Yet many of us have our reasons for staying in the game. I’m sure there are some prolific entrepreneurs and writers who have no problem managing their social media usage, but that’s not my experience. I find these platforms consistently distract from my most important work. It’s a huge cost that I just can’t ignore anymore. I’ve attempted on several occasions to rise above the addiction, placing heavy restrictions on my daily usage....

The European Commission has charged the iPhone maker with breaking antitrust laws by imposing unfair rules on distributing apps via the App Store. The EU’s executive arm accused Apple of abusing its market power in two ways: forcing developers to use Apple’s own in-app payment system — which gives the tech giant a 30% cut — and banning them from informing customers about alternative subscription options. EU antitrust czar Margrethe Vestager said the restrictions meant consumers were losing out: The EU’s case stems from a 2019 complaint by Spotify, which accused Apple of distorting competition with its fees....

In a resolution adopted on Tuesday, MEPs also voted to prohibit social scoring systems, the use of AI in judicial decisions, and private facial recognition databases — like the ClearviewAI system. A majority of lawmakers (377 to 248) backed the wide-ranging resolution on the use of AI in criminal law and policing. Bulgarian MEP Petar Vitanov, the resolution’s author, called the vote “a huge win” for European citizens: The risks of these systems have already been exposed....

According to reports, the EU looks set to commit $3.5 billion to 42 companies, including Tesla, BMW, and Stellantis, to support them with Europe-based battery development and production. The EU Commission has approved the project, which will run until 2028. [Read: How Netflix shapes mainstream culture, explained by data] It seems the EU is intent on supporting the burgeoning EV market in the region to prevent China-based manufacturers acquiring too much dominance....

This “European data space” would allow businesses, researchers, and public administrations to unlock unused data so that it flows freely across the whole of the EU. The data would be available to every citizen and organization in the bloc. The EU wants to first establish a regulatory framework for data governance that offers incentives for data-sharing and practical rules on access and use. It promises to also open more public sector datasets for use in new innovations....

Researchers have previously electrically stimulated folds of the brain, called gyri, to restore some generalized sensation to the hand. The new technique targets the harder-to-reach grooves, known as sulci, to evoke feelings in the fingertips. Study co-author Chad Bouton, a professor at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, said the approach could help people with paralysis and neuropathy: Brain stimulation The research uses a technique called stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG). This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves placing electrodes in targeted areas of the brain....

I expected Europe to introduce incentives aimed at bolstering the automotive industry, with a focus on clean energy. Europe did just that and it had a significant impact on sales. Plug-in EV (battery EVs and plug-in hybrids) sales reached 7.2% of total EU car sales in Q2 2020, three times the penetration achieved for the same period last year. In an otherwise depressed market, France and Germany, the two largest vehicles markets in Europe, saw battery EV (BEV) sales jump respectively 82% and 21% y....

The fake users try to scam other bots, post illicit content, and steal personal data in a scaled-down version of Facebook that uses the same code as the real platform. As Facebook puts it, “the simulation is executed on the real system itself.” When a bot discovers a vulnerability or bug on the platform, the system automatically recommends changes to Facebook engineers. They can test fixes in the simulation before making updates to the live version....

As the Wall Street Journal notes, this is hardly the first time the Zuckerberg empire has promised to crack down on vaccine misinformation. Last year, the company made a similar pledge, but later acknowledged it had failed to remove paid ads from a prominent anti-vax group that suggested evil doctors are conspiring to hide evidence of alleged harm to children. “Today, we’re launching a new global policy that prohibits ads discouraging people from getting vaccinated,” Facebook said in a statement....

Don’t look now, but the calendar is creeping dangerously close to 2020. With a new year fast approaching, it’s natural to start looking ahead — to new goals, new opportunities, and, if you play your cards right, maybe a whole new life. By 2021, digital marketing spends worldwide are expected to top $375 billion. You can join the short, but growing roster of professionals who both understand and can utilize those kind of resources in messaging online with the training in The Complete 2020 Google SEO & Growth Hacking Bundle ($25, over 90 percent off from TNW Deals)....

