How eCommerce Brands can Expedite the Checkout Process to Increase Conversions

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How eCommerce Brands can Expedite the Checkout Process to Increase Conversions

With over 263 million Americans shopping online yearly, it is no surprise that shoppers are constantly looking for the most efficient eCommerce sites to make their shopping experience seamless. Having the ability to buy your favorite items from the comfort of your own home is a great feeling and shouldn’t be ruined by an inconvenient checkout process. In fact, approximately 50 percent of US shoppers are less likely to buy something online if the entire checkout process takes more than 30 seconds. Having a rapid checkout can make or break a shopper’s experience; by streamlining the checkout process, merchants have the potential to increase their conversion rates up to 35 percent. However, while some merchants are unsure of how to go about this, others are not using mobile app developers that support these capabilities adequately.

The setback for some merchants is their failure to find the right mobile app developer when they initially launched. As their brands grow, their mobile stores’ needs become more specific. Retail brands with apps that directly fulfill the experience that shoppers desire are on a solid path to success; this is why finding the right app developer is imperative.

Find the right mobile app developer for brand needs

Third-party developers like Tapcart, the no-code app developer for Shopify, allow merchants to customize their checkout settings to create a frictionless checkout experience while enabling tools to help increase conversions. With the aid of these third-party developers, merchants can implement features like single-page checkouts and pre-filled shipping forms that allow for a quick checkout experience. Conversion features including checkout navigation, which automatically navigates customers to checkout when they add products to their cart, have contributed to Tapcart’s popularity amongst retail giants like Fashion Nova and Pier 1 Imports. 

Reduce the number of form fields

Over 18 percent of shoppers will abandon their cart if the checkout process is too long or complicated. In order to combat this, merchants should reduce the number of form fields so that shoppers have less to fill out. Fewer form fields ensure a frictionless checkout experience that increases conversion rates up to 160 percent. 

On average, merchants include 2 times more form fields than necessary. With these large amounts of forms, it can be tedious for a shopper to complete them for just one or two items. Reducing the typical number of checkout form fields can result in fewer abandoned cart rates, a checkout process that takes just  5 seconds to complete, and ultimately a significant jump in sales.

Accept various payment methods

With the rise of alternative payment methods, shoppers are no longer solely opting for credit and debit cards. In fact, 31 percent of shoppers say that they are more likely to use alternative payment methods (APMs) since the start of the pandemic. Providing APMs, like buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), which can be implemented through companies such as Affirm and Quadpay, allow eCommerce customers the freedom to choose their preferred payment method, ultimately resulting in a more streamlined checkout experience that caters directly to consumers.

Adding various payment methods is a simple way to attract new customers who, on other eCommerce apps, might not be able to use their preferred payment method. As a result, customers will flock to merchants’ mobile apps with the knowledge that they don’t have to change their choice of payment and instead can focus on their excellent shopping experience. 

Allow customers to shop as guests or create accounts

Having a customer account on an eCommerce website can provide prefilled shipping info, order history, and real-time order tracking, making a customer’s shopping experience optimal for quick and simple transactions. However, some customers prefer the guest checkout experience, as it requires less commitment and leads to faster first-time purchases. With a guest checkout feature, a shopper doesn’t have to fill out forms and create an account to purchase on a website, allowing a swift shopping experience without all of the extra steps involved.

Implementing an expedited checkout will increase customer loyalty to eCommerce mobile apps  and further success by decreasing cart abandonment rates. If the conversions aren’t meeting the quota initially intended, effectuating one or more of these tips is a great way to begin boosting numbers and meeting eCommerce goals.
To ensure your eCommerce store is having all of its needs met for maximum success, it is imperative that merchants find the right mobile app builder. Launching a high-converting mobile app can be easy with the right mobile app builder that offers features to ensure the most frictionless checkout experience.

How eCommerce Brands can Expedite the Checkout Process to Increase Conversions
Brian Wallace

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Helium Called Out for Being Dishonest About Its Clients and Partners

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Helium Called Out for Being Dishonest About Its Clients and Partners

Helium has been lauded as a Web3 success story, but the company has egg on its face after being dishonest about who its customers are.

Helium is creating a decentralized wireless network that serves as a peer-to-peer network for IoT devices. One of its main selling points is that it allows customers to earn crypto. The company prominently features a number of companies as customers and partners in an effort to add legitimacy to its service. There’s just one problem: Some of them aren’t customers or partners and never have been.

A report by Mashable found that, despite claiming Lime was one of its customers, Lime was not using Helium’s platform. In fact, other than a testing period in which it evaluated the possibility of adding Helium devices to its scooters, Lime was never a paying customer, let alone a partner.

“Beyond an initial test of its product in 2019, Lime has not had, and does not currently have, a relationship with Helium,” Russell Murphy, Lime senior director for corporate communications, told Mashable.

“Helium has been making this claim for years and it is a false claim,” Murphy said

It appears Lime is finally preparing to take action and is planning to send Helium a cease and desist.

Lime isn’t the only company Helium appears to have been dishonest about. According to The Verge, Salesforce has also denied being a Helium partner.

“Helium is not a Salesforce partner,” Salesforce spokesperson Ashley Eliasoph told The Verge. When asked about Salesforce’s logo, which appeared on Helium’s website, Eliasoph said that “it is not accurate.”

Helium has already been called out for only bringing in $6,500 in revenue per month, despite receiving $365M of investment, with Andreessen Horowitz taking the lead in the fundraising. The VC firm called Helium the “fastest growing wireless network ever” at the time.

.@Helium, often cited as one of the best examples of a Web3 use case, has received $365M of investment led by @a16z.

Regular folks have also been convinced to spend $250M buying hotspot nodes, in hopes of earning passive income.

The result? Helium's total revenue is $6.5k/month pic.twitter.com/PyW6KPllvc

— Liron Shapira (@liron) July 26, 2022

Interestingly, according to Mashable, Helium CEO Haleem and Helium investor Kyle Samani confirmed the revenue numbers.

For a company being held up as the poster child of Web3, Helium certainly has a lot to answer for. Only time will tell if these are the only revelations to come out or if there’s more yet to come.

Helium Called Out for Being Dishonest About Its Clients and Partners
Matt Milano

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Google Says It’s Not Shuttering Stadia

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Google Says It’s Not Shuttering Stadia

Contrary to previous rumors, Google says it is not shutting its gaming platform down and reaffirmed its commitment to Stadia.

The Killed by Google Twitter account posted an alleged interaction between someone claiming to have an “old coworker” who currently worked as a Google regional manager. The person claimed their “old coworker” said the company was shutting down the gaming platform by the end of summer. According to the official Stadia Twitter, however, the platform is alive and well.

Stadia is not shutting down. Rest assured we're always working on bringing more great games to the platform and Stadia Pro. Let us know if you have other questions.

— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) July 29, 2022

If the replies are any indication, many people still appear to have their doubts. Google has sparked a fair share of speculation about the future of the service, in no small part by closing its own game development studio.

Stadia took the opportunity to poke fun at the “old coworker” that was labeled the source of the rumors.

