Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 10/17/24. We aim to educate people about this crucial area along with providing information of what is taking place.
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
Casio thinks an AI-powered furball can replace your pet
Moflin is a hypoallergenic, robotic AI-powered pet that will be released in Japan on November 7 - a video of the hamster-like device is available.
#technology #ai #robotics #casio
They are likely correct. We can get attached to anything.
People think something has to be biological for us to do that. I disagree. We see quite often that people do this to thinks that do not move or have a personality.
That's true. Some people in Japan are marrying dolls
Yeah. People judge things based upon the view (which is usually generational). That is a mistake. Different generations look at things differently.
Look at the GenZ...they look at entertainment a lot different than the Boomers.
Google Chrome is switching to Manifest V3, but what does that mean for ad blockers?
While Manifest V3 makes things harder for ad blockers, it's not the death of ad blockers by any stretch. uBlock Origin already has a new version built on Manifest V3 that works almost as well as the Manifest V2 version and with added privacy and performance benefits. However, there are quite a few filtering capabilities that can't be ported to Manifest V3. There are tools in Chrome's Extensions settings that help users determine whether an extension is compatible with Manifest V3 and find alternatives for incompatible extensions.
#google #manifest #ublock #adblocker
Amazon goes nuclear, to invest more than $500 million to develop small modular reactors
Amazon has signed an agreement with Dominion Energy to explore the development of a small modular nuclear reactor near Dominion's existing North Anna nuclear power station. Google and Microsoft have announced similar plans. Tech companies are increasingly buying into nuclear power to fuel the growing demands of data centers. Nuclear power will also help these companies reach net-zero carbon emissions.
#technology #nuclearpower #nuclear #ai #amazon
I wrote an article about this last night. It was a big step forward.
This followed Google committing to get nuclear energy.
Yet another big tech investing in nuclear power. We may see a spike in that sector in the coming years
Report: Uber considered potential acquisition of Seattle travel giant Expedia
Uber may be exploring a potential bid for Expedia Group. The company has approached advisers about a deal. Its interest is at a very early stage. Uber's CEO was Expedia's CEO from 2005 to 2017 and remains on the company's board. Expedia declined to comment on the deal.
#technology #uber #expedia
I just saw a video that the CEO of Uber also said it is trying to partner with Tesla on its Cybercab.
That is very interesting.
Interesting !INDEED. They can certainly compliment each other.
The question is whether Tesla ultimately needs Uber.
Why partner with that company when, for $5 billion, it can buy Lyft?
Right, buying Lyft seems the kind of Elon play too.
Yea, that will be a game changer for the transportation industry
It will likely happen across the board in the next 36 months.
(2/10)
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‘Smart’ insulin prevents diabetic highs — and deadly lows
Scientists have created a new form of insulin that can modify its activity in response to glucose levels in the blood, reducing high blood sugar concentrations while preventing levels from dropping too low. It has been tested in pigs and rats with encouraging results. Further research to optimize the molecule is ongoing. There are several smart insulin drugs in the works - scientists aim to generate a suite of smart insulin drugs to enable doctors to individualize therapies for their patients.
#technology #insulin #health #diabetes
Amazon announces first Kindle ever with color screen, retailing for $279
Amazon has announced a new Kindle e-reader with a color display. The Kindle Colorsoft has weeks of battery life and a display that's designed to ensure colors don't appear washed out or pixelated even when users zoom in on images. It can be preordered now for $279 and will ship on October 30. Amazon also announced a refreshed Kindle Scribe with new note-taking features for $399, an updated Kindle Paperwhite for $159, and a 12th generation Kindle for $109.
#technology #amazon #kindle #reading
Well, that's a serious lack of innovation, lol... Woohoo boys and girls, we now have a colored screen! Not like an iPad or regular tablet hasn't had them since inception, lol.
lol only took them 20 years
I know... LOL. Well to be fair, the only people I see with Kindles are grandparents anyway, lol.
Which I shouldn't talk shit, my kids are 25 and 20, so I could be a grandpa... Def not trying to jinx myself yet, lol.
Apple unveils new iPad Mini with the powerful A17 Pro chip
Apple has now revealed yet another addition to its family of gadgets – an updated version of the popular iPad Mini. This marks the first time the device has got a significant upgrade in the over three years. The device includes a faster A17 Pro chip, more storage, Apple Intelligence, and more.
#technology
“There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design. iPad mini appeals to a wide range of users and has been built for Apple Intelligence, delivering intelligent new features that are powerful, personal, and private,” Bob Borchers, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, commented on the matter.
“With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value,” he added. There are new colour options as well – users can buy the latest Mini in either muted blue or purple. The front-facing camera remains in portrait mode, while the rear camera is a 12MP wide-angle lens with Smart HDR 4.
The A17 Pro chip is no stranger to Apple devices, and has been present in the company’s iPhone 15 Pro series. According to Apple, the chip brings a boost of 30% in the 6-core CPU performance, alongside an improvement of 25% in GPU performance as compared to the A15 Bionic chip. Furthermore, there is a faster Neural engine to bolster AI-focused features such as improved Siri responses.
Another feature that will be able to leverage the A17 Pro is Apple Intelligence – the company’s suite of AI-powered tools and features. This is unsurprising, given that Apple has been going all out on AI across its product lineup. The company notes that the first set of Apple Intelligence features will be made available in US English later this month, and it itself remains integrated into iPadOS 18. With the new and powerful chip, Apple Intelligence will be able to leverage generative AI models to provide improved writing tools, generate image from text-based prompts, and provide enhanced task automation.
