Tuesday, April 09, 2024

Technology News Tuesdays, and More!

Technology News and More...


Why the Chinese government is sparing AI from harsh regulations—for now
MIT Technology Review / 1h
The way China regulates its tech industry can seem highly unpredictable. The government can celebrate the achievements of Chinese tech companies one day and then turn against them the next. But there are patterns in how China approaches regulating tech, argues Angela Huyue Zhang, a law professor at Hong Kong University and author of the new book High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs


'Bluey' is moving, and has listed its iconic house for sale
Mashable / 1h
A Bluey icon is leaving the Heeler family. Or rather, the family is leaving it. The latest episode of the beloved Australian children's cartoon revealed that the Heelers will soon be moving house, prompting fans to respond with disbelief, sorrow, and denial. Released globally on Disney+ on the same day it aired on Australia's ABC , the first time this has occurred, Season 3 episode "Ghostbasket"


TransferGo raises $10M to expand its remittance business in Asia, doubling valuation
TechCrunch / 17min
TransferGo, the UK-based fintech best known as a consumer platform for global remittances, has raised a $10 million growth funding round from Taiwan-based investor Taiwania Capital, with a view to expanding in the Asia-Pacific region. It last raised a $50M Series C funding round in 2021. TransferGo claims the new investment doubles its valuation to […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For




Google's Find My Device network has finally launched – and the Pixel 8 gets special tracking powers
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / now
Google’s long awaited Find My Device network is finally rolling out, so you’ll be able to track your devices, even when they’re offline. According to a Google blog post , this is a worldwide rollout, starting with the US and Canada, so if you live elsewhere you might be waiting another few days or so. Still, it should be worth the wait, as this looks to be a powerful upgrade to the company's pre-


Microsoft’s lock screen cards for Windows 11 are about to arrive – and a much-needed addition will follow
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / now
Microsoft recently tested a new feature for the lock screen in the form of info cards in both Windows 11 and Windows 10 , which are now imminent, but this functionality is missing an important piece of the puzzle – something the software giant is going to remedy, thankfully. The widget-style lock screen cards give you a snapshot of the current weather, or stocks (finance), local traffic, and so o


Sprinto raises $20M to bring automation to security compliance management
TechCrunch / 2min
Sprinto, a startup offering a security compliance and risk platform, has raised $20 million in new investment led by Accel. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Amex Lounge By Pontus Frithiof Stockholm Arlanda Airport Reopens
One Mile at a Time / 5min
After an extended closure, American Express has just reopened its unique airport lounge concept in Stockholm… Amex’s unique airport restaurant at Stockholm Airport When it comes to lounge access, Amex is best known for its Centurion Lounge concept . However, this is only part of the overall lounge access portfolio offered by Amex’s premium cards. As of April 2024, we’ve seen the reopening of the


Google Chrome has a new tool to help protect against memory corruption
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8min
Google just introduced a new feature for its Chrome browser, which should eliminate, or at least minimize, memory corruption vulnerabilities . It is called V8 Sandbox and described as a “lightweight, in-process sandbox for V8.” For those who are unaware, V8 is a JavaScript and WebAssembly engine that Google developed for the Chrome browser. It is free and open source, and part of the Chromium pro


Fallout TV show creator hints at 'really cool' season 2 plans as rumors swirl over Prime Video series return
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8min
Fallout TV show creator Jonathan Nolan says that "really cool conversations" have taken place about a possible second season amid reports that a follow-up is already in development. Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Nolan – who also directed the Amazon series' first three episodes – suggested that Prime Video's Fallout TV show wouldn't end after a single season. However, when I pressed him for m


Today's Wordle Answer and Hints for April 9 (#1025)
How-To Geek / 37min
Stuck and need the answer to today's Wordle? We've got you covered. We have some hints for the Wordle, in case you'd like to take another crack at it yourself before we tell you. If you want to get straight to the answer, tap or click "What is Today's Wordle Answer" in the table of contents.


Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for April 9 (#303)
How-To Geek / 37min
Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.


