DeepSeek's new chain-of-thought AI model has Silicon Valley developers seething that a startup from gasp China could build something just as good, if not better, than what they've come up with, for a fraction of the cost and with far superior energy efficiency.Exhibit A: OpenAI programmer Steven Heidel, who couldn't help injecting some old-fashioned China bashing to distract from the fact that his company just got smoked in a race it had a several year and multibillion dollar head-start in."Americans sure love giving their data away to the CCP in exchange for free stuff," Heidel wrote on X, referring to the Communist Party of China.Following overwhelming backlash, his tweet was appended with a community note: "DeepSeek can be run locally without an internet connection, unlike OpenAI's models."This is true. DeepSeek's r1 model is open-source, totally free, and if you're concerned about your privacy, you can download and run all 404 gigs of it on your own rig. Because it's a chain-of-thought model, anyone can see how the AI "thinks," which goes a long way as far as trust.(After the community note dunk, Heidel followed up with a post urging users to only use the DeepSeek model locally.)Needless to say, to smear the AI model, whose underlying code is free for anyone to poke around in, as some sort of Chinese spyware is really rich coming from someone who works at OpenAI, a company that quickly ditched its noble, non-profit and open-source beginnings as soon as it got a taste of money. Today, it's firmly for-profit and closed-source.It'd be remiss to brush aside privacy concerns surrounding Chinese platforms, and indeed the censorship present in the app version of DeepSeek. But OpenAI's data ethics track record isn't exactly squeaky clean, either. It trained its AI model by devouring everyone's data on the surface web without ever stopping to ask permission. It and its CEO Sam Altman have also invested in a number of companies whose commitment to privacy is questionable.Plus, pretty much every outfit in Silicon Valley pawns off their customer's data to data brokers, who in turn sell that information to thousands of other companies so they can barrage you with ads and most perniciously, to government agencies for surveillance purposes.To that end, it might be worth mentioning that OpenAI appointed a former National Security Administration director to its board a move that Edward Snowden blasted as a "calculated betrayal of the rights of every person on earth."Of course, Heidel isn't alone. Just days before his faux-pas, Neal Khosla, CEO of the AI-powered health clinic Curai, called DeepSeek a "CCP state psyop" and an act of "economic warfare to make American AI unprofitable." (Counterpoint: American AI is why American AI is unprofitable.)In reality, the US has been waging plenty of economic warfare on that front, including implementing export controls in 2023 that effectively banned advanced US-made AI chips, including those made by Nvidia, from entering China.Ironically, that pressure may have pushed Chinese developers to make its models more efficient with less hardware, while American competitors gluttonously relied on scaling up their datacenters comprising literal billions of dollars worth of GPUs to make gains.That the immediate response of Silicon Valley to DeepSeek's achievements is to link it with CCP conspiracies is a sign of deep-seated insecurity, and let's face it racism. The same anti-Chinese rhetoric, similarly under the guise of protecting Americans' privacy, fueled the push for the (now-suspended) ban on TikTok."I think if any of these AI bros were remotely serious about using this technology to improve society they'd be excited at the idea of someone managing to run laps around them for 1/10th the computing power but instead they are seething, sinophobically," wrote a Bluesky user.Share This Article

Death PanelsJan 28, 8:51 AM EST/byNoor Al-SibaiTrump Administration Throws Cancer Research Into Turmoil"This kind of disruption could have long ripple effects."Jan 28, 8:51 AM EST/Noor Al-SibaiImage by Chip Somodevilla via Getty / FuturismCancerThe second Trump administration's draconian rollbacks have put cancer research and other crucial government-funded medical projectson the chopping block.In one of his first post-inauguration acts, Donald Trump ordered the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration to pause all its outside communications.As Mother Jones and Science magazine report, that directive has sown confusion and chaos at NIH, where funding meetings have at the same time been indefinitely suspended.The NIH, as the world's largest public funder of biomedical research, requiresmultiple meetings to get everything from grant proposals to funding off the ground.After Trump took office for the second time, medical researchers working with the NIH saw all their meetings abruptly canceled.Cancer researcher Chrystal Starbird of the University of North Carolina's Medical Center was preparing to sit on her first NIH grant review panel later this month when she got an email telling