Correction: Flying Taxis story
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In a story published Jan. 7, 2025, about the development of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the director of Alton Aviation Consultancy was named Adam Lim. His name is Alan Lim.
From AI assistants to holographic displays, automakers showcase in-cabin experiences at CES
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Interior lighting aimed at reducing motion sickness. Shiny new dashboard and windshield displays. And AI-powered voice assistants paired with abundant infotainment systems to keep you company on long drives. Auto makers pulled out all the stops to showcase their latest advances for in-vehicle experiences at CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual trade show of all-things tech, in Las Vegas this week. Hyundai Mobis unveiled a futuristic, full-windshield holographic technology — while BMW spotlighted its new “iDrive” panoramic display. And Honda and Honda Sony Mobility showed off all the bells and whistles consumers can expect in their upcoming electric vehicles.
ALS sidelined this Israeli TV journalist. AI is helping him make a comeback.
JERUSALEM (AP) — A renowned Israeli TV journalist who lost his ability to speak clearly because of ALS is returning to the air using artificial-intelligence software that recreates his widely recognized gravelly voice. Moshe Nussbaum has been connecting with audiences for more than 40 years. But after being diagnosed two years ago with a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells, he had to greatly scale back his on-air work. Nussbaum will be making a comeback soon using an AI program that has been trained to speak with his voice. He will be filmed as if he were presenting and his lips will be technologically adjusted to match the words. He calls the technology a magic trick that has incredible meaning for everyone with disabilities.
ByteDance’s Lemon8 gains traction amid TikTok ban threat as creators push the app
Hearing a lot about Lemon8 lately? You’re not the only one. Amid a looming U.S. ban on TikTok, content creators have been pushing the platform’s sister app. Lemon8 resembles an amalgamation of the types of short-form videos found on TikTok and the picture-perfect aesthetic of Instagram and Pinterest. But there’s a hitch. The federal law that would wipe out TikTok’s U.S. operation if it’s not sold to an approved buyer states the requirement applies generally to apps that are owned or operated by TikTok, its China-based parent company or any of their subsidiaries. That means even though Lemon8 isn’t explicitly named in the statute, it’s future in the U.S. also is in jeopardy.
Nvidia’s new GPU series led an avalanche of entertainment-related announcements at CES
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nvidia unveiled its GeForce RTX 50 Series desktop and laptop GPUs — powered by its new Blackwell artificial intelligence chip — kicking off a string of entertainment-related AI announcements and discussions at the trade show, including several terse conversations about regulation of the budding technology.
New labels will help people pick devices less at risk of hacking
WASHINGTON (AP) — Smart devices like baby monitors, fitness trackers and internet-connected appliances could soon carry labels certifying that they meet federal cybersecurity standards. Federal officials said Tuesday that the labels should be available this year, once manufacturers begin submitting their devices for approval. The Biden administration proposed the labels as a way of helping consumers avoid devices that are vulnerable to hacking. The program is voluntary, but manufacturers and retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung are among those participating. Federal cybersecurity officials liken the labels to the Energy Star energy efficiency ratings for appliances.
Why Greenland? Remote but resource-rich island occupies a key position in a warming world
Greenland plays an outsized role in the daily weather experienced by billions of people and in the climate changes taking shape all over the planet. Experts say the remote, icy and mostly pristine island is where worsening climate change, scarce resources, tense geopolitics and new trade patterns all intersect. Since his first term in office, President-elect Donald Trump has expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, which is an semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO. It is also home to a large U.S. military base.
Japan links Chinese hacker MirrorFace to dozens of cyberattacks targeting security and tech data
TOKYO (AP) — Japan has linked more than 200 cyberattacks over the past five years targeting the country’s national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, MirrorFace. They included alleged Chinese government involvement. Japan on Wednesday detailed their tactics and called on government agencies and businesses to reinforce preventive measures. Experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the vulnerability of Japan’s cybersecurity, especially as the country steps up its defense capabilities and works more closely with the United States and other partners to strengthen cyber defenses. Japan has taken steps but experts say more work is needed.
Meta eliminates fact-checking in latest bow to Trump
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta says it’s scrapping its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with “community notes” written by users similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s social platform X. The company said Tuesday it is ending the program because expert fact checkers have their own biases and too much content gets fact checked. Incoming President Donald Trump said the changes at Meta “probably” came because of his threats against chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg. The Meta announcement comes on the four-year anniversary of Zuckerberg banning Trump from his platforms after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Getty Images buying Shutterstock to create a $3.7 billion visual content company
NEW YORK (AP) — Getty Images is buying Shutterstock to create a $3.7 billion visual content company. The companies said Tuesday that they have complementary portfolios, and the transaction creates a broader set of visual content products across still imagery, video, music, 3D and other asset types. The merger comes at a time when companies that use still images are facing increased competition from images generated by artificial intelligence. Getty Images CEO Craig Peters will head the new company which will keep the Getty name.
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