Behind the curtain: how IT pros can spot AI washing
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 44min
The benefits of generative AI have been made abundantly clear in recent years, with businesses set to reap valuable productivity and efficiency gains, not to mention an uptick in staff morale Gen AI can offer by reducing their time spent doing simple tasks. Productivity and automation tools are benefitting hugely from this AI supercharge, but sadly the lines between the companies offering genuine


Microsoft announces new AI hub in London in latest AI push
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 58min
In its efforts to boost its research and development efforts into artificial intelligence, Microsoft has lifted the wraps off its new AI Hub in London. The announcement comes in the wake of Redmond revealing its new Microsoft AI business, which it says is aimed at “advanc[ing] [its] consumer AI products and research, including Copilot.” According to the announcement , the new London hub will focu


Indian ride-hailing giant Ola quits UK, Australia and NZ in international pullback
TechCrunch / 1h
Indian ride-hailing giant Ola is shutting down its operations in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, six years after expanding to international markets as it shifts focus to shoring up its domestic business ahead of an initial public offering. An Ola spokesperson told TechCrunch that the SoftBank-backed ride-hailing startup sees “immense opportunity for expansion in […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All righ


X makes passkey logins available to iOS users worldwide
Engadget / 1h
X has expanded its support for passkey logins and has made the option available to users around the world, as long as they're accessing the app on an iPhone. The social media company formerly known as Twitter originally launched passkey support for iOS users in the US back in January. Now, the X Safety account has confirmed its global rollout, giving more people the choice to use the login altern


Fairphone’s repairable wireless earbuds put the industry on notice
Engadget / 1h
True wireless earbuds are flimsy, easily lost and prone to battery failure. Given their size and cost, companies would rather you throw them out when they succumb to the inevitable. Fairphone, however, has built a pair of buds with easily replaceable batteries, as well as a swappable cell in the charging case. And, look, if the engineers working at this tiny Dutch company can work this out, then


Five steps to consider when rolling out WhatsApp for Business
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
There are currently 2.7 billion active accounts on WhatsApp, with over 100 million messages sent a day. While the prevalence of personal communications via the platform is plain to see, WhatsApp for Business is a newer phenomenon, with increasing numbers of brands offering it as an option for customer service and support, as well as for the distribution of marketing messages. But understandably,


Logitech’s tiny G Pro X 60 gaming keyboard has some big competition
Engadget / 2h
Logitech has unveiled the G Pro X 60 , its latest mechanical gaming keyboard. Similar to the peripheral maker's G Pro X TKL from last year, this is a wireless model aimed at competitive-minded gamers first and foremost. Unlike that device, it has a smaller 60 percent layout , which means it lacks a dedicated function row, number pad, arrow keys and nav cluster but takes up much less space on a de


How can businesses embrace AI to its full potential?
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
Businesses across different industries are increasingly recognizing the potential of AI to revolutionize their operations, create new products and services, and gain a competitive edge. However, no business is the same and navigating the complexities of AI adoption can be daunting. Here are five essential steps businesses can take to successfully integrate AI into their operations in 2024 and unl


Tesla settles lawsuit over fatal Model X crash that killed an Apple engineer
20Engadget / 3h
Back in 2019, the family of Apple engineer Wei Lun Huang (aka Walter Huang) sued Tesla a year after he was killed when his Model X crashed into a median in Mountain View while Autopilot was engaged. That case is officially closed, now that the automaker has settled the lawsuit on the very day jury selection was supposed to take place. According to CNBC and The New York Times , Tesla's lawyers ask


Tesla to settle over fatal Autopilot crash
54BBC News / 4h
The trial, brought by the family of Apple engineer Walter Huang, was scheduled to begin this week.


How to watch Toulouse vs. Exeter online for free
Mashable / 5h
TL;DR: Stream Toulouse vs. Exeter in the Champions Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . We're into the knockout rounds of the Investec Champions Cup , meaning the best teams left in the competition will face off in winner-takes-all battles. The quarter finals have produced some intriguing matchups, but Toulouse vs. Exeter might be t


How to watch Bologna vs. Monza online for free
Mashable / 5h
TL;DR: Stream Bologna vs. Monza in Serie A for free on ITVX . Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . There's something special about Serie A. We're not saying that the football is really any different to what we're all used to, but Italy's top division is somehow more romantic than what's on offer from other leagues . Maybe it's those memories of watching


This AI, ChatGPT, and Python programming bundle is on sale for 79% off
Mashable / 5h
TL;DR : The Ultimate AI, ChatGPT and Python Programming Bundle is on sale for £25.34 with the code ENJOY20. ChatGPT may be among the smartest AI released to the public, but there’s still room to customise and specialise this technology for your own purposes. That’s where the Ultimate AI, ChatGPT, and Python Programming Bundle comes into play. These courses could show you how to create your own Ch


