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Apple Scraps Work on Mac-Connected Augmented Reality Glasses
Apple Scraps Work on Mac-Connected Augmented Reality Glasses

The company shuttered the program this week, according to people with knowledge of the move. The now-canceled product would have looked like normal glasses but include built-in displays and require a connection to a Mac, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work wasn’t public. An Apple representative declined to comment.

The company shuttered the program this week, according to people with knowledge of the move. The now-canceled product would have looked like normal glasses but include built-in displays and require a connection to a Mac, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work wasn’t public. An Apple representative declined to comment.
#mbw
·bloomberg.com·
Apple Scraps Work on Mac-Connected Augmented Reality Glasses
OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research, nuclear weapons security
OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research, nuclear weapons security

OpenAI on Thursday said the U.S. National Laboratories will be using its latest artificial intelligence models for scientific research and nuclear weapons security.

Under the agreement, up to 15,000 scientists working at the National Laboratories may be able to access OpenAI’s reasoning-focused o1 series. OpenAI will also work with Microsoft , its lead investor, to deploy one of its models on Venado, the supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to a release. Venado is powered by technology from Nvidia and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise .

OpenAI on Thursday said the U.S. National Laboratories will be using its latest artificial intelligence models for scientific research and nuclear weapons security.Under the agreement, up to 15,000 scientists working at the National Laboratories may be able to access OpenAI’s reasoning-focused o1 series. OpenAI will also work with Microsoft, its lead investor, to deploy one of its models on Venado, the supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to a release. Venado is powered by technology from Nvidia and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
#1017#twig#ai
·cnbc.com·
OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research, nuclear weapons security
The return of ‘OG Facebook’ is a big Meta priority this year - 9to5Mac
The return of ‘OG Facebook’ is a big Meta priority this year - 9to5Mac

Facebook is used by more than 3 billion monthly actives and we’re focused on growing its cultural influence. I’m excited this year to get back to some OG Facebook.

I think that there are a lot of opportunities to make it way more culturally influential than it is today. And I think that that’s sort of a fun and interesting goal that will take our product development in some interesting directions that we maybe haven’t had a focus on it as much over the last several years.

Facebook is used by more than 3 billion monthly actives and we’re focused on growing its cultural influence. I’m excited this year to get back to some OG Facebook. This comment about ‘OG Facebook’ was at first made with no further details. But later in the call, the CEO was asked to share more. Per Meta’s official transcript, he explained: I think that there are a lot of opportunities to make it way more culturally influential than it is today. And I think that that’s sort of a fun and interesting goal that will take our product development in some interesting directions that we maybe haven’t had a focus on it as much over the last several years.
#1017#twig
·9to5mac.com·
The return of ‘OG Facebook’ is a big Meta priority this year - 9to5Mac
Microsoft makes OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model free for all Copilot users
Microsoft makes OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model free for all Copilot users

Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model to all Copilot users this week. You won’t need to subscribe to a $20 monthly Copilot Pro or ChatGPT Plus plan to get it either, as Microsoft is making it free for all users of Copilot.

Think Deeper, as Microsoft calls its integration of o1, works by allowing Copilot to handle more complex questions. You can tap the Think Deeper button inside Copilot, and it will take around 30 seconds to “consider your question from all angles and perspectives.”

Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model to all Copilot users this week. You won’t need to subscribe to a $20 monthly Copilot Pro or ChatGPT Plus plan to get it either, as Microsoft is making it free for all users of Copilot.Think Deeper, as Microsoft calls its integration of o1, works by allowing Copilot to handle more complex questions. You can tap the Think Deeper button inside Copilot, and it will take around 30 seconds to “consider your question from all angles and perspectives.”
#1017#ww#twig#ai
·theverge.com·
Microsoft makes OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model free for all Copilot users
Microsoft announces Intel-powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7
Microsoft announces Intel-powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7

The Surface Laptop 7 for businesses will be available starting at $1,499.99, which is $500 more than the starting price of the Qualcomm variant. Two different screen sizes will be available: 13.8-inch and a larger 15-inch model, and both can be configured with Intel Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 chips, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. Microsoft is promising up to 14 hours of battery life (based on active web usage) on the 15-inch model and up to 12 hours on the 13.8-inch variant. These estimates are only an hour behind the same figures Microsoft provides for the Qualcomm versions of the Surface Laptop 7.

