Innholdsfortegnelse for #626 i Techlife News

Bitcoin is having another moment. The world’s largest cryptocurrency soared to almost $35,000 this week, marking its highest point in nearly 18 months — and more than double the price seen at the start of 2023. The cryptocurrency rocketed from just over $5,000 each during the start of the pandemic to nearly $68,000 in November 2021, according to FactSet, during an era of massive tech growth. Prices came back down to earth during an aggressive series of rate hikes from the Federal Reserve as it battled inflation, and then the collapse of one of the biggest companies in crypto, FTX. When 2023 began, a single bitcoin could be had for less than $17,000 after losing more than 75% of its value. Investors, however, began returning in large numbers this year…

While Apple may be keen to avoid “artificial intelligence” in its marketing materials, there’s no denying the company’s pursuits in machine learning are driving its technology in new directions. Rumors are now rife that AI will play a significant role in iOS 18, scheduled to release in 2024, so let’s look at Apple’s AI efforts and speculate on what could come next. SIRI IMPROVEMENTS ARE COMING Introduced to the world as a voice assistant, Siri has grown to be much more than that. Siri Intelligence now influences everything from calendar scheduling to app suggestions by serving as a catch-all term for various machine learning algorithms. Siri is on the precipice of becoming the real personal assistant we’ve all been yearning for, and with a revolution in AI at Apple, Siri…

Mark Barlet founded AbleGamers in 2004. It’s a nonprofit that works to combat social isolation among people with disabilities using “the power of video games.” Most recently, his organization worked with Sony to help create its new Access controller for the PlayStation, designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to play. Q: WHEN DID YOU BEGIN CONSULTING FOR SONY ON THIS CONTROLLER? A: We’ve had a relationship with Sony for other projects for a while. Sony has been on the forefront on the software side of creating accessible experiences. But about five years ago, they reached out to us and said, we have an idea. Can we talk to you about what this idea is? Q: AND WHAT WAS THE IDEA? A: They wanted to create a controller…

California regulators have revoked the license of a robotaxi service owned by General Motors after determining its driverless cars that recently began transporting passengers throughout San Francisco are a dangerous menace. The California Department of Motor Vehicles’ indefinite suspension of the Cruise robotaxi service comes just two months after another state regulator, the Public Utilities Commission, approved an expansion that authorized around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco — the second most dense city in the U.S. That approval came over a chorus of protests, including some lodged by police and fire officials who asserted the driverless vehicles had been impeding traffic in emergencies during a testing phase. Now Cruise is being forced to slam on the brakes on its operations after the DMV concluded its robotaxis posed “an unreasonable risk to…

In “Nyad,” there are two feats of perseverance on display. First, there is the ceaseless determination of Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) to accomplish a marathon swim from Cuba to Florida across 103 miles of open, shark-infested waters. Then there is the mettle of Nyad’s support team to tolerate the singularly self-absorbed and stubborn Nyad. Both, in the film, are an endurance sport. “Nyad,” which opens in limited theaters Friday and streams Nov. 3 on Netflix, is in many ways a conventional sports drama, defined by long odds and personal triumph. But there is enough here to help the film, directed by the intrepid filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, if not swim against the tide of sports-biopic convention then at least ride a swift current to the finish line.…

Thousands of information technology workers contracting with U.S. companies have for years secretly sent millions of dollars of their wages to North Korea for use in its ballistic missile program, FBI and Department of Justice officials said. The Justice Department said that IT workers dispatched and contracted by North Korea to work remotely with companies in St. Louis and elsewhere in the U.S. have been using false identities to get the jobs. The money they earned was funneled to the North Korean weapons program, FBI leaders said at a news conference in St. Louis. Court documents allege that North Korea’s government dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers to live primarily in China and Russia with the goal of deceiving businesses from the U.S. and elsewhere into hiring them as freelance…

The nation’s economy expanded at a robust 4.9% annual rate from July through September as Americans defied higher prices, rising interest rates and widespread forecasts of a recession to spend at a brisk pace. The Commerce Department said the economy expanded last quarter at the fastest pace in nearly two years — and more than twice the 2.1% annual rate of the previous quarter. Thursday’s report on the nation’s gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — showed that consumers drove the acceleration, ramping up their spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals. Even though the painful inflation of the past two years has soured many people’s view of the economy, millions have remained willing to splurge on vacations, concert tickets and sports events.…

Dozens of U.S. states, including California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. A lawsuit filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. In addition, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, D.C. “Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the…

Apple Inc. is raising the prices for its AppleTV+ streaming and Arcade gaming plans as well as its bundled Apple One service that includes streaming, music and other subscriptions. Arcade will now cost $6.99, up from $4.99. AppleTV+ is now $9.99, up from $6.99. Apple News+ will be $12.99, up from $9.99 and Apple One will increase to $19.95 from $16.95 per month for the individual plan and to $25.95 from $22.95 for the family plan. Apple One includes subscriptions for Apple Music, TV, Arcade and 200 gigabytes of iCloud storage. Apple said the price increases will affect the U.S. and “select international markets.” “Existing subscribers will see these price increases 30 days later, on their next renewal date. We are focused on delivering the best experiences possible for our…