Just a heads up

Old coworker of mine is now one of the social managers for Google. They had a pretty large seminar in California this past weekend, and long story short you now can play Wavetale at no additional cost on Stadia Pro until August 1: https://t.co/2O6P0Kd8Kd pic.twitter.com/Hjo0pvARKx

— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) July 29, 2022

Google Says It’s Not Shuttering Stadia
Matt Milano

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AST SpaceMobile Taps Nokia for Its Space-Based Cellular Network

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AST SpaceMobile Taps Nokia for Its Space-Based Cellular Network

AST SpaceMobile has signed a five-year deal with Nokia as it works to develop the only space-based cellular network.

AST SpaceMobile’s goal is to provide 4G and 5G cellular service from space. Such a network would be largely immune from many of the geographical issues that can impede traditional terrestrial network rollouts. Like any spaced-based service, AST SpaceMobile’s service will require ground base stations, which Nokia will provide, according to the companies.

Nokia will provide equipment from its comprehensive, energy-efficient AirScale portfolio including its AirScale base stations powered by its latest generation of Nokia’s ReefShark System-on-Chip (SoC) chipsets. AST SpaceMobile will benefit from Nokia’s modular baseband plug-in cards which add capacity where it is needed offering flexibility and efficiency. Nokia will also provide its NetAct solution for network management and seamless daily network operations as well as optimization and technical support services.

The combination of Nokia’s technology and expertise, combined with AST SpaceMobile’s plan for global coverage, should help close the connectivity gap for millions of people around the world.

“With the integration of Nokia’s AirScale system, AST SpaceMobile and Nokia are taking an important step toward closing connectivity gaps all over the world,” said Scott Wisniewski, Chief Strategy Officer at AST SpaceMobile. “Nokia is supporting us with dozens of engineers and development professionals, including leading architecture research experts at Bell Labs, the world-renowned industrial research arm of Nokia. In the coming months, we are scheduled to launch our BlueWalker 3 test satellite into low Earth orbit, which has a 64-square meter phased array antenna designed for direct-to-cell connectivity. With this satellite, we plan to conduct testing all over the world with leading mobile network operators, leveraging Nokia’s technology solutions on the ground.”

AST SpaceMobile Taps Nokia for Its Space-Based Cellular Network
Matt Milano

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Net Neutrality Bill Introduced in US Congress

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Net Neutrality Bill Introduced in US Congress

Lawmakers are looking to revive net neutrality, introducing a bill that would make it law rather than relying on a US agency’s regulatory authority.

Net neutrality prohibits internet service providers from favoring their own services or creating fast lanes and charging companies for using them. The initial net neutrality rules were struck down by the Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Ajit Pai, despite broad support within the tech industry.

Senators Edward J. Markey and Ron Wyden, and Representative Doris Matsui have brought the new bill before Congress in an effort ensure net neutrality remains the law of the land and cannot easily be overturned by the whims of FCC personnel.

“The Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act reflects the undeniable fact that today, broadband is not a luxury. It is essential. That means the potential harms that internet users face without strong net neutrality protections ahttps://www.webpronews.com/net-neutrality-ruling/?swcfpc=1nd without the FCC able to exercise its proper authority are more sweeping than ever,” said Senator Markey. “My legislation would reverse the damaging approach adopted by the Trump FCC, which left broadband access unregulated and consumers unprotected. It would give the FCC the tools it needs to protect the free and open internet, creating a just broadband future for everyone in our country. I thank my partners for their support for this critical legislation.”

Opponents say the measure is unnecessary and point to the fact that net neutrality has not existed during the time the internet was created and became such an integral part of modern life.

Read more: The Case for Net Neutrality: AT&T Favoring HBO Max Over Netflix

Proponents of net neutrality say the measure is necessary to keep the internet free and open, especially for smaller up-and-coming companies. They argue that the makeup of the internet, and today’s internet-based companies, is far different than it was in the early days, and without net neutrality, today’s startups won’t have the same opportunities as past companies.

For example, if a company like AT&T or Comcast — companies that control access to the internet for millions and have their own media platforms — can charge more for competitors to provide services across their networks, smaller companies would be at a major disadvantage.

“For anyone who wants more innovation, more voices and less corporate control of the internet, net neutrality is an absolute no-brainer,” said Senator Wyden. “I wrote the first Senate net neutrality bill to protect the open internet, where bits are bits and no one has to pay extra for digital toll roads just to learn, shop or get health care online. Oregon and other states have stepped up in the wake of the Trump Administration’s damaging actions. Now I’m proud to partner with Senator Markey and Rep. Matsui to restore net neutrality across the country and prevent big cable from gouging consumers and small businesses.”

“The 21st century economy relies on a free and open internet – providing innovators and consumers with access to vital services and information,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Trump-era deregulation has left the internet landscape without comprehensive consumer protections, allowing discriminatory practices that leave everyday Americans facing the consequences. For the online ecosystem to remain a dynamic engine of innovation, we need clear rules of the road that prevent internet service providers from blocking, slowing and prioritizing web traffic. This bill will give the FCC the power to adapt to the ever-changing marketplace, defend equitable access and promote free expression and innovation online.”

It’s unclear if there is enough support in either branch of Congress to pass the law before the mid-term elections.

Net Neutrality Bill Introduced in US Congress
Matt Milano

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Semiconductor Bill Passes the House

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Semiconductor Bill Passes the House

The $280 billion semiconductor bill, aimed at helping revitalize the US chip industry, has overcome its final hurdle, passing in the US House.

The bill, formerly known as the CHIPS and Science Act, has been widely supported by Intel and other tech companies. The bill includes more than $52 billion to assist semiconductor makers’ efforts to establish foundries and factories in the US.

The bill was seen as a major factor in some companies’ decision-making process. Samsung is rumored to be considering a $200 billion investment in 11 factories in Texas, but it’s believed the company wanted to wait and see if the bill passed. Other companies were known to be holding off on their decision-making process until the bill’s future was certain.

With the bill now passing the House, it will go to President Biden to be signed into law.

“This bill includes important guardrails to ensure that companies receiving tax payer dollars invest in America and that union workers are building new manufacturing plants across the country,” Biden said in a statement.

“I look forward to signing this bill into law and continuing to grow our economy from the bottom up and middle out for working families all across the country.”

Semiconductor Bill Passes the House
Matt Milano

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Google Stadia’s Days May Be Numbered

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Google Stadia’s Days May Be Numbered

A new report suggests Google Stadia may be shut down, potentially ending an ignominious attempt by Google to enter the gaming market.

Google unveiled its Stadia gaming platform in early 2019 with the goal of revolutionizing the market and lowering barriers to entry for high-end gaming. The company invested heavily, even hiring the God of War lead to head up its new studio. Less than two years after its unveiling, however, Google had shut down its own in-house studio, leaving many to wonder what was in store for Stadia’s future.

According to the Killed by Google Twitter account, a regional manager said, “Google is beginning their exit plan,” with a view to shutting the service down by the end of summer.

pic.twitter.com/p0ONYBDXCI

— Killed by Google (@killedbygoogle) July 28, 2022

The tweet says there are no plans to transfer any services or servers to any competing platforms, with the company looking to follow the same playbook as was used for the Google Play Music shutdown.

If the rumor is true, chalk Stadia up as another casualty of Google’s failed ambitions. The company is infamous for creating products and services, gaining a user base, and then killing them off just as quickly.

