List of All Articles with Tag 'tech'

By Raphael Satter and Zeba Siddiqui NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -The FBI said on Wednesday it was investigating a cybersecurity

Caesars Entertainment Inc. paid tens of millions of dollars to hackers who broke into the company’s systems in

By Dietrich Knauth NEW YORK Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX received U.S. court permission on Wednesday to liquidate cryptocurrency

Tesla engineers were so upset with the design of the company’s Cybertruck pickup truck that they secretly crafted alternative designs, according to the firm’s chief designer. Speaking to Walter Isaacson, whose biography on Tesla boss Elon Musk came out this week, Franz von Holzhausen said the unconventional shape of the stainless steel truck caused dissent among workers. The as-yet-unreleased Cybertruck takes inspiration from the pointy design of the 1960s Lotus Esprit, as well as video games and sci-fi movies. “A majority of people in this studio hated it,” said chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. “They were like, ‘You can’t be serious.’ They didn’t want to have anything to do with it. It was just too weird.” After seeing a full-size mock-up of the futuristic pick-up truck, some designers began secretly designing an alternative version. A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Musk was reportedly adamant from the outset that the design of the electric pickup truck would “look like the future” and refused to concede to more conventional design ideas. “We’re not doing a traditional boring truck,” Mr Musk said during one meeting in October 2018. “We can always do that later. I want to build something that’s cool. Like, don’t resist me.” The biography, which saw Mr Isaacson shadow Mr Musk for two years, also revealed other instances of Tesla employees keeping projects alive, even after it had been officially scrapped. After the Tesla boss became disinterested in developing a $25,000 mass-market car, repeatedly vetoing the idea in meetings, Mr von Holzhausen reportedly kept the concept alive as a “shadow project”. His biographer describes Mr Musk as “fiercely stubborn” with a “reality-distorting wilfulness and a readiness to run roughshod over naysayers”. The Tesla Cybertruck was first unveiled to the public at an event in November 2019, offering people the chance to reserve one with a $100 deposit. More than 200,000 orders were received within the first three days, according to Mr Musk, however it has taken until this year for production to actually begin. The first deliveries to customers are expected to take place later this year. Read More Elon Musk makes prediction for imminent Starship launch Volcano discovery could power electric cars for decades, scientists say Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition Elon Musk became ‘anti-woke’ because of his daughter’s gender transition, book claims

Apple has held its biggest event of the year, announcing four new iPhones and two new Apple Watches. The livestreamed event saw no mention of Macs, Apple TVs or iPads. But some products were even more rejected than that: being discontinued during the event, or after it. That includes the smaller iPhones, all leather accessories and some products with the Lightning connector that was removed from the new phones. Here’s everything that was discontinued during the event. iPhone Mini In 2020, Apple released a phone that was incredibly exciting to some: a smaller model, at 5.4-inches, which it referred to as the iPhone 12 Mini. A year later came its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Mini. Some people may have liked them a lot – but not enough people did. Last year, Apple didn’t announce a follow-up model in the iPhone 14 range, and instead launched the iPhone 14 Plus. But the iPhone 13 Mini stuck around in the line-up, until the iPhone 15 event. Now it is gone, and it doesn’t look like anything is replacing it. Other iPhones have also been removed from the line-up: the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, and the iPhone 12. They all have direct replacements, however, in the form of the previous year’s model. Lightning accessories Perhaps the biggest news for the new iPhones was the switch away from the Lightning cable, used for more than a decade, and its replacement with USB-C. Apple had initially resisted the switch, but after the European Union forced it to change, it relented and presented it as a selling point during the event. That switch, however, means that some Lightning accessories have been removed. That includes, for instance, the MagSafe charging pack that Apple released with the iPhone 12, presumably because it had a Lightning connector at the bottom. It is unclear whether they will be coming back, with a USB-C port or any other changes. But they are no longer on the store. (Some Lightning accessories are still here, however, for now. The mouse and keyboard that comes with the iMac still plugs in that way, for instance.) And lightning AirPods The AirPods have also been moved to USB-C, and so the old ones have left the market. Apple presented this as a straightforward upgrade during its event – though after the fact it has emerged that the new AirPods are actually new in other ways, with support for lossless audio and better dust protection. The silent switch The switch has been on the side of the phone in some form since the very first iPhone. And now it is gone, at least in the Pro line-up. Instead, Apple has swapped it for the “action button”. That can still be used for muting – and by default it is set that way – but it can be changed to do other actions, too. The switch is still around in the normal, cheaper iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. But given that those tend to get many of the innovations from the previous years’ model, expect it to be removed fully in next year’s iPhones. Leather accessories Apple focused on sustainability a lot during its event. And the star announcement of that focus was the removal of leather from Apple’s line-up. It will make no new accessories out of the material, it said – though some will still be available, they are being phased out. Apple said that was because of their environmental impact, not mentioning ethical concerns. Instead, Apple has launched a range of new Apple Watch straps and iPhone cases in a new material, named FineWoven. It says that it will do the same job but with “significantly lower emissions”. Read More The iPhone has gone all grown-up. Here’s why we should be grateful Why Apple getting rid of lightning cable iPhone charger is a big deal France bans Apple iPhone 12 sales due to ‘too high radiation’ Here’s the brand new Apple Watch Apple to stop using leather in all new products Apple is changing the plug on the bottom of your iPhone

