DOJ Launches Investigation of Tesla Over Self-Driving Claims

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DOJ Launches Investigation of Tesla Over Self-Driving Claims

Tesla is being investigated by the Department of Justice over the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Autopilot claims.

Tesla has been in the news on multiple occasions for its self-driving tech, and often not in a good way. There have been numerous instances of individuals relying on FSD and Autopilot too much, believing the tech is more capable than it is. This has predictably led to crashes and near-crashes. The state of California has even banned Tesla from using the term “Full Self-Driving” to describe its driver assist system.

According to an SEC filing, it appears the DOJ is investigating the company’s claims. While acknowledging it had previously been investigated over CEO Elon Musk’s threatening to take the company private, Telsa revealed the current investigation:

Separately, the company has received requests from the DOJ for documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD features. To our knowledge no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred. We cannot predict the outcome or impact of any ongoing matters. Should the government decide to pursue an enforcement action, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our business, results of operation, prospects, cash flows and financial position.

We will continue to follow developments and update as more information becomes available.

DOJ Launches Investigation of Tesla Over Self-Driving Claims
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Google Is Now Rolling Out Its New Gmail Interface

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Google Is Now Rolling Out Its New Gmail Interface

Google is currently rolling out its updated Gmail interface, bringing together various elements in one view.

Google has been planning a new Gmail interface for some time, in an effort to make the service a one-stop-shop for communication. The new interface brings together “Gmail, Chat, and Meet in one unified location.”

Google began rolling out the new interface to scheduled domains on Friday, and expects to be finished by February 3. Once complete, users will not be able to roll back to the previous interface.

Beginning today, the new Gmail user interface is rolling out for scheduled release domains, with anticipated completion by February 3, 2023. This will become the standard experience for Gmail, with no option to revert to the original UI.

Google Is Now Rolling Out Its New Gmail Interface
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US Tightens the Noose Around Huawei’s Phone Business

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US Tightens the Noose Around Huawei’s Phone Business

The Biden administration has tightened the noose around Huawei’s phone business, restricting access to older technology.

Huawei was once one of the biggest smartphone makers in the world and looked poised to dominate the industry for years. Concerns over its association with the Chinese government was its undoing, with the US and its allies imposing sanctions and bans on the company. As a result, Huawei’s phone business was virtually ruined.

Despite being cut off from more advanced technology, the company was still allowed to purchase older tech from US companies. It appears that door has now slammed shut, according to Reuters, with the US government banning the company from buying most of the remaining tech it still had access to.

According to the report, Huawei is now effectively cut off from US-based tech, including “4G items, Wifi 6 and 7, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing and cloud items.”

The Commerce Department would not confirm or deny the report. If it is true, however, it would deal a major blow to Huawei’s phone business, as well as its other endeavors.

Huawei has been pivoting to other industries, especially ones that do not rely so heavily on US tech, such as software and cloud computing. The company has also explored the possibility of entering the electric vehicle market.

With the US tightening restrictions, however, Huawei may soon find its other ventures under the same kind of pressure its phone business experienced.

US Tightens the Noose Around Huawei’s Phone Business
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FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones

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FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones

In a “what were they thinking?” moment, Fox is facing fines for using Emergency Alert Tones (EAS) to promote NFL Sunday.

The EAS is for federal, state, and local authorities to warn citizens of impending danger, as well as child abductions. As such, aside from specific Permitted Uses, the EAS Tones may not be used for any other purpose. The government’s goal is to ensure the public does not get “alert fatigue” and become desensitized to the EAS Tones.

Despite the importance of protecting the use of EAS Tones, Fox Sports downloaded the tones from a YouTube video and proceeded to use a three-second segment to promote NFL Sunday, according to the FCC’s report.

FOX describes the Promotional Segment as a short comedic advertisement for an upcoming game, aired as part of the FOX NFL SUNDAY pre-game show. FOX admits that the Promotional Segment used an approximately three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal commonly used to precede broadcast emergency alerts: two simultaneous tones of 853 Hz and 960 Hz. The three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal was downloaded or recorded from a YouTube video. FOX further admits that its transmission of the Promotional Segment, and the EAS Tones, was not made in connection with any Permitted Use, i.e., an actual emergency, authorized test of the EAS, or qualified PSA.

The clip was broadcast across 18 of Fox’s stations, as well as transmitted to 190 affiliated stations. The company also used the clip on Fox Sports Radio, reaching nearly 15 million listeners.

As a result of the incident, the FCC has proposed fining Fox sports $504,000.

FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones
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Frontier Is Rolling Out 5 Gig Internet Nationwide

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Frontier Is Rolling Out 5 Gig Internet Nationwide

Frontier is staking claim to an industry-first, rolling out the first nationwide 5 gig internet service in the US.

Frontier is one of the major players in the US internet provider market, with a strong focus on rural communities. The company launched its 2 gig nationwide internet service less than a year ago and is now set to top that feat.

“We set a standard with network-wide 2 Gig internet last year, and now we’ve done it again,” said John Harrobin, Frontier’s Executive Vice President of Consumer. “Our 5 Gig offer meets the growing demand for multi-gig speeds and delivers the ‘un-cable’ experience by making the fastest upload and download speeds available throughout our fiber network.”

The new plan costs “$154.99 a month with autopay and includes uncapped data + Wi-Fi router + free installation + premium tech support.”

Frontier Is Rolling Out 5 Gig Internet Nationwide
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Impossible Foods May Lay Off 20% of Its Workforce

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Impossible Foods May Lay Off 20% of Its Workforce

Impossible Foods may be poised for a second round of layoffs, with a report putting the number at 20%.

Impossible Foods makes plant-based “meats.” It’s product is sold in stores and used in Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, as well as other fast-food meals. Despite its success, the company appears to be on the verge of additional layoffs.

According to Bloomberg, via TechCrunch, the company is planning to let roughly 20% of its workforce go. With a total of 700 employees, this would impact more than 100 workers.

Impossible Foods already let 6% of its staff go in October, well before some of the biggest layoffs in the tech industry. The most recent report is somewhat surprising since Impossible Foods appears to be doing well financially, with strong sales, positive growth, and good cash flow.

Impossible Foods May Lay Off 20% of Its Workforce
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EV Startup Arrival Appoints New CEO, Lays Off 50% of Staff

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EV Startup Arrival Appoints New CEO, Lays Off 50% of Staff

Electric vehicle startup Arrival has undergone a major shakeup, appointing a new CEO and announcing layoffs of 50% of its staff.

Arrival has a deal with UPS to provide 10,000 electric delivery vans through 2024. Despite the high-profile contract, the company has struggled financially and is now announcing its second round of layoffs in a year.

Following a detailed review of its operations and its markets, Arrival is now announcing immediate actions to further reduce its operating costs and to optimize the deployment of its current cash resources. This includes the difficult decision to reduce its global workforce by approximately 50% to 800 employees. When combined with other cost reductions in real estate and third-party spending, the company expects to halve the ongoing cash cost of operating the business to approximately $30 million per quarter.

