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Showing posts from August, 2022

U.S. Restricts Sales of Sophisticated Chips to China and Russia

Limits were placed on high-end GPUs that power supercomputers and artificial intelligence, said Nvidia and AMD, two Silicon Valley chip makers. https://nyti.ms/3cCdtgW

Snap Lays Off 20% of Employees and Restructures

The maker of Snapchat discontinued some of its products and appointed a chief operating officer, amid financial struggles. https://nyti.ms/3Q3kzZm

Some Carmakers Say Recycling Car Parts Is the Future. But Is It Realistic?

“Circular manufacturing” has the promise to reduce waste by reusing parts to make new cars. There are glimmers of hope, but they are currently outweighed by challenges. https://nyti.ms/3KCb8zc

Elon Musk Cites Twitter Whistleblower Report as Reason to Scrap Deal

The billionaire said in a letter to Twitter that allegations made by a whistle-blower have had a “material, if not existential” effect on the company. https://nyti.ms/3R0pPy5

Google Employee Who Played Key Role in Protest of Contract With Israel Quits

The worker said the company had tried to retaliate against her activism opposing a deal with the Israeli military, while co-workers argued the company had an anti-Palestinian bias. https://nyti.ms/3wHIGGl

The Animal Translators

Scientists are using machine learning to eavesdrop on naked mole rats, fruit bats, crows and whales — and to communicate back. https://nyti.ms/3pRb4Sy

California Approves Bill to Punish Doctors Who Spread False Information

Weighing into the fierce national debate over Covid-19 prevention and treatments, the state would be the first to try a legal remedy for vaccine disinformation. https://nyti.ms/3e5ZFeZ

FTC Sues Over Tracking Data That Could Expose Visits to Abortion Clinics

Federal regulators said the sale of geolocation information on tens of millions of smartphones could expose people’s visits to private places. https://nyti.ms/3Kxai6s

One Man’s Dream of Fusing A.I. With Common Sense

Artificial intelligence systems can process vast amounts of data in seconds, but they can’t make sense of the world or explain their decisions. David Ferrucci wants to change that. https://nyti.ms/3AxjrY9

Xi Jinping’s Vision for Tech Self-Reliance in China Runs Into Reality

After heavy national investment in semiconductors to break a dependence on global chips, Mr. Xi seems unhappy with the results. https://nyti.ms/3QYkQ14

On Truth Social, QAnon Accounts Found a Home and Trump’s Support

Researchers identified 88 users promoting the conspiracy theory on Donald Trump’s platform, and said he had reposted messages 65 times. https://nyti.ms/3R4s5Vq

Why Peloton Is Selling on Amazon

The dream was to sell directly to customers. Now Peloton is on Amazon, Casper is in a furniture shop, and it’s awkward. https://nyti.ms/3wB4LWP

Party Videos of Sanna Marin, Finland’s Prime Minister, Draw Criticism

Criticism of the leader, Sanna Marin, 36, over parties she’s attended showed the difficulties of keeping life private in the age of cellphones and social media. https://nyti.ms/3CgbHMJ

Why Buying an Electric Car Just Became More Complicated

The new climate, tax and health law signed by President Biden extends a credit for electric vehicle buyers. But there are new strings attached that kick in at different times. https://nyti.ms/3pta5aW

Wasn’t TikTok Supposed to Be Fun?

No social app remains free of arguments over politics and social issues once it becomes popular. https://nyti.ms/3pwvyzy

Tech Hacks to Make Traveling Right Now Less of a Headache

The travel industry is recovering from the pandemic, but messily. These apps and tips can help us navigate the chaos and maximize our comfort. https://nyti.ms/3AshEoz

A Timeline of Trump’s False and Misleading Statements on the Mar-a-Lago Search

The former president has pushed frenetic and sometimes contradictory claims about the F.B.I.’s search of his Florida home. https://nyti.ms/3wbvSrn

The Quantify-Everything Economy

Data can make our lives richer, but let’s not forget that people are not machines. https://nyti.ms/3dEyhEM

Lyft Unveils Self-Driving Car Service in Las Vegas (With Caveats)

The company joins several others that are introducing self-driving services — but the cars often have drivers or are otherwise limited in their autonomy. https://nyti.ms/3w8cMSR

A Frustrating Hassle Holding Electric Cars Back: Broken Chargers

Owners of battery-powered cars sometimes struggle to refuel on longer trips because public chargers don’t work or malfunction while cars are plugged in. https://nyti.ms/3SQMxdr

On TikTok, Election Misinformation Thrives Ahead of Midterms

The fast-growing platform’s poor track record during recent voting abroad does not bode well for elections in the U.S., researchers said. https://nyti.ms/3C7ze2g

I Was Skeptical of Baby Gear. Then I Became a Dad.

