Iran’s internet blackout silences voices at home as diaspora creators fill the void

NEW YORK (AP) — Iranian American social media creators are helping lead the online conversation about the war in Iran. Their content is geared toward the surging demand in the U.S. for information about the war and Iran’s history. Some say they want to share more perspectives from people within the country. But a government-imposed digital blackout has made it hard for Iranians to communicate with the outside world. Creators and experts say the outsized influence of the Iranian diaspora has exacerbated deep rifts about the future of Iran.

Nvidia CEO heralds ‘inference inflection’ as next phase of AI boom, backed by $1 trillion in orders

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Monday elaborated on his vision for keeping his company at the forefront of the artificial intelligence boom that he predicted will produce a $1 trillion backlog in orders within the next year. Sporting his signature black leather jacket, Huang spent two hours sauntering across a stage in a packed arena in San Jose, California, explaining how Nvidia’s processors became indispensable AI components and highlighting the products that he believes will keep the company in the catbird’s seat. To hammer home his point, Huang said Nvidia will be grappling with a $1 trillion backlog in AI chip orders, doubling his estimate from a year ago.

Amazon offers 1-hour and 3-hour deliveries for US customers willing to pay an extra charge

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon says it has started offering faster U.S. deliveries of selected products for a fee. The e-commerce colossus said Tuesday that customers in more than 2,000 cities, towns and suburban areas can now get orders from among 90,000 items delivered in three hours. They include pantry staples, clothing, over-the-counter medications, cleaning supplies and electronics. The charge is $4.99 for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 for nonmembers. One-hour delivery slots also are available in hundreds of places, including major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, and smaller cities such as Des Moines, Iowa and Boise, Idaho. Amazon says Prime members will get charged $9.99 for the one-hour service, which costs nonmembers $19.99, Amazon said

Iran-linked hackers take aim at US and other targets, raising risk of cyberattacks during war

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pro-Iranian hackers are targeting sites in the Middle East and starting to stretch into the United States during the war. Hackers supporting Iran claimed responsibility for a significant cyberattack against a U.S. medical device company. They've also tried to penetrate cameras in Middle Eastern countries to improve Iran's missile targeting and targeted data centers in the region. National security and cybersecurity experts say Iran's government will look to leverage its cyber capabilities against the military dominance of the United States. American ports, waste water treatment plans and power stations are among the most likely targets.

Lawyers in landmark social media addiction trial make final appeals to the jury

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After about a month of hearing from addiction experts, therapists, platform engineers and executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, a jury has heard closing arguments before heading to the deliberation room to decide whether social media companies should be liable for harms caused to children using their platforms. Closing statements in the trial began Thursday at the Spring Street Courthouse in Los Angeles. Lawyers representing the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman, and those representing the two defendants, Meta and Google-owned YouTube, made their respective cases to the jurors.

Cambodia drafts its first law targeting online scam centers

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia has drafted its first law to crack down on online scam centers that fuel fraud and forced labor. Officials said Friday the Cabinet approved tough penalties for people who run tech fraud sites. The information minister calls it a key tool against scams and money laundering. The law sets five to 10 years in prison and big fines for organizers. It adds longer terms for trafficking, violence or deaths tied to escape attempts. A senior minister says raids since July have targeted 250 sites and shut about 200. Parliament needs to approve the bill but experts doubt crackdowns alone will break protection networks.

One Tech Tip: How do you use an f-stop?

Film photography is making a comeback, and but analog cameras are not as easy to use as digital ones. For One Tech Tip, AP photojournalist George Walker IV explains the basics for beginners. He says shooting on film helps you learn photography basics because every shot matters. You'll need film but beginners should consider using black and white instead of color because it's more forgiving. Pay attention to the ISO number, or film speed. If you need a camera, there's a thriving secondhand market for vintage cameras. Film needs to be loaded by hand. Analog photographers using manual cameras need to master using shutter speed and f-stops.

Thiel brings his Antichrist lectures to the Vatican’s doorstep, and Catholic institutions back away

ROME (AP) — One of the hottest tickets in Rome these days is for a four-lecture series on the Antichrist being given by Silicon Valley tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The invitation-only conference, from Sunday to Wednesday, has proven so controversial that the Catholic institutions initially associated with it have all denied official involvement. Thiel is a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, the data-mining company that has been assisting the Trump administration’s migrant deportation crackdown. An early donor to the political career of Vice President JD Vance, Thiel is also deeply interested in the apocalyptic concept of the Antichrist and end-of-world Armageddon.

Satellite images begin to show damage wrought by Iran war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Satellite photos are beginning to be released showing ships ablaze in an Iranian port and destroyed buildings at military bases. The images come from Planet Labs PBC, a San Francisco-based firm used widely by media outlets, including The Associated Press. Planet Labs has said it will put a two-week delay on its imagery becoming public citing the “increasingly complex regional security environment” and concerns its imagery could be used by “adversarial actors.” Information about the damage done across the wider Middle East in the Iran war remains scarce.

Google overhauls its Maps app, adding in more AI features to help people get around

Google Maps will depend more heavily on artificial intelligence to help people figure out where they want to go and the best way to get there as part of a major redesign unveiled Thursday. The overhaul driven by Google’s Gemini technology will introduce two AI features into a digital mapping service used by more than 2 billion people worldwide. One tool called Ask Maps will expand upon conversational abilities that Google brought to the service last November answer users looking for suggestions on where to go to get things done. The other called Immersive Navigation will feature 3D renderings of places to help users get their bearings as they drive.