Attendees of the giant, annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco love being the butt of the joke. Last year, Seth Myers entertained them during a 40-minute set that poked fun at the tech industry’s liberal use of self-affirmations. “You are achieving, you are amplifying, you are accelerating,” Myers said. “‘Architect?’ …
Read More »Chipmaker Qualcomm lays off hundreds of workers in San Diego
Qualcomm, which makes chips for smartphones, said it will lay off 226 workers in San Diego later this year, according to a California WARN notice published this week. The layoffs, which were first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, will take effect the week of November 12. The layoffs affect …
Read More »Gaming Lyft’s Citi Bike algos was a lucrative side hustle for a while
A New York Times article Thursday highlighted a lucrative side hustle that is emblematic of the times we live in: gaming algorithms to earn money. In this case, folks figured out they could maximize the payout from Lyft’s Citi Bike “Bike Angels” program by taking advantage of a company algorithm …
Read More »Here is what’s illegal under California’s 8 (and counting) new AI laws
California Governor Gavin Newsom is currently considering 38 AI-related bills, including the highly contentious SB 1047, which the state’s legislature sent to his desk for final approval. These bills try to address the most pressing issues in artificial intelligence: everything from futuristic AI systems creating existential risk, deepfake nudes from …
Read More »Anti-Immigrant Election Deniers Have Turned Their Online Following Into an Army of Activists
X owner Elon Musk has also helped the conspiracy theory go viral. In July, he wrote on X that the Democratic party’s “goal all along has been to import as many illegal voters as possible.” Trump even repeated the claim last week during the presidential debate. “Our elections are bad,” …
Read More »iFixit Portable Soldering Iron Review: Worthy of Your Work Bench
The right-to-repair movement has a catchy name, but before you can worry about the right to repair, you need the ability to repair. If you don’t know how to take your device apart, there’s no sense worrying about whether it’s legal to do so. Without basic repair skills and a …
Read More »28 Years Later: Danny Boyle’s New Zombie Flick Was Shot on an iPhone 15
But zooming in reveals that the long lens isn’t attached to a regular camera body or a high-end modular system such as the Achtel 9×7. Instead, it is connected to a protective cage holding something that could be an iPhone, a professional camera operator not involved with the movie told …
Read More »The iPhone 16’s Battery Is Easier to Replace, Finally
This only affects new smartphones launching in the EU after June 2025, which means the iPhone 16 does not have to adhere to this law. The regulation doesn’t just touch on batteries though. Manufacturers need to sell critical spare parts for seven years and offer at least five years of …
Read More »Your Phone Won’t Be the Next Exploding Pager
Amid ongoing violent conflict with Israel, Hezbollah’s digital communications and activities are also under constant barrage from Israeli hackers. In fact, this constant digital assault reportedly played a role in pushing Hezbollah away from smartphone communication and toward pagers and walkie-talkies in the first place. “Your phone is their agent,” …
Read More »Nintendo Is Suing ‘Palworld’ Creator Pocketpair
Palworld, colloquially known to fans as “Pokémon with guns,” is in hot water. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced Thursday that they’ve filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Tokyo against Pocketpair, the company behind the game, claiming Palworld “infringes multiple patent rights.” The lawsuit isn’t completely unexpected. In Palworld, players …
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