Simultaneously, the company also announced a new CEO, Igor Torgov. Torgov has a long history in the tech industry, with stints at Microsoft, Bitfury, Columbus A/S, and Yota. Most recently, before serving as Arrival’s EVP of Digital, Torgov served as CEO of Atol.

“Accepting this important role at a critical point in Arrival’s journey is a significant responsibility,” said Torgov. “Arrival has developed unique technologies in a market that has huge growth potential and can play a key role in addressing climate change. To unlock these opportunities, we need to make difficult decisions and to take swift action. Following a detailed evaluation of Arrival and the wider EV market during the past two months, the leadership team and the Board have taken decisive action to ensure the most effective use of our current resources and optimize the efficiency of the business. The actions support our journey to become a champion in innovative products and new, more efficient methods of vehicle production, particularly in the important US market for commercial electric vehicles. We are keenly aware that these decisions, while necessary, will have a profound impact on a significant number of our colleagues. We are 100% committed to supporting our employees during this difficult process.”

EV Startup Arrival Appoints New CEO, Lays Off 50% of Staff
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Tomb Raider Series May Be Coming to Amazon

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Tomb Raider Series May Be Coming to Amazon

Video gamers rejoice! A Tomb Raider TV series is in the works and may be coming to Amazon Prime streaming service.

Tomb Raider is one of the most popular video game franchises and served as the basis for two movies staring Angelina Jolie as well as a third move staring Alicia Vikander. According to an exclusive report by The Hollywood Reporter, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Fleabag fame, is prepping the TV show as part of a larger overall deal with the streaming giant.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, while Waller-Bridge is writing the show scripts, she is not slated to star in the series. Waller-Bridge will also be an executive producer for the show.

No information was provided regarding a possible release date.

Tomb Raider Series May Be Coming to Amazon
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Ubuntu Pro Is Now Available to Everyone

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Ubuntu Pro Is Now Available to Everyone

Canonical has announced the general availability of Ubuntu Pro, a security subscription service for the popular Linux distro.

Ubuntu is the most widely-used Linux distro, providing excellent hardware support and ease of use. Canonical releases interim releases every six months, with LTS (long-term support) releases every two years. LTS releases offer five years of support and security patches.

The new Ubuntu Pro subscription extends LTS support to a full ten years while also improving security. In particular, Ubuntu Pro adds security patch support for the 23,000 packages in the Ubuntu Universe repo, outside of the 2,300 packages in the Ubuntu Main repo.

Ubuntu Pro, Canonical’s comprehensive subscription for secure open source and compliance, is now generally available. Ubuntu Pro, released in beta in October last year, helps teams get timely CVE patches, harden their systems at scale and remain compliant with regimes such as FedRAMP, HIPAA and PCI-DSS.

The new plan also features optional phone/ticket support.

“I manage my own compute cluster leveraging MAAS and other Canonical tools to support my research. The open source security patches delivered through Ubuntu Pro give my team peace of mind, and ensure my servers are secure. Canonical is continuously delivering timely CVE patches covering a broad portfolio of open source applications for the entire ten-year lifetime of an Ubuntu LTS. This brings much needed stability and compliance”, said David A Gutman, MD PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine.

The subscription is available for free to personal and small-scale commercial users for up to five machines. The standard subscription is available for $25 per workstation per year or $500 per server per year.

Ubuntu Pro Is Now Available to Everyone
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Ford Is Dropping Mustang Mach-E Prices Across the Board

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Ford Is Dropping Mustang Mach-E Prices Across the Board

Ford is cutting prices across the board for the Mustang Mach-E in an effort to remain competitive following similar price cuts from Tesla.

The Mustang Mach-E has emerged as one of Tesla’s main competitors, even topping Tesla in Consumer Reports rankings. In mid-January, Tesla announced major price cuts across its lineup, and Ford is now following suit.

“We are not going to cede ground to anyone. We are producing more EVs to reduce customer wait times, offering competitive pricing and working to create an ownership experience that is second to none,” said Marin Gjaja, Chief Customer Officer, Ford Model e. “Our customers are at the center of everything we do – as we continue to build thrilling and exciting electric vehicles, we will continue to push the boundaries to make EVs more accessible for everybody.”

The price drops are fairly substantial, with GT Extended Range models seeing as much as a $5,900 reduction.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Price Drop – Credit Ford

Customers who purchased after January 1, 2023, or those still awaiting delivery, will automatically receive the adjusted price.

“Part of our mission at Ford is to treat customers like family,” said Gjaja. “We want our customers to know they made the right decision by choosing a Mustang Mach-E, and we’ll continue to play a proactive role in doing the right thing for those joining the Ford family.”

Ford is clearly going all out in its efforts to take the EV crown from Tesla, and these price reductions will certainly help.

Ford Is Dropping Mustang Mach-E Prices Across the Board
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Europe Is Finally Going After TikTok

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Europe Is Finally Going After TikTok

The European Union is finally beginning to scrutinize TikTok, changing the status quo that has seen the Chinese platform go largely unchallenged.

TikTok has been under fire in the US for several years, but the EU has largely been silent, instead focusing its attention on larger players among Big Tech. According to CNBC, that appears to be changing.

Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner of the Internet Market, has reportedly warned TikTok CEO Shou Zi that the app could be banned if it fails to comply with EU digital content regulations by the September 1 deadline.

TikTok has evidently avoided scrutiny so far through a combination of popularity among Europeans and flying under the radar. While EU regulators have been concerned over the social media platform and its penchant for privacy and data scandals, the bloc has been more concerned with companies like Google and Meta.

“It takes a little bit of time for the European Commission to get its act together on these issues,” Dexter Thillien, lead tech and telecoms analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC.

“It’s not because of a lack of willingness from the European Commission to do something,” Thillien continued. “They’ve got their hands full with bigger companies.”

That appears to be changing, however, with the bloc finally turning its attention to TikTok and realizing action will be needed to reign in its privacy abuses.

“TikTok’s success is the result of a European policy failure,” Moritz Korner, a member of the European Parliament for Germany’s Free Democratic Party, told CNBC.

“From a geopolitical perspective, the EU’s inactivity towards TikTok has been naive.”

Europe Is Finally Going After TikTok
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Major Banks Joining Forces to Take on Apple Card, PayPal

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Major Banks Joining Forces to Take on Apple Card, PayPal

Major banks are reportedly joining forces in an effort to better take on Apple Card and PayPal in the digital wallet market.

In the era of digital transactions and wallets, traditional banks have found themselves playing second fiddle to tech companies. According to CNBC, several of the biggest banks want to change the status quo and exert more direct influence.

Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo are among those reportedly looking to work together to create their own digital wallet that will link to customers’ debit and credit cards.

The new cards reportedly could launch later in 2023, with both Visa and Mastercard on board.

