TSMC Now Making Apple Watch Chips in the US; DOJ Sues 6 Biggest US Landlords-Algorithmic Pricing; Nvidia- Chips Improving Faster Than Moore’s Law; Tesla US Sales Dropped 5% Last Year
Posted: January 8, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, business, News, technology Leave a commentAs reported here and elsewhere, under the Biden Administration CHIPS Act, a number of chip plants have been built or are being built in the US. Now, bgr.com reports that the TSMC Arizona plant has started making another chip for Apple. Last year, they started making A16 Bionic chips, and now they are producing the S9 chips for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Right now they are producing about 10,000 a month in the Arizona plant, but expect to up production to 24,000 a month by the next quarter. The 2 chips being made at the TSMC Arizona plant are 4 nanometer, but they plan to bring 3 nanometer tech to the facility, which would enable them to build the A17 Pro, the A18 family, the M3 and M4…and eventually Apple’s M5 chip. The Chips Act has provided subsidies, as right now, it is costing about 50% more to make them here than in Taiwan until they can produce enough volume to be competitive. As Joe Biden might say, this is a big effing deal.
The Department of Justice has sued 6 of the biggest US landlords over ‘algorithmic pricing schemes that harmed renters.’ According to arstechnica.com, one landlord, Cortland Management, has agreed to a settlement “that requires it to cooperate with the government, stop using its competitors’ sensitive data to set rents and stop using the same algorithm as its competitors without a corporate monitor.” The other defendants are Greystar, LivCor, Camden, Cushman, and Willow Bridge. The DOJ had previously sued RealPage, a software maker accused of helping landlords collectively set prices by giving them access to competitors’ nonpublic pricing and occupancy information. The original version of the lawsuit described actions by landlords but did not name any as defendants. “The amended complaint alleges that the six landlords actively participated in a scheme to set their rents using each other’s competitively sensitive information through common pricing algorithms,” the DOJ said. The phrase ‘price fixing’ came up in discussions between the landlords, according to the government’s amended complaint. It will be interesting to see if the change of administration causes the DOJ to back off. Even at that, the suit has been joined by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.
Unless you are in the tech business or are a real tech nerd, you may not be all that familiar with Moore’s Law. Moore’s Law was coined by the co-founder of Intel Gordon Moore in 1965, and it basically says that the number of transistors on computer chips would roughly double every year, essentially doubling the performance of those chips. This prediction mostly panned out, and created rapid advances in capability and plummeting costs for decades. Now, TechCrunch.com says that Nividia CEO Jensen Huang claims that the performance of his company’s AI chips is growing faster than the historical rates set by Moore’s Law. He told a group at CES “We can build the architecture, the chip, the system, the libraries, and the algorithms all at the same time. If you do that, then you can move faster than Moore’s Law, because you can innovate across the entire stack.” Huang claims that Nvidia’s AI chips are 1,000 times better than what their chips were 10 years ago…a much faster pace than that laid down in Moore’s Law. He says there is no sign of it slowing down soon, either.
While AI chips are getting faster at warp speed, that’s not the case with Tesla vehicle sales. Elecctrek.co reports that analyst TroyTeslike on X has been one of the most reliable at predicting Tesla quarterly delivery results. Tesla is easily the most opaque automaker when it comes to this metric. Teslike has crunched numbers and says Tesla’s US sales are down by 5% in 2024 compared to the previous year. They are also down about 10% in Europe, but up 8% in China. The drop in the US is tough, since Tesla worked at goosing sales with discounts and incentives…including price cuts and subsidized financing. Although adding the Cybertruck to the line picked up 30,000 more deliveries, the car maker was still down more than 34,000 units in 2024. Electrek.co noted ‘that it might be time for Tesla to start to consider that Elon Musk’s antics are badly hurting sales in the US.’
