Nerd News Tracker

ChatGPT Plus to give priority access at a hefty price | Digital Trends
Knowing they've got something good going for themselves... the non-profit called OpenAI is offering a premium service to offset their network and computing costs. This premium version will be faster, with more robust features. They are pitching this more to business...

Amazon adding new fees for grocery delivery – GeekWire
Do you use the Amazon Fresh delivery service? Starting next month, you will be hit up for charges if you have smaller orders. If you're a Prime customer, and spend $150, then you're still free. For some, this means just spending a bit more, planning your purchases...

Samsung’s Q4 profits plummet 69 percent, hit 8-year low | Ars Technica
While Apple is still on top of the world, Samsungs profits are an an 8 year low. Their overall revenue is doing fine, but they may need to figure out how to convert that over. They did release a new update to the Galaxy, labeled the S23. I don't know that it'll do...

Showtime is Merging With Paramount+
If I were going to pick up another streaming service, I think it would be Paramount+. It's interesting that they just started the process of merging Showtime into Paramount+, so I'm paying attention to what happens next. For the combined properties with Paramount and...

Microsoft Surface sales are tanking, Microsoft says | PCWorld
Last weeks news of Microsoft layoffs is starting to become even more clear. The Microsoft Surface is experiencing a major hit, as the Microsoft Devices revenue is down 39%. Same with Windows OEM, the licensing of Windows Operating Systems. Xbox, down 13%, and this is...
U.S. says it ‘hacked the hackers’ to bring down ransomware gang, helping 300 victims
The FBI revealed this week that they had taken down a ransomware gang by... get this... hacking them. In what appears to be one of the first instances that we've seen, our own government hackers broke into the bad guy servers and stole the digital keys to unlock the...
TSA ‘no fly’ list leaked after being found on unsecured airline server | Fox Business
A 2019 copy of the United States TSA "no fly" list is now in the hands of hackers. The 1.5 million name list (which includes aliases) was snagged from an airline called CommuteAir, from their Amazon Web Services server. It's not fully clear as to all of the...
Amazon launches a $5 monthly subscription for prescription drugs – The Verge
Amazon just jumped into a new field. They' had done a few things like Amazon Pharmacy, and other health issues, but now, they are pursuing a path of $5 a month for unlimited covered prescription medications. If you have a few of the generic meds that are already low...
90% of online content could be ‘generated by AI by 2025,’ expert says
Content creators have been doing a number of crazy things with the advent of these AI generators, including some news platforms. With that, comes the suggestion that 90% of online content could be AI generated in just a couple of years. That does leave a concern as to...
Netflix’s password sharing crackdown is finally happening early 2023 | Mashable
Netflix expects to start rolling out their enforcement of password usage, but they will be pushing a paid sharing option for some. They haven't been clear on how they will be doing this. I'm concerned for families that are moving, or temporarily in two locations, as...
Mass. congressman reads AI-generated speech on House floor
A topic that is building, and fast, is Chat GPT. US Rep Auchincloss from Massachusetts delivered a 100 word speech on a bill this week that was generated via AI, a possible first. It was to support the creation of a US-Israel artificial intelligence center. Of course,...
Netflix founder Reed Hastings is giving up his CEO role
Netflix Founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, is moving in a new direction. His long term stint at Netflix has been since 1997, and now he's going to have a little more relaxation time. He's leaving the CEO position, but still retaining the Chairman position. This comes...
Tesla drastically lowers EV pricing in the US and Europe | Engadget
We recently talked about the government rules for tax credits for Electric Vehicles. It appears that Tesla decided to make some changes in pricing to ensure that people can take advantage of those credits. Apparently the idea of waiting extra time and not getting a...
Apple Card responsible for more than $1 billion in losses – 9to5Mac
The Apple card has been around since just before COVID. I have one. Goldman-Sachs is the bank that sits behind the metal card that links to your iPhone. The latest news, however, is that Goldman-Sachs has spent about $1 Billion to keep this running, and may not break...
Don’t be fooled: Crypto is going up because of market manipulation | Mashable
I don't delve into crytpo-currency, equating it with reckless gambling where the house wins. A few news articles came out recently, noting that there were increases in things like Bitcoin, but they also noted that there may be some level of market manipulation...