The Surface Laptop 7 for businesses will be available starting at $1,499.99, which is $500 more than the starting price of the Qualcomm variant. Two different screen sizes will be available: 13.8-inch and a larger 15-inch model, and both can be configured with Intel Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 chips, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. Microsoft is promising up to 14 hours of battery life (based on active web usage) on the 15-inch model and up to 12 hours on the 13.8-inch variant. These estimates are only an hour behind the same figures Microsoft provides for the Qualcomm versions of the Surface Laptop 7.
#1017#ww
·theverge.com·
Microsoft announces Intel-powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7
Super Bowl Sundays are really noisy everywhere in the US – Apple
Super Bowl Sundays are really noisy everywhere in the US – Apple

On average, across the US, we saw about a 1.5 to 3 decibel increase in noise levels among participants during the past four Super Bowl games compared to levels on the Sunday following the game. The average for the 2021 to 2024 Super Bowls [shows] this increase started about 3 hours before the game started and lasted about 3 hours after the game ended.

On average, across the US, we saw about a 1.5 to 3 decibel increase in noise levels among participants during the past four Super Bowl games compared to levels on the Sunday following the game. The average for the 2021 to 2024 Super Bowls [shows] this increase started about 3 hours before the game started and lasted about 3 hours after the game ended.
#mbw#1017
·9to5mac.com·
Super Bowl Sundays are really noisy everywhere in the US – Apple
DeepSeek's AI success is overshadowed by a serious security breach
DeepSeek's AI success is overshadowed by a serious security breach
Over a million log entries, containing chat history, secret keys, and backend details, were left unprotected in the exposed database. Worse, the database allowed full administrative control without authentication, making it a goldmine for potential attackers.The exposed data included API secrets, internal logs, and even plaintext chat messages, posing a severe risk to both DeepSeek and its users. Wiz researchers responsibly disclosed the issue to DeepSeek, which promptly secured the database.
Over a million log entries, containing chat history, secret keys, and backend details, were left unprotected in the exposed database. Worse, the database allowed full administrative control without authentication, making it a goldmine for potential attackers. The exposed data included API secrets, internal logs, and even plaintext chat messages, posing a severe risk to both DeepSeek and its users. Wiz researchers responsibly disclosed the issue to DeepSeek, which promptly secured the database.
#1017#twig#ai
·appleinsider.com·
DeepSeek's AI success is overshadowed by a serious security breach
Streaming prices climb in 2025 after already surpassing inflation rates
Streaming prices climb in 2025 after already surpassing inflation rates

Deloitte's 2024 Digital Media Trends report found that 48 percent of the 3,517 US consumers it surveyed said that they would cancel their favorite streaming video-on-demand service if the price went up by $5.

Deloitte's 2024 Digital Media Trends report found that 48 percent of the 3,517 US consumers it surveyed said that they would cancel their favorite streaming video-on-demand service if the price went up by $5.
#twig#1017
·arstechnica.com·
Streaming prices climb in 2025 after already surpassing inflation rates
DeepSeek Shows Meta’s A.I. Strategy Is Working
DeepSeek Shows Meta’s A.I. Strategy Is Working

“Our open source strategy was validated,” said Ragavan Srinivasan, a Meta vice president, in an interview on Tuesday. “The more people who have access to the technology needed to move things forward faster, the better.”

Meta is also taking a close look at the work done at DeepSeek. Following Meta’s lead, the Chinese company released its technology to the open source tech community as well. Meta has created several “war rooms” where employees are reverse engineering DeepSeek’s technology, according to two people familiar with the effort who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“Our open source strategy was validated,” said Ragavan Srinivasan, a Meta vice president, in an interview on Tuesday. “The more people who have access to the technology needed to move things forward faster, the better.”Meta is also taking a close look at the work done at DeepSeek. Following Meta’s lead, the Chinese company released its technology to the open source tech community as well. Meta has created several “war rooms” where employees are reverse engineering DeepSeek’s technology, according to two people familiar with the effort who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
#twig#ai
·nytimes.com·
DeepSeek Shows Meta’s A.I. Strategy Is Working
23andMe might sell itself as it runs out of money
23andMe might sell itself as it runs out of money

In a press release on Tuesday, the company said it needs additional liquidity to fund its operations and that “management has determined that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

Following the news, 23andMe’s stock — which already fell 82% last year — dropped another 10% in after-hours trading and was briefly halted.