The banks are likely driven by a desire to maintain a more direct relationship with the customer, along with the possibility of selling them additional services as a result of that relationship. Banks are probably also somewhat leery of tech deals that leave them with the short end of the stick. For example, Goldman Sachs has reportedly lost somewhere between $1 to $3 billion on the Apple Card deal.

Nonetheless, entering the market and competing with established tech companies won’t be easy, experts warn.

Bernstein analyst Harshita Rawat said banks have “likely always had PayPal envy,” but that didn’t mean the way forward is going to be easy.

“It simply takes a very long time, a killer customer experience (which needs to be better than incumbents, not just similar), and a compelling merchant value proposition to build the two-sided network effects in payments to achieve scale,” Rawat said in a note to clients.

Major Banks Joining Forces to Take on Apple Card, PayPal
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PagerDuty CEO Quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cringe-Worthy Layoff Email

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PagerDuty CEO Quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cringe-Worthy Layoff Email

PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada has set the bar for the most cringe-worthy way of laying off employees.

Like many tech companies, PageDuty is laying off part of its staff to better survive the economic downturn. Tejada informed employees in an email, the contents of which were posted on the company’s site.

In her email, the CEO said the company will be laying off “roughly 7% of roles globally, the vast majority of which are in North America, primarily in our go-to-market and G&A organizations.”

Tejada then goes on to explain why the layoffs are necessary, as they’re designed to help the company better support other business ventures, something the laid-off employees probably don’t care about and would have been better left to another email:

Decisions were predicated on business rationale that included, for example, protecting investments in top product development priorities like our new Incident Workflows, self service and product-led growth (PLG), and continued AIOps and Automation enhancements, improving spans of control and streamlining management layers, expanding teams and roles in Santiago and Lisbon, and addressing our enterprise opportunity with a hybrid strategic and high-velocity GTM motion that continues to improve our productivity

The coup de grâce, however, was quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in an effort to make herself, the company, and its leadership look better:

None of this would be possible without you, our leadership, and our board — thank you for your grit and resilience, your commitment to our customers and your support of our values and people. I am reminded in moments like this, of something Martin Luther King said, that “the ultimate measure of a [leader] is not where [they] stand in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where [they] stand in times of challenge and controversy.” PagerDuty is a leader that stands behind its customers, its values, and our vision — for an equitable world where we transform critical work so all teams can delight their customers and build trust.

Interestingly, while Tejada says the company ‘stands behind its customers, its values, and its vision,’ its interesting that she didn’t say it stands behind its employees.

While PagerDuty is well within its rights to lay off employees, and may even need to, Tejada would do well to not quote Dr. King in an effort to make such a decision — one that negatively impacts so many lives — look better. Nor should Dr. King’s words be used to pat herself and the company’s leadership on the back at a time when her employees will be paying the price for that leadership’s miscalculations.

PagerDuty CEO Quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cringe-Worthy Layoff Email
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Intel Loses $8 Billion Market Value in ‘Historic Collapse’

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Intel Loses $8 Billion Market Value in ‘Historic Collapse’

Intel’s recovery hit a major speed bump Friday as the company saw $8 billion of its market value wiped away, surprising analysts.

Intel has been working to reclaim its spot as the world’s top chipmaker but has been experiencing setbacks in recent months. The company announced a surprise $500 million loss at the end of July, but that doesn’t begin to compare with the bloodbath resulting from the company’s latest announcement.

Late Thursday, Intel gave guidance for the upcoming quarter that was billions below analysts’ expectations. Analysts were expecting $14 billion in revenue, but Intel’s guidance for Q1 was in the $10.5 to $11.5 billion range.

“No words can portray or explain the historic collapse of Intel,” said Rosenblatt Securities’ Hans Mosesmann, according to Reuters, who says the analyst was among 21 analysts that cut Intel’s price target.

Intel, like many companies, is struggling with a slump in the computer market as post-pandemic demand has significantly slowed. The company is also facing a slowdown in the data center market, a segment it has traditionally dominated.

Read More: AMD Continues to Chip Away at Intel’s Server Dominance

None of that, however, compares to the challenges Intel faces catching up with its rivals in the technology department. TSMC has a significant technological lead over virtually every other chipmaker. What’s more, Intel’s biggest rival, AMD, relies on TSMC to manufacture its chips. This has helped AMD make major headway against Intel, both in the computer and data center space.

“AMD’s Genoa and Bergamo (data center) chips have a strong price-performance advantage compared to Intel’s Sapphire Rapids processors, which should drive further AMD share gains,” said Matt Wegner, an analyst at YipitData, told Reuters.

Unfortunately, analysts believe Intel’s troubles may be just beginning.

“It is now clear why Intel needs to cut so much cost as the company’s original plans prove to be fantasy,” brokerage Bernstein said.

“The magnitude of the deterioration is stunning, and brings potential concern to the company’s cash position over time.”

Intel Loses $8 Billion Market Value in ‘Historic Collapse’
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Amazon Fresh Quadrupling the Threshold for Free Delivery

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Amazon Fresh Quadrupling the Threshold for Free Delivery

Beginning February 28, Amazon Fresh customers will need to order quite a bit more to qualify for free delivery.

Amazon Fresh is the company’s grocery division, with physical stores that offer local delivery. Until now, the threshold for free delivery was $35 per order. According to The Verge, the threshold is being raised to $150, effective February 28.

“We’re introducing a service fee on some Amazon Fresh delivery orders to help keep prices low in our online and physical grocery stores as we better cover grocery delivery costs and continue to enable offering a consistent, fast, and high-quality delivery experience,” Amazon spokesperson Lara Hendrickson told The Verge. “We will continue to offer convenient two-hour delivery windows for all orders, and customers in some areas will be able to select a longer delivery window for a reduced fee.”

Orders under $50 will cost $9.95 for delivery. Orders between $50 and $100 will cost $6.95, and orders between $100 and $150 will cost $3.95.

Amazon Fresh Quadrupling the Threshold for Free Delivery
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Walmart Bucks Economy, Raises Wages

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Walmart Bucks Economy, Raises Wages

Walmart has announced a major initiative aimed to invest in its workers, including raising wages across the company.

Companies in various industries have been laying off workers left and right, but Walmart is going in the exact opposite direction, paying the workers it has even more. Instead of ranging from $12.00 to $18.00 per hour, the new pay scale will range from $14.00 to $19.00 per hour.

“First, starting next month, we’ll begin investing in higher wages for associates,” writes John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart US. “This includes a mixture of associates’ regular annual increases and targeted investments in starting rates for thousands of stores, to ensure we have attractive pay in the markets we operate. We expect these raises will bring our U.S. average hourly wage to more than $17.50. They’ll be reflected in March 2 paychecks.”

In addition to raising wages, the company is also adding higher-paid positions in its Auto Care Centers (ACC).

