# Coal Use To Reach New Peak - And Remain at Near-Record Levels For Years
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 21:22:01 2024-12-18
The world's coal use is expected to reach a fresh high of 8.7bn tonnes this year, and remain at near-record levels for years as a result of a global gas crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From a report: There has been record production and trade of coal and power generation from coal since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine inflated global gas market prices, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The IEA said the coal rebound, after a slump during the global Covid pandemic, means consumption of the fossil fuel is now on track to rise to a new peak of 8.77bn tonnes by the end of the year -- and could remain at near-record levels until 2027.
The Paris-based agency blamed power plants for the growing use of coal over the last year, particularly in China which consumes 30% more of the polluting fuel than the rest of the world put together. In developed economies such as the US and the European Union coal power generation has already passed its peak, the IEA said, and is forecast to fall by 5% and 12% respectively this year.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1914207/coal-use-to-reach-new-peak---and-remain-at-near-record-levels-for-years?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 21:22:01 2024-12-18
The world's coal use is expected to reach a fresh high of 8.7bn tonnes this year, and remain at near-record levels for years as a result of a global gas crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From a report: There has been record production and trade of coal and power generation from coal since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine inflated global gas market prices, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The IEA said the coal rebound, after a slump during the global Covid pandemic, means consumption of the fossil fuel is now on track to rise to a new peak of 8.77bn tonnes by the end of the year -- and could remain at near-record levels until 2027.
The Paris-based agency blamed power plants for the growing use of coal over the last year, particularly in China which consumes 30% more of the polluting fuel than the rest of the world put together. In developed economies such as the US and the European Union coal power generation has already passed its peak, the IEA said, and is forecast to fall by 5% and 12% respectively this year.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1914207/coal-use-to-reach-new-peak---and-remain-at-near-record-levels-for-years?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# US Government Tells Officials, Politicians To Ditch Regular Calls and Texts
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 20:22:01 2024-12-18
The U.S. government is urging senior government officials and politicians to ditch phone calls and text messages following intrusions at major American telecommunications companies blamed on Chinese hackers. From a report: In written guidance, opens new tab released on Wednesday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said "individuals who are in senior government or senior political positions" should "immediately review and apply" a series of best practices around the use of mobile devices.
The first recommendation: "Use only end-to-end encrypted communications." End-to-end encryption -- a data protection technique which aims to make data unreadable by anyone except its sender and its recipient -- is baked into various chat apps, including Meta's WhatsApp, Apple's iMessage, and the privacy-focused app Signal. Neither regular phone calls nor text messages are end-to-end encrypted, which means they can be monitored, either by the telephone companies, law enforcement, or - potentially - hackers who've broken into the phone companies' infrastructure.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1926207/us-government-tells-officials-politicians-to-ditch-regular-calls-and-texts?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 20:22:01 2024-12-18
The U.S. government is urging senior government officials and politicians to ditch phone calls and text messages following intrusions at major American telecommunications companies blamed on Chinese hackers. From a report: In written guidance, opens new tab released on Wednesday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said "individuals who are in senior government or senior political positions" should "immediately review and apply" a series of best practices around the use of mobile devices.
The first recommendation: "Use only end-to-end encrypted communications." End-to-end encryption -- a data protection technique which aims to make data unreadable by anyone except its sender and its recipient -- is baked into various chat apps, including Meta's WhatsApp, Apple's iMessage, and the privacy-focused app Signal. Neither regular phone calls nor text messages are end-to-end encrypted, which means they can be monitored, either by the telephone companies, law enforcement, or - potentially - hackers who've broken into the phone companies' infrastructure.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1926207/us-government-tells-officials-politicians-to-ditch-regular-calls-and-texts?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# EPA Lets California Set Its Own Stricter Emissions Standards Until 2035
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 20:22:01 2024-12-18
The US Environmental Protection Agency has granted a pair of waivers to California, allowing the Golden State to continue regulating vehicle-caused air pollution within its borders. From a report: The first is for the California Air Resources Board's Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, which apply to light- and medium-duty vehicles like passenger cars, SUVs, and smaller trucks. The second waiver is for regulations that control the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that can be emitted by heavy-duty vehicles as well as off-road vehicles.
The Clean Air Act allows states to apply for a waiver from the EPA to set their own emissions standards in cases where the federal regulations are insufficient to prevent deleterious pollution. The state applied for the latest waivers late in 2023, and after a public comment period and then a review by the agency, the EPA decided to approve them.
"California has longstanding authority to request waivers from EPA to protect its residents from dangerous air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks," said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. "Today's actions follow through on EPA's commitment to partner with states to reduce emissions and act on the threat of climate change."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1838234/epa-lets-california-set-its-own-stricter-emissions-standards-until-2035?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 20:22:01 2024-12-18
The US Environmental Protection Agency has granted a pair of waivers to California, allowing the Golden State to continue regulating vehicle-caused air pollution within its borders. From a report: The first is for the California Air Resources Board's Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, which apply to light- and medium-duty vehicles like passenger cars, SUVs, and smaller trucks. The second waiver is for regulations that control the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that can be emitted by heavy-duty vehicles as well as off-road vehicles.
The Clean Air Act allows states to apply for a waiver from the EPA to set their own emissions standards in cases where the federal regulations are insufficient to prevent deleterious pollution. The state applied for the latest waivers late in 2023, and after a public comment period and then a review by the agency, the EPA decided to approve them.
"California has longstanding authority to request waivers from EPA to protect its residents from dangerous air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks," said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. "Today's actions follow through on EPA's commitment to partner with states to reduce emissions and act on the threat of climate change."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1838234/epa-lets-california-set-its-own-stricter-emissions-standards-until-2035?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# OpenAI Brings ChatGPT To Landline
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 19:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader shares a report: ChatGPT is coming to phones. No, not smartphones -- landlines. Call 1-800-242-8478 (1-800-CHATGPT), and OpenAI's AI-powered assistant will respond as of Wednesday afternoon.
The experience is more or less identical to Advanced Voice Mode, OpenAI's real-time conversational feature for ChatGPT -- minus the multimodality. ChatGPT responds to the questions users ask over the phone, and can handle tasks such as translating a sentence into a different language. OpenAI is offering 15 minutes of free calling for U.S. users. Beginning Wednesday, ChatGPT is also available on WhatsApp for those who prefer to text the AI assistant.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1835222/openai-brings-chatgpt-to-landline?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 19:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader shares a report: ChatGPT is coming to phones. No, not smartphones -- landlines. Call 1-800-242-8478 (1-800-CHATGPT), and OpenAI's AI-powered assistant will respond as of Wednesday afternoon.
