EU accused of copyright loophole in AI Act, Smartphone ‘dark mode’ drains batteries faster
An architect of EU copyright law has said legislation is needed to protect writers, musicians and creatives left exposed by an “irresponsible” legal gap in the bloc’s Artificial Intelligence Act. The intervention came as 15 cultural organisations wrote to the European Commission this week warning that draft rules to implement the AI Act were “taking several steps backwards” on copyright, while one writer spoke of a “devastating” loophole. The Guardian
Argentine President Javier Milei has denied promoting a newly launched cryptocurrency which collapsed shortly after he mentioned it in a social media post on Friday. The cryptocoin $Libra quickly rose in value before nosediving, causing severe losses for the majority of people who had invested in it. A judge will now determine if the president should face fraud charges over the incident. On Monday, Milei said he had acted “in good faith” and dismissed investors’ complaints. BBC
Turning on “dark mode” for websites and apps is causing smartphone batteries to drain more quickly, researchers have found, despite the widespread belief that it helps to save energy. Hundreds of apps have introduced a darker version of their products, which tones down the colours or add a black background compared with the original “light mode”. Apple and Google both offer a dark mode for their Android and iOS smartphone operating systems, while X, formerly Twitter, has made its dark mode the default since being taken over by Elon Musk. Telegraph
Russian state-linked hacking groups have snuck into some Ukrainian military staffers’ Signal messenger accounts to gain access to sensitive communications, Google said in a report on Wednesday. Moscow-linked groups have found ways to couple victims’ accounts to their own devices by abusing the messaging application “linked devices” feature that enables a user to be logged in on multiple devices at the same time. Politico
Complaints about BYD over its move to offer free smart driving features across most of its line-up have flooded a prominent Chinese auto quality platform, many from customers who said they had overpaid for their cars. Over 4,700 complaints were filed against BYD cars between February 11-17 on 12365auto.com, a third-party auto consumer complaints platform, compared with about 150 the week before and roughly 500 for January. Reuters
The risk of the 2024 YR4 asteroid hitting Earth at the end of 2032 has increased again, according to NASA data. Latest calculations have shown a 3.1% chance of the space rock making impact in just under eight years. It is a significant change since the European Space Agency (ESA) estimated in January there was 1.2% chance of a direct hit. The increased odds mean the asteroid – which is around the size of a football pitch – is the most threatening to Earth in modern asteroid forecasting. Sky News
Today is the day that the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate goes global with a launch event in Kuala Lumpur. Also in attendance are the 2025 refresh of the MatePad Pro 13.2, plus two new accessories – Huawei’s first hooked earbuds and its latest smart band. Huawei is crushing the competition in China’s foldable market and now its most advanced product is ready to expand to new markets. GSM Arena