Storage has been a point of concern for many iPad Mini users in the past, and the new iPad Mini seems to have the answer. Apple, for the new device, has doubled the base storage to 128GB, and offers 256GB and 512GB storage configurations for interested users as well. The device now supports Wi-Fi 6E, offering faster internet speeds, as well as a better USB-C port, which allows for faster data transfer speeds, reaching up to 10 Gbps. Furthermore, the new iPad Mini also comes with support for the new Apple Pencil Pro, which brings features like pressure sensitivity, gesture controls, and haptic feedback, and a magnetic charging area on the Mini’s side to charge it.
Interested users can pre-order the new iPad Mini, and deliveries will commence next week, from October 23. The device starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only version with 128GB of storage, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular model begins at $649.
Reuters: Schneider Electric to buy data centre cooling firm Motivair for $850 million
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/schneider-electric-buy-data-centre-cooling-firm-motivair-850-million-2024-10-17/
Reuters: Meta lays off employees at WhatsApp and Instagram, the Verge reports
https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-lays-off-employees-whatsapp-instagram-verge-reports-2024-10-17/
Reuters: South Korea vows to prevent technology leaks with heavier penalties
https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/south-korea-vows-prevent-technology-leaks-with-heavier-penalties-2024-10-17/
When it comes to outages, Downdetector is the place to go to get the latest updates on the development. Downdetector – the website that tracks real-time service outages based on user reports – reported that the outage commenced sometime after 1 PM ET, and 1:40 p.m., more than 12,000 people reported issues with Facebook, while over 5,000 complaints were logged for Instagram. At its peak, there were nearly about 92,000 reports of outages for Instagram.
Facebook and Instagram are back up after an extended downtime
Cellphone Instagram Ig Smartphone
If you were trying to use Facebook or Instagram yesterday, then you may have run into difficulties. You are not the only one – from the looks of it, both social media platforms experienced disruptions on Monday, which left users in multiple regions unable to access the platforms. The disruptions had the most severe impact in the US – sparking frustration among users – as reports of issues started to surface in the early afternoon.
Coming to Instagram, it is noted that 68% of users reported problems with logging onto the photo-sharing platform, while 26% of them ran into issues with the Instagram app itself. The remaining 6% of users had problems with loading profiles, while several others reported unexpected logouts, and some said they were unable to log back into their accounts. Other users also faced error messages such as “something is wrong” on Instagram’s interface.
The latest string of complaints was at 9:09 AM (today, October 15) with a total of 16 reports. Currently, there are no user reports for current problems at the platform, and Instagram seems to be up and about once more. The outages also affected users from other parts of the world, including the UAE, and other Meta services, such as Threads, Meta’s newest social networking platform.
When it comes to outages, Downdetector is the place to go to get the latest updates on the development. Downdetector – the website that tracks real-time service outages based on user reports – reported that the outage commenced sometime after 1 PM ET, and 1:40 p.m., more than 12,000 people reported issues with Facebook, while over 5,000 complaints were logged for Instagram. At its peak, there were nearly about 92,000 reports of outages for Instagram.
Coming to Facebook, Meta’s flagship social media platform experienced similar issues – reports state that there were over 550,000 reports of disruptions for Facebook at the peak of the outage. The latest of the reports came at 9:31 AM (on October 15), and the service seems to be restored for now. During the outage, 71% of users reported issues with logging in, while 19% of users reported problems with Facebook’s servers. The remaining 10% of users ran into problems with loading their profiles.
Of course, the outages prompted frustrated reactions from users, many of whom predictably turned to popular micro-blogging platform X to confirm the outage. One Instagram user commented, “My Facebook and Instagram logged out on their own, and now all the posts are gone… is Meta down?” Another user joked, “Instagram crashed right when I was trying to stalk people – now I have to do my homework instead.” “I can’t post stories or comment on anything. Instagram keeps acting up.” Facebook users similarly voiced concerns, with many saying they were unable to load their profiles or post updates. One user expressed concern about losing access to a long-held account: “I thought for a second that I lost my 13-year-old Facebook account.”
Reliance Jio is India’s biggest and world’s third largest telecom company by subscriptions, with a 480 Million subscriber base. Musk has been keen to bring Starlink to India — whose satellite internet market is expected to be $1.9Bn by 2030. However, spectrum allocation has been a contentious point, with Musk and other global companies favouring a global trend of allotment, while telecoms like Jio arguing in favour of auctioning.
In another post on X, he mentions he will call and ask Mukesh Ambani “if it would not be too much trouble to allow Starlink to compete to provide Internet services to the people of India.”
Elon Musk argues against Reliance Jio’s demand for auctioning India’s lucrative satellite spectrum
India’s spectrum market, satellite spectrum in particular, is seeing a heated battle between some of the world’s biggest billionaires. The battle stemmed from a Government decision to allocate satellite internet spectrum, instead of ‘auctioning’ it the way mobile spectrum is auctioned in the country. #technology #elonmusk
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Meta announces fresh job cuts across several divisions
Social media company Meta has now initiated yet another round of layoffs across its organization. From what we know so far, the latest round of job cuts has impacted employees across several key divisions. This includes employees who are working on Threads, recruiting, legal operations, and design, in addition to those working on core platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. Reality Labs, Meta’s division focused on virtual and augmented reality, was also affected by this round of job cuts. #technology #meta #newsonleo
Meta is no stranger to layoffs, and the newest development simply continues a trend of workforce reductions seen over the past two years. Two years ago, the social media giant axed 11,000 people (which amounted to 13% of its workforce). Later last year, it gave job cuts to nearly 10,000 employees (as well as withdrawing 5,000 unfilled positions) as part of Mark Zuckerberg’s “year of efficiency.”
