ICT news

• Action To Tackle Air Pollution Failing To Keep Up With Research

  16-06-2023 23:20 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Globally, outdoor air pollution is second only to tobacco as greatest cause of lung and respiratory cancers. From a report: This year marks a decade since the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) gathered in Lyon, France, to unanimously declare that air pollution caused cancer in humans. Air pollution was classified as a type 1 carcinogen, the most certain category possible. This was mainly based on more than 20 years of research in particle pollution and lung cancer. The number of
  
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• Millions of Americans' Personal Data Exposed in Global Hack

  16-06-2023 22:40 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon have had their data compromised in the sprawling cyberattack that has also hit the US federal government, state agencies said late Thursday. From a report: The breach has affected 3.5 million Oregonians with driver's licenses or state ID cards, and anyone with that documentation in Louisiana, authorities said. The Louisiana governor's office did not put a number on the number of victims but over 3 million Louisianians hold driver's licenses, according t
  
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• Venture Capital's AI-Run Lettuce Farms Start To Go Bust

  16-06-2023 22:01 via science.slashdot.org
  
  The pitch for vertical farming had all the promise of a modern venture capital dream: a new way to grow crops that would use robots and artificial intelligence to conserve water, combat food insecurity and save the environment. But after firms poured billions of dollars into these startups, pushing valuations into the stratosphere, the industry is now facing a harsh new reality: funding is drying up, profits remain elusive, and creditors are circling. From a report: AeroFarms last week became th
  
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• FCC Chair To Investigate Exactly How Much Everyone Hates Data Caps

  16-06-2023 21:22 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wants the FCC to open a formal inquiry into how data caps harm Internet users and why broadband providers still impose the caps. The inquiry could eventually lead to the FCC regulating how Internet service providers such as Comcast impose limits on data usage. From a report: Rosenworcel yesterday announced that she asked fellow commissioners to support a Notice of Inquiry on the topic. Among other things, the Notice would seek comm
  
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• Meta Wants Companies To Make Money Off Its Open-Source AI, in Challenge To Google

  16-06-2023 20:42 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his deputies want other companies to freely use and profit from new artificial intelligence software Meta is developing, a decision that could have big implications for other AI developers and businesses that are increasingly adopting it. The Information: Meta is working on ways to make the next version of its open-source large-language model -- technology that can power chatbots like ChatGPT -- available for commercial use, said a person with direct knowle
  
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• Valve Gives Steam Its Biggest Update and Redesign in Years

  16-06-2023 20:11 via games.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: PC gamers could easily make a joke that three things in life never change: death, taxes, and the classic look of Steam. One of those things just changed, though; Valve just released the most substantial overhaul to Steam in years, including a visual makeover and several new features. Further, the company has brought the Mac and Linux versions of Steam closer to parity with the historically superior Windows version. Valve says "the most impactful changes" are
  
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• EU Votes To Bring Back Replaceable Phone Batteries

  16-06-2023 19:32 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  What's old is new again, at least in the European Union. The European Parliament recently voted in favor of new legislation that would overhaul the entire battery life cycle, from design to end-of-life, which includes important caveats for smartphone users. From a report: Among the many changes, the new rules would require batteries in consumer devices like smartphones to be easily removable and replaceable. That's far from the case today with most phones, but that wasn't always the case.Read mo
  
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• New Google Lawsuit Aims To Curb Fake Business Reviews

  16-06-2023 18:53 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Alphabet's Google on Friday sued a Los Angeles man and his companies in San Jose, California federal court, claiming he created hundreds of fake business listings on its platforms and sold them to real businesses to lure in unsuspecting customers. From a report: Fake reviews have been a recurring problem on internet commerce sites. Google said in a statement that it filed the lawsuit against Ethan QiQi Hu to "help put an end to these types of malicious schemes." Google's lawsuit said Hu creates
  
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• $930 Million in Grants Announced in Biden's Effort To Expand Internet Access

  16-06-2023 18:11 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The massive federal effort to expand internet access to every home in the U.S. took a major step forward on Friday with the announcement of $930 million in grants to shore up connections in remote parts of Alaska, rural Texas and dozens of other places where significant gaps in connectivity persist. From a report: The so-called middle mile grants, announced by the Department of Commerce, are meant to create large-scale networks that will enable retail broadband providers to link subscribers to t
  
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• Reddit Says It Won't Force Subreddits Back Open

  16-06-2023 17:26 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Reddit is pledging it will respect the subreddit blackout where thousands of subreddits are currently staying dark -- but it's not clear the company actually will. From a report: "We are not shutting down discussions or unilaterally reopening communities," reads a line from a "Reddit API Fact Sheet" that the company shared with The Verge alongside our full Reddit CEO interview. But that word "unilaterally" may be doing a awful lot of work -- because Reddit has apparently given itself a framework
  
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• SEO Arms Race Has Left Google and the Web Drowning in Garbage Text

  16-06-2023 16:51 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Google Search's dominance has created a cottage industry of SEO professionals who promise to share their lucrative tricks to climb to the top of search results. From YouTubers to firms peddling proprietary tools, SEO hustlers propagate a never-ending stream of marketing content that floods Search. Some companies sell tools that allow marketers to mass-produce and distribute blog posts, press releases, and even robot-narrated podcast materials, with the purpos
  