her, essentially, not to show up."Ive never seen a complete pause like this as part of a transition," the researcher toldMother Jones.The Mondayafter that coverage broke, the acting director of the NIH told employees that ongoing clinical trials would be continuing shortly before the White House issued an order pausing all federal grants and loans, save for those that go to Social Security and Medicare.With that one-two punch, the state of funding for any new trials and for billions of dollars worth of other important programs, including foreign aid remains on hold, its future uncertain.Emily Gillespie, a speech-language pathologist and professor at Emory University had just had a $2.5 million funding proposal that was getting ready to be approved when the initial order came down last week. That council meeting was also canceled, Gillespie told Mother Jones, and there's no telling when or if it will be rescheduled."It was, to put it mildly, quite a letdown," the researcher said. "Its really frustrating because its very hard to plan."Ironically, this bizarre suspension of NIH research may end up putting the US behind China and other science rivals."This kind of disruption could have long ripple effects," University of Pittsburg opioid addiction researcher Jane Liebschutz told Science after the pause was first enacted. "Even short delays will put the United States behind in research."Along with harming national competitiveness, this ill-conceived suspension is, as Liebschultz said, sowing a "lot of uncertainty, fear, and panic" among the medical research world and the longer it goes on, the more that chaos will grow.More on Trump dystopia: Trump Admin Announces Plans to Build Database of Migrant DNAShare This ArticleImage by Chip Somodevilla via Getty / FuturismRead This Next

Jan 28, 2025Ravie LakshmananCybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a now-patched account takeover vulnerability affecting a popular online travel service for hotel and car rentals."By exploiting this flaw, attackers can gain unauthorized access to any users account within the system, effectively allowing them to impersonate the victim and perform an array of actions on their behalf including booking hotels and car rentals using the victim's airline loyalty points, canceling or editing booking information, and more," API security firm Salt Labs said in a report shared with The Hacker News.Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could have put millions of online airline users at risk, it added. The name of the company was not disclosed, but it said the service is integrated into "dozens of commercial airline online services" and enables users to add hotel bookings to their airline itinerary.The shortcoming, in a nutshell, can be weaponized trivially by sending a specially crafted link that can be propagated via standard distribution channels such as email, text messages, or attacker-controlled websites. Clicking on the link is enough for the threat actor to hijack control of the victim's account as soon as the login process is complete.Sites that integrate the rental booking service have the option to login to the latter using the credentials associated with the airline service provider, at which point the rental platform generates a link and redirects the user back to the airline's website to complete authentication via OAuth.Once the sign in is successful, the users are directed to a website that adheres to the format "<rental-service>.<airlineprovider>.sec," from where they can use their airline loyalty points to book hotels and car rentals.The attack method devised by Salt Labs involves redirecting the authentication response from the airline site, which includes the user's session token, to a site under the attacker's control by manipulating a "tr_returnUrl" parameter, effectively allowing them to access the victim's account in an unauthorized manner, including their personal information."Since the manipulated link uses a legitimate customer domain (with manipulation occurring only at the parameter level rather than the domain level), this makes the attack difficult to detect through standard domain inspection or blocklist/allowlist methods," security researcher Amit Elbirt said.Salt Labs has described service-to-service interactions as a lucrative vector for API supply chain attacks, wherein an adversary targets the weaker link in the ecosystem to break into systems and steal private customer data."Beyond mere data exposure, attackers can perform actions on behalf of the user, such as creating orders or modifying account details," Elbirt added. "This critical risk highlights the vulnerabilities in third-party integrations and the importance of stringent security protocols to protect users from unauthorized account access and manipulation."