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Friday, December 13, 2024 12:44 PM ET

Christian Science Monitor - Technology

First Look -- Georgia leads toward a nuclear future with its first operating reactor -- Georgia Power Co. announced one of its two new reactors reached self-sustaining nuclear fission on Monday. The announcement is a key step toward reaching commercial operation of nuclear energy in the United States.

1 year ago

First Look -- Cellphone at 50: Its inventor reflects on mobile advances and risks -- Cellphone inventor Martin Cooper, who placed the first mobile call on April 3, 1973, remains hopeful the technology can transform lives, but he's also concerned about its impact. "We don't have any privacy anymore," Mr. Cooper said at a trade show in Spain.

1 year ago

First Look -- What links toothbrushes and weapons systems? A $52 billion investment. -- The U.S. government has reached a rare bipartisan agreement to invest $52 billion to develop advanced computer chips. Factories, autos, appliances, electronics, toys, toothbrushes, and weapons systems all depend on semiconductors.

1 year ago

First Look -- Internet speech: Supreme Court to weigh who is protected online -- Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week challenge Section 230, a 1996 law that protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their networks. The cases are part of a global trend toward holding social media platforms accountable.

1 year ago

First Look -- 'Tremendous potential': Why some disability advocates laud ChatGPT -- ChatGPT has spurred lively conversations about the role of educational technology. While some colleges and universities are cracking down on ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot, other educators believe ChatGPT could help with assisted learning.

1 year ago

The Explainer -- 'ChatGPT, tell me a story': AI gets literary -- Artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT can now produce convincingly human-sounding essays with minimal effort from users. It's a massive timesaver – and an ethical quandary.

1 year ago

First Look -- How can tech fight misinformation? Google tries 'prebunking.' -- Google is fighting misinformation with "prebunking" videos that show how to recognize false online claims. Not only are they easy to produce they also have the potential to reach millions of social media users without focusing on controversial issues.

1 year ago

First Look -- Facebook restores Trump's account, two years after Jan. 6 -- Facebook announced that it will be restoring former President Donald Trump's personal account in the upcoming weeks. This marks the end of a two-year suspension that was implemented following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

1 year ago

First Look -- Social media giants face lawsuits over teen mental health concerns -- The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next month on whether federal law protects the harmful content the tech industry pushes out through social media. Public entities seek to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth.

1 year ago

First Look -- Silicon Valley wanes as Google, Amazon, Meta face layoffs -- Google terminated 12,000 positions by email Friday, in the wake of other large-scale layoffs at Amazon and Meta. The Silicon Valley giant is undergoing waves of hiring freezes and layoffs as the tech industry navigates a rapidly changing economic landscape.

1 year ago

First Look -- No more TikTok? More US states ban video app over safety concerns. -- At least 24 U.S. states have banned TikTok from being downloaded on state-owned devices. Security concerns are rising that ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the app, can access user data such as browsing history and locations.

1 year ago

First Look -- Ever wanted a talking dog? New products may be close enough. -- Robotic dogs, moving pillows, and AI-powered strollers – all these inventions were displayed this week at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show. The Las Vegas event showed innovation from startups and big tech alike.

1 year ago

First Look -- Should Musk step down as Twitter chief? Users say yes. -- Twitter CEO Elon Musk posted the results of a Twitter poll and of the 17.5 million users who responded, a majority said he should step down. Mr. Musk has been using controversial, unscientific polls to shape policies and chart the future of the company.

1 year ago

First Look -- Journalists critical of Musk kicked off Twitter for 'doxxing' his jet -- Twitter suspended the accounts of several journalists who had written about owner Elon Musk and an account that tracked the location of his private jet. Mr. Musk says sharing his personal whereabouts constitutes doxxing and violates the platform's rules.

1 year ago