamoring to Join It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sheera Frenkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But unlike Twitter, Bluesky plans to be a decentralized system, meaning people may eventually be able to build their own apps and communities within it. Ms. Graber said it was designed that way so that no individual could create rules for the entire Bluesky community. Bluesky also operates using an “open protocol.” This is unusual because social media platforms have traditionally been walled gardens, meaning that what is posted on individual platforms remains only on that platform. But because Bluesky is trying to be more open, it could someday allow posts to flow between different social media platforms with ease. Last month, a Bluesky user speculated that the app’s name came from Mr. Dorsey’s desire to transform Twitter into an open protocol, freeing Twitter’s bird mascot to a blue sky.

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☆ Meta set to report first-quarter earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Facebook parent Meta is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings after the close of regular trading Wednesday. $27.65 billion, according to Refinitiv. Daily active users (DAUs): 2.01 billion, according to StreetAccount. 2.01 billion, according to StreetAccount. Monthly active users (MAUs): 2.99 billion, according to StreetAccount.

☆ App Store developers can link to payment methods outside the store, avoiding Apple's 30% fee, court rules in 'Fortnite' case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Epic Games brought a lawsuit against Apple after "Fortnite" was removed from the App Store in 2020. On Monday, a federal appeals court ruled that Apple's "anti-steering" provision was uncompetitive. So now App Store developers can link to outside payment systems to avoid the 30% fee. Developers using Apple's App Store are now allowed to bypass its 30% commission fee by steering users to their own payment systems, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. Epic had integrated its own payment system into the app for users to buy VBucks, "Fortnite's" in-game currency, which went against App Store guidelines.

☆ Appeals court largely sides with Apple on ‘Fortnite’ antitrust case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —A federal appeals court largely sided with Apple on Monday in a closely watched case about its app store policies, a decision that could complicate future efforts to regulate app store operators and frustrate claims that Apple behaves monopolistically. Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the iOS App Store, a move Epic anticipated and that prompted Epic to sue. On Monday, in addition to siding with Apple on the antitrust claims, the appeals court held that Apple is entitled to have Epic cover its legal fees stemming from the countersuit, reversing a lower-court decision. That finding could give some ammunition to critics of app store operators. Both sides now have several weeks to determine whether to seek a rehearing from the appeals court or to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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