In a press release on Tuesday, the company said it needs additional liquidity to fund its operations and that “management has determined that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.” AdvertisementFollowing the news, 23andMe’s stock — which already fell 82% last year — dropped another 10% in after-hours trading and was briefly halted.Advertisement
#twig#1017
·qz.com·
23andMe might sell itself as it runs out of money
The rise of 'influencer voice': Why this TikTok creator accent is taking over the internet and maybe the world
The rise of 'influencer voice': Why this TikTok creator accent is taking over the internet and maybe the world

“It’s like a valley girl accent with vocal fry,” the creator says, “but also enunciating from the bottom of your mouth while mumbling.”

“It’s like a valley girl accent with vocal fry,” the creator says, “but also enunciating from the bottom of your mouth while mumbling.”
#twig
·fastcompany.com·
The rise of 'influencer voice': Why this TikTok creator accent is taking over the internet and maybe the world
OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us
OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us

I will explain what this means in a moment, but first: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahhahahahahahahahahahahaha. It is, as many have already pointed out, incredibly ironic that OpenAI, a company that has been obtaining large amounts of data from all of humankind largely in an “unauthorized manner,” and, in some cases, in violation of the terms of service of those from whom they have been taking from, is now complaining about the very practices by which it has built its company.

I will explain what this means in a moment, but first: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahhahahahahahahahahahahaha. It is, as many have already pointed out, incredibly ironic that OpenAI, a company that has been obtaining large amounts of data from all of humankind largely in an “unauthorized manner,” and, in some cases, in violation of the terms of service of those from whom they have been taking from, is now complaining about the very practices by which it has built its company.
#twig#ai
·404media.co·
OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us
Comcast unveils ultra-low lag Internet connection
Comcast unveils ultra-low lag Internet connection

The reduction in latency comes from the Internet Engineering Task Force's L4S open standard. The tech is complex — here's a whitepaper on L4S if you're interested — but broadly if a packet traveling between your device and the server experiences congestion, it will report that on arrival, which can improve future packets' journeys.

The reduction in latency comes from the Internet Engineering Task Force's L4S open standard. The tech is complex — here's a whitepaper on L4S if you're interested — but broadly if a packet traveling between your device and the server experiences congestion, it will report that on arrival, which can improve future packets' journeys.
#twig#1017
·engadget.com·
Comcast unveils ultra-low lag Internet connection
Who Is Liang Wenfeng, the Founder of A.I. Start-Up DeepSeek?
Who Is Liang Wenfeng, the Founder of A.I. Start-Up DeepSeek?

The engineer, described by colleagues as introspective, first made his mark in China’s investment world in the late 2010s, cofounding a hedge fund that used artificial-intelligence models to deliver strong returns and attracted billions of dollars in capital.

Buoyed by profits and wary of Beijing’s tightening grip on speculative trading, Mr. Liang pivoted in 2023. He poured money into artificial intelligence, betting on A.I. chips and assembling a team to build China’s answer to the Silicon Valley front-runner OpenAI.

The engineer, described by colleagues as introspective, first made his mark in China’s investment world in the late 2010s, cofounding a hedge fund that used artificial-intelligence models to deliver strong returns and attracted billions of dollars in capital.Buoyed by profits and wary of Beijing’s tightening grip on speculative trading, Mr. Liang pivoted in 2023. He poured money into artificial intelligence, betting on A.I. chips and assembling a team to build China’s answer to the Silicon Valley front-runner OpenAI.
#twig#ai
·nytimes.com·
Who Is Liang Wenfeng, the Founder of A.I. Start-Up DeepSeek?
OpenAI Is Probing Whether DeepSeek Used Its Models to Train New Chatbot
OpenAI Is Probing Whether DeepSeek Used Its Models to Train New Chatbot

OpenAI is investigating whether Chinese artificial-intelligence startup DeepSeek trained its new chatbot by repeatedly querying the U.S. company’s AI models.