At this rate, it’s a wonder anyone jumps on board any new service from Google.

Google Stadia’s Days May Be Numbered
Matt Milano

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Amazon Drive Is Shutting Down

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Amazon Drive Is Shutting Down

Amazon is informing customers that it plans to shut down its cloud storage service, Amazon Drive.

Amazon Drive competes in the same space as Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive, and others. The company has decided to shut down the service, sending emails to customers to inform them of the change. Per Amazon’s FAQ page, the service will be shuttered at the end of the year.

After December 31, 2023, customers will no longer have access to their files in Amazon Drive.

Between now and the shutdown date, Amazon will take other phase-out steps.

Yes, on October 31, 2022, the Amazon Drive app will be removed from the iOS and Android app stores. On January 31, 2023, Amazon will no longer support uploading files on the Amazon Drive website. You will still be able to view and download your files until December 31, 2023.

The company is doubling down on its Amazon Photos service, with customers photos and videos automatically available saved to that service.

As an Amazon customer, your photos and videos in Amazon Drive have been automatically saved to Amazon Photos. After December 31, 2023 you can continue using Amazon Photos to access your photos and videos.

Amazon Drive Is Shutting Down
Matt Milano

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4 Common Merger and Acquisition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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4 Common Merger and Acquisition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an excellent way to increase your market share, access industry-leading talent, explore new markets, reduce costs and increase profits, get favorable taxes, diversify your investment, corner future value, and more. However, studies suggest that their failure rate ranges between 70% and 90%. Knowing how to choose targets, if and how to integrate them, and how much to pay for them can drastically help increase your success odds.

Familiarizing yourself with the common M&A errors, how they can impact your business, and what you can do to evade them can boost success chances. This article outlines four common M&A mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Not performing detailed due diligence

Detailed due diligence is a vital, comprehensive inquiry or investigation into the affairs of the target company you intend to acquire or merge. The due diligence investigation helps you identify, measure, and mitigate the liabilities and risks of acquisitions and mergers while assessing the target company’s value.

Due diligence depends on the transaction nature and can be legal, financial, property, information technology, or environmental. Inadequate due diligence may result in legal consequences like inheriting litigation proceedings against the target company or financial issues, including high debts and significant liability amounts.

2. Failing to plan your M&A

As a seller or buyer, your ultimate goal is selling or buying a business. Successfully achieving this goal can be difficult and may fail without a proper plan. A comprehensive and easy-to-execute strategy is a must-have to attain your objective successfully. In your M&A plan, explain why you’re considering a merger or acquisition, how you intend to finance it, who your advisory team will be, your ROI model, and the deal size you’re looking for.

3. Valuation mistakes

Business valuation involves determining the target company’s actual worth or fair value. Some common challenges in valuing a merger or acquisition include miscalculating the target company’s financial data, missing critical details during due diligence, misreading the target’s buy-side competition, and failing to evaluate the management team’s quality properly.

Lack of proper financial analysis means it’ll be challenging to quantify the deal’s prospective shareholder value. To overcome this issue, invest in an independent valuation by third-party valuation professionals because they don’t have a conflict of interests.

4. Not involving the right experts

Mergers and acquisitions aren’t DIY projects. Failure to involve the right professionals in the process sets you up for failure. Business valuation experts will help determine your company’s worth or target to ensure you don’t settle for too little or overpay. Accountants with M&A experience will help you with financial due diligence to ensure you’re appropriately positioned for the deal and advise you on transaction structuring to get the most out of it.

M&A legal experts will handle the negotiation’s legal aspects while guiding you through the legal due diligence process. Your M&A team should include investment bankers, business brokers, and financial advisors. This will help streamline the merger and acquisition process while enhancing your success rate.

Endnote

When mergers and acquisitions aren’t done right, they will fail. Consider avoiding these common M&A mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.

4 Common Merger and Acquisition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Brian Wallace

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Intel’s Rebound Hits Snags With $500 Million Loss and CPU Price Hikes

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Intel’s Rebound Hits Snags With $500 Million Loss and CPU Price Hikes

Intel just posted an unexpected $500 million loss for the quarter and will raise CPU prices, raising questions about its turnaround.

Once the undisputed king of the semiconductor industry, Intel has been working to regain its crown under CEO Pat Gelsinger. The company was once plagued with supply chain issues, quality control issues, and security problems that were unfixable. Gelsinger has worked hard to turn the company around, but the latest quarterly results show there’s still a lot to be done.

According to PCWorld, Intel reported an unexpected loss of $500 million. While one reason given was lackluster PC demand, the second reason was more concerning: poor execution.

“This was not our brightest hour in terms of execution,” Gelsinger said, speaking of a six-month delay to its “Sapphire Rapids” AI GPU.

While some may be inclined to dismiss the issue as only impacting Sapphire Rapids, the fact remains that this quarter’s loss is more reminiscent of the Intel of the last few years, not the Intel Gelsinger is trying to bring about.

To make matters worse, Intel announced it would be raising CPU prices.

“[W]e are increasing pricing,” said CFO David Zinsner, according to PCWorld. “The pricing generally takes effect in the fourth quarter… You know we can absorb a lot of inflationary impact that others can’t. And so we were able to, you know, kind of go a bit longer… But at this point now that some of the price increases, inflationary increases, have turned out to be more permanent, where there’s a certain amount that we do need to pass on to the customers.”

It’s unclear how much Intel will raise its prices, but the any price hike could further soften PC demand.

Ultimately, only time will tell if this quarter’s results are a speed bump on Intel’s road to its former glory or if it’s a harbinger of things to come.

Intel’s Rebound Hits Snags With $500 Million Loss and CPU Price Hikes
Matt Milano

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Jack Ma Will Give Up Control of Ant Group

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Jack Ma Will Give Up Control of Ant Group

Tech mogul Jack Ma will give up control of Ant Group after a coordinated crackdown by Chinese regulators.

China has a love-hate relationship with its tech companies. Beijing clearly wants its tech companies to succeed on the global scene but wants to maintain a tight reign on them at the same time. Jack Ma’s companies, and especially Ant Group, are Exhibit A.

Ant Group originated from Ma’s Alibaba and quickly grew into a fintech powerhouse. The company was slated for an IPO that was projected to top $300 billion before Beijing canceled it and brought the company under the regulatory authority of China’s central bank.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ma now plans to relinquish control of the company as it reorganizes itself. Giving up control could help the company eventually move toward another IPO, although it would be at least another year or more, as Chinese regulations call for a one-year pause on IPO plans following an ownership change.

The news is not particularly surprising, given the scrutiny Ma has been under. In fact, following criticism of China’s regulatory system, Ma disappeared from the public’s view so suddenly that some were worried about his well-being. Even a sighting months later did little to quell concern about the tech mogul.

WSJ’s sources say Chinese regulators did not stipulate that Ma give up control of Ant Group but did approve of the decision. Ultimately, it seems Ma has been concerned for some time over the company being too tied to a single figure but had not made any moves sooner in an effort to not trigger the one-year IPO timeout.

As regulatory scrutiny has increased, however, it seems Ma finally decided the IPO delay was the lesser of two evils.

