ICT news

• Melinda Gates To Resign From Gates Foundation

  14-05-2024 01:20 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Melinda French Gates announced today she is stepping down from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, three years after announcing her separation from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. With her departure as co-chair, the foundation will change its name to Gates Foundation and Bill Gates will be its sole chairperson, said CEO Mark Suzman. NBC News reports: In a statement posted on her Instagram account, she said that as part of her agreement to step down from the foundation, she will retain $12.5
  
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• HP CEO: Printed Pages Are Down 20% Since Pandemic

  08-06-2024 12:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  HP is facing something of a challenge as the number of printed pages has decreased by 20% since the pandemic. "On the office space, clearly, the amount of pages that is being printed is lower than before the pandemic," HP boss Enrique Lores told tech investors at Bernstein's 40th Annual Strategic Decision Conference last week. "And this is really driven by what we call hybrid work. There are less people in the office every day, and this has driven the amount of pages down." The Register reports:
  
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• Carbon Dioxide Levels In the Atmosphere Are Surging 'Faster Than Ever,' Report Finds

  08-06-2024 09:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere are accumulating "faster than ever" and have reached unprecedented levels, with a peak of 426.9 ppm recorded at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory in May 2024, said scientists from NOAA, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California San Diego. CBS News reports: "Over the past year, we've experienced the hottest year on record, the hottest ocean temperatures on record, and a seemingly endless string of heat waves, droughts, floods,
  
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• Researchers Plan To Retract Landmark Alzheimer's Paper Containing Doctored Images

  08-06-2024 05:30 via science.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Science Magazine: Authors of a landmark Alzheimer's disease research paper published in Nature in 2006 have agreed to retract the study in response to allegations of image manipulation. University of Minnesota (UMN) Twin Cities neuroscientist Karen Ashe, the paper's senior author, acknowledged in a post on the journal discussion site PubPeer that the paper contains doctored images. The study has been cited nearly 2500 times, and would be the most cited pa
  
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• World's Largest Solar Farm Goes Online In China

  08-06-2024 03:25 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Michelle Lewis reports via Electrek: The world's largest solar farm, in the desert in northwestern Xinjiang, is now connected to China's grid. The 3.5-gigawatt (GW), 33,000-acre solar farm is outside Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital. The state asset regulator's website cited the Power Construction Corp of China and said it came online on Monday. The solar farm will generate about 6.09 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually. Assuming an EV consumes about 3,000 kWh per year, 6.09 billion k
  
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• Nvidia Takes 88% of the GPU Market Share

  08-06-2024 02:45 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  As reported by Jon Peddie Research, Nvidia now holds 88% of the GPU market after its market share jumped 8% in its most recent quarter. "This jump shaves 7% off of AMD's share, putting it down to 19% total," reports XDA Developers. "And if you're wondering where that extra 1% went, it came from all of Intel's market share, squashing it down to 0%." From the report: Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, mentions how the GPU market hasn't really looked "normal" since the 2007 recession
  
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• Boeing Passenger Jet Nearly Crashes Due To Software Glitch

  08-06-2024 02:02 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Bruce66423 shares a report from The Independent: A potential disaster was narrowly avoided when a packed passenger plane took off just seconds before it was about to run out of runway because of a software glitch. The Boeing aircraft, operated by TUI, departed from Bristol Airport for Las Palmas, Gran Canaria on 9 March with 163 passengers on board when it struggled to take off. The 737-800 plane cleared runway nine with just 260 metres (853ft) of tarmac to spare at a height of 10ft. It then fle
  
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• Tokyo's Government Is Building Its Own Dating App To Combat Falling Birthrates

  08-06-2024 01:20 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Time Magazine: Called "Tokyo Futari Story," the city hall's new initiative is just that: An effort to create couples, "futari," in a country where it is increasingly common to be "hitori," or alone. While a site offering counsel and general information for potential lovebirds is online, a dating app is also in development. City hall hopes to offer it later this year, accessible through phone or web, a city official said Thursday. Details were still undeci
  
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• Samsung Electronics Workers Strike For the First Time Ever

  08-06-2024 00:40 via slashdot.org
  
  Victoria Song reports via The Verge: Samsung Electronics workers went on a strike on Friday for the very first time in the company's history. The move comes at a time when the Korean corporation faces increased competition from other chipmakers, particularly as demand for AI chips grows. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the largest of the company's several unions, called for the one-day strike at Samsung's Seoul office building as negotiations over pay bonuses and time off hit a st
  
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• United Airlines Starts Serving Passengers Personalized Ads On Seat-Back Screens

  08-06-2024 00:00 via slashdot.org
  
  United Airlines on Friday launched a media platform to serve travelers personalized ads on seat-back screens and in its app, among other platforms, as it seeks to leverage customer data. CNBC reports: United said its new platform, Kinective Media, is already working with Norwegian Cruise Line, Macy's, IHG Hotels & Resorts, TelevisaUnivision and JPMorgan Chase, which offers a host of co-branded credit cards with United. [...] Customers can opt out of seeing targeted ads through a United web p
  
