Top Technology Stories of 2023

2023 · VOA Learning English

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Transcript

1. The past year marked the rise of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

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2. But here is a look back at some of the other noteworthy technology stories we covered in 2023.

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3. The cases might cost the companies billions of dollars and change the way similar app stores do business.

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4. A decision in the Google case was reached earlier this month when an American jury found Google’s app store operates as an illegal monopoly

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5. The case was brought by video game company Epic Games.

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6. One of the main questions in the case was whether Google had the right to require app developers to use Google’s app store’s payment systems.

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7. The jury ruled Google’s monopoly covered both its app selling system and payment processing within the app.

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8. Google condemned the decision and appealed the ruling. Epic brought a similar lawsuit against iPhone maker Apple that was decided in April.

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9. In that case, a judge in California mostly sided with Apple.

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10. But the judge did order Apple to permit developers to add their own links to process payments within iPhone apps.

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11. But supplies of the materials used to make them are limited.

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12. Currently, China controls most mining and processing of a group of 17 metals known as rare earths.

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13. One of the main materials used to produce the batteries is lithium, a light metal substance.

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14. Other necessary materials include the metallic elements cobalt, manganese and nickel.

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15. Even though some of the minerals are mined in nations outside China, Chinese companies still hold ownership over the operations.

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16. In an effort to avoid a dependence on Chinese controlled materials, the United States and other countries are seeking to mine and process more materials at home

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17. In February, U.S. President Joe Biden announced federal assistance programs to help companies mine and process lithium and other rare metals.

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18. Similar efforts were announced in other countries, including Britain and Germany.

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19. In addition, major automakers said they were seeking new EV engine designs that are less dependent on rare earth minerals.

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20. EV market leader Tesla said it plans to remove rare earths from its next-generation EVs.

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21. Other automakers said they are in the process of researching or developing EV motors that use little or no rare earth minerals.

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22. These include General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, and BMW.

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23. The robot, named ARTEMIS, is one of only a few humanoid robots that can run.

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24. It also can walk and jump on different kinds of surfaces without losing its balance. The robot also can kick a ball and remain standing even when kicked or hit, the team said.

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25. In Germany, many companies large and small turned to robots to fill jobs as the country faced a severe labor shortage.

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26. The International Federation of Robotics estimated that about 26,000 robotic machines were put into use in Germany last year.

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27. Experts say increasing robotic operations are a sign that robots have become easier to use, with no special skills required.

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28. However, the risks of using machines in the workplace were demonstrated in South Korea, where an industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable processing center.

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29. Police said the victim was an employee of a company that deploys industrial robots to businesses.

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30. NASA even tested a snake-like explorer designed to search for signs of life in hard-to-reach places. The American space agency said the robot is equipped to move in ways that traditional explorer vehicles, called rovers, cannot.

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31. In the future, NASA plans to send the robot to space to search for signs of life in an underground ocean on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

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