The Digital Equity Act tried to close the digital divide. Trump calls it racist and acts to end it

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — One initiative distributes laptops in rural Iowa. Another helped people get back online in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene washed away computers and phones. And there are efforts in Oregon and rural Alabama teach digital skills to older people, including some who’ve never touched a computer. Those and others are in jeopardy after President Donald Trump said he’s cutting a program aimed at filling gaps in the digital divide. The Digital Equity Act was intended to cover unmet needs that surfaced during the country’s broadband rollout. Trump has branded the program as racist and illegal, and claims it amounts to “woke handouts based on race.”

In Netflix’s ‘The Eternaut,’ an Argentine comic goes global as dystopia hits home

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A group of friends gather to play cards in their host’s cozy home when the power cuts. An eerie snow falls all over the city, killing everyone it touches. The friends struggle to survive, increasingly aware that humanity itself is at stake. This is the premise of “The Eternaut.” The chilling dystopian drama out of Argentina premiered its first season on Netflix on April 30. The series struck a universal nerve, rocketing to No. 1 on Netflix’s list of most streamed non-English-language shows. But it touched on something deeper in Argentina, where comic writer Héctor Oesterheld penned the graphic novel in 1957. That was two decades before he was “disappeared” by Argentina’s military dictatorship.

One Tech Tip: These are the apps that can now avoid Apple’s in-app payment system

LONDON (AP) — Apple users are starting to get ways out of the iPhone maker’s so-called “walled garden” which imposes restrictions and fees on payments through iOS apps. Some apps moved quickly after a judge in the U.S. ordered the company to tear down payment barriers. Spotify’s updated app now allows users to see prices, sign up for premium subscriptions or buy audiobooks. Epic Games’s Fortnite app is returning to iPhones with the option to pay for game currency with Epic’s own payment system. Kindle added a Get Book button that takes users directly to their Amazon account to buy a book. Patreon creators can give their fans in the U.S. a way to pay without going through Apple to avoid paying its 30% commission.

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on smart phones as his trade war intensifies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening a 50% tax on all imports from the European Union as well as a 25% tariff on smartphones unless the products are made in America. The threats were delivered over social media on Friday. They reflect Trump’s ability to disrupt the global economy with a burst of typing, as well as the reality that his tariffs aren’t producing the sufficient trade deals he’s seeking or the return of domestic manufacturing he’s promised to voters.

Apple has had few incentives in the past to start making iPhones in US

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lashing out at Apple’s plans to make most of its U.S. iPhones in India, President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to slap a 25% tariff on the popular device unless the tech giant starts building the product in its home country — a move that still seems unlikely to happen any time soon, if ever. It would take several years and cost billions of dollars to build new plants in the U.S. and shift its supply chain. Combined with current economic forces, the price of an iPhone could triple, threatening to torpedo sales of Apple’s marquee product.

Microsoft fires employee who interrupted CEO’s speech to protest AI tech for Israeli military

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft has fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the company’s work supplying the Israeli military with technology used for the war in Gaza. Software engineer Joe Lopez could be heard shouting at Nadella in the opening minutes Monday of the tech giant’s annual Build developer conference in Seattle before getting escorted out of the room. Lopez’s outburst was the first of several pro-Palestinian disruptions at the event that has drawn thousands of software developers to the Seattle Convention Center this week. At least three talks by executives were disrupted.

Trump hosts top crypto investors as some industry leaders fear he’s putting personal profits first

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has hosted top investors for one of his cryptocurrency projects at his luxury golf course in Northern Virginia. By one measure, the dinner marked the ascendance of an industry that has been eager to establish its influence. Once a crypto skeptic, Trump has become a big fan and a powerful player. However, even some pro-Trump crypto enthusiasts fear that the president’s involvement is undermining their credibility. Trump’s family business is profiting from the sale of the $TRUMP meme coin, raising concerns about how investors can buy access to the president.

Billion dollar pizza? Bitcoin soars on key anniversary of crypto’s growth

It’s not an official holiday – yet – but for many cryptocurrency enthusiasts “Bitcoin Pizza Day” is still special. Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of the first known use of cryptocurrency to buy real-world goods. The 10,000 bitcoin that software developer Laszlo Hanyecz paid for two Papa John’s pizzas delivered to his Florida home on May 22, 2010, were worth about $41 at the time. Today they’re worth $1.1 billion, as bitcoin hits record high prices. Several cryptocurrency companies are announcing promotions and other celebrations to mark Bitcoin Pizza Day..

Russian hackers target Western firms shipping aid to Ukraine, US intelligence says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. National Security Agency says hackers working for Russian military intelligence tried to access the systems of Western technology and logistics companies involved in shipping assistance to Ukraine. The cyberespionage campaign began in 2022, the same year Russia invaded Ukraine. According to a report issued Wednesday by the NSA and other Western security agencies, the hackers sought detailed information about aid shipments and, as part of the work, tried to hack into more than 10,000 cameras at sites including border crossings and rail hubs. The NSA didn’t specify how successful the hackers were and issued a warning to tech and logistics firms to be on guard for future attacks.

OpenAI recruits legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive to work on AI hardware in $6.5B deal

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI has recruited Jony Ive, the designer behind Apple’s iPhone, to lead a new hardware project for the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT. OpenAI said it is acquiring io Products, a product and engineering company co-founded by Ive, in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion.Ive became renowned for a meticulous design aesthetic that shaped the cultural zeitgeist during a 27-year career at Apple, which he left in 2019. The new OpenAI deal now thrusts Ive at the vanguard of AI — a technology driving the biggest industry shift since the iPhone’s arrival.



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