Innholdsfortegnelse for #691 i Techlife News

Elon Musk is clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project touted by President Donald Trump, the latest in a feud between the two tech billionaires that started on OpenAI’s board and is now testing Musk’s influence with the new president. Trump on Tuesday had talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion through a new partnership formed by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alongside Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, is already starting to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of fast-evolving AI technology. Trump declared it “a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum.…

Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are facing fresh scrutiny from Britain’s competition watchdog, which announced investigations Thursday targeting the two tech giants’ mobile phone ecosystems under new powers to crack down on digital market abuses. The Competition and Markets Authority said it launched separate investigations to determine whether the mobile ecosystems controlled by Apple and Google should be given “strategic market status” that would mandate changes in the companies’ practices. The watchdog is flexing its newly acquired regulatory muscles again after the new digital market rules took effect at the start of the year. The CMA has already used the new rules, designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by Big Tech companies, to open an investigation into Google’s search ads business. The new investigations will examine whether…

Apple faces a pivotal year in 2025, balancing innovation with market pressures. Efforts in mixed reality, Apple’s generative AI project, the company’s 2030 carbon-neutral pledge, and growth in its services division with platforms like TV+ will all play a role in elevating the firm. MIXED REALITY AMBITIONS Apple is making significant strides in mixed reality, aiming to solidify its leadership in the burgeoning AR/VR market. Following the 2023 launch of the Vision Pro, a $3,499 premium headset that received mixed reviews, the company is reportedly developing a more affordable version of the device. Rumoured to be called the “Vision Pro Lite,” this new model is expected to launch in late 2025 or 2026, targeting mainstream consumers who found the original Vision Pro’s price point prohibitive. By introducing a lower-cost option,…

The path to Lost Lake was steep and unpaved, lined with sharp rocks and holes. A group of scientists and students gingerly made their way, using canes or a helping hand to guide them. For those who couldn’t make the trek, a drone brought the lake — blue and narrow — into view. The field trip was designed to illustrate the challenges disabled researchers often face and how barriers can be overcome. “Just because you can’t do it like someone else doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” said Anita Marshall, a University of Florida geologist leading the outing. The group included scientists with sight, hearing and mobility disabilities. Marshall’s organization ran the field trip to the lake along the San Andreas Fault, outside of San Bernadino. Her group — the…

Hours after returning to the White House, President Donald Trump made a symbolic mark on the future of artificial intelligence by repealing former President Joe Biden’s guardrails for the fast-developing technology. But what comes next from Trump and how it will diverge from how his predecessor sought to safeguard AI technology remains unclear. The new administration didn’t respond to requests for comment about the repealed Biden policy and even some of Trump’s most enthusiastic tech industry supporters aren’t so sure. “I think that the previous order had a lot in it,” said Alexandr Wang, the CEO of AI company Scale, describing Biden’s 2023 executive order on AI as overly lengthy but declining to name what about it was harmful. “It’s hard to comment on each individual piece of it. There’s…

Some of the most exclusive seats at President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday were reserved for powerful tech CEOs who also happen to be among the world’s richest men. That’s a shift from tradition, especially for a president who has characterized himself as a champion of the working class. Seats so close to the president are usually reserved for the president’s family, past presidents and other honored guests. Photos show the tech CEOs mingling with several of Trump’s picks for the Cabinet, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and Marco Rubio as secretary of state. In one image, Rubio looks on from the background, facing a lineup of tech’s wealthiest leaders. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, stand beside Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his…

Samsung is injecting another dose of artificial intelligence into its next lineup of Galaxy smartphones, escalating an effort to simplify people’s lives while deepening their dependence on a device that accompanies them almost everywhere. The three Galaxy S25 models unveiled Wednesday in San Jose, California, are the second generation to be designed for the AI age — a craze that market-leading Apple joined last September with the release of the iPhone 16. Most of the hardware on the Galaxy S25 is mostly the same as last year’s model, except for a faster chip and a more powerful ultrawide lens on the camera. In its next phase, Samsung is positioning the Galaxy S25 as an “AI companion” capable of pulling more requests out of conversations, learning people’s routines, anticipating people’s needs…

Netflix added nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday-season quarter to help propel its earnings beyond analysts’ projections, capping the video streaming service’s best year yet in a sign that its expansion into live programming is paying off. The numbers released this week covered a October-December period highlighted by Netflix’s streaming of a widely watched fight between YouTube sensation Jake Paul and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson in addition to two National Football League games on Christmas Day. Those marquee events helped Netflix to easily surpass the 13 million subscribers that picked up in the same quarter during 2023. Although Netflix’s interest in live programming is primarily tied to its efforts to sell more commercials, it also appears to be giving current subscribers another reason to stick with the…

President Donald Trump is announcing investments worth up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out projects needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. Joining Trump for the announcement fresh off his inauguration will be Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. Son, a billionaire based in Japan, already committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. The head of SoftBank previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trump’s first term, which included a large stake in the troubled office-sharing company WeWork. While Trump has seized…