Full memo: Microsoft to cut 10k jobs, about 5% of workforce, and take $1.2B restructuring charge – GeekWire
Microsoft is pushing through some reductions, and is laying off about 5% of their staff, which equates to 10,000 employees. This is something that will take place over the next couple of months, and will include soem healthy severance packages as Microsoft plans to...
Microsoft will stop selling Windows 10 licenses in a few days | PCWorld
Microsoft continues to push us towards Windows 11, and the latest effort is Microsoft announcement this week. Effective January 31, you will no longer be able to download and buy Windows 10 from them. Your only option will be through existing stores of licenses that...
Getty is suing a popular AI image generator for copyright infringement | Mashable
You ask the AI to give you a picture of an airplane flying over a mountain. AI image creation needs a source for ideas, so it must scour the internet for pictures to get an idea of what you want. Apparently, Getty Images has decided that those images, even if they...
FAA outage that grounded flights blamed on old tech and damaged database file | Ars Technica
The FAA had a massive outage this week that kept planes grounded in the second major airline debacle in a month. Early reports were hinting at hackers, foreign states attacking us, but the news came out on Thursday that it was a damaged database file. There was a...
FAA outage that grounded flights blamed on old tech and damaged database file | Ars Technica
The FAA had a massive outage this week that kept planes grounded in the second major airline debacle in a month. Early reports were hinting at hackers, foreign states attacking us, but the news came out on Thursday that it was a damaged database file. There was a...
California e-ink platemaker exploited to track equipped cars • The Register
We've talked about Reviver, the only commercially available digital license plate on the market. At first it was neat, but then the pricetag was scary. Now, I knew these high tech plates had tracking built in, but apparently an security researcher has found that there...
FBI reveals it uses CIA and NSA to spy on Americans – Washington Times
If you think our government has our best interests in mind, you may need to think this over. FBI pulled in the CIA and NSA to spy on Americans. That's not all... apparently, this was without court orders, and could have been against people who were not even accused of...
Parler owner laid off 75% of staff and has only 20 employees left, report says | Ars Technica
We've been seeing the demise of a social media platform again. Ironically, it's been a long time in coming as Apple and Google took aim. Parler is spinning around the drain, and is down to 20 employees after a new layoff of 75% of the team. It goes to show that...
Microsoft Is Finally Done With Windows 7 and 8.1
Any chances of a last reprieve from Microsoft in regards to Windows 7 and 8.1 has been dashed. Microsoft officially turned off all support for both of them this week, including security updates. This wasn't surprising, but it's also something that had to be done to...
Britain to push ahead with readying ground for a digital pound
As we mentioned last week, there's a chance that we'll see far more interest in government backed digital currencies. Britain's Financial Services Minister has noted that they will be starting studies for such, and while they don't expect to be early, they do wish to...
Shopify Clears Employee Meetings, Calendars
So you know those big huge meetings at the office where 80 people show up? Shopify just cancelled all recurring meetings with more than 3 people. Across the company. It's an interesting concept, and perhaps it'll make people think twice about those super meetings....
Mother of the year: US teen discovers cyber bully was her own mother – The Jerusalem Post
In a sickening bit of news, a Michigan girl was being cyberbullied. At first the efforts were small, but after a year-long investigation which included the FBI, they found the culprit. Hundreds of text messages, untold emails, and countless social media posts built up...
Amazon’s custom-built ‘Hey Disney!’ voice assistant will become available for purchase later this year | TechCrunch
Also announced at CES... Amazon is partnering with Mickey Mouse and company for "Hey Disney!", an alternative to the usual "Alexa" wake words. This has already been around in Disney Resort hotel rooms, and was focused on the Disney experience. It includes a bit more...
Amazon’s custom-built ‘Hey Disney!’ voice assistant will become available for purchase later this year | TechCrunch
Also announced at CES... Amazon is partnering with Mickey Mouse and company for "Hey Disney!", an alternative to the usual "Alexa" wake words. This has already been around in Disney Resort hotel rooms, and was focused on the Disney experience. It includes a bit more...
Ransomware gang apologizes for attack on children’s hospital | TechRadar
In a strange twist of actions, some ransomware-as-a-service folks have jumped in to rescue a target. SickKids.ca is a major childrens hospital in Toronto, Canada. They were hit by the LockBit ransomware, and when news got back to the "owners" of the software, they...
