Innholdsfortegnelse for #543 i Techlife News

Uber, which was hit by driver shortages during the pandemic, will list New York City taxi cabs on its app, a partnership that until recently would have been unthinkable with both camps fighting ferociously for the same customers. The partnership will boost the number of rides available after a period in which wait times for Uber rides had grown longer, and it gives NYC cab drivers access to a massive pool of commuters who now have Uber and Lyft apps on their phones. There had been hints tensions between Uber and taxi services had begun to thaw as Uber expanded aggressively into the very lucrative food delivery business and needed a growing supply of delivery drivers. The agreement comes amid the back drop of cities moving to regulate the explosive…

After returning to metro San Francisco following a college football career, Anthony Giusti felt like his hometown was passing him by. The high cost of living, driven by a constantly transforming tech industry, ensured that even with two jobs he would never save enough money to buy a house. So he started looking elsewhere, settling on Houston just last year. “In Houston, I can be a blue-collar entrepreneur. With the Houston housing market, it made sense to come here,”said Giusti, who started a house-painting business. Giusti was one of tens of thousands of residents who vacated some of the nation’s biggest, most densely-populated and costly metropolitan areas in favor of Sunbelt destinations during the first full year of the pandemic, from mid-2020 to mid-2021, according to new data released Thursday…

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has remained immersed in technology while also pursuing divergent interests since his 1985 departure from the revolutionary company he started with the late Steve Jobs. Wozniak’s side projects have included competing on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2009 and a guest appearance on “Big Bang Theory” during its fourth season. Now he is participating in an online video show called “Unicorn Hunters” that assesses ideas from entrepreneurs vying to build startups potentially worth $1 billion or more. Wozniak sits on a panel of judges that includes former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios and NSYNC singer Lance Bass. Wozniak, 71, plans to return for a second season of “Unicorn Hunters.” He recently discussed the show and technology landscape. Q: WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO “UNICORN HUNTERS”? A: I am…

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said new forms of digital money such as cryptocurrencies and stablecoins present risks to the U.S. financial system and will require new rules to protect consumers. Powell, speaking Wednesday on a panel organized by the Bank for International Settlements, a global organization of central bankers, also said that new technologies will likely make electronic payments cheaper and faster. But they could also destabilize existing financial institutions, he said. “Our existing regulatory frameworks were not built with a digital world in mind,” he said. “Stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, and digital finance more generally, will require changes to existing laws and regulation or even entirely new rules and frameworks.” Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency usually tied to the dollar or a commodity such as gold.…

Electric car manufacturer Tesla opened its first European factory Tuesday on the outskirts of Berlin in an effort to challenge German automakers on their home turf. The company says its new “Gigafactory” will employ 12,000 people and produce 500,000 vehicles a year once it’s fully up and running. Initial production will focus on Tesla’s Model Y compact sport utility vehicle. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the opening ceremony in Gruenheide, southeast of the German capital, with Tesla boss Elon Musk, who performed an impromptu dance for fans as the first cars rolled out of the factory for delivery. He later posted a comment on Twitter thanking Germany with the words “Danke Deutschland!” surrounded by German flags. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the opening of the factory was “a nice…

U.S. securities regulators say they have legal authority to subpoena Tesla and CEO Elon Musk about his tweets, and that Musk’s move to throw out a 2018 court agreement that his tweets be pre-approved is not valid. The Securities and Exchange Commission also disclosed publicly that it is investigating Musk’s Nov. 6, 2021 tweets that asked followers whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla stake. The commission confirmed that it issued administrative subpoenas while investigating whether Musk and Tesla are complying with disclosure controls in the 2018 agreement. The commission also is investigating whether Tesla described accurately in public filings with the agency whether it complied with disclosure controls. Details of the investigation were revealed in the SEC’s response to a motion from a Musk attorney asking a Manhattan…

