AI was used to write the California bar exam. The law community is outraged. | Mashable

April 25, 2025April 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You’ve heard of AI models taking the bar exam, but this time, AI also helped write the questions.

The State Bar of California revealed on Monday that it used AI to develop a portion of its exam questions, according to the LA Times. The AI-generated exam questions were created by an independent psychometrician called ACS Ventures hired by the State Bar. The questions were “developed with the assistance of AI and subsequently reviewed by content validation panels and a subject matter expert in advance of the exam,” announced the State Bar in a statement addressing technical glitches and question errors that test takers had previously complained about.

iPhone 17 Air video leak reveals incredibly thin design | Mashable

April 25, 2025April 24, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new video purports to show off what the iPhone 17 Air will look like in your hands. Spoiler alert: You’re going to want to see this.

The rumored super-thin model of the upcoming iPhone 17 appeared in dummy model form in a new video from Unbox Therapy on YouTube, via 9to5Mac. In the video, host Lewis George Hilsenteger takes a look at dummy models allegedly from manufacturers in China of various new iPhones, but the iPhone 17 Air is the one you really ought to see. If the leak proves to be legitimate, then the Air could be even thinner than expected.

Smartphones and computers are now exempt from Trump’s latest tariffs | CNN Business

April 24, 2025April 23, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Electronics imported to the United States will be exempt from President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, according to a US Customs and Border Protection notice posted late Friday.

Smartphones, computer monitors and various electronic parts are among the exempted products. The exemption applies to products entering the United States or removed from warehouses as early as April 5, according to the notice. The exemption, which comes after the Trump administration on Wednesday imposed a minimum tariff rate of 145% on Chinese goods imported to the United States, does not include the 20% tariff on Chinese goods for the country’s role in the fentanyl trade. The tariff exemption would have a major impact on tech giants like Apple, which make iPhones and other products in China.

Google faces $6.6 billion lawsuit in Britain for alleged abuse of dominance in online search | CNN Business

April 24, 2025April 23, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google is being sued in Britain for potential damages of up to £5 billion ($6.6 billion) in a class action alleging the company abused its dominant market position in online search. The class action, filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal Tuesday, argues that Google’s actions enabled it to charge higher prices for the advertisements that appear in search inquiries than it otherwise could in a competitive market. It said the US company, owned by Alphabet (GOOGL), contracted phone makers to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser on Android devices and paid Apple to make it the default search engine on iPhones, with the intention of shutting out competition.

Career Risks Worth Taking | businessnewsdaily.com

April 23, 2025April 22, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Taking a leap of faith is risky, especially with something as important as your career. But some risks are worth taking. If you play your cards right, you could achieve more than you ever thought possible. Although a career risk may not be easy, here are four that are often worth taking.

4 career risks worth taking

If you’re thinking about making any one of these big career moves, it could be well worth the risk.

1. Choosing a job based on culture rather than salary

When choosing between two jobs, you might be tempted to take the one accompanied by the higher salary. Although you want a job that pays enough to cover your expenses, money isn’t always the most important aspect of a job, and you shouldn’t accept a role based on salary alone. A higher salary often comes with higher demands, and that doesn’t always equate to a good working experience.

Should You Send a Late Account to Collections? | Business News Daily

April 23, 2025April 22, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The decision to send someone to collections is one that should be given serious consideration. Federal law governs how you and the collection agencies you hire can and cannot attempt to collect a debt.

In this guide, we explain the rules you should follow to keep your business out of hot water when pursuing unpaid debts, and we walk you through how to send someone to collections while complying with the law.

What does it mean to send someone to collections?

To send someone to collections means to hire a collection agency to recover the person’s unpaid debt to you. If you’re trying to reach a nonpaying client or customer yourself through your usual communication channels, or you’ve sent a client several letters stating their account is past due, doesn’t mean that’s sending them to collections.

How to Use a Planner Effectively | LifeHack

April 22, 2025April 21, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For many of us, the chaos of modern life feels like a treadmill set at an impossible pace….

You’re racing through your day, juggling a dozen tasks at once. Deadlines are breathing down your neck, and you’re constantly reacting to the urgent rather than focusing on what’s truly important. Sounds familiar?

But what if there was a way out?

A planner. It’s not just another fancy notebook. It’s a tool that promises a way out of the tumult.

How to Deal with Competing Priorities Effectively | LifeHack

April 22, 2025April 21, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the bustling landscape of today’s work environment, where demands are like tectonic plates — constantly shifting and overlapping — mastering the art of managing competing priorities is an essential skill to have.

Think of the remote worker, whose living room doubles as an office and a classroom for their kids, or the freelance designer, juggling the visions of multiple clients, all of whom consider their project to be the utmost priority. Or perhaps the small business owner, who must balance the books, manage staff, and innovate, all while keeping customers delighted….

These scenarios are not exceptions; they’re our new daily realities, and they can resonate like a steady drumbeat of stress in the minds of many.

How tariffs could change the way Americans buy video games | Fast Company

April 21, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a time where tariff price hikes are invading seemingly every element of life, diving into a video game could offer a welcome reprieve, both spiritually and fiscally. Digital video games do not require materials, shipping, or manufacturing costs, allowing them to cross borders without incurring extra fees. And the video game industry has been shifting to digital long before Trump’s so-called Liberation Day.

“In terms of software, PC gaming is now overwhelmingly digital, and physical versions are largely obsolete,” says Manu Rosier, market intelligence director at Newzoo. “We do not expect tariffs to significantly impact the price of video game software.”

In Colorado, gas could soon come with a warning label | Fast Company

April 21, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Centennial State may become first in the nation to require retailers to warn consumers that burning fossil fuels “releases air pollutants and greenhouse gases, known by the state of Colorado to be linked to significant health impacts and global heating.”

The warning is the linchpin of a bill—HB25-1277—that narrowly passed the state House on April 2 and is scheduled to be heard in the Senate’s Transportation & Energy Committee this week. Its Democratic sponsors say the bill will raise awareness among consumers that combusting gas in their vehicles creates pollutants that harm their health and trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to more intense and extreme weather, wildfires, and drought.