The digital dollar is coming on the back of the FTX collapse | The Hill
One of the bigger notes this past week is that the government is pushing hard for a Digital Dollar. Yes, an alternative to the cryptocurrency market. Of course, that will enable a dystopian invasion on every dollar that you spend, with tracking of everything. It seems...
CES 2023 Day 1: The biggest announcements so far | ZDNET
CES was this week. The announcements made were as expected with new televisions and monitors, new LED lighting, and new CPU and GPU announcements from Nvidia and Intel. Cars factored big in announcements with in-car gaming, color changing cars, and more. The usual...
Amazon to cut 18,000 jobs, mostly in Stores and PXT Solutions teams – Neowin
Whenever we hear of a layoff, and see large numbers, we sometimes neglect the bigger picture. So, when I say Amazon is laying off 18,000 employees in two weeks, please note that they employ 1.6 million people. For each of those individuals, it will be an impact. Also,...
Inside the first fully automated McDonald’s in America where robots have taken over – and it looks so sad | The Sun
A McDonald's in Fort Worth, Texas, has moved into a new level of automation. The location has started to add in not only kiosks, but conveyor belts, and robotic burger assembly. Early word is that it's not impressive, and perhaps a step back from where we all want to...
New Law Offers a Fix for the Prison Phone Racket
The prison phone industry is coming under scrutiny of the Congress. A new bill has been put forth that empowers the FCC, the agency that covers phone calls and costs, to pursue the telecom companies that reach provide services in the jails. Some of the phone costs, in...
U.S. securities regulator alleges price manipulation by FTX
More issues have come out, and now the SEC is updating complaints against FTX to include more targets for price manipulation of crypto, and what looks like some additional sneaky dealings. The SEC has disclosed new details about the final days of FTX and Alameda...
Sam Bankman-Fried met with ‘Big Short’ author Michael Lewis
This comes just when I think that the drama of FTX couldn't get any worse... when I thought we could move away from the story. Apparently Sam Bankman-Fried has met with the writer for "Moneyball" and "The Big Short". Of course, that leads to speculation that the scam...
Metaverse off to ominous start after VR headset sales shrank in 2022
Virtual reality took a hit this year. The idea of VR headsets, whether talking about Oculus (now owned by Meta) or other competitors, has started to show cracks in the system. People have started to experience fatigue, a lack of follow-through on promises, and an...
Laid-off tech workers are finding new jobs pretty quickly | TechRadar
Right now, the job market is still amazing for the employee. Currently there are 10.3 million openings, but that's more than all of the unemployed adults in the US. Tech is still the highest demand area, even though this was a major year for layoffs in the tech...
Apple plans to make MacBooks in Vietnam from mid-2023 | AppleInsider
Honoring that old adage of "don't put all of your eggs in one basket" is continuing at Apple. Apple is shifting their production around the world. An unofficial goal appears to be securing of manufacturing options outside of China for everything. We'll chat about that...
Ransomware hackers take demands directly to college students: ‘For you, it’s a sad day’
A slightly strange twist in ransomware was discovered, where Knox College in Illinois was hacked. The follow-up was to contact the students of the college, and threaten to release information across the board to other hackers. This is usually something where the...
Official NORAD Tracks Santa
The annual tracking of Saint Nick, aka Santa, Kris Kringle, etc... is continuing again this year with NORAD watching as the big guy takes to the skies. It started with a misdialed number some 67 years ago, resulting in a young child reaching NORAD, and receiving an...
Delta May Offer Free Wi-Fi for Passengers in 2023 – CNET
Delta is setting up a new battle in the skies with their new approach of offering free Wi-Fi as a perk. This is something that is likely to have new customers making the change. It seems small, but that little perk is something that changed coffee shops, hotels, and...
Netflix’s ad-supported tier is reportedly off to a slow start – The Verge
Netflix reports that they are seeing new sign-ups for the ad supported tier at right about 9%. This is lower than what was expected, but this is also something that they have yet to leverage fully. I see the ad-support tier just the same as with Hulu, where it's the...
Don’t expect a Raspberry Pi 5 in 2023, says Eben Upton • The Register
If you're a fan of the small little single board computer called the Raspberry Pi, then it may be a while before you get a new device. The Pi 5 was announced this week as being at least a year away. That places 5 full years between the version 4 and the 5. Now, they...
