James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
YouTube hikes efforts to stamp out creepy videos aimed at children
Following numerous reports on how decidedly creepy content aimed at children is getting past YouTube’s filters, the video platform has once again vowed to take action. The videos in question depict real children’s cartoon characters, such as Peppa Pig, involved in vulgar or violent acts. The videos masquerade as content suitable for kids and find ...
The FCC’s net neutrality proposal is here, and it’s just what the critics feared
If you haven’t seen a meme over the last 24 hours relating to outrage over the scrapping of net neutrality rules, your cyberspace must be a very small world. In spite of the tide of the general public’s enmity towards the changes, it hasn’t always been clear what exactly will change and how it will affect ...
Google tracks your location even if you opted out – until next week, anyway
Your Android phone could be tracking your location even when you when you haven’t turned on location services or even have a SIM card installed, a report by Quartz revealed Tuesday. An investigation found that by triangulating information from cell towers, Google LLC could find the location of users’ phones and send data back to the ...
Justice Department files lawsuit against AT&T to block Time Warner merger
The Justice Department Monday filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in an attempt to thwart AT&T Inc.’s acquisition of Time Warner Inc. The merger would be the largest media and telecommunications deal of its kind, set to cost AT&T $84.5 billion. In a press release, Justice said such an acquisition would “substantially lessen competition, resulting in higher prices ...
Germany bans smartwatches for children and says the devices must be destroyed
A German regulator has banned smartwatches for kids and said they should be destroyed by parents since the watches could easily be turned into a spying device. Telecommmunications regulator Bundesnetzagentur, or Federal Network Agency, called smartwatches “prohibitive listening devices” and said it has already taken action against companies that sell them. The agency said that the ...
Twitter announces new verification guidelines and begins a purge
Twitter Inc. announced on Wednesday that blue-checkmarked verified accounts could lose their status, following criticism last week about the verified status of white nationalist Jason Kessler’s account. The company accepted responsibility for the confusion around what a verified account actually meant, and that it was assumed by the members of the public to be an endorsement. ...
Bill Gates is building his own smart city in Arizona
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates is investing $80 million dollars to build a smart city replete with high-tech infrastructure, data centers and autonomous vehicles. According to reports, the city will be a hub for small businesses hoping to set up in an ultramodern environment that will be situated on 25,000 acres of land 45 minutes ...
Missouri attorney general begins investigation into Google’s business practices
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley today announced the issuing of an investigative subpoena into Google LLC’s business practices regarding a possible violation of the state’s antitrust laws. The investigation will attempt to ascertain if Google violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, the state’s principal consumer-protection statute, and Missouri’s antitrust laws. Google’s alleged transgressions relate to ...
With a little help from the cloud, Alibaba sees record-breaking sales on China’s Singles’ Day
The Alibaba Group reported sales of $25.3 billion for Singles’ Day Nov. 11, a annual celebration of being single but even more of the country’s rampant consumerism. That sum was 40 percent higher than on Singles’ Day in 2016. Although Singles’ Day is a decade old, only in 2009 did the e-commerce giant help to transform ...
Amid controversy, Twitter hits the pause button on account verifications
Twitter Inc. today announced it’s putting a hold on the verification process as it attempts to figure out why some dubious accounts were verified. “Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance,” Twitter said in a tweet. “We recognize that we have created ...