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Shane Snider, Senior Writer, InformationWeekJanuary 28, 20254 Min ReadRokas Tenys via Alamy StockDeepSeek, the China-based AI startup that upended US technology stocks Monday, said cyberattacks have disrupted services for its chatbot platform. And the companys vulnerability raises concerns about users data security and use, experts say.DeepSeek caused Wall Street panic with the launch of its low cost, energy efficient language model as nations and companies compete to develop superior generative AI platforms. Users raced to experiment with the DeepSeeks R1 model, dethroning ChatGPT from its No. 1 spot as a free app on Apples mobile devices. Nvidia, the worlds leading maker of high-powered AI chips suffered a staggering $593 billion market capitalization loss -- a new single-day stock market loss record.The companys wild ride continued Monday night as the company reported outages it said were the result of large-scale malicious attacks, disrupting services and limiting new registrations.Ilia Kolochenko, CEO at ImmuniWeb and adjunct professor of cybersecurity at Marylands Capital Technology University, says it may be too early to accept the companys attack explanation. It is not completely excluded that DeepSeek simply could not handle the legitimate user traffic due to insufficiently scalable IT infrastructure, while presenting this unforeseen outage as a cyberattack, he says in an email message.He adds, Most importantly, this incident indicates that while many corporations and investors are obsessed with the ballooning AI hype, we still fail to address foundational cybersecurity issues despite having access to allegedly super powerful GenAI technologies.The Devil Is in the User DetailsConsidering the potential breach, security experts also worry about DeepSeeks access to users data, which under Chinas strict AI regulations, must be shared with the government.All AI models have the same risks that any other software has and should be treated the same way, Mike Lieberman, CTO of software supply chain security firm Kusari, says in an email interview. Generally, AI could have vulnerabilities or malicious behaviors injected Assuming youre running AI following reasonable security practices, e.g., sandboxing, the big concerns are that the model is biased or manipulated in some way to respond to prompts inaccurately or maliciously.Chinas access to potentially sensitive user information should be a top security concern, says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN. DeepSeeks privacy policy, which can be found in English, makes it clear: User data, including conversations and generated responses, is stored in servers on China, Warmenhoven says in an email message. This raises concerns because of the data collection outlined -- ranging from user-shared information to data from external sources -- which falls under the potential risks associated with storing such data in a jurisdiction with different privacy and security standards.Warmenhoven says users need to be on guard: To mitigate these risks, users should adopt a proactive approach to their cybersecurity. This includes scrutinizing the terms and conditions of any platform they engage with, understanding where their data is stored and who has access to it.Optivs Jennifer Mahoney, advisory practice manager for data governance, privacy and protection, says, As generative AI platforms from foreign adversaries enter the market, users should question the origin of the data used to rain these technologies When a service is free, you become the product and your user data is valuable. Should an unregulated an unsecure technology suffer a cyberattack, you could become a victim of identity theft or social engineering.The Risk to National SecurityChina and the US have been locked in a strategic battle over AI dominance. The US, under the previous Biden administration, blocked Chinas access to powerful AI chips. DeepSeeks ability to create an AI chatbot comparable to the best US-produced GenAI models at a fraction of the cost and power could give the adversarial nation the upper hand as the countries race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI).AI and associated cloud compute are now a nations strategic asset, Gunter Ollman, CTO at security firm Cobalt, tells InformationWeek in an email interview. Its security is paramount and is increasing targeted by competing nations with the full cyber and physical resources they can muster. AI code/models are inherently more difficult to assess and preempt vulnerabilities Organizations should also be wary of using DeepSeeks open-source technology, Ollman says. Organizations building atop open-source AI should plan for a potential future bloodbath of vulnerabilities and exploits in the near future.A popular GenAI tool could lure unsuspecting users to fall for adversarial nation-state propaganda. The definition of backdoor attacks that normally involve malicious code should be expanded to included malicious misinformation, Ollman says. Backdoors may extend to political and social influence, such as a models answers modifying history Perhaps country-led open-source AI models are the modern equivalent of religious missionaries of past centuries.About the AuthorShane SniderSenior Writer, InformationWeekShane Snider is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of industry experience. He started his career as a general assignment reporter and has covered government, business, education, technology and much more. He was a reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh News and Observer and most recently a tech reporter for CRN. He was also a top wedding photographer for many years, traveling across the country and around the world. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.See more from Shane SniderNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Quentin Tarantino has said for years that he plans to retire from filmmaking after he directs ten feature films.Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was his ninth. Which means whatever he means next assuming he sticks to his word, which no one really cares about but him will be his directorial farewell.OUATIHcame out in theaters in 2019. Six years later, Tarantino has no imminent plan for that farewell project. Heswrittenbooks in the interim, but the tenth film is still MIA. And according to Tarantino, its not coming anytime soon.At an event at Sundance, Tarantino explained (viaDeadline), Im in no hurry to jump into production right now, Ive been doing that for 30 years. He said that he wants to not end up doing whatever movie I end up doing until my son is 6. Tarantinos son was born in February of 2020, which means this movie is still at least a year or two from production, much less release.Getty ImagesGetty Imagesloading...READ MORE: Brad Pitt Was Going to Re-team With Tarantino on Canceled ProjectThings looked different just last year, when rumors swirled about a project Tarantino was putting together calledThe Movie Critic.Although never formally announced, thefilm would have reportedly followed thestaff critic of a seedy L.A. magazine in the 1970s, with Brad Pitt possibly reprising his role as stuntman Cliff Booth fromOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood.The Movie Critic was called off in April of 2024, with reports in the trades claiming that Tarantino was going back to the drawing board to figure out what that final movie will be. Tarantinos changed his mind on whether or not to make movies before (The Hateful Eight was temporarily canceled after its script leaked), so he could always reverse course again. But based on what he said at Sundance, it wont be anytime soon.Get our free mobile appEvery Tarantino Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. AIs energy obsession just got a reality check Just a week in, the AI sector has already seen its first battle of wits under the new Trump administration. The clash stems from two key pieces of news: the announcement of the Stargate project, which would spend $500 billionmore than the Apollo space programon new AI data centers, and the release of a powerful new open-source model from China. Together, they raise important questions the industry needs to answer about the extent to which the race for more data centerswith their heavy environmental tollis really necessary.Read the full story.James ODonnell This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Robotaxis: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2025 If you live in certain cities in America or China, youve probably spotted driverless cars dropping off passengers. Perhaps youve even ridden in one yourself. Thats a radical change from even three years ago, when these services were still learning the rules of the road. And robotaxis could soon be operating in many more cities. After years of beta testing, driverless taxis are now finally becoming available to the public. In more than a dozen cities worldwide, riders can summon one whenever they want. Now, the biggest players are ramping up for intense competition as they expand into new cities under regulators watchful eyes. Read the full story. Rhiannon Williams Robotaxis is one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025, MIT Technology Reviews annual list of tech to watch. Check out the rest of the list, and cast your vote for the honorary 11th breakthrough. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 DeepSeeks AI model is sending US data to ChinaWhich could open it up to a lot of scrutiny in the US. (Wired $) + The models popularity has made it a cyber attack target. (The Guardian)+ The company was forced to limit the number of new users registering. (The Verge)+ How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions. (MIT Technology Review)2 DeepSeeks success is emboldening other Chinese startupsMoonshot and Zhipu are among the firms racing to capitalize on the worlds attention. (FT $) + DeepSeek mania has gripped the world and shaken the markets. (404 Media)+ The country is cheering on its homegrown success story. (Bloomberg $)+ And many Americans are impressed by it, too. (The Atlantic $)3 Microsoft has entered the fray to buy TikTok According to Donald Trump, at least. (WP $)+ Microsoft had originally floated buying the app back in 2020. (Reuters)4 Google Maps is changing the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America But users in Mexico will continue to see its original name. (CNBC)+ Other countries across the world will be presented with both names. (Forbes $) 5 Scammers are using AI to create blackmail videosThe clips feature AI-generated news anchors reporting on sextortion cases. (Wired $) + An AI startup made a hyperrealistic deepfake of me thats so good its scary. (MIT Technology Review)6 Amazon is seeking permission to fly drones in the North of EnglandThe retail giant is lagging behind other drone projects in the UK.