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.

Drive-Thru Workers Slam Pay-It-Forward Chains: ‘Tip Instead’ | Entrepreneur

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

Doing a kind deed for others is usually a good thing, but in certain situations, it could inadvertently make things worse for others involved.

And according to a former Starbucks barista, “pay-it-forward” chains are one of those things that employees would like you to stop. In a video that has now garnered over 2.4 million views, TikTok’er “Tiffany” explained to viewers why it’s best to “break the chain.”

Pay-it-forward lines are simple in concept — one customer gets to the register at a drive-thru and offers to pay for the person behind them, thus inciting a chain of customers paying for one another.

Meta Imposes Strict New Policy for Restructuring Workers | Entrepreneur

September 27, 2022September 25, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new report by the Wall Street Journal claims that Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, has told certain employees they must find another job within the company within a 30-day time limit or face termination during the company’s restructuring. Employees set to be terminated if they don’t find a new position internally have reporedtly been put on a “30-day list.”

The harsh push comes as the social media behemoth attempts to cut costs by 10%. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to WSJ that reports of the attempt to move around employees are accurate.

“We’ve been public about the need for our teams to shift to meet … challenges,” Tracy Clayton, spokesperson for Meta platforms, told the outlet.

Meta hit with lawsuits claiming Facebook uses loophole to get around Apple privacy rules, still tracks iPhone users | Mashable

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

Facebook and Instagram are using a sneaky loophole to collect Apple iPhone users’ data, according to two new class action lawsuits filed against the social network’s parent company, Meta.

According to the lawsuits, Meta has been injecting javascript tracking code into websites that users visit via the in-app browsers in Facebook and Instagram for iOS, but without user permission.

Walmart and Target push to lower credit card fees | CNN

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Frustrated by extra credit card fees when you shop?

A pair of bipartisan bills in Congress aim to lower the swipe fees, also known as interchange fees, that retailers pay every time a customer makes a purchase with their card. The effort is backed by retail giants including Walmart, (WMT) Target (TGT), and Kroger (KR), as well as convenience stores and independent grocers.

“Swipe fees for credit cards are higher in the United States than anywhere else in the industrialized world — more than seven times as high as Europe,” a coalition of businesses wrote in a letter to lawmakers last week. “They are an inflation multiplier.”