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played down recent comments by the head of Russia’s space agency that the United States would have to use broomsticks to fly to space after Russia said it would stop supplying rocket engines to U.S. companies. “That’s just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he’s worked with us,” Nelson told. “The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they’re professional. They don’t miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control.” Nelson spoke hours before three Russian cosmonauts launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station, the first crew launch since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. The war has resulted in canceled spacecraft launches and broken contracts,…

ZTE Corp. said Wednesday a U.S. judge has allowed a probation period to end after the telecom equipment maker was nearly destroyed in a clash with Washington over its dealings with Iran and North Korea. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump barred ZTE’s access to American components amid rising tension with Beijing over technology and security. The company had pleaded guilty the previous year to shipping equipment to Iran and North Korea in violation of U.S. rules and agreed to pay a $1.2 billion fine. ZTE agreed to pay an additional $1 billion, replace its executives and be scrutinized by U.S.-appointed monitors to regain access to U.S. technology. The company sells smartphones and network equipment that use American processor chips and other technology. The company, headquartered in the southern city of…

Some New Jersey lawmakers want to harness the power of the ocean’s waves to create a new source of clean electricity, and several companies say they are eager to build projects there. Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak plans to introduce legislation soon that would add wave energy to New Jersey’s energy master plan. The practical effect of doing so would be to open up funding sources for wave energy projects. The state also could offer financial incentives to private companies who build so-called wave farms off the state’s shoreline. “This is the future,”said Karabinchak, during which companies and an environmentalist extolled the untapped benefits of wave energy as a complement to wind and solar power as the state moves toward its goal of having all its energy come from clean sources. “We…

“Buy now, pay later”is becoming common at large retailers like Target, Ikea and Macy’s. More and more small-business owners are allowing their customers the ability to pay in installments, too. In fact, 55% of local businesses use buy now, pay later online and 5% offer it as an in-store payment option, according to a February survey from payments news site PYMNTS.com. If you’re thinking about offering buy now, pay later at your small business, here’s what you need to know. HOW BUY NOW, PAY LATER WORKS Buy now, pay later involves three parties: the customer, the merchant and the buy now, pay later provider. When a customer makes a purchase, the provider pays the merchant in full, minus fees. Then the customer pays the provider back in installments. Buy now,…

The first podcast from Prince Harry and Meghan’s partnership with Spotify will focus on harmful labels and stereotypes applied to women. The “Archetypes” podcast will be hosted by Meghan and is expected to launch this summer. The series will feature interviews with historians and experts to “investigate the labels that try to hold women back,” according to a summary posted on Spotify. The streaming service on Thursday released a minute-long teaser that opened with clips of people using the words “slut” and “skanky” and talking about the stereotypes applied to women’s strength and intelligence. “I’m Meghan and this is ‘Archetypes,’ the podcast where we dissect, explore and subvert the labels that try to hold women back,” the Duchess of Sussex says on the clip. No lineup of guests has been…

A former Apple employee has been charged with defrauding the tech giant out of more than $10 million by taking kickbacks, stealing equipment and laundering money, federal prosecutors said. Dhirendra Prasad, 52, worked for 10 years as a buyer in Apple’s Global Service Supply Chain department. A federal criminal case unsealed alleges that he exploited his position to defraud the company in several schemes, including stealing parts and causing the company to pay for items and services it never received. A court has allowed the federal government to seize five real estate properties and financial accounts worth about $5 million from Prasad, and the government is seeking to keep those assets as proceeds of crime, the U.S. Attorney’s office in San Jose said in a news release. Prasad is scheduled…

Final preparations are underway for the 94th Academy Awards and a long awaited return to Hollywood’s glamourous normalcy after a muted ceremony and ratings low last year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars, including where to watch the live show, who’s expected to win and what the big controversies are this year. WHEN ARE THE OSCARS? The Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 27, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ABC. WHO IS HOSTING THE 2022 OSCARS? Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes are taking the stage to co-host the ceremony, which has been without an emcee for the past three years. Producer Will Packer said each…