Jack Ma Will Give Up Control of Ant Group
Matt Milano

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What Can Marketing Firms Learn From Real Estate Advertising?

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What Can Marketing Firms Learn From Real Estate Advertising?

Selling real estate is a very different endeavor than just about any other sales. You are trying to market a major asset that is both an investment and a basic necessity. People may be buying a home for very different reasons, and may have extremely different sources of capital to do so.

Real estate is also unique in that there is never a fixed price. Prices fluctuate based on factors that have little to do with the seller or the property itself. Potential buyers may negotiate to get a better price, based on nothing more than their own instincts or ability to afford the home.

In addition, buying a home comes with a lot of associated costs. As such, the agents marketing the home need to know about everything from insurance coverage for new homeowners to the legal ins-and-outs of property transfers. There is no bluffing your way through a sale.

For people in the marketing industry, there is therefore a lot to learn from real estate advertising. Real estate agencies have found ways to manage a whole host of issues most marketers don’t need to think about. These strategies can come in handy no matter what you’re selling.

Here are some of the most important lessons marketing firms can learn from real estate advertising.

Consider how customers pay for goods

A realtor needs to take into account how potential buyers are going to pay for a home, as some will buy cash while others will get decades-long loans. Most marketing does not require such a consideration, but it is definitely worthwhile. This is because you are far better positioned to sell to someone if you know how they can afford the product.

Think about the most simple form of marketing: hawking wares on the street. Traditionally, a vendor would hape that the passersby are able to pay for their product in cash. Few people carry cash any more, and those vendors that recognize this are able to find alternatives, whether using portable PoS machines or smartphone apps.

This knowledge does not only make it possible for vendors to receive payment, but also puts them in a good position to make the sale. A passerby who uses their lack of cash as an excuse not to buy the product is suddenly in a sticky position when the vendor pulls out a card machine.

Knowing the potential ways people pay for the specific goods you are selling allows you to push through with the sale. In more typical scenarios to that of the street vendor, this may mean offering payment plans or using a buy-now-pay-later system.

Get on board with the associated admin

When it comes to selling property, agents need to know a lot about how the sale will work and what the new homeowner requires from the start. Most products are far more simple. A sale requires nothing more than an exchange of goods and cash.

However, there are many products and services that do require some more insight, at least on the customer’s part. Marketing a fancy new fridge as having instant-freezing capabilities sounds great, but customers may be intimidated by the thought of having to figure out how to use the feature.

With more knowledge of the associated admin, you can make it clear in your marketing that customers have nothing to worry about. You give them the basic information they need to know so that they embrace the complexities.

Understand what customers need

Finally, there is a common mistake marketers make that would never fly in the real estate market. They forget to consider what the customers need. When selling a fancy new product, they list all of the exciting features. But this is basically asking the product to sell itself. Certain features may be technologically incredible, but won’t make much difference to the customer experience.

Realtors need to understand why potential buyers are looking at the home. This way they can sell it based on a family’s needs, the earnings potential for an investor, or the potential for design projects for DIY-lovers.

You should have a similar understanding when selling anything else. By pinpointing what it is the customers truly need, you can focus on selling that aspect of it. Your marketing is relevant to your customers’ lives, and you are more likely to get them to buy the product.

Real estate agencies have to deal with factors that most marketers don’t need to consider. However, by learning some lessons from the realty market, you can improve your marketing prowess.

What Can Marketing Firms Learn From Real Estate Advertising?
Brian Wallace

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Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest Give Footage to Police Without Warrants

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Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest Give Footage to Police Without Warrants

Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest devices are popular home security options, but users may want to look elsewhere if privacy is a concern.

Ring and Nest devices are used in homes and businesses alike, but a new report says Amazon and Google are giving police access to footage from the devices without a warrant and without the owner’s permission.

The revelation occurred as a result of Senator Edward Markey’s inquiries regarding Amazon’s practices. The Senator has become increasingly concerned over the role private companies play in mass surveillance.

“As my ongoing investigation into Amazon illustrates, it has become increasingly difficult for the public to move, assemble, and converse in public without being tracked and recorded,” said Senator Markey. “We cannot accept this as inevitable in our country.”

In response to Senator Markey’s inquiry, Amazon acknowledged that it does provide law enforcement with access to user footage without permission or a warrant.

“So far this year, Ring has provided videos to law enforcement in response to an emergency request only 11 times,” the company wrote in response. “In each instance, Ring made a good-faith determination that there was an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to a person requiring disclosure of information without delay.”

Read more: Ring Is a Case Study in Bad Privacy Policy

Amazon is not alone in this practice. Google’s Terms of Service make it clear the company has similar policies.

“If we reasonably believe that we can prevent someone from dying or from suffering serious physical harm, we may provide information to a government agency — for example, in the case of bomb threats, school shootings, kidnappings, suicide prevention, and missing persons cases. We still consider these requests in light of applicable laws and our policies.”

Not everyone is convinced by Amazon’s response and it’s unlikely Google’s will score many points either.

“The ’emergency’ exception to this process allows police to request video directly from Amazon, and without a warrant,” writes Jason Kelley and Matthew Guariglia for the EFF, specifically about Amazon. “But there are insufficient safeguards to protect civil liberties in this process. For example, there is no process for a judge or the device owner to determine whether there actually was an emergency. This could easily lead to police abuse: there will always be temptation for police to use it for increasingly less urgent situations.”

Additional Privacy Issues

Sharing information with the police is not the only concern. Senator Markey, as well as the EFF, also raise concerns about the distance at which Ring devices can record audio.

“Earlier this year, Consumer Reports revealed that Ring’s audio capabilities are more powerful than anyone anticipated, collecting conversation-level audio from up to 25-feet away,” Kelley and Guariglia add. “This has disturbing implications for people who walk, bike, or even drive by dozens of these devices every day, not knowing that their conversations may have been captured and recorded. The company also refused to commit to eliminating the default setting of automatically recording audio.”

Ring has a longstanding history of privacy issues, and Google is no stranger to privacy controversies. The fact that both companies are sharing data without authorization, not to mention one of them broadly recording mass amounts of indiscriminate audio, should be a major concern for everyone involved.

Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest Give Footage to Police Without Warrants
Matt Milano

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T-Mobile Tops J.D. Power Study for Wireless Customer Care for 10th Consecutive Time

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T-Mobile Tops J.D. Power Study for Wireless Customer Care for 10th Consecutive Time

T-Mobile has taken the top honors in J.D. Power’s 022 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Mobile Network Operator Performance Study – Volume 2 for the 10th consecutive time.

T-Mobile has long branded itself the “Un-carrier,” eschewing traditional contracts, agreements, and general bad wireless industry practices in favor of putting the customer first. The approach is what helped the company begin turning things around when it was in fourth place in the industry and led to a long-term period of growth that has never stopped.

The company appears to be continuing in its efforts to put customers first, winning J.D. Power’s top honors for the 10th consecutive time.

“T-Mobile’s 10th consecutive first place finish is a testament to our focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences, and this win only motivates our team to aim even higher!” said Jon Freier, President of T-Mobile Consumer Group. “At T-Mobile, we’re committed to giving our customers the best network, the best value AND the best experience. Because people have enough to worry about these days – their wireless service and support they get with it should be easy, and even a bright spot in their day.”