Samsung Mocks Apple for Lack of Foldable iPhone in New World Cup Themed Ad – MacRumors
Samsung lobbed another taunting ad at Apple this past week, all based on the lack of a folding screen. They're pushing the Galaxy Z Flip4. While I've seen others with the foldable phones, I'm still not convinced at the idea. Twice the thickness, with a potential for...
The iPhone 14’s Satellite SOS Is Already Saving People
Apples other innovations, however, are exciting, in that the iPhone's SOS feature, using satellite communications, is already saving lives. Apparently a car went off the road in a forest area in Southern California, and standard cell service wasn't available. One of...
Dell concept laptop has pop-out components, disassembles screwdriver-free | Ars Technica
Dell came up with a new laptop design... it's still in concept stages, but it's design is all about ease of repair. Disassembly starts with a pin, and then can be done by hand from there. They state you can use almost anything that will fit in the hole. They appear to...
Dell concept laptop has pop-out components, disassembles screwdriver-free | Ars Technica
Dell came up with a new laptop design... it's still in concept stages, but it's design is all about ease of repair. Disassembly starts with a pin, and then can be done by hand from there. They state you can use almost anything that will fit in the hole. They appear to...
Privacy advocates are aghast at UK’s anti-encryption plans
The UK government is making waves now, with an Online Safety Bill. The drama here is that they want to force any messenger apps to scan through all private messages for illegal content. They don't stop there... internal proprietary efforts would be discarded, and the...
Sam Bankman-Fried could be sentenced to 115 years in prison if convicted of all charges against him
FTX cofounder was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday, and US federal prosecutors have charged him with eight counts, so far. The counts include wire fraud, commodities fraud, campaign finance violations, misappropriating customer funds for various personal purposes,...
Lawmakers Intro Bill to Ban TikTok in U.S. – Nextgov
TikTok is coming under fire again. This time, there are folks on both sides of Congress that are noting the threat. They are seeking a ban on the app, due to the political influence capabilities, all based on Chinese ownership, which could run afoul of the ban of...
Nuclear Fusion Ignition Has Been Achieved, US Government Announces
Nuclear fusion. This is the stuff that physicists have dreamed of for decades. The idea of creating more energy, in a controlled environment, than what was put in. Imagine putting only 2 cups of water into a pan, but it allows you to pour out 3 cups. Lawrence...
NFTs minted on FTX break, highlighting Web2 hosting flaws
NFTs, non-fungible-tokens... OK, think of it like this.... artwork, that was unique and rare, stored in digital form. They must be authroized by a blockchain, a series of numbers in encrypted public form. Some of the NFTs that were authenticated by the FTX blockchain,...
FBI ‘deeply concerned’ about Apple’s new security protections | AppleInsider
Apple announced ramping up encryption, and predictably, the FBI started crying. Apples new features "hinders" the agency's ability to protect/spy on Americans. They are asking for something which was a new term for me... self-explanatory, but creepy. "Lawful access by...
The last 747 rolls off Boeing’s production line • The Register
The last 747 has been built. 1574 of them have been built by Boeing over the years, and it's still the longest commercial airframe in service. Large planes have been falling out of favor, with the Airbus 380 serving up lackluster sales. The plant in Everett,...
Thank Your Amazon Drivers and They Might Score a $5 Tip – Review Geek
Amazon's quick response to being sued for past failures to pay tips forward to drivers, was to publicly share a new effort. Apparently, if you want to thank your Amazon driver, just call out "Alexa, thank my driver", and the first million drivers that get thanked will...
Amazon sued by DC attorney general for deceiving customers who tipped drivers | Ars Technica
Amazon had a little craziness this week. Sued by the DC attorney general for taking money from customers who tipped drivers, but then not paying the tips forward. The FTC forced a restitution, but DC attorney general said they should have been punished as well. AG:...
Apple to use made-in-America chips for iPhones and Macs | Digital Trends
Apple announced that they will start using USA made chips for iPhones and macs, through a new facility in Arizona. Now, they are still providing them through the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, but it moves jobs onshore, and adds a new bonus. The targeted...
San Francisco reverses plans to allow police robots to kill suspects – The Verge
In the span of about a week, San Franciso authorized police to kill suspects with remote-controlled robots... then reversed their decision. The fact that this was floated is disturbing. The idea that this can still be allowed is nightmarish. How many movies have been...
