Applications Software

Epic Games Inc. has agreed to pay $520 million to resolve Federal Trade Commission allegations that the “Fortnite” videogame developer violated online privacy protections for children and tricked players into making unintended purchases.The FTC said the agreement consisted of two record-breaking settlements that resolve a pair of civil complaints it was filing against Epic. One, filed in federal court, alleged the company violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from…

ChatGPT, the artificial-intelligence program captivating Silicon Valley with its sophisticated prose, had its origin three years ago, when technology investor Sam Altman became chief executive of the chatbot’s developer, OpenAI.Mr. Altman decided at that time to move the OpenAI research lab away from its nonprofit roots and turn to a new strategy, as it raced to build software that could fully mirror the intelligence and capabilities of humans—what AI researchers call “artificial general…

ChatGPT, the artificial-intelligence program captivating Silicon Valley with its sophisticated prose, had its origin three years ago, when technology investor Sam Altman became chief executive of the chatbot’s developer, OpenAI.Mr. Altman decided at that time to move the OpenAI research lab away from its nonprofit roots and turn to a new strategy, as it raced to build software that could fully mirror the intelligence and capabilities of humans—what AI researchers call “artificial general…

Microsoft Corp. MSFT -1.73% has signaled it plans to challenge the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to block its $75 billion deal for Activision ATVI -0.38% Blizzard Inc., and is expected to argue that it is an underdog in videogame developing.The personal-computing company has been publicizing its position for months, saying the acquisition wouldn’t threaten competition in the industry because Microsoft trails…

Apple Inc. AAPL -1.46% is preparing to let applications be downloaded onto iPhones and iPads outside its App Store, while trying to limit the impact on the devices’ security and the company’s business, according to people familiar with the matter.The tech company’s software and app-store engineering group is spearheading work on the technical changes to enable alternate app stores and other software makers access to the iPhone in response to a new European Union law…

No news rarely feels so good.  Adobe ADBE 2.99% ‘s fiscal fourth-quarter results late Thursday contained few surprises. Revenue rose 10% year over year to $4.5 billion, in line with analysts’ forecasts, while adjusted operating income came in at $2 billion, slightly ahead of expectations. The company also reaffirmed that it expects revenue of about $19.2 billion at the midpoint for the fiscal year ending in November 2023.…

SINGAPORE—TikTok has accelerated efforts to move workers away from China in an attempt to distance itself from its Chinese parent, but the short-video app still counts on local talent to handle some key functions and continues to recruit there.TikTok and its parent ByteDance Ltd. have moved key executives to Singapore and the U.S., ramped up hiring of staff and engineers outside of China, and reorganized teams internally from the rest of the Chinese company’s suite of apps, part of efforts to separate the companies under…

Adobe Inc. said fourth-quarter revenue rose 10% on continued strong demand for its software and services. The company on Thursday also issued profit guidance for the current quarter that was better than Wall Street analysts projected. Shares of Adobe, down 42% this year through Thursday’s close, added 5.7% in after-hours trading. Adobe Inc. said fourth-quarter revenue rose 10% on continued strong demand for its software and services. The company on Thursday also issued…

WASHINGTON—The Senate’s move to expand a ban on TikTok being downloaded on government-issued smartphones and other devices comes amid widening concerns over the Chinese-owned video app’s security risks, but the measure faces a doubtful future in the House. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2020, and the legislation stalled out in the House. With just days left in the current session, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) was noncommittal Thursday when asked whether the bill would receive a House…

Microsoft Corp.’s $1 billion climate innovation fund is betting on a battery startup valued at more than $3 billion that is trying to dramatically improve power and charging time of electric vehicles. Group14 Technologies is getting $214 million from investors—just a slice of billions in private and government cash going to make better batteries, which are essential for EVs and renewable energy, company officials said. Other investors include Oman’s sovereign-wealth fund and a climate fund backed by…