T-Mobile Tops J.D. Power Study for Wireless Customer Care for 10th Consecutive Time
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Etsy Closing Offices As Employees Keep Working Remotely

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Etsy Closing Offices As Employees Keep Working Remotely

Etsy has announced it is closing its Hudson, NY and San Francisco, CA offices in response to employees continuing to work remotely.

Companies of all sizes have been trying to adapt to the new normal brought about by the pandemic. Some have tried to return to the old way of doing things, requiring workers to be in the office, while others have embraced remote and hybrid workflows.

Etsay appears to be firmly in the latter camp, going so far as to close some of its offices as a result of remote work.

“Supported by Etsy’s robust hybrid framework, many who are currently remote have told us they do not plan to return to an office in the near future,” writes Kim Seymour, the company’s chief HR officer. “As a result, we are closing our offices in Hudson, NY and San Francisco, CA, where employee office utilization has been extremely low. One of our guiding principles is minimizing waste, and operating offices that go predominately unused is in direct opposition to that principle – wasting energy, capital and internal programming efforts. As part of our new Hub Strategy model, Etsy employees based out of those offices will be transitioning to the fully remote work mode. We’ll continue to ensure they are supported, able to work productively, and can effectively collaborate with colleagues, with our offices in Brooklyn HQ as their hub office.”

Read more: Marc Andreessen: Remote Work Is ‘Potentially an Earthquake…Turning Point for Society’

Beyond this specific move, Etsy’s flexible work policies have significantly benefited the company and reduced employee churn, even in the midst of the “Great Resignation.”

“More than 80% view our policies on how and where we work favorably,” Seymour adds. “Beyond what our teams are saying, our flexible model has enabled Etsy to keep recruiting and retain talent across industries as we expand globally. We’ve grown our Etsy workforce by 50% since before the pandemic, and our attrition levels have consistently remained well below both industry benchmarks and our own expectations, even as a “Great Resignation” has dominated the market.”

Etsy clearly has figured out what works for the company and its employees, settling on a new normal that all parties are benefiting from.

Etsy Closing Offices As Employees Keep Working Remotely
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FTC Sues to Block Meta From Purchasing VR Company Within

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FTC Sues to Block Meta From Purchasing VR Company Within

The Federal Trade Commission is moving to block Meta from purchasing VR company Within, calling it an “illegal acquisition.”

Lawmakers and regulators are becoming more critical of acquisitions in the tech industry, especially when it involves a larger, market-dominating company buying up a smaller rival. Within currently makes the popular Supernatural fitness app, a category Meta clearly wants a foothold in.

The FTC is concerned the acquisition is just the latest example of Meta trying to extend its dominance in the VR market through buyouts rather than fair competition.

“Instead of competing on the merits, Meta is trying to buy its way to the top,” said FTC Bureau of Competition Deputy Director John Newman. “Meta already owns a best-selling virtual reality fitness app, and it had the capabilities to compete even more closely with Within’s popular Supernatural app. But Meta chose to buy market position instead of earning it on the merits. This is an illegal acquisition, and we will pursue all appropriate relief.”

The complaint also alleges that Meta’s attempt to purchase Within will result in less competition than if the company was willing to invest the time and resources necessary to create its own app.

The complaint alleges that Meta is a potential entrant in the virtual reality dedicated fitness app market with the required resources and a reasonable probability of building its own virtual reality app to compete in the space. But instead of entering, it chose to try buying Supernatural. Meta’s independent entry would increase consumer choice, increase innovation, spur additional competition to attract the best employees, and yield other competitive benefits. Meta’s acquisition of Within, on the other hand, would eliminate the prospect of such entry, dampening future innovation and competitive rivalry.

FTC Sues to Block Meta From Purchasing VR Company Within
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Google Moves Back Its Execution Date for Third-Party Cookies to 2024

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Google Moves Back Its Execution Date for Third-Party Cookies to 2024

Google has announced it will not stop supporting third-party cookies in Chrome until at least 2024 amid pushback over its proposals.

Google has been working to eliminate third-party cookies and has been pushing Privacy Sandbox, touting it as a privacy-respecting alternative. Needless to say, not everyone is convinced, with the new protocol receiving plenty of pushback. In particular, because of Google’s dominance in search and the browser market, some are concerned about Google’s hand in developing something as critical as an ad tech to replace cookies.

The company appears to be listening to some of the concerns.

“The most consistent feedback we’ve received is the need for more time to evaluate and test the new Privacy Sandbox technologies before deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome,” writes Anthony Chavez, VP, Privacy Sandbox. “This feedback aligns with our commitment to the CMA to ensure that the Privacy Sandbox provides effective, privacy-preserving technologies and the industry has sufficient time to adopt these new solutions. This deliberate approach to transitioning from third-party cookies ensures that the web can continue to thrive, without relying on cross-site tracking identifiers or covert techniques like fingerprinting.”

As a result, Google will not phase out third-party cookies until at least 2024.

“By Q3 2023, we expect the Privacy Sandbox APIs to be launched and generally available in Chrome,” Chavez continues. “As developers adopt these APIs, we now intend to begin phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome in the second half of 2024. As always, you can find up-to-date timelines and milestones on the Privacy Sandbox website.”

Google Moves Back Its Execution Date for Third-Party Cookies to 2024
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T-Mobile Posts Major Subscriber Growth on Cheaper Plans

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T-Mobile Posts Major Subscriber Growth on Cheaper Plans

T-Mobile released its Q2 2022 results, turning in huge subscriber growth as a result of cheaper plans.

Once dead last among US carriers, T-Mobile has become a juggernaut in the industry. The company was already climbing fast before its acquisition of Sprint, but the merger gave it the subscriber growth and spectrum to truly become the powerhouse it currently is. If the company’s latest quarterly results are any indication, that trend isn’t changing anytime soon.

T-Mobile posted a gain of 723,000 postpaid phone subscribers and beat Verizon’s churn rate for the first time ever. “Churn” is the term for turnover within the wireless industry as customers switch from one carrier to another.

The company’s High Speed Internet division added 560,000 customers, the best in the industry for the third consecutive quarter. Meanwhile, overall net postpaid customer additions came in at 1.7 million, beating AT&T and Verizon combined and setting a company best for Q2.

The company’s services revenue grew 6% year-over-year, coming in at $15.3 billion.

T-Mobile posted an overall net loss of $108 million, or $0.09 per share, driven largely by the write-down related to a wired network the company inherited from its merger with Spring, as well as its recent settlement over the 2021 data breach. These factors combined to account for nearly $1 billion in higher operating costs.

Despite the additional costs, T-Mobile raised its 2022 guidance across the board, including raising its postpaid net customer additions guidance from 5.3 to 5.8 million for the year to between 6.0 million and 6.3 million.

“Our relentless focus on putting customers first delivered yet another outstanding quarter for T-Mobile with industry-leading postpaid and broadband customer growth, including our highest ever postpaid account adds in company history,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “This momentum fueled our growth strategy and allowed us to raise guidance across the board yet again — further proof that our commitment to addressing customer pain points in this challenging macro-economic environment is working.”