Apple Sued by Women After Exes Use AirTags to Stalk Them – MacRumors
Two women are suing Apple for how the AirTag can be used for unwanted tracking. One of the women was stalked by her ex-boyfriend, who stashed the AirTag on her car. The other, by her estranged husband, who dropped one in a backpack. There have been some changes to the...
Facebook owner Meta may remove news from platform if U.S. Congress passes media bill
The idea of removing news from your Facebook, or other social media feed, is something that was argued in Australia about a year and a half ago. This week, it looked like the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act was headed to be included in a defense budgeting...
FCC bans U.S. sales of Huawei and ZTE equipment over national security concerns
The FCC made an interesting move this past week. Two smartphone names out of China, Huawei, and ZTE, are now officially banned from import and sale in the United States. This is a continued effort towards understanding what technology is being used here. The US is not...
FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried denies crypto exchange fraud
The former CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, went on TV and claimed that he didn't try to commit fraud, that he should have done a better job, that he was only worth $100k, and had only one credit card left. This is after it came out that he contributed $40 million to...
BlockFi files for bankruptcy as FTX fallout spreads
Antoewhr crypto firm declared Chapter 11... BlockFi, with 100,000 creditors, is following FTX, and a few others. Things brings back memories of some of the collapses in other markets over the years. BlockFi was one of the first firms to be "rescued" by former...
Elon Musk to finally produce a ‘Tesla Pi’ phone? | Companies – Gulf News
This week found another attack against Elon Musk, with media saying that because of a spat with Apple, that he was going to create a new smartphone. He then said, in essense... 'sure, if I have to'. OK, so days later, it was publicly announced that Apple and Musk had...
California looks to ban all diesel trucks
California is moving forward again with crazy rules regarding reducing pollution. Their current plans are now to ban all diesel trucks and buses by 2045. Environmentalists are pushing for that to be even sooner, but California has less than 2000 vehicles that meet...
Apple will pay $50M to settle the butterfly keyboard fiasco
Did you ever pickup one of the various Macbook, Macbook Air's, or Macbook PRo's that came with the butterfly keyboard? For a while, a lawsuit, and settlement have been working their way forward. Finally, the judge has provided approval for the $50 million settlement...
Crypto bros offloading G-Wagons, luxury cars amid FTX crash
One part of the crypto-crash that has been going, and continues to implode... people who struck it rich there, are starting to sell off their expensive ultra-luxury cars. The genre referred to as Exotics, with nameplates like Lamborghini, McClaren, Bugatti, etc, are...
Domino’s buys 800 Chevrolet Bolt EVs as pizza delivery vehicles | Ars Technica
Your next Domino's pizza may be delivered by a company branded Chevy Bolt. They are using this as a vehicle to deliver a new message, that of their new goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 800 of these new EV Chevy's will be delivered by the end of next year....
Elon Musk says Twitter is done with layoffs and ready to hire again – The Verge
Admittedly, the entire story at Twitter is strange. Still, the entire media has no idea what to report on. Two reports at one source simultaneously reported layoffs and hiring at Twitter. They even admit in one article that the comments are conflicting. Whatever...
Bitcoin (BTC) hits 2-year low as FTX collapse contagion fears linger
When you start thinking about crypto, think again. The entire crypto market lost $1.4 Trillion in value this year. Depending on how you count it, this is roughly the GDP of Mexico. The equivalent of one of the top 20 economies in the world, just disappeared. FTX may...
Mercedes Makes Better Performance a $1,200 Subscription in Its EVs
In recent years, we have railed against the idea of subscription fees for features that are already built into your car. Heated seats that exist, but you have to may a monthly fee for. Driver assist features that disappear when a new owner buys the car. Now, Mercede's...
The leap second will be scrapped by 2035 – The Verge
The concept of the leap second has been around for nearly my whole life. It's like the leap day every 4 years, but it's an extra second every 21 months to sync up tech and UTC time with the actual time around the sun. It's created enough headaches with tech in the...
Amazon Alexa is a “colossal failure,” on pace to lose $10 billion this year | Ars Technica
The idea of a loss leader, a low or negative profit product that brings you in so that you'll buy more products, has been around for a while. Amazon's Alexa has been one of those products for a long time. The latest news from Amazon, however, is that they are losing...