The experience is more or less identical to Advanced Voice Mode, OpenAI's real-time conversational feature for ChatGPT -- minus the multimodality. ChatGPT responds to the questions users ask over the phone, and can handle tasks such as translating a sentence into a different language. OpenAI is offering 15 minutes of free calling for U.S. users. Beginning Wednesday, ChatGPT is also available on WhatsApp for those who prefer to text the AI assistant.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1835222/openai-brings-chatgpt-to-landline?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Nebraska Sues UnitedHealth Unit Over 100 Million Patient Data Breach
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 18:22:01 2024-12-18
Nebraska's attorney general has sued Change Healthcare over a massive data breach that exposed sensitive medical information of more than 100 million Americans following a February ransomware attack. The lawsuit alleges the UnitedHealth-owned company failed to implement basic security measures, including multi-factor authentication, allowing hackers to breach its systems using credentials from a customer support employee that were posted on Telegram.
The Russian-speaking ALPHV ransomware group accessed personal health records, financial data and treatment information across Change Healthcare's poorly segmented network, according to the complaint filed by Attorney General Mike Hilgers.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1723209/nebraska-sues-unitedhealth-unit-over-100-million-patient-data-breach?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 18:22:01 2024-12-18
Nebraska's attorney general has sued Change Healthcare over a massive data breach that exposed sensitive medical information of more than 100 million Americans following a February ransomware attack. The lawsuit alleges the UnitedHealth-owned company failed to implement basic security measures, including multi-factor authentication, allowing hackers to breach its systems using credentials from a customer support employee that were posted on Telegram.
The Russian-speaking ALPHV ransomware group accessed personal health records, financial data and treatment information across Change Healthcare's poorly segmented network, according to the complaint filed by Attorney General Mike Hilgers.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1723209/nebraska-sues-unitedhealth-unit-over-100-million-patient-data-breach?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Australia Moves To Drop Some Cryptography By 2030
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 18:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader shares a report: Australia's chief cyber security agency has decided local orgs should stop using the tech that forms the current cryptographic foundation of the internet by the year 2030 -- years before other nations plan to do so -- over fears that advances in quantum computing could render it insecure.
The Land Down Under's plans emerged last week when the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) published guidance for High Assurance Cryptographic Equipment (HACE) -- devices that send and/or receive sensitive information -- that calls for disallowing the cryptographic algorithms SHA-256, RSA, ECDSA and ECDH, among others, by the end of this decade.
Bill Buchanan, professor in the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University, wrote a blog post in which he expressed shock that the ASD aims to move so quickly. "Basically, these four methods are used for virtually every web connection that we create, and where ECDH is used for the key exchange, ECDSA or RSA is used to authenticate the remote server, and SHA-256 is used for the integrity of the data sent," he wrote. "The removal of SHA-256 definitely goes against current recommendations."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://it.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/173242/australia-moves-to-drop-some-cryptography-by-2030?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 18:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader shares a report: Australia's chief cyber security agency has decided local orgs should stop using the tech that forms the current cryptographic foundation of the internet by the year 2030 -- years before other nations plan to do so -- over fears that advances in quantum computing could render it insecure.
The Land Down Under's plans emerged last week when the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) published guidance for High Assurance Cryptographic Equipment (HACE) -- devices that send and/or receive sensitive information -- that calls for disallowing the cryptographic algorithms SHA-256, RSA, ECDSA and ECDH, among others, by the end of this decade.
Bill Buchanan, professor in the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University, wrote a blog post in which he expressed shock that the ASD aims to move so quickly. "Basically, these four methods are used for virtually every web connection that we create, and where ECDH is used for the key exchange, ECDSA or RSA is used to authenticate the remote server, and SHA-256 is used for the integrity of the data sent," he wrote. "The removal of SHA-256 definitely goes against current recommendations."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://it.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/173242/australia-moves-to-drop-some-cryptography-by-2030?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Bluesky Has an Extortion Problem
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 17:22:01 2024-12-18
A cybersquatting scheme targeting prominent writers and entrepreneurs has exposed flaws in Bluesky's domain-based verification system, newsletter Tedium reports, citing users.
Bloomberg columnist Conor Sen reported receiving an extortion attempt this week when an anonymous user who had purchased his namesake domain demanded payment to transfer ownership. The episode has unraveled wider revelations of similar attacks targeting at least five other well-known users, including political blogger Matt Yglesias and The Hustle founder Sam Parr.
The platform's moderation team initially banned Parr's legitimate account while leaving the impersonator active, Sen told Tedium. The fake account was only removed after users escalated the issue to senior Bluesky staff.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1345236/bluesky-has-an-extortion-problem?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 17:22:01 2024-12-18
A cybersquatting scheme targeting prominent writers and entrepreneurs has exposed flaws in Bluesky's domain-based verification system, newsletter Tedium reports, citing users.
Bloomberg columnist Conor Sen reported receiving an extortion attempt this week when an anonymous user who had purchased his namesake domain demanded payment to transfer ownership. The episode has unraveled wider revelations of similar attacks targeting at least five other well-known users, including political blogger Matt Yglesias and The Hustle founder Sam Parr.
The platform's moderation team initially banned Parr's legitimate account while leaving the impersonator active, Sen told Tedium. The fake account was only removed after users escalated the issue to senior Bluesky staff.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1345236/bluesky-has-an-extortion-problem?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Legal Language Is Deliberately Arcane To Signal Power, Study Finds
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 16:22:01 2024-12-18
A new MIT study reveals why legal documents are so hard to read: Both lawyers and non-lawyers instinctively use complex language to signal authority, similar to how magic spells use archaic terms. The research, published in PNAS, found that even laypeople default to convoluted "center-embedded" clauses when writing laws, but switch to plain language for other tasks. From a report:
[Edward] Gibson's [an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences] research group has been studying the unique characteristics of legalese since 2020, when Martinez came to MIT after earning a law degree from Harvard Law School. In a 2022 study, Gibson, Martinez, and Mollica analyzed legal contracts totaling about 3.5 million words, comparing them with other types of writing, including movie scripts, newspaper articles, and academic papers.
That analysis revealed that legal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences -- a feature known as "center-embedding." Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand. "Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages," Gibson says.
In a follow-up study published in 2023, the researchers found that legalese also makes documents more difficult for lawyers to understand. Lawyers tended to prefer plain English versions of documents, and they rated those versions to be just as enforceable as traditional legal documents. "Lawyers also find legalese to be unwieldy and complicated," Gibson says. "Lawyers don't like it, laypeople don't like it, so the point of this current paper was to try and figure out why they write documents this way."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1317249/legal-language-is-deliberately-arcane-to-signal-power-study-finds?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 16:22:01 2024-12-18
A new MIT study reveals why legal documents are so hard to read: Both lawyers and non-lawyers instinctively use complex language to signal authority, similar to how magic spells use archaic terms. The research, published in PNAS, found that even laypeople default to convoluted "center-embedded" clauses when writing laws, but switch to plain language for other tasks. From a report:
[Edward] Gibson's [an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences] research group has been studying the unique characteristics of legalese since 2020, when Martinez came to MIT after earning a law degree from Harvard Law School. In a 2022 study, Gibson, Martinez, and Mollica analyzed legal contracts totaling about 3.5 million words, comparing them with other types of writing, including movie scripts, newspaper articles, and academic papers.