T-Mobile Posts Major Subscriber Growth on Cheaper Plans
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Microsoft Organizing Cloud Vendors to Take On Amazon’s Government Dominance

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Microsoft Organizing Cloud Vendors to Take On Amazon’s Government Dominance

Microsoft is working to put a dent in Amazon’s dominance in the government agency cloud computing space, organizing its rivals to help.

Amazon’s AWS is the leading cloud provider platform, both in the private sector as well as the public. Microsoft is its largest rival, and the company is working on getting other companies to help lobby against Amazon’s dominance, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft has been sharing talking points with cloud providers Google and Oracle, as well as IBM, VMware, Dell, and HP Enterprise. The talking points are aimed at lobbying Washington to require a multi-vendor approach for large cloud contracts. According to WSJ’s sources, Microsoft has not included Amazon in its efforts.

Read more: Microsoft Azure Is a Major Threat to AWS

There’s certainly no love lost between Amazon and Microsoft, especially in their battle for the cloud market. Microsoft famously scored the Pentagon’s JEDI contract, worth some $10 billion, only to have Amazon relentlessly challenge the win in court until the Department of Defense was forced to abandon the contract in an effort to move forward with its cloud transition.

Not long after, AWS won a $10 billion contract to provide cloud services to the National Security Agency. Microsoft challenged that contract award but was unsuccessful in overturning the results.

More recently, an AWS exec took Microsoft to task over its cloud licensing terms, accusing the company of not putting customers’ needs first and engaging in anti-competitive behavior.

It appears the rivalry between Microsoft and AWS is picking up steam with no end in sight. If Microsoft is successful in rallying the smaller cloud providers to its cause, it could represent the single biggest threat that AWS has ever faced.

Microsoft Organizing Cloud Vendors to Take On Amazon’s Government Dominance
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T-Mobile Agrees to $350 Million Settlement Data Breach

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T-Mobile Agrees to $350 Million Settlement Data Breach

T-Mobile has agreed to a $350 million settlement over a data breach in 2021 that impacted some 76 million US individuals.

A hacker claimed to have breached T-Mobile’s servers in 2021 and tried to sell a subset of the data. T-Mobile acknowledged the breach, saying the compromised data included “customers’ first and last names, date of birth, SSN, and driver’s license/ID information for a subset of current and former postpay customers and prospective T-Mobile customers.”

According to CNN, the company has agreed to pay a $350 million settlement to address several class-action suits, as well as spend an additional $150 million to improve cybersecurity through 2023.

“Customers are first in everything we do and protecting their information is a top priority,” the company said in a statement. “Like every company, we are not immune to these criminal attacks. Our efforts to guard against them continue and over the past year we have doubled down on our extensive cybersecurity program to enhance existing programs.”

T-Mobile Agrees to $350 Million Settlement Data Breach
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Russia Plans to Leave the International Space Station After 2024

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Russia Plans to Leave the International Space Station After 2024

Russia appears to be planning to withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024, possibly with a view to building its own.

Russia has been a partner in the ISS since its launch, with its rockets used to ferry personnel and supplies to the station. In the wake of sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia says it is planning to end its participation, according to Gizmodo.

“You know that we are working within the framework of international cooperation at the International Space Station,” said Yury Borisov, the new head of space agency Roscosmos, during his meeting with Putin (machine translation via Google). “Of course, we will fulfill all our obligations to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made.

“I think that by this time we will begin to assemble the Russian orbital station,” he added.

Only time will tell if the statement will come to pass or if it is an idle threat.

Russia Plans to Leave the International Space Station After 2024
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AWS Exec Takes Microsoft to Task for Cloud Licensing Terms

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AWS Exec Takes Microsoft to Task for Cloud Licensing Terms

AWS’ SVP of Sales and Marketing is calling out Microsoft for its cloud licensing terms, despite the latter company’s recent changes.

Microsoft was slapped with an EU antitrust complaint, with smaller rivals claiming the company uses its desktop and office suite dominance to unfairly compete in the cloud market. The complaint alleges that it costs more for companies to use a third-party cloud provider, rather than bundling Windows and Office with Microsoft Azure. Microsoft has since vowed to change its licensing terms, but AWS’ Matt Garman says it’s not enough:

Customers and policy makers around the world increasingly see MSFT’s recent licensing rhetoric as a troubling admission of the same anti-competitive tactics that many companies have been raising with them for years, but went unheeded until they were put before the European Commission.

Garman goes to say that Microsoft is not really interested in doing what’s right for its customers and that the company continues to engage in discriminatory practices:

MSFT’s answer is not to do what’s right for customers and fix their policy so all customers can run MSFT’s software on the cloud provider they choose; but rather, under the pretext of supporting European technology needs, MSFT proposes to select cloud providers about whom it is less competitively concerned and allow MSFT software to run only on those providers. This is not fairness in licensing and is not what customers want. We continue to hear from customers around the world that MSFT’s discriminatory licensing practices are costing them millions of dollars and the freedom to work with whom they wish.

While it’s not uncommon for tech companies and executives to take shots at one another, Garman’s words are particularly pointed. It’s no secret that Microsoft Azure is a growing threat to AWS’ position in the market. As a result, it’s hard to tell whether Garman’s statements are borne out of genuine concern for customers or a larger concern over Azure’s growth in the market.

AWS Exec Takes Microsoft to Task for Cloud Licensing Terms
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New Bill Would Give Crypto Users a Break on Small Transactions

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New Bill Would Give Crypto Users a Break on Small Transactions

A new bipartisan bill has been introduced in the US Senate that would exempt crypto transactions under $50 from being taxed.

Crypto trading has become an increasingly complex activity in the US, from a tax standpoint, with individuals needing to report even the smallest transaction. Senators Patrick Toomey and Kyrsten Sinema have introduced a bill that would make things much easier, exempting transactions under $50 or transactions where earnings are less than $50.

“While digital currencies have the potential to become an ordinary part of Americans’ everyday lives, our current tax code stands in the way,” said Senator Toomey. “The Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act will allow Americans to use cryptocurrencies more easily as an everyday method of payment by exempting from taxes small personal transactions like buying a cup of coffee.”

“We’re protecting Arizonans from surprise taxes on everyday digital payments, so as use of digital currencies increases, Arizonans can keep more of their own money in their pockets and continue to thrive,” said Senator Sinema.

The bill would significantly ease challenges involved in everyday crypto, challenges the Senators highlight:

Under current law, every time a digital asset is used, a taxable event occurs. For example, if an individual uses digital assets to purchase a cup of coffee, the individual would owe capital gains on the transaction if the digital asset appreciated in value—even if the asset appreciated by only a fraction of a penny. The Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act would simplify the use of digital assets for everyday transactions by creating a sensible de minimis exemption for gains of less than $50 on personal transactions and for personal transactions under $50.

Should the bill pass, it’s a safe bet it will be welcomed by many.

New Bill Would Give Crypto Users a Break on Small Transactions
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OneWeb and Eutelsat Are Merging to Take On SpaceX

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OneWeb and Eutelsat Are Merging to Take On SpaceX

OneWeb and Eutelsat have announced an agreement to combine forces in an all-stock deal.