The Silicon Valley-based company said Wednesday it has seen various attempts by China-based entities to exfiltrate large volumes of data from its AI tools, likely to train their own models in a technical process called distillation.

OpenAI said it has banned the accounts it suspected of distilling its models and has worked with Microsoft—a major OpenAI partner that hosts its models—to identify the actors behind the attempts. DeepSeek is among those that OpenAI is looking into, according to a person familiar with the matter.

“It is critically important that we are working closely with the U.S. government to best protect the most capable models from efforts by adversaries and competitors to take U.S. technology,” an OpenAI spokeswoman said. China-based companies are “constantly trying to distill the models of leading U.S. AI companies,” they added.

OpenAI is investigating whether Chinese artificial-intelligence startup DeepSeek trained its new chatbot by repeatedly querying the U.S. company’s AI models.The Silicon Valley-based company said Wednesday it has seen various attempts by China-based entities to exfiltrate large volumes of data from its AI tools, likely to train their own models in a technical process called distillation.OpenAI said it has banned the accounts it suspected of distilling its models and has worked with Microsoft—a major OpenAI partner that hosts its models—to identify the actors behind the attempts. DeepSeek is among those that OpenAI is looking into, according to a person familiar with the matter.“It is critically important that we are working closely with the U.S. government to best protect the most capable models from efforts by adversaries and competitors to take U.S. technology,” an OpenAI spokeswoman said. China-based companies are “constantly trying to distill the models of leading U.S. AI companies,” they added.
#twig#ai
·wsj.com·
OpenAI Is Probing Whether DeepSeek Used Its Models to Train New Chatbot
This year’s Super Bowl will be full of AI ads
This year’s Super Bowl will be full of AI ads
You can bet on seeing lots of AI ads during the Super Bowl LIX, according to Mark Evans, the executive VP of ad sales for Fox Sports. Evans told The Hollywood Reporter that AI “will be coming like a freight train,” and that some companies have paid over $8 million for 30-second spots during the year’s biggest NFL game.
You can bet on seeing lots of AI ads during the Super Bowl LIX, according to Mark Evans, the executive VP of ad sales for Fox Sports. Evans told The Hollywood Reporter that AI “will be coming like a freight train,” and that some companies have paid over $8 million for 30-second spots during the year’s biggest NFL game.
#twig#ai
·theverge.com·
This year’s Super Bowl will be full of AI ads
Judge tells Apple it's too late to intervene over Google monopoly case
Judge tells Apple it's too late to intervene over Google monopoly case
"Because Apple's motion is untimely, the court must deny it," wrote Judge Mehta in his full ruling. "The court, however, will permit Apple to participate as amicus curiae and file post-hearing submissions to ensure consideration of Apple's views when crafting the remedial decree."
"Because Apple's motion is untimely, the court must deny it," wrote Judge Mehta in his full ruling. "The court, however, will permit Apple to participate as amicus curiae and file post-hearing submissions to ensure consideration of Apple's views when crafting the remedial decree."
#mbw
·appleinsider.com·
Judge tells Apple it's too late to intervene over Google monopoly case
Why Nvidia investors are spooked by Chinese AI upstart DeepSeek
Why Nvidia investors are spooked by Chinese AI upstart DeepSeek
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/ee83c24c-9099-42a4-85c9-165e7af35105

