Chris Liu
The Latest
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TikTok Prepares for U.S. Shutdown Amid Looming Federal Ban: Report
TikTok is preparing to suspend its platform for U.S. users as early as Sunday, sources familiar with the matter said, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to block a federal ban set to take effect. The planned shutdown, which would affect millions of users nationwide, marks the latest development in the escalating scrutiny over TikTok's ties to Chinese parent company ByteDance. 
TikTok is preparing to suspend its platform for U.S. users as early as Sunday, sources familiar with the matter said, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to block a federal ban set to take effect. The planned shutdown, which would affect millions of users nationwide, marks the latest development in the escalating scrutiny over TikTok's ties to Chinese parent company ByteDance. -
TikTok Refugees Create Unexpected Cultural Bridges on China’s RedNote App
As the potential ban on TikTok looms in the United States, a significant number of American users are turning to RedNote, a Chinese social media app officially known as Xiaohongshu. The app, long popular in China for lifestyle content and cultural exchange, has surged to the top of Apple's US App Store, creating a new frontier for digital interactions between American and Chinese users. 
As the potential ban on TikTok looms in the United States, a significant number of American users are turning to RedNote, a Chinese social media app officially known as Xiaohongshu. The app, long popular in China for lifestyle content and cultural exchange, has surged to the top of Apple's US App Store, creating a new frontier for digital interactions between American and Chinese users. -
Nvidia Criticizes Biden’s AI Export Rules, Seeks Alignment with Trump Administration
In a sharp critique of the Biden administration's newly unveiled regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) chip exports, Nvidia has positioned itself as an outspoken opponent of the outgoing administration's approach, while signaling alignment with the incoming Trump administration. The sweeping rules, intended to restrict access to advanced AI technology for adversarial nations, have drawn both industry and geopolitical attention. 
In a sharp critique of the Biden administration's newly unveiled regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) chip exports, Nvidia has positioned itself as an outspoken opponent of the outgoing administration's approach, while signaling alignment with the incoming Trump administration. The sweeping rules, intended to restrict access to advanced AI technology for adversarial nations, have drawn both industry and geopolitical attention. -
Lemon8 Gains Traction as TikTok Ban Looms, but Legal Uncertainty Clouds Future
Lemon8, a social media platform owned by ByteDance, has seen a surge in popularity as creators and users anticipate a potential ban on its sister app, TikTok, in the United States. The app, which combines the visual appeal of Instagram and Pinterest with TikTok's short-form video functionality, has climbed app store rankings, reflecting its growing appeal among users. However, Lemon8's fate remains closely tied to the ongoing legal and political battles surrounding ByteDance and its portfolio of apps. 
Lemon8, a social media platform owned by ByteDance, has seen a surge in popularity as creators and users anticipate a potential ban on its sister app, TikTok, in the United States. The app, which combines the visual appeal of Instagram and Pinterest with TikTok's short-form video functionality, has climbed app store rankings, reflecting its growing appeal among users. However, Lemon8's fate remains closely tied to the ongoing legal and political battles surrounding ByteDance and its portfolio of apps. -
Meta Ends Fact-Checking, Embraces Community Notes Amid Political Shift
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced a sweeping overhaul of its content moderation policies, including the elimination of its fact-checking program. CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the changes on Tuesday, citing a commitment to restoring free expression and reducing errors in content removal. The move signals a significant ideological pivot for the social media giant, echoing a similar strategy implemented by Elon Musk at X, formerly Twitter. 
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced a sweeping overhaul of its content moderation policies, including the elimination of its fact-checking program. CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the changes on Tuesday, citing a commitment to restoring free expression and reducing errors in content removal. The move signals a significant ideological pivot for the social media giant, echoing a similar strategy implemented by Elon Musk at X, formerly Twitter. -
Apple Faces Mounting Challenges in China as Foreign Smartphone Sales Plunge 47%
Apple's dominance in China's smartphone market is under increasing pressure as foreign mobile phone shipments fell sharply in November. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), shipments of foreign smartphones dropped 47.4% year-on-year to 3.04 million units, the lowest levels in recent memory. The figure also represents a staggering 51% decline compared to the previous month. 
Apple's dominance in China's smartphone market is under increasing pressure as foreign mobile phone shipments fell sharply in November. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), shipments of foreign smartphones dropped 47.4% year-on-year to 3.04 million units, the lowest levels in recent memory. The figure also represents a staggering 51% decline compared to the previous month. -
Apple Settles $95 Million Siri Privacy Lawsuit Over Accidental User Recordings
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant inadvertently recorded users' private conversations and shared the information with third parties without consent. The settlement, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, is subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. 
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant inadvertently recorded users' private conversations and shared the information with third parties without consent. The settlement, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, is subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. -
Apple Halts iPhone 14 and SE Sales in EU Amid USB-C Compliance Deadline
Apple has officially ceased sales of its iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE in multiple European Union countries, complying with an EU directive mandating USB-C charging ports on all consumer electronics. The legislation, aimed at reducing electronic waste and promoting universal compatibility, took effect on December 28, marking the end of an era for Apple's proprietary Lightning connector in Europe. 
Apple has officially ceased sales of its iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE in multiple European Union countries, complying with an EU directive mandating USB-C charging ports on all consumer electronics. The legislation, aimed at reducing electronic waste and promoting universal compatibility, took effect on December 28, marking the end of an era for Apple's proprietary Lightning connector in Europe. -
AI Pioneer OpenAI Restructures, Faces Backlash Over Ethical Concerns
OpenAI, the renowned artificial intelligence research organization, has announced a significant restructuring plan to separate its non-profit and for-profit operations. The move, confirmed in a blog post on Friday, is intended to allow the company to raise substantial capital and compete in an increasingly crowded AI market. However, the decision has sparked criticism, particularly from co-founder Elon Musk, who has accused OpenAI of abandoning its foundational principles. 
OpenAI, the renowned artificial intelligence research organization, has announced a significant restructuring plan to separate its non-profit and for-profit operations. The move, confirmed in a blog post on Friday, is intended to allow the company to raise substantial capital and compete in an increasingly crowded AI market. However, the decision has sparked criticism, particularly from co-founder Elon Musk, who has accused OpenAI of abandoning its foundational principles. -
OpenAI's ChatGPT and Sora Hit by Outage, 'Upstream Provider' Blamed
The digital world was briefly thrown into disarray earlier today as ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot from OpenAI, experienced a widespread outage, leaving millions of users stranded without their go-to source for everything from coding advice to existential pondering. The outage, which lasted for several hours, highlighted humanity's growing dependence on artificial intelligence and sparked a flurry of online reactions ranging from humorous to mildly panicked. 
The digital world was briefly thrown into disarray earlier today as ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot from OpenAI, experienced a widespread outage, leaving millions of users stranded without their go-to source for everything from coding advice to existential pondering. The outage, which lasted for several hours, highlighted humanity's growing dependence on artificial intelligence and sparked a flurry of online reactions ranging from humorous to mildly panicked.