“Second, we’re continuing to invest in associates who run our Auto Care Centers (ACC),” Furner continues. “Last fall we created a higher-paying ACC coach role. Now we’re introducing a higher-paying ACC team lead position and elevating the ACC tech position to a higher pay-band that reflects the special skills needed for the role and its importance to our business.”

The company is also adding additional college degrees and certificates to its Live Better U (LBU) program, and the company will pay 100% of tuition and fees.

Finally, the company is also expanding its Associate-Driver Program, which pays supply chain associates to earn their commercial driver’s licenses. Once they become a Walmart truck driver, associates can earn up to $100,000 in their first year.

It’s refreshing to see a company investing more in their employees, including paying them more, rather than laying them off.

Walmart Bucks Economy, Raises Wages
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Stripe May Go Public Within the Next Year

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Stripe May Go Public Within the Next Year

Stripe’s IPO may be on the horizon, with the company telling employees it will decide within the next year whether to go public.

Stripe was riding high during the pandemic, one of many tech companies that benefited from the switch to remote work and e-commerce. As spending slowed and interest rates crept up post-pandemic, Stripe was forced to delay any plans to go public.

According to The Information, via CNBC, the company’s founders, John and Patrick Collison, have told employees they will make a decision within the next year. The goal is to either either go public, or give employees the chance to sell their shares via secondary offering.

Stripe May Go Public Within the Next Year
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Office Tech Trends that Will Dominate the Business World in 2023

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Office Tech Trends that Will Dominate the Business World in 2023

It’s no secret that modern technology has been changing and reshaping the business world as we (used to) know it for quite some time now. New gadgets, hardware and software solutions are entering the scene seemingly on a daily basis, and what was considered “hot” just a few months ago may as well be rendered obsolete by now. 

That’s why companies who are constantly looking to gain an upper hand keep their eyes peeled on up and coming technology solutions that will help them advance. Notably, while it is virtually impossible to stay on top of them all, and implement them all in your business operations, identifying the ones that will bring you the most value is where it’s at. 

So, with that in mind, let’s take a peek at some of the most prominent office tech trends that are bound to dominate the business world in 2023 and beyond.

Increased use of smart office gadgets and furniture

To start off on arguably the most easily-applicable office tech trends, we’ll first discuss the implementation and use of smart office gadgets and furniture. More and more companies are starting to realize the importance of a comfortable working environment and they are now seeking smart solutions that will help them improve upon this.

That’s why offices nowadays are somewhat moving away from open office floor plans which, although aesthetically pleasing, didn’t really work for everyone. So, companies that have embraced this approach in the past are now looking to install wooden panels and similar dividers that will not only bring more privacy, but will also significantly reduce noise pollution.

What’s more, businesses are increasingly investing in equipment such as ergonomic office furniture, noise-canceling headphones and blue light blocking glasses, to name a few. 

Greater emphasis on user-first data governance

Believe it or not, recent studies suggest that only about 21% of users trust established global brands to keep their personal information secure. However, if you consider the way in which data is currently being collected by the majority of businesses, this really doesn’t come off as such a big surprise. 

That’s why more and more companies are now trying to improve this level of trust by implementing and offering user-first data governance. In short, this approach allows consumers to be fully in charge of the type and volume of their personal data that will be available to businesses to collect. 

Not only that, but with this user-first approach, the users will also be in charge of who their data is being shared with, in which manner and how is it being deposed of once it stops bringing value. Needless to say, this approach will bring very positive results to businesses that choose to use it, as trust is still arguably one of the key factors of a successful relationship.

Greater implementation of adaptive AI

Of course, we simply can’t talk about innovative tech trends in the business world without mentioning artificial intelligence (AI) and the massive impact it already left on businesses of all structures and sizes. However, as you may already guessed, things have only continued to evolve from what the majority of us knew about AI so far.

Namely, one of the hottest new office trends is actually implementing adaptive AI to business operations. As the name suggests, adaptive AI has the ability to learn faster and in a more independent way. As such, it has the ability to basically learn on the go, which allows businesses to faster improve their operations. This, in turn, will allow them to offer far better customer experience, which is yet another key aspect of customer satisfaction and overall business growth. 

Greater use of industry cloud platforms

Industry cloud platforms allow businesses to manage, connect and automate their processes far more efficiently than traditional cloud platforms. To put it simply, these platforms turn regular cloud platforms into business platforms, which not only greatly improves overall operations but leaves more room for faster and smoother scalability.

Since these platforms are a collection of software solutions they can take care of more industry-specific tasks instead of focusing on a single one. Therefore, it’s like basically having access to a business specific software solution that’s entirely customized according to your organization’s unique needs.  

It’s no secret that businesses that stay on top of the latest tech trends and are quick to embrace them and adapt to them are the ones that are leading the race. That said, it’s crucial to recognize the trends that will bring the most value to your business and implement them first, to avoid overwhelming both their employees and their entire business structure. So, make sure you stay on a lookout but also recognize the areas of your business that will benefit the most from implementing some of the latest tech trends in your industry.

Office Tech Trends that Will Dominate the Business World in 2023
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Move Over Subscription Economy, Usage-Based Billing Is Here

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Move Over Subscription Economy, Usage-Based Billing Is Here

Subscription pricing models may be an unforeseen casualty of the economic downturn, paving the way for usage-based billing.

Subscription pricing models have permeated everything from cloud services to mobile apps and are a far cry from the early days of computing and the internet. For those old enough to remember, software was sold — often in a box — for a one-time fee for that major version of the software. When a major new version was released, users could usually pay a cheaper upgrade fee to move to the latest and greatest.

With the rise of the internet, however, subscription models quickly dominated the market and all but supplanted the one-time fee model. Thanks to the economic downturn, however, Business Insider makes the case that subscription pricing may be on the verge of going the way of its predecessor.

In place of subscriptions, usage-based billing is the new hot thing in the software market. Rather than a flat monthly rate, usage-based billing only charges customers for what they actually use. As Insider points out, this is not uncommon among cloud providers but is poised to spread out to other areas of the industry.

The model could be a viable and appealing option for much wider use, especially as businesses are looking to rein in expenses wherever possible.

“If you think about the evolution of business models, it’s always trended more and more towards being more friendly to the customer,” Rishi Jaluria, an RBC software analyst, told Insider. “It is very likely, in my opinion, that there will be more companies that are either on a consumption model or offer a consumption element to the model.”

Jaluria’s views are shared even by those entrenched in the subscription model approach.

“The best companies are saying, ‘We want to have a mix of models that really accommodates all our different customers,'” said Tien Tzuo, CEO of Zuora, a subscription-billing-management company. “Different customers might want different things as well.”

Move Over Subscription Economy, Usage-Based Billing Is Here
Matt Milano

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Ford’s BlueCruise Beats Tesla’s Autopilot—By a Wide Margin

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Ford’s BlueCruise Beats Tesla’s Autopilot—By a Wide Margin

Consumer Reports has ranked the top automated driving systems, and Ford has come out on top, beating Tesla by a wide margin.

