The Automotive Cold War Is Officially Underway
Tim Levin reports via InsideEVs: Two things of note in the electric vehicle world happened today around the same time. First, the Geely Group-owned Chinese EV brand Zeekr debuted on the New York Stock Exchange today at a valuation of around $5.2 billion. Then, around 250 miles south in Washington, D.C., news emerged that the Biden Administration is set to quadruple tariffs on Chine … ⌘ Read more

Bumble’s Dating ‘AI Concierge’ Will Date Hundreds of Other People’s ‘Concierges’ For You
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Fortune: Imagine this: you’ve “dated” 600 people in San Fransisco without having typed a word to any of them. Instead, a busy little bot has completed the mindless ‘getting-to-know-you’ chatter on your behalf, and has told you which people you should actually get off th … ⌘ Read more

Tech Exec’s Videos Spark Clash Over China’s Work Culture
Search giant Baidu fires its head of public relations after she outraged Gen Z workers. From a report [non-paywalled link]: The head of public relations at a major Chinese tech firm gained hundreds of thousands of followers seemingly overnight after posting a series of viral videos laying out her unapologetically tyrannical management style. The videos also earned her … ⌘ Read more

India Unable To Impose Caps on Mobile Payments Market Share, Four Years On
Eight years ago, a coalition of retail banks in India built a mobile payments system called the UPI. The system is interoperable, allowing users to make instant peer-to-peer transactions between them – across all participating banks – and to merchants at zero cost. Today, it processes more than 12 billion transactions each month - … ⌘ Read more

Canadian Petition That Games Must Remain Functional At EOL
Zitchas writes: The practice of having games require a connection to a publisher’s server – whether it is to check for a license or to access plug-ins and DLC – is an increasingly common thing in computer software; and many people are concerned that at some point in the future the publisher will shut down their server, and effectively render the person who … ⌘ Read more

Tornadoes Are Coming in Bunches. Scientists Are Trying To Figure Out Why.
The number of tornadoes so far in the United States this year is just above average. But their distribution is changing. From a report: Tornadoes tend to travel in packs these days, often with a dozen or more forming in the same region on the same day. On the worst days, hundreds can form at once. More than a dozen tornadoes were … ⌘ Read more

Apple Might Bring AI Transcription To Voice Memos and Notes
Apple’s plans for AI on the iPhone could bring real-time transcription to its Voice Memos and Notes apps, according to a report from AppleInsider. The Verge: The new feature is expected to arrive with iOS 18 and will reportedly let you see a running transcription of your audio recordings in either app. While Notes currently doesn’t let you record audio, a … ⌘ Read more

CEO of World’s Biggest Ad Firm Targeted By Deepfake Scam
The head of the world’s biggest advertising group was the target of an elaborate deepfake scam that involved an AI voice clone. From a report: The CEO of WPP, Mark Read, detailed the attempted fraud in a recent email to leadership, warning others at the company to look out for calls claiming to be from top executives. Fraudsters created a WhatsApp account with a … ⌘ Read more

EA Weighs Putting In-game Ads in AAA Games
Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed the company is considering putting ads in traditional AAA games, which players purchase for around $70 apiece. During EA’s latest earnings call, Wilson said, “Advertising has an opportunity to be a meaningful driver of growth for us,” and that teams are looking at how to thoughtfully implement ads within game experiences.

In-game advertising is … ⌘ Read more

Japan is Fighting Against the Entire Investing World in the Currency Market
An anonymous reader shares a report: Japan’s Ministry of Finance spent nearly $50 billion on April 29 and May 1 trying to prop up the value of the currency by selling US dollars and buying yen. Who was on the other side of this trade? Data from Deutsche Bank’s foreign exchange trading platform suggests: literally everyone. “Nearl … ⌘ Read more

UK Economy Emerges From Recession
The U.K. economy has emerged from recession as gross domestic product rose 0.6% in the first quarter, official figures showed Friday, beating expectations. From a report: Economists polled by Reuters had forecast growth of 0.4% on the previous three months of the year. The U.K. entered a shallow recession in the second half of 2023, as persistent inflation continued to hurt the economy.

