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Deployment of an earlier version was halted last year after some soldiers experienced nausea and dizziness wearing it in combat testing. (Representative image) (AP) News 

US Army Approves Redesigned Microsoft Combat Goggles

Adriana Marais, ,

In an interview, Assistant Army Secretary Doug Bush stated that Microsoft Corp. has made significant changes to its combat goggles, transforming them from a large helmet to a more streamlined flip-up visor. This alteration aims to enhance the likelihood of soldiers accepting the $22 billion project. Bush expressed concerns about the previous design and the way soldiers wore the goggles, even if the technology itself was functioning effectively. A new version of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System headset is designed to project battlefield information, including the locations of friendly forces,…

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An agreement between striking screenwriters and Hollywood studios offers some hope. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) AI 

Agreement Reached to End Hollywood Screenwriters’ Five-Month Strike

Nitin Misra, , , ,

One of the two walkouts that have halted film and TV production has been resolved as Hollywood screenwriters on strike have reached a preliminary labor agreement with studios such as Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc. The Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,500 Hollywood scribes, said Sunday it had reached an agreement with the studios’ bargaining group, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The agreement will end the strike that began on May 2, if accepted by guild members. The temporary three-year contract requires the…

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Microsoft declined to comment on the EU’s next steps. (In photo: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella) (AFP) News 

EU Files Formal Complaint Against Microsoft Over Teams Video App

Adriana Marais, , , , , , , , , ,

Microsoft Corp.’s efforts to prevent further investigation by the European Union into its Teams video-conferencing app were unsuccessful, as the bloc’s antitrust enforcers are preparing to file a formal complaint against the company’s behavior. Sources familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity, revealed that Microsoft’s recent suggestion to separate Teams from its comprehensive business software package and offer it to customers at a discounted annual rate did not address regulators’ worries. The European Commission is preparing a statement of objections to send to the company, which could come in the…

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TikTok banned in NYC. Know what officials are saying. (AFP) News 

NYC Prohibits TikTok, Citing Security Risks

Adriana Marais

The TikTok app has been prohibited in New York City, with officials and government agency personnel required to uninstall it within 30 days. This ban is part of a series of restrictions imposed on TikTok due to security concerns, including its ban in India. The app has been labeled as a security risk, leading to the prohibition of its usage. TikTok ban in NYC According to a report by The Verge. The NYC Cyber Command conducted a review, and the directive was issued on Wednesday. City officials mentioned that “TikTok…

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Agencies reportedly have 30 days to remove the app from devices. News 

NYC Prohibits Government Employees from Using TikTok

Sanjay Patil, ,

According to The Verge, it has been reported that TikTok will be prohibited on government devices in New York City. City agencies have been given a 30-day deadline to uninstall the app, which is owned by ByteDance, from their devices. Effective immediately, employees are not permitted to download or utilize TikTok on their city-approved technology. This action follows a previous ban by New York state in 2020, as stated by Times-Union. The NYC Cyber Command, a subset of the Office of Technology and Innovation, spurred the decision after reporting to…

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Chief Accounting Officer Vaibhav Taneja took on the CFO role in addition to his current duties, Tesla said. News 

Tesla Appoints Vaibhav Taneja as New Chief Financial Officer

Adriana Marais, , , ,

After a 13-year tenure at Tesla Inc., Zachary Kirkhorn, the Chief Financial Officer, has unexpectedly resigned. This unexpected change has sparked concerns about the future leadership of Elon Musk’s company. Kirkhorn, one of only four named directors and the company’s prominent voice among shareholders, resigned on Aug. 4, the company said in a regulatory filing Monday. He will continue to serve in an unspecified capacity until the end of the year “to support a seamless transition.” CFO Vaibhav Taneja took on the role of CFO in addition to his current…

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Amazon Prime Day, the 48-hour event, now in its 9th year, began Tuesday and runs through Wednesday. (REUTERS) News 

US Online Sales Increase 6% During Amazon Prime Day’s Opening 24 Hours

Sanjay Patil,

According to Adobe Inc., American shoppers spent $6.4 billion online during the initial 24 hours of Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Day. This figure reflects a 6% increase compared to the previous year, but it did not meet expectations for more substantial growth as consumers actively searched for discounted deals. Now being organized for the ninth time, the 48-hour event started on Tuesday and will last until Wednesday. The promotions are designed to help Amazon attract new paying customers and deepen its relationship with existing ones before the holiday season. The research…

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US prosecutors charged a Moroccan man with stealing $450,000 in cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens. (Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg) News 

Charges Filed After Primate Pilfers Products from Imitation OpenSea Site

Adriana Marais, ,

In 2021, a Moroccan man has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly pilfering $450,000 worth of cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens, which included two Bored Apes. The charges stem from his alleged creation of a counterfeit version of the OpenSea digital marketplace. Soufiane Oulahyane, 25, set up a website to trick victims into revealing a seed phrase — a series of random words that unlock a crypto wallet — to gain access to real accounts on OpenSea, the largest marketplace for NFTs, the Justice Department said Monday. . The practice…