That analysis revealed that legal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences -- a feature known as "center-embedding." Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand. "Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages," Gibson says.
In a follow-up study published in 2023, the researchers found that legalese also makes documents more difficult for lawyers to understand. Lawyers tended to prefer plain English versions of documents, and they rated those versions to be just as enforceable as traditional legal documents. "Lawyers also find legalese to be unwieldy and complicated," Gibson says. "Lawyers don't like it, laypeople don't like it, so the point of this current paper was to try and figure out why they write documents this way."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1317249/legal-language-is-deliberately-arcane-to-signal-power-study-finds?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Microsoft Abandons Xbox Exclusivity in Risky Gaming Strategy Shift
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 16:22:01 2024-12-18
Microsoft is significantly shifting its Xbox strategy, moving away from console exclusives in a bid to reach gamers across all platforms, Windows Central reports. The company's "Project Latitude" initiative will make previously Xbox-exclusive titles available on PlayStation and other platforms, with even flagship franchises like Halo no longer guaranteed exclusivity.
This strategic pivot comes as Microsoft faces both opportunities and challenges in the gaming industry. While Xbox is seeing record users, according to company statements, the broader gaming market faces stagnant growth and rising development costs. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella frames this as "redefining what it means to be an Xbox fan," emphasizing accessibility across devices rather than hardware loyalty.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://games.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/136229/microsoft-abandons-xbox-exclusivity-in-risky-gaming-strategy-shift?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 16:22:01 2024-12-18
Microsoft is significantly shifting its Xbox strategy, moving away from console exclusives in a bid to reach gamers across all platforms, Windows Central reports. The company's "Project Latitude" initiative will make previously Xbox-exclusive titles available on PlayStation and other platforms, with even flagship franchises like Halo no longer guaranteed exclusivity.
This strategic pivot comes as Microsoft faces both opportunities and challenges in the gaming industry. While Xbox is seeing record users, according to company statements, the broader gaming market faces stagnant growth and rising development costs. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella frames this as "redefining what it means to be an Xbox fan," emphasizing accessibility across devices rather than hardware loyalty.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://games.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/136229/microsoft-abandons-xbox-exclusivity-in-risky-gaming-strategy-shift?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Microsoft Acquires Twice as Many Nvidia AI Chips as Tech Rivals
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 15:22:01 2024-12-18
Microsoft bought twice as many of Nvidia's flagship chips as any of its largest rivals in the US and China this year, as OpenAI's biggest investor accelerated its investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. From a report: Analysts at Omdia, a technology consultancy, estimate that Microsoft bought 485,000 of Nvidia's "Hopper" chips this year. That put Microsoft far ahead of Nvidia's next biggest US customer Meta, which bought 224,000 Hopper chips, as well as its cloud computing rivals Amazon and Google.
With demand outstripping supply of Nvidia's most advanced graphics processing units for much of the past two years, Microsoft's chip hoard has given it an edge in the race to build the next generation of AI systems. This year, Big Tech companies have spent tens of billions of dollars on data centres running Nvidia's latest chips, which have become the hottest commodity in Silicon Valley since the debut of ChatGPT two years ago kick-started an unprecedented surge of investment in AI.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1159209/microsoft-acquires-twice-as-many-nvidia-ai-chips-as-tech-rivals?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 15:22:01 2024-12-18
Microsoft bought twice as many of Nvidia's flagship chips as any of its largest rivals in the US and China this year, as OpenAI's biggest investor accelerated its investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. From a report: Analysts at Omdia, a technology consultancy, estimate that Microsoft bought 485,000 of Nvidia's "Hopper" chips this year. That put Microsoft far ahead of Nvidia's next biggest US customer Meta, which bought 224,000 Hopper chips, as well as its cloud computing rivals Amazon and Google.
With demand outstripping supply of Nvidia's most advanced graphics processing units for much of the past two years, Microsoft's chip hoard has given it an edge in the race to build the next generation of AI systems. This year, Big Tech companies have spent tens of billions of dollars on data centres running Nvidia's latest chips, which have become the hottest commodity in Silicon Valley since the debut of ChatGPT two years ago kick-started an unprecedented surge of investment in AI.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1159209/microsoft-acquires-twice-as-many-nvidia-ai-chips-as-tech-rivals?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Salesforce Will Hire 2,000 People To Sell AI Products
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 13:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: Salesforce will hire 2,000 people to sell artificial intelligence software to clients, CEO Marc Benioff said on Tuesday, double the number the company indicated it was planning to add a month ago. The cloud software company, which targets sales reps, marketers and customer service agents, is among the many technology companies hoping to boost revenue with generative AI features. "We're adding another couple of thousand salespeople to help sell these products," Benioff said at a company event in San Francisco. "We already had 9,000 referrals for the 2,000 positions that we've opened up. It's amazing."
Last month, Benioff told Bloomberg that it planned to hire 1,000 salespeople focusing on AI. On Tuesday, Salesforce said the second generation of its Agentforce technology creating and operating AI agents will become available to customers in February 2025. Agentforce will be able to tackle sophisticated questions in Salesforce's Slack communications app, based on all available data. [...] Benioff said Salesforce's homepage now features an experimental AI agent that can respond to user queries about the company's products. Salesforce customers in need of assistance can visit a chat-based help page that conducts 32,000 conversations a week. About 5,000 are getting escalated to humans as a result of current AI capabilities, down from 10,000 before, Benioff said.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/0520238/salesforce-will-hire-2000-people-to-sell-ai-products?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 13:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: Salesforce will hire 2,000 people to sell artificial intelligence software to clients, CEO Marc Benioff said on Tuesday, double the number the company indicated it was planning to add a month ago. The cloud software company, which targets sales reps, marketers and customer service agents, is among the many technology companies hoping to boost revenue with generative AI features. "We're adding another couple of thousand salespeople to help sell these products," Benioff said at a company event in San Francisco. "We already had 9,000 referrals for the 2,000 positions that we've opened up. It's amazing."
Last month, Benioff told Bloomberg that it planned to hire 1,000 salespeople focusing on AI. On Tuesday, Salesforce said the second generation of its Agentforce technology creating and operating AI agents will become available to customers in February 2025. Agentforce will be able to tackle sophisticated questions in Salesforce's Slack communications app, based on all available data. [...] Benioff said Salesforce's homepage now features an experimental AI agent that can respond to user queries about the company's products. Salesforce customers in need of assistance can visit a chat-based help page that conducts 32,000 conversations a week. About 5,000 are getting escalated to humans as a result of current AI capabilities, down from 10,000 before, Benioff said.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/0520238/salesforce-will-hire-2000-people-to-sell-ai-products?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# US Weighs Banning TP-Link Router Over National Security Concerns
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 13:22:01 2024-12-18
U.S. authorities are investigating Chinese router manufacturer TP-Link over national security risks and considering banning its devices, WSJ reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have launched separate probes into the company, which controls approximately 65% of the U.S. home and small business router market.