Although there is n … ⌘ Read more

FBI Working Towards Nabbing Scattered Spider Hackers, Official Says
The U.S. FBI is working towards charging hackers from the aggressive Scattered Spider criminal gang who are largely based in the U.S. and western countries and have breached dozens of American organisations, a senior official said. From a report: The young hackers grabbed headlines last year when they broke into the systems of casino-operators … ⌘ Read more

Will Chatbots Eat India’s IT Industry?
Economist: What is the ideal job to outsource to AI? Today’s AIs, in particular the Chatgpt-like generative sort, have a leaky memory, cannot handle physical objects and are worse than humans at interacting with humans. Where they excel is in manipulating numbers and symbols, especially within well-defined tasks such as writing bits of computer code. This happens to be the forte of giant existing ou … ⌘ Read more

Streaming is Cable Now
An anonymous reader shares a report: Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max are teaming up for a new bundle this summer, Netflix is focused on the WWE and celebrity boxing, Disney Plus is getting ESPN, and Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Max could get a price hike. A familiar refrain emerged around all this news: streaming is becoming cable TV all over again and getting crummier in the process.

And it’s true! When stream … ⌘ Read more

The Most Detailed 3D Reconstruction of Human Brain Tissue
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Interesting Engineering: Imagine exploring the intricate world within a single cubic millimeter of human brain tissue. It might seem insignificant, but within that tiny space lies a universe of complexity – 57,000 individual cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and a staggering 150 million synapses, the junction … ⌘ Read more

NASA’s Proposed Plasma Rocket Would Get Us to Mars in 2 Months
Last week, NASA announced it is working with a technology development company on a new propulsion system that could transport humans to Mars in only two months – down from the current nine month journey required to reach the Red Planet. Gizmodo reports: NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program recently selected six promising projects for … ⌘ Read more

Apple Apologizes For Tone-Deaf Ad That Crushed Human Creativity To Make an iPad
Apple has apologized for its tone-deaf “Crush!” ad that sparked a furious backlash with artists, musicians and other creators. AdAge reports that Apple said the video “missed the mark” and has scrapped plans to run the cutesy-turned-cringey commercial on TV. From a report: It’s clear that Apple intended for the ad t … ⌘ Read more

Chemicals In Car Interiors May Cause Cancer, and They’re Required By US Law
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Hill: Tens of millions of Americans each day breathe in carcinogenic chemicals that are woven into the interiors of their cars, a new study has found. While opening a window can help reduce the risk, only reforms can keep people safe, researchers wrote in a study in Environmental Sc … ⌘ Read more

Microsoft Is Launching a Mobile Game Store
During a Bloomberg event today, Xbox president Sarah Bond said the company plans to launch a mobile gaming store to rival Apple and Google. “According to Bond, the as-yet-unnamed store will launch in July on web browsers, rather than a designated app, with Microsoft’s recently-acquired Candy Crush Saga serving as a day-one tentpole franchise,” reports GeekWire. From the report: Microsoft’ … ⌘ Read more

Neuralink’s First Implant Partly Detached From Patient’s Brain
Ancient Slashdot reader jd shares a report from The Guardian: Neuralink’s first attempt at implanting its chip in a human being’s skull hit an unexpected setback after the device began to detach from the patient’s brain, the company revealed on Wednesday. The patient, Noland Arbaugh, underwent surgery in February to attach a Neuralink chip to his br … ⌘ Read more

FDA Recalls Defective iOS App That Injured Over 200 Insulin Pump Users
Jess Weatherbed reports via The Verge: At least 224 people with diabetes have reported injuries linked to a defective iOS app that caused their insulin pumps to shut down prematurely, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Wednesday, the agency announced that California-based medical device manufacturer Tandem Diabetes … ⌘ Read more

T-Mobile, Verizon In Talks To Buy Parts of US Cellular
T-Mobile and Verizon are in talks to buy parts of U.S. Ceullar in separate transactions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Reuters reports: T-Mobile is closing in on a deal to buy a chunk of U.S. Cellular for more than $2 billion, taking over some operations and wireless spectrum licenses, the report said citing people familiar with the matter. Verizon’ … ⌘ Read more

Nearly 50% of People Are Considering Leaving Their Jobs In 2024
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: In 2022, at the height of the “great resignation,” a record 4.5 million workers each month – about 3% of the U.S. workforce – were quitting their jobs. While some economists have said this pandemic-era trend is over, new research from Microsoft and LinkedIn forecasts that even more people plan to leave the … ⌘ Read more

Texas Spot Power Prices Jump Almost 100-Fold On Tight Supply
ArchieBunker quotes a report from Bloomberg: Texas electricity prices soared almost 100-fold as a high number of power-plant outages raised concerns of a potential evening shortfall. Spot prices at the North Hub, which includes Dallas, jumped to more than $3,000 a megawatt-hour just before 7 p.m. local time, versus about $32 at the same time Tuesday, … ⌘ Read more

