ICT news

• GlobalFoundries Sues IBM, Says Trade Secrets Were Unlawfully Given To Japan's Rapidus

  19-04-2023 23:20 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries said today it had filed a lawsuit against IBM, accusing it of unlawfully sharing confidential intellectual property and trade secrets. From a report: New York-based GlobalFoundries said in its complaint that IBM had shared IP and trade secrets with Rapidus, a new state-backed Japanese consortium that IBM is working with to develop and produce cutting-edge two-nanometre chips. It also asserted that IBM had unlawfully disclosed and misused its IP with Intel, notin
  
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• Major Retail Players Are Walking Back Their Metaverse Strategies

  19-04-2023 22:41 via slashdot.org
  
  For some of the largest retail companies and brands, the metaverse is losing its luster. From a report: Walmart has reportedly shut down its Universe of Play metaverse experience on Roblox just six months after its launch, according to consumer advocacy group Tina.org. Walmart, for its part, said it discontinued the experience "as planned." Walt Disney has axed the next-generation storytelling and consumer-experiences unit that was mapping out the company's metaverse strategies late last month.
  
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• Disney Set To Eliminate Thousands of Jobs Starting Next Week

  19-04-2023 22:00 via slashdot.org
  
  Walt Disney plans to cut thousands of jobs next week, including about 15% of the staff in its entertainment division, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the plans. From the report: The cuts will span TV, film, theme parks and corporate teams, affecting every region where Disney operates, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren't yet public. Some affected workers will be notified as early as April 24. The company declined to comment. Disney
  
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• The End of Computer Magazines in America

  19-04-2023 21:20 via news.slashdot.org
  
  With Maximum PC and MacLife's abandonment of print, the dead-tree era of computer journalism is officially over. It lasted almost half a century -- and was quite a run. Harry McCracken writes: The April issues of Maximum PC and MacLife are currently on sale at a newsstand near you -- assuming there is a newsstand near you. They're the last print issues of these two venerable computer magazines, both of which date to 1996 (and were originally known, respectively, as Boot and MacAddict). Starting
  
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• Used Routers Often Come Loaded With Corporate Secrets

  19-04-2023 20:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: You know that you're supposed to wipe your smartphone or laptop before you resell it or give it to your cousin. After all, there's a lot of valuable personal data on there that should stay in your control. Businesses and other institutions need to take the same approach, deleting their information from PCs, servers, and network equipment so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. At the RSA security conference in San Francisco next week, though, researchers fro
  
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• Windows 11 Start Menu Ads Look Set To Get Even Worse

  19-04-2023 20:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is heading further down the path of advertising its own services in Windows 11, with different ads now popping up in the Start menu. From a report: To be precise, this is Windows 11 preview build 23435, which was just released to the Dev channel. As Microsoft puts it: "We are continuing the exploration of badging on the Start menu with several new treatments for users logging in with local user accounts to highlight the benefits of signing in with a Microsoft account (MSA)." So, the tr
  
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• Meta Encryption 'Blindfolds' Authorities To Child Abuse, Crime Agencies Claim

  19-04-2023 19:20 via it.slashdot.org
  
  The FBI, Interpol and the UK's National Crime Agency have accused Meta of making a "purposeful" decision to increase end-to-end encryption in a way that in effect "blindfolds" them to child sex abuse. From a report: The Virtual Global Taskforce, made up of 15 law enforcement agencies, issued a joint statement saying that plans by Facebook and Instagram-parent Meta to expand the use of end-to-end encryption on its platforms were "a purposeful design choice that degrades safety systems," including
  
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• Europe Spins Up AI Research Hub To Apply Accountability Rules on Big Tech

  19-04-2023 18:40 via slashdot.org
  
  As the European Union gears up to enforce a major reboot of its digital rulebook in a matter of months, a new dedicated research unit is being spun up to support oversight of large platforms under the bloc's flagship Digital Services Act (DSA). From a report: The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT), which was officially inaugurated in Seville, Spain, today, is expected to play a major role in interrogating the algorithms of mainstream digital services -- such as Facebook, Instagr
  
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• Global Rice Shortage is Set To Be the Biggest in 20 Years

  19-04-2023 18:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  From China to the U.S. to the European Union, rice production is falling and driving up prices for more than 3.5 billion people across the globe, particularly in Asia-Pacific -- which consumes 90% of the world's rice. From a report: The global rice market is set to log its largest shortfall in two decades in 2023, according to Fitch Solutions. And a deficit of this magnitude for one of the world's most cultivated grains will hurt major importers, analysts told CNBC. "At the global level, the mos
  
