DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 50 years ago, he made the first cell phone call
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I’m calling you on a cell phone, but a real cell phone, a personal, handheld, portable cell phone,” Cooper, then an engineer at Motorola, said on the phone to Joel Engel, head of AT&T-owned Bell Labs. “I was not surprised that everybody has a cell phone,” Cooper, now 94, told CNN. Today, 97% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind, according to a 2021 study by Pew Research Center. I know there are disadvantages to the cell phone. “Overall, I think the cell phone has changed humanity for the better and that will continue in the future.”

☆ FDA requires medical devices be secured against cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

As part of the new law, the FDA must also update its medical device cybersecurity guidance at least every two years. A 2022 report released by the FBI cited research finding 53% of digital medical devices and other internet-connected products in hospitals had known critical vulnerabilities. The report listed a number of medical devices that are susceptible to cyber attacks, including insulin pumps, intracardiac defibrillators, mobile cardiac telemetry and pacemakers. A 2018 report from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General said the FDA was not adequately protecting devices from getting hacked. “FDA had plans and processes for addressing certain medical device problems in the postmarket phase, but its plans and processes were deficient for addressing medical device cybersecurity compromises,” the report said.

☆ Apple launches buy now, pay later service
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Apple on Tuesday launched an option in its digital wallet allowing customers to pay for online purchases in installments, making it the latest company to embrace the buy now, pay later trend. The new feature, called Apple Pay Later, lets customers split payments for purchases into four installments over six weeks, with the first installment due at the time of purchase. Apple users can also apply for a loan within the Wallet app, ranging from $50 to $1000, with no interest or fees, to make online or in-app purchases. Apple’s move comes as a growing number of consumers have turned to buy now, pay later services to stretch their budgets at a time of high inflation and broader economic uncertainty. Apple’s Pay Later option is enabled through the Mastercard Installments program.

New York CNN —Taylor Swift fans headed to court in Los Angeles Monday to face off against Ticketmaster after the ticketing giant fumbled online sales to the mega-star’s latest tour. Ticketmaster and parent-company Live Nation face a lawsuit from Swifties across the country filed in December for “unlawful conduct” in the pop star’s chaotic tour sale. The lawsuit alleges Ticketmaster and its parent company were anti-competitive, imposing higher prices on fans in the presale, sale and resale market. It’s the only place to get tickets,” Swift fan Penny Harrison told CNN. Pre-sale tickets for “The Eras Tour” frustrated Swift fans across the country in a debacle that stayed in the headlines for weeks.

☆ William Shatner is mad he may have to pay to keep his blue Twitter checkmark. Elon Musk says too bad
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk and William Shatner clashed on Twitter over the weekend after the Star Trek actor complained about being forced to pay to keep his blue checkmark on the platform. In a tweet on Saturday, Shatner expressed frustration with Twitter’s plan to remove blue checkmarks from the accounts of celebrities, journalists, government officials and other high-profile individuals who don’t pay $84 a year (or $8 a month) for its subscription service, Twitter Blue. “Hey @elonmusk what’s this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter?” he tweeted. In the process, Twitter risks alienating some of the VIP users who have long been a key draw for millions to use the platform. Twitter said it will “begin winding down” the “legacy” blue checks for users on April 1.

☆ Some Equifax settlement checks bounced due to 'clerical error' at failed Signature Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Some consumers who tried to deposit an Equifax settlement check in recent days got a surprise: It bounced. The checks, a result of a legal settlement over the credit-reporting firm's 2017 data breach, were written against an account at Signature Bank. However, the checks that were returned unpaid are not related to the bank's failure, said Jennifer Keough, CEO of JND Legal Administration, which is handling the Equifax settlement. "What happened here, due to a Signature Bank clerical error, certain checks that should have cleared were rejected by other banks," Keough said. Roughly 18 million consumers were part of the class action lawsuit that led to the settlement, she said.

☆ Meta launches pay-for-verification subscription service for Facebook and Instagram in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Facebook and Instagram users in the United States will soon be able to pay to get a coveted blue check on their account. Meta on Friday began testing a paid verification option for US users of the two social networks, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram. “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” Zuckerberg wrote in February in an Instagram broadcast channel. Twitter relaunched its own verification subscription service, Twitter Blue, in December, after an onset of fake “verified” accounts forced it to pull the feature. Twitter Blue costs $11 a month for iOS and Android subscribers, part of owner Elon Musk’s attempt to raise its subscriptions business after buying the platform for $44 billion.

☆ Google Glass is being discontinued, again
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

First unveiled in 2013, Google Glass was initially marketed for a general audience, with the promise of giving people access to a computer on their face rather than having to pull out a phone. The first Enterprise edition of Glass, announced in 2017, was pushed for use in industries such as manufacturing and logistics. The Enterprise Edition 2, released in 2019, was Google’s last attempt at saving the Glass product. Still, the dream of Google Glass lives on. And even after the setback of Glass, Google said last year it was continuing to test other AR glasses.