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• VMware Customers May Stay, But Broadcom Could Face Backlash 'For Years To Come'

  07-06-2024 23:25 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: After acquiring VMware, Broadcom swiftly enacted widespread changes that resulted in strong public backlash. A new survey of 300 director-level IT workers at companies that are customers of North American VMware provides insight into the customer reaction to Broadcom's overhaul. The survey released Thursday doesn't provide feedback from every VMware customer, but it's the first time we've seen responses from IT decision-makers working for co
  
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• Ashton Kutcher: Entire Movies Can Be Made on OpenAI's Sora Someday

  07-06-2024 22:45 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  Hollywood actor and venture capitalist Ashton Kutcher believes that one day, entire movies will be made on AI tools like OpenAI's Sora. From a report: The actor was speaking at an event last week organized by the Los Angeles-based think tank Berggruen Institute, where he revealed that he'd been playing around with the ChatGPT maker's new video generation tool. "I have a beta version of it and it's pretty amazing," said Kutcher, whose VC firm Sound Venture's portfolio includes an investment in Op
  
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• Some Cheap Wired Headphones Are Actually Using Bluetooth

  07-06-2024 22:04 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Buy a pair of wired headphones, and you'd be forgiven for thinking they're just plug and play. Stick them into your phone, and out goes the audio up copper cables into your earholes. Simple as that. Trouble is, that straightforward mechanism has gotten more complicated, and in recent years there has been an influx of budget wired earbuds that, counterintuitively, depend on Bluetooth to function, despite having those copper cables. The problem is largely prese
  
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• Yelp Can Sue Reputation Company For Promising To Suppress Bad Reviews

  07-06-2024 21:25 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Yelp can pursue a lawsuit accusing a reputation management company of fraudulently advertising its ability to remove "bad" reviews from the business review website. From a report: In a decision late Thursday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said Yelp can pursue trademark infringement and unfair competition claims against ReviewVio, which operates as Dandy. Yelp said ReviewVio's ads, which include the Yelp logo, harmed its reputation by suggesting that businesses could pa
  
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• Canonical Launches Ubuntu Core 24

  07-06-2024 20:45 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has released Ubuntu Core 24, a version of its operating system designed for edge devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). The new release comes with a 12-year Long Term Support commitment and features that enable secure, reliable, and efficient deployment of intelligent devices.
  Ubuntu Core 24 introduces validation sets for custom image creation, offline remodelling for air-gapped environments, and new integrations for GPU operations and graphics support. I
  
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• A 27-Year Old Tamagotchi Mystery Has Been Solved

  07-06-2024 20:12 via news.slashdot.org
  
  A 27-year old Tamagotchi mystery was solved this week when a collector figured out how to unlock secret characters on the Mothra Tamagotchi, released in Japan in 1997. From a report: A Discord user named rhubarb_pie found out how to unlock the "Moll & Lora" twins as playable characters, which were previously seen in the handheld pet-raising-simulator as medical nurses who healed your character when it was sick. The Tamagotchi Wiki states they had previously been obtained through a "battery g
  
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• Retailers Can't Keep Scammers Away From Their Favorite Payment Form: Gift Cards

  07-06-2024 19:34 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Retailers are struggling to rein in the proliferation of scammers tricking Americans into buying thousands of dollars' worth of gift cards. From a report: The Federal Trade Commission estimates that Americans lost at least $217 million to gift card scams last year. That number is likely higher, given many victims are too embarrassed to report to law enforcement. Cracking down on gift card scams was a hot topic this week at the National Retail Federation's (NRF) cybersecurity conference in Long B
  
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• Windows Won't Take Screenshots of Everything You Do After All

  07-06-2024 18:49 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft says it's making its new Recall feature in Windows 11 that screenshots everything you do on your PC an opt-in feature and addressing various security concerns. From a report: The software giant first unveiled the Recall feature as part of its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, but since then, privacy advocates and security experts have been warning that Recall could be a "disaster" for cybersecurity without changes. Thankfully, Microsoft has listened to the complaints and is making
  
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• It's Not AI, It's 'Apple Intelligence'

  07-06-2024 18:12 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple is expected to announce major artificial intelligence updates to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac next week during its Worldwide Developers Conference. Except Apple won't call its system artificial intelligence, like everyone else, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on Friday. The system will reportedly be called "Apple Intelligence," and allegedly will be made available to new versions of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems. Apple Intelligence, whic
  
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• California AI Bill Sparks Backlash from Silicon Valley Giants

  07-06-2024 17:25 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  California's proposed legislation to regulate AI has sparked a backlash from Silicon Valley heavyweights, who claim the bill will stifle innovation and force AI start-ups to leave the state. The Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Systems Act, passed by the state Senate last month, requires AI developers to adhere to strict safety frameworks, including creating a "kill switch" for their models. Critics argue that the bill places a costly compliance burden on smaller A
  
