ICT news

• Google Ad For GIMP.org Served Info-Stealing Malware Via Lookalike

  02-11-2022 23:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  joshuark shares a report from BleepingComputer, written by Ax Sharma: Searching for 'GIMP' on Google as recently as last week would show visitors an ad for 'GIMP.org,' the official website of the well known graphics editor, GNU Image Manipulation Program. This ad would appear to be legitimate as it'd state 'GIMP.org' as the destination domain. But clicking on it drove visitors to a lookalike phishing website that provided them with a 700 MB executable disguised as GIMP which, in reality, was mal
  
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• Big Meat Companies Want To Use Smartwatches To Track Workers' Every Move

  02-11-2022 23:02 via yro.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Two of the largest meat companies in the U.S. have invested in a smartwatch app that allows managers to track and monitor worker's movements. According to a report by Investigate Midwest, a non-profit newsroom covering the agri-business industry, JBS and Tyson Foods have backed Mentore, a start-up that claims it uses surveillance data and AI to improve worker productivity and reduce workplace injuries. Once paired with a compatible smartwatch
  
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• Hawaii is About To Launch One of the Nation's Most Ambitious Tech Waste Recycling Programs

  02-11-2022 22:22 via it.slashdot.org
  Hawaii is implementing one of the most ambitious electronic waste recycling plans in the country, but some Hawaii retailers are afraid it will mean higher prices and less selection. From a report: Ironically, Hawaii has no ability to recycle electronic devices. Instead, the material has to be collected and shipped to processing centers elsewhere. The goal of the new law is to have manufacturers collect and ship out more and more of the used-up products. But industry lobbyist Walter Alcorn, with
  
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• Google's New Prototype AI Tool Does the Writing For You

  02-11-2022 21:45 via tech.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Remember that time Google showed off its artificial intelligence prowess by demoing conversations with Pluto and a paper airplane? That was powered by LaMDA, one of Google's latest-generation conversational AI models. Now, Google's using LaMDA to build Wordcraft, a prototype writing tool that can help creative writers craft new stories. AI-powered writing tools aren't new. Chances are you've heard of Grammarly or copywriting tools like Jasper. What makes Word
  
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• T-Mobile Will Start Charging a $35 Fee on All New Activations and Upgrades

  02-11-2022 21:01 via tech.slashdot.org
  T-Mobile may be joining rivals Verizon and AT&T by introducing an $35 charge for all new postpaid activations and upgrades, according to The T-Mo Report and some Redditors. Engadget: According to T-Mobile internal documents, it's introducing a "Device Connection Charge" for "all activations and upgrades for mobile, Beyond the Smartphone and broadband devices." Before, the Uncarrier charged activation fees only if you received in-store customer support for new activations, with online orders
  
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• US Pushes Japan and Other Allies To Join China Chip Curbs

  02-11-2022 20:21 via news.slashdot.org
  The U.S. is urging allies including Japan to follow its lead on restricting exports of advanced semiconductors and related technology to China, likely intensifying the impact of Chinese-American tensions on chipmakers worldwide. From a report: Tokyo has begun internal discussions on the issue at Washington's request, a Japanese government insider said. Officials are weighing which restrictions can be adopted in Japan, and will watch how other U.S. allies such as the European Union and South Kore
  
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• Windows 11 Runs on Fewer Than 1 in 6 PCs

  02-11-2022 19:41 via tech.slashdot.org
  Much of the Windows world has yet to adopt Microsoft's latest desktop operating system more than a year after it launched, according to figures for October collated by Statcounter. From a report: Just 15.44 percent of PCs across the globe have installed Windows 11, meaning it gained 1.83 percentage points in a month. This compares to the 71.29 percent running Windows 10, which fell marginally from 71.88 percent in September. Windows 7 is still hanging on with a tenuous grip, in third place with
  
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• New Hot Job: State High-Speed Internet Network Director