Apple announced the second fall event of 2023. Scheduled for Monday, October 30 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, this online event is likely going to be focused on new Mac launches. The theme? “Scary Fast.” As with previous events, “Scary Fast” will be prerecorded. Apple has decided to maintain its commitment to virtual presentations, making them accessible to a global audience without the constraints of a physical gathering. 24-INCH IMAC Over the past few months, rumors surrounding Apple’s Mac lineup have been ramping up. For starters, it’s quite probable that the 24-inch iMac will be refreshed, as it’s still powered by the M1 Apple silicon chip. The updated 24-inch iMac will likely maintain its colorful, slim design and screen size, with minimal external changes expected. However, internal refinements and a…

An ambitious 2021 agreement by more than 140 countries and territories to weed out tax havens and force multinational corporations to pay a minimum tax has been weakened by loopholes and will raise only a fraction of the revenue that was envisioned, a tax watchdog backed by the European Union has warned. The landmark agreement, brokered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%. The idea was to stop multinational corporations, among them Apple and Nike, from using accounting and legal maneuvers to shift earnings to low- or no-tax havens. Those havens are typically places like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands where the companies actually do little or no business. The companies’ maneuvers result in lost tax revenue of $100 billion to…

For as long as Jake Price has been a teacher, Wolfram Alpha — a website that solves algebraic problems online — has threatened to make algebra homework obsolete. Teachers learned to work around and with it, said Price, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science at the University of Puget Sound. But now, they have a new homework helper to contend with: generative artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT. Price doesn’t see ChatGPT as a threat, and he’s not alone. Some math professors believe artificial intelligence, when used correctly, could help strengthen math instruction. And it’s arriving at a time when math scores are at a historic low and educators are questioning if math should be taught differently. The Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, is documenting the…

Stellantis plans to invest about 1.5 billion euros, or about $1.6 billion, in Leapmotor, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, the companies said this week. The European-based maker of Jeep and Ram and Leapmotor said in a joint statement that they have formed a strategic partnership and joint venture that aims to expand the Chinese EV maker’s sales both inside and outside of China. Stellantis said it expects to benefit from Leapmotor’s “tech-first EV ecosystem” in China to meet its own targets for shifting to electric vehicles. The investment will give Stellantis an approximately 20% stake in Leapmotor. The companies said the 51% Stellantis-led joint venture will have exclusive rights to export and sell Leapmotor’s vehicles outside China. Leapmotor has focused on the mid- to high-end of the EV market in…

Google’s digital advertising sales growth accelerated during the summer, advancing a recent revival that helped its corporate parent Alphabet Inc. to deliver a quarterly profit that exceeded analysts’ projections. The third-quarter results released this week for the July-September period included a 9% increase in Google’s ad sales from the same time last year. Those gains were the main reason Alphabet’s total revenue rose 11% from a year ago to $76.69 billion. The upturn was even better than the 7% year-over-year increase in revenue that Alphabet produced in the April-June period when it reversed an unprecedented drop in Google’s ad revenue after nearly 20 years of growth. The higher revenue — coupled with cost cuts that have trimmed more than 7,800 employees from Alphabet’s payroll so far this year — enabled…

Hollywood is at a standstill. Actors and screenwriters are months into a dual strike. Film sets are dark. But the movies are still coming — or, at least, most of them. Even if that means some potentially solitary red-carpet walks. “I’m hoping I’m not promoting the movie by myself,” says Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming Marvel movie “The Marvels” (Nov. 10). “No one’s there to see me, either. They’re going to be like, ‘Where’s Brie Larson?’” Though the ongoing actors and screenwriters strikes are casting a pall over the fall movie season and prompting some films to postpone, a parade of awards contenders and autumn blockbusters are on the way, nevertheless. The fall has long been the preferred domain of filmmakers and auteurs, but this year that’s doubly so.…

Federal prosecutors have expanded investigations into Tesla beyond the electric vehicle maker’s partially automated driving systems, and they have issued subpoenas for information instead of simply requesting it, the company disclosed this week. In a quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Tesla said the Department of Justice is looking into “personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions,” without giving details. The additional investigation topics and the subpoenas suggest that prosecutors have broadened their inquiry, and they have found the need to force Tesla to disclose information, legal experts say. The filing indicates prosecutors may be investigating Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and whether the company has been candid in describing the features of its vehicles, they say. In January, Tesla disclosed that the Justice Department had…

Formula One fanatics will get more behind-the-scenes access to the global motorsports series through a new CNBC documentary that explores the business aspects of the highest form of racing in the world. The documentary “Inside Track: The Business of Formula 1 “ will debut Nov. 16 on CNBC ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Las Vegas race is a third stop in the United States this season as F1 has expanded through North America behind a burst of popularity sparked by Netflix’s own docudrama on the series. While the “Drive To Survive” series on Netflix focuses on the competitors and the drama of F1, the CNBC one-hour documentary will analyze the finances, revenue, and expansion of the series, as well as the role of sponsors. CNBC anchor…

Foxconn, a Fortune 500 company known globally for making Apple iPhones, was recently subjected to searches by Chinese tax authorities, according to local reports. Foxconn, a Taiwanese -headquartered company officially registered as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd, had its offices in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces searched by tax officials, according to a report in the Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper. The Ministry of Natural Resources also inspected Foxconn offices in Henan and Hubei provinces, where the company has major factories. Foxconn employs hundreds of thousands of workers across China. The report did not provide more details about the searches, including when they occurred or what was found. It also quoted an expert who said that “while Taiwan-funded enterprises, including Foxconn, are sharing in dividends from development and making remarkable…