If you think a bread box or plastic bag is the answer, you're not rising to the occasion.

The Dutch government asked ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok to allow researchers access to the functioning of the social media

The US Federal Trade Commission has sued to stop Microsoft buying Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard. It is just the latest problem for the deal, which has already been blocked by UK regulators. If completed, it will become one of the largest takeovers ever – but has faced scrutiny from regulators around the world, who argue that it might cause problems for the gaming market. The FTC's Monday filing in a federal court in San Francisco seeks a restraining order and injunction to stop Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of the California gaming company behind hit franchises such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. Microsoft, maker of the Xbox game system, has been struggling to win worldwide approval for the deal with just over a month before the deadline to close it, according to the contract it signed with Activision. “We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court," said a statement Monday from Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chair and president. "We believe accelerating the legal process in the U.S will ultimately bring more choice and competition to the market.” The FTC already took Microsoft to court to block the merger, but that was before the U.S. agency's in-house judge in a trial set to start on Aug. 2. That administrative process doesn't preclude the parties from closing the deal. The contract between Microsoft and Activision required the deal to close by July 18, but the FTC's latest action seeks to stop that from happening. “Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have represented in the past that they cannot close their deal due to antitrust reviews of the transaction in other jurisdictions," the FTC said in a statement Monday. "But Microsoft and Activision have not provided assurances that they will maintain that position. In light of that, and public reporting that Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are considering closing their deal imminently, we have filed a request for a temporary restraining order to prevent them from closing while review continues.” Microsoft's other main obstacle is in the United Kingdom, where antitrust regulators have also taken action to block the acquisition. The all-cash deal announced in January 2022 has been scrutinized by regulators around the world over fears that it would give Microsoft and its Xbox console control of Activision's hit franchises and give it an unfair boost in the emerging business of cloud-based game subscriptions. It could be the priciest tech industry merger in history. Fierce opposition has been driven by rival Sony, which makes the PlayStation gaming system. Microsoft sought to counter the resistance by striking a deal with Nintendo to license Activision titles like Call of Duty for 10 years and offering the same to Sony if the deal went ahead. European regulators representing the 27-nation bloc approved the deal last month on condition that Microsoft make some promises meant to boost competition in the cloud-based gaming market. A number of other countries, including China, Japan, Brazil and South Korea, have also approved it. But the blockbuster deal has remained in jeopardy because of the surprise April decision by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority and the ongoing case in the U.S. Microsoft in late May filed an appeal of the British regulator's decision and has also voiced strong public opposition directed at top government officials. U.S.-based consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, an opponent of the deal, welcomed the FTC's move Monday. “Although the agency has already used its authority to block the merger through administrative proceedings, Microsoft is pushing to culminate the purchase of Activision before the agency can finish its process," said a statement from Public Citizen's competition policy advocate Matt Kent. ""By filing in federal court to enjoin the transaction, the FTC is showing that it won’t back down in the face of Microsoft’s escalatory tactics.” Additional reporting by Associated Press

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BURLINGTON, Mass. & EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2023--

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Hyundai and Toyota have both come under fire recently by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over ads detailing the two firms’ quick charging times. The ASA found that the car adverts relating to Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Toyota’s bZ4X were ‘misleading’, due to many variables and limitations at play, especially when it came to the availability of the quickest EV chargers. But what are the different types of public EV chargers in the UK, how long can you expect a typical EV to charge with each and what is the availability of each type of charger like? Here we explain. AC slow charging – speeds up to 6kW There are two main types of EV charger – alternative current (AC) and direct current (DC). The first is used for slower charging, with the latter adopted for quicker speeds. If you’re in no rush, what’s classed as a ‘slow charger’ is the best bet. These are rated at speeds up to 6kW, and are ideal for if a car is parked up for an extended period of time. They are typically found in on-street chargers, including those in lamp posts. Let’s use Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 as an example. When equipped with the smaller 58kWh battery (an average size for an EV’s battery), it would take 16 hours to complete a charge. ‘Slow’ units are the second most popular type of charger in the UK. According to data from Zap-Map, one of the leading EV charging navigation firms, as of the end of May 2023, there were 10,699 slow chargers across Britain. AC fast chargers – 7kW to 22kW The most popular type of charger in the UK is what’s known as a ‘fast charger’. Rated between 7kW and 22kW, the smaller number is the most common type. These are often found in places where cars are usually stopped for several hours, such as in shopping centre and workplace car parks. The 7kW output is the typical output of a specific home EV charger, and with the Ioniq 5, it would take nine hours for a full charge. If you hooked up to a quicker 22kW charger, the time is reduced to six hours. According to Zap-Map data, there are 24,443 fast charging points currently in the UK. DC Rapid charger – 25kW to 99kW If you’re looking to speed things up a notch, it’s worth trying to find what’s known as a ‘rapid charger’. These are rated between 25kW and 99kW, though 50kW is the most common output. Often found in the car parks of supermarkets and fast food outlets, it would take around 45 minutes to charge the Ioniq 5’s 58kWh battery, according to Hyundai’s data, with one of these units. . As of May 2023, there were 5,182 rapid electric car charging points located across the UK. DC Ultra-rapid charger – 100kW + If you’re looking to top up an EV’s battery as quickly as possible, it’s an ultra-rapid charger that are the one to find. These are rated from 100kW upwards. They are typically found at motorway service stations, though specific EV hubs are now being set up with banks of these quicker units. Most Porsche dealers also have 350kW units, which are available to use by the public. It’s worth noting that every EV will have a maximum charging speed, with some older electric cars – or those with a smaller battery – having a maximum charging speed of 50kW, meaning there’s not a lot of point in using an ultra-rapid charger over a standard ‘rapid’ as it won’t charge it any quicker. But the Ioniq 5 is one of those that can charge at up to 350kW, however, meaning that in ideal conditions, it could take just 18 minutes to charge the battery to 80 per cent capacity. The trouble, however, as the ASA pointed out, is that there is limited availability of 350kW units. While, according to Zap-Map data, there are 3,302 ultra-rapid chargers across the UK, there are only around 70 individual locations across the whole of the UK that have 350kW chargers. The whole of Scotland, for example, has just six places that can deliver such charging speeds, while there are only three in Wales, and all of them are located in the south. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Emergency number back in use after nationwide technical fault Windrush trolls taken down after public criticism Meta rejects accusation of censorship of language around female body

SHENZHEN, China Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies received $560 million in royalty revenues in 2022, Alan Fan, its