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• Software Firms Across US Facing Massive Tax Bills That Threaten Tech Startup World Survival

  19-04-2023 17:20 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Across the software development field, founders are experiencing an income tax season that has become an existential threat to their company's survival. Software startups say they were blindsided by shocking tax bills as a result of a change in law related to research and development costs, and if Congress does not provide a retroactive fix, business failures will spread throughout the industry. From a report: The root of the issue is the inability of lawmakers to extend a key tax provision that
  
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• Tech's Retrenchment Hammers Landlords With Glut of Empty Offices

  19-04-2023 16:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  US tech giants, grappling with a post-pandemic slowdown, have already laid off tens of thousands of workers. Now they're dumping millions of square feet of office space, pushing vacancies in city centers to record highs and ratcheting up pressure on the commercial real estate industry. From a report:No sector is looking to sublease more office space than Big Tech, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Amazon.com have all announced plans to reduce their offi
  
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• India Passes China as World's Most Populous Nation, UN Says

  19-04-2023 16:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  India has overtaken China as the world's most populous nation, according to United Nations data released Wednesday. From a report: India's population surpassed 1.4286 billion, slightly higher than China's 1.4257 billion people, according to mid-2023 estimates by the UN's World Population dashboard. China's numbers do not include Hong Kong and Macau, Special Administrative Regions of China, and Taiwan, the data showed. The burgeoning population will add urgency for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
  
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• Meta Is About To Start Its Next Round of Layoffs

  19-04-2023 15:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Vox: Meta will conduct another mass round of layoffs on Wednesday, several sources working at the company told Vox. In an internal memo posted to a Meta employee message board on Tuesday evening and viewed by Vox, the company told employees that the layoffs will start on Wednesday and will impact a wide range of technical teams including those working on Facebook, Instagram, Reality Labs, and WhatsApp. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the memo was sent to em
  
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• CISA and Partners Release Cybersecurity Best Practices for Smart Cities

  19-04-2023 14:00 via cisa.gov
  Today, CISA, NSA, FBI, NCSC-UK, ACSC, CCCS and NCSC-NZ released a joint guide: Cybersecurity Best Practices for Smart Cities. 
  Smart cities may create safer, more efficient, resilient communities through technological innovation and data-driven decision making. However, this opportunity also introduces potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses that—if exploited—could impact national security, economic security, public health and safety, and critical infrastructure opera
  
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• CISA Adds One Known Vulnerability to Catalog

  19-04-2023 14:00 via cisa.gov
  CISA has added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.
  CVE-2017-6742 Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software SNMP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 
  These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise. Note: To view other newly added vulnerabilities in the catalog, click on the arrow in the "Date Added to Catalog" column&m
  
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• Google Wins Appeal of $20 Million US Patent Verdict Over Chrome Technology

  19-04-2023 12:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Alphabet's Google on Tuesday convinced a U.S. appeals court to cancel three anti-malware patents at the heart of a Texas jury's $20 million infringement verdict against the company. Reuters reports: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said (PDF) that Alfonso Cioffi and Allen Rozman's patents were invalid because they contained inventions that were not included in an earlier version of the patent. Cioffi and the late Rozman's daughters sued Google in East Texas federal court in 2013
  
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• Sonos' Exciting New Product Category Is Commercial Audio

  19-04-2023 09:00 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  Today, Sonos is introducing Sonos Pro, a new service targeted at businesses -- restaurants, bars, and retail stores -- that makes it easy to play music across numerous locations without breaking any licensing rules. Sonos Pro works with all S2-compatible hardware including the Ikea Symfonisk line and, if you're into retrofitting existing speakers, the Amp and Port. The Verge reports: Pro customers will gain access to a web portal that lets them remotely control what's playing in each of their lo
  
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• Nintendo 'Hacker' Gary Bowser Released From Federal Prison

  19-04-2023 05:30 via games.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Last year, a U.S. federal court handed a 40-month prison sentence to Gary Bowser. The Canadian pleaded guilty to being part of the Nintendo hacking group "Team Xecuter" and has now served his time. In part due to his good behavior, Bowser got an early release from federal prison. [...] In a recent video interview with Nick Moses, Bowser explains that he was released from federal prison on March 28th. He is currently in processing at the Nort
  
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• Netflix Password Sharing Crackdown To Expand To US In Q2 2023