Fears of pointless consumerism were no match for the joy and relief our gear provided. https://nyti.ms/3JR1Ui5

How Frustration Over TikTok Has Mounted in Washington

National security concerns over the Chinese-owned viral video app remain unresolved. Lawmakers and regulators are increasingly pushing for action. https://nyti.ms/3pfLtm3

Peloton Will Slash Jobs and Raise Prices in Turnaround Effort

The maker of fitness bikes, once a pandemic darling, said it would reduce its retail footprint and end its last-mile delivery network in a cost-cutting strategy. https://nyti.ms/3QCcBrv

For Electric Vehicle Makers, Winners and Losers in Climate Bill

Carmakers may need several years to revamp their supply chains to meet new rules, but the legislation is still seen as a win for electric vehicles. https://nyti.ms/3vYF4zh

Rivian Lost $1.7 Billion in the Second Quarter

The maker of electric pickup trucks, vans and sport-utility vehicles increased its production forecast for the year, but only slightly. https://nyti.ms/3JVkzcv

Driverless Cars Shouldn’t Be a Race

Sometimes it’s better to be safe than first. https://nyti.ms/3BWI9nl

Why Issey Miyake Was Steve Jobs’s Favorite Designer

The real beginning of the fashion-technology love affair and its legacy lies with Issey Miyake, who died last week. https://nyti.ms/3Pb9xRj

The Boy Bosses of Silicon Valley Are on Their Way Out

They rode their unicorns to fame and fortune. In a rocky market, it got a little less fun. https://nyti.ms/3dq25Vz

Taxpayers for U.S. Chips

What a $280 billion law signed by President Biden this week might mean for Americans. https://nyti.ms/3dnJGZ9

Change These Default Settings and Be Happier With Your Tech

Simple steps can make your smartphone, computer and TV work better for you. https://nyti.ms/3JHpJsD

Justice Dept. Said to Conduct New Interviews in Inquiry Into Google’s Ad Tech

The Justice Department for more than a year has investigated whether Google abuses its dominance over the interlocking technologies that deliver ads online. https://nyti.ms/3BQFnQj

Ford Raises Prices of F-150 Lightning Electric Truck

Demand for electric vehicles has been far stronger than the supply of battery materials like lithium, nickel and cobalt. https://nyti.ms/3JFk46l

Travel the World in an App

But be careful: Flight-tracking technology can be addictive. https://nyti.ms/3dllSFy

How Russia Propaganda Is Reaching Beyond English Speakers

Social media companies have taken steps to restrict Russian state media accounts. But posts from those accounts still spread in Spanish, Arabic and other languages and in places outside the West. https://nyti.ms/3P9ZXOS

Snapchat Introduces Its First Parental Controls

The messaging app, which is popular with teenagers, has faced legal pressure to roll out tools so parents can keep an eye on their children’s social media activity. https://nyti.ms/3BSefAo

Crypto ‘Mixer’ Tornado Cash Is Blacklisted by the Treasury Department

The crackdown was the government’s latest effort to rein in the crypto industry. https://nyti.ms/3P2ftMA

Electric Cars Are Too Costly for Many, Even With Aid in Climate Bill

Battery-powered vehicles are considered essential to the fight against climate change, but most models are aimed at the affluent. https://nyti.ms/3vNlINt

Why Don’t Expect Alex Jones’s Comeuppance to Stop Lies

His success has inspired a new generation of conspiracy theorists, who have learned how to stay away from legal trouble. https://nyti.ms/3vIM4Qw

Don’t Expect Alex Jones’s Comeuppance to Stop Lies

His success has inspired a new generation of conspiracy theorists, who have learned how to stay away from legal trouble. https://nyti.ms/3StS3Ta

Amazon to Buy Maker of the Roomba for $1.7 Billion

The acquisition of iRobot Corp., maker of the robot vacuum, will add to Amazon’s roster of smart home devices, which includes the Alexa virtual assistant and Ring doorbells. https://nyti.ms/3bzeghW

A.I. Is Not Sentient. Why Do People Say It Is?

Robots can’t think or feel, despite what the researchers who build them want to believe. https://nyti.ms/3oWLo6t

Plug-In Hybrid Cars Gain Ground in Race With Electric Rivals

There has been a surge in the sales of cars that can travel short distances on just electricity and have a gasoline engine for longer trips. https://nyti.ms/3vHBd9v

Twitter Rebuts Musk’s Fraud Claim in Dispute Over Fake Accounts

Twitter called the claims false and irrelevant in a high-profile legal fight over whether the billionaire can back out of a $44 billion deal to acquire the company. https://nyti.ms/3zXqMBb

Classic Internet Censorship

New regulations in Indonesia show that strict online controls are no longer confined to autocratic countries like China. https://nyti.ms/3d7uNdB

Richard Tait, Co-Inventor of the Board Game Cranium, Dies at 58

His decidedly eclectic board game became a familiar part of American family life in the late 1990s and 2000s. https://nyti.ms/3Jx3aXA

On Election Day, G.O.P. Raise Doubts about Arizona Elections

Officials said there was no evidence of widespread fraud. https://nyti.ms/3BITRBM

America’s Chinese Tech Ban Didn’t Stick

Lessons from how the U.S. (poorly) handled Chinese phone and internet technology. https://nyti.ms/3SlRPgX

4 iPhone and Android Tricks You May Not Know About

Keeping up with new software features can be a chore, but here are a few tools from recent updates that may be useful — and potentially lifesaving. https://nyti.ms/3QfL9PE

YouTube Automation Sprouts Cottage Industry That Promises Fast Money

A cottage industry is persuading people to spend thousands to create video businesses on YouTube. Disclaimer: It is harder than it looks. https://nyti.ms/3PWFpui