Pat Gelsinger, recently forced out as chief executive of Intel, was among those buying his former rival Nvidia’s stock on Monday. “The market reaction is wrong: lowering the cost of AI will expand the market,” he said in a LinkedIn post. “DeepSeek is an incredible piece of engineering that will usher in greater adoption of AI.”
Pat Gelsinger, recently forced out as chief executive of Intel, was among those buying his former rival Nvidia’s stock on Monday. “The market reaction is wrong: lowering the cost of AI will expand the market,” he said in a LinkedIn post. “DeepSeek is an incredible piece of engineering that will usher in greater adoption of AI.”
#twig#ai#1017
·ft.com·
Why Nvidia investors are spooked by Chinese AI upstart DeepSeek
Trump's chip tariff threat takes aim at Apple's TSMC partnership
Trump's chip tariff threat takes aim at Apple's TSMC partnership
After mentioning applying tariffs on vehicles imported from Mexico, Trump mentioned the placement of "tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors," and pharmaceuticals. This is all in a bid to "return production of these goods to the United States," the C-Span video of the speech reveals."They left us and went to Taiwan, which is about 90% of the chip business," Trump insisted. "And we want them to come back." This refers to TSMC, the Taiwanese chip giant that Apple relies on for its chip production.
After mentioning applying tariffs on vehicles imported from Mexico, Trump mentioned the placement of "tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors," and pharmaceuticals. This is all in a bid to "return production of these goods to the United States," the C-Span video of the speech reveals. "They left us and went to Taiwan, which is about 90% of the chip business," Trump insisted. "And we want them to come back." This refers to TSMC, the Taiwanese chip giant that Apple relies on for its chip production.
#mbw
·appleinsider.com·
Trump's chip tariff threat takes aim at Apple's TSMC partnership
Apple’s Calendar app is quickly improving, and iOS 18.3 offers a new advantage - 9to5Mac
Apple’s Calendar app is quickly improving, and iOS 18.3 offers a new advantage - 9to5Mac

Apple has mostly left Calendar unchanged for years. But that’s started to change.

One of the most significant upgrades was the integration of Reminders into the app. You can now create, edit, and view all your reminders from inside Calendar.

iOS 18 also brought:

a refreshed design with several typography and UI improvements and a new Month view that shows your event details

Calendar has been the subject of some compelling upgrades. And now, iOS 18.3 adds a feature that provides another reason to use the app. Calendar got several rare upgrades in iOS 18 Apple’s ‘strategy’ with the Calendar app has always been a bit perplexing to me. The company knows that lots of iPhone users have been drawn away by alternative apps like Google Calendar, and even indie offerings like Fantastical. Yet the company has mostly left Calendar unchanged for years. Despite worthy competition, Apple has shown little interest in making its own app better. But that’s started to change.
#mbw
·9to5mac.com·
Apple’s Calendar app is quickly improving, and iOS 18.3 offers a new advantage - 9to5Mac
AI leaders clash over safety and $100bn Stargate project
AI leaders clash over safety and $100bn Stargate project
“Yoshua and Dario have made opinions against open source and that’s actually very dangerous,” he said in an interview. “Obstacles to open source distribution would lead to regulatory capture by a few players, either of the west coast of the US or China . . . [putting] power in the hands of a small number of people.

“It’s very strange from people like Dario. We met yesterday where he said that the benefits and risks of AI are roughly on the same order of magnitude, and I said, ‘if you really believe this, why do you keep working on AI?’” LeCun added. “So I think he is a little two-faced on this.”

“Yoshua and Dario have made opinions against open source and that’s actually very dangerous,” he said in an interview. “Obstacles to open source distribution would lead to regulatory capture by a few players, either of the west coast of the US or China . . . [putting] power in the hands of a small number of people.“It’s very strange from people like Dario. We met yesterday where he said that the benefits and risks of AI are roughly on the same order of magnitude, and I said, ‘if you really believe this, why do you keep working on AI?’” LeCun added. “So I think he is a little two-faced on this.”
#twig#ai#1017
·ft.com·
AI leaders clash over safety and $100bn Stargate project
Stratechery by Ben Thompson
Stratechery by Ben Thompson

In the long run, model commoditization and cheaper inference — which DeepSeek has also demonstrated — is great for Big Tech. A world where Microsoft gets to provide inference to its customers for a fraction of the cost means that Microsoft has to spend less on data centers and GPUs, or, just as likely, sees dramatically higher usage given that inference is so much cheaper. Another big winner is Amazon: AWS has by-and-large failed to make their own quality model, but that doesn’t matter if there are very high quality open source models that they can serve at far lower costs than expected.