(The Guardian) 7 This new fertility treatment could be a viable IVF alternativeAs well as a much less painful, invasive procedure. (The Atlantic $) + This biotech CEO decided to take her own (fertility) medicine. (MIT Technology Review)8 Yahoo is determined to become cool again By capitalizing on our obsession with nostalgia. (Insider $)9 The Pebble smartwatch is back Almost a decade after Fitbit bought the company, its relaunching. (The Verge)+ But its going to need a new name. (TechCrunch)10 How to measure the shape of the universe Subtle signals could help us to map it out. (Quanta Magazine)+ Why is the universe so complex and beautiful? (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the day It's legit invigorating to have a new competitor! OpenAI boss Sam Altman says hes not worried at all by the success of open-source AI model DeepSeek R1 in a post on X. The big story Meet the divers trying to figure out how deep humans can go February 2024 Two hundred thirty meters into one of the deepest underwater caves on Earth, Richard Harry Harris knew that not far ahead of him was a 15-meter drop leading to a place no human being had seen before.Getting there had taken two helicopters, three weeks of test dives, two tons of equipment, and hard work to overcome an unexpected number of technical problems. But in the moment, Harris was hypnotized by what was before him: the vast, black, gaping unknown.Staring into it, he felt the familiar pullmaybe he could go just a little farther. Instead, he and his diving partner, Craig Challen, decided to turn back. Thats because they werent there to set records. Instead, they were there to test what they saw as a possible key to unlocking depths beyond even 310 meters: breathing hydrogen. Read the full story.Samantha Schuyler We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + How to make a tasty mocktail like a pro. + Happy birthday to the one and only Billy Ocean, who recently turned the ripe old age of 75.+ Fans of video game Deep Rock Galactic are a raritya kind, welcoming and friendly gaming community.+ Hongbao, the little red envelopes given out at Lunar New Year, have a long and fascinating history.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"URBAN AI, a global organisation dedicated to urban Artificial Intelligence, has launched an online program, titled AI in Urban Planning, which aims to blend theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of Urban AI.Architecture and urban planning is undergoing a fundamental transformation thanks to artificial intelligence, which brings to users a high-level of efficiency, sustainability, and creativity to the discipline.The presence of AI is transforming the way cities are planned, from data-driven insights to AI-powered tools that improve community involvement and model scenario building. Following URBAN AI's recent event, The Screenless Cities Conference, the organization has launched a professional program designed to provide essential knowledge about AI.This program will bring participants at the forefront of the future of city planning by providing state-of-the-art insights, resources, and useful tools for utilizing AI in every stage of urbanism, from urban diagnosis to project monitoring."This Program aims to educate and train urban professionals to explore, understand, and master the transformative impact of urban AI," said the organizers of URBAN AI.The six-week curriculum consists of six modules taught by internationally recognized instructors:Module 1: Defining Urban AIModule 2: Urban AI for Insights, Transformation, Prediction, and ConsensusModule 3: Generative AI for Participatory DesignModule 4: Generative Design for Scenario PlanningModule 5: Urban AI for Regulatory PlanningModule 6: AI for Urban Project MonitoringThe AI in Urban Planning Program InstructorsThe internationally recognized instructors are composed of Laura Narvaez Zertuche, Partner, Urban Design Group | Foster + Partners, Ariel Noyman, PhD, Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab, Damiano Cerrone, Co-Founder of UrbanistAI, Karla Saldaa Ochoa, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Florida and Director of SHARE Lab, Federico Fernandez, CEO of URBANLY, and Arianna Salazar Miranda, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Data Science at Yale."Designers can enhance productivity by leveraging various AI tools to better realize projects or speed up certain tasks. AI can help discover new materials, explore structural possibilities, or find solutions that consider various performance