DoorDash couriers can now ditch abusive customers without penalty – The Verge
Be nice to your DoorDash driver. Of course, they must also be nice to you. They've expanded their safety toolkit to ensure that both sides are able to report concerns. It also goes a step further to ping drivers if they are running behind, and if a response is not...
iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via Satellite Rolling Out Today to Customers in the U.S. and Canada | MacRumors Forums
An item was announced during the September Apple event, and it's not hardware or software. Apple's new Emergency SOS feature is now available on all iPhone 14s running iOS 16.1 or later. There is a demo feature which walks you through the entire process without...
Majority of People Who Invest in Bitcoin Inevitably Lose Money
Simple stat: 73 to 81% of new crypto investors, inevitably lost money on their initial investment.A Bank for International Settlements working paper also notes that people dive into crypto not because of decentralized ideals, but because of rising prices. See full...
Netflix’s new feature lets subscribers kick devices off their accounts | TechCrunch
Netflix is looking to cleanup more freeloaders and convert them to paid accounts. They've now enabled a tool called "Manage Access and Devices". This will allow you to remove hackers, ex's, and other unexpected users. This is part of a drive that's actually a...
Elon Musk lays out options for Twitter staff: click ‘yes’ or leave – The Verge
The Twitter overhaul continues, with Elon Musk demanding a high level of allegience. Wednesday evening, employees received an offer to continue or leave... deadline at the end of the day on Thursday. Those that left would get compensated, but that's it. Those that...
‘Complete failure’ of corporate controls at FTX, its new CEO says
So, think this through. To oversee the aftermath of FTX, they assigned John J. Ray III to lead. His resume includes leading the team during the bankruptcy proceedings of Enron, and similar roles in other financial disasters at Nortel, and Fruit-of-the-Loom, and more....
Binance’s CZ on FTX: ‘We were the last straw that broke the camel’s back’ | TechCrunch
As we announced last week, Binance's offer to buy FTX on Tuesday, and prompt withdrawal on Wednesday, sent ripples. Binance CEO admitted that they were the straw that broke the camel's back, and it's a very fair statement. Many people believe FTX’s collapse will lead...
You might soon be able to do a Zoom call in your Tesla | TechRadar
Per Zoom, if you have a Tesla, you might soon be able to do a Zoom video call while driving. I'm dumbfounded. Did they miss the decades of "don't text and drive"? It's only while it's parked, but knowing that people hack these things... it just sounds like a bad idea....
FTX Reportedly Seeking $9.4B After Binance Walks Away From Acquisition – CNET
Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Tuesday it was going to buy 2nd largest, FTX. A day later, they backed out. Not quietly, either. "As a result of corporate due diligence, as well as the latest news reports regarding mishandled customer funds...
Amazon, in Broad Cost-Cutting Review, Weighs Changes at Alexa and Other Unprofitable Units – WSJ
Oh, and Amazon is also looking at cost cutting measures... especially in business units that are bleeding money.Review includes the devices unit, which includes Alexa and where documents show operating losses of $5 billion annually in recent years See full story on...
Red Cross seeks digital equivalent of its emblems • The Register
The International Committee of the Red Cross, is working on some interesting tech approaches to protect bits and bytes during war. Just as we would see the big Red Cross, or Red Crescent logos oin vehicles in physical locations, protecting hospitals and vehicles, they...
WARN Act employee protections: What workers should know
Immediately after layoffs were announced, many threats of lawsuits were thrown about about something called the WARN Act. It states that you must give notice, and people focus on that part... but a way around that is to pay people, after sending them home. In...
Meta laying off more than 11,000 employees: Read Zuckerberg’s letter
While Twitter laid off some 3700 people, Mark Zuckerberg also pruned his Meta workforce by 11,000 workers as well. This was also telegraphed, but Zuckerberg's treatment in the press was far kinder, except for one aspect... giving notice...Meta is laying off 13% of its...
Read Elon Musk’s first email to all Twitter employees
Elon Musk wasted little time with cleaning house, with adjusting to his way of business and more. Layoffs, return to office for people who are near one, and more. Yes, there are some people talking about the end of Twitter, and it could be. Remember that Elon has been...
Sony to launch its PSVR 2 headset for $550
Sony is planning a new VR headset, the PSVR2. The announcement presented better specs than the Meta Quest 2, which has been the market leader, but it also comes at a higher pricetag than Meta's model. Sony also announced it'll come with 20 games at launch, but it...