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple Planning Face ID Doorbell; Google Objects to DOJ’ s Interventionist Antitrust Remedies; X Jacks Up Premium Subscriptions; Honda & Nissan Look to Merge in 2026
Posted: December 23, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, business, News, technology Leave a commentMany times over the years, Apple has been late to the party, but has gone on to dominate categories of tech gadgets. The iPhone, of course, is the classic example. Now, 9to5mac.com reports that Cupertino is working on a Face ID compatible smart home doorbell cam, shades of the Ring. The device would offer “advanced facial recognition”, and integrate wirelessly with smart home locks. As a user of both Apple HomeKit and Ring, I have to say it would be cool to have my door cam integrated into HomeKit, but right now, it’s hard to imagine how an Apple device would really do a better job than the Ring does. The door lock thing is cool…unlock your door by scanning your face…but I don’t have an electronic door lock. I have a neighbor who does, but that is one area I just haven’t ‘technified.’ A lock can be picked, but the thief has to be right there…not a ways away like with a hack. Apple may have the thing on the market by the end of next year.
Google has come out blazing as they have floated their own proposal in the antitrust case from the US Department of Justice that argues that Google must sell off its Chrome Browser. According to techcrunch.com, Google says the DOJ proposal reflects an ‘interventionist agenda’ that “goes far beyond what the Court’s decision is actually about.” As an alternative, Google proposes that it still be allowed to make search deals with companies like Apple and Mozilla, but they should have the option to set different defaults on different platforms (for example, iPhone vs. iPad) and in different browsing modes.
In a move that is certain to vastly increase his user base, Elon Musk is raising prices for ad-free Premium Plus on X from $16 to $22 a month. If this was a Tom Swiftie, that would have ‘he said sarcastically’ after it! At any rate, engadget.com reports that the 37.5% price hike will kick in by January 20th, and will be for the US, Europe, the UK, Canada, and Australia. X has lost an estimated 2.7 million active users in the past 2 months, while new rival Bluesky has doubled in size in that same time period. This does not seem to be the move of a business genius…but I could be wrong.
In a move that would create the world’s third largest car maker, Honda and Nissan plan to merge in 2026. Arstechnica.com reports that Honda would take the lead in the deal. The two firms already had a strategic partnership for software and electrification. Nissan has been in an alliance with France’s Renault and Japan’s Mitsubishi. Both are taking a wait and see attitude on the Honda-Nissan deal. If approved, the deal should be finalized by this coming June, with the new company formed by August 2026.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
T-Mobile Testing Starlink Service; FTC Bans Hidden Junk Fees; Threads Testing Post Scheduling Feature; Study-Return to Office Mandates Lose Best & Brightest
Posted: December 18, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: business, hybrid-work, remote-work, technology, work Leave a commentT-Mobile has started beta test sign ups for its Starlink satellite cell service. Engadget.com reports that the companies got FCC approval for the project last month. The first beta test is planned for 2025, and it will focus on text messaging initially. Voice and data are planned at a later date. Availability is limited, and T-Mobile is prioritizing first responder agencies and individuals for the program.
The Federal Trade Commission announced a new rule yesterday that will prohibit ticket sellers, hotels, and vacation rental services from hiding total prices and burying junk fees during the checkout process. The Junk Fees Rule helps ensure that consumers know exactly what the full price will be before they buy event tickets or book short-term lodging. According to bgr.com, the rule has been in development since 2022. Businesses will now have to disclose the true price including all mandatory fees, AND will have to display the total price more prominently than most other pricing information. This may not get rid of ‘resort fees’ from hotels that aren’t even close to a resort, and are for amenities that may be dubious, but at least you will know you are being hosed upfront. A favorite of mine was at a motel that just had a small workout room and indoor pool…and the pool was out of service!
Threads, the social net offshoot of Meta’s Instagram, is road testing a post scheduling feature. Techcrunch.com says user who get to test the feature won’t be able to schedule replies, however. You can check the 3 dot menus in the composer to see if you have the beta feature. Posts show up in the drafts folder, and from there you can edit or delete them, as well as change the time when they will be posted. Instagram has already started letting people schedule their direct messages. IG has let users schedule posts for the main feed for some time now.