factors, such as environmental or financial. The other aspect is rethinking the design process itself," said Laura Narvaez Zertuche in this exclusive WAC interview."With generative AI, more voices can be included in the design process. Therefore, it is not only architects or urban designers, it is other disciplines that engage in the design process, enabling deliberations with generative AI and other innovations that create a new approach to design. The design process is more collaborative, and data-driven, it is inclusive and ultimately aims to identify and implement sustainable practices in urban design," she added.The program aslo includes peer-to-peer sessions for sharing best practices, exclusive content, including detailed urban AI case studies with feedback from partners, KPIs, and recommendations. Moreover, it offers personalized mentoring sessions with experts from the Urban AI network, and access to a catalog of trusted partners and solutions to ensure the success of your urban AI projects.The program is open also open to local governments, urban engineering/urban design companies, urban planning and/or architecture agencies, real estate stakeholders (office or housing real estate company, etc.), international organization dedicated to urban development topics, consulting firms specializing in public policies, urban planning, and/or Data/AI, and stakeholders in city-making.Registrations can can made under 3 categories:- Essentials (780), this category gives access to foundational knowledge through self-paced learning resources, ideal for individuals starting their Urban AI journey- Practitioners (1850) - this category targets professionals seeking advanced learning, tailored advice and practical tools to implement and use urban AI, ideal for organizations starting their Urban AI journey.- Teams (Group discount on Practitioners rate) - this category brings your team or organization together to align on Urban AI strategies and benefit from collaborative learning, ideal for organizations that want to develop an Urban AI strategic vision.Detailed information can be found on URBAN AI's website.The deadline for registrations is February 28, 2025. The WAC readers can receive a%10 discount on the registration price for the program by entering WAC as the discount code at checkout.Students do not need to have Python or any other coding software installed on their computers. However, it is optional; every module will provide participants with the requirements they need.The program intends to announce new editions of AI in Urban Planning in the future.Urban AI is a Paris-based think tank established in 2020, dedicated to the emerging field of Urban Artificial Intelligence. The organization focuses on three main pillars: Research, Events & Content, and Education.All images courtesy of URBAN AI.> via URBAN AI

Fresh off the viral success of its new AI model over the weekend, DeepSeek is already back with another launch this time focusing on AI image generation.The Chinese startup has released an image-generation model called Janus-Pro, aiming to take on US rivals DALL-E 3 and Stable Diffusion. The multimodal model, which generates images from text prompts, is said to outperform competing services in areas such as image quality and accuracy.This launch follows the release of DeepSeek's R1 model, which made waves with its lightning-fast, highly logical responses, and for being trained more quickly and at a fraction of the cost of US models. The model reportedly runs on less advanced Nvidia chips, raising questions about how China is competing without access to cutting-edge US technology. The app recently outpaced ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple App Store.The back-to-back releases signal China's push to gain footing in the growing AI arms race. Meanwhile, last week, President Donald Trump announced a new AI infrastructure initiative, pledging up to $500 million in partnership with OpenAI and other tech firms.The timing also coincides with increased scrutiny of Chinese tech companies, with tensions already high over TikTok's data privacy concerns.Read more:DeepSeek Is the Hot AI App. Don't Get Too Attached to ItJanus-Pro is currently available to download on the AI developer platform Hugging Face.In an introduction on the download page, DeepSeek said: "Janus-Pro surpasses its previous unified model and matches or exceeds the performance of task-specific models. The simplicity, high flexibility, and effectiveness of Janus-Pro make it a strong candidate for next-generation unified multimodal models."The model ranges in size from 1 billion to 7 billion parameters, a key factor in its problem-solving capabilities.The company calls Janus-Pro a "novel autoregressive framework" that solves previous challenges by separating the steps for analyzing and generating images, while still using a single, unified system to process everything."The decoupling not only alleviates the conflict between the visual encoder's roles in understanding and generation but also enhances the framework's flexibility," DeepSeek wrote.