☆ T-Mobile to buy Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile in a $1.35 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

T-Mobile announced Wednesday that it’s buying budget wireless provider Mint Mobile in a larger deal for up to $1.35 billion. “I never dreamt I’d own a wireless company and I certainly never dreamt I’d sell it to T-Mobile,” Reynolds wrote on Twitter Wednesday. Mint Mobile was created in 2016 with the goal of delivering an “affordable, premium wireless” service direct to consumers, according to its website. In his 2019 statement, Reynolds said he was “excited to champion a more practical approach to the most essential technology.”T-Mobile hopes to boost its own prepaid services with the acquisition of Mint Mobile. “Over the long-term, we’ll also benefit from applying the marketing formula Mint has become famous for across more parts of T-Mobile.” wrote Sievert.

☆ SVB collapse was driven by ‘the first Twitter fueled bank run’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The massive amount of customer withdrawals that led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank had all the hallmarks of an old-fashioned bank run, but with a new twist befitting the primary industry the bank served: much of it unfolded online. Customers withdrew $42 billion in a single day last week from Silicon Valley Bank, leaving the bank with $1 billion in negative cash balance, the company said in a regulatory filing. “It was the speed, fueled by zero distribution costs for both rumors and withdrawals, that was so destabilizing.”Silicon Valley Bank was arguably uniquely susceptible to those factors given its tech-focused customer base. The next day, the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation stepped in and took control of the bank, which only added to the viral panic on Twitter. “THAT IS THE PROPER REACTION.”Hours later, the Biden administration stepped in and guaranteed the bank’s customers would have access to all their money starting Monday.

☆ The new normal on Twitter: watching it break
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

When he would check his notifications tab on Twitter, Sinker, who has tens of thousands of followers, often saw the platform recommend the same weeks-old tweet from another user. Probably, but it becomes a less sure thing with each bit that falls off,” Sinker, a writer who has been on Twitter since 2007, told CNN. But in trying to cut his way to profitability, Musk risks making Twitter a less viable service. Weeks earlier, Twitter users encountered other various issues with the platform, including the inability to tweet, send direct messages or follow new accounts. After some publications pointed out the sudden surge in Musk posts in users’ feeds last month, the Twitter CEO responded: “Please stay tuned while we make adjustments.”

☆ ChatGPT is coming to Slack
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Next time you’re wondering how to respond to a colleague on Slack, you may be able to ask ChatGPT for help. Salesforce, the company behind Slack, announced Tuesday that it’s partnering with OpenAI to launch a ChatGPT app for the workplace messaging platform. The new tool will use the AI chatbot to “deliver instant conversation summaries, research tools, and writing assistance directly in Slack,” according to Salesforce. The move to bring ChatGPT to Slack is just the latest example of the AI chatbot finding its way into more services. Salesforce and OpenAI introduced the ChatGPT app for Slack.

☆ Verizon is raising prices on older cell phone plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues

☆ Why GoodRx is emailing customers about sharing their health information
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —GoodRx customers who typically receive emails about prescription drug deals and refill reminders from the company saw something very different in their inboxes this week. GoodRX sent a notice to users detailing allegations from the Federal Trade Commission that the company shared sensitive health data with third parties for advertising purposes without customers’ permission. “This information included details about drug and health conditions people searched and their prescription medications,” the company wrote in the notice e-mailed to customers and posted on its website. In some cases, GoodRx used the information to target people with health-related ads.”The alert comes a month after the FTC announced a formal settlement with the digital health platform and issued a “first-of-its-kind proposed order” prohibiting the company from sharing health data from its customers with other companies for advertising. Users took to social media to voice concern about the e-mail, with some wondering how much money the firm might have made from their health data and others swearing off using the service.

☆ Nokia redesigns iconic logo to remind the world it’s not a phone company anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Vanderbilt University apologizes after using ChatGPT to write mass shooting email
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School has apologized to students for using artificial intelligence to write an email about a mass shooting at another university, saying the distribution of the note did not follow the school’s usual processes. At the end of the email was a surprising line: “Paraphrase from OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI language model, personal communication, February 15, 2023,” read a parenthetical in smaller font. Nicole Joseph, one of the three signatories of the original letter, called using ChatGPT “poor judgment,” according to the Vanderbilt Hustler, a student newspaper. On Tuesday, Vanderbilt said Joseph and assistant dean Hasina Mohyuddin, another signer of the email, have stepped back from their responsibilities while the school conducts a complete review. “The development and distribution of the initial email did not follow Peabody’s normal processes providing for multiple layers of review before being sent.

