Latest

Operating systems

Windows running slow? Microsoft’s 11 quick fixes to speed up your PC

If Windows is feeling sluggish, there can be many reasons, from your computer's storage being almost full to too many programs starting with the operating system.

Social media

Meta to let users in EU 'share less personal data' for targeted ads

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is, for the first time, set to limit the amount of personal information it forces users to share for ad tracking purposes, according to an announcement from European Union authorities.

Operating systems

Drowning in pics? Tidy your Mac library with a few clicks

Apple's Photos app on the Mac is a powerful means of sorting and managing large libraries, with built-in tools that make images easier to find.

Technology

Flying taxis to take people to London airports in minutes from 2028

Electric flying taxis may become available to London airport passengers from 2028, a UK company has announced.

Smartphones

Smartphone on your kid’s Christmas list? How to know when they’re ready.

Looking at data of nearly 11,000 families, researchers discovered that electronic media use among early adolescents was linked to more arguments and criticism among their families.

Driverless vehicle

A woman's Waymo rolled up with a stunning surprise: A man hiding in the trunk

It's the latest in a spate of robotaxi mishaps, caught on camera and spread via social media in a ritual of public shaming.

AI

A safety report card ranks AI company efforts to protect humanity

Are artificial intelligence companies keeping humanity safe from AI's potential harms? Don't bet on it, a new report card says.

Technology

Bitcoin hoarding company Strategy remains in Nasdaq 100

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Bitcoin hoarding giant Strategy clung to its place in the Nasdaq 100 on Friday, continuing its year-long stint in the benchmark at a time where analysts have raised questions over its business model.

AI

Opinion: Everyone complains about 'AI slop,' but no one can define it

The problem with this complaint is that almost no one makes the effort to define "AI slop." Is it anything produced with AI? Or any such content appearing in social media?

Technology

Google faces $129 million French asset freeze after Russian ruling, documents show

PARIS/MOSCOW, Dec 12 - The administrator of Google's defunct Russian business has obtained a temporary freeze on some 110 million euros ($129 million) of the Alphabet-owned company's assets in France, official orders seen by Reuters show.

Technology

Netflix’s $72 billion Warner Bros deal faces skepticism over YouTube rivalry claim

NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument.

Technology

Pakistan to allow Binance to explore 'tokenisation' of up to $2 billion of assets

KARACHI, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with crypto exchange Binance to explore the "tokenisation" of up to $2 billion in sovereign bonds, T-bills and commodity reserves to boost liquidity and attract investors, the finance ministry said on Friday.

Technology

Analysis-Musk's Mars mission adds risk to red-hot SpaceX IPO

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Investors eyeing SpaceX's potential blockbuster IPO may need to brace themselves as CEO Elon Musk balances his risky quest to reach Mars with growing the revenue-rich Starlink satellite broadband business that would offer more reliable shareholder returns. 

Technology

Analysis-Oracle-Broadcom one-two punch hits AI trade, but investor optimism persists

NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The red-hot trade backing artificial intelligence-related stocks has taken a bruising from back-to-back troubling updates from Oracle and Broadcom, reigniting concerns about frothy valuations and an AI bubble.

Nation

Unicef welcomes Malaysia's commitment, says age bans alone won't protect children

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has reaffirmed that governments are right to take online child sexual exploitation and abuse seriously, but emphasised that social media age restrictions alone will not safeguard children online and could have unintended consequences.

Technology

Analysts flag risks for Strategy at Nasdaq 100 index reshuffle

(Refiles to say Nasdaq 100, not Nasdaq's 100, in headline)

Streaming

Netflix quietly removes the easiest way to watch TV in a hotel room

Travellers who arrive at a hotel or short-term rental ready to relax by turning on an episode of, say, the latest season of "Love Is Blind" can expect a few more steps than they're used to.

Technology

Foxconn to invest $510 million in Kaohsiung headquarters in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, said on Friday it will invest T$15.9 billion ($509.94 million) to build its Kaohsiung headquarters in southern Taiwan.

Gadgets

Many young drivers admit instant messaging at the wheel, survey finds

More than two in five young drivers admit to illegally reading or sending a phone message while behind the wheel, a survey in the UK has found.

Technology

Broadcom shares fall as margin warning sparks AI payoff worries

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Broadcom shares fell more than 11% on Friday after the chipmaker warned growing sales of lower-margin custom AI processors were squeezing profitability, sparking worries that the business may be less lucrative.