ICT news

• Reddit Grows, Seeks More AI Deals, Plans 'Award' Shops, and Gets Sued

  12-05-2024 23:34 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Reddit reported its first results since going public in late March. Yahoo Finance reports:Daily active users increased 37% year over year to 82.7 million. Weekly active unique users rose 40% from the prior year. Total revenue improved 48% to $243 million, nearly doubling the growth rate from the prior quarter, due to strength in advertising. The company delivered adjusted operating profits of $10 million, versus a $50.2 million loss a year ago. [Reddit CEO Steve] Huffman declined to say when the
  
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• Intel Ditches Hyperthreading For Lunar Lake CPUs

  06-06-2024 19:22 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Intel's fastest processors have included hyperthreading, a technique that lets more than one thread run on a single CPU core, for over 20 years -- and it's used by AMD (which calls it "simultaneous multi-threading") as well. But you won't see a little "HT" on the Intel sticker for any Lunar Lake laptops, because none of them use it. Hyperthreading will be disabled on all Lunar Lake CPU cores, including both performance and efficiency cores. Why? The reason is
  
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• 'Microsoft Has Lost Trust With Its Users and Windows Recall is the Straw That Broke the Camel's Back'

  06-06-2024 18:41 via it.slashdot.org
  
  In a column at Windows Central, a blog that focuses on Microsoft news, senior editor Zac Bowden discusses the backlash against Windows Recall, a new AI feature in Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs. While the feature is impressive, allowing users to search their entire Windows history, many are concerned about privacy and security. Bowden argues that Microsoft's history of questionable practices, such as ads and bloatware, has eroded user trust, making people skeptical of Recall's intentions. Additionally
  
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• SpaceX Soars Through New Milestones in Test Flight of the Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built

  06-06-2024 18:02 via science.slashdot.org
  
  New submitter OwnedByTwoCats writes: SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, launched Thursday and achieved key objectives laid out for its fourth test flight that demonstrated the vehicle's reusability. The highly anticipated event was the company's second uncrewed test of 2024. Launch occurred from the private Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at 7:50 a.m. CT (8:50 a.m. ET), and the company streamed live coverage on X, formerly known as Twitter, drawing millions o
  
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• Japan's Birth Rate Falls To a Record Low

  06-06-2024 17:31 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Japan's birth rate fell to a new low for the eighth straight year in 2023, according to Health Ministry data released on Wednesday. A government official described the situation as critical and urged authorities to do everything they can to reverse the trend. From a report: The data underscores Japan's long-standing issues of a rapidly aging and shrinking population, which has serious implications for the country's economy and national security -- especially against the backdrop of China's incre
  
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• US Regulators To Open Antitrust Inquiries of Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia

  06-06-2024 16:42 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have reached a deal that allows them to proceed with antitrust investigations into the dominant roles that Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia play in the artificial intelligence industry, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a source familiar with the matter. From the report: Under the deal, the U.S. Department of Justice will take the lead in investigating whether Nvidia violated antitrust laws, while the FTC will examine the conduct of OpenAI
  
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• Court Rules $17 Billion UK Advertising Lawsuit Against Google Can Go Ahead

  06-06-2024 15:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Google parent Alphabet must face a lawsuit worth up to $17.4 billion for allegedly abusing its dominance in the online advertising market, London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled on Wednesday. The lawsuit, which seeks damages on behalf of publishers of websites and apps based in the United Kingdom, is the latest case to focus on the search giant's business practices. Ad Tech Collective Action is bringing the claim on behalf of publishers
  
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• Amazon Acquires MX Player

  06-06-2024 13:59 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shared a report: Amazon has agreed to acquire key assets of Indian video streaming service MX Player from the local media powerhouse Times Internet, the latest step by the e-commerce giant to make its services and brand popular in smaller cities and towns in the key overseas market.
  [...] Times Internet acquired MX Player in 2018 for $140 million. The app, which originated in South Korea, gained immense popularity in India due to its unique local video playback feature. This
  
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• Nearly All of Apple's Newest Devices Have an Unannounced Thread Radio On Board

  06-06-2024 12:00 via mobile.slashdot.org
  
  Apple has quietly added a Thread radio to nearly all of its newest iPads, MacBooks, and iMacs. The Verge reports: While the company doesn't list Thread on the specs of any of these products, FCC reports indicate that many of Apple's latest devices have had Thread radios tested for compliance. Generally, you don't test a radio that's not there. We found evidence of Thread testing in the following models: iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) (Wi-Fi + Cellular), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) (Wi-Fi + Cellular), iPad Pro
  
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• Study Finds 268% Higher Failure Rates For Agile Software Projects

  06-06-2024 09:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Richard Speed reports via The Register: A study has found that software projects adopting Agile practices are 268 percent more likely to fail than those that do not. Even though the research commissioned by consultancy Engprax could be seen as a thinly veiled plug for Impact Engineering methodology, it feeds into the suspicion that the Agile Manifesto might not be all it's cracked up to be. The study's fieldwork was conducted between May 3 and May 7 with 600 software engineers (250 in the UK and
  