Apple is also a big winner. Dramatically decreased memory requirements for inference make edge inference much more viable, and Apple has the best hardware for exactly that. Apple Silicon uses unified memory, which means that the CPU, GPU, and NPU (neural processing unit) have access to a shared pool of memory; this means that Apple’s high-end hardware actually has the best consumer chip for inference (Nvidia gaming GPUs max out at 32GB of VRAM, while Apple’s chips go up to 192 GB of RAM).

In the long run, model commoditization and cheaper inference — which DeepSeek has also demonstrated — is great for Big Tech. A world where Microsoft gets to provide inference to its customers for a fraction of the cost means that Microsoft has to spend less on data centers and GPUs, or, just as likely, sees dramatically higher usage given that inference is so much cheaper. Another big winner is Amazon: AWS has by-and-large failed to make their own quality model, but that doesn’t matter if there are very high quality open source models that they can serve at far lower costs than expected. Apple is also a big winner. Dramatically decreased memory requirements for inference make edge inference much more viable, and Apple has the best hardware for exactly that. Apple Silicon uses unified memory, which means that the CPU, GPU, and NPU (neural processing unit) have access to a shared pool of memory; this means that Apple’s high-end hardware actually has the best consumer chip for inference (Nvidia gaming GPUs max out at 32GB of VRAM, while Apple’s chips go up to 192 GB of RAM).
#mbw#ww#1017
·stratechery.com·
Stratechery by Ben Thompson
Google says it will change Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in Maps app after government updates
Google says it will change Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in Maps app after government updates

Google said Monday it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” in Google Maps after the Trump administration updates its “official government sources.”

The company also said it will start using the name “Mount McKinley” for the mountain in Alaska currently called Denali.

Google said Monday it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” in Google Maps after the Trump administration updates its “official government sources.”The company also said it will start using the name “Mount McKinley” for the mountain in Alaska currently called Denali.mps._execAd("boxinline");
#twig#1017
·cnbc.com·
Google says it will change Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in Maps app after government updates
Severance — Tim C. | Apple TV+
Severance — Tim C. | Apple TV+
Tim Cook is ready to clock in. Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+ http://apple.co/_SeveranceIn Severance, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team ...
#mbw
·youtube.com·
Severance — Tim C. | Apple TV+
How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions
How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions

DeepSeek’s success is even more remarkable given the constraints facing Chinese AI companies in the form of increasing US export controls on cutting-edge chips. But early evidence shows that these measures are not working as intended. Rather than weakening China’s AI capabilities, the sanctions appear to be driving startups like DeepSeek to innovate in ways that prioritize efficiency, resource-pooling, and collaboration.

DeepSeek’s success is even more remarkable given the constraints facing Chinese AI companies in the form of increasing US export controls on cutting-edge chips. But early evidence shows that these measures are not working as intended. Rather than weakening China’s AI capabilities, the sanctions appear to be driving startups like DeepSeek to innovate in ways that prioritize efficiency, resource-pooling, and collaboration.
#1016#twig#ai
·technologyreview.com·
How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions
Simple Search - Just a list of search bars
Simple Search - Just a list of search bars

That's right, just the search bars you need. Go straight to your results.

That's right, just the search bars you need. Go straight to your results.
#twig
·simplesearch.info·
Simple Search - Just a list of search bars
Pluralistic: It’s not a crime if we do it with an app (25 Jan 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
Pluralistic: It’s not a crime if we do it with an app (25 Jan 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Today's links It's not a crime if we do it with an app: How Big Potato and the other food cartels did greedflation and got away with it. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024 Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I've been. Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em. Colophon: All the rest.

Two caricatures of top-hatted millionaires whose bodies are bulging money-sacks. Their heads have been replaced with potatoes. The potatoes' eyes have been replaced with the hostile red eye of HAL 9000 from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey.' They stand in a potato field filled with stoop laborers. The sky is a 'code waterfall' as seen in the credit sequences of the Wachowskis' 'Matrix' movies.

It's not a crime if we do it with an app (permalink)

Picks and Shovels is a new, standalone technothriller starring Marty Hench, my two-fisted, hard-fighting, tech-scam-busting forensic accountant. You have TWO DAYS LEFT to pre-order it on my latest Kickstarter, which features a brilliant audiobook read by Wil Wheaton.

