Tech

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave a gloomy forecast to his employees this week, warning that layoffs may be coming due to worsening economic conditions, while also announcing a freeze on new hiring at the company. Per Bloomberg , the Facebook (now known as Meta) founder announced the news during a weekly Q&A with employees. Zuckerberg Meta Selfie (Facebook) The plans, which include proposals to make sweeping cuts to headcounts across the company, represent the first budget cuts in Facebook’s nearly two-decade history, which coincided with an era of rapid growth across the economy. “I had hoped the economy would have more clearly stabilized by now, but from what we’re seeing it doesn’t yet seem like it has, so we want to plan somewhat conservatively,” said Zuckerberg, according to reports. “For the first 18 years of the company, we basically grew quickly basically every year, and then more recently our revenue has been flat to slightly down for the first time,” … [Read more...] about Zuck the Pessimist: Facebook Freezes Hiring, Warns of Downsizing Amid Economic Slump

Tony Blevins, VP of procurement at smartphone giant Apple, has been forced out of the company following controversy over a viral TikTok video featuring the executive joking about his affluent lifestyle. The video, posted earlier this month, apparently set off a chain of events within the company that led to Blevins’ departure, which was confirmed in a comment by an Apple representative to CNBC. According to the CNBC story, Blevins referenced a joke from the movie Arthur featuring an over-the-top description of a decadent lifestyle. But in woke Silicon Valley, that’s enough to get you fired. Via CNBC : In the video reviewed by CNBC, Blevins is getting out of an expensive Mercedes Benz and he is asked what he does for a living by Daniel Mac, who has a channel centered around asking people in expensive cars questions. In the video, Blevins jokes that he buys “rich cars, plays golf, and fondles big-breasted women. But I take weekends and major holidays off.” The joke … [Read more...] about Woke Mob Forces Apple VP to Resign over Mild TikTok Joke

October 01, 2022 08:32 The banks of the Han River that bisects Seoul have become a magnet for global fashion and tech brands to put on promotional events. The global appeal of the Korean capital has increased thanks to the explosive popularity of shows like "Squid Game" and K-pop groups like Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, and Blackpink, and the recent lifting of outdoor mask requirements has encouraged more businesses to host events there. Italian fashion brand Valentino held a promotional event in the Jamwon section of the Han River Park on Sept. 21 for around 500 invited guests. "Headquarters knows that the Han River is the center of Seoul both geographically and culturally, so we ended up hosting an event here," a spokesman said. Pala, a Naver subsidiary specializing in crypto services, also held an event in the Han River Park in Banpo for 1,000 guests to publicize its NFT technology, and dozens of foreign investors came. French luxury brand Cartier will throw a … [Read more...] about Han River Becomes Magnet for Global Fashion, Tech Firms

A World War I -era German U-boat submarine has been found 100 years after it was wrecked in U.S. waters. According to a report from National Geographic , the U-boat, which had the designation U-111 , was discovered 40 miles off the Virginia coast by maritime historian, shipwreck researcher and technical wreck diver Erik Petkovic on September 5. The U-111, the last World War I-era German submarine to be discovered in U.S. waters, was sunk off the coast of Virginia in 1922 by the U.S. Navy, sinking to the seabed at what was thought to be a depth of 1,600 feet. Strangely, Petkovic discovered it in waters only 400 feet deep. Five German submarines from World War I, and a further eight from World War II, have been found in U.S. waters, with the U-111 being the only one known to be sunk off the U.S. coast to remain undiscovered. Experts assumed since the Navy reported that it sunk in over 1,600 feet of water, it was too deep to reach. In addition to the depth, wreckages … [Read more...] about Shipwreck of WWI German U-boat Discovered Off Virginia in 400ft of Water

While the CIA is not generally known for dealing with ancient animals, the agency is one of the multiple entities financially backing Dallas-based biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, which is trying to bring the wooly mammoth back from extinction. Other individuals and groups with investments in the company include Peter Thiel, Tony Robbins, Paris Hilton and Winklevoss Capital. "Biotechnology and the broader bioeconomy are critical for humanity to further develop. It is important for all facets of our government to develop them and have an understanding of what is possible," Colossal co-founder Ben Lamm told The Intercept. In-Q-Tel, Colossal's new investor, is registered as a nonprofit venture capital firm funded by the CIA, according to The Intercept , which said that recently the firm had shown an interest in biotechnology and DNA sequencing. In-Q-Tel published a blog post on September 22, which said: "Why the interest in a company like Colossal, which was … [Read more...] about CIA funding wooly mammoth de-extinction company

In the physical world, Iran’s authoritarian leaders answer to no one. They try, but often fail, to keep Iranians away from Western entertainment and news. Thanks to their rules, women are required to shroud their hair with head scarves, their bodies with loose clothing. On the internet, Iranians are often able to slip those bonds. They squeal over the Korean boy band BTS and the actor Timothée Chalamet. They post Instagram selfies: no head scarf, just hair. They can watch leaked videos of appalling conditions in Iranian prisons, inspect viral photos of the luxurious lives that senior officials’ children are leading abroad while the economy collapses at home, read about human rights abuses, swarm politicians with questions on Twitter and jeer their supreme leader, anonymously, in comments. “In one world, the government controlled everything, and people always had to hide what they think, what they want, what they like, what they enjoy in their real life,” said Mohammad Mosaed, … [Read more...] about Despite Iran’s Efforts to Block Internet, Technology Has Helped Fuel Outrage

Conservative figures have accused YouTube of political censorship after the video hosting platform removed an interview with Donald Trump over "misinformation." In July, the former president appeared on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show , with the interview still available to watch on Facebook and on the podcast's website. However, the interview has been pulled from YouTube, with a message on the site stating that the video had violated its community guidelines. In a series of tweets, Travis said YouTube took down the video for "misinformation" without giving further details. "How does censoring interviews with political leaders aid any voters or democracy itself? This is scary. When have political censors ever been on the right side of history?" Travis tweeted. "Voters should be able to see everything that any political figure says in public in order to judge for themselves whether they want to support or not support that person. That's democracy itself. YouTube … [Read more...] about Donald Trump interview removed by YouTube decried as “insane” censorship

On the occasion of the celebration of 75 years of India’s Independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav , the Government of India under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi was able to inoculate over a billion people with more than 217 crore vaccination doses across different age groups, diverse communities and regions within the span of 18 months after the general availability of vaccines. The task to vaccinate a billion Indians was enormous, especially when it took decades to vaccinate Indians against polio. India’s ability to achieve this is an indicator of the continued focus on technology, public interest and innovation in addressing public health concerns on a national level and offering the digital solution and know-how to the international community built on the digital public infrastructure approach. How were we able to do this? It is a testament to the spirit of resilience, action, thoughtful leadership and comprehensive policy planning. Despite various hurdles and teething … [Read more...] about The Largest Vaccination Drive: Victory of People, Process and Technology

Just after three years of initial launch, Google has decided to shut down Stadia, it’s cloud gaming platform. Now, there’s one thing that demands our attention -The promise of better ‘Games As A Service’ and is it enough of a reason to stray away from the very notion that makes gaming fun? WATCH VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Review: The Only Choice For Team Android! I believe, for cloud gaming to have a future, companies need to double down on making quality games. It’s the games that make a platform, not the other way around. We’ve seen companies like Sony and Nintendo focus primarily on their first-party lineup to build an impressive lineup of games. Can you imagine PlayStation without God of War, Uncharted or Crash Bandicoot? Or let’s say, Nintendo without Mario or the Zelda games? No, right? Despite not launching in India, the Nintendo Switch has found an audience and continues to sell well. Yes, it’s a physical console meant for a tangible experience, but let’s get … [Read more...] about With Google Stadia Dead, Does Cloud Gaming Have A Future?

Prime Minister Narenda Modi will launch 5G services in India on October 1 at 10 AM. The three major telecom operators– Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea will demonstrate one use case each in front of the Prime Minister to show the potential of 5G technology in India. Reliance Jio will connect a teacher from a school in Mumbai with students in three different locations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Odisha. This will demonstrate how 5G will facilitate education by bringing teachers closer to students, obliviating the physical distance between them. It will demonstrate the power of Augmented Reality (AR) on screen and how that is being used to teach children across the country, remotely, without the need of an AR device. Watch Video: Reliance Jio 5G Announced: What is Jio True 5G And All Details In the Airtel demo, a girl from Uttar Pradesh will witness a lively and immersive education experience to learn about the solar system with the help of Virtual reality and Augmented reality. … [Read more...] about PM Modi To Launch 5G On October 1: Here’s How Jio, Airtel, Vi Will Introduce 5G In India