The casualties of the latest round of layoffs is unknown (for now), and comes at a time when Meta is noting slowing user growth on its social media platforms, as well as heightened competition from rival platforms like TikTok. Things are made worse by Meta’s investments in virtual and augmented reality through Reality Labs, which have been expensive and yet to yield significant returns. It is thus no surprise that Meta is now taking a step back to cut down on costs, but it is the employees who are paying the price.
Dave Arnold, a spokesperson for the company, confirmed the layoffs. “Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy. This includes moving some teams to different locations, and moving some employees to different roles. In situations like this when a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees,” he commented on the matter.
For their part, Meta employees have taken to social media platforms to share their woes. For example, Jane Manchun Wong, a well-known software engineer, announced her departure from the company via Threads. Wong had joined Meta’s Threads team last year, and expressed her feelings about the layoff: “I’m still trying to process this, but I’ve been informed that my role at Meta has been impacted. Thank you to everyone, especially my Threads and Instagram teammates, for my wild journey at Meta.”
Indigo, India’s largest airline, launches its own VC fund for Series A/B investment in aviation startups
Indigo, India’s largest airline and Asia’s largest individual airline, is venturing into the investing business, with the launch of ‘Indigo Ventures’. The VC fund, which received a nod from India’s securities regulator SEBI, will focus on Series A/B investments in startups in the aviation space.
#technology #investment
“The fund will invest in startups that have the potential to redefine the future of aviation and beyond, seeking pre–Series A, Series A, and Series B funding. These include startups working on cutting-edge technologies and solutions within the aviation sector. The fund will also look to invest in consumer startups that have a touchpoint in the passenger journey, such as travel, lifestyle, hospitality, transportation, etc,” said an Indigo press release.
Indigo has already started speaking with select startups in its focus areas for closing on some initial investment deals. The fund is expected to be fully operational by the end of FY 25. The fund has launched an online presence ‘GoIndigoVentures‘, inviting startups to submit their pitches. The website also details about the fund’s thesis, its investment committee among other pertinent details.
Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital & Information Officer, IndiGo, said, “As IndiGo embarks on this new journey with IndiGo Ventures, we are committed to fostering innovation, giving wings to aspirations, in aviation and beyond. The startups will benefit from IndiGo’s extensive technical expertise and diverse geographical imprint, leading to the development of new products and services.”
In terms of corpus size, the fund will start with an initial investment of ₹30 crore (~$3.57Mn) from Indigo. The same was approved by the company’s board on September 4 of this year.
Indigo will join a steadily growing list of Indian corporate houses, looking to create in-house venture funds for startup investments. While India has seen a meteoric rise in venture capital being raised by startups, almost all of it comes from outside of the country. A major chunk of India’s domestic investor capital still largely goes to more traditional forms of investments, such as public markets, real-estate among others. The trend however, has seen a marked shift, with startups listing on public bourses amid bumper listings.
#crypto is expanding in spite of what the narrative is claiming. We have stats upcoming backing it up.
Meta lays off employees across multiple teams
Multiple teams at Meta were hit by layoffs on Wednesday, the company confirmed in a statement to TechCrunch
#meta #jobs #technology #newsonleo #layoffs
Meta Conducts Widespread Layoffs Across Multiple Teams, Reallocation of Resources Underway
In a statement to TechCrunch, Meta confirmed that the company has undergone a significant restructuring, resulting in layoffs across multiple teams. The affected teams include Reality Labs, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with employees working on these teams being notified of the changes via video calls. The goal of this realignment is to reallocate resources to better align with Meta's long-term strategic goals and location strategy.
One of the employees affected by the layoffs is Jane Manchun Wong, a software engineer who was hired to join the Threads team in 2023. Wong gained recognition for revealing unannounced features coming to Meta apps, and her appointment was celebrated by Meta's CTO and the head of Instagram. Other former Meta employees also took to social media to announce their layoffs, with some having previously worked on Facebook, recruiting, legal operations, and design.
However, a Meta spokesperson clarified that Threads, recruiting, and legal operations were not impacted by the reorganization and that there were no layoffs in these areas. The company declined to comment on the record about the number of employees affected and the organizations they were part of.
Former Meta employees who were laid off were offered different positions under new contracts or told they could take a severance package instead. Several employees chose to take the severance package, according to a source. The source, who spoke to TechCrunch on the condition of anonymity, revealed that more than a dozen people on their team were notified that their roles were affected via video calls on Wednesday. Some employees affected received six weeks of severance pay.
This latest round of layoffs is not unprecedented for Meta. In recent years, the company has laid off a significant portion of its workforce to rightsize the company following aggressive pandemic hiring. In 2022, Meta laid off roughly 13% of its workforce, or 11,000 employees, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally taking responsibility. In 2023, Meta laid off another 10,000 employees and withdrew 5,000 open roles it had yet to fill.
The layoffs are a sign of the company's ongoing efforts to adapt to changing market conditions and prioritize its resources. As Meta continues to navigate the challenges of the tech industry, it is likely that the company will continue to make adjustments to its workforce and operations to ensure its long-term success.