Now, it’s time to harness the lessons learned from this pivotal year to create lasting changes to strategies and infrastructure. During the pandemic, I worked closely with chief nursing officers and healthcare technologists to implement virtual care solutions. As hospitals scrambled to keep up with an unprecedented number of patients and medical staff tried to protect themselves and others from a virus we knew very little about, I watched leaders implement new solutions in a high-stakes environment....

Specifically, the report reveals that these companies have used this tax loophole to avoid paying tens of millions of pounds in taxes. Video Game Tax Relief (VGTR) allows game publishers to claim back up to 20 percent of some production costs. Each individual claim can amount up to £500,000, and the companies in question have, since VGTR has existed, claimed £20 million (Sega), £30 million (Sony), and £60 million (Warner) in tax breaks....

The gift shopping is done…or at least, it should be by now. Now, you can just sit back and pleasure shop instead. Before the stores all spin up there after Christmas sales, we thought this would be a good time to add some final holiday price savings on to some of the best earbuds and over-ear headphone models from TNW Deals. In addition to their already discounted prices, you can also save an extra 15 percent off each of these items by adding the promo code MERRY15 when you make your purchase....

Back in early September, Nikola and GM announced that they were bartering a deal that would see GM build the hydrogen-powered truck company’s first consumer vehicle, the Badger pickup truck. What’s more, it was reported the Badger wouldn’t even use any of the in-house developed tech that Nikola has supposedly been working on for the past six years. [Read: 5 things to know when you’re buying your first electric vehicle] Following that announcement, the company that was only supposed to ever produce water vapor, unraveled to reveal a far more concerning reality....

Right now, you can get your hands on professional-grade instruction in how to handle the most common (and some of the trickiest) situations a visual artist faces with The Learn to Become an Expert Photographer Bundle. The complete package is on sale now at more than 90 percent off its regular price, down to just $29 from TNW Deals. This collection includes nine separate courses engineered to elevate a new photographer up to the level of a seasoned pro....

Per Bloomberg, which cited an memo from an anonymous Google staffer, employees discovered that the company was creating the new tool as a Chrome browser extension that would be installed on all employees’ systems and used to monitor their activities. The extension would then report to senior staff any calendar event with more than 10 rooms or 100 participants, implying that “this is an attempt of leadership to immediately learn about any workers organization attempts,” the memo read....

If you want to know anything there is to know about web traffic and online engagement, your search for knowledge begins — and likely ends — with Google Analytics. Today, Google’s free web stat-crunching uber-tool is used by over 85 percent of all reporting websites, which account for over half of all websites running in 2019. That’s because GA is an ultra detailed interface that lays out all the facts needed to build real insight into your web audience....

According to Android Police, if you have this feature, you’ll see a new comparison table below comments on an app’s page. In a GIF obtained by the publication, the section shows VLC pitted against other players with measures such as ease of use, offline playback, casting, and controls listed for evaluating apps against one another. Currently, the Play Store just shows the names of similar apps under an app’s page....

Long story short, here’s what’s new: 2nd Gen Google Nest Cam (wired) — $100 Google Nest Cam (battery) — $180 Google Nest Doorbell (battery) — $180 Google Nest Cam with floodlight (battery) -$279 This is Google we’re talking about, so it’s no surprise that the new cameras are packing some new AI tricks. Google says it’s designed the cameras to minimize notifications. Rather than just alerting you for every small movement detected, the cameras use on-device processing to alert you about people, animals, vehicles, and packages that show up in their field of view....

For reference, this is what the old search looked like: Some of the changes include: A brighter design that allows people to focus on information “instead of the design elements around it.” Bolder text in search results, making it easier to distinguish between different types of information. This also includes using more of “Google’s own font.” Results are now edge-to-edge, rather than being framed in little cards with shadows. This gives results a little more room and eliminates some visual distraction Colors are used more purposefully, used to highlight certain types of information rather than distracting Everything is rounder for more of that Google-y vibe....