  19-04-2023 04:02 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Netflix is planning a "broad rollout" of the password sharing crackdown that it began implementing in 2022, the company said today in its Q1 2023 earnings report (PDF). MacRumors reports: The "paid sharing" plan that Netflix has been testing in a limited number of countries will expand to additional countries in the second quarter, including the United States. Netflix said that it was "pleased with the results" of the password sharing restrictions that it implemented in Canada, New Zealand, Spai
  
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• Two UK Police Forces Unlawfully Recorded Phone Calls Via App, Watchdog Finds

  19-04-2023 03:42 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Bruce66423 shares a report from the Guardian: Two police forces have been reprimanded by Britain's data watchdog after officers unlawfully recorded more than 200,000 phone conversations using an app originally intended for hostage negotiators. The automatic recordings, made over several years, included 'highly sensitive' conversations with victims, witnesses and perpetrators of suspected crimes, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The app, called Another Call Recorder (ACR)
  
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• US FTC Leaders Will Target AI That Violates Civil Rights Or Is Deceptive

  19-04-2023 03:25 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Leaders of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday the agency would pursue companies who misuse artificial intelligence to violate laws against discrimination or be deceptive. Reuters reports: In a congressional hearing, FTC Chair Lina Khan and Commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya were asked about concerns that recent innovation in artificial intelligence, which can be used to produce high quality deep fakes, could be used to make more effective scams or otherwise violate
  
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• GPT-4 Will Hunt For Trends In Medical Records Thanks To Microsoft and Epic

  19-04-2023 02:45 via science.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: On Monday, Microsoft and Epic Systems announced that they are bringing OpenAI's GPT-4 AI language model into health care for use in drafting message responses from health care workers to patients and for use in analyzing medical records while looking for trends. Epic Systems is one of America's largest health care software companies. Its electronic health records (EHR) software (such as MyChart) is reportedly used in over 29 percent of acute
  
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• Google To Launch Its First Foldable Phone, the 'Pixel Fold,' In June

  19-04-2023 02:02 via mobile.slashdot.org
  
  At Google I/O on May 10th, Google will launch its first foldable smartphone, "challenging Samsung's market-leading foldable phone business," reports CNBC. From the report: The Pixel Fold, known internally by the codename "Felix," will have the "most durable hinge on a foldable" phone, according to the documents. It will cost upward of $1,700 and compete with Samsung's $1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 4. Google plans to market the Pixel Fold as water-resistant and pocket-sized, with an outside screen that me
  
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• EU Takes On United States, Asia With Chip Subsidy Plan

  19-04-2023 01:20 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The European Union on Tuesday agreed a 43 billion euro ($47 billion) plan for its semiconductor industry in an attempt to catch up with the United States and Asia and start a green industrial revolution. The EU Chips Act, proposed by the European Commission last year and confirmed by Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, aims to double the bloc's share of global chip output to 20% by 2030 and follows the U.S. CHIPS for America Act."We need
  
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• Coinbase Could Move Away From US if No Regulatory Clarity, CEO Brian Armstrong Says

  19-04-2023 00:41 via slashdot.org
  
  Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong indicated that the crypto exchange would consider moving away from the U.S. if the regulatory environment for the industry does not become clearer. From a report: "Anything is on the table, including relocating or whatever is necessary" he said after former U.K. Chancellor George Osbourne asked whether he could see Coinbase leaving the U.S. at Fintech Week in London. "I think the U.S. has the potential to be an important market for crypto, but right now we are not se
  
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• Cybersecurity Nightmare in Japan Is Everyone Else's Problem Too

  19-04-2023 00:20 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Kojima is a small company and little-known outside Japan, where it produces cup holders, USB sockets and door pockets for car interiors. But its modest role in the automotive supply chain is a critical one. And when the company was hacked in February 2022, it brought Toyota Motor's entire production line to a screeching stop. The world's top-selling carmaker had to halt 14 factories at a cost of about $375 million, based on a rough calculation of its sales an
  
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• Intel Discontinues Bitcoin-Mining Blockscale Chips

  19-04-2023 00:00 via slashdot.org
  
  It's been just a year since Intel officially announced its Bitcoin-mining Blockscale ASICs, but today the company announced the end of life of its first-gen Blockscale 1000-series chips without announcing any follow-up generations of the chips. From a report: We spoke with Intel on the matter, and the company told Tom's Hardware that "as we prioritize our investments in IDM 2.0, we have end-of-lifed the Intel Blockscale 1000 Series ASIC while we continue to support our Blockscale customers."
  Int
  
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