Nothing Ear leak claims company's earbuds will see striking changes, both inside and out


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Shortly after phone company Nothing teased their upcoming earbuds , leaked images emerged revealing what the third-generation Ear and Ear (a) models may look like. This information comes from news site Android Headlines which also mentions several potential features. Looking at their report , it appears that the next-gen models will look nearly identical to the previous model. They maintain the t


Welcome to the Age of Technofeudalism
Wired / 6h
In Yanis Varoufakis’ latest book, the former Greek finance minister argues that companies like Apple and Meta have treated their users like modern-day serfs.


'Fallout' will premiere a day early on Prime Video
Mashable / 6h
Fallout will now premiere a day early, with all eight episodes emerging from the vault at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET on Apr. 10. Sorry to anyone who’d planned their watch party for Thursday. Prime Video announced Fallout ’s early release on Monday in a new commercial aired during the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game. Though you’ll be able to watch whichever episodes you want in any order you ch


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 9
Mashable / 6h
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle . As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for April 9's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. Where did Wordle co


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 9
Mashable / 7h
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle. If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the e


Moments of totality: How Ars experienced the eclipse
Ars Technica - All content / 7h
Enlarge / Baily's Beads are visible in this shot taken by Stephen Clark in Athens, Texas. (credit: Stephen Clark) "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." The steady rhythm of the n


Tesla Settles Lawsuit Over a Fatal Crash Involving Autopilot
21NYT > Technology / 8h
A Tesla driver’s family had sought damages for the 2018 crash, which happened while the carmaker’s driver-assistance software was in use.


Why We're Not Too Worried About Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Gizmodo / 9h
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice introduced the blueprint for cinematic meta agents of chaos into pop culture long before Disney’s Genie from Aladdin or the MCU’s Deadpool and Loki. Without much of a mythology, save for some comparisons to trickster entities of folklore and classic lit like Puck from Shakespeare’s AMidsummer… Read more...


Multiverse, the apprenticeship unicorn, acquires Searchlight to put a focus on AI
21TechCrunch / 9h
Multiverse, the U.K. unicorn that builds apprenticeship programs for people to learn technology skills while on the job, has made an acquisition as it aims to skill up itself. The company has bought Searchlight, a startup that builds AI-based recruitment and assessment products. The plan will be to use Searchlight’s tech to create new AI […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal us


Teen’s vocal cords act like coin slot in worst-case ingestion accident
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Getty | Archive Photos ) Most of the time, when kids accidentally gulp down a non-edible object, it travels toward the stomach. In the best-case scenarios for these unfortunate events, it's a small, benign object that safely sees itself out in a day or two. But in the worst-case scenarios, it can go down an entirely different path. That was the case for a poor teen in California,


MIT License text becomes viral “sad girl” piano ballad generated by AI
41Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images ) We've come a long way since primitive AI music generators in 2022. Today, AI tools like Suno.ai allow any series of words to become song lyrics, including inside jokes (as you'll see below). On Wednesday, prompt engineer Riley Goodside tweeted an AI-generated song created with the prompt "sad girl with piano performs the text of the MIT License ," and it began to c


Quordle today – hints and answers for Tuesday, April 9 (game #806)
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, more than two years after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's fun, but also difficult. But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for today's Wo


Boom times for US green energy as federal cash flows in
25BBC News / 10h
The US government has directed unprecedented sums of money at green energy projects.


Dyson's AR app will help you never miss a spot when cleaning – but there’s a catch
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
We’ve all been there. We think we’ve finished vacuuming, put everything away, and then later discover dirt in patches of our carpet that we’ve forgotten to drag our vacuum cleaner over – but what if it didn’t have to be like this? What if you could know exactly where you had and hadn’t cleaned in your home to help you make it spotless every time? That’s where Dyson’s new creation comes in: the Dy


These Budget-friendly Smartwatches Are up to 25% Off Right Now
LifeHacker / 10h
Most people don't use half of their smartwatch features (or maybe that's just me), so you might end up paying a premium price for features you don't even use. If that sounds like you, too, check out Amazfit watches. As senior health editor Beth Skwarecki said in her roundup of best health smartwatches , Amazfit watches tend to include all the basic features you'll use on an everyday basis and not


14 Best Deals From the Target Circle Week Deals Event (2024)
Wired / 10h
The sun and the moon aren’t the only circles worth talking about this week. Target’s Circle Week deals event has a bunch of discounts on our favorite gear.