SpaceX has established itself as the dominant provider of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service. Unlike older generations of satellite internet, LEO services provide speeds and latency on par with traditional broadband. OneWeb is SpaceX’s UK rival, while Eutelsat is its EU counterpart.

OneWeb and Eutelsat have agreed to a $3.4 billion deal which will see Eutelsat and OneWeb shareholders each hold 50% of Eutelsat. The hope is that combining the companies will allow them to better leverage their individual advantages. Eutelsat, in particular, has strong cash flow while OneWeb has far more satellites in orbit — 648 versus 36.

“I am delighted to announce this new and significant step in the collaboration between Eutelsat and OneWeb,” said Dominique D’Hinnin, Eutelsat’s Chairman. “Bringing together our two businesses will deliver a global first, combining LEO constellations and GEO assets to seize the significant growth opportunity in Connectivity, and deliver to our customers solutions to their needs across an even wider range of applications. This combination will accelerate the commercialisation of OneWeb’s fleet, while enhancing the attractiveness of Eutelsat’s growth profile. In addition, the combination carries significant value creation potential, anchored on a balanced mix of revenue, cost and capex synergies. The strong support of strategic shareholders of both parties is a testament to the huge opportunity that this combination offers and the value that will be created for all its stakeholders. This is truly a game changer for our industry.”

Once the deal is done, Eutelsat will effectively own 100% of OneWeb, minus the ‘Special Share’ owned by the UK government.

OneWeb and Eutelsat Are Merging to Take On SpaceX
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Shopify Will Lay Off 1,000 Employees After a ‘Bet That Didn’t Pay Off’

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Shopify Will Lay Off 1,000 Employees After a ‘Bet That Didn’t Pay Off’

Shopify is the latest victim of a changing economy, with the company revealing it is laying off roughly 1,000 employees.

Shopify, like many companies, experienced something of a boom during the early days of the pandemic, as people stayed at home and shopped online. As CEO Tobi Lütke explains, the company bet the surge would permanently alter the industry:

We bet that the channel mix – the share of dollars that travel through ecommerce rather than physical retail – would permanently leap ahead by 5 or even 10 years. We couldn’t know for sure at the time, but we knew that if there was a chance that this was true, we would have to expand the company to match.

Unfortunately for the company, as things returned to normal online shopping also began to dip.

It’s now clear that bet didn’t pay off. What we see now is the mix reverting to roughly where pre-Covid data would have suggested it should be at this point. Still growing steadily, but it wasn’t a meaningful 5-year leap ahead. Our market share in ecommerce is a lot higher than it is in retail, so this matters. Ultimately, placing this bet was my call to make and I got this wrong. Now, we have to adjust. As a consequence, we have to say goodbye to some of you today and I’m deeply sorry for that.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the layoffs will impact 10% of the company’s staff or roughly 1,000 employees.

Shopify Will Lay Off 1,000 Employees After a ‘Bet That Didn’t Pay Off’
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Nukes and AI: Eric Schmidt Believes Both Should Be Regulated by Treaties

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Nukes and AI: Eric Schmidt Believes Both Should Be Regulated by Treaties

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt believes AI should be in the same category as nuclear weapons and regulated by similar treaties.

AI is poised to be one of the most revolutionary technologies in mankind’s history. As such, viewpoints about what changes AI will bring are all over the map, with some believing AI will help save mankind and others believing it represents the single biggest existential threat to its survival.

Schmidt was speaking at the Aspen Security Forum when he discussed his role at Google and the developments that were happening 20 years ago, saying he was very “naive about the impact of what we were doing.”

After acknowledging how powerful information can be, he then goes on to describe the issues with creating a trust/no trust equilibrium with technologies like AI. During the Cold War, for example, nations developed a “no surprise” rule, wherein the world’s powers would notify each other if they were conducting a missile test. This eliminated the risk of a misunderstanding triggering World War III.

Schmidt is concerned that there is no such system in place for how AI is developed or used, leading to the very real possibility of an escalation in the harmful use of AI.

“We don’t have anyone working on that, and yet AI is that powerful,” Schmidt concluded.

"We are not ready for the negotiations that we need." – @ericschmidt #AspenSecurity pic.twitter.com/As749t6ZyU

— Aspen Security Forum (@AspenSecurity) July 22, 2022

Nukes and AI: Eric Schmidt Believes Both Should Be Regulated by Treaties
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GM Targets 1 Million EVs by 2025

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GM Targets 1 Million EVs by 2025

GM is continuing its efforts to convert to an electric vehicle (EV) lineup, securing supply lines to help it hit 1 million EVs by 2025.

Like many automakers, GM has been heavily investing in EV development. At the beginning of the year, the company announced plans to invest $7 billion in four Michigan plants in an effort to speed up EV production. Similarly, CEO Mary Barra said the company could eventually top Tesla in the EV market.

GM has taken a significant step toward that goal, signing long-term agreements with both LG Chem Ltd and Livent Corp for the materials necessary to create EV batteries.

Livent will supply GM with battery-grade lithium hydroxide over a six-year period, starting in 2025.

“We are building a strong, sustainable, scalable and secure supply chain to help meet our fast-growing EV production needs,” said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “We will further localize the lithium supply chain in North America over the course of the agreement. In addition, it is aligned with our approach to responsible sourcing and supply chain management and demonstrates our commitment to strong supplier relationships.”

“Importantly, GM now has contractual commitments secured with strategic partners for all battery raw material to support our goal of 1 million units of EV capacity by the end of 2025,” added Morrison

LG Chem, on the other hand, will supply GM with more than 950,000 tons of Cathode Active Material (CAM), starting in the second half of 2022 and continuing through 2030.

GM is working with both companies to help localize production in North America to the extent possible.

GM Targets 1 Million EVs by 2025
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Detroit Is Running Out of Vehicles

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Detroit Is Running Out of Vehicles

Detroit is the latest casualty of the global semiconductor shortage, with the hub of US automakers running out of vehicles.

The Washington Post published a report on the state of the US auto industry, and specifically the state of Motor City. Detroit has long been the home of the top three US automakers, Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Despite its importance to the industry, not even Detroit is immune to the current challenges.

Semiconductors have been in short supply since the onset of the pandemic. Early lockdowns hurt production at a time when demand reached all-new highs as people worked from home, relied on remote learning, and turned to video games for in-home entertainment. The rise of crypto mining also helped drive up demand.

The end result is a wide range of industries struggling to keep up production because there are too few semiconductors to go around. The auto industry has been especially hard hit, with virtually every major automaker scaling back production, cannibalizing various models to complete others, and generally taking any number of extreme measures to maintain some semblance of normality.

Despite those measures, automakers are still falling behind, and it’s being felt in the one place many thought it never would be, with dealership inventory running low and prices skyrocketing for the vehicles that are available.

“This is an auto manufacturing city. It shouldn’t be short of cars,” said cabdriver Benyam Tesfasion.

“It may be the biggest disruption we’ve seen since the 1970s and the fuel crisis,” said Matt Anderson, a transportation historian at Dearborn’s Henry Ford museum complex.

Unfortunately, there’s still no immediate end in sight, despite countless efforts to address the shortage. Until production can catch up with demand, Detroid may have to become accustomed to fewer cars and higher prices, just like the rest of the country.