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• NewsBreak, Most Downloaded US News App, Caught Sharing 'Entirely False' AI-Generated Stories

  06-06-2024 05:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Last Christmas Eve, NewsBreak, a free app with roots in China that is the most downloaded news app in the United States, published an alarming piece about a small town shooting. It was headlined "Christmas Day Tragedy Strikes Bridgeton, New Jersey Amid Rising Gun Violence in Small Towns." The problem was, no such shooting took place. The Bridgeton, New Jersey police department posted a statement on Facebook on December 27 dismissing the article -
  
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• Mike Karels, of 4.4 BSD Fame, Has Died

  06-06-2024 03:50 via bsd.slashdot.org
  
  Michael 'Mike' Karels, one of the authors of "The Design and Implementation of the 4.4Bsd Operating System" and a part of the Computer Systems Research Group at Berkeley, who received the USENIX Association Lifetime Achievement Award, has died. Longtime Slashdot reader bplipschitz shared the news.The FreeBSD Foundation issued a statement in memory of Karels: "We are deeply saddened about the passing of Mike Karels, a pivotal figure in the history of BSD UNIX, a respected member of the FreeBSD co
  
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• Remote Amazon Tribe Connects To Internet, Gets Addicted To Porn and Social Media

  06-06-2024 03:10 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  The Marubo people, an isolated Indigenous tribe in the Amazon, have gained high-speed internet access through Elon Musk's Starlink service, drastically altering their traditional way of life. While the internet has brought significant benefits like improved communication and emergency response, it has also introduced challenges such as social media addiction, exposure to inappropriate content, and cultural erosion. The New York Times reports: After only nine months with Starlink, the Marubo are
  
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• A Billionaire-Backed Texas Stock Exchange Is In The Works

  06-06-2024 02:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Cailey Gleeson reports via Forbes: A group backed by more than two dozen investors -- including Citadel Securities and BlackRock -- is planning to start its own stock exchange in Texas, it said Wednesday, in an attempt to compete with the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) -- owned by TXSE Group Inc. and founded in 2023, per its LinkedIn -- will be a "fully electronic national securities exchange" that seeks to expand access to markets for all investors and those
  
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• Israel Reportedly Uses Fake Social Media Accounts To Influence US Lawmakers On Gaza War

  06-06-2024 01:50 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Israel organized and paid for an influence campaign last year targeting U.S. lawmakers and the American public with pro-Israel messaging, as it aimed to foster support for its actions in the war with Gaza, according to officials involved in the effort and documents related to the operation. The covert campaign was commissioned by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, a government body that connects Jews around the world with the State
  
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• Humane Warns AI Pin Owners To 'Immediately' Stop Using Its Charging Case

  06-06-2024 01:10 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Humane is telling AI Pin owners today that they should "immediately" stop using the charging case that came with its AI gadget. From a report: There are issues with a third-party battery cell that "may pose a fire safety risk," the company wrote in an email to customers. Humane says it has "disqualified" that vendor and is moving to find another supplier. It also specified that the AI Pin itself, the magnetic Battery Booster, and its charging pad are "not affected." As recompense, the company is
  
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• Nvidia Hits $3 Trillion Market Cap On Back of AI Boom

  06-06-2024 00:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Nvidia has reached a market cap of $3 trillion, surpassing Apple to become the second-largest public company behind Microsoft. CNBC reports: Nvidia's milestone is the latest stunning mark in a run that has seen the stock soar more than 3,224% over the past five years. The company will split its stock 100-for-1 later this month. Apple was the first U.S. company to reach a $3 trillion market cap during intraday trading in January 2022. Microsoft hit $3 trillion in market value in January 2024. Nvi
  
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• Oral-B Bricking Alexa Toothbrush Is a Cautionary Tale Against Buzzy Tech

  05-06-2024 23:50 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: As we're currently seeing with AI, when a new technology becomes buzzy, companies will do almost anything to cram that tech into their products. Trends fade, however, and corporate priorities shift -- resulting in bricked gadgets and buyer's remorse. That's what's happening to some who bought into Oral-B toothbrushes with Amazon Alexa built in. Oral-B released the Guide for $230 in August 2020 but bricked the ability to set up or reconfigure
  
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• Meta Withheld Information on Instagram, WhatsApp Deals, FTC Says

  05-06-2024 23:10 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Meta Platforms withheld information from federal regulators during their original reviews of the Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, the US Federal Trade Commission said in a court filing as part of a lawsuit seeking to break up the social networking giant. From a report: In its filing Tuesday, however, the FTC said the case involves "information Meta had in its files and did not provide" during the original reviews. "At Meta's request the FTC undertook only a limited review" of the deals, the
  
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• Boeing Spacecraft Carrying Two Astronauts Lifts Off On Historic Maiden Voyage