Why Civil War Avoids Alex Garland's Sci-Fi Tendencies
Gizmodo / 10h
If you were to make a list of people you’d expect to make a gritty, grounded, realistic, political thriller-slash-war movie, Alex Garland wouldn’t be on it. From his earliest work writing movies such as 28 Days Later and Sunshine to his directorial efforts such as Ex Machina and Annihilation, Garland has almost… Read more...


AI-generated Elon Musk videos flood YouTube with fake eclipse streams to promote crypto scams
52Mashable / 11h
It's April 8, 2024 and all anyone can talk about is today's solar eclipse. News articles, social media posts, and viral photos and videos are spreading all over the internet. Go over to YouTube and numerous solar eclipse live streams are racking up hundreds of thousands of concurrent views. However, some of the most popular livestreams aren't what they seem. A fake SpaceX solar eclipse YouTube li


Poverty-Stricken Elon Musk Falls Behind Wealth of Mark Zuckerberg
300+Futurism / 11h
Fall For You Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Or at least, that's the general vibe we're getting after learning that Elon Musk is once again less rich than that other notorious pauper, Mark Zuckerberg. Indeed, as the daily-updated Bloomberg Billionaires Index demonstrates, Musk's net worth now stands at a measly $181 billion, which basically makes him working class these days. Joking aside, Musk o


Elon Musk's Grok Creates Bizarre Fake News About the Solar Eclipse Thanks to Jokes on X
Gizmodo / 11h
Grok , the AI tool available to paying subscribers on X and adored by Elon Musk , generated another fake news story based on jokes Monday. And while this latest story about Monday’s solar eclipse isn’t as dire as last week’s inaccurate “news” that Iran had launched an attack on Israel, it still proves Grok has a long… Read more...


AI hardware company from Jony Ive, Sam Altman seeks $1 billion in funding
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Jony Ive, the former Apple designer. (credit: Gary Cohen ) Former Apple design lead Jony Ive and current OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are seeking funding for a new company that will produce an "artificial intelligence-powered personal device," according to The Information 's sources, who are said to be familiar with the plans. The exact nature of the device is unknown, but it will not look anything like


Targus says cyberattack is causing operational outage
20TechCrunch / 11h
Targus' parent company, B. Riley Financial, said it discovered "a threat actor gained unauthorized access to certain of Targus’ file systems." © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


TechCrunch Space: Happy eclipse day!
TechCrunch / 11h
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. Happy Eclipse Day for everyone celebrating! I’m fortunate to be living in a part of the country that’s in the path of totality, so I’ll be away from my desk for much of today, soaking it all in. Want to reach out with a tip? Email Aria at […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Even Uber Eats Has Short-form Videos Now
LifeHacker / 11h
Apps like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram offer never-ending short-form video content that can keep you helplessly hooked for hours. It's just what you expect when you open those apps. What you might not expect, however, is to find that type of content when you open the Uber Eats app. But here we are. The company revealed its new short-form video enterprise in an interview with TechCrunch . You'll


Twin Peaks' Co-Creator on Laura Palmer's Killer, The Return, and... More?
Gizmodo / 11h
Everyone knows David Lynch as the big name behind Twin Peaks , but his co-creator Mark Frost knows just as many secrets about the town that’s both wonderful and strange . In a new interview, he talked about the pressure he and Lynch felt about resolving the show’s central mystery—as well as its Showtime revival and what… Read more...


Photos: The Great North American Solar Eclipse
Gizmodo / 11h
The highly anticipated Great North American Solar Eclipse finally happened, spreading brief darkness across the continent and revealing the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere. Read more...