Is the Era of Stickers In Apple Boxes Coming To an End?
Citing a memo distributed to Apple Store employees, 9to5Mac reports that the new iPad Pro and iPad Air lineups will not include Apple stickers in the box – “a key piece of memorabilia” that dates back as far as 1977’s Apple II, notes Ars Technica. While the company says that this is part of its environmental goals to completely remove plastic from its packaging, … ⌘ Read more

Maryland Passes Two Bills Limiting Tech Platforms’ Ability To Track Users
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: The Maryland legislature passed two bills over the weekend limiting tech platforms’ ability to collect and use consumers’ data. Maryland Governor Wes Moore is expected to sign one of those bills, the Maryland Kids Code, on Thursday, MoCo360 reports. If signed into law, the other … ⌘ Read more

Apple To Power AI Tools With In-House Server Chips This Year
Apple will deliver some of its upcoming AI features this year via data centers equipped with its own in-house processors, part of a sweeping effort to infuse its devices with AI capabilities. From a report: The company is placing high-end chips – similar to ones it designed for the Mac – in cloud-computing servers designed to process the most advanced … ⌘ Read more

World is On Edge of Climate Abyss, UN Warns
The world is on the verge of a climate abyss, the UN has warned, in response to a Guardian survey that found that hundreds of the world’s foremost climate experts expect global heating to soar past the international target of 1.5C. From a report: A series of leading climate figures have reacted to the findings, saying the deep despair voiced by the scientists must be a renewed wake-up cal … ⌘ Read more

Record-Breaking Increase in CO2 Levels in World’s Atmosphere
The largest ever recorded leap in the amount of carbon dioxide laden in the world’s atmosphere has just occurred, according to researchers who monitor the relentless accumulation of the primary gas that is heating the planet. From a report: The global average concentration of carbon dioxide in March this year was 4.7 parts per million (or ppm) higher than … ⌘ Read more

Sonos Says Its Controversial App Redesign Took ‘Courage’
An anonymous reader shares a report: Sonos has responded to the avalanche of feedback – some good, plenty bad – about the company’s redesigned mobile app that was released on May 7th. In the days since, customers have complained about missing features like sleep timers, broken local music library management, and no longer having the ability to edit playlists or th … ⌘ Read more

Dell Says Data Breach Involved Customers’ Physical Addresses
Technology giant Dell notified customers on Thursday that it experienced a data breach involving customers’ names and physical addresses. TechCrunch: In an email seen by TechCrunch and shared by several people on social media, the computer maker wrote that it was investigating “an incident involving a Dell portal, which contains a database with limited typ … ⌘ Read more

OpenAI Considers Allowing Users To Create AI-Generated Pornography
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is exploring whether users should be allowed to create AI-generated pornography and other explicit content with its products. From a report:While the company stressed that its ban on deepfakes would continue to apply to adult material, campaigners suggested the proposal undermined its mission statement to p … ⌘ Read more

Microsoft’s Xbox Is Planning More Cuts After Studio Closings
The sudden closure of several video-game studios at Microsoft’s Xbox division was the result of a widespread cost-cutting initiative that still isn’t finished. From a report: This week, Xbox began offering voluntary severance agreements to producers, quality assurance testers and other staff at ZeniMax, which it purchased in 2020 for $7.5 billion, accord … ⌘ Read more

US Patent and Trademark Office Confirms Another Leak of Filers’ Address Data
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: The federal government agency responsible for granting patents and trademarks is alerting thousands of filers whose private addresses were exposed following a second data spill in as many years. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) said in an email to affected trad … ⌘ Read more

North Yorkshire Council To Ban Apostrophes On Street Signs To Avoid Database Problems
The North Yorkshire Council in England announced it will ban apostrophes on street signs as it can affect geographical databases. Resident Anne Keywood told the BBC that she urged the authority to retain apostrophes, saying: “If you start losing things like that then everything goes downhill doesn’t it?” … ⌘ Read more

Scientists Find an ‘Alphabet’ In Whale Songs
Carl Zimmer reports via the New York Times: Ever since the discovery of whale songs almost 60 years ago, scientists have been trying to decipher their lyrics. Are the animals producing complex messages akin to human language? Or sharing simpler pieces of information, like dancing bees do? Or are they communicating something else we don’t yet understand? In 2020, a team of marine biolo … ⌘ Read more

Deepfakes of Your Dead Loved Ones Are a Booming Chinese Business
An anonymous reader quotes a report from MIT Technology Review: Once a week, Sun Kai has a video call with his mother. He opens up about work, the pressures he faces as a middle-aged man, and thoughts that he doesn’t even discuss with his wife. His mother will occasionally make a comment, like telling him to take care of himself – he’s her only … ⌘ Read more

Dell Makes Return-To-Office Push With VPN, Badge Tracking
Dell is making sure its employees follow the company’s updated return-to-office policy through a series of new tracking techniques. According to The Register, Dell will track employees’ badge swipes and VPN connections and include a color-coded attendance grading system that summarizes employee presence.