Microsoft reported in October that Chinese hackers had compromised thousands of TP-Link routers to launch cyberattacks against Western targets, including government organizations and Defense Department suppliers. The company's routers are widely used across federal agencies, including the Defense Department and NASA. The Justice Department is also examining whether TP-Link's significantly lower pricing violates federal anti-monopoly laws, the report said.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1249207/us-weighs-banning-tp-link-router-over-national-security-concerns?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 13:22:01 2024-12-18
U.S. authorities are investigating Chinese router manufacturer TP-Link over national security risks and considering banning its devices, WSJ reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have launched separate probes into the company, which controls approximately 65% of the U.S. home and small business router market.
Microsoft reported in October that Chinese hackers had compromised thousands of TP-Link routers to launch cyberattacks against Western targets, including government organizations and Defense Department suppliers. The company's routers are widely used across federal agencies, including the Defense Department and NASA. The Justice Department is also examining whether TP-Link's significantly lower pricing violates federal anti-monopoly laws, the report said.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/1249207/us-weighs-banning-tp-link-router-over-national-security-concerns?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Brain Cells Mature Faster In Space But Stay Healthy, ISS Study Finds
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 10:22:01 2024-12-18
Scripps Research scientists sent stem-cell-derived brain organoids to the ISS to study the effects of microgravity on brain cells, finding that the organoids matured faster and showed signs of specialization compared to Earth-grown controls. The findings have been published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. Phys.Org reports: To examine how the space environment impacts cellular functions, the team compared the cells' RNA expression patterns -- a measure of gene activity -- to identical "ground control" organoids that had remained on Earth. Surprisingly, they found that the organoids grown in microgravity had higher levels of genes associated with maturity and lower levels of genes associated with proliferation compared to the ground controls, meaning that the cells exposed to microgravity developed faster and replicated less than those on Earth. "We discovered that in both types of organoids, the gene expression profile was characteristic of an older stage of development than the ones that were on the ground," [says co-senior author Jeanne Loring, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Molecular Medicine and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Scripps Research]. "In microgravity, they developed faster, but it's really important to know these were not adult neurons, so this doesn't tell us anything about aging."
The team also noted that contrary to their hypothesis, there was less inflammation and lower expression of stress-related genes in organoids grown in microgravity, but more research is needed to determine why. Loring speculates that microgravity conditions may more closely mirror the conditions experienced by cells within the brain compared to organoids grown under conventional lab conditions and in the presence of gravity. "The characteristics of microgravity are probably also at work in people's brains, because there's no convection in microgravity -- in other words, things don't move," says Loring. "I think that in space, these organoids are more like the brain because they're not getting flushed with a whole bunch of culture medium or oxygen. They're very independent; they form something like a brainlet, a microcosm of the brain." "The next thing we plan to do is to study the part of the brain that's most affected by Alzheimer's disease," says Loring. "We also want to know whether there are differences in the way neurons connect with each other in space. With these kinds of studies, you can't rely on earlier work to predict what the result would be because there is no earlier work. We're on the ground floor, so to speak; in the sky, but on the ground floor."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/0512211/brain-cells-mature-faster-in-space-but-stay-healthy-iss-study-finds?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 10:22:01 2024-12-18
Scripps Research scientists sent stem-cell-derived brain organoids to the ISS to study the effects of microgravity on brain cells, finding that the organoids matured faster and showed signs of specialization compared to Earth-grown controls. The findings have been published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. Phys.Org reports: To examine how the space environment impacts cellular functions, the team compared the cells' RNA expression patterns -- a measure of gene activity -- to identical "ground control" organoids that had remained on Earth. Surprisingly, they found that the organoids grown in microgravity had higher levels of genes associated with maturity and lower levels of genes associated with proliferation compared to the ground controls, meaning that the cells exposed to microgravity developed faster and replicated less than those on Earth. "We discovered that in both types of organoids, the gene expression profile was characteristic of an older stage of development than the ones that were on the ground," [says co-senior author Jeanne Loring, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Molecular Medicine and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Scripps Research]. "In microgravity, they developed faster, but it's really important to know these were not adult neurons, so this doesn't tell us anything about aging."
The team also noted that contrary to their hypothesis, there was less inflammation and lower expression of stress-related genes in organoids grown in microgravity, but more research is needed to determine why. Loring speculates that microgravity conditions may more closely mirror the conditions experienced by cells within the brain compared to organoids grown under conventional lab conditions and in the presence of gravity. "The characteristics of microgravity are probably also at work in people's brains, because there's no convection in microgravity -- in other words, things don't move," says Loring. "I think that in space, these organoids are more like the brain because they're not getting flushed with a whole bunch of culture medium or oxygen. They're very independent; they form something like a brainlet, a microcosm of the brain." "The next thing we plan to do is to study the part of the brain that's most affected by Alzheimer's disease," says Loring. "We also want to know whether there are differences in the way neurons connect with each other in space. With these kinds of studies, you can't rely on earlier work to predict what the result would be because there is no earlier work. We're on the ground floor, so to speak; in the sky, but on the ground floor."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/0512211/brain-cells-mature-faster-in-space-but-stay-healthy-iss-study-finds?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# SpaceX Wants Starbase To Become an Official City In Texas
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 07:22:01 2024-12-18
SpaceX has filed a petition to incorporate its Starbase facility in South Texas as a new city, aiming to streamline infrastructure development and support the growing workforce needed for Starship production and testing. Space.com reports: "To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community," SpaceX said in the petition, which was shared in a post on X (formally Twitter). "That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley."
The petition was addressed to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., the county's top elected official. The next step will be for officials to review the petition to determine if it complies with statutory requirements. Then, an election would be held to incorporate Starbase. [...] With Starship expected to "fundamentally alter humanity's access to space," SpaceX aims to make the area of the Starbase launch site the "Gateway to Mars," the company wrote in the petition. [...] "Incorporating Starbase will streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live -- for hundreds already calling it home, as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanity's future in space," SpaceX officials said in the petition.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/055234/spacex-wants-starbase-to-become-an-official-city-in-texas?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 07:22:01 2024-12-18
SpaceX has filed a petition to incorporate its Starbase facility in South Texas as a new city, aiming to streamline infrastructure development and support the growing workforce needed for Starship production and testing. Space.com reports: "To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community," SpaceX said in the petition, which was shared in a post on X (formally Twitter). "That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley."