The layoffs are also a testament to the company's commitment to realigning its resources to better serve its users and stakeholders. By streamlining its operations and focusing on its core strengths, Meta aims to emerge stronger and more resilient in the face of an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Article
Y Combinator-backed fintech CapWay has shut down
Sheena Allen, the company's founder, told TechCrunch that CapWay had to close after it couldn't raise another round.
#technology #newsonleo #ycombinator #capway
CapWay, a FinTech Startup, Shuts Down Operations Amidst Challenges in Financial Inclusion
CapWay, a Y Combinator-backed fintech company, has ceased operations, its founder Sheena Allen announced on LinkedIn. The company aimed to provide financial services to individuals in "banking deserts," or communities with limited or no access to physical bank branches. Despite its noble mission, CapWay faced significant challenges, including a reputational hit in the fintech industry, difficulties in finding a new banking partner, and struggles with fundraising.
The Rise and Fall of CapWay
Founded in 2016, CapWay aimed to address the financial inclusion gap by offering online banking solutions and financial literacy programs. The company raised just under $800,000 in funding from investors, including Backstage capital, Fearless fund, and Khosla Ventures.
CapWay was part of the Summer 2020 cohort of Y Combinator, a prestigious startup accelerator. The company's mission was to provide financial services to underserved communities, offering a debit card, savings account, and financial education resources.
However, the fintech industry faced a significant reputational hit after the hacking of Evolve Bank & Trust and the collapse of Synapse, which saw hundreds of millions of dollars of consumer funds frozen. As a result, many banks required fintechs to have a certain amount of money in the bank to partner with them. CapWay struggled to meet this requirement, which led to the company's demise.
Challenges Faced by Black Founders
Allen pointed out that fundraising was particularly challenging for Black founders, with Crunchbase reporting that Black founders raised only 0.3% of the $79 billion that went to U.S.-based startups in the first half of the year. Allen felt like she was in competition with other Black-founded fintechs for a smaller piece of the pie, with some investors telling her that they had already invested in another Black-founded debit card fintech. This lack of diversity in funding and the limited opportunities for Black founders to access capital further exacerbated the challenges faced by CapWay.
Lessons Learned and Future Plans
Despite the challenges, Allen remains committed to the financial inclusion space and is already pondering her next startup idea. She is currently exploring entrepreneur-in-resident opportunities at venture firms. Allen's experience serves as a reminder that even the most well-intentioned startups can face significant challenges, but it is the resilience and determination of founders that ultimately define their success.
Conclusion
CapWay's shutdown serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges faced by fintech startups, particularly those focused on financial inclusion. While the company's mission was admirable, it ultimately succumbed to the difficulties of fundraising and finding a new banking partner. However, Allen's determination to continue working in the financial inclusion space and her commitment to building companies will undoubtedly inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
Article
Instagram rolls out new safety features to protect teens from sextortion
Instagram is introducing a series of new safety features to protect users from sextortion, the company announced on Thursday.
#instagram #technology #socialmedia #sextortion #newsonleo
Instagram Unveils Enhanced Safety Features to Combat Sextortion Scammers and Protect Teenagers
In a significant move to safeguard its users, particularly teenagers, Instagram has introduced a range of new safety features aimed at combating sextortion scammers. The company is taking a multi-faceted approach to prevent scammers from exploiting its platform, including preventing users from taking screenshots of ephemeral content, limiting who can contact teenagers, providing educational resources to help users spot and report sextortion, and partnering with crisis hotlines to offer support.
Preventing Screenshotting of Ephemeral Content
One of the most significant changes is the company's decision to no longer allow users to screenshot or screen record ephemeral images or videos sent in private messages. This means that if someone sends you a photo or video using the "view once" or "allow replay" features, the other person won't be able to save the content. Additionally, Instagram won't allow users to open "view once" or "allow replay" images or videos on the desktop, ensuring that they can't circumvent the safety measures. This feature will help prevent scammers from sharing explicit content without the user's consent.
Limiting Who Can Contact Teenagers
Instagram is also limiting who can contact teenagers on its platform. Teenagers will no longer receive messages from anyone they don't follow or aren't connected to, making it harder for scammers to initiate contact. The company is also making it harder for suspicious accounts, such as those that were recently created, to request to follow teenagers. This feature will help prevent scammers from creating fake accounts to target teenagers.
Safety Notices and Nudity Protection
Instagram is also rolling out safety notices in DMs to let teenagers know when they're talking to someone who might live in a different country. The company is doing so because sextortion scammers often lie about where they live in order to get teenagers to trust them. Additionally, Instagram is fully rolling out its nudity protection feature globally, which automatically blurs images that contain nudity in DMs. The feature will be enabled by default for teen users, helping to prevent the spread of explicit content.
Partnership with Crisis Text Line
Instagram is also partnering with Crisis Text Line in the U.S. to provide more support within its app. When a user reports an issue related to child safety or sextortion, they will see an option to talk to a crisis counselor. This partnership will provide teenagers with a safe and confidential way to seek help and support if they are a victim of sextortion.
Educational Resources*
To provide more educational resources to its users, Instagram is starting to show users an educational video about sextortion scammers to teens in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. The company is also partnering with influencers like Bella Poarch and Brent Rivera to create content about spotting sextortion and what to do if it happens. These educational resources will help teenagers understand the risks of sextortion and how to stay safe online.
Conclusion
Instagram's new safety features are a significant step forward in the company's efforts to combat sextortion scammers and protect its users, particularly teenagers. By preventing users from taking screenshots of ephemeral content, limiting who can contact teenagers, providing educational resources, and partnering with crisis hotlines, Instagram is taking a comprehensive approach to preventing sextortion on its platform. These features will help to create a safer and more secure environment for teenagers to communicate online.