A study from researchers at several universities, including University of Pittsburgh and Baylor has found that return to office mandates cause companies to lose some of their best workers. Arstechnica.com notes that the study tracked over 3 million workers at 54 ‘high tech and financial’ firms from the S&P 500 index. The researchers only looked at companies with data available for at least 2 quarters before and after they issued RTO mandates. They did conclude that the average turnover rates at firms that instituted RTO mandates increased by 14%. Potentially alarming for employers is the study finding that senior and skilled employees were more likely to leave following RTO mandates. This aligns with a study from University of Chicago and University of Michigan researchers published in May that found that Apple and Microsoft saw senior-level employee bases decrease by 5 percentage points and SpaceX a decrease of 5 percentage points.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Threads 275 Million Users & Meta AI 500 Million; Microsoft-Win 10 Users $30 for Year Security Updates; Zoox Co-Founder—Tesla Self-Driving Tech Doesn’t Work; Dropbox Chops 20% of Staff
Posted: October 31, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: business, Elon Musk, News, technology, Tesla Leave a commentWith the announcement of good earnings…with third quarter earnings up 19% and net income year over year up 35%, Meta also has announced some big increases in usage of its AI and of Threads. Engadget.com reports that Threads is now up to “almost 275 million” monthly users, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “It’s been growing more than a million sign ups per day,” Zuckerberg said, adding that “engagement is growing too.” Meta AI has now passed the 500 million user mark, and Zuck says they are on track to become the most-used generative AI assistant in the world. Meta AI has only been out about a year, too.
There is always major resistance when Microsoft finally gets serious about dropping support for an operating system in order to get users to move on to the latest one Redmond offers. According to engadget.com, Windows 10 will see support end on October 14, 2025. Now, Microsoft has thrown laggards a lifeline with an Extended Security Updates program for regular users. If you are one of those, you will be able to buy a one year extension for $30. ESU programs have been in place for a long time for commercial users, but this one is for personal users. Commercial users can buy up to 3 years of ESU support, which takes them to 2028…BUT the commercial licenses double in price every year until 2028. Defender Antivirus will get updates for Windows 10 until at least October 2028. Kicking or screaming or not, Microsoft is going to drag all Windows 10 users to Windows 11.
In his robotaxi presentation, Elon Musk claimed that Tesla would be launching a robotaxi ride-hailing service in California next year. Now, Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson has opined that Tesla won’t be launching anywhere next year. TechCrunch.com says Levinson was quoted as commenting that the “fundamental issue is they don’t have technology that works,” Levinson said Wednesday at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.” His remarks came at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 yesterday. Levinson went on to say he was differentiating between a driver assistance system that drives most of the time, but requires human intervention “versus a system that’s so reliable and robust that you don’t need a person in it.” He continued, “Our perspective is you really do need significantly more hardware than Tesla is putting in their vehicles to build a robotaxi that is not just as safe, but as especially safer than a human,” he said. Levinson said he believes that Tesla full self driving is “about 100 times less safe than a human if you look at all the metrics that are publicly available.”
In a statement saying it had over invested and underperformed, Dropbox has chopped 20% of their global staff. Arstechnica.com reports that CEO Drew Houston wrote that Dropbox’s core file sync and sharing “business has matured, and we’ve been working to build our next phase of growth with products like Dash,” an “AI-powered universal search” product targeted to business customers. The company’s “current structure and investment levels” are “no longer sustainable.” With several cloud services offering easier large file sharing, it shouldn’t be a big surprise. Box had things to itself for a while, but competition makes for real challenges.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Huawei Tri-Fold Phone-Eye-Popping Price; Google Loses EU Shopping Antitrust Decision; Apple Loses EU Tax Dispute; Tesla Reveals Wireless Home EV Charging Patents
Posted: September 10, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: antitrust, Apple, business, Google, technology Leave a commentWe just reported about Huawei’s launch of the world’s first trifold phone, just an hour and a half after Apple’s big show yesterday. The verge.com reports that we now know that this new trifold phone will cost a wallet destroying $2809…that’s $300 bucks more than a 16 inch MacBook Pro. The Mate XT Ultimate Design comes with 16 Gigs of RAM, and you can get up to a terabyte of RAM…for $3370…almost the price of Apple’s nosebleed priced Vision Pro headset. The double hinge folds in a Z shape, allowing a number off formats…and fully open, you do get a 10.2 inch screen…or you can use it partially open and have a 7.9 inch screen. It does come with a 5600 mAh battery, a 50 MP main cam, and 12MP ultra wide and 12MP periscope cam. Thinking about a screen the size of my iPad with two creases, I think I will stick to multiple devices…like a phone, tablet, and laptop…but if you want to be the first kid on your block…now you know what it will set you back.