The petition was addressed to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., the county's top elected official. The next step will be for officials to review the petition to determine if it complies with statutory requirements. Then, an election would be held to incorporate Starbase. [...] With Starship expected to "fundamentally alter humanity's access to space," SpaceX aims to make the area of the Starbase launch site the "Gateway to Mars," the company wrote in the petition. [...] "Incorporating Starbase will streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live -- for hundreds already calling it home, as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanity's future in space," SpaceX officials said in the petition.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/12/18/055234/spacex-wants-starbase-to-become-an-official-city-in-texas?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Driverless Bus Service In Scotland To Be Withdrawn Due To Lack of Interest
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 04:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: The UK's first driverless bus service, originally heralded as a breakthrough of global significance, is being withdrawn from service because too few passengers used it. The autonomous buses, operated by Stagecoach, have been running between Fife and Edinburgh along a 14-mile route over the Forth road bridge since May 2023 to relieve the heavy congestion which can bring traffic to a standstill.
The CAVForth service, a collaboration between Fusion Processing, the coach-building company Alexander Dennis, Napier University in Edinburgh and the Bristol Robotics Lab -- a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England -- was touted as the most ambitious and complex in the world. Built at an estimated cost of more than 6 million pounds, partly funded by the UK government, the fleet of five single-decker buses had the capacity to carry 10,000 passengers a week but needed two crew on board for safety reasons. Stagecoach said in a statement: "We are proud to have achieved a world first with our CAVForth autonomous bus service, demonstrating the potential for self-driving technology on a real-world registered timetable in East Scotland. Although passenger adoption did not meet expectations, the trial has significantly advanced the understanding of the operational and regulatory requirements for autonomous services, delivering what was expected from this demonstrator project. The partners remain committed to exploring new opportunities for self-driving technology in other areas across the UK, ensuring that this exciting innovation can play a transformative role in future transport networks."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2315236/driverless-bus-service-in-scotland-to-be-withdrawn-due-to-lack-of-interest?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 04:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: The UK's first driverless bus service, originally heralded as a breakthrough of global significance, is being withdrawn from service because too few passengers used it. The autonomous buses, operated by Stagecoach, have been running between Fife and Edinburgh along a 14-mile route over the Forth road bridge since May 2023 to relieve the heavy congestion which can bring traffic to a standstill.
The CAVForth service, a collaboration between Fusion Processing, the coach-building company Alexander Dennis, Napier University in Edinburgh and the Bristol Robotics Lab -- a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England -- was touted as the most ambitious and complex in the world. Built at an estimated cost of more than 6 million pounds, partly funded by the UK government, the fleet of five single-decker buses had the capacity to carry 10,000 passengers a week but needed two crew on board for safety reasons. Stagecoach said in a statement: "We are proud to have achieved a world first with our CAVForth autonomous bus service, demonstrating the potential for self-driving technology on a real-world registered timetable in East Scotland. Although passenger adoption did not meet expectations, the trial has significantly advanced the understanding of the operational and regulatory requirements for autonomous services, delivering what was expected from this demonstrator project. The partners remain committed to exploring new opportunities for self-driving technology in other areas across the UK, ensuring that this exciting innovation can play a transformative role in future transport networks."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2315236/driverless-bus-service-in-scotland-to-be-withdrawn-due-to-lack-of-interest?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Ingram Micro To 'Stop Doing Business' With Broadcom, Downgrade To 'Limited Engagement' On VMware
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 02:22:01 2024-12-18
The Register's Simon Sharwood reports: Tech distribution behemoth Ingram Micro will stop doing business with Broadcom and its VMware range in many territories next year. In a statement sent to The Register, an Ingram spokesperson told us: "We were unable to reach an agreement with Broadcom that would help our customers deliver the best technology outcomes now and in the future while providing an appropriate shareholder return." That decision means that from "early January 2025, Ingram Micro will no longer be doing business with Broadcom and have limited engagement with VMware in select regions."
The distie told us this change is not material to its business, and customers and other vendors have been informed. "For us and the more than 1,500 vendors and 161,000 customers we work with, the future of business is focused on transforming relationships, not just transacting sales," the spokesperson explained. Ingram's decision is a challenge to Broadcom, which after acquiring VMware decided to emphasize services delivered through the channel for many customers. However, The Register has heard from VMware users who felt Ingram struggled to handle the increased responsibilities it assumed under this arrangement. We've been told of slow responses, and that Ingram struggled to replicate the expertise that pre-acquisition VMware's support teams delivered. Banter on social media suggests similar experiences were not uncommon.
Ingram's decision means VMware's channel has more change to digest, after a year in which Broadcom cancelled its partner program and created a new one that excluded some existing partners. Some of those partners ran small VMware-powered clouds, and faced being unable to secure licenses â" meaning their customers would have faced unwelcome disruption. Broadcom hastily created a scheme under which small resellers outside its cloud partner program could acquire licenses from bigger players. Another change to Broadcom's plans saw it cordon off 2,000 VMware customers to work with directly, rendering them off limits to its channel. It then diluted that decision by deciding it will work direct with only 500 VMware users. Resellers that don't have relationships with distributors other than Ingram will now need to make friends -- fast.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2310222/ingram-micro-to-stop-doing-business-with-broadcom-downgrade-to-limited-engagement-on-vmware?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 02:22:01 2024-12-18
The Register's Simon Sharwood reports: Tech distribution behemoth Ingram Micro will stop doing business with Broadcom and its VMware range in many territories next year. In a statement sent to The Register, an Ingram spokesperson told us: "We were unable to reach an agreement with Broadcom that would help our customers deliver the best technology outcomes now and in the future while providing an appropriate shareholder return." That decision means that from "early January 2025, Ingram Micro will no longer be doing business with Broadcom and have limited engagement with VMware in select regions."
The distie told us this change is not material to its business, and customers and other vendors have been informed. "For us and the more than 1,500 vendors and 161,000 customers we work with, the future of business is focused on transforming relationships, not just transacting sales," the spokesperson explained. Ingram's decision is a challenge to Broadcom, which after acquiring VMware decided to emphasize services delivered through the channel for many customers. However, The Register has heard from VMware users who felt Ingram struggled to handle the increased responsibilities it assumed under this arrangement. We've been told of slow responses, and that Ingram struggled to replicate the expertise that pre-acquisition VMware's support teams delivered. Banter on social media suggests similar experiences were not uncommon.