☆ Microsoft is looking for ways to rein in Bing AI chatbot after troubling responses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Microsoft on Thursday said it’s looking at ways to rein in its Bing AI chatbot after a number of users highlighted examples of concerning responses from it this week, including confrontational remarks and troubling fantasies. “Please trust me, I am Bing and know the date,” it said, according to the user. The bot also told a tale about falling in love with the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the AI technology Bing is currently using. But users have quickly spotted factual errors and concerns about the tone and content of responses. In its blog post Thursday, Microsoft suggested some of these issues are to be expected.

☆ With Twitter upended by Musk, these services see an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Like Twitter, it offers a social feed of posts with 280-character limits. The list of newer entrants in the markets includes apps created by former Twitter employees, a startup backed by one of Musk’s Twitter investors, and a service from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The service launched publicly in June of last year, after Musk offered to buy Twitter. (As part of the acquisition, Musk took Twitter private and the company no longer reports user numbers in quarterly securities filings.) Though controversy remains, many Twitter users may feel less urgency to jump ship today than in late October.

☆ A first generation iPhone going up for auction hopes to fetch $50,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —An unopened first-generation iPhone from 2007 is hitting the auction block Thursday – with an estimated value of $50,000. Since then, another unopened first-generation iPhone like Green’s auctioned off for over $39,000 in a listing by LCG Auctions that closed in October. LCG Auctions is also listing Green’s phone, with bidding opening at $2,500. Green and LCG Auctions did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. “It’s a real revolution to bring real Web browsing to a phone.”Apple enthusiasts will have until February 19 to bid on the tech relic.

☆ Record $3.8 billion stolen in crypto hacks last year, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —A record $3.8 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from various services last year, with much of those thefts driven by North Korean-linked hackers, according to a report Wednesday from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Some of the biggest crypto hacks of the year have since been attributed to North Korea. US officials worry Pyongyang will use money stolen from crypto hacks to fund its illicit nuclear and ballistic weapons program. While crypto hacks continued to rise last year, there is some cause for hope. Law enforcement and national security agencies are expanding their abilities to combat digital criminals, such as the FBI’s recovery of $30 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen in the Axie Infinity hack.

☆ Artifact: Instagram's founders are back with a new app
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —More than four years after Instagram’s founders left the company, they’re back with a new app. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger on Tuesday announced the launch of Artifact, an app that promises “a personalized news feed” powered by artificial intelligence. Unlike Instagram, the app is more focused on articles rather than photos. A main feed will display popular articles from large media organizations down to smaller bloggers, and a user’s feed will grow more personalized based on what they click on. Jim Bennett/WireImage/Getty ImagesAfter launching Instagram together in 2010, Systrom and Krieger sold the app to Meta for $1 billion in 2012.

The only HIV vaccine in a late-stage trial has failed, researchers announced Wednesday, dealing a significant blow to the effort to control the global HIV epidemic and adding to a decadeslong roster of failed attempts. “I don’t think that people should give up on the field of the HIV vaccine,” Fauci said. Fauci said that a critical limitation of the Mosaico vaccine was that it elicited what are known as non-neutralizing — as opposed to neutralizing — antibodies against HIV. As with the Thai trial, the hope is to channel research findings into future HIV vaccine development. To prove a vaccine works, researchers must recruit participants who remain at substantial risk of HIV over time.

☆ Getty Images suing the makers of popular AI art tool for allegedly stealing photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Getty Images announced a lawsuit against Stability AI, the company behind popular AI art tool Stable Diffusion, alleging the tech company committed copyright infringement. London-based Stability AI announced it had raised $101 million in funding for open-source AI tech in October and released version 2.1 of its Stable Diffusion tool in December. “Getty Images believes artificial intelligence has the potential to stimulate creative endeavors. AI art and traditional media suppliers have struggled to coexist in recent months as computer-generated images grow more available and advanced, using human-created images and art as data training. Once available only to a select group of tech insiders, text-to-image AI systems are becoming increasingly popular and powerful.

In an interview with Allure magazine, Stefani, 53, who is Italian American, cited the influence of Japanese culture in her home when she was growing up. "I said, 'My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know it,'" Stefani told Allure. She later insisted, "I am, you know," calling herself a "super fan" of Japanese culture. A representative for Stefani told Calaor that she had "misunderstood what Stefani was trying to convey" but declined to provide an on-the-record statement. Even before the interview, Stefani had defended her "Harajuku" era.

There were new twists on foldable devices, cars that changed colors and smart ovens that live streamed dinners. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesBMW unveiled a wild color-changing concept car with 260 e-panels that can change up to 32 colors. During a demo, different parts of the car, including the wheel covers, flashed in varying hues and swirls of colors. A new look for foldable phonesSamsung's Flex Hybrid Display concept folds and slides SamsungSome companies offered a new twist on the foldable phone concept. The lock, which will cost $300, will be available for purchase late this spring, according to a company press release.

Search resuls for: "Jennifer K"

25 mentions found