Tesla is often in the news for its automated driving tech, and not always for the right reasons. To see which manufacturer is currently winning the battle for the best automated driving suite, CR tested options from Tesla, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen, Rivian, Nissan, Honda, Volvo, and Hyundai.

Overall, Ford BlueCruise/Lincoln Active Glide came out as the clear winner by a significant margin. CR rated the system across five categories, with Ford scoring the following:

• Capabilities and Performance: 9/10
• Keeping Driver Engaged: 9/10
• Ease of Use: 6/10
• Clear When Safe to Use: 9/10
• Unresponsive Driver: 6/10

Interestingly, while BMW, Tesla, and Toyota matched Ford in the Capabilities and Performance category, only Mercedes-Benz scored a 10/10.

Overall, however, Ford’s scores across the board were higher, giving BlueCruise a total score of 84.

“Systems like BlueCruise are an important advancement that can help make driving easier and less stressful,” says Jake Fisher, CR’s senior director of auto testing.

“But they don’t make a car self-driving at all,” Fisher says. “Instead, they create a new way of collaboratively driving with the computers in your car. When automakers do it the right way, it can make driving safer and more convenient. When they do it the wrong way, it can be dangerous.”

In contrast, Tesla came seventh place with a score of only 61, which Fisher attributes to the EV maker not evolving their software to keep up with advances in technology.

“After all this time, Autopilot still doesn’t allow collaborative steering and doesn’t have an effective driver monitoring system,” Fisher adds. “While other automakers have evolved their ACC and LCA systems, Tesla has simply fallen behind.”

Ford’s BlueCruise Beats Tesla’s Autopilot—By a Wide Margin
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Is Reworking File Explorer to Better Match Windows 11

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Microsoft Is Reworking File Explorer to Better Match Windows 11

Microsoft is reportedly reworking File Explorer to make it better match the rest of the Windows 11 aesthetic and features.

Microsoft has been working to improve File Explorer, adding tabs and remote work improvements in April 2022. The company was rumored to be revamping the app to make it better fit in with Windows 11, but Windows Central has confirmed the company’s plans.

According to the outlet, the overhaul will also help the app better integrate with Microsoft 365 and OneDrive. Everything from button placement to the left sidebar navigation is being improved. The app will also make it easier to see Microsoft 365 comments and email threads about files by looking at the details pane.

File Explorer’s photo handling is also getting a major upgrade, with users able to mouse over photos to see larger previews. Microsoft may even add tagging to make it easier to sort and find files.

The improvements look to be some of the biggest changes File Explorer has undergone in some time and bring welcome upgrades to users.

Microsoft Is Reworking File Explorer to Better Match Windows 11
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Prepare for Less Political Ads in Your Gmail Inbox

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Prepare for Less Political Ads in Your Gmail Inbox

Google is ending a controversial pilot program and will stop exempting political ads from automatic spam filters, a move that will delight and anger.

Google began a pilot program to exempt political email from automatic spam filtering in an effort to appease GOP claims that its filters unfairly targeted right-wing emails. Google disputed the claims, saying the GOP’s supporting study used flawed parameters.

According to The Washington Post, Google is now letting the pilot program end and will no longer exempt political emails.

“The RNC is wrong,” Google argued in a motion to dismiss the GOP’s complaint. “Gmail’s spam filtering policies apply equally to emails from all senders, whether they are politically affiliated or not.”

The news is sure to anger GOP politicians, but will be a big win for consumers who already struggle with a near-overwhelming amount of spam.

Prepare for Less Political Ads in Your Gmail Inbox
Matt Milano

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UK Plans to Subsidize Domestic Semiconductor Production

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UK Plans to Subsidize Domestic Semiconductor Production

The UK plans to subsidize its semiconductor industry in an effort to bring more production in-country.

Semiconductors have become one of the most sought-after commodities in recent years, with countries increasingly worried about the semiconductor supply chain and its impact on national security.

The UK is home to Arm Holdings, one of the major players in the semiconductor market, but the country wants to ensure the integrity of its chip industry and is willing to pay to do so, according to Bloomberg:

An overall figure has not been agreed with the Treasury but it is expected to be single figure billions of pounds, one person familiar with the plans said.

According to an earlier report by the outlet, the UK government is interested in reducing its reliance on Taiwan over concerns of Chinese aggression.

In the meantime, the UK government has declined to comment, saying it will reveal its strategy “in due course.”

UK Plans to Subsidize Domestic Semiconductor Production
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Hackers Stole LastPass Encryption Key

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Hackers Stole LastPass Encryption Key

The news from LastPass keeps getting worse, with parent company GoTo admitting an encryption key was stolen in its latest breach.

LastPass suffered a data breach in August and has been slowly releasing more details regarding the severity of the breach. What began as theft of source code graduated to theft of user password vaults. Even then, the company reassured users that their passwords were secure, since the vaults were still protected by encryption.

Unfortunately, the company has revised its information — yet again — and acknowledged that an encryption key for at least some downloaded data was also stolen. The breach also impacts other GoTo products.

“We also have evidence that a threat actor exfiltrated an encryption key for a portion of the encrypted backups,” writes GoTo CEO Paddy Srinivasan. “The affected information, which varies by product, may include account usernames, salted and hashed passwords, a portion of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings, as well as some product settings and licensing information. In addition, while Rescue and GoToMyPC encrypted databases were not exfiltrated, MFA settings of a small subset of their customers were impacted.”

Needless to say, LastPass users should immediately change all of their passwords and closely monitor their accounts and services for unauthorized access.

It is extremely disturbing that the LastPass breach continues to get worse. Despite the situation, the company has still not disclosed important information regarding the incident, such as exactly how many customers have been impacted.

Given how LastPass has handled this breach, it is increasingly hard to justify using the service or trusting that it can protect its customers.

Hackers Stole LastPass Encryption Key
Matt Milano

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Amazon Faces First-Ever UK Strike

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Amazon Faces First-Ever UK Strike

Amazon is facing its first-ever strike in the UK, with hundreds of workers at its Coventry warehouse announcing strike dates.

While Amazon is notorious for its efforts to combat unionization, unions in other countries are far more common than in the US. Workers at the company’s Coventry warehouse are going on strike over Amazon’s proposed 50 pence an hour raise.

According to UPI News, Amazon’s employees were asking for a raise that would bring their pay on par with US workers. The UK workers currently are paid $12.90 an hour, but were requesting $18.50 an hour.

“Amazon workers in Coventry are set to make history on 25 January, becoming the first ever Amazon workers in the UK to go on strike,” said Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser.

“They’ve shown they’re willing to put themselves on the line to fighting for what’s right. But people working for one of the most valuable companies in the world shouldn’t have to threaten strike action just to win a wage they can live on.