Google has again lost in its attempt to overturn an antitrust decision by the European Commission dating from 2017. According to techcrunch.com, Alphabet, parent company of Google, will have to cough up about $2.7 billion dollars as a penalty, and will have to make changes to how it operates its service. The Court of Justice of the EU wrote in a press release about their opinion “[I]n light of the characteristics of the market and the specific circumstances of the case, Google’s conduct was discriminatory and did not fall within the scope of competition on the merits.” EU Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager said “It was one of the first significant antitrust cases brought by a competition agency against a major digital company and I think this case marked a pivotal shift in how digital companies were regulated and also perceived.” Google put out a statement saying it was disappointed with the ruling. This is the highest EU court, so probably the end of the line for Google…they will have to comply with EU rules on competition.
A day after Apple’s big gear fest, when they rolled out the new iPhones, Watches, and the rest, the EU’s Court of Justice affirmed the EU Commission decision of 2016 which found that Ireland gave illegal tax benefits to Apple worth 13 billion Euros between 1991 and 2014. Macrumors.com says Ireland will now be required to recover those funds…which Apple had to deposit in an escrow account 6 years ago. The Commission’s decision had been reversed in 2020 by the EU General Court, but the Court of Justice has now set that aside, so Ireland will collect. Ireland actually had sided with Apple, but said it would respect the Court of Justice decision. Apple made a filing today with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, saying that the company would take a one-time income tax charge in their 4th fiscal quarter…which ends September 30th. The amount in dollars is up to $10 billion. Not too bad a hit for a company worth trillions.
Several patent applications indicate that Tesla is working on wireless home charging for its cars. This is not a first…BMW has had it for a while now, but with Tesla’s large customer base, it would be quite a move to have wireless charging more widely available. Electrek.co notes that this is pretty well a first world problem..after all, you can have plug in charging wired into your garage if you have a garage…and if you don’t, wireless won’t help anyway. Still, it would automate the task. You’d just park in the garage over the charging pad at night, and you’re ready to go in the morning. The Cybertruck is being built with inductive charging connectors, and it appears like they are something that could be retrofitted to a Tesla sedan or SUV….for a princely price, of course!
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘technified’ for now.
Apple Finally Approves Epic Game Store; Tesla Insiders-Musk Ordered Optimized Self Driving for Self & Influencers; Meta Expands Policy Removing More Posts Attacking ‘Zionists;’ Chinese Self-Driving Cars-Mapping & Gathering US Data
Posted: July 9, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: business, Elon Musk, News, technology, Tesla Leave a commentThe third time is apparently the charm…after a couple of rejections, Apple has finally approved the Epic Games Store app for iOS in the European Union. Arstechnica.com reports that this will move Apple into compliance with the letter of the law under the Digital Markets Act, although not necessarily the spirit. The latest squabble involved Apple claiming that the shape of the buttons in the app too closely resembled Apple’s own. After kicking up a fuss on social Media, Epic finally got approval…with the caveat that they have to change the buttons going forward. Epic can now finish building out its game store, which will be available soon to EU users.
A lot of people have figured out that when it comes to Tesla and other Elon Musk controlled companies…it’s always all about Elon. Now, according to electrek.co, insiders are saying the Muskman had his Full Self-Driving team optimize routes that he himself takes as well as routes taken by Tesla FSD content creators, which would explain the discrepancies in the efficacy of the system. Business Insider put out a report today based on conversations with current and former Tesla workers who claim Tesla has been optimizing its self-driving neural nets specifically for routes taken by CEO Elon Musk and Tesla influencers producing FSD content. The report claims that data annotators, people who review clips from Tesla vehicles to help train its self-driving neural nets, were given the task to focus on two categories: “Tesla CEO Elon Musk and a select set of “VIP” drivers.” Several confirmed that they were told specifically to focus on routes around Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter locations, and also a mansion previously owned by Musk. Now there’s a good personal use of corporate resources!