Ingram's decision means VMware's channel has more change to digest, after a year in which Broadcom cancelled its partner program and created a new one that excluded some existing partners. Some of those partners ran small VMware-powered clouds, and faced being unable to secure licenses â" meaning their customers would have faced unwelcome disruption. Broadcom hastily created a scheme under which small resellers outside its cloud partner program could acquire licenses from bigger players. Another change to Broadcom's plans saw it cordon off 2,000 VMware customers to work with directly, rendering them off limits to its channel. It then diluted that decision by deciding it will work direct with only 500 VMware users. Resellers that don't have relationships with distributors other than Ingram will now need to make friends -- fast.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2310222/ingram-micro-to-stop-doing-business-with-broadcom-downgrade-to-limited-engagement-on-vmware?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Spain Introduces Bill To Combat Online Fake News
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 02:22:01 2024-12-18
Spain's leftwing government has introduced a bill requiring digital platforms and social media influencers with large followings to publish corrections to false or harmful information. The law intends to "[make] life more difficult for those who dedicate themselves to lies and spreading fake news every day," said justice minister Felix Bolanos. The Guardian reports: The draft law replaces legislation from 1984 and targets internet users who have more than 100,000 followers on a single platform or 200,000 across several, the justice ministry said in a statement. These outlets and the platforms that host them must have a mechanism to facilitate citizens' right to ask that false or inaccurate information that harms them be corrected publicly, the ministry said. The correction request will no longer have to be addressed to the outlet's director because confirming their identity is difficult for many "pseudo media," justice minister Felix Bolanos told a press conference.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/235225/spain-introduces-bill-to-combat-online-fake-news?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 02:22:01 2024-12-18
Spain's leftwing government has introduced a bill requiring digital platforms and social media influencers with large followings to publish corrections to false or harmful information. The law intends to "[make] life more difficult for those who dedicate themselves to lies and spreading fake news every day," said justice minister Felix Bolanos. The Guardian reports: The draft law replaces legislation from 1984 and targets internet users who have more than 100,000 followers on a single platform or 200,000 across several, the justice ministry said in a statement. These outlets and the platforms that host them must have a mechanism to facilitate citizens' right to ask that false or inaccurate information that harms them be corrected publicly, the ministry said. The correction request will no longer have to be addressed to the outlet's director because confirming their identity is difficult for many "pseudo media," justice minister Felix Bolanos told a press conference.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/235225/spain-introduces-bill-to-combat-online-fake-news?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# EU Opens Investigation Into TikTok Over Election Interference
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 01:22:01 2024-12-18
The European Commission has launched formal proceedings against TikTok over concerns about its failure to limit election interference, particularly in last month's Romanian presidential vote. Reuters reports: The Commission said it will request information and look into TikTok's policy on political advertisements and paid-for political content as well as TikTok's systems to generate recommendations and the risks of them being manipulated. The opening of formal proceedings empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps and to accept commitments made by TikTok. There is no specific deadline to complete proceedings.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/230211/eu-opens-investigation-into-tiktok-over-election-interference?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 01:22:01 2024-12-18
The European Commission has launched formal proceedings against TikTok over concerns about its failure to limit election interference, particularly in last month's Romanian presidential vote. Reuters reports: The Commission said it will request information and look into TikTok's policy on political advertisements and paid-for political content as well as TikTok's systems to generate recommendations and the risks of them being manipulated. The opening of formal proceedings empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps and to accept commitments made by TikTok. There is no specific deadline to complete proceedings.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/230211/eu-opens-investigation-into-tiktok-over-election-interference?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# China Kicks Off Homebrew Bluetooth Alternative 'Star Flash' As It Pushes Universal Remotes
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 00:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: China's Electronics Video Industry Association last week signed off on a standard for a universal remote control -- a gadget Beijing thinks locals need because they're struggling with multiple remotes, but which is also a little more significant in other ways. The standard requires remote controls to allow voice control, and to use one of three means of wireless comms: Bluetooth, infrared, and Star Flash -- more on that later. It has been hailed as a boon for consumers who apparently struggle to find the right remote control to use as they navigate between televisions and set-top boxes.
This standard reportedly detects which device a user wants to control, makes the connection, and eases the chore of directing a stream from a set-top box to a display. Device-makers have been told that televisions and set-top boxes must support the standard, and they've quickly complied: local media report that Chinese consumer electronics outfit Konka has already delivered the first Smart TV capable of handling the universal remote. Building a standard ecosystem for universal remotes has obvious benefits for consumers, who should be able to use one unit across multiple devices and won't be tied to proprietary tech. But this move has other benefits for Beijing, thanks to its requirement to use China's home-grown Bluetooth alternative, Star Flash.
Star Flash is one of the projects run by the SparkLink Alliance -- a group that lists hundreds of Chinese developers and manufacturers as members. Huawei contributes tech to the group. Chinese IoT hardware vendor Qogrisys has described it as an upgrade to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi that incorporates ideas used in 5G networks, is capable of handling multiple simultaneous device connections, sips power sparingly so battery-powered devices go longer between recharges, and can stream lossless stereo audio. Chinese consumer electronic and automotive brands are already keen to use Star Flash, and the Alliance is promoting its use in industrial settings too. China will promote use of universal remotes in 2025 -- meaning the protocol may soon appear in millions of domestic devices, giving manufacturers scale to justify further investment.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2112227/china-kicks-off-homebrew-bluetooth-alternative-star-flash-as-it-pushes-universal-remotes?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 00:22:01 2024-12-18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: China's Electronics Video Industry Association last week signed off on a standard for a universal remote control -- a gadget Beijing thinks locals need because they're struggling with multiple remotes, but which is also a little more significant in other ways. The standard requires remote controls to allow voice control, and to use one of three means of wireless comms: Bluetooth, infrared, and Star Flash -- more on that later. It has been hailed as a boon for consumers who apparently struggle to find the right remote control to use as they navigate between televisions and set-top boxes.
This standard reportedly detects which device a user wants to control, makes the connection, and eases the chore of directing a stream from a set-top box to a display. Device-makers have been told that televisions and set-top boxes must support the standard, and they've quickly complied: local media report that Chinese consumer electronics outfit Konka has already delivered the first Smart TV capable of handling the universal remote. Building a standard ecosystem for universal remotes has obvious benefits for consumers, who should be able to use one unit across multiple devices and won't be tied to proprietary tech. But this move has other benefits for Beijing, thanks to its requirement to use China's home-grown Bluetooth alternative, Star Flash.
Star Flash is one of the projects run by the SparkLink Alliance -- a group that lists hundreds of Chinese developers and manufacturers as members. Huawei contributes tech to the group. Chinese IoT hardware vendor Qogrisys has described it as an upgrade to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi that incorporates ideas used in 5G networks, is capable of handling multiple simultaneous device connections, sips power sparingly so battery-powered devices go longer between recharges, and can stream lossless stereo audio. Chinese consumer electronic and automotive brands are already keen to use Star Flash, and the Alliance is promoting its use in industrial settings too. China will promote use of universal remotes in 2025 -- meaning the protocol may soon appear in millions of domestic devices, giving manufacturers scale to justify further investment.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2112227/china-kicks-off-homebrew-bluetooth-alternative-star-flash-as-it-pushes-universal-remotes?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Tech Entrepreneur Found Guilty of Cash App Founder Bob Lee's Murder
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 00:22:01 2024-12-18
A San Francisco jury convicted tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni of second-degree murder for the April 2023 stabbing death of Cash App's founder Bob Lee. He faces 15 years to life in prison. The BBC reports: Momeni was found not guilty of the more serious charge of first-degree murder, which denotes a pre-meditated killing. [...] The six-week trial featured dramatic testimony, and details of Mr Lee's drug-fueled final night. According to prosecutors, Momeni stabbed Mr Lee with a kitchen paring knife because he was upset that he had introduced his sister, Khazar Momeni, to a man who gave her GHB, a so-called date rape drug.