Best times to book business-class award flights: Last-minute vs. advanced bookings
The Points Guy / 11h
If you want to fly business class for an upcoming trip without paying a massive amount of cash, you may consider booking an award flight . Business-class award flights can be difficult to find on some routes as availability can be limited. You can improve your chances of snagging a great award by learning how to search for award availability and the best times to book business-class award flights


Tourism taxes are making international trips more expensive
100+The Points Guy / 11h
Editor’s note: This post was updated with new information. As you budget for a trip , the list of expenses to consider is long. Sure, there are the big-ticket costs, such as airfare, lodging, theme park tickets and car rentals. But, as every traveler knows, that’s often just the beginning. Airline fees, resort charges , food, souvenirs, highway tolls and other extras drive up the overall cost of


Is the Citi Premier worth the annual fee?
The Points Guy / 11h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Citi is a TPG advertising partner. The Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees ) is Citi’s mid-tier travel card, earning bonus points on travel purchases and offering the ability to transfer rewards to valuable transfer partners. But with so many other good options, is the Premier worth its $95 annual fee?


Synthetic Data, Explained: Why AI Trained on AI Is The Next Big Thing (and Problem)
75Futurism / 12h
Short Supply As AI companies start running out of training data, many are looking into so-called "synthetic data" — but it remains unclear whether such a thing will ever work. As the New York Times explains , synthetic data is — on its face, at least — a simple solution for the growing scarcity and other issues with AI training data. If AI can grow large on data generated by AI, it would not only


Some Googlers Are Quitting Over the Company's Cloud Contract with Israel
Gizmodo / 12h
The Israeli assault on Gaza has sparked conflict at companies throughout the world. At Google, a company that has often tried to foster a public reputation of openness, the war seems to have sparked a growing number of staff to protest or quit. Read more...


The Last Airline Barf Bag: How A Simple Solution Became A Collectible
View from the Wing / 12h
No single inventor is credited with creation of the airsickness bag, but it became a standard amenity on most flights by the late 1940s: a small, usually paper bag, often lined with wax or plastic to prevent leakage. Continue reading ...


The Best Total Solar Eclipse Photos (2024)
100+Wired / 12h
Whether you’re in the path of the totality or keeping track from afar, these are the best total solar eclipse photos we’ve found.


AI Have Years of Failure then Stunning Success
Next Big Future / 12h
There are many who believe that years of failure or limited success for Tesla FSD and other robotaxi projects are evidence for their belief that it will take more years from today for Tesla FSD to achieve robotaxi level. Chess Computer Programs Chess programs were under serious development for decades before they finally succeeded in ... Read more


AI LLM Has Trillion Dollar Use Case By Increasing Computer Programming Productivity
Next Big Future / 12h
Devin is an AI that was used on the SWE-bench, a challenging benchmark that asks agents to resolve real-world GitHub issues found in open source projects like Django and scikit-learn. Devin correctly resolves 13.86% of the issues end-to-end, far exceeding the previous state-of-the-art of 1.96%. Even when given the exact files to edit, the best ... Read more


Thunderbird Is Finally Adding Conversation View
How-To Geek / 12h
Thunderbird is a legendary email client, but it became stagnant over the years and failed to keep up with alternative email clients. Now, Thunderbird is getting some love, including some modern features and a more modern look. It's even gaining the "conversation view" that other clients and websites implemented several years ago.


Apple Will Finally Let You Emulate Retro Games on Your iPhone
LifeHacker / 12h
Retro gamers have long known that one of Android's long-time advantages over iOS is its support for emulators. If you wanted to play your favorite old-school Nintendo, Sony, or Sega games on your phone, the iPhone basically wan't an option, unless you were open to either jailbreaking your device or relying on web-based emulators that were more limited than dedicated emulation apps. Well, it wasn'


The Best Fans for Any Budget
LifeHacker / 12h
As long as you know where to place them throughout your home , fans can be an invaluable tool in fighting the heat during the summer, saving you money on cooling bills and keeping your place livable. I use fans all year round to combat the the sweltering conditions caused by my ancient radiator, which my landlord controls and under which I suffer, so I know a thing or two about the best ones. Her


20 Years Ago Today, General Grievous Killed the Crap Outta Shaggy From Scooby Doo
42Gizmodo / 12h
General Grievious’ first appearance is a momentous turning point in Star Wars history. After Genndy Tartakovsky’s stunning Clone Wars animated series had given fans chapter after chapter of the Jedi at their apex, performing feats unlike anything seen in Star Wars on screen, a metal monster was here to humble them . Read more...


Meta’s X competitor Threads invites developers to sign up for API access, publishes docs
20TechCrunch / 12h
After opening its developer API to select companies for testing in March, Meta’s Twitter/X competitor Threads is now introducing developer