Technology

A lawyer for a group of Apple iPhone users whose devices allegedly slowed down after software updates says consumers will receive between $17.50 and $150 under a settlement agreement negotiated over a class-action lawsuit. A shopper compares two iPhone 15 models on the first day of sales at an Apple Store in Los Angeles, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jae C. Hong

Court urged to accept $14.4M B.C. iPhone class action settlement

Amount signifies maximum total payout to divided among those eligible after ‘slowed-down’ complaint

A lawyer for a group of Apple iPhone users whose devices allegedly slowed down after software updates says consumers will receive between $17.50 and $150 under a settlement agreement negotiated over a class-action lawsuit. A shopper compares two iPhone 15 models on the first day of sales at an Apple Store in Los Angeles, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jae C. Hong
Dr. Marc Romney, Head of Medical Microbiology and Virology watches a new AI-assisted machine to help the microbiology lab at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. St. Paul’s has installed a new $1 million automated AI-based lab system which uses artificial intelligence and robots for repetitive tasks so humans can do the complex work. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Robots Tarzan and Jane swinging through B.C. hospital lab jungle

Automation helps St. Paul’s lab handle more than 145,000 microbiological samples each year

Dr. Marc Romney, Head of Medical Microbiology and Virology watches a new AI-assisted machine to help the microbiology lab at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. St. Paul’s has installed a new $1 million automated AI-based lab system which uses artificial intelligence and robots for repetitive tasks so humans can do the complex work. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
FILE - The Apple logo is illuminated at a store in the city center of Munich, Germany, Dec. 16, 2020. Apple plans to suspend sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 versions of its popular Apple Watch for online U.S. customers beginning Thursday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2023, and in its stores on Sunday, Dec. 24. The move stems from an October decision from the International Trade Commission restricting Apple’s watches with a Blood Oxygen feature as part of an intellectual property dispute with medical technology company Masimo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

Apple to stop selling watches in U.S. due to international patent dispute

Latest Apple Watches will no longer be available online tomorrow and in stores on Sunday

FILE - The Apple logo is illuminated at a store in the city center of Munich, Germany, Dec. 16, 2020. Apple plans to suspend sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 versions of its popular Apple Watch for online U.S. customers beginning Thursday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2023, and in its stores on Sunday, Dec. 24. The move stems from an October decision from the International Trade Commission restricting Apple’s watches with a Blood Oxygen feature as part of an intellectual property dispute with medical technology company Masimo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
An up-close view of the sensors. So far, 60 of them have been installed in Vernon. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)

VIDEO: Early wildfire detection system tested, launched in Vernon

The system, by SenseNet, uses sensors and cameras to detect anomalies and alert firefighters to wildfires faster

An up-close view of the sensors. So far, 60 of them have been installed in Vernon. (Brendan Shykora - Morning Star)
A cursor moves over Google’s search engine page, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2018. Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

What did you Google in 2023? ‘Barbie,’ Israel-Hamas war are among the year’s top internet searches

Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s.…

A cursor moves over Google’s search engine page, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2018. Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)
Canadian wireless companies collectively spent about $2.1 billion on chunks of 5G bandwidth in the federal government’s most recent spectrum auction. A man uses a cell phone to capture images at Federal Hill Park, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Baltimore. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Julio Cortez

Wireless companies’ spectrum gains could have lasting effect on 5G quality, pricing

Canada’s recent spectrum auction awarded telecom companies 4,099 spectrum licences

Canadian wireless companies collectively spent about $2.1 billion on chunks of 5G bandwidth in the federal government’s most recent spectrum auction. A man uses a cell phone to capture images at Federal Hill Park, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Baltimore. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Julio Cortez
Sam Altman participates in a discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in San Francisco. The board of ChatGPT-maker Open AI says it has pushed out Altman, its co-founder and CEO, and replaced him with an interim CEO(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Microsoft hires Sam Altman and OpenAI’s new CEO vows to investigate his firing

Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a…

Sam Altman participates in a discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in San Francisco. The board of ChatGPT-maker Open AI says it has pushed out Altman, its co-founder and CEO, and replaced him with an interim CEO(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
Salmon Arm’s 4AG Robotics (formerly TechBrew Robotics) has secured $17.5 million in financing to accelerate the development and deployment robotic solutions for mushroom harvesting. (TechBrew Robotics/Youtube image)

B.C. robotics firm secures $17.5M to revolutionize mushroom industry

Salmon Arm’s TechBrew Robotics rebranding to 4AG Robotics, developing robo-mushroom picker

Salmon Arm’s 4AG Robotics (formerly TechBrew Robotics) has secured $17.5 million in financing to accelerate the development and deployment robotic solutions for mushroom harvesting. (TechBrew Robotics/Youtube image)
A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. The European Union ratcheted up its scrutiny of Big Tech companies on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, with demands for Meta and TikTok to detail their efforts on curbing illegal content and disinformation amid the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Nepal bans TikTok and says it disrupts social harmony

Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on…

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. The European Union ratcheted up its scrutiny of Big Tech companies on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, with demands for Meta and TikTok to detail their efforts on curbing illegal content and disinformation amid the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
FILE - This March 20, 2018, file photo shows the YouTube app on an iPad in Baltimore. YouTube is rolling out new rules for AI content, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, including requiring creators to reveal whether they’ve used generative artificial intelligence to make realistic looking videos. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

YouTube creators will soon have to disclose use of gen AI in videos or risk suspension