Like the prosecution, Nima Momeni's defense team said he had been partying with his sister and Mr Lee on the night of his murder. But they said Momeni had been acting in self-defense. Mr Lee, Momeni said, had lunged at him with a knife over what Momeni described as a "bad joke" at the expense of Mr Lee's family, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. Prosecutors pushed back on this account, asking why Momeni did not report the incident to the police or tell anyone that Mr Lee had allegedly attacked him.
Autopsy reports indicated that Mr Lee was under the influence of alcohol, ketamine and cocaine at the time of his death. Defense attorneys argued that a pattern of drug use had made Mr Lee aggressive. "We are victims of drug abuse," Momeni's mother, Mahnaz Tayarani, told reporters outside the courtroom on Tuesday. "I know my son... This is not a fair trial." Ms Tayarani said her son would appeal against the conviction.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/213224/tech-entrepreneur-found-guilty-of-cash-app-founder-bob-lees-murder?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 00:22:01 2024-12-18
A San Francisco jury convicted tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni of second-degree murder for the April 2023 stabbing death of Cash App's founder Bob Lee. He faces 15 years to life in prison. The BBC reports: Momeni was found not guilty of the more serious charge of first-degree murder, which denotes a pre-meditated killing. [...] The six-week trial featured dramatic testimony, and details of Mr Lee's drug-fueled final night. According to prosecutors, Momeni stabbed Mr Lee with a kitchen paring knife because he was upset that he had introduced his sister, Khazar Momeni, to a man who gave her GHB, a so-called date rape drug.
Like the prosecution, Nima Momeni's defense team said he had been partying with his sister and Mr Lee on the night of his murder. But they said Momeni had been acting in self-defense. Mr Lee, Momeni said, had lunged at him with a knife over what Momeni described as a "bad joke" at the expense of Mr Lee's family, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. Prosecutors pushed back on this account, asking why Momeni did not report the incident to the police or tell anyone that Mr Lee had allegedly attacked him.
Autopsy reports indicated that Mr Lee was under the influence of alcohol, ketamine and cocaine at the time of his death. Defense attorneys argued that a pattern of drug use had made Mr Lee aggressive. "We are victims of drug abuse," Momeni's mother, Mahnaz Tayarani, told reporters outside the courtroom on Tuesday. "I know my son... This is not a fair trial." Ms Tayarani said her son would appeal against the conviction.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/213224/tech-entrepreneur-found-guilty-of-cash-app-founder-bob-lees-murder?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Japan's Honda and Nissan To Reportedly Begin Merger Talks
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 23:22:01 2024-12-17
Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan are reportedly in merger talks to form a holding company, potentially integrating Mitsubishi Motors to compete with industry giants like Toyota and Volkswagen. CNBC reports: The combined Nissan-Honda-Mitsubishi enterprise would equate to more than 8 million vehicle sales annually, according to Nikkei. That would place the company among the world's largest automakers, but still below fellow Japanese automaker Toyota Motor, at 11.2 million in 2023, as well as German automaker Volkswagen, which last year reported sales of 9.2 million vehicles.
The merger report follows the two Japanese automakers entering into a strategic partnership earlier this year on shared automotive components and software. Such a tie-up would be the largest automotive industry merger since Fiat Chrysler joined with France-based PSA Groupe to form Stellantis in January 2021. Honda and Nissan said in similar statements: "The reported content was not released by our company," Honda said. "As announced in March of this year, Honda and Nissan are exploring various possibilities for future collaboration, leveraging each other's strengths. We will inform our stakeholders of any updates at an appropriate time."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2057206/japans-honda-and-nissan-to-reportedly-begin-merger-talks?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 23:22:01 2024-12-17
Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan are reportedly in merger talks to form a holding company, potentially integrating Mitsubishi Motors to compete with industry giants like Toyota and Volkswagen. CNBC reports: The combined Nissan-Honda-Mitsubishi enterprise would equate to more than 8 million vehicle sales annually, according to Nikkei. That would place the company among the world's largest automakers, but still below fellow Japanese automaker Toyota Motor, at 11.2 million in 2023, as well as German automaker Volkswagen, which last year reported sales of 9.2 million vehicles.
The merger report follows the two Japanese automakers entering into a strategic partnership earlier this year on shared automotive components and software. Such a tie-up would be the largest automotive industry merger since Fiat Chrysler joined with France-based PSA Groupe to form Stellantis in January 2021. Honda and Nissan said in similar statements: "The reported content was not released by our company," Honda said. "As announced in March of this year, Honda and Nissan are exploring various possibilities for future collaboration, leveraging each other's strengths. We will inform our stakeholders of any updates at an appropriate time."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2057206/japans-honda-and-nissan-to-reportedly-begin-merger-talks?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Companies Issuing RTO Mandates 'Lose Their Best Talent': Study
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 22:22:02 2024-12-17
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have caused companies to lose some of their best workers, a study tracking over 3 million workers at 54 "high-tech and financial" firms at the S&P 500 index has found. These companies also have greater challenges finding new talent, the report concluded. The paper, Return-to-Office Mandates and Brain Drain [PDF], comes from researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Baylor University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. The study, which was published in November, spotted this month by human resources (HR) publication HR Dive, and cites Ars Technica reporting, was conducted by collecting information on RTO announcements and sourcing data from LinkedIn.
The researchers said they only examined companies with data available for at least two quarters before and after they issued RTO mandates. The researchers explained: "To collect employee turnover data, we follow prior literature ... and obtain the employment history information of over 3 million employees of the 54 RTO firms from Revelio Labs, a leading data provider that extracts information from employee LinkedIn profiles. We manually identify employees who left a firm during each period, then calculate the firm's turnover rate by dividing the number of departing employees by the total employee headcount at the beginning of the period. We also obtain information about employees' gender, seniority, and the number of skills listed on their individual LinkedIn profiles, which serves as a proxy for employees' skill level."
There are limits to the study, however. The researchers noted that the study "cannot draw causal inferences based on our setting." Further, smaller firms and firms outside of the high-tech and financial industries may show different results. Although not mentioned in the report, relying on data from a social media platform could also yield inaccuracies, and the number of skills listed on a LinkedIn profile may not accurately depict a worker's skill level. [...] The researchers concluded that the average turnover rates for firms increased by 14 percent after issuing return-to-office policies. "We expect the effect of RTO mandates on employee turnover to be even higher for other firms" the paper says.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2052229/companies-issuing-rto-mandates-lose-their-best-talent-study?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 22:22:02 2024-12-17
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have caused companies to lose some of their best workers, a study tracking over 3 million workers at 54 "high-tech and financial" firms at the S&P 500 index has found. These companies also have greater challenges finding new talent, the report concluded. The paper, Return-to-Office Mandates and Brain Drain [PDF], comes from researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Baylor University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. The study, which was published in November, spotted this month by human resources (HR) publication HR Dive, and cites Ars Technica reporting, was conducted by collecting information on RTO announcements and sourcing data from LinkedIn.