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Virgin Galactic spaceplane during a research flight on Thursday, June 29, 2023, (AP) Space 

Virgin Galactic Achieves Historic Milestone with Successful Space Flight

Jim Hendler, , , , ,

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. achieved a significant milestone as it successfully transported paying customers to the outer limits of space, marking a major accomplishment for the company established by Richard Branson nearly twenty years ago. The VSS Unity spacecraft reached space around 9:30 a.m. local time in New Mexico, Virgin Galactic revealed the event live on its website Thursday. It happened about an hour after takeoff, with six people on board, including researchers from the Italian Air Force and the Italian National Research Council. The commercial debut officially brings Virgin…

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Based on her public comments, Khan is unlikely to accept compromises from Amazon. (AP) News 

FTC Antitrust Suit to Take Aim at Amazon with Lina Khan at the Helm

Sanjay Patil, , , ,

Lina Khan, who heads the Federal Trade Commission, has initiated legal action against Amazon.com Inc. on three occasions. Currently, she is preparing for a significant legal battle against the company. According to documents reviewed by Bloomberg and three people familiar with the case, the agency plans to file a far-reaching antitrust lawsuit in the coming weeks that focuses on Amazon’s core online store. The main charge is expected to be that Amazon uses its power to reward online retailers who use its logistics services and punish those who don’t. FTC…

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Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity seen over Mojave, Calif. (AP) News 

Richard Branson Aiming to Revive Virgin Galactic with June Launch of Commercial Flight

Nitin Misra,

Virgin Galactic Holdings, the space-tourism venture owned by billionaire Richard Branson, has revealed the date for its inaugural commercial passenger flight, as it seeks to catch up with rivals SpaceX and Blue Origin. The company had faced numerous delays over the past year, causing it to fall behind its competitors. Although Branson had flown to space in July 2021, the company had failed to follow up with a commercial flight as expected. The announcement of the upcoming flight has been met with enthusiasm from investors, who have pushed the company’s…

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Meta's I-JEPA model uses background knowledge about the world to fill in missing pieces of images, rather than looking only at nearby pixels AI 

Meta Launches AI Model for Generating Human-Like Images

Jim Hendler, , ,

On Tuesday, Meta Platforms announced that it will grant researchers access to certain elements of its latest artificial intelligence model, which it claims has a more precise ability to analyze and finish incomplete images than current models, and is designed to be more human-like. The model, I-JEPA, uses background information about the world to fill in missing images, rather than just looking at nearby pixels like other generative AI models, the company said. This approach incorporates the human-like reasoning advocated by Yann LeCun, Meta’s lead AI researcher, and helps the…

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App companies will need to pay their workers nearly $20 per hour by 2025. News 

Minimum Wage for Food Delivery Workers in New York City Raised to $18 per Hour

Adriana Marais, , ,

Starting next month, food delivery workers in New York will be entitled to a minimum wage, making it the first city in the US to implement such a mandate. Delivery apps such as GrubHub and Uber Eats will be required to pay their workers $17.96 per hour, in addition to tips, by July 12th. The city plans to increase this minimum wage to $19.96 per hour by 2025, with adjustments for inflation to follow. The minimum wage in New York is $15 an hour. By setting the hourly wage for…

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Binance and Coinbase are both alleged to have violated the law. (REUTERS) News 

Questions Surrounding the Viability of Cryptocurrency Companies Following SEC Lawsuits

Adarsh V.K, , , ,

After the crypto winter and the alleged fraud committed by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, lawsuits have now emerged. The US Securities and Exchange Commission last week filed charges against the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance and Coinbase, deepening tensions between the government and a volatile industry that has been marked by scandals and market crashes. Binance and Coinbase allegedly broke the law by operating as securities exchanges without registering their business with the SEC. Along with the CEO, Binance faces additional charges, among other accusations, of diverting customer funds to…

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The city says the automaker's negligence contributed to a public nuisance. News 

NYC Files Lawsuit Against Hyundai for Alleged Negligence in Connection to TikTok Car Thefts

Jim Hendler, , , ,

Hyundai recently settled a class action lawsuit for $200 million due to a TikTok car theft challenge. The settlement aimed to compensate US Hyundai and Kia owners who suffered car theft or damage, with a payout of approximately $145 million. However, the issue is not yet resolved as New York City has filed a lawsuit against the automaker for negligence and causing a public nuisance. Specifically, the city accuses the automaker of choosing to “sacrifice public safety for profits” by avoiding universal anti-theft technology in certain U.S. models of Kia…

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City councils around the United States are increasingly introducing ordinances to regulate short-term rentals News 

Airbnb Files Lawsuit Against New York Over Restrictive Measures on Short-Term Rentals

Sanjay Patil, ,

Airbnb Inc. sued New York City on Thursday over a new law it called an “effective ban” on short-term rentals that takes effect in July and that the company says will limit the number of rental units in the city. . City councils across the United States are increasingly adopting ordinances to regulate short-term rentals. In some cases, property managers must obtain licenses and pay registration fees or limit the number of short-term rentals in commercial areas. The company’s filing with the New York State Supreme Court says the New…

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