Elon Musk contracted malaria while on safari in South Africa in 2000 and almost died, a new biography has claimed. Walter Isaacson detailed the billionaire’s near-death experience in a new biography published this week. Mr Musk contracted malaria during a holiday in South Africa after being ousted as CEO of PayPal by Peter Thiel in October 2000. It was Mr Musk’s first time back in his native South Africa since leaving for Canada aged 17, Mr Isaacson wrote. During his trip, Mr Musk and his then-wife Justine Musk went to a game reserve. When he returned to California in January 2001, Mr Musk reportedly began to feel dizzy and experienced recurring waves of chills and started throwing up in an emergency room, leading to him being wrongly diagnosed with viral meningitis. The billionaire’s condition worsened until his “pulse was barely perceptible,” according to the book. Mr Musk was only diagnosed with malaria after a doctor with expertise in infectious diseases passed by his bed at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City and realized he had a potentially fatal form of the disease that can affect the central nervous system or cause “acute respiratory distress,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mr Isaacson described how it took Mr Musk five months to fully recover after he was put in intensive care for 10 days and treated with doxycycline and chloroquine. An email written by the head of human resources at X.com — later Paypal — to Mr Musk’s former business partners Peter Thiel and Max Levchin described how he was “actually only hours from death,” the biography revealed. The Tesla CEO’s mother Maye Musk described the ordeal as “terrifying”. “I remember your malaria infection very clearly. You were unconscious, yellow and shivering for days. Tubes were going in and out of you. It was a terrifying time. Modern medicine saved you,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. While he was in hospital, Mr Musk’s then-colleagues found he’d taken out a life insurance policy worth $100 million on behalf of X.com. “If he had died, all of our financial problems were going to be solved,” Mr Thiel reportedly told Isaacson. Mr Musk told Isaacson: “Vacations will kill you. Also, South Africa – that place is still trying to destroy me.” The tech mogul co-founded online bank X.com in 1999. The company merged with another payment system, Confinity, which was co-founded by Thiel and Levchin, and was renamed PayPal. Isaacson was given access to the Tesla and SpaceX CEO over the past two years, which culminated in Mr Musk’s biography being published this week. The writer spoke with several figures close to Mr Musk while writing the biography, including his ex-girlfriend Grimes and his former wives Tallulah Riley and Justine Musk, as well as his estranged father. So far, the book has also claimed Musk and Grimes secretly welcomed a third child, in addition to X and their 22-month-old daughter Exa Dark Sideræl. However, it was not immediately clear when their second son, named Techno Mechanicus or “Tau”, was born. In the biography, Isaacson also writes that the tech mogul’s brother Kimbal Musk and his friends “hated” ex-girlfriend and actor Amber Heard so intensely, it “made their distaste for Justine [Musk’s first wife] pale”. One review by The New York Times said Isaacson’s biography stitches together a portrait of a Mr Musk as a “mercurial ‘man-child’”. Read More Grimes says Elon Musk was ‘clueless’ about why she was upset by C-section photo Elon Musk ‘hardly remembers’ his own ‘demon-like’ episodes, biographer claims Book Review: 'Elon Musk' offers a revealing but not surprising portrait of tech mogul Elon Musk makes prediction for imminent Starship launch Twitter rival Bluesky hits new milestone Putin praises Musk days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack

By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Justice Department questioned a former Google executive about billion-dollar deals with mobile carriers and

