Innholdsfortegnelse for #581 i Techlife News

Twitter suspended an account that used publicly available flight data to track Elon Musk’s private jet, despite a pledge by the social media platform’s new owner to keep it up because of his free speech principles. Then, hours later, Musk brought back the jet-tracking account after imposing new conditions on all of Twitter’s users — no more sharing of anyone’s current location. But shortly afterward, the account was suspended again. That came after Musk tweeted that a “crazy stalker” attacked a car in Los Angeles carrying his young son. He also threatened legal action against Jack Sweeney, the 20-year-old college sophomore and programmer who started the @elonjet flight-tracking account, and “organizations who supported harm to my family.” It’s not clear what legal action Musk could take against Sweeney for an…

The government charged eight men of earning more than $100 million in illicit stock market profits by manipulating their novice-investor followers on social media. The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission said that from early 2020 to around April of this year the men, who had combined following of over 1.5 million on Twitter, ran a “pump-and-dump” scheme. Seven of the social-media influencers promoted themselves as successful traders on Twitter and in Discord chat rooms and encouraged their followers to buy certain stocks, the SEC said. When prices or volumes of the promoted stocks would rise, the influencers “regularly sold their shares without ever having disclosed their plans to dump the securities while they were promoting them,” the agency said. “The defendants used social media to amass a…

Microsoft is taking a roughly 4% stake in the operator of the London Stock Exchange, which has agreed to spend at least $2.8 billion in cloud-computing services from the technology giant. That spending commitment will be spread out over 10 years, according to the terms of the deal announced by Microsoft. Major exchanges have recently begun partnering with tech companies to shift their technology infrastructure to the cloud. About a year ago, Nasdaq announced it would migrate its North American markets to Amazon Web Services’ platform, while commodities and futures exchange operator CME Group inked a 10-year deal with Google to move its trading systems to the cloud. The London Stock Exchange Group, or LSEG, is aiming to upgrade its current data infrastructure and analytics capabilities. That will involve migrating…

Electric vehicle maker Rivian is setting aside its planned partnership with Mercedes-Benz to produce electric vans in Europe so that it can focus on its existing commercial and consumer business. California-based Rivian said it was putting on “pause” the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the American and German companies in September. That agreement called for a joint-venture European factory that would produce vans for both companies. “We share the same goal as Mercedes-Benz Vans, to help the world transition to electric vehicles, and we look forward to exploring opportunities with them at a more appropriate time for Rivian,” CEO RJ Scaringe said. The companies had been looking to produce two large vans, one based on VAN.EA, the electric-only platform of Mercedes-Benz Vans, and the other based on the…

What you’re seeing in your feed on Twitter is changing. But how? The social media platform’s new owner, Elon Musk, has been trying to prove through giving selected journalists access to some of the company’s internal communications dubbed “The Twitter Files” that officials from the previous leadership team allegedly suppressed right-wing voices. This week, Musk disbanded a key advisory group, the Trust and Safety Council, made up of dozens of independent civil, human rights and other organizations. The company formed the council in 2016 to address hate speech, harassment, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform. What do the developments mean for what shows up in your feed every day? For one, the moves show that Musk is prioritizing improving Twitter’s perception on the U.S. political right.…

James Cameron has been living on Pandora for a long time. But 13 years after the original “Avatar” and five years after starting production on its sequel, “The Way of Water,” Cameron is unveiling the long-awaited follow-up to the highest grossing film of all-time. Speaking the day after “The Way of Water” debuted in London, Cameron — back on Earth and self-admittedly out of practice with the hoopla of a red-carpet premiere — describes the experience of finally having the movie out in the world “surreal.” “You work on these films kind of in a bubble. You create this world around you with your artists, with your casts and so on,” Cameron says. “Then one day you realize, ‘Oh crap, we’re going to have to show this to people at…

The European Union moved closer to a clinching a revamped deal over transatlantic data transfers aimed at resolving concerns about U.S. spying with a draft decision that confirms “comparable safeguards” to those in the EU, which has stringent privacy rules. The EU’s executive Commission released its draft decision approving the pact, which follows a breakthrough preliminary agreement in March between Brussels and Washington to resolve a yearslong battle over the privacy of EU citizens’ data that businesses routinely store in the U.S. That breakthrough was hailed by business groups, which said it will provide certainty to thousands of companies, including tech giants like Google and Facebook, sending data between Europe, which has stricter data privacy regulations, and the comparatively lax U.S., which lacks a comprehensive federal privacy law. Frictions over…

Shares of Tesla are sliding before the market open on Thursday after news broke that CEO Elon Musk sold another $3.58 billion worth of the electric vehicle maker’s stock this week. The stock slipped to $153 in premarket trading and is nearing two-year lows. Musk, the new owner of Twitter, sold the shares from Monday through Wednesday, according to a filing posted Wednesday night by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It wasn’t clear where the proceeds were being spent. Musk has sold nearly $23 billion worth of Tesla stock since April, with much of the money likely going to help fund his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter. Early last month he sold nearly $4 billion worth of Tesla shares, according to regulatory filings. The sale comes as shares of…

The company that assembles Apple Inc.’s iPhones has announced it is easing COVID-19 restrictions at its largest factory in China that led thousands of workers to quit and drastically slowed production. Foxconn Technology Group said in a statement on one of its official WeChat social media accounts that it would end the so-called “closed loop” system at the facility in Zhengzhou, central China, that required workers to stay in their workplaces and dormitories to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections. The move announced this week came about a week after China began easing harsh COVID-19 curbs despite signs the number of infections is rising. Following a spate of protests across the country last month many “zero-COVID” restrictions were lifted. That means people no longer need to take frequent COVID-19 tests…

The U.S. government charged Samuel Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, with a host of financial crimes, alleging he intentionally deceived customers and investors to enrich himself and others, while playing a central role in the company’s multibillion-dollar collapse. Federal prosecutors said Bankman-Fried devised “a scheme and artifice to defraud” FTX’s customers and investors beginning in 2019, the year it was founded. He illegally diverted their money to cover expenses, debts and risky trades at the crypto hedge fund he started in 2017, Alameda Research, and to make lavish real estate purchases and large political donations, prosecutors said in a 13-page indictment. Bankman-Fried, 30, was arrested in the Bahamas at the request of the U.S. government, and remains in custody after being denied bail. He has…

Mecca Patterson-Guridy wants to learn, but for some subjects, she isn’t always comfortable asking her teachers. So she has been turning to TikTok. Online, the 17-year-old high school junior in Philadelphia has found videos on social media platforms about protests over police shootings, civic engagement and Black and Latino history in the U.S. The accounts she checks regularly feature segments including “Fast Black History” and “Black Girl Magic Minute.” The videos, Mecca said, address “things that get overlooked in the classroom.” Scrutiny from conservatives around teaching about race, gender and sexuality has made many teachers reluctant to discuss issues that touch on cultural divides. To fill in gaps, some students are looking to social media, where online personalities, nonprofit organizations and teachers are experimenting with ways to connect with them…

Electric vehicles, or EVs for short, have been the hot car commodity for 2022. Their sales were up nearly 82% from 2021 and now make up 5% of the total market. But many prospective buyers have questions and reservations about this new technology. With this in mind, here are answers to the top questions that EV shoppers want to know before deciding on a purchase. HOW MANY MILES CAN YOU DRIVE ON A FULL CHARGE? Your range will be determined by the EV model, the size of its battery, the ambient temperature, your driving style and your wallet. There’s the Mazda MX-30 and its 100-mile range on the low end and the six-figure Lucid Air Grand Touring with up to 516 miles on the other. A ballpark average for today’s…

Dusting off old musical instruments, appreciating the outdoors more meaningfully, dumping the hair dye and letting the gray fly forever. The pandemic disrupted our traditions, practices and pursuits, how we mark milestones, what we do with our time, what’s important in routines. It replaced old with new, a kind of new that just might stick. Nearly three years after the World Health Organization declared the deadly spread of COVID-19 a pandemic, there’s plenty of old life mixed with the new. And, yes, the latter includes a whole lot of Zooming still going on among families, colleagues and friends, near and far. Here’s a look at pandemic passions that for some are here to stay: INSTRUMENT REDUX That sax in the corner. The piano that looks so nice in the living…

Book a flight or hotel room now, and pay it off later? It’s an increasingly common trend in travel spending. Companies like American Airlines , United Airlines and vacation rental website Vacasa now offer the option to make reservations now and pay it back incrementally over time with “buy now, pay later” services. Between 2020 and 2021, travel and entertainment purchases were the fastest-growing segment of the buy now, pay later phenomenon, according to a September 2022 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Buy now, pay later is an alternative type of short-term credit for online purchases offered by companies including Affirm, Afterpay and Klarna . The shopper immediately gets their purchase and pays it back later, typically in four installments or monthly payments. While buy now, pay later…

A hacker who reportedly posed as the CEO of a financial institution claims to have obtained access to the more than 80,000-member database of InfraGard, an FBI-run outreach program that shares sensitive information on national security and cybersecurity threats with public officials and private sector actors who run U.S. critical infrastructure. The hacker posted samples they said were from the database to an online forum popular with cybercriminals last weekend and said they were asking $50,000 for the entire database. The hacker obtained access to InfraGard’s online portal by posing as the CEO of a financial institution, they told independent cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs, who broke the story. They called the vetting process surprisingly lax. The FBI declined to comment. Krebs reported that the agency told him it was aware…

Music brings people together and promotes trust, empathy, and relief from stress. Apple Music is no exception, and with several new features designed to foster shared listening experiences, the platform is well on its way to overtaking Spotify worldwide. THE RISE OF APPLE MUSIC Since the launch of Apple Music in 2015, Apple has been keen to introduce new tools and features to make the service even more popular and convenient. That all starts with its unbeatable user interface, which has been perfected over the years through several iOS updates, each further tweaking and refining the listening experience. While Apple Music beat Spotify in terms of US subscribers right now, it stays in second place for global users. Last year, Apple Music had an estimated 88 million users worldwide. Spotify,…

After four straight three-quarter-point interest rate hikes, the Federal Reserve is set to announce a smaller half-point increase in its key rate, a first step toward dialing back its efforts to combat inflation. At the same time, the Fed is expected to signal that it plans more hikes next year than it had previously forecast to try to conquer the worst inflation bout in four decades. And most economists think Chair Jerome Powell will stress that the Fed will likely keep its benchmark rate at its high point through next year, even after the hikes have ended. The Fed’s decision followed a government report that provided hopeful signs that inflation is finally easing from chronically high levels. Gas prices fell, the cost of used cars, furniture and toys declined, and…

Twitter is once again attempting to launch its premium service, a month after a previous attempt failed. The social media company said it would let users buy subscriptions to Twitter Blue to get a blue checkmark and access special features starting Monday. The blue checkmark was originally given to companies, celebrities, government entities and journalists verified by the platform. After Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October, he launched a service granting blue checks to anyone willing to pay $8 a month. But it was inundated by imposter accounts, including those impersonating Musk’s businesses Tesla and SpaceX, so Twitter suspended the service days after its launch. The relaunched service will cost $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iPhone users. Twitter says subscribers will…

Away from the roaring noise, lights and fireworks of World Cup games, there’s a safe space for fans who might get overwhelmed in a stadium environment. The “sensory rooms,” at three stadiums in Qatar, provide a calm refuge for children and young adults with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory access requirements. Located at the stadium skyboxes at the Al Bayt, Education City and Lusail stadiums, the rooms feature soft furnishings, noise cancelling headphones and interactive tools and toys to help children cope with the loud atmosphere and allow them to alleviate anxiety and enjoy the unique experience of a World Cup game. “Having a space like this is a respite. It’s like a warm hug,” said Raana Smith, co-founder of Sensory Souk, a Doha-based company that staffs the sensory…

Before the pandemic, Cheryl Woodard used to take her daughter and her friends to eat at a local IHOP in Laurel, Maryland after their dance practice. But now they hardly go there anymore because it closes too early. “It is a little frustrating because it’s not as convenient as it used to be,” said Woodard, 54, who also does most of her shopping online these days instead of in person because of stores limiting their hours. Before the pandemic, consumers had gotten accustomed to instant gratification: packages and groceries delivered to their doorstep in less than an hour, stores that stayed open around the clock to serve their every need. But more than two and a half years later in a world yearning for normalcy, many workers are fed up…