YouTube is rolling out new rules for AI content, including a requirement…

FILE - This March 20, 2018, file photo shows the YouTube app on an iPad in Baltimore. YouTube is rolling out new rules for AI content, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, including requiring creators to reveal whether they’ve used generative artificial intelligence to make realistic looking videos. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Facebook and Instagram users in Europe are getting the option to pay for ad-free versions of the social media platforms as a way to comply with the continent’s strict data privacy rules. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Former Meta engineering leader to testify before Congress on Instagram’s harms to teens

On the same day whistleblower Frances Haugen was testifying before Congress about…

File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Facebook and Instagram users in Europe are getting the option to pay for ad-free versions of the social media platforms as a way to comply with the continent’s strict data privacy rules. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
Agility Robotics’ robot Digit performs maneuvers at the company’s office in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Agility co-founder Jonathan Hurst makes a point of describing Agility’s warehouse robot Digit as human-centric, not humanoid, a distinction meant to emphasize what it does over what it’s trying to be. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Humanoid robots are here, but they’re a little awkward. Do we really need them?

Leaders behind the movement say such robots will be needed as human birth rates fall

Agility Robotics’ robot Digit performs maneuvers at the company’s office in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Agility co-founder Jonathan Hurst makes a point of describing Agility’s warehouse robot Digit as human-centric, not humanoid, a distinction meant to emphasize what it does over what it’s trying to be. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
This Dec. 7, 2016, photo provided by Amazon shows an Amazon Prime Air drone in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Amazon announced the successful delivery of a package by drone to a customer in Cambridge, U.K., part of a small testing program. With drones, Amazon aims to make deliveries in 30 minutes or less. Packages must weigh five pounds or less and can only be delivered during the day and in clear weather. Amazon plans to expand the trial to hundreds of users. (Amazon via AP)

Amazon will start testing drones that will drop prescriptions on your doorstep, literally

Amazon will soon make prescription drugs fall from the sky when the…

This Dec. 7, 2016, photo provided by Amazon shows an Amazon Prime Air drone in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Amazon announced the successful delivery of a package by drone to a customer in Cambridge, U.K., part of a small testing program. With drones, Amazon aims to make deliveries in 30 minutes or less. Packages must weigh five pounds or less and can only be delivered during the day and in clear weather. Amazon plans to expand the trial to hundreds of users. (Amazon via AP)
Toys “R” Us at Willowbrook Shopping Centre. File photo

Amid a mental health crisis, toy industry takes on a new role: building resilience

As more children emerge from the pandemic grappling with mental health issues,…

Toys “R” Us at Willowbrook Shopping Centre. File photo
Martin Shane, right, customizes the button layout on the Sony Access controller before playing a video game at Sony Interactive Entertainment headquarters Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in San Mateo, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Sony’s Access controller for the PlayStation aims to make gaming easier for people with disabilities

Paul Lane uses his mouth, cheek and chin to push buttons and…

Martin Shane, right, customizes the button layout on the Sony Access controller before playing a video game at Sony Interactive Entertainment headquarters Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in San Mateo, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
FILE - A view of the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. Meta plans to give European Facebook and Instagram users the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media services as a way to comply with the continent’s data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)

Facebook and Instagram users in Europe could get ad-free subscription option, WSJ reports

Meta plans to give Facebook and Instagram users in Europe the option…

FILE - A view of the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. Meta plans to give European Facebook and Instagram users the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media services as a way to comply with the continent’s data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the tech giant’s Connect developer conference on Wednesday with a focus on virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. (AP PHOTO/GODOFREDO A. VÀSQUEZ)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicks off developer conference with focus on AI, virtual reality

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the tech giant’s Connect developer conference…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the tech giant’s Connect developer conference on Wednesday with a focus on virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. (AP PHOTO/GODOFREDO A. VÀSQUEZ)
Some news outlets say they’ve been unable to post on Meta’s social media sites some or all of the time since the digital giant began rolling out its restrictions on Canadian news. The Facebook logo is seen on a cellphone in Boston, Oct. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Dwyer

UK’s new online safety law adds to crackdown on Big Tech companies

British lawmakers have approved an ambitious but controversial new internet safety law…

Some news outlets say they’ve been unable to post on Meta’s social media sites some or all of the time since the digital giant began rolling out its restrictions on Canadian news. The Facebook logo is seen on a cellphone in Boston, Oct. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Dwyer
Owner George Dick takes guests on a tour of Dicklands Biogas during the 22nd annual Chilliwack Agriculture Tour on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

Biogas plant in Chilliwack becomes largest of its kind in B.C.

Chilliwack farmers worked for years to build plant that spins waste into natural gas, fertilizer

Owner George Dick takes guests on a tour of Dicklands Biogas during the 22nd annual Chilliwack Agriculture Tour on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
In this 2022 photo provided by Joby Aviation is Joby’s pre-production prototype aircraft at the company’s flight test facility in Marina, Calif. The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon manufacture cutting-edge electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. An agreement announced Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, between the state and Joby Aviation Inc. will bring air taxi production to a 140-acre site at Dayton International Airport by 2025. (Eric Adams/Joby Aviation via AP)

Hundreds of flying taxis to be made in Ohio, home of the Wright brothers and astronaut legend

The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight…

In this 2022 photo provided by Joby Aviation is Joby’s pre-production prototype aircraft at the company’s flight test facility in Marina, Calif. The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon manufacture cutting-edge electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. An agreement announced Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, between the state and Joby Aviation Inc. will bring air taxi production to a 140-acre site at Dayton International Airport by 2025. (Eric Adams/Joby Aviation via AP)