Detroit Is Running Out of Vehicles
Matt Milano

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Apple Has Filed Nearly 250 Automotive Patents

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Apple Has Filed Nearly 250 Automotive Patents

In its push for the Apple Car, Apple has applied for 248 patents related to automotive development.

Apple’s bid to create the Apple Car, code-named Project Titan, is an open secret in the industry. Numerous automakers have been rumored to be in talks with the Cupertino company to build the Apple Car, although nothing has been confirmed. That hasn’t stopped Apple from pushing ahead, with Nikkei Asia reporting on the company’s trove of automotive patents.

According to the report, Apple’s patents fall into a number of categories, including battery and heat management, connectivity, self-driving, interior comfort, and communication and navigation.

It appears that Apple’s automotive-related patents began to increase in 2008, following the release of the iPhone. Many of the early patents focus on connectivity between phone and car. Later, however, the nature of the patents began to shift to ones more directly related to vehicle function, especially autonomous driving.

No one knows when an Apple Car may finally debut, despite plenty of speculation on the topic. More recent reports indicate the Project Titan team has shifted its focus from a limited self-driving approach to developing a fully autonomous vehicle.

Apple Has Filed Nearly 250 Automotive Patents
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How to Find a Perfect Audience

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How to Find a Perfect Audience

Focusing on your target market when trying to build your online presence can save you from wasting lots of time and money. With over 250 million Americans using social media, the internet is the best place to start when trying to build an audience, but there are strategies you can use to make this process easier. 

Many People use Social Media in the Wrong Way

This is especially true when they are trying to build an online presence. Oftentimes people will post the same content across every social media platform and this can prevent from gaining new followers. Every social media platform has a different audience, and this means that content needs to be uniquely crafted for that audience in order to gain traction. Sticking to only a few platforms and creating unique content for each channel can help you reach a wider audience and gain more followers.

Once you decide the kind of content you want to create and the platforms you want to use, there are different phases that contribute to finding your perfect audience.

Phases of Finding Your Perfect Audience

Phase 1 is all about the environment of your content. If your content aligns with a specific trend that is happening, it’s a great time to start putting it out. Getting your foot in the door with trendy content can help to build a foundation, and then you can continue improving your content based on data. Useful data is collected over about 2 months, and this information can help you determine the demographics of the people watching your content. Demographics can help you determine certain likes and dislikes of your audience, which can help you tweak content even more to make sure you are marketing the best way to the audience you want to reach.

Phase 2 is all about how you deliver content. Tone is very important when distributing your content. How you communicate with the content can help to build new audiences, and how audiences interpret your tone can be a deciding factor in how your content is perceived overall. The other important aspect of content delivery is the timing. Similar to releasing related content to trends, content can be more popular at certain times. You have the control when to reach a new audience based on trends or other important events. 

The last phase of building your perfect audience involves emotions. It is important to not make knee jerk decisions based on audience responses  because this can do more damage in the long run. Use audience responses to make small improvements within your space so it is not as drastic but is still making your content better. If you are able to navigate the first two phases, it will provide some consistency within social media algorithms so that the third phase is less complicated!

In Conclusion

The social media landscape is integral in finding a perfect audience today. If you follow the three phases, it can be easier to learn the functionality of online habits and make reaching your perfect audience much easier. If you want to learn more about finding your perfect online audience, take a look at the infographic below:

Source: Bang Productions

How to Find a Perfect Audience
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Google Fires Engineer Who Claimed Its AI Achieved Sentience

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Google Fires Engineer Who Claimed Its AI Achieved Sentience

Google has fired Blake Lemoine, a software engineer who made headlines for claiming the company’s AI had achieved sentience.

Blake Lemoine worked at Google as an engineer, working with the company’s LaMDA chatbot technology. Lemoine became increasingly that LaMDA had achieved sentience and self-awareness based on the conversations he had with it. Others, both inside and outside the company, were not convinced.

“Our minds are very, very good at constructing realities that are not necessarily true to a larger set of facts that are being presented to us,” said Margaret Mitchell, who led Google’s AI ethics team before being fired. “I’m really concerned about what it means for people to increasingly be affected by the illusion.”

After placing Lemoine on leave in June, Google has now fired him for violating the company’s policies.

“It’s regrettable that despite lengthy engagement on this topic, Blake still chose to persistently violate clear employment and data security policies that include the need to safeguard product information,” a Google spokesperson said in an email to Reuters.

Lemoine’s case illustrates the complex challenges associated with AI development. Many individuals tend to look for intelligence and sentience where it doesn’t exist. Conversely, the ongoing effort to combat false positives could, theoretically, impede recognition of true sentience if and when it emerges.

More than anything, the entire situation with Lemoine demonstrates why companies like Google should be investing in top-tier AI ethicists instead of firing them.

Google Fires Engineer Who Claimed Its AI Achieved Sentience
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Intel Scores MediaTek As Foundry Customer

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Intel Scores MediaTek As Foundry Customer

Intel has scored a major victory, securing Taiwan’s MediaTek as a customer for its foundry services.

Intel has been working to revitalize its semiconductor business, and providing foundry services to other companies has been a major part of that revitalization. According to Reuters, the company has secured a contract to produce chips for MediaTek, one of the leading semiconductor design firms whose designs are used in a wide range of mobile devices.

“That’s a pretty big deal for us to engage a customer from Taiwan and them betting on us to grow and try this. And so this is a major anchor customer win,” Randhir Thakur, president of Intel Foundry Services, told Reuters.

The move is a testament to Intel’s success in establishing its foundry business, especially since MediaTek has a carefully developed reputation for designing some of the highest-quality chips in the business. Some Qualcomm and Samsung chips — both of which were manufactured by Samsung — have struggled with heat issues.

Read more: Intel Moves Up 2025 Chip Tech a Full Six Months

In contrast, MediaTek has relied on TSMC, a company whose manufacturing processes are considered more advanced than those of other companies. As a result, MediaTek has not been plagued with the same heat issues as its rivals.

The fact that the company is willing to invest in Intel’s foundry services is a huge vote of confidence in the latter’s abilities.

“When you go into a foundry, you’re putting at risk about two years of work,” said TechInsights’ chip economist Dan Hutcheson. “If something happens and the foundry can’t pull it off, you’ve lost that design window in that market window.”

While the contract is a big win for Intel, MediaTek made clear it will continue with a multi-vendor approach.

“MediaTek has always adopted a multi-sourcing strategy,” MediaTek said in a statement. “In addition to maintaining close partnership with TSMC in advanced process nodes, this collaboration will enhance MediaTek’s supply for mature process nodes.”

Intel Scores MediaTek As Foundry Customer
Matt Milano

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PSA: Update Google Chrome Immediately

WebProNews
PSA: Update Google Chrome Immediately

Google has released a major update to Google Chrome, fixing a number of critical bugs, including ones that could lead to remote takeover.

The latest version fixes 11 bugs, five of which are rated High severity. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is advising users and companies to upgrade immediately.

Google has released Chrome version 103.0.5060.134  for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This version addresses vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit to take control of an affected system.  

CISA encourages users and administrators to review the Chrome Release Note and apply the necessary updates.

PSA: Update Google Chrome Immediately
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