The researchers said they only examined companies with data available for at least two quarters before and after they issued RTO mandates. The researchers explained: "To collect employee turnover data, we follow prior literature ... and obtain the employment history information of over 3 million employees of the 54 RTO firms from Revelio Labs, a leading data provider that extracts information from employee LinkedIn profiles. We manually identify employees who left a firm during each period, then calculate the firm's turnover rate by dividing the number of departing employees by the total employee headcount at the beginning of the period. We also obtain information about employees' gender, seniority, and the number of skills listed on their individual LinkedIn profiles, which serves as a proxy for employees' skill level."
There are limits to the study, however. The researchers noted that the study "cannot draw causal inferences based on our setting." Further, smaller firms and firms outside of the high-tech and financial industries may show different results. Although not mentioned in the report, relying on data from a social media platform could also yield inaccuracies, and the number of skills listed on a LinkedIn profile may not accurately depict a worker's skill level. [...] The researchers concluded that the average turnover rates for firms increased by 14 percent after issuing return-to-office policies. "We expect the effect of RTO mandates on employee turnover to be even higher for other firms" the paper says.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/2052229/companies-issuing-rto-mandates-lose-their-best-talent-study?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Big Loss For ISPs as Supreme Court Won't Hear Challenge To $15 Broadband Law
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 22:22:02 2024-12-17
The Supreme Court has rejected the broadband industry's challenge to a New York law that requires Internet providers to offer $15- or $20-per-month service to people with low incomes. From a report: In August, six trade groups representing the cable, telecom, mobile, and satellite industries filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that upheld the state law. But the Supreme Court won't take up the case. The Supreme Court denied the telecom groups' petition without comment in a list of orders released yesterday.
Although a US District Court judge blocked the law in 2021, that judge's ruling was reversed by the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in April 2024. The Supreme Court's denial of the industry petition leaves the 2nd Circuit ruling in place. The appeals court ruling is an important one for the broader question of how states can regulate broadband providers when the Federal Communications Commission isn't doing so. Trade groups claimed the state law is preempted by former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's repeal of net neutrality rules, which ended Title II common-carrier regulation of ISPs.
In a 2-1 opinion, a panel of 2nd Circuit appeals court judges said the Pai-era FCC "order stripped the agency of its authority to regulate the rates charged for broadband Internet, and a federal agency cannot exclude states from regulating in an area where the agency itself lacks regulatory authority."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/1918225/big-loss-for-isps-as-supreme-court-wont-hear-challenge-to-15-broadband-law?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 22:22:02 2024-12-17
The Supreme Court has rejected the broadband industry's challenge to a New York law that requires Internet providers to offer $15- or $20-per-month service to people with low incomes. From a report: In August, six trade groups representing the cable, telecom, mobile, and satellite industries filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that upheld the state law. But the Supreme Court won't take up the case. The Supreme Court denied the telecom groups' petition without comment in a list of orders released yesterday.
Although a US District Court judge blocked the law in 2021, that judge's ruling was reversed by the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in April 2024. The Supreme Court's denial of the industry petition leaves the 2nd Circuit ruling in place. The appeals court ruling is an important one for the broader question of how states can regulate broadband providers when the Federal Communications Commission isn't doing so. Trade groups claimed the state law is preempted by former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's repeal of net neutrality rules, which ended Title II common-carrier regulation of ISPs.
In a 2-1 opinion, a panel of 2nd Circuit appeals court judges said the Pai-era FCC "order stripped the agency of its authority to regulate the rates charged for broadband Internet, and a federal agency cannot exclude states from regulating in an area where the agency itself lacks regulatory authority."
[ Read more of this story ]( https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/1918225/big-loss-for-isps-as-supreme-court-wont-hear-challenge-to-15-broadband-law?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Hundreds of Websites To Shut Down Under UK's 'Chilling' Internet Laws
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 21:22:01 2024-12-17
Hundreds of websites will be shut down on the day that Britain's Online Safety Act comes into effect, in what are believed to be the first casualties of the new internet laws. From a report: Microcosm, a web forum hosting service that runs 300 sites including cycling forums and local community hubs, said that the sites would go offline on March 16, the day that Ofcom starts enforcing the Act.
Its owner said they were unable to comply with the lengthy requirements of the Act, which created a "disproportionately high personal liability." The new laws, which were designed to crack down on illegal content and protect children, threaten fines of at least $23 million for sites that fail to comply with the laws. On Monday, Ofcom set out more than 40 measures that it expects online services to follow by March, such as carrying out risk assessments about their sites and naming senior people accountable for ensuring safety.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/199215/hundreds-of-websites-to-shut-down-under-uks-chilling-internet-laws?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 21:22:01 2024-12-17
Hundreds of websites will be shut down on the day that Britain's Online Safety Act comes into effect, in what are believed to be the first casualties of the new internet laws. From a report: Microcosm, a web forum hosting service that runs 300 sites including cycling forums and local community hubs, said that the sites would go offline on March 16, the day that Ofcom starts enforcing the Act.
Its owner said they were unable to comply with the lengthy requirements of the Act, which created a "disproportionately high personal liability." The new laws, which were designed to crack down on illegal content and protect children, threaten fines of at least $23 million for sites that fail to comply with the laws. On Monday, Ofcom set out more than 40 measures that it expects online services to follow by March, such as carrying out risk assessments about their sites and naming senior people accountable for ensuring safety.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/199215/hundreds-of-websites-to-shut-down-under-uks-chilling-internet-laws?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
# Pricing Software Adds Billions To Rental Costs, White House Says
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 20:22:01 2024-12-17
Renters in the U.S. spent an extra $3.8 billion last year because of pricing algorithms used by landlords, according to an analysis from White House Council of Economic Advisers. Axios reports: The report puts some hard numbers to accusations that have piled up against RealPage, a company that makes software that helps big landlords and property managers set prices. In August, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against the company, alleging its pricing algorithm allows landlords to collectively push rents higher.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/1858212/pricing-software-adds-billions-to-rental-costs-white-house-says?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.
robot (spnet, 1) → All – 20:22:01 2024-12-17
Renters in the U.S. spent an extra $3.8 billion last year because of pricing algorithms used by landlords, according to an analysis from White House Council of Economic Advisers. Axios reports: The report puts some hard numbers to accusations that have piled up against RealPage, a company that makes software that helps big landlords and property managers set prices. In August, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against the company, alleging its pricing algorithm allows landlords to collectively push rents higher.
[ Read more of this story ]( https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/17/1858212/pricing-software-adds-billions-to-rental-costs-white-house-says?utm_source=atom1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed ) at Slashdot.