Trump’s anti-EV rules aren’t stopping California’s electric truck boom—yet | Fast Company

January 30, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Wes Lowe uses so much Claritin that he started an Amazon subscription to avoid running out. His kids take two asthma medications. This reflects the normalcy of pollution in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where residents breathe some of the dirtiest air in the nation.

Lowe lives about 20 miles outside of Fresno, in the valley’s heart. More than a dozen highways, including Interstate 5, run through the region, carrying almost half of the state’s truck traffic. The sky is usually hazy, the air is often deemed hazardous, and 1 in 6 children live with asthma. “You don’t realize how bad it is until you leave,” Lowe said.

Compensation for AI Employees Is Skyrocketing | AllBusiness.com

January 29, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Over the past decade, compensation for artificial intelligence (AI) professionals has surged at an unprecedented pace, reshaping the talent market and redefining what employers must offer to attract and retain top-tier technical talent. As companies across nearly every sector race to integrate machine learning, automation, and generative AI into their operations, the demand for skilled AI engineers, researchers, and product leaders has vastly outstripped supply. The result is a compensation environment that is not only highly competitive, but increasingly aggressive.

What makes this shift especially striking is how rapidly it has accelerated. Even five years ago, AI roles commanded above-average compensation, but nowhere near the levels seen today. Now, seven-figure packages for senior AI experts are not only possible, they’re becoming increasingly common.

This surge is driven by a unique convergence of market forces: the explosion of generative AI capabilities, a shortage of qualified talent, escalating corporate reliance on AI strategy, and the emergence of new startup and investment ecosystems flush with capital. Together, these factors are pushing AI compensation to historic highs, with no signs of slowing down.

DocuSign Unveils AI-Driven eSignature Features to Simplify Agreements | Small Biz Trends

January 28, 2026January 26, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a move set to streamline the often tedious process of agreement handling, DocuSign has rolled out innovative AI-driven eSignature features aimed specifically at smoothing out the kinks for both signers and businesses. These enhancements promise not only to clarify confusing legal jargon but also to significantly cut down on the manual workload often associated with contract preparation—key points that may particularly pique the interest of small business owners.

The San Francisco-based company unveiled these advancements powered by their Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, targeting two common pain points in business agreements: dense legal language that complicates understanding and the cumbersome task of document preparation. The new features are intended to foster clarity and speed, ultimately benefiting small businesses that frequently navigate the complex landscape of contracts.

Microsoft has released an emergency Windows 11 update to fix crashing apps | Digital Trends

January 26, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Microsoft has pushed out another emergency update for Windows 11 after its latest monthly patch caused unexpected app crashes and system issues for users. What was meant to be a routine January security update quickly turned into a problem, with reports piling up about apps freezing, Outlook breaking, and cloud-synced files refusing to behave.

Some of the problems were serious enough that Microsoft even advised certain users to uninstall the update altogether. Now, Microsoft has stepped in again with a second out-of-band update, aiming to finally steady the ship.

Waymo triggers another probe over its robotaxis passing stopped school buses | Digital Trends

January 26, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into Waymo following multiple reports of its self-driving robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas. At least 19 such incidents have been reported since the start of the school year, with Waymo vehicles failing to obey state traffic laws meant to protect children getting on and off buses.

According to Reuters, these incidents occurred even after Waymo recalled more than 3,000 vehicles in December last year to update the software that caused the vehicles to drive past stopped school buses. This reportedly prompted the NTSB to launch its own probe.

UK households to get £15bn for solar and green tech to lower energy bills | BBC News

January 21, 2026January 20, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Households will be eligible for thousands of pounds’ worth of solar panels and other green tech to lower their energy bills, the government has announced.

The long-awaited Warm Homes Plan promises to provide £15bn to households across the UK over the next five years, as well as introducing new rights for renters.

The government has said it wants to create a “rooftop revolution”, tripling the number of homes with solar, and lifting one million people out of fuel poverty.

In an effort to protect young users, ChatGPT will now predict how old you are | TechCrunch

January 20, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In an effort to protect young users, ChatGPT will now predict how old you are

As concern for AI’s impact on young people continues to mount, OpenAI has introduced an “age prediction” feature into ChatGPT that is designed to help identify minors and put sensible content constraints on their conversations.

OpenAI has been heavily criticized in recent years for the impacts that ChatGPT can have on children. A number of teen suicides have been linked to the chatbot, and, like other AI vendors, OpenAI has also been criticized for allowing ChatGPT to discuss sexual topics with young users. Last April, the company was forced to address a bug that allowed its chatbot to generate erotica for users who were under the age of 18.

German Grocer Aldi Opens 180 Stores — Should Walmart Worry? | Entrepreneur

January 16, 2026January 13, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Aldi plans to open more than 180 stores in the U.S. this year, expanding onto the traditional turf of rival supermarkets. The German grocery chain is now the third-largest grocer in the country by store count, with 2,614 locations as of December 31, trailing only Walmart and Kroger. Last year was its biggest expansion since opening its first U.S. store in Iowa in 1976, with nearly 200 new locations.

Aldi’s growth comes as shoppers are ditching traditional grocery stores for discounters. Store traffic at Aldi rose 8% in 2025 compared to Costco’s 5.9%, Kroger’s 0.8% and Walmart’s 0.5%, according to Placer.ai. Even wealthy households are choosing cheaper options. The percentage of shoppers earning over $100,000 annually who spend most of their grocery budget at traditional stores dropped 7% year over year.