Interview: FCC commissioner says government should ban TikTok
TikTok has come under fire from many, due to it's ties to China. FCC Commissioner, Brendan Carr said this past week, that the US Government should ban them due to their ties, and the potential for usage as a spy tool, as well as covertly influencing political...
Facebook’s Monopoly Is Imploding Before Our Eyes
Years ago, one of the earlier forms of social media was MySpace. In a series of missteps, they crumbled in the competitive space, against newcomer Facebook, who came along and became much that MySpace wasn't. Facebook isn't being beat out by any other major competitor...
Tesla crash trial in California hinges on question of ‘man vs machine’
The driver of a car in California is headed to court on manslaughter charges. It's the first trial in regards to Tesla's Autopilot features, and who is actually at fault. In the case, the man in the driver seat had engaged the features that control speed, braking, and...
Amazon Prime members now have access to 100 million songs | Digital Trends
Amazon Prime has offered Music for a long time, to the tune... all puns intended... of 2 million songs. Now, they've expanded the catalog to the full 100 million that normally came with Amazon Unlimited. They'll still keep the premium service around for people who...
Buying an iPhone 14 Pro for the holidays? You may have to settle | TechRadar
Oddly enough, the iPhone 14, which is rumored to have less than thrilling sales, is also expected to have less stock than you'd expect. There have been delays due to COVID situations in China, and Tim Cook has also blamed the lack of sales on the supply chain. The...
Lego to discontinue Mindstorms robot line after a 24-year run | Ars Technica
Lego is pulling out of the robotics space after spending 24 years exciting youth into the next step towards an industry that will be needed for many decades to come. Mindstorms will no longer be moving forward, and considering the last product announced was 2 years...
Apple Music, TV Plus, and One subscription prices went up – here’s how to save money | BGR
Tis the season for higher rates. On the heels of last weeks announcement that YouTube Premium was going up, Apple also bumped their various subscription programs up by $1 to $3 a month. This isn't as dramatic, and frankly, is far better of a deal with Apple's larger...
Facebook parent Meta Q3 2022 earnings
Meta has not been a thrilling stock for a while. Just over a year ago, it was nearly $400. After some mild numbers reflecting nearly flat year over year, the stocks dropped even further than the previous 2/3rd's drop in the past year. Now sitting at just under $100 a...
Android users alerted just before California earthquake
A 5.0 earthquake hit California earlier this week, but the techs who developed an app called MyShake, weren't surprised. OK, they, and the users of the app, had a few seconds of notice before the shaking was felt. This app is available on Androids and iPhones, but is...
Google Chrome support for Windows 7, 8.1 to end next year • The Register
As we move forward with computer operating systems, browsers, and more, we must frequently update when we don't want to. Google Chrome is slating the end of support for Windows 7 and 8.1 in February, which coincides with Microsoft's own abandoning of the older...
Voyager mission’s project scientist retires after 50 years • The Register
Imagine holding a job for 50 years. One of the nerdiest jobs ever, too. Ed Stone started working for NASA in 1972, and signed onto the Voyager program then. Both spacecraft, Voyager 1 and 2, are the first time that humankind has reached outside of the basic solar...
Apple confirms USB-C is coming to iPhone: ‘We have no choice’ | Mashable
Apple confirms they're throwing in the towel on the USB-C debate, and that's fine. As we mentioned a few weeks back with the EU announcement, the speeds on USB-C are ages ahead of lightning. Apples own product line has already indicated that for a while...Apple's Greg...
Remote Worker Fired for Shutting Off Webcam Gets $73,300
International application of laws can sometimes create odd situations. A computer programmer in the Netherlands sued a former employer in the US for $75,000 after it came out that he was fired for not leaving his webcam on during his entire shift. Unlike the...
Elon Musk Told Investors He Will Cut 75% of Jobs at Twitter: Report
Rumors are all over the place that Elon Musk is planning to gut Twitter, reducing the staff by 75% when the purchase is final. At the same time, Twitter is also planning on making layoffs, so one has to wonder if the game is all about shifting blame or not. This...
YouTube Premium gets a price hike
YouTube Premium, which we don't talk about a lot, due to their small size, also had announcements this week. They are bumping thir plans from $18 a month to $23 a month. This is both overdue, and bold at the same time. It's been the same price for five years, so...