“GMB urges Amazon UK bosses to give workers a proper pay rise and avoid industrial action altogether.”

The strike began January 25, and will last for 24 hours. The union will extend the strike if Amazon refuses to negotiate.

Amazon Faces First-Ever UK Strike
Matt Milano

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DOJ & Eight States Sue Google for Monopolizing Digital Ads

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DOJ & Eight States Sue Google for Monopolizing Digital Ads

Google is once again in the crosshairs for alleged monopolistic behavior, accused of dominating multiple digital ad products.

The US government has been trying to crack down on Big Tech and Google has been a prime target. The Department of Justice has once again taken aim at the company, this time over its ad business. The DOJ was joined by Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The lawsuit alleges that Google abuses its control of the various components of the online advertising technology, called the “ad tech stack.” Because Google controls the entire stack, the company is in a position to unfairly dictate terms. The lawsuit claims Google has leveraged that position to force competitors out of the market or buy them out, as well as force companies to increasingly use its products exclusively.

“Today’s complaint alleges that Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful conduct to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No matter the industry and no matter the company, the Justice Department will vigorously enforce our antitrust laws to protect consumers, safeguard competition, and ensure economic fairness and opportunity for all.”

In particular, the DOJ’s claims focus on four areas:

• Eliminating competition through acquisitions.
• Forcing customers to use Google’s ad products.
• Interfering with ad auction competition.
• Manipulating ad auctions to protect its own business at the expense of competitors.

“The complaint filed today alleges a pervasive and systemic pattern of misconduct through which Google sought to consolidate market power and stave off free-market competition,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “In pursuit of outsized profits, Google has caused great harm to online publishers and advertisers and American consumers. This lawsuit marks an important milestone in the Department’s efforts to hold big technology companies accountable for violations of the antitrust laws.”

DOJ & Eight States Sue Google for Monopolizing Digital Ads
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Services Recovering From An Hours-Long Outage

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Microsoft Services Recovering From An Hours-Long Outage

Microsoft services appear to be working after an hours-long outage that impacted Microsoft 365, Outlook, and Teams.

According to Downdetector.com, users started experiencing problems in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 25. The issue appeared to impact a broad range of Microsoft services and lasted for several hours.

The company acknowledged the issue on Twitter, saying it appeared to be a networking issue.

We've identified a potential networking issue and are reviewing telemetry to determine the next troubleshooting steps. You can find additional information on our status page at https://t.co/pZt32fOafR or on SHD under MO502273.

— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) January 25, 2023

The company’s status page says services have been restored, as does their Twitter account.

We've rolled back a network change that we believe is causing impact. We're monitoring the service as the rollback takes effect.

— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) January 25, 2023

Microsoft Services Recovering From An Hours-Long Outage
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Microsoft Edge May Soon Have a ‘Split Screen’ Feature

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Microsoft Edge May Soon Have a ‘Split Screen’ Feature

Microsoft Edge may be adding a major new feature, giving users the ability to display two different websites in a single screen.

First spotted Reddit user Leopeva64-2, Microsoft is testing an Edge feature that would allow a user to add a “Split Screen” button to the toolbar. Once activated, the feature would move the active website into the left half of the screen, giving the user the ability to open a separate website in the right half.

The feature will be a welcome option, especially for those times when users need to compare two different sites.

Microsoft Edge Split Screen – Credit Leopeva64-2

Microsoft Edge May Soon Have a ‘Split Screen’ Feature
Matt Milano

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Using Corporate Gifting to Advance Your Branding

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Using Corporate Gifting to Advance Your Branding

A good gift isn’t just something the recipient can use. It’s also something they were unlikely to buy for themselves. On top of both those things, the best gifts reflect well on the person who sent them. 

It’s for that last reason that companies sometimes send gifts to their customers. Corporate gifting provides a measurable return on investment for the companies who engage in the practice. Customers who receive gifts feel valued by the company who sent them. This leads to positive word of mouth and strengthened touchpoints, which drive repeat sales. Meaningful and memorable corporate gifting can lead to 40% higher ROI for the company.

If your company decides to send gifts to customers, it needs to make a number of decisions. First, what gift will it give? The best gifts fit the conventions described above while fitting with the company’s brand. 

Brand Archetypes Matter

Before deciding on gift ideas, ask yourself: does your company have a strong, identifiable brand? If you aren’t sure, consider the major brand archetypes. According to renowned psychologists Carl Jung, there are 12 major personality archetypes seen throughout history. Find the archetype that fits best with your company’s offering and style and embrace it. 

After all, 90% of customers want brands that feel real to them. Aligning your brand with an archetype humanizes the company and makes it relatable to customers. Brands that use well-defined archetypes to personify themselves rise in value by 97%. 

How does this relate to gifting, though? A brand’s “personality” guides every interaction it has with customers. The brand image drives advertising and marketing decisions. It controls how social media accounts engage with the public. It can influence how stores are laid out, how websites are designed, and even how employees speak to customers. Naturally, a company’s brand informs the gifts it gives as well. The idea is that the “personality” of the brand will draw in customers who share that archetype.

Consider the Magician archetype. According to Jung, this archetype values mastery and uniqueness. The best gifts for this type are unconventional novelty items. One possible gift is a kaleidoscope. With a kaleidoscope, you can turn reality into a spellbinding possibility that changes with every angle.

Another archetype on Jung’s list is the Everyman. This type values belonging to a group and appreciates more classic gifts. A courant classic catch enables clients to make happy memories with your brand in mind. With these examples, you can see how having a brand archetype can guide gift selection for your customers. 

In Conclusion

Once you decide on gifts for customers, you also need to decide on the occasion for them. Some companies send gifts to loyal customers who have spent a certain amount of money with them. Others send gifts on customer birthdays to add a personal touch to the relationship.

The most important part of corporate gifting is making the customers who receive their gifts feel special. Even standardized gifts should feel personal in some way. Connect with clients beyond the close of a sale.

Using Corporate Gifting to Advance Your Branding
Brian Wallace

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Amazon RxPass Offers Unlimited Prescription Deliveries for $5/mo

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Amazon RxPass Offers Unlimited Prescription Deliveries for $5/mo

Amazon has rolled out its latest healthcare endeavor, offering Prime members unlimited prescription for $5 a month.

Amazon has been pushing into the healthcare space, with much of its efforts centered around Prime Pharmacy. The company is doubling down on those efforts with its latest RxPass program, delivering unlimited prescriptions to Prime customers’ doorsteps for a mere $5 a month.

“Prime members already get fast, free delivery on prescription medications, and RxPass is one more way to save with Amazon Pharmacy. Any customer who pays more than $10 a month for their eligible medications will see their prescription costs drop by 50% or more, plus they save time by skipping a trip to the pharmacy,” said John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy. “We are excited to offer our customers surprisingly simple, low pricing on the eligible medications they need each month.”

The company says customers have two different ways to save money, making RxPass an ideal program for individuals that rely on medication to manage ongoing conditions.

