How the computer games industry is embracing AI | BBC News

May 3, 2024May 2, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Andrew Maximov has been working in the computer games industry for 12 years, but despite all that experience he still marvels at the amount of money spent on building the biggest titles.

“I used to work for PlayStation and the last game that I worked on, just production alone cost us $220 [£176m], and then you double that for marketing, and you are in half a billion dollars for every game that you put out there, which is a bit unsustainable for most companies.”

He believes that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a crucial role in keeping the soaring costs of game production down, and save video game designers vital time by automating repetitive tasks.

Google lays off staff from Flutter, Dart, and Python teams weeks before its developer conference | TechCrunch

May 2, 2024May 1, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Ahead of Google’s annual I/O developer conference in May, the tech giant has laid off staff across key teams like Flutter, Dart, Python and others, according to reports from affected employees shared on social media. Google confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch, but not the specific teams, roles or how many people were let go.

“As we’ve said, we’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” said Google spokesperson Alex García-Kummert. “To best position us for these opportunities, throughout the second half of 2023 and into 2024, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers, and align their resources to their biggest product priorities. Through this, we’re simplifying our structures to give employees more opportunity to work on our most innovative and important advances and our biggest company priorities, while reducing bureaucracy and layers,” he added.

UnitedHealthcare CEO says ‘maybe a third’ of US citizens were affected by recent hack | TechCrunch

May 2, 2024May 1, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Two months after hackers broke into Change Healthcare systems stealing and then encrypting company data, it’s still unclear how many Americans were impacted by the cyberattack.

Last month, Andrew Witty, the CEO of Change Healthcare’s parent company UnitedHealth Group, said that the stolen files include the personal health information of “a substantial proportion of people in America.”

On Wednesday, during a House hearing, when pushed to give a more definitive answer, Witty testified that the breach impacted “I think, maybe a third [of Americans] or somewhere of that level.”

Walmart Launches Bettergoods Food Brand With ‘Unique’ Flavors | Entrepreneur

May 1, 2024April 30, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Walmart announced on Tuesday that it is putting a new grocery label on the shelves called Bettergoods — the largest private food brand launched by the retailer in two decades.

The move could help Walmart hold on to higher-income shoppers who have flocked to the retailer in times of higher inflation by filling Walmart’s grocery aisles with 300 new products tailored to vegan, gluten-free, and adventurous dietary choices.

Bettergoods has three focus areas: plant-based goods like $3.44 oat milk ice cream, culinary flair foods like bronze cut pasta for $1.97 or jalapeño chowder for under $4, and “made without” foods, like gluten-free products

His Side Hustle Out-Earned His Day Job, Now Makes $1M a Year | Entrepreneur

May 1, 2024April 30, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Kyle Needham. In 2011, he co-founded Oyster Party with Samuel Keller. The company serves private parties, weddings and corporate events by shucking oysters on the half shell, popping up raw bars and seafood towers, providing caviar bumps and more. Oyster Party hosts pop-up events at Smorgasburg, in Manhattan’s FiDi neighborhood and the Hudson Valley and has expanded beyond New York to the Tri-State area.

What did your day-to-day look like before you started your side hustle?

Before I started Oyster Party, I worked for a wholesale seafood company in Manhattan and retail fish markets in Columbus Circle and Grand Central.

What inspired you to start your side hustle?

I started shucking oysters at parties throughout Brooklyn. My love for oysters really took off then because I had more access to them and began eating them regularly. The enthusiasm that people showed when they would eat them after I would shuck them was palpable and continues to be to this day.

How to change your Gmail password | Mashable

April 30, 2024April 29, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Be honest: Did you really forget your Gmail password? Or are you just making excuses to avoid checking your email?

We get it! The emails are coming, and they don’t stop coming. You’re always just one password memory slip away from internal peace. Emails can’t “find you well” if you can’t even get into your account, just sayin’.

Though we should still probably work on getting you back in there. What if there’s a pizza discount waiting for you or something?

Luckily, there are multiple ways to change your password and recover your account. You can also change your password from within your account, but we’ll get to that later.

Why use a VPN? | Mashable

April 30, 2024April 29, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Why use a VPN? Well, why not? It’s never been easier to become anonymous online, as you only need a reliable virtual private network (VPN).

Switching on a VPN is essential if you’re concerned about your privacy; it keeps hackers, trackers, and even your internet service provider (ISP) at bay by hiding your IP address. However, its true value lies in its ability to access all the internet has to offer.

You’re no longer bound by region-restricted content nor geo-blocked streaming services that keep you from watching your favorite movies; a VPN lets you be virtually anywhere in the world. There are plenty of VPN services out there, and some may be more suited to your needs than others. Our pick of the best VPNs covers all bases, but if you’re wondering why you need a VPN in the first place, read on.

The iPad Air is $200 off at Best Buy for one day only | Mashable

April 29, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new generation of iPad is hotly anticipated, and expected to finally drop on May 7th after its release was pushed back several months. In the meantime, the iPad Air 5th generation is still available, offering powerful performance at a lower price than the iPad Pro.

The already affordable model is now available at its lowest price thanks to this Best Buy deal of the day. Today only, you can save $200 on the 64 GB tablet. ‘

The iPad Air, which debuted in 2022, comes outfitted with an M1 chip that also powers the Apple Macbooks. In other words, this small tablet has all the power of a laptop in a compact size.

iOS 18 tipped to redesign 4 apps | Mashable

April 29, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The iOS 18 hype train is building up speed.

Apple’s next iteration of iPhone software is set to be announced at WWDC 2024 in June, but as always, we’re learning a lot about it ahead of time. The latest scoop comes from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who claimed in his latest Power On newsletter that four key iOS apps are getting revamped or redesigned for iOS 18.

Which iOS 18 apps are getting big changes?

According to Gurman, the following built-in apps are getting significant updates:

Fitness
Mail
Photos
Notes

Unfortunately, Gurman didn’t go into specific details about what to expect from the aforementioned changes. However, that doesn’t mean we’re completely out of luck. Thanks to leaks and industry whispers, we can make some educated guesses. Recent rumors suggest that the Notes app could get mathematical notation and built-in voice memos, putting it more on par with Microsoft’s OneNote app.

Net neutrality is back as FCC votes to regulate internet providers | CNN Business

April 26, 2024April 25, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US government on Thursday banned internet service providers (ISPs) from meddling in the speeds their customers receive when browsing the web and downloading files, restoring tough rules rescinded during the Trump administration and setting the stage for a major legal battle with the broadband industry.

The net neutrality regulations adopted Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission prohibit providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon from selectively speeding up, slowing down or blocking users’ internet traffic. They largely reflect rules passed by a prior FCC in 2015 and unwound in 2017.

The latest rules show how, with a 3-2 Democratic majority, the FCC is moving to reassert its authority over an industry that powers the modern digital economy, touching everything from education to health care and enabling advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.