General Motors said that it is paying $2.1 billion to buy out Japanese tech investment firm Softbank’s stake in the Detroit automaker’s Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary. Softbank paid $2.25 billion for a 20% stake in Cruise in 2018 as part of a wave of investment in self-driving technology. GM also said it is making an additional $1.35 billion investment in Cruise, in which it acquired a majority stake in 2016. Others Cruise investors include Honda, Microsoft, mutual fund company T. Rowe Price, and Walmart. Cruise is operating a small fleet of autonomous vehicles in San Francisco that it opened to the general public at the beginning of February. GM expects to get a permit to charge passengers for autonomous rides this year.…

Ben & Jerry’s was started by childhood best friends. Four grad school buddies founded Warby Parker. A long friendship-turned-partnership brought Clear to TSA security lines across the U.S. A shopping trip between two pals launched size-inclusive clothing brand Universal Standard. Yes, stories of successful business partnerships between friends exist. But for every Ben and Jerry, there are countless Janes and Joes ticked off at their college roommate for stiffing them on a business loan. Mixing business and friendship can tank a relationship. So, if a classmate, colleague or childhood friend asks you to invest in their business, you need to look at it from all angles. THINK LIKE A PROFESSIONAL INVESTOR Don’t let your personal relationship cloud your business judgment. Evaluate the request as if it was coming from a…

The Geneva-area research center that houses the world’s largest atom smasher is grappling with ways to punish Russia’s government while protecting Russian researchers who work to help solve the deepest mysteries of the universe. CERN, the historic acronym for what is now the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has a mission to facilitate collaboration among its 23 member countries and beyond. The war in Ukraine, an associate member state, has the organization trying to calibrate its response to join international action against Russia, which was an official CERN observer before the invasion, without sacrificing science. Some 1,000 scientists, or nearly 7% of the 18,000 researchers involved with CERN, are affiliated with Russian institutions — most, though not all, are Russian. If they are cut off from participating in experiments and…

Alibaba Group, the world’s biggest e-commerce company, increased a share buyback to $25 billion from $15 billion to prop up a stock price that has fallen by more than half since the ruling Communist Party tightened control over tech industries by launching regulatory crackdowns. The increase is a “sign of confidence in the company’s continued growth,” Alibaba said. The company said it has paid out $9.2 billion so far in the buyback announced earlier. Alibaba’s U.S.-traded shares have fallen 56%, wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars of stock market value, since the ruling party launched anti-monopoly and data-security crackdowns in 2019. Alibaba has been fined and a planned stock market debut by Ant Group, an online finance company spun off from Alibaba, was postponed. Alibaba’s Hong Kong-traded shares were…

BuzzFeed is shrinking and shifting the focus of its Pulitzer prize-winning news division as the digital media company, best known for its lighthearted lists and quizzes, strives to increase its profitability. The New York-based company is offering voluntary buyouts in its high-profile, 100-person newsroom and some top editors are leaving. They include Mark Schoofs, the editor in chief of BuzzFeed News, and deputy editor in chief Tom Namako, who announced a move to NBC News Digital. Ariel Kaminer, the executive editor for investigations, is also leaving. BuzzFeed News is unprofitable but has won awards, including its first Pulitzer last year, and its staff has been regularly poached by traditional news organizations. BuzzFeed spokesman Matt Mittenthal said about 35 people were eligible for the buyouts, but the company doesn’t expect all…

Thailand’s securities regulator announced Wednesday that it is barring the use of cryptocurrencies for payment of goods and services. The ruling effective April 1 does not ban investment in cryptocurrencies, which has become increasingly popular in the past year after being promoted by local exchanges. The Securities and Exchange Commission said it was taking action in order to protect the stability of the country’s financial and monetary systems from threats including money laundering and other cybercrimes. The regulation also specifically bans the promotion of cryptocurrencies for payment along with the distribution of software and devices for that purpose. It says as well that operators of digital asset businesses must warn their customers of the ban and can suspend their accounts if they violate the regulation. Businesses have until the end…

With Apple reportedly ditching its plans to launch a successor to the 27-inch iMac Pro, professional users now have the choice between the 24-inch M1 iMac and the new Mac Studio with Studio Display for the desktop set-up. Whilst the former is ideal for emails, data entry, and basic editing, the latter is a powerhouse and takes Mac computing to a new level. WITHDRAWING THE 27-INCH iMAC Since the announcement of the transition to Apple Silicon, Apple has been working hard to give its entire Mac family a new lease of life. Goodbye are the same old designs with virtually no changes, and hello to a new era of Mac computing. Although the first couple of devices to transition to M-series chips looked virtually identical to their predecessors, Apple has…

A joint venture between Stellantis and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution plans to build a large electric vehicle battery factory in Windsor, Ontario, employing about 2,500 people just across a river from Detroit. The venture plans to spend $4.1 billion ($5 billion Canadian) to build the new plant on a field in the Canadian city. It’s expected to open early in 2024 and will be able to make battery cells and modules for over 500,000 electric vehicles per year. The plant will supply batteries for a “significant portion” of Stellantis’ North American production, the companies said in a statement this week. Stellantis has said the venture plans to build two battery factories in North America. The other location has not been announced. The companies said in a statement that municipal,…

A former Google employee sued the tech giant for racial discrimination, saying it engages in a “pattern and practice” of unfair treatment for its Black workers. The suit claims the company steered them into lower-level and lower-paid jobs and subjected them to a hostile work environment if they speak out. April Curley was hired in 2014 to recruit Black candidates for the company. Her lawsuit, filed last Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, claims she was unlawfully fired in 2020 after she began speaking out and “called for reform of the barriers and double standards Google imposed on Black employees and applicants,” according to the lawsuit. “Pursuant to its strong, racially biased corporate culture, Google is engaged in a pattern and practice…

Tax refunds. Child tax credits. COVID-19 relief checks. We dream of the next unexpected bundle of money that lands in our lap. Perhaps it’s a few hundred dollars earned from a garage sale, maybe even more from a job bonus — or hundreds of thousands from a winning lottery ticket or inheritance. Our minds race with the possibilities. A windfall can either be a lifeline to short-term financial relief or a stepping stone to long-term financial stability. But because of our inherent money personality, we may not make the best use of the surprise cash. MONEY DECISIONS AMID A CRISIS A 2021 study published in Journal of Family and Economic Issues found that emotions tied to money can dictate whether we decide to spend or save a windfall — even…

A Moscow court banned Facebook and Instagram for what it deemed extremist activity in a case against their parent company, Meta. The Tverskoy District Court fulfilled a request from prosecutors to outlaw Meta Platforms Inc. and banned Facebook and Instagram for what they called “extremist activities.” Russian prosecutors have accused the social media platforms of ignoring government requests to remove what they described as fake news about Russian military actions in Ukraine and calls for anti-war protests in Russia. The court’s ruling bans Meta from opening offices and doing business in Russia. Meta declined to comment. Prosecutors haven’t requested to ban the Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp, which is widely popular in Russia. The authorities also emphasized that they do not intend to punish individual Russians who use Facebook or Instagram.…

In southwestern Pennsylvania, eight locks and dams that for decades helped barges move goods along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers will in a few years also generate enough power for 75,000 homes. Rye Development, a Boston-based hydropower company, is retrofitting the dams with turbines to generate electricity and says the upgraded structures will limit damage to the rivers’ water quality and fish. The project reflects a recent thawing between the industry and conservation groups, which had long opposed dams that can prevent fish migration, alter water temperatures and cause other environmental problems. As the U.S. pushes to transition to low-carbon energy, Rye is among the companies that sees an opportunity to expand hydropower production at existing dams while working to minimize environmental harms. The recent compromises between the industry…