Amazon Pharmacy offers choice and convenience, whether customers are paying with insurance or not. When not using insurance, Prime members now have two innovative, affordable options to pay for prescription medications. Prime members who typically take two or more medications per month to manage chronic or ongoing health conditions could save significant time and money with the $5 a month RxPass subscription. Alternately, Prime members can save with the Prime prescription savings benefit—available for no additional fee—to get discounts up to 80% off generic and 40% off brand name medications at more than 60,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including Amazon Pharmacy and the PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy service.

RxPass is certainly one of Amazon’s most aggressive moves into the healthcare space and could help the company carve out a sizable presence, despite early challenges.

Amazon RxPass Offers Unlimited Prescription Deliveries for $5/mo
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Germany Investigating PayPal’s Market Dominance

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Germany Investigating PayPal’s Market Dominance

PayPal is in the crosshairs of German regulators over concerns that it used its market dominance to stifle competition.

PayPal is a popular online payment processor and money transfer platform. In many countries, it’s the de facto standard payment method for buying and purchasing online.

According to Reuters, however, German regulators are concerned the company may have abused that dominance in an effort to ward off competition. In particular, the antitrust regulator raised concerns over clauses in PayPal’s agreement that say sellers cannot show a preference for other payment methods, or make it easier for customers to use them.

“These clauses could restrict competition and constitute a violation of the prohibition of abuse,” said chief Andreas Mundt.

“We will now examine what market power PayPal has and to what extent online merchants are dependent on offering PayPal as a payment method.”

Germany Investigating PayPal’s Market Dominance
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Loses Faith in VR, Eliminates Entire Development Teams

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Microsoft Loses Faith in VR, Eliminates Entire Development Teams

Microsoft appears to have lost all confidence in virtual and mixed reality (MR), eliminating entire teams behind its development efforts.

Microsoft announced widespread layoffs last week, impacting some 10,000 employees, or roughly 5% of its workforce. In the days since the announcement, more information has come to light about which departments have been the hardest hit, and it appears VR and MR are among them.

According to Windows Central, the Redmond company eliminated the entire development team behind its AltSpaceVR project, with the virtual reality workspace slated to shutdown in March.

We have some sad news, Altspacers. #AltspaceVR is shutting down on March 10th.

Though we hate saying goodbye, we also feel such pride and gratitude for all the magic that happened here.

Thanks for joining us on this epic adventure. #socialvr https://t.co/peCwpaaBl3

— AltspaceVR (@AltspaceVR) January 20, 2023

The company’s Mixed Reality Tool Kit (MRTK) development team was also eliminated in its entirety. The toolkit was designed for Unity VR and worked with Meta’s headsets. MRTK was an important part of Microsoft’s HoloLens project, which itself is already in trouble after Congress refused to fund the US Army’s request to purchase more of the augmented reality (AR) goggles.

As Windows Central points out, taken together, the scope of the layoffs seem to indicate Microsoft has lost faith in VR and the metaverse. If that is the case, it would deal a major blow to Meta’s efforts to make the metaverse a reality.

Microsoft Loses Faith in VR, Eliminates Entire Development Teams
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Engineer Learned He Was Laid Off When Google Ghosted Him

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Engineer Learned He Was Laid Off When Google Ghosted Him

A Google engineer of more than 16 years only learned he had been laid off when his company account was deactivated.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced the “difficult decision” to lay off some 12,000 workers last week. Interestingly, when making the announcement, Pichai said US-based employees had already been notified. For at least one engineer, however, that “notification” left much to be desired.

Engineering Manager Justin Moore, who worked at the company for 16.5 years, says on LinkedIn that he learned he was one of the laid-off employees when his company account was deactivated in the middle of the night:

So after over 16.5 years at Google, I appear to have been let go via an automated account deactivation at 3am this morning as one of the lucky 12,000. I don’t have any other information, as I haven’t received any of the other communications the boilerplate “you’ve been let go” website (which I now also can’t access) said I should receive.

Moore walked away from the experience with a vital life lesson, one he outlines in his post:

This also just drives home that work is not your life, and employers — especially big, faceless ones like Google — see you as 100% disposable. Live life, not work.

While it’s nice to see Moore maintaining a positive attitude, it’s hard to understand how or why his termination was handled the way it was. Any employee who has worked for a company for more than 16 years deserves to be properly notified when their services are not longer required — rather than being ghosted in the middle of the night.

Engineer Learned He Was Laid Off When Google Ghosted Him
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Officially Extends Its Partnership With OpenAI

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Microsoft Officially Extends Its Partnership With OpenAI

Microsoft has announced “a multiyear, multibillion dollar investment” in OpenAI, extending its existing partnership with ChatGPT creator.

Microsoft has been an investor in OpenAI for several years and has exclusive access to some of the AI firm’s technology. Rumors surfaced two weeks ago that the Redmond-based company was looking to invest another $10 billion in OpenAI.

In a press release today, the two companies confirmed an extension of their ongoing partnership, although they did not disclose the exact amount.

“We formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance cutting-edge AI research and democratize AI as a new technology platform,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “In this next phase of our partnership, developers and organizations across industries will have access to the best AI infrastructure, models, and toolchain with Azure to build and run their applications.”

“The past three years of our partnership have been great,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “Microsoft shares our values and we are excited to continue our independent research and work toward creating advanced AI that benefits everyone.”

The partnership will involve three primary areas:

• Microsoft will continue to invest heavily in OpenAI’s research and development of artificial intelligence.
• Microsoft will continue to deploy OpenAI’s AI tech across its platforms and products.
• OpenAI will exclusively use Microsoft’s Azure as its cloud provider.

Microsoft is believed to be working to integrate ChatGPT with a version of its Bing search engine in an effort to more effectively compete with Google. This extended partnership will no doubt open up additional opportunities for the company at a time when Google is trying to catch up.

Microsoft Officially Extends Its Partnership With OpenAI
Matt Milano

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Samsung May Bring Its Free TV Plus to Third-Party TVs

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Samsung May Bring Its Free TV Plus to Third-Party TVs

Samsung may bring its popular TV Plus streaming app to third-party TVs, according to a new report.

Samsung includes its free TV Plus streaming app on its own TVs, but tech reporter Janko Roettgers reports that the company has been approaching other manufacturers to discuss bundling TV Plus with their TVs. While Samsung is not commenting publicly, Roettgers cites multiple unnamed sources familiar with the discussions.

TCL is one manufacturer that Samsung has evidently discussed a deal with, although TCL declined to comment.

As Roettgers points out, TV Plus is a rare hit for Samsung, as the company has historically struggled to gain traction with its own services. It’s little wonder the company is eager to capitalize on its success.

Samsung May Bring Its Free TV Plus to Third-Party TVs
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Spotify Laying Off 6% of Its Workforce

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Spotify Laying Off 6% of Its Workforce

Spotify has joined the ranks of tech companies laying off employees, saying it is laying off 6% of its employees.