Facebook and Instagram will start removing more posts that attack ‘Zionists’ when the term is used to represent Jewish people or Israelis in general. Bloomberg.com says that Meta is putting the term into what they call attacks on a person’s ‘protected characteristics.’ Up to now, that has just included their race, nationality, or religion. Posts will still be allowed that refer to actual Zionists, but just not Jewish or Israeli people more broadly.
There has been a good deal of reporting about the Chinese weather balloons flying near US bases inside American borders. There is also ongoing coverage about buyers who might or do have connections to China buying land near US military bases. Now, it turns out that 7 Chinese self-driving car makers have had vehicles cruising US roadways…mostly in California and on the west coast, quietly mapping and shooting pictures, with the data going back to servers in China. They have traveled 1.8 million miles! Slashdot.org reports that around 30 cars owned by Chinese companies and equipped with cameras and geospatial mapping technology were navigating the streets of greater Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. They collected detailed videos, audio recordings, and location data on their surroundings to chart out California’s roads and develop their autonomous driving algorithms. The data could provide a foreign adversary with a treasure trove of intelligence that could be used for everything from mass surveillance to war planning, according to security experts who spoke with Fortune Magazine. At present there are no rules in place preventing such activity. Let’s hope our political leaders get in gear!
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
FCC Wants to Make Carriers Unlock Phones After 60 Days; SCOTUS Allows Administration to Jawbone Social Platforms; Amazon Now in $2 Trillion Club; Google Translate-Support for 110 New Languages
Posted: June 27, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, business, Microsoft, technology Leave a commentIn a proposed rule, called in FCC lingo a ‘Notice of Proposed Rulemaking’, the Federal Communications Commission is looking to make phone carriers unlock phones from their service after 60 days. According to techcrunch.com, the Commission plans to further study how this will work out with current plans and phone buying trends. For years, carriers have subsidized phone prices if a customer signed up for say, a two year contract…and they made up the difference in the monthly payments for the phone plus the fees for the service. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote “When you buy a phone, you should have the freedom to decide when to change service to the carrier you want and not have the device you own stuck by practices that prevent you from making that choice. That is why we are proposing clear, nationwide mobile phone unlocking rules.” We should know more about the proposed rule when the full notice is published in July.
The Supreme Court yesterday tossed claims that the Biden administration coerced social media platforms into censoring users by removing COVID and election-related content. Arstechnica.com reports that the 6-3 vote found that none of the plaintiffs had standing to have brought the case in the first place. One individual was suing on behalf of his brother. Justice Barrett noted in the majority opinion that Facebook had actually been taking down false info about COVID and the election before the administration even asked them to do so.
We’ve reported lately about the $2 trillion dollar companies, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Apple, and how Nvidia has passed up Apple, and even Microsoft for the top spot for a bit. Alphabet got into this high rolling club in April. Now, geekwire.com says Amazon has joined this rarified group of the world’s most valuable companies. Amazon stock is up over 30% this year, and over 50% the past 12 months. So there you have it….the top 5 most valuable companies on earth no longer include any oil companies, banks, or industrial firms…they are all tech: Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Amazon.
Google is adding 110 new languages to Translate. It’s the biggest expansion ever for Google Translate. Theverge.com notes that there were already 133 languages supported, so this brings the total up to 243 supported languages. A number of these languages are related to others, and Google used their PaLM 2 AI language model to help add them. One of the most requested languages was added…Cantonese. Issac Caswell of Google said “Because Cantonese often overlaps with Mandarin in writing, it is tricky to find data and train models.” Caswell also said that “about a quarter of the new languages come from Africa.”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ’Technified’ for now.
VW-Billions to Rivian to Use Software & Electronics; Google Tests Face Recognition Building Entry; Samsung Unpacked July 10th; AI Version of Al Michaels for Personalized Olympic Recaps
Posted: June 26, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, business, rivian, technology, Tesla Leave a commentVolkswagen is putting up to $5 billion into young EV maker Rivian…with a billion of it immediately, and the other $4 billion over time. Arstechnica.com reports that the companies are forming a joint venture. Not only will VW use Rivian’s software and ‘zonal electronics platform’ in VW, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Ducati vehicles, but they plan to make Rivian’s drive engineering and display software available to other brands for a price. Ford and Amazon have previously invested in Rivian.