“In the latest Jeff Clarke return-to-grade-school initiative, … ⌘ Read more

Google Will Exit Prominent San Francisco Waterfront Office Tower
Google announced on Tuesday that it will be exiting One Market Plaza, a prominent office complex in San Francisco that it had been occupying since 2018. The company’s lease for the 300,000-square-foot-office will expire next April. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: Many of Google’s employees are already working outside of the giant waterfront … ⌘ Read more

81% of Young People Say a 4-Day Workweek Would Boost Productivity, Survey Finds
A new national survey (PDF) from CNBC/Generation Lab of 1,033 people aged 18 to 34 found that an overwhelming 81% of respondents believe a four-day workweek would boost their company’s productivity, while 19% said productivity would decline. CNBC reports: Those results from the “Youth & Money in the USA” survey come ami … ⌘ Read more

Ransomware Crooks Now SIM Swap Executives’ Kids To Pressure Their Parents
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: Ransomware infections have morphed into “a psychological attack against the victim organization,” as criminals use increasingly personal and aggressive tactics to force victims to pay up, according to Google-owned Mandiant. “We saw situations where threat actors essentially SIM … ⌘ Read more

US Libraries Are Battling High Prices For Better E-Book Access
Librarians are fighting a nationwide battle against high e-book prices, which so far has yielded minimal results. Despite efforts and temporary legislative victories, strict renewal and loan policies imposed by publishers keep e-book costs high, limiting the number of popular titles libraries can offer and leading to frustration among patrons. Axios … ⌘ Read more

Fedora Asahi Remix 40 Now Available For Apple Silicon Devices
Michael Larabel reports via Phoronix: Building off the recent release of Fedora 40, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 is now available for this downstream of Fedora Linux that’s optimized to run on Apple Silicon ARM systems. Fedora Asahi Remix continues to be one of the best ways of enjoying a Linux experience atop recent Apple Macs making use of their in-house M … ⌘ Read more

FCC Explicitly Prohibits Fast Lanes, Closing Possible Net Neutrality Loophole
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Federal Communications Commission clarified its net neutrality rules to prohibit more kinds of fast lanes. While the FCC voted to restore net neutrality rules on April 25, it didn’t release the final text of the order until yesterday. The final text (PDF) has some … ⌘ Read more

Smart Home Startup Brilliant Runs Out of Cash, Which Could Mean Lights Out For Its Light Switches
Smart home device maker Brilliant has laid off most of its staff and is seeking a buyer after failing to secure funding, CEO Aaron Emigh told The Verge. The company has shut down its support center and halted sales of its smart light switches and controllers, which integrate with va … ⌘ Read more

Prime Video Subs Will Soon See Ads for Amazon Products When They Hit Pause
Amazon Prime Video subscribers will see new types of advertisements this broadcast year. Amazon announced today that it’s adding new ad formats to its video streaming service, hoping to encourage people to interact with the ads and shop on Amazon. From a report: In January, Prime Video streams included commercials unle … ⌘ Read more

Raspberry Pis Get a Built-in Remote-Access Tool: Raspberry Pi Connect
An anonymous reader shares a report: One Raspberry Pi often leads to another. Soon enough, you’re running out of spots in your free RealVNC account for your tiny boards and “real” computers. Even if you go the hardened route of SSH or an X connection, you have to keep track of where they all are. All of this is not the easiest thing to tac … ⌘ Read more

Environmental Changes Are Fueling Human, Animal and Plant Diseases, Study Finds
Several large-scale, human-driven changes to the planet – including climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the spread of invasive species – are making infectious diseases more dangerous to people, animals and plants, according to a new study. From a report: Scientists have documented these effects before in … ⌘ Read more

Researchers Warned Against Using AI To Peer Review Academic Papers
Researchers should not be using tools like ChatGPT to automatically peer review papers, warned organizers of top AI conferences and academic publishers worried about maintaining intellectual integrity. From a report: With recent advances in large language models, researchers have been increasingly using them to write peer reviews – a time-ho … ⌘ Read more

Researchers Warned Against Using AI To Peer Review Academic Papers
Researchers should not be using tools like ChatGPT to automatically peer review papers, warned organizers of top AI conferences and academic publishers worried about maintaining intellectual integrity. From a report: With recent advances in large language models, researchers have been increasingly using them to write peer reviews – a time-ho … ⌘ Read more