Minecraft is getting an artificial intelligence assistant, with Facebook and MIT working on the project. The goal is to develop an AI system that can multitask well instead of being “superhuman” at just one activity, MIT Technology Review said Thursday in a blog post. Minecraft has over 90 million monthly players and just celebrated its …

Google has announced it’s shutting down Google Hire. The job application service will be gone by Sep. 1, 2020, Google said this week. The tech giant will be focusing its resources on “other products in the Google Cloud portfolio.” Google Hire was designed to help smaller companies find and recruit job candidates. It integrates with Gmail and Calendar, so job …

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said he’s in favor of breaking up big tech companies, including Apple, Facebook and Google. These tech companies are using their power in one market to subsume other markets, he told Bloomberg Wednesday. “I am really against monopoly powers being used in unfair antitrust manners … and I think that’s happened a lot in big tech …

The US has reportedly reached a deal with France over a new French law that would see American tech giants pay more in taxes. French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Monday that US tech companies paying the tax would be able to deduct it, according to Reuters. On July 11, France’s Senate passed the bill creating a 3% tax on …

Apple has reportedly put a stop to its walkie-talkie project for the iPhone, which would have allowed people in the same area to send messages without cell coverage. The reasons for shelving the project aren’t yet known, The Information reported Monday, citing two sources. The company already has a Walkie-Talkie app for the Apple Watch. It launched with 2018’s WatchOS …

Microsoft’s contractors listened in on Xbox players using Cortana voice control features, Vice reported Wednesday. Voice data was also captured from the Kinect system’s voice commands prior to Cortana being added in 2016, according to the report. Microsoft last week revealed that humans could be listening to “short snippets” of voice conversations on its audio services, including Skype and virtual …

Google removed 210 YouTube channels earlier this week as part of its effort to combat misinformation. The channels were “coordinated influence operations” related to the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, the company said Thursday in a blog post. The decision follows Twitter suspending 936 accounts from China on Monday that attempted to undermine the protests in Hong Kong, and …

Apple has reportedly registered four new Apple Watch models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database. The models were filed Wednesday, and the Apple Watch numbers are listed as A2156, A2157, A2092 and A2093 and as running on WatchOS 6, MacRumors reported. Apple’s next-generation smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 5, is reportedly launching in the fall and will retain its OLED displays. …

Apple’s next-generation smartwatch is reportedly launching in the fall and will retain its OLED displays, with Japan Display tipped to be the supplier. The Apple Watch Series 5 will be unveiled next month, MacRumors said Friday, citing a research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The previous Apple Watch Series 4 was unveiled almost a year ago, with the next smartwatch also …

Another antitrust investigation will be kicked off against US tech giants, according to a report, this time coming from a group of state attorneys general. Citing sources, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday the probe could be launched in September and could look into whether companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon use their power to stifle competition in the market. …