The tech industry has been especially hard-hit by the economic downturn following a couple of years of breakneck hiring during the pandemic. Spotify is no exception, with CEO Daniel Ek sharing a note with employees informing them of the layoffs.

While we have made great progress in improving speed in the last few years, we haven’t focused as much on improving efficiency. We still spend far too much time syncing on slightly different strategies, which slows us down. And in a challenging economic environment, efficiency takes on greater importance. So, in an effort to drive more efficiency, control costs, and speed up decision-making, I have decided to restructure our organization.

Ek made it clear that, like many business leaders, he underestimated the post-pandemic economy.

Like many other leaders, I hoped to sustain the strong tailwinds from the pandemic and believed that our broad global business and lower risk to the impact of a slowdown in ads would insulate us. In hindsight, I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth. And for this reason, today, we are reducing our employee base by about 6% across the company. I take full accountability for the moves that got us here today.

Laid off employees will receive an average of five months of severance pay, pay for all unused vacation time, healthcare during their severance period, as well as immigration and outplacement support.

Spotify Laying Off 6% of Its Workforce
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OpenSnitch Application Firewall Coming to Debian

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OpenSnitch Application Firewall Coming to Debian

Popular application firewall OpenSnitch is coming to Debian, one of the oldest and most popular Linux distributions (distros).

OpenSnitch is an open source port of the popular macOS app Little Snitch. Little Snitch, and its open source counterpart, inform the user whenever an app tries to access the internet. It’s a useful feature to crack down on apps that try to ‘phone home.’

Developer Petter Reinholdtsen posted a blog describing his efforts to work with the OpenSnitch developers to bring the app to Debian:

It did not took long to find the OpenSnitch package, which has been in development since 2017, and now is in version 1.5.0. It has had a request for Debian packaging since 2018, but no-one completed the job so far. Just for fun, I decided to see if I could help, and I was very happy to discover that upstream want a Debian package too.

After struggling a bit with getting the program to run, figuring out building Go programs (and a little failed detour to look at eBPF builds too – help needed), I am very happy to report that I am sponsoring upstream to maintain the package in Debian, and it has since this morning been waiting in NEW for the ftpmasters to have a look. Perhaps it can get into the archive in time for the Bookworm release?

Given the well-deserved praise Little Snitch and OpenSnitch have earned over the years, its nice to see a version coming to Debian. Since Ubuntu is based on Debian, it will likely make its way there as well.

OpenSnitch Application Firewall Coming to Debian
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Execs Enjoyed Private Sting Concert the Night Before Layoffs

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Microsoft Execs Enjoyed Private Sting Concert the Night Before Layoffs

Microsoft is (justifiably) taking flak for hosting a private Sting concert for top execs the night before announcing layoffs for thousands of employees.

Microsoft announced layoffs Wednesday, impacting some 10,000 employees. That number puts Microsoft only behind Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet for the number of tech workers laid off at one time over the last year. At the time the layoffs were announced, the company blamed “macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities.”

Evidently, those “macroeconomic conditions” and ‘changing priorities’ did not include rethinking a private Sting concert in Davos, one that Microsoft hosted and saw some of the company’s top execs in attendance, according to The Wall Street Journal. Needless to say, the revelation is not going over well with those inside and outside the company.

Is the concert to blame for the layoffs? No. Would canceling or rescheduling the concert have saved jobs? Of course not. Are the optics unconscionably bad? Absolutely!

The fact that Microsoft’s execs did not see an issue with holding and enjoying the concert just hours before upending the lives of 10,000 of their employees speaks to a level of obtuseness — perhaps even callousness — that is hard to fathom.

While many companies have had to resort to layoffs amid the current economic situation, Microsoft just set the bar for how not to do it.

Microsoft Execs Enjoyed Private Sting Concert the Night Before Layoffs
Matt Milano

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Google Turns to Larry Page & Sergey Brin to Help With AI Strategy

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Google Turns to Larry Page & Sergey Brin to Help With AI Strategy

Google has turned to its founders to help it devise an AI strategy as the company faces its biggest challenge yet to its search dominance.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has taken the AI world by storm, with Microsoft working to integrate it with a version of Bing. Google has had to answer some uncomfortable questions about why a startup beat it to market with one of the best conversational AIs to date.

Evidently, the concerns go more than skin deep, with the company calling in Larry Page and Sergey Brin to help it plot its course forward and come up with a response, according to The New York Times.

The Times sources say the two founders reviewed the company’s AI strategy, approved ideas for how to integrate AI chat into Google’s search engine, and provided ideas to company leaders on the best way to proceed with AI implementation.

The fact that Google turned to its founders for help with AI underscores how seriously company execs are viewing the technology in terms of the threat it poses to Google’s core search business.

“This is a moment of significant vulnerability for Google,” D. Sivakumar, a former Google research director, told the Times. “ChatGPT has put a stake in the ground, saying, ‘Here’s what a compelling new search experience could look like.’”

Despite the threat, Mr. Sivakumar believes Google could deploy its significant AI tools to counter the threat.

In the meantime, Microsoft and other rivals have a rare opportunity to use ChatGPT, and similar AI tech, to make headway against Google’s dominance.

Google Turns to Larry Page & Sergey Brin to Help With AI Strategy
Matt Milano

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Why Edge Computing is the Most Reliable Option

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Why Edge Computing is the Most Reliable Option

Edge computing is more reliable because it allows data to be processed and stored closer to the source, reducing the need to transmit large amounts of data to a centralized location.

This can result in a number of benefits that improve reliability:

1. Reduced network congestion: By processing data locally, edge computing reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the network, which can help reduce congestion and improve overall network performance.
2. Improved fault tolerance: Edge computing allows for distributed processing and storage, which can help ensure that data is still accessible even if one or more devices fail.
3. Reduced latency: By processing data locally, edge computing can reduce the amount of time it takes for data to be processed, which can improve the responsiveness of applications and services.
4. Increased availability: Edge computing can provide local processing capabilities even when the network is unavailable, allowing for the continuity of services and reducing the risk of downtime.
5. Better security: Edge computing can provide a more secure environment for data processing, as it allows for more granular security measures, such as device-level authentication, to be implemented and also reduces the risk of data breaches and hacking attempts as the data is not as easily accessible to potential attackers.

By providing these benefits, edge computing can help ensure that applications and services are more reliable and available to users.

The reliability of edge computing will depend on a number of factors, such as the type of devices and gateways used, the software and infrastructure that support it, and the way it’s implemented and maintained. However, it is widely acknowledged that edge computing can improve the reliability of systems by distributing processing and storage closer to the source, reducing network congestion, improving fault tolerance, and increasing availability.

It’s worth noting that edge computing is still a relatively new technology and many organizations are still in the process of exploring how best to implement it.

Why Edge Computing is the Most Reliable Option
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