  02-11-2022 19:01 via news.slashdot.org
  States are shoring up expertise in high-speed internet networks by creating or expanding broadband offices to prepare for an influx of infrastructure cash. Ensuring that more than $40 billion in new funding connects every American to high-speed internet service is a job that's falling to the states -- and they need help. From a report: Of all the job openings posted for states' burgeoning broadband offices, the "director" position is the most common vacancy, according to data The Pew Charitable
  
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• TikTok Tells European Users Its Staff in China Get Access To Their Data

  02-11-2022 18:22 via yro.slashdot.org
  TikTok is spelling out to its European users of the platform that their data can be accessed by employees outside the continent, including in China, amid political and regulatory concerns about Chinese access to user information on the site. From a report: The Chinese-owned social video app is updating its privacy policy to confirm that staff in countries, including China, are allowed to access user data to ensure their experience of the platform is "consistent, enjoyable and safe." The other co
  
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• Chinese Tycoon Spent 8 Years, $3 Billion on EV That Went Unbuilt

  02-11-2022 17:41 via tech.slashdot.org
  Faraday Future burned through cash and board seats while its founder fought for control. From a report: The image arrived in Susan Swenson's inbox on a Wednesday evening. Her corporate headshot had been crudely crossed out in digital red ink, and the word "Kill" was written in the bottom left corner. In the hours that followed, some of her colleagues received similar threats, including messages that referenced the recent assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. The menacing em
  
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• Judge Blocks Penguin Random House-Simon and Schuster Merger

  02-11-2022 17:01 via news.slashdot.org
  A federal judge has blocked Penguin Random House's proposed purchase of Simon & Schuster, agreeing with the Justice Department that the joining of two of the world's biggest publishers could "lessen competition" for "top-selling books." From a report: The ruling reinforced the Biden administration's tougher approach to proposed mergers, a break from decades of precedent under Democratic and Republican presidents. U.S. District Court Judge Florence Y. Pan announced the decision in a brief sta
  
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• Eric Schmidt Warns US Technology Edge Over China Slipping

  02-11-2022 16:22 via news.slashdot.org
  Eric Schmidt wants to reshape Washington's industrial policy to combat an intensifying US-China tech rivalry. The former Google chief executive officer's philanthropic arm issued recommendations aimed at encouraging US politicians to counter China's rising technological ambitions by ramping up regulatory scrutiny, encouraging more private investment and offering tax credits to train workers. From a report: China surprised the US on key "battleground" technologies -- including wireless 5G, microe
  
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• Microsoft President Wants More Training for Workers To Fight Climate Change

  02-11-2022 15:45 via news.slashdot.org
  Microsoft President Brad Smith is calling for companies, schools and governments to dramatically increase training workers for new and redesigned roles tackling the climate crisis. From a report: The software giant, which has pledged to remove more carbon than it emits by 2030, says the lack of skills in areas like carbon accounting, green procurement and supply chain management is a threat to the kind of progress needed to arrest global warming. The company, along with the Boston Consulting Gro
  
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• CVS, Walgreens To Pay More Than $10 Billion To Settle Opioid Lawsuits

  02-11-2022 15:12 via science.slashdot.org
  CVS and Walgreens have agreed to pay more than $10 billion in a landmark settlement to resolve opioid-crisis lawsuits brought by states, cities and other governments. From a report: The two largest U.S. drugstore chains said they reached a framework to settle the collection of lawsuits brought by governments and Native American tribes blaming pharmacies for helping fuel the nation's opioid epidemic. Under the proposed deal, CVS would pay $4.9 billion to states and municipalities and $130 million
  
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• Google Is Shutting Down Its Dedicated Street View App Next Year

  02-11-2022 14:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from 9to5Google: Google is preparing to shut down the dedicated Street View app on Android, keeping the feature in Google Maps. Google's Street View is an easy way to get a 360-degree look at almost any given street on the planet, perfect for getting a sense of your next travel destination or simply exploring the world from the comfort of home. While the Google Maps app has long offered an easy way to hop into Street View, there has also been a dedicated Stree
  
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• China's Submarines May Soon Be Powered By Lithium Batteries