The X Games will experiment judging halfpipe runs this week in Aspen using artificial intelligence, the cutting-edge technology that could someday play a role in the way subjectively judged sports are scored. Long a trendsetter in action sports, the X Games and its new CEO, freestyle skiing great Jeremy Bloom, teamed with Google founder Sergey Brin to build the technology. Using Google Cloud tools including Vertex AI, Bloom thinks this experiment has potential to change the game on halfpipes, then maybe on slopestyle courses, skating rinks and anywhere a judge is used to score a contest. “Part of subjective sports, we see it all over the place, is that even at their best, humans can get it wrong,” said Bloom, who was a freestyle skier at two Olympics while also…

Arkansas’ Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom have little in common ideologically, but the two have both been vocal supporters of an idea that’s been rapidly gaining bipartisan ground in the states: Students’ cellphones need to be banned during the school day. At least eight states have enacted such bans over the past two years, and proposals are being considered in several more states this year. Here is a look at the push by states for such bans. WHY ARE STATES BANNING CELLPHONES AT SCHOOLS? The push for cellphone bans has been driven by concerns about the impact screen time has on children’s mental health and complaints from teachers that cellphones have become a constant distraction in the classroom. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who…

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari’s headquarters this week to get down to work with his new team. First up was a short visit to the Fiorano track followed by a meeting with Piero Ferrari and then “a day-long total immersion program,” the team said. “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Scuderia Ferrari HP driver, is one of those days,” Hamilton said. “I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realize that dream today.” The 40-year-old Hamilton is expected to drive a 2022 or 2023 Ferrari car over the next…

Losing important sentimental belongings — those items that represented who you are — can be traumatic for those who go through disasters that destroy homes. Some tips on how to get through it, emotionally and practically: SOOTHE YOURSELF, AND BE PATIENT Grief can be hard on the body, says Mary-Frances O’Connor, a psychology professor at the University of Arizona and author of “The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing.” Move. Get good sleep, but accept that you might have insomnia. Establish new routines to replace the old ones. “Our body is reacting to not having habits, to uncertainty,” O’Connor says. “Our body also takes time to absorb the blow.” Recovering from loss requires “understanding the impact that it’s having,” says O’Connor. Have patience,…

Students throughout New York state might have to give up their cellphones during school hours starting next fall under a proposal announced Tuesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The plan, which would require legislators’ approval, would take effect next school year and force students to disconnect from their phones and other personal devices while at school, including in class, during lunch and in hallways. Hochul, a Democrat, has for months hinted at a potential school cellphone ban and said limiting access to smartphones during school would help students focus in class and improve their mental health. At least eight states have enacted measures banning or restricting cellphones in schools, and several other states have encouraged districts to enact restrictions or provided funding for equipment to store phones. At least three other…

If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form? Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical. ly, TikTok has grown from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. While, of course, also emerging as a potential national security threat, according to U.S. officials. On April 24, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok parent ByteDance to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or to shut down. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, filed a lawsuit against the U.S., claiming the security concerns were overblown and the law should…

Tesla (TSLA) has received over 100,000 orders for the new design-refreshed 2025 Tesla Model Y Juniper in just two weeks following its launch in key markets like China, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. This overwhelming demand showcases Tesla’s strong foothold in the global EV market and the immense popularity of its latest Model Y update. STRONG DEMAND DESPITE MIXED INITIAL REACTIONS Initial reactions to the redesigned Tesla Model Y Juniper were mixed, particularly in North America, where Tesla fans expressed reservations about its appearance. Many noted similarities to the futuristic and angular design of Tesla’s upcoming Cybercab robotaxi, which some perceived as a departure from the more traditional styling of the earlier Model Y. However, the reception in China and other international markets has been overwhelmingly positive, with buyers rushing…

President Donald Trump signed an executive order promising to eliminate what he incorrectly labels “the electric vehicle mandate” imposed under former President Joe Biden. His order on Monday is consistent with pledges Trump made on the campaign trail to end what he calls a “preposterous” focus on EVs by Biden and other Democrats. The order, along with other steps expected in a second Trump administration, could slow U.S. efforts to address climate change, much of which is caused by burning gasoline and diesel fuel that emit carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhouse gases. Here is a look at Trump’s actions and what happens next. WHAT DOES TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER SAY ABOUT EVS? Trump’s order said he would “eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate” and promote true consumer choice, which is…

Recency bias is the tendency to place too much weight on the latest performance trends while giving short shrift to other factors, such as fundamentals, valuation, or long-term market averages. Market news, by definition, focuses on recent events rather than long-term trends. As a result, recent events are top of mind, easier to remember, and often play an outsize role in investment decision-making. But there are steps investors can take to guard against these tendencies: BE A STUDENT OF LONG-TERM MARKET HISTORY. When I’m thinking about asset-class performance, I like to look at performance over as long a span as possible. The IA SBBI indexes are my go-to source for major asset-class statistics going back to 1926. The academic trio of Elroy Dimson, Paul Marsh, and Mike Staunton have compiled…