The core regulatory proposition of the tech industry is "it's not a crime if we do it with an app." It's not an unlicensed taxi if we do it with an app. It's not an illegal hotel room if we do it with an app. It's not an unregistered security if we do it with an app. It's not wage theft if we do it with an app.

Inflation is one of the most politically salient factors of this decade, and so much of inflation can be attributed to a crime, done with an app, with impunity for the criminals. The entire food supply has been sewn up by cartels of 2-5 giant companies, and they colluded to raise prices, and bragged about it, and got away with it, because neoclassical economists insist that it's impossible for this kind of price fixing to occur in an "efficient market."

Some of these cartels are well-known, like the Coke/Pepsi duopoly. Pepsi's bosses boasted to their shareholders about "Pepsi pricing power," and how they were able to raise prices over the inflationary increases caused by covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/11/price-over-volume/#pepsi-pricing-power

You might know that pretty much every packaged good in your grocery store is made by one of two companies, Unilever and Procter and Gamble. Both CEOs boasted to their investors about their above-inflation price increases:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/20/quiet-part-out-loud/#profiteering

But other cartels are harder to spot. It may seem like your grocer's eggs department is filled with many different companies' products. In reality, a single company, Cal-Maine Foods, owns practically every brand of eggs in the case: Farmhouse Eggs, Sunups, Sunny Meadow, Egg-Land’s Best and Land O’ Lakes. They made record profits after the pandemic and through bird flu, a fact that CFO Max Bowman attributed to "significantly higher selling prices" and "our ability to adapt to inflationary market pressures":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/23/cant-make-an-omelet/#keep-calm-and-crack-on

But Cal-Maine is comparatively transparent. The other food cartels – especially those that serve the restaurant sector – are harder to spot. In The Lever, Katya Schwenk describes how four companies – Lamb Weston, JR Simplot, McCain Foods and Cavendish Farms – have captured the frozen potato market and all that comes with it (fries, tater tots, etc):

https://www.levernews.com/the-rise-of-big-potato/

These companies have been hiking prices for years, but really started to turn the screws during the post-covid inflationary period. One of Schwenk's sources is Josh Saltzman, owner of the DC sports bar Ivy and Coney. Ten years ago, Saltzman charged $3 for fries; now it's $6 – and Saltzman's margins have declined. Saltzman has a limited number of suppliers, and they all get their potatoes from Big Potato, and they bundle those potato orders with their other supplies, making it effectively impossible for Saltzman to buy his potatoes from anyone else.

Big Potato controls 97% of the frozen potato market, and any sector that large and concentrated is going to be pretty cozy. The execs at these companies all meet at industry associations, lobbying bodies, and as they job-hop between companies in the cartel. But they don't have to rely on personal connections to rig the price of potatoes: they do it through a third-party data-broker called Potatotrac. Each cartel member sends all their commercially sensitive data – supply costs, pricing, sales figures – to Potatotrac, and then Potatotrac uses that data to give "advice" to the cartel members about "optimal pricing."

This is just price-fixing, with an app. The fact that they don't sit around a table and openly discuss pricing doesn't keep this from being price-fixing. What's more, they admit it. A director at McCain said that "higher ups" forbade anyone in the company from competing on price. A Lamb Weston exec described the arrangement as everyone "behaving themselves," chortling that they'd "never seen margins this high in the history of the potato industry." Lamb Weston's CEO attributed a 111% increase in net income to "pricing actions."

