Facebook became Meta one year ago. Its metaverse dream feels as far away as ever | CNN Business

October 31, 2022October 30, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Even by Facebook’s standards, 2021 was a rough year.

A series of damning reports based on leaks from a whistleblower raised uncomfortable questions about Facebook’s impact on society; the company continued reeling from concerns about the use of its platform to organize the January 6 Capitol riot; and privacy changes from Apple threatened its core advertising business. Meanwhile, young users were flocking to TikTok.

At a virtual reality event on October 28, 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to turn the page. Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would change its name to Meta and go all in on building a future version of the internet called the “metaverse,” proving to all in the process that the company he launched in 2004 was more than just a social media business.

One year and billions of dollars later, the so-called metaverse still feels years away, if it ever manifests at all. And the company formerly known as Facebook remains very much a social media business — one that is facing more financial pressure than when it announced the change.

Netflix profile transfer email: Scam? Real? What to know | Fast Company

October 26, 2022October 25, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Netflix has announced the rollout of a new feature that allows the user profiles listed under one account to be moved to their own account. While the new profile-transfer ability can make it easier for users who want to move to their own account, some users are blasting the feature after receiving an email announcing its launch. Here’s what you need to know.

Ukrainians told to ‘charge everything’ as power grid hit by Russia | BBC News

October 20, 2022October 19, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Ukraine’s national energy company has urged citizens to “charge everything” by 07:00 (04:00 GMT) Thursday because of expected power cuts caused by Russian missile strikes.

Energy plants were hit by Russian missiles again on Wednesday – part of a wave of such strikes since 10 October.

Outages of up to four hours at a time will affect the whole country on Thursday, grid operator Ukrenergo said.

Phones, power banks, torches and batteries need to be charged, it urged.

Tesla Q3 revenue falls short of expectations, while energy unit shows growth | TechCrunch

October 20, 2022October 19, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tesla reported Wednesday reported revenue of $21.45 billion in the third quarter, another record-setting period that still missed analysts expectations.

Shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading following the earnings release.

Tesla’s net income for the third quarter was $3.3 billion nearly double the $1.62 billion it earned in the same period last year. The company said profits were squeezed by increases in raw material costs as well as issues ramping up production at its Germany and Texas factories as well as 4680 battery cell production. Tesla also cited a strengthening dollar as another factor in its third quarter results.

NASA will attempt a moon launch in November. So will someone else. | Mashable

October 19, 2022October 17, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

November could be a hectic month for launches to the moon.

Yes, that’s “launches,” plural.

If there were any skepticism on whether the world has entered a new space race, the dueling lunar-bound liftoffs coming next month could be the smoking gun. After NASA waived-off two launch attempts in late August and early September — followed by a delay courtesy of Hurricane Ian — the U.S. space agency will try again to send up its first Artemis mission on Nov. 14, with backup dates of Nov. 16 and 19.

4 Myths About In-Person Work, Dispelled | Harvard Business Review

October 12, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Employee engagement has reached frightening lows in just about every industry, which understandably has leaders deeply worried and looking for answers to see them through the Great Reshuffle. All of this trouble started, so the logic often goes, when the pandemic forced many into remote work and we stopped being together. Surely bringing people back to working side by side and returning to in-person gatherings like learning events is the magical solution. Right?

Not quite. For starters, surveys consistently show that people are looking for more flexibility and choice about where they work, not less. The ability to work remotely has become more valued than ever before, and that’s not going away, particularly given that these trends are significantly stronger among younger workers.

The Google Pixel Tablet is a bad idea that might just work | Digital Trends

October 11, 2022October 10, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google is bringing a strange new addition to its Pixel line of products next year: an Android tablet. Though the company has been building up to a Pixel Watch for years with back-to-back acquisitions, the Pixel Tablet seemingly came out of nowhere when it was initially teased at Google I/O in May. And during Google’s hardware event for the Pixel 7, we got an even better glimpse at it.

Although the Android tablet niche is one that’s struggled for a while, Google is taking an interesting approach with the Pixel Tablet. In addition to functioning as a “normal” tablet, Google is also positioning the Pixel Tablet as a dashboard for its ecosystem of smart home appliances. Google’s recent history with large-screen devices is nothing short of a mess, leading me to believe the Pixel Tablet is destined for failure. But it’s also a bad idea that just might work.

Samsung warns of 32% hit to profits on chip slump | BBC News

October 10, 2022October 9, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Technology giant Samsung has warned of a 32% slide in its profits as demand for electronic devices and the memory chips that power them shrinks due to the global economic slowdown.

The South Korean company estimates its quarterly operating profit was about 10.8tn won ($7.6bn; £6.9bn).

On Thursday, US chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also said it was hit by a fall in demand for computers.

It comes as people cut back on purchases as the cost of living rises.

Samsung’s profits from its microprocessor-making business suffered as the global price of memory chips plunged due to weakening demand for consumer electronics.

Source: Read More

Recalled EV? Automakers shouldn’t get to count it toward fleetwide fuel economy | TechCrunch

October 10, 2022October 9, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

ln February, I received a letter from Chrysler saying that our 2017 Pacifica Hybrid was subject to a new recall. Several of the minivans had inexplicably caught fire and, given the evidence, the automaker suspected it might have to do with the high-voltage battery pack. The recall notice told us not to recharge the vehicle or park it near a house or garage — or any other building, for that matter.

The fix? The company didn’t have one nor could it tell me when it might.

Having covered recalls like this before, I figured we’d be in it for the long haul. And I was right. A few days ago, nearly eight months after the recall first went out, Stellantis, Chrysler’s parent company, said it had a fix. There would be a software update and dealers would inspect and replace any suspect batteries.

Troublingly, the automaker still hasn’t found what caused the dozen fires, but it said the fixes would prevent them from happening.

Swatted: A Shooting Hoax Spree Is Terrorizing Schools Across the US | WIRED

October 7, 2022October 6, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AT 1:15 PM on September 15, a man who identified himself as Tom Gomez called Sangamon County Central Dispatch in Illinois to report that two gunmen had shot a dozen students at Springfield High School. According to audio of the call obtained by WIRED, the man was specific. The caller, breathing heavily, told dispatchers that he was locked inside a math classroom with other students and that the two men, both dressed in blue pants and green jackets, were killing students in the adjacent classroom: room 219.

Within five minutes, Springfield Police were at the high school’s second floor, descending on the room where they were told a mass murder had occurred. The problem is that, according to police records, Springfield High doesn’t have a room 219. In fact, there was no shooting at all.