Article
Meta's AI chief says world models are key to 'human-level AI' — but it might be 10 years out
Are today's AI models truly remembering, thinking, planning, and reasoning, just like a human brain would?
#ai #technology #yannlecun
The Promise and Challenges of AI World Models: A Reality Check on Current AI Capabilities
In the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence, there's a growing debate about the true capabilities of current AI models. While some AI companies tout their systems as approaching human-like intelligence, Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, offers a more sobering perspective. According to LeCun, today's AI models fall far short of true human-level cognition, but a new approach called "world models" might bridge this gap within the next decade.
The Current State of AI: Impressive, but Limited
Recent advancements in AI have been remarkable. OpenAI's ChatGPT now features a "memory" function, allowing it to recall previous conversations. The company's latest models also claim to exhibit "complex reasoning" capabilities. These developments have led some AI optimists, like Elon Musk and Shane Legg, to suggest that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is imminent.
However, LeCun argues that this optimism is premature. He contends that despite their impressive abilities, current AI systems lack fundamental aspects of human-level intelligence:
The Limitations of Current AI Architectures
LeCun explains that the core limitation of today's AI lies in their fundamental architecture:
While these models have become highly proficient in their respective domains, they lack a genuine understanding of the three-dimensional world in which we live. This limitation becomes apparent when AI systems attempt to perform simple physical tasks that most humans can easily accomplish, such as clearing a dinner table or driving a car.
The Promise of World Models
To overcome these limitations, LeCun and other researchers are advocating for a new AI architecture centered around "world models." A world model is essentially an AI's mental representation of how the world behaves, allowing it to:
The concept of world models isn't entirely new—LeCun notes that the idea is over 60 years old. However, recent advancements in AI have reignited interest in this approach. Several prominent AI labs and startups, including World Labs (founded by Fei-Fei Li and Justin Johnson) and potentially OpenAI with its unreleased Sora video generator, are now pursuing world model research.
How World Models Could Work
LeCun outlines a potential framework for human-level AI based on world models:
Challenges and Timeline
While world models offer exciting possibilities, LeCun cautions that significant challenges remain:
The Road Ahead
Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab, under LeCun's guidance, has shifted its focus to long-term AI research, including the development of world models and objective-driven AI. This represents a departure from their previous work on more immediate product-focused AI applications.
As the race to develop more advanced AI systems intensifies, the concept of world models is likely to attract significant attention and investment. However, LeCun's measured outlook serves as an important reminder that true human-level AI remains a complex and distant goal, despite the impressive capabilities of today's AI systems.
This summary covers the key points discussed, including:
Article
Apple reportedly worked with a Chinese automaker to develop a battery for its now-canceled car
Apple reportedly teamed up with a Chinese automaker to develop a battery for its car, which ultimately never saw the light of day.
#apple #technology #newsonleo
Apple reportedly worked with a Chinese automaker to develop a battery for its now-canceled car
Apple reportedly teamed up with a Chinese automaker to develop a battery for its car, which ultimately never saw the light of day.
#apple #china #battery
Article
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Apple worked with a Chinese automaker for years to design a battery system for its now-canceled car project.
That’s according to Bloomberg, which reports that Apple was collaborating with BYD Co., a Shenzhen-based car company, to develop batteries using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. Apple contributed engineering expertise, specifically in areas like heat management and advanced battery packs, while BYD supplied its manufacturing resources and proprietary LFP technologies.
The battery was intended to be safer than most EV batteries at the time, per Bloomberg, as well as longer-range.
Apple canned its plans for a car back in February after reportedly spending roughly $1 billion a year on the project since 2014. While it ultimately didn’t come to fruition, the effort wasn’t a total failure; according to Bloomberg, battery insights gleaned from the car project helped other Apple teams with the development of the Vision Pro and Neural Engine chip.
SpaceX sues California agency, alleging political bias against Musk and regulatory overreach
SpaceX has filed a lawsuit against a California agency this week after the body rejected a proposal to increase the company's launches
#spacex #california #politics #newsonleo #lawsuit
SpaceX Sues California Agency Over Launch Expansion Rejection
SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission (CCC) following the agency's rejection of a proposal to increase SpaceX's annual launches from California's coastline. This legal action highlights the complex interplay between commercial space activities, national security interests, and environmental regulations.
The Proposal and Rejection
SpaceX sought to increase its launch frequency from Vandenberg space Force Base from 36 to 50 per year. Despite endorsement from the U.S. Air Force, which cited the critical nature of Starlink and Starshield launches for national security, the CCC voted 6-4 against the proposal on October 10.
Key Arguments in the Lawsuit
SpaceX's lawsuit presents two main arguments:
Political Discrimination: The company alleges that some commissioners engaged in "naked political discrimination" by citing CEO Elon Musk's political activities as a factor in their decision.
Regulatory Overreach: SpaceX contends that the CCC is attempting to unlawfully regulate federal agency activities, arguing that their launches should be considered federal operations due to their national security implications.
The Federal vs. Private Activity Debate
A central issue in this dispute is whether SpaceX's launches constitute federal or private activities. This distinction has significant regulatory implications:
Environmental and Political Considerations
Broader Implications
This case highlights the evolving relationship between private space companies and government agencies, particularly in national security contexts. It raises questions about how to classify and regulate activities that serve both commercial and governmental purposes.
Looking Ahead
The lawsuit is filed in the Central District of California court, where SpaceX is seeking to have the commission's rejection declared unlawful. Meanwhile, there are indications that SpaceX and the USAF may soon propose a further increase to 100 launches per year, suggesting that this issue will remain contentious in the near future.
This legal battle underscores the growing complexities in space industry regulation as private companies play an increasingly crucial role in national security and space exploration.
Article
After selling Drift, ex-HubSpot exec launches AI for customer success managers
Elias Torres has achieved a lot for somebody who immigrated to the US from Nicaragua at 17 without knowing any English.
#technology #newsonleo
Elias Torres, a Nicaraguan immigrant who arrived in the United States at the age of 17 without speaking a word of English, has defied the odds to achieve remarkable success in the tech industry. As a Vice President of Engineering at HubSpot and co-founder of Drift, a company that was acquired by Vista equity for $1.2 billion in 2021, Torres has proven himself to be a visionary entrepreneur. now, he is taking on a new challenge with Agency, an AI-powered startup that aims to revolutionize the customer success management space.
The journey of Agency began when Torres started consulting for OpenAi in early 2023. While working on AI solutions for OpenAI's enterprise customers, including the NBA and LiveNation, Torres realized that companies could greatly benefit from AI-powered customer success managers. This epiphany was reinforced when he met with Brian Halligan, co-founder and executive chairman of HubSpot, who encouraged him to build a startup around this concept.
With Halligan's support, Torres reached out to Sequoia partner Pat Grady, who had previously invested in Drift. Grady was immediately sold on the idea, recognizing the challenges of hiring and scaling great customer success managers. "It's hard to hire great CSMs. It's hard to scale great CSMs," Grady said. "If you have a product that can do a lot of the work on their behalf, and you can scale your company without having to hire an army of CSMs. That's pretty useful."
Agency's AI-powered solution frees up time in the customer success manager's workday by handling tasks such as scheduling, follow-ups, note-taking, customer onboarding, and meeting preparation. The AI gains a deep understanding of each customer from emails, CRM data, chat messages, and phone conversations, allowing it to anticipate customer needs at any point. This technology has been a long-term goal for Torres, who helped build Salesforce at HubSpot and Drift.
The market opportunity for Agency is vast, with the sales and marketing organization facing disruption from dozens of AI-powered solutions targeting sales development representatives. However, Sequoia's Grady believes that Agency has a unique opportunity to establish itself in this market. "I don't know anybody else going after this market," Grady said. "Hopefully people won't discover that for a while, and they'll have a little bit of room to run."
With a $12 million seed round led by Sequoia and HubSpot Ventures, Agency is poised to make a significant impact in the customer success management space. As Torres said, "I'm not done" – and with Agency, he's just Getting Started. The company's product is currently being tested with companies, including HeyGen, and is available in an invite-only beta for customer success professionals. With its innovative AI-powered solution, Agency is well-positioned to revolutionize the way companies approach customer success management.
In conclusion, Elias Torres' journey from immigrant to entrepreneur is a testament to his determination and vision. With Agency, he is taking on a new challenge that has the potential to disrupt the customer success management space. With its AI-powered solution and strong backing from Sequoia and HubSpot Ventures, Agency is poised to make a significant impact in the industry.
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Are Cybertrucks too angular for Europe?
Tesla's Cybertruck is facing blowback in Europe, particularly over pedestrian safety concerns. Euro NCAP, a voluntary but influential car safety
#cybertruck #technology #newsonleo
Tesla’s Cybertruck is facing blowback in Europe, particularly over pedestrian safety concerns. Euro NCAP, a voluntary but influential car safety assessment program in Europe, has not in any way tested the Cybertruck, but based on a visual assessment alone, raised alarms over its sharp, angular design, saying it could pose a serious threat to pedestrians. Indeed, Matthew Avery, Euro NCAP’s strategic development director, suggests to Wired that the Cybertruck could receive a poor safety rating, which could doom sales.
Already the small number of Cybertrucks registered in the EU have prompted European transport nongovernmental organizations to call for the trucks’ removal from public roads, saying their oversized, sharp-edged design violates European safety standards and could endanger pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists.
Some U.S. safety experts agree. In an interview with Business Insider late last year, one called the Cybertruck a “guideless missile.” The bigger question is what it means for the truck’s future in Europe, where there’s far more focus on pedestrian protection than in the U.S.
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Primarily, it is Mukesh Ambani — Asia’s richest person — owned Reliance Jio that has argued, albeit privately, that the satellite rights should also be auctioned, with the highest bidder grabbing the same. As of now, Elon Musk’s Starlink and other global companies like Amazon owned Project Kuiper, Airtel-owned OneWeb back an administrative allocation, while Ambani’s Jio is arguing for an auction process.
The debate stems from the interpretation of an Indian law, that resulted in Musk and other getting allocations for the satellite spectrum. India’s telecom regulator TRAI is currently holding a public consultation but Reliance-owned Jio, in a private Oct. 10 letter, asked for the process to be started afresh as the watchdog has “pre-emptively interpreted” that allocation is the way forward, not auction.
Musk has reacted sharply to the development, calling Jio’s request as “unprecedented” and something that will not align with ITU laws.
The latest string of complaints was at 9:09 AM (today, October 15) with a total of 16 reports. Currently, there are no user reports for current problems at the platform, and Instagram seems to be up and about once more. The outages also affected users from other parts of the world, including the UAE, and other Meta services, such as Threads, Meta’s newest social networking platform.
The Guardian: Elon Musk’s SpaceX accuses California of political bias over launch limits
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/16/spacex-elon-musk-california
The Guardian: UK’s Alan Turing Institute launches redundancy consultation process
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/17/uks-alan-turing-institute-launches-redundancy-consultation-process
The Guardian: iPhone 16 review: more buttons and speed for Apple’s standard phone
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/17/iphone-16-review-more-buttons-speed-apple-standard-phone-battery-life
The Guardian: ‘It’s not me, it’s just my face’: the models who found their likenesses had been used in AI propaganda
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/16/its-not-me-its-just-my-face-the-models-who-found-their-likenesses-had-been-used-in-ai-propaganda
BBC: New skin research could help slow signs of ageing
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c756q166gd9o
BBC: Nepal's inventive use for waste placentas
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241014-the-hospitals-in-nepal-turning-medical-waste-into-cooking-gas
BBC: Instagram adds features to help stop sextortion
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdd4vn6p601o
BBC: Firm hacked after accidentally hiring North Korean cyber criminal
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8vedz4yk7o
BBC: Twitch streamer Asmongold suspended after Palestinian rant
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75606vd3l6o
Reuters: TSMC bullish on outlook as AI boom blows Q3 profit past forecasts
https://www.reuters.com/technology/tsmc-set-report-strong-profit-driven-by-ai-boom-2024-10-16/
Reuters: Meta's oversight board seeks public comments on hate speech moderation
https://www.reuters.com/technology/metas-oversight-board-seeks-public-comments-hate-speech-moderation-2024-10-17/
Reuters: Intel China responds to accusations of security issues from Chinese cyber association
https://www.reuters.com/technology/intel-china-responds-accusations-security-issues-chinese-cyber-association-2024-10-17/
Reuters: U.S. chip stocks rally as TSMC's AI-backed outlook impresses investors
https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-chip-stocks-rally-tsmcs-ai-backed-outlook-impresses-investors-2024-10-17/
Reuters: Musk's win on India satellite spectrum raises prospect of price war with Ambani
https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/musks-win-india-satellite-spectrum-raises-prospect-price-war-with-ambani-2024-10-17/
Reuters: Britain to publish online safety demands for platforms in December
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-publish-online-safety-demands-platforms-december-2024-10-17/
Will the XAI 19 Day Data Center Miracle Win the Future of AI?
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang knows exactly how long it takes most companies to build an AI data center using Nvidia GPUs.
#nvidia #technology #xai #datacenter
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang knows exactly how long it takes most companies to build an AI data center using Nvidia GPUs. He describes how his Nvidia team worked with xAI and Elon Musk to build a complete AI Data Center with 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs in 19 days. Elon Musk has said it took 122 days from start to finish.
Jensen said this would normally take 4 years. It would take 3 years for the planning and getting the site and permits and then it would take one year to build it and get it working and everyone trained. This means XAI took about 103 days for the planning and other non-GPU planning and other tasks.
The removal of most of the 3 year planning and preparation requires leveraging Elon’s Tesla team and processes they have worked out for factories and the prior setup of 20,000 GPUs used for Grok 2.
Debugging, optimizing, and ensuring sufficient power supply for these massive clusters can take additional time. The actual time to reach full operational capacity may be longer than the initial deployment timeframe.
The Colossus supercomputer uses at least 150 MW of power, as 100,000 H100 GPUs use 70 Megawatts. They have been using 14 diesel generators to power ithe Memphis supercomputer. The power will need to be increased to feed all 100,000 H100 GPUs.
Jensen Huang on Elon Musk and xAI building the fastest supercomputer on the planet in 19 days
/.“From the moment of concept to building a massive factory, liquid-cooled, energized, permitted, in the short time that was done. That is superhuman. And as far as I know, there’s only… pic.twitter.com/k57ye2YlkQ
— Startup Archive (@StartupArchive_) October 16, 2024
Tesla, SpaceX AI for Testing and Processes Have Been Used at xAI and Tesla AI Data Centers
Joe Justice describes that Tesla has a stack of scripts that run multiple times a second. Changes can be imagined, designed, produced and tested and put into production in the same day.
Everything is optimized for Pace of Innovation. Tesla has built instant testing into its cars even as they are being built.
One of the first things installed is the computer and monitor in the car. When other parts are added, the software runs tests to verify that it has been installed correctly and is meeting standards.
This has likely been added to the xAI AI data center installation, build and testing processes.
Faster xAI and Tesla AI Data Center Construction Could Be A Decisive Advantage
xAI will be making an expansion that will double the size of the Colossus data center in next 4-5 months.
xAI will build another even larger 300k B200 system in the summer. This will be about 12X the compute of the current system.
So three iterations of data center builds in the roughly 120 day timeframes. If no other company can match this then xAI would build a 2+ year lead.
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Hackers are extorting Globe Life with stolen customer data
The insurance giant says an unknown threat actor has stolen data including SSNs and health information
Insurance giant Globe Life, which provides life and health insurance policies to millions of Americans, says it is being extorted by a hacker that has stolen customers’ sensitive data.
#newsonleo #technology #globelife #data #hackers
In a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, the Texas-based conglomerate said it has “recently received communications” from an unknown threat actor who is seeking to extort money from the company in exchange for not disclosing data stolen from its systems.
The compromised data, which Globe Life has traced back to its American Income Life Insurance Company subsidiary (AIL), includes personally identifiable information, such as customer names, postal addresses, and phone numbers. In “some cases,” the data also includes Social Security numbers, health-related data and other policy information, according to the company’s filing.
Globe Life says that approximately 5,000 individuals are known to be affected by the data breach so far, but concedes that the “total number of potentially impacted persons or the full scope of information possessed by the threat actor has not been fully verified,” suggesting that the number of affected individuals is likely to be far higher. Globe Life says it has more than 17 million policies in force, while AIL has at least two million policyholders at its last public count.
According to Globe Life’s filing, the hacker responsible for the breach “claims to possess additional categories of information, which claims remain under investigation and have not been verified,” but states that the compromised information does not appear to contain financial information such as credit card data or banking information.
The cybersecurity incident appears to be an extortion-only attack, with Globe Life saying the incident did not involve the use of file-encrypting ransomware.
In the case of Globe Life, the organization notes that the threat actor has also shared “information about a limited number of individuals to short sellers and plaintiffs’ attorneys,” likely in a bid to pressure the company into paying its extortion demands.
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From Elon Musk to cop car chases, how a software engineer launched a police AI startup
Abel creates AI that uses body cam footage and other data to fill out consuming police reports. For research, founder Daniel Francis shadowed the police.
Earlier this year, Abel founder Daniel Francis was in a car going 135 miles per hour down a highway in Oakland, California. The driver, a police officer, had a gun in his lap.
#elonmusk #police #software #danielfrancis
Francis has made a habit of riding shotgun with policemen in the name of research for his company, which creates AI to fill out police reports. Usually, the rides are fairly uneventful. But that day, the officer had pulled over a man to search his car. The man freaked out and pressed the gas pedal, almost hitting someone. Francis and the officer took off chasing him. “I was so excited,” Francis recalled. “I was like, finally, it’s happening! Finally, not just a stolen car call where we go and fill out a report.”
After 40 minutes — and a dicey last act through the narrow Oakland Hills streets — the man’s car sputtered to a stop, out of gas. The officer was visibly sweating; Francis’s heart was pounding. But between near-missing parked cars and swerving down the highway, Francis had time to think about AI. Specifically, how would AI write up a police report for a car chase? “That’s one of the hardest reports to write,” he said. “When you write a pursuit report, you have to list out every side street that you went by and every turn you took. Those reports are massive.”
In his 20 police ride-alongs, Francis has spent a lot of time thinking about how AI can help cut down on police paperwork. His company, Abel, creates AI that uses body cam footage and dispatch call data to fill out normally time-consuming police reports. On Thursday, he announced that Abel has raised a $5 million seed round led by Day One Ventures with participation from Long Journey Ventures and backing from Y Combinator as part of the summer 2024 class. Francis will use the funding to hire engineers and continue improving Abel’s AI.
You might recognize Francis’ name: When Elon Musk was laying off thousands of Twitter employees in 2023, Francis playfully pretended online to be a disgruntled Twitter engineer — which led to him actually getting hired as a Twitter engineer. (By the way, Francis said it’s way more stressful working for Musk than sitting shotgun in a car chase. “If Elon yells at you, it’s terrifying,” he laughed.)
Francis’ pivot from social media into police tech was prompted by a series of unfortunate events. In 2022, Francis helped a close friend escape an abusive marriage, secretly relocating her and her child to a new home in the dead of night. “It was the most heart-pounding thing I’ve done, maybe in years,” Francis recalled. “Under the cover of darkness, help my friend escape and drive away.”
But then her husband found her new address. “He would come over, banging on the door, yelling threats,” he said. “This happened a few times, and each time, it took about 45 minutes for the Oakland Police Department to get there.”
Francis was struck by how long it took the Police to arrive. He interviewed police officers, many of whom told him how catastrophically understaffed their departments were. He also learned that a police report can take 45 minutes to write, causing police to spend about one third of their time writing reports or other documentation. “This number changed my life,” Francis said. “That’s an insane use of time.”
He became obsessed with how new AI models could cut down the time spent writing reports. He made the initial Abel demo with homemade body cam footage, roleplaying petty crimes like littering with his friends. “I’ve made enough demo videos nOW that I know every petty crime that won’t involve bystanders,” he said.
Now Abel is being used by the Police department in Richmond, California (and Francis has access to real body cam footage). He said police officers there have changed their work schedules around Abel: instead of pulling to the side of the road to spend 40 minutes on a report, they can save them until the end of the day and simply edit the first draft that Abel has already prepared.
Abel is not the only one working on AI police reports. Competitors range from Axon (makers of tasers and body cams) with its Draft One product to tiny startups like Policereports.ai.
Francis hopes that Abel will ease paperwork chores for cops. “It’s much better for everyone if the cops are not overworked, if the cops are not burning out,” he said. “If they can actually show up and do the job that they signed up to do.”
Can AI make us feel less alone? The founder of Manifest thinks so
Amy Wu, founder of the AI-based mental health app Manifest, has a bold prediction for the next wave of tech.
#ai #technology #manifest #newsonleo
Manifest: AI-Based Mental Health App Addressing Gen Z Loneliness
Key Points:
The Loneliness Epidemic:
Manifest App Overview:
App Functionality:
Technology and Mental Health:
Ethical Considerations:
Contrasting Approaches:
Conclusion:
Manifest represents a new wave of tech startups using AI to address mental health concerns, specifically targeting Gen Z's loneliness epidemic. While innovative, these approaches raise important questions about the role of technology in mental health support and the ethical responsibilities of such platforms.
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