  02-11-2022 11:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  The Chinese Navy could finally use lithium technology to replace the lead-acid batteries that are now used in its fleet of conventional submarines. Interesting Engineering reports: Since lithium batteries had a higher risk of catching fire or exploding, the navy was hesitant to replace the submarine fleet's current batteries with them. But, "after solving these problems, the replacement of lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries in conventional submarines is just around the corner," said Wang
  
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• Black Holes Can Behave Like Quantum Particles

  02-11-2022 08:00 via science.slashdot.org
  Black holes have properties characteristic of quantum particles, a new study reveals, suggesting that the puzzling cosmic objects can be at the same time small and big, heavy and light, or dead and alive, just like the legendary Schrodinger's cat. Space.com reports: The new study, based on computer modeling, aimed to find the elusive connection between the mind-boggling time-warping physics of supermassive objects such as black holes and the principles guiding the behavior of the tiniest subatom
  
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• The Browser Company's Darin Fisher Thinks It's Time To Reinvent the Browser

  02-11-2022 04:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Darin Fisher has built a lot of web browsers. A lot of web browsers. He was a software engineer at Netscape early in his career, working on Navigator and then helping turn that app into Firefox with Mozilla. Then, he went to Google and spent 16 years building Chrome and ChromeOS into massively successful products. Last year, he left Google for Neeva, where he worked on ways to build a browser around the startup's search engine. And now, he's le
  
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• Meta's AI-Powered Audio Codec Promises 10x Compression Over MP3

  02-11-2022 03:02 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  Last week, Meta announced an AI-powered audio compression method called "EnCodec" that can reportedly compress audio 10 times smaller than the MP3 format at 64kbps with no loss in quality. Meta says this technique could dramatically improve the sound quality of speech on low-bandwidth connections, such as phone calls in areas with spotty service. The technique also works for music. Ars Technica reports: Meta debuted the technology on October 25 in a paper titled "High Fidelity Neural Audio Compr
  
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• NYC Employers Can No Longer Hide Salary Ranges In Job Listings

  02-11-2022 02:25 via slashdot.org
  Starting Tuesday, New York City employers must disclose salary information in job ads, thanks to a new pay transparency law that will reverberate nationwide. Axios reports: What's happening: Employers have spent months getting ready for this. They'll now have to post salary ranges for open roles -- but many didn't have any established pay bands at all, says Allan Bloom, a partner at Proskauer who's advising companies. Already, firms like American Express, JPMorgan Chase and Macy's have added pay
  
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• Tumblr Will Now Allow Nudity But Not Explicit Sex

  02-11-2022 01:45 via tech.slashdot.org
  Tumblr has made an update it hinted at in September, changing its rules to allow nudity -- but not sexually explicit images -- on the platform. The Verge reports: The company updated its community guidelines earlier today, laying out a set of rules that stops short of its earlier permissive attitude toward sexuality but that formally allows a wider range of imagery. "We now welcome a broader range of expression, creativity, and art on Tumblr, including content depicting the human form (yes, that
  
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• Sound Burger Portable Record Player Returns From the '80s With Bluetooth, USB-C

  02-11-2022 01:02 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: According to the Recording Industry Association of America's Mid-Year 2022 report (PDF), vinyl is continuing a trend initiated in 2020, when vinyl revenue surpassed CD revenue -- a state of affairs we haven't seen since 1986, according to the RIAA [PDF]. The RIAA reported that vinyl revenue grew 22 percent in the first half of this year to $570 million, outpacing CDs ($200 million) and representing physical music's largest revenue share. Jap
  
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• New EU Law Could Force Apple To Allow Other App Stores, Sideloading, and iMessage Interoperability

  02-11-2022 00:20 via apple.slashdot.org
  New EU rules came into force today that could compel Apple to let users access third-party app stores and permit app sideloading on iPhones and iPads, among other sweeping changes designed to make the digital sector fairer and more competitive. MacRumors reports: Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the rules will apply to tech giants that meet its "gatekeeper" criteria and force them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers. Apple is almost certain to be
  
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