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• Bangladeshi Police Agents Accused of Selling Citizens' Personal Information on Telegram

  07-06-2024 16:49 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Two senior officials working for anti-terror police in Bangladesh allegedly collected and sold classified and personal information of citizens to criminals on Telegram, TechCrunch has learned. The data allegedly sold included national identity details of citizens, cell phone call records and other "classified secret information," according to a letter signed by a senior Bangladeshi intelligence official, seen by TechCrunch.
  The letter, dated April 28, was wri
  
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• Apple To Launch 'Passwords' App, Intensifying Competition With 1Password, LastPass

  07-06-2024 16:00 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Apple will introduce a new app called Passwords next week, aiming to simplify website and software logins for users, according to Bloomberg. The app -- offered as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 -- will be unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. Powered by iCloud Keychain, Passwords will generate and manage passwords, allowing imports from rival services, and support Vision Pro headset and Windows computers.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  
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• Earth Broke Heat Records 12 Months Straight

  07-06-2024 15:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the past year saw record-breaking heat, with global temperatures surpassing all historical measurements. According to Copernicus, May marked the 12th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures, and exceeded a key Paris Agreement temperature target. The Week reports: The stretch is a "stark warning." In a separate study published Wednesday, a group of 57 scientists found that human activity was responsible for 92% of 2
  
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• Radio Signal From Space Repeats Every Hour, Defying Explanation

  07-06-2024 12:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from New Atlas: The universe is awash with strange radio signals, but astronomers have now detected a really bizarre one that repeats every hour, cycling through three different states. While they have some ideas about its origin it can't be explained by our current understanding of physics. The signal first appeared in data gathered by the ASKAP radio telescope in Australia, which watches a big swath of sky at once for transient pulses. Officially designated
  
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• Boeing Starliner Docks With ISS

  07-06-2024 09:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Longtime Slashdot reader destinyland shared a story from Space.com reporting on Boeing's missed opportunity to dock with the International Space Station, after five of the 28 thrusters that help control Starliner's movement in space stopped operating. NASA has since been able to recover four of the thrusters to successfully dock Boeing's Starliner capsule with the ISS. From the report: There are now two U.S.-built crew spacecraft docked with the ISS for the first time. Boeing's Starliner joined
  
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• Costco Plans To Stop Selling Books Year-Round

  07-06-2024 05:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: In a blow to publishers and authors, Costco plans to stop selling books regularly at stores around the United States, four publishing executives who had been informed of the warehouse retailer's plans said on Wednesday. Beginning in January 2025, the company will stop stocking books regularly, and will instead sell them only during the holiday shopping period, from September through December. During the rest of the year, some books may
  
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• eBay To Drop American Express Over Fees

  07-06-2024 04:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Online marketplace behemoth eBay said it plans to no longer accept American Express, citing what the company says are "unacceptably high fees." CNBC: It's a notable blow to American Express, whose customers are often the most attractive among merchants and spend the most money per month on their cards. But it's not the first time merchants have voiced opposition to AmEx's business practices by walking away, most notably the warehouse chain Costco nearly a decade ago.
  [...] Overland said that eBa
  
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• GOG Will Start Deleting Cloud Saves This Summer

  07-06-2024 02:01 via games.slashdot.org
  
  GOG, a Poland-based popular gaming platform, has announced plans to enforce a 200MB limit on cloud save files per game. This move may adversely affect players of open-world titles like Cyberpunk 2077, where save folders can reach several gigabytes. A report adds: The company will begin deleting game saves that exceed the limit on Aug 31. When the deadline rolls around, GOG will delete saves for each game, beginning with the oldest until it's below the 200MB threshold. That means your newest save
  
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• Artists Are Deleting Instagram For New App Cara In Protest of Meta AI Scraping

  07-06-2024 01:20 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Some artists are jumping ship for the anti-AI portfolio app Cara after Meta began using Instagram content to train its AI models. Fast Company explains: The portfolio app bills itself as a platform that protects artists' images from being used to train AI, and only allowing AI content to be posted if it's clearly labeled. Based on the number of new users the Cara app has garnered over the past few days, there seems to be a need. Between May 31 and June 2, Cara's user base tripled from less than
  
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• Adobe Responds To Vocal Uproar Over New Terms of Service Language

  07-06-2024 00:40 via slashdot.org
  
  Adobe is facing backlash over new Terms of Service language amid its embrace of generative AI in products like Photoshop and customer experience software. The ToS, sent to Creative Cloud Suite users, doesn't mention AI explicitly but includes a reference to machine learning and a clause prohibiting AI model training on Adobe software. From a report: In particular, users have objected to Adobe's claims that it "may access, view, or listen to your Content through both automated and manual methods
  
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