  05-06-2024 22:30 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Slashdot readers destinyland and LazarusQLong share a report from CNN: The third attempt was the charm for Boeing's Starliner mission after launching its first crewed flight test Wednesday in a milestone that has been a decade in the making. The new spacecraft's maiden voyage with humans on board lifted off atop an Atlas V rocket at 10:52 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are riding aboard the Starliner capsule on a
  
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• Scientists Find Security Risk in RISC-V Open-Source Chip Architecture That China Hopes Can Help Sidestep US Sanctions

  05-06-2024 22:00 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: A Chinese research team says it has uncovered a significant security flaw in processor design that could have a wide impact on China's booming domestic chip industry. China was relying on the structure of the world's largest open-source CPU architecture to build their own CPUs and bypass the US chip ban, and was paying attention to any weaknesses, they said. The issue was found in RISC-V, an open-source standard used in advanced chips and semiconductors. Comp
  
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• Jury Finds Boeing Stole Technology From Electric Airplane Startup Zunum

  05-06-2024 20:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  A federal court jury in Seattle has ruled against Boeing in a lawsuit brought by failed electric airplane startup Zunum and awarded $81 million in damages -- which the judge has the option to triple. From a report: Zunum alleged that Boeing, while ostensibly investing seed money to get the startup off the ground, stole Zunum's technology and actively undermined its attempts to build a business. It accused Boeing of "a targeted and coordinated campaign" to gain access to
  its "business plan, marke
  
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• UN Secretary-General Calls For 'Windfall' Tax on Profits of Fossil Fuel Companies

  05-06-2024 20:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for a "windfall" tax on profits of fossil fuel companies to help pay for the fight against global warming, decrying them as the "godfathers of climate chaos." From a report: Guterres spoke from the American Museum of Natural History in New York in a bid to revive focus on climate change at a time when many national elections, and conflict in places like Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan this year have seized much of the international spotlight.
  In a
  
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• Google Acquires Cameyo

  05-06-2024 19:20 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Google has acquired software virtualization company Cameyo to enhance ChromeOS's support for virtualized Windows apps. The acquisition follows a partnership between the two companies last year, which aimed to provide businesses with a seamless virtual application experience on ChromeOS devices. With Cameyo's technology, Google seeks to attract more enterprises to adopt ChromeOS by offering enhanced compatibility with legacy Windows applications while maintaining the simplicity and security of th
  
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• US Lawmakers Accuse Nigeria of Taking Binance Executive Hostage

  05-06-2024 18:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  US lawmakers accused Nigeria of taking a Binance executive "hostage" and urged President Joe Biden to help secure his release. From a report: Sixteen Republican congressman including Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul wrote to Biden to have the case of Tigran Gambaryan referred to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. A US citizen, Gambaryan is head of financial crime compliance at Binance and has been held at a prison in the Nigerian capit
  
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• Yellen To Warn of 'Significant Risks' From Use of AI in Finance

  05-06-2024 18:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will warn that the use of AI in finance could lower transaction costs, but carries "significant risks," according to excerpts from a speech to be delivered on Thursday. From a report: In the remarks to a Financial Stability Oversight Council and Brookings Institution AI conference, Yellen says AI-related risks have moved towards the top of the regulatory council's agenda.
  "Specific vulnerabilities may arise from the complexity and opacity of AI models, inadeq
  
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• Popular Mac App Bartender's New Owner Has Burnt Years of Good-Will With a Lack of Transparency

  05-06-2024 17:21 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Popular app Bartender was quietly bought, and a shady certificate replacement, insertion of invasive telemetry, and a lack of transparent responses by the new owners has shaken confidence in the Mac community. Menu bar organization tool Bartender has been around for a long time. For most of its life, it had an excellent reputation, and a responsive developer who communicated clearly with users. That appears to have changed, recently. It all started with a qui
  
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• Microsoft Reopens Windows 10 Beta Testing For 'New Features' and Improvements

  05-06-2024 16:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, but the company is now taking the unusual step of reopening its beta program for Windows 10 to test new features and improvements. From a report: Windows 10 already got the AI Copilot feature that was originally exclusive to Windows 11, and it may well get other features soon. "To bring new features and more improvements to Windows 10 as needed, we need a place to do active feature development with Windows Insiders," explains Microsoft'
  
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• Apple Is Working On LLM-Powered Robots, Report Says

  05-06-2024 16:00 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Apple is secretly developing robotic devices powered by generative AI, including a table-top robotic arm with an iPad-like display and a mobile robot for household chores, Bloomberg News is reporting, citing people familiar with the matter.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  
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• Hacker Tool Extracts All the Data Collected By Windows' New Recall AI

  05-06-2024 15:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: When Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed the new Windows AI tool that can answer questions about your web browsing and laptop use, he said one of the"magical" things about it was that the data doesn't leave your laptop; theWindows Recall system takes screenshots of your activity every five seconds and saves them on the device. But security experts say that data may not stay there for long. Two weeks ahead ofRecall's launch on new Copilot+ PCs on J
  
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