With the rise of AI, this technology is also now also impacting the workplace with a new AI-Q boosting career trend emerging as a result, according to LinkedIn. Despite the fact LinkedIn research found that over a third (36 per cent) of Brits admit feeling overwhelmed by AI, employees are embracing the tech, with 57 per cent saying they want to learn more. One example of this is over half (56 per cent) have already taken steps to boost their ‘AI-Q’, mainly through practical experience - including experimenting with GenAI tools such as ChatGPT (22 per cent) - as two thirds (65 per cent) believe AI is going to help advance their career. To help employees boost their AI-Q, LinkedIn has unlocked the most popular AI courses for free until the end of the year - you can find the full list here. Brits boosting their ‘AI-Q’ score British workers are eager to tackle this challenge head-on, but some employers are yet to keep up with a technology that has left people feeling overwhelmed, The majority (66 per cent) of UK workers have been provided with no formal AI training, and 45 per cent want to learn more, even if they don’t know where to start. Over half (56 per cent) have already taken steps to boost their ‘AI-Q’, through practical experience - including experimenting with Gen AI tools such as Chat GPT (22 per cent) - or reaching out to friends and colleagues for advice (16 per cent). Yet still, many feel that they’re falling behind. In terms of AI knowledge, 30 per cent - of professionals think their colleagues know more about AI than they do, and over a quarter (26 per cent) have even pretended they know more about AI to appear ‘in the know’ in front of teammates, showing there is still a confidence gap to be bridged. Career benefits are front of mind Brits are boosting their AI-Q with a clear goal in mind - to advance their careers and a whopping 76 per cent say they are excited to use AI in their work, while 65 per cent believe it will help move their career forward. The research finds that UK workers see AI as a tool that will help them focus on what they do best and be more productive. Half (51 per cent) are planning to use AI to say goodbye to boring work tasks, and 42 per cent admit it will spare them their blushes as they can use AI tools to answer the questions they’re too embarrassed to ask their colleagues. A further 40 per cent plan to help solve conflicts by asking advice on difficult scenarios at work. Employees predict interpersonal skills such as communication (48 per cent), adaptability (48 per cent) and problem-solving (46 per cent) will become even more important as AI grows in prominence. And with LinkedIn’s own data showing that since November last year, there has been a 21x global increase in English-language jobs mentioning new AI technologies such as Chat GPT, feeling more comfortable with AI could be an important step for those looking to develop their career. LinkedIn Career Expert, Charlotte Davies, says: “Hot off the heels of the pandemic, once again professionals are adapting to another wave of change as AI becomes more prominent in the workplace. It’s understandable that getting up to speed can feel overwhelming, but it’s positive to see people are embracing the shift and focusing on the many benefits AI technology can bring to their working lives, including more time to focus on the work they care about and helping with career progression. It’s also clear that people are eager to learn more about AI. We’re seeing a significant increase in conversations on LinkedIn, with members already adding AI skills to their profiles, but our data also highlights the enormous value of soft skills and how important these will be for the future as we continue to navigate this new tech and the change it brings.” Top tips Whether you’re AI-advanced or AI-anxious, taking the plunge can help you in your career and job, and LinkedIn’s Career Expert Charlotte Davies shares some advice to get you started: Learn the lingo: Having the language to talk about and understand AI will put you ahead of the curve. Study up on popular AI skills with resources like LinkedIn Learning where you can find the most popular AI courses unlocked for free until the end of the year. A good place to start is with How to Research and Write using generative AI, and What is generative AI and you can find the full list here. Embrace the experts and tap into your network: Reach out to your network to share learnings and stay up to speed on AI by following thought leaders and subject matter experts on LinkedIn, including Allie Millerand Greg Coquillo. Sharpen up your soft skills: Don’t underestimate the importance of showcasing your soft skills as AI continues to change the way we work. LinkedIn data in our AI at Work report shows that the skills required for many global jobs have changed by a staggering 25% since 2015, and with AI accelerating these shifts, people can expect their jobs to change even more quickly, with the skills required for many jobs will change by reaching at least 65% by 2030.The top skills anticipated to be most in demand: problem solving, strategic thinking and time management. Take advantage of existing tools: Use AI tools already available to you on LinkedIn including collaborative articles — knowledge topics published by LinkedIn with insights and perspectives added by the LinkedIn community. These articles begin as AI-powered conversation starters, developed with our editorial team. Next, with the help of LinkedIn's Skills Graph, the team connects each article with subject experts who contribute with their advice and insights. Microsoft’s WorkLab Guides also give helpful tips from how to use AI to dominate your task list to how to make in-person time count for your team Acknowledge your AI worries: It’s okay to feel a little nervous or overwhelmed with new technology! People felt similarly when the internet was introduced and it’s important to remember that these changes don’t happen overnight. These are long-term changes and you can do the work to be part of the change, not just be impacted by the change of AI. 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Battery components maker Sunrise New Energy said on Wednesday that it had received interest for its products from

Apple is fighting France's claims that the iPhone 12 surpasses European radiation exposure limits after French regulators on Tuesday ordered a pause on sales and a fix to phones already sold to customers.

AMSTERDAM A Dutch group on Wednesday filed a subpoena against social media company X Corp, formerly known as

US filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has shared a spectacular glimpse inside the Las Vegas Sphere, ahead of his film's opening there on 6 October. The Sphere contains the 'largest screen on Earth' and has 160,000 speakers, which will play his film 'Postcard From Earth', which celebrates the natural beauty of the planet. “At times you forget where you are,” Aronofsky says. In the clip, a huge elephant can be seen towering over him, giving a full 360-degree experience. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter