The Trump administration has been waging a months-long campaign against two popular mobile apps, WeChat and TikTok, over their Chinese ownership. It began with an Aug. 6 executive order calling for bans on both under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives Trump the authority to regulate international commerce to address unusual or extraordinary threats.On … [Read more...] about Trump’s TikTok and WeChat bans: What they really mean for you
Technology
Column: Are ‘loot boxes’ in video games a form of gambling?
As the father of an avid video game player, I’ve long been fascinated by the economics of the virtual world he inhabits.Perhaps the biggest development in recent years has been the trend of companies giving away top-notch games that previously might have sold for $60, and then persuading players to spend big bucks on upgrades to enhance their enjoyment or provide a competitive … [Read more...] about Column: Are ‘loot boxes’ in video games a form of gambling?
Trump’s WeChat ban is on hold after judge grants preliminary injunction
The Trump administration’s effort to ban the Chinese messaging app WeChat is on hold after a U.S. District Court judge granted a preliminary injunction Saturday.After days of hearings, U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in San Francisco issued an order halting the Commerce Department from implementing restrictions that would remove WeChat and any updates to it from U.S. app … [Read more...] about Trump’s WeChat ban is on hold after judge grants preliminary injunction
The luxury air business is booming — as many Californians struggle to breathe
Gregory Malin remembers the night he realized a breath of fresh air could help sell a mansion.The year was 2009. Some 2.8 million foreclosures were underway across the nation. Malin was hosting a party in San Francisco’s tony Pacific Heights, where his real estate development and investment firm, Troon Pacific, had bought a house for $6 million to gut and renovate it as a … [Read more...] about The luxury air business is booming — as many Californians struggle to breathe
Quibi may be for sale. But what is it worth, and who would buy it?
Quibi can’t catch a break, even after becoming a two-time Emmy-winner. Less than six months after Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman launched their short-form video streaming startup, the company’s drama "#FreeRayshawn” nabbed acting trophies for stars Laurence Fishburne and Jasmine Cephas Jones. The accolades from the Television Academy apparently didn’t impress Emmys host … [Read more...] about Quibi may be for sale. But what is it worth, and who would buy it?
Column: The switch to 5G wireless could shut down SOS buttons in millions of cars
Telecom companies want people to focus on the benefits of state-of-the-art 5G wireless technology: faster speeds, greater reliability.But for possibly millions of car owners, the transition to 5G may mean you’ll be losing something you value: your onboard emergency-contact system.Simi Valley resident Patrick O’Bryan received an email from Lexus the other day notifying him that … [Read more...] about Column: The switch to 5G wireless could shut down SOS buttons in millions of cars
How clean is the air inside LAX’s terminals?
The more we strategize over how to travel safely in these COVID-19 days, the more we end up thinking about indoor air quality. Not just in planes, but also in airport terminals, with thousands of people passing through and jets emitting billows of exhaust just outside. Which leads to this question: How clean and fresh is the air inside the Los Angeles International Airport’s … [Read more...] about How clean is the air inside LAX’s terminals?
Can technology predict wildfires? New systems attempt to better forecast their spread
When freak lightning storms passed over Northern California’s wine country last month and sparked hundreds of wildfires, a newly established network of remote weather stations, orbiting satellites and supercomputers spun into action and attempted to predict the spread of what is now known as the LNU Lightning Complex fire.Firefighters and technologists have long dreamed of a … [Read more...] about Can technology predict wildfires? New systems attempt to better forecast their spread
Column: When the phone company and the robocall scammer are one and the same
It was the sort of robocall racket that makes life miserable for consumers.On the one hand there was Globex Telecom, a Canadian provider of internet-based phone service.On the other was an outfit called Educare Centre Services, which the Federal Trade Commission says peddled “bogus credit card interest rate relief, illegally charging consumers millions of dollars.”The … [Read more...] about Column: When the phone company and the robocall scammer are one and the same
Making ‘Fall Guys,’ 2020’s surprise hit game: Secrets of one of its wildest levels
“Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” is the best sort of video game chaos. Its style is as inviting and as brightly lavish as a candy table at a banquet, and its bite-size, mini-game philosophy makes it difficult to stop after a single round. The charm of its addictive ability to merge competition with approachability has made “Fall Guys” the unexpected multiplayer breakout game of … [Read more...] about Making ‘Fall Guys,’ 2020’s surprise hit game: Secrets of one of its wildest levels