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• Xi Tells Gates China Is Willing To Engage in Tech Cooperation

  16-06-2023 16:02 via slashdot.org
  
  President Xi Jinping said China is willing to work with the world on technology innovation and global challenges including pandemic prevention during a meeting with American billionaire Bill Gates. From a report: "You are the first American friend I've met in Beijing this year," Xi told the Microsoft co-founder on Friday, according to state broadcaster China Central Television. "I've always said that the foundation of China-US ties lies among the people," the Chinese leader added. "We always pin
  
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• Intel To Start Shipping a Quantum Processor

  16-06-2023 15:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Intel does a lot of things, but it's mostly noted for making and shipping a lot of processors, many of which have been named after bodies of water. So, saying that the company is set to start sending out a processor called Tunnel Falls would seem unsurprising if it weren't for some key details. Among them: The processor's functional units are qubits, and you shouldn't expect to be able to pick one up on New Egg. Ever. Tunnel Falls appears to
  
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• Microsoft Teams Integration Is Being Removed From Windows 11

  16-06-2023 12:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is removing its built-in Microsoft Teams client in Windows 11. "The Chat functionality will be replaced with the more flexible free version of Microsoft Teams that's also available as an app for Windows 10," reports The Verge. The changes were announced in a new Windows 11 test build this week. From the report: The original Teams integration in Windows 11, named Chat, was deeply woven into the operating system. Enabled by default, the Chat app was pinned to the taskbar and you'd have t
  
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• EU Votes To Ban AI In Biometric Surveillance, Require Disclosure From AI Systems

  16-06-2023 09:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  European Union officials have voted in favor of stricter regulations on artificial intelligence, including a ban on AI use in biometric surveillance and a requirement for AI systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT to disclose when content is generated by AI. Ars Technica reports: On Wednesday, European Union officials voted to implement stricter proposed regulations concerning AI, according to Reuters. The updated draft of the "AI Act" law includes a ban on the use of AI in biometric surveillance and requ
  
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• World's Largest Fusion Project Is In Big Trouble, New Documents Reveal

  16-06-2023 05:30 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Scientific American: It could be a new world record, although no one involved wants to talk about it. In the south of France, a collaboration among 35 countries has been birthing one of the largest and most ambitious scientific experiments ever conceived: the giant fusion power machine known as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). But the only record ITER seems certain to set doesn't involve "burning" plasma at temperatures 10 time
  
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• Reddit CEO Steve Huffman: Reddit 'Was Never Designed To Support Third-Party Apps'

  16-06-2023 03:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Reddit CEO Steve Huffman says he is refusing to undo the company's decision to increase prices for third-party app developers, despite thousands of subreddits pledging to keep their subreddits private or restricted in protest. "It's a startling change for many members of the Reddit community, but it's one that Reddit CEO Steve Huffman tells The Verge that he's fine with making," writes The Verge's Jay Peters. "Those third-party apps, in his eyes, aren't adding much value to the platform." From t
  
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• Alphabet Selling Google Domains Assets To Squarespace

  16-06-2023 02:20 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Alphabet is winding down its Google Domains business and selling its assets to Squarespace, according to a statement Thursday. From a report: Squarespace is acquiring the assets associated with the business for about $180 million, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked to not be identified because the financial details of the transaction aren't public. The assets include "10 million domains hosted on Google Domains spread across millions of customers," according to the stateme
  
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• Mercedes Is Adding ChatGPT To Its Infotainment System

  16-06-2023 01:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Mercedes is adding OpenAI's ChatGPT to its MBUX infotainment system. "U.S. owners of models that use MBUX will be able to opt into a beta program starting tomorrow, June 16, activating ChatGPT functionality," reports TechCrunch. "This will enable the highly versatile large language model to augment the car's conversation skills. You can join up simply by telling your car 'Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program.'" From the report: Mercedes describes the capabilities thusly: "Users will exp
  
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• Recipient of Europe's Largest Ever Seed Round Doesn't Even Have a Product

  16-06-2023 01:00 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: The French recipient of Europe's largest ever seed round doesn't have a product and was founded four weeks ago. The few employees it has only started work in the last few days. All the same, Mistral AI hoovered up [$113 million] from lead investor Lightspeed Venture Partners with contributions from Eric Schmidt, French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel, and state-backed investment bank Bpifrance. The clue as to why the Paris-based startup is
  
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• Video Ads Are Coming To All Your Uber Apps

  16-06-2023 00:20 via slashdot.org
  
  According to the Wall Street Journal, Uber plans to introduce full-length video ads across a variety of its platforms for the first time this week. Insider reports: Riders will encounter ads that are up to 90 seconds long on Uber's app while waiting for pickup and during rides. Similar to New York City taxis, which introduced TV screens in 2007, select Uber cars will have tablets that auto-play ads as well, the WSJ reported. Video ads will also be incorporated across Uber Eats and Drizly, an alc
  
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