Google is testing out facial recognition for building security, “to help prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to our campuses,” according to CNBC. The first test is at an Alphabet site in Kirkland, Washington. A rather chilling note…it won’t be optional. Interior security cameras have been collecting facial data and comparing it to images stored from employee badge images, which includes the extended workforce, to help determine if there are unauthorized people on the premises. Google does say the data is for immediate use and won’t be stored. Eventually, ID badges won’t be used going forward for the facial recognition.
Samsung has announced that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will be July 10th. Androidpolice.com says we can expect to see the next generation of foldables and wearables from Samsung…although as usual, a lot has leaked already. One leak has both the Flip and Fold going up $150 each…a hefty price increase. Still, it is exciting to see the latest…Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6, Watch & and Ultra…as well as the latest ear buds. The two folders are expected to feature less pronounced creases, which will be nice to have…even with a price bump.
Tech and broadcasting, as well as TV and film, have been all over trying to use AI to clone voices and bodies…that’s one of the main things the SAG-AFTRA actors and voice folks were on strike last year. Now, NBC Has announced ‘Your Daily Olympic Recap’ on the Peacock App…voiced by an AI clone of Al Michaels. Theverge.com says to protect against AI hallucinations, “a team of NBCU editors will review all content, including audio and clips, for quality assurance and accuracy before recaps are made available to users.” Let’s hope so…and I hope that they are paying the almost 80 year old sports announcing legend appropriately for cloning his voice. NBC estimates that there could be as many as 7 million personalized variations during the games…I’m not seeing how a team of people will be able to review all those clips! Let’s hope Al doesn’t become a second ‘Weird Al!’
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Nvidia Becomes Most Valuable Company; AT&T Bumps Prices $10 on Most Older Unlimited Plans; Amazon Fined Nearly $6 Million by California; 10 Most Popular AI Chatbots Spew Russian Disinformation
Posted: June 19, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, business, Nvidia, technology 1 CommentBased on demand for its chips used in data centers for AI, Nvidia has moved past Microsoft to become the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. CNBC reports that the chipmaker was up 3.2% Tuesday, taking its market cap to $3.33 trillion, passing up Microsoft. Earlier this month, Nvidia cleared the $3 trillion mark, passing up Apple, which dropped to #3. Nvidia shares are up over 170% so far this year. The company has about 80% market share for AI chips used in data centers.
AT&T is socking $10 and $20 monthly price hikes to users of older unlimited wireless plans, starting in August. According to arstechnica.com, The single-line price of these 10 “retired” plans will increase by $10 per month, while customers with multiple lines on a plan will be hit with a total monthly increase of $20. AT&T has a large number of ‘unlimited’ data plans, all with varying limits and perks. To cushion the financial slam a bit, the telco says customers who keep their older plans have more high speed data and hotspot data. Customers may get a better price by switching to one of AT&T’s current unlimited plans, which range from $66 to $86 for a single line before taxes and fees.
Amazon has been slapped with a nearly $6 million dollar fine over infractions related to a law designed to protect warehouse workers. Engadget.com notes that under the law…AB-701, large companies are required to tell warehouse or distribution center workers in writing what their expected quotas are, including how often they should perform particular tasks, and what consequences they may face for failing to meet those quotas. The California Labor Commissioner said Amazon failed to meet those rules at two of its facilities in the cities of Moreno Valley and Redlands, with 59,017 violations logged during the labor office’s inspections. It’s one of the first big fines levied thanks to AB-701, which took effect in January 2022. The tech giant said it would appeal the fines and claimed it did not need to provide written information because it uses a “peer-to-peer system.”
NewsGuard, the media analyst, tested out the chatbots from the top 10 AI developers, and found all of them were spreading Russian disinformation to varying degrees. Theregister.com reports that the ‘bots included OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google’s Gemini. Each chatbot was given 57 prompts. On average, they parroted false claims 31.75% of the time. Three of the ones tested gave out fake news about half the time.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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