If you're shopping in-store at Walmart, you can't use Apple Pay, Google Pay or most other contactless payment options to make a purchase. But you do have other options.You can still use most major credit and debit cards when buying something in-store or online. Although the retailer doesn't accept payments via third-party digital wallets, it will continue to accept its own digital wallet, Walmart Pay, which was launched in 2016.A Walmart spokesperson confirmed via email that the retailer does not accept NFC payments and offered Walmart Pay and other alternatives."We also have options that go beyond just payments, such as Scan & Go, which allow Sam's Club and Walmart Plus members to bypass the checkout altogether," the spokesperson said. Digital wallets like Apple Pay have grown in popularity over the last several years, offering the convenience of paying without having to carry a credit card. Apple Wallets and Google Wallets can store various payment options as well as things like your digital hotel key, boarding passes and concert tickets.Walmart, with more than 4,600 locations across the country, is one of the last major retailers to refuse to accept third-party contactless payment options.By sticking to its internal mobile payment app, Walmart avoids paying fees for third-party options and can more easily track your purchase history. However, that exclusivity also makes purchases less convenient for customers who use digital apps and wallets as their primary means of payment.How to use Walmart PayIf you download the Walmart app, you can add payment methods in a wallet within Account Settings, then use them with Walmart Pay. The app allows you to store a variety of payment methods:Credit and debit cards from most of the major issuers, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and DiscoverBank accountWalmart gift cardsElectronic Benefits TransferHealthcare benefits cards, like HSA and FSAPayPalIf you're in a store, you can use Walmart Pay within the app, and then scan the QR code at checkout to pay for your purchase. When the payment is complete, you'll receive a digital receipt in the app.Alternative payment options to Walmart PayIf you don't want to install the Walmart app on your phone or add your payment info there, you can still make purchases at Walmart. If you're making a purchase in store, you can use credit and debit cards, Walmart gift cards, Electronic Benefits Transfer, HSA and FSA cards, or PayPal (in some locations).To use PayPal at the register, you'll need the PayPal app. From the menu, select In-person & QR code to set up in-person payments. Choose "Show to pay" and a QR code will be generated, which can be scanned by the cashier to process your payment.Walmart also accepts PayPal for online purchases. If your Walmart doesn't offer PayPal at the register and you want an extra layer of security protecting your bank account or card number, you can order the item online and pay using your PayPal account.You can also still technicallyuse your digital wallet to shop online at Walmart online. You'll just need to enter your credit card number when checking out. In a digital wallet, you can find your card number by clicking on the payment method in the wallet, then going to the menu in the top left corner and clicking on Card Number. You'll see your card number (or virtual card number, if available), expiration date and security code, which you'll need to enter in as payment info on the Walmart.com

Microsoft in talks to buy TikTok, US president saysPotential pricetag around $100bn.Image credit: Microsoft / TikTok News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 28, 2025 Xbox owner Microsoft is currently in discussions to buy social media giant TikTok.That's according to the newly-reinstalled US President Trump, who has now told reporters of Microsoft's involvement (via Reuters). Microsoft itself has declined to comment.TikTok's current status in the US appears precarious, after it was banned by the previous US administration and the US Supreme Court due to national security concerns linked to the app's Chinese owner ByteDance. Here in Europe, the UK government, BBC and the European Commission have banned the app from use on official phones.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Xbox Developer Direct - four promising games also coming to PlayStation.Watch on YouTubeAhead of returning to office, Trump had signalled he would pause the ban - though TikTok still took itself offline within the US for a brief window, before returning online with a message that thanked Trump personally.TikTok's US ban is now officially paused for 75 days, during which time the social media giant and its compulsive algorithm must either be sold or banned for good. Microsoft is one of a few companies with deep enough pockets to make a serious bid, with various valuations of TikTok ranging around $100bn, and some even higher.Still, as we well know, Microsoft seemed happy to shell out $67.8bn just a couple of years ago to snap up Call of Duty and World of Warcraft maker Activision Blizzard. What's $30bn more for control of the hugely-influential TikTok?Microsoft has been interested in TikTok previously, and got close to a bid in 2020 during Trump's first term in office. Other contenders to buy the social media firm include cloud technology company Oracle, as well as X owner Elon Musk.TikTok would be, by far, Microsoft's biggest acquisition to date. Other than Activision Blizzard, Microsoft previously paid $26bn for LinkedIn, $19.7bn for speech recognition company Nuance Communications, $8.5bn for Skype, and $7.5bn for Bethesda owner ZeniMax Media.Last week, popular card battler Marvel Snap returned online with an apology to players, after it was also made briefly unavailable. Marvel Snap is published by Nuverse, another company owned by TikTok parent ByteDance. Marvel Snap's development team has now said it will seek an alternative publishing partner.