Today's links It's not a crime if we do it with an app: How Big Potato and the other food cartels did greedflation and got away with it. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024 Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I've been. Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em. Colophon: All the rest. It's not a crime if we do it with an app (permalink) Picks and Shovels is a new, standalone technothriller starring Marty Hench, my two-fisted, hard-fighting, tech-scam-busting forensic accountant. You have TWO DAYS LEFT to pre-order it on my latest Kickstarter, which features a brilliant audiobook read by Wil Wheaton. The core regulatory proposition of the tech industry is "it's not a crime if we do it with an app." It's not an unlicensed taxi if we do it with an app. It's not an illegal hotel room if we do it with an app. It's not an unregistered security if we do it with an app. It's not wage theft if we do it with an app. Inflation is one of the most politically salient factors of this decade, and so much of inflation can be attributed to a crime, done with an app, with impunity for the criminals. The entire food supply has been sewn up by cartels of 2-5 giant companies, and they colluded to raise prices, and bragged about it, and got away with it, because neoclassical economists insist that it's impossible for this kind of price fixing to occur in an "efficient market." Some of these cartels are well-known, like the Coke/Pepsi duopoly. Pepsi's bosses boasted to their shareholders about "Pepsi pricing power," and how they were able to raise prices over the inflationary increases caused by covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine: https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/11/price-over-volume/#pepsi-pricing-power You might know that pretty much every packaged good in your grocery store is made by one of two companies, Unilever and Procter and Gamble. Both CEOs boasted to their investors about their above-inflation price increases: https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/20/quiet-part-out-loud/#profiteering But other cartels are harder to spot. It may seem like your grocer's eggs department is filled with many different companies' products. In reality, a single company, Cal-Maine Foods, owns practically every brand of eggs in the case: Farmhouse Eggs, Sunups, Sunny Meadow, Egg-Land’s Best and Land O’ Lakes. They made record profits after the pandemic and through bird flu, a fact that CFO Max Bowman attributed to "significantly higher selling prices" and "our ability to adapt to inflationary market pressures": https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/23/cant-make-an-omelet/#keep-calm-and-crack-on But Cal-Maine is comparatively transparent. The other food cartels – especially those that serve the restaurant sector – are harder to spot. In The Lever, Katya Schwenk describes how four companies – Lamb Weston, JR Simplot, McCain Foods and Cavendish Farms – have captured the frozen potato market and all that comes with it (fries, tater tots, etc): https://www.levernews.com/the-rise-of-big-potato/ These companies have been hiking prices for years, but really started to turn the screws during the post-covid inflationary period. One of Schwenk's sources is Josh Saltzman, owner of the DC sports bar Ivy and Coney. Ten years ago, Saltzman charged $3 for fries; now it's $6 – and Saltzman's margins have declined. Saltzman has a limited number of suppliers, and they all get their potatoes from Big Potato, and they bundle those potato orders with their other supplies, making it effectively impossible for Saltzman to buy his potatoes from anyone else. Big Potato controls 97% of the frozen potato market, and any sector that large and concentrated is going to be pretty cozy. The execs at these companies all meet at industry associations, lobbying bodies, and as they job-hop between companies in the cartel. But they don't have to rely on personal connections to rig the price of potatoes: they do it through a third-party data-broker called Potatotrac. Each cartel member sends all their commercially sensitive data – supply costs, pricing, sales figures – to Potatotrac, and then Potatotrac uses that data to give "advice" to the cartel members about "optimal pricing." This is just price-fixing, with an app. The fact that they don't sit around a table and openly discuss pricing doesn't keep this from being price-fixing. What's more, they admit it. A director at McCain said that "higher ups" forbade anyone in the company from competing on price. A Lamb Weston exec described the arrangement as everyone "behaving themselves," chortling that they'd "never seen margins this high in the history of the potato industry." Lamb Weston's CEO attributed a 111% increase in net income to "pricing actions."
#1016#twig
·pluralistic.net·
Pluralistic: It’s not a crime if we do it with an app (25 Jan 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
A former tech CEO is on a crusade to get the record of his arrest removed from the internet - Gazetteer SF
A former tech CEO is on a crusade to get the record of his arrest removed from the internet - Gazetteer SF

It’s been almost three years since a San Francisco judge sealed the record of tech executive Maury Blackman’s 2021 arrest for domestic violence. But the allegations still show up in his Google search results, thanks to an independent journalist — one who Blackman is now suing for $25 million.

It’s been almost three years since a San Francisco judge sealed the record of tech executive Maury Blackman’s 2021 arrest for domestic violence. But the allegations still show up in his Google search results, thanks to an independent journalist — one who Blackman is now suing for $25 million.
#1016#twig
·sf.gazetteer.co·
A former tech CEO is on a crusade to get the record of his arrest removed from the internet - Gazetteer SF