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Category: Business

Enterprise and Small Business News

  • Microsoft Signs 10-Year Nintendo Contract Over ‘Call of Duty’

    Microsoft Signs 10-Year Nintendo Contract Over ‘Call of Duty’

    Microsoft has signed a 10-year contract with Nintendo, ensuring the popular “Call of Duty” game remains on the platform.

    Call of Duty (CoD) is at the heart of the issues surrounding Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard. Sony, in particular, has made the case to regulators that Microsoft will use the purchase to favor its own Xbox platform, withholding CoD from the PlayStation and other platforms.

    Eager to put those claims to rest, Microsoft just signed a binding legal agreement with Nintendo that will see the latter’s gamers playing CoD for at least the next decade.

    Microsoft President Brad Smith tweeted the news:

    https://twitter.com/BradSmi/status/1627926790172811264?s=20

    The announcement should go a long way toward undermining Sony’s claims.

  • Clarksworld Magazine Closes Submissions, Blames AI

    Clarksworld Magazine Closes Submissions, Blames AI

    Clarksworld Magazine is no longer accepting submissions after being inundated by AI-generated content.

    Clarksworld is a science fiction and fantasy magazine that accepts submissions from outside authors, and is known to pay very well. Unfortunately, the magazine has been inundated with AI-generated content, forcing them to close submissions for the time being.

    The news was announced on Twitter:

    In follow-up replies to suggestions that the magazine use AI detection tools to weed out unwanted submissions, the publication said none of the existing tools work well enough:

    Clarksworld is just the latest example of the challenges AI is creating and how difficult it is to adapt to the changes it brings.

  • Google Chrome 110 Brings Major Optimizations

    Google Chrome 110 Brings Major Optimizations

    Google has released version 110 of its Chrome web browser, bringing significant memory and battery improvements.

    Google Chrome is the most popular web browser by a wide margin, but it has never been known for being light on resources. In fact, Chrome is known as a memory hog, which negatively impacts laptop battery life. Google is working to address these issues, adding a couple of features that are designed to improve the browser’s performance in Chrome 110.

    The first feature is Memory Saver:

    Have a bunch of tabs open in Chrome that you plan to come back to later? Memory Saver mode frees up memory from tabs you aren’t currently using so the active websites you’re browsing have the smoothest possible experience. This is especially useful if you’re running other intensive applications, like editing family videos or playing games. Any inactive tabs will be reloaded when you need them.

    The other feature, Energy Saver, is designed to maximize battery life:

    Running low on battery and don’t have a laptop charger nearby? When you’re browsing the Web with Chrome and your device battery level reaches 20%, Chrome will save battery by limiting background activity and visual effects for websites with animations and videos.

    The new features in Chrome 110 will be a welcome improvement.

  • Jaguar Land Rover Goes All-In On Self-Driving

    Jaguar Land Rover Goes All-In On Self-Driving

    Jaguar Land Rover appears to be going all-in on self-driving tech, with plans for three new European engineering hubs.

    Self-driving tech is the next big thing for the automotive industry, with virtually every automaker working to develop it. According to Reuters, Jaguar Land Rover is building three new engineering hubs in Europe as part of its partnership with Nvidia, a firm that is at the heart of the AI revolution.

    The new hubs will be located in Munich, Bologna and Madrid, and were chosen because of their proximity to concentrations of digital engineering specialists.

    The company expects to create at least 100 jobs focused “on developing driver assistance systems and artificial intelligence for self-driving cars of the future.”

  • Get Ready For a Major Microsoft Teams Performance Boost

    Get Ready For a Major Microsoft Teams Performance Boost

    Microsoft Teams is on the verge of receiving a major performance boost thanks to a complete rewrite that should be released next month.

    The Verge has learned from sources familiar with the matter that Microsoft has been completely rebuilding Teams, with a focus on improved performance. The new version is slated to have the 2.0, or possibly 2.1, designation.

    Rish Tandon, former Microsoft Teams’ CVP of Engineering, teased these coming improvements as early as mid-2021:

    It appears the architecture change is finally paying off, paving the way for this current rewrite of Teams. Microsoft has already begun testing the new version internally, with plans to release a preview in March.

    According to The Verge’s sources, “the app should use 50 percent less memory, tax the CPU less, and result in better battery life on laptops.”

    Given Teams’ status as the most widely used corporate messaging platform, a boost this significant is good news indeed.

  • Ram 1500 REV Is a Major Hit As Reservations Sell Out

    Ram 1500 REV Is a Major Hit As Reservations Sell Out

    The Ram 1500 REV electric truck appears to be a major hit, with reservations for the first shipment sold out in less than a week.

    The 1500 REV represents Ram’s first all-electric pickup truck. The company showed it off in a Super Bowl ad and users could reserve one for a $100 deposit. The reservation program is called “Ram REV Insider+.” According to the company’s website, reservations are now closed:

    Due to high demand, the Ram REV Insider+ membership is now closed. You can still be the first to know when the doors open up again.

    The 1500 REV will not be available till 2024, so it’s unclear when reservations will open once again.

    https://youtu.be/6iaUoJUdTk4
  • Apple’s New M2 Pro Mini May Have Serious Ethernet Issues

    Apple’s New M2 Pro Mini May Have Serious Ethernet Issues

    Apple’s M2 Pro Mini is gaining attention for the wrong reasons, with users reporting serious ethernet issues.

    A forum thread has popped up on MacRumors where a number of users have detailed issues with their ethernet connections on the new machines. Some users have even resorted to wiping and reinstalling macOS to no avail.

    Some users, such as “purplefuku,” reported success stabilizing the ethernet connection after multiple reinstalls:

    +1 for me, too! Base model M2 Pro Mac mini. Shipped with 13.0, oddly enough. It took me THREE complete clean installs from a Ventura USB installer before the laggy networking has finally seemed to stabilize…

    At this point, it is unclear if it is a software or hardware issue, although the fact that reinstalling can fix it would seem to indicate a software problem. Hopefully, Apple will be able to release a patch soon that will resolve the issue.

  • China’s Scientists Are Working to Circumvent US Chip Sanctions

    China’s Scientists Are Working to Circumvent US Chip Sanctions

    China’s scientists are going on the offensive against US chip sanctions as the country tries to keep its semiconductor industry running.

    The US has been working to restrict China’s access to advanced chip technologies and has increasingly been convincing its allies to do the same. Some reports have suggested China’s semiconductor industry is on the verge of collapse as a result, and Beijing is pouring billions into the industry to help it weather the challenges.

    According to Bloomberg, China’s scientists are now joining the fray, coming up with ways to compete with the US. One of the leading strategies put forth by two academics is to amass a portfolio of patents that could be weaponized in the semiconductor wars. In their proposal, Luo Junwei and Li Shushen said the country’s scientists should focus on patenting materials and methods necessary for the next generation of chip design.

    “We should vigorously promote the spirit of scientists who pursue originality and resist low-level, repetitive follow-up research,” the scientists wrote.

    This development is just the latest that illustrates the high-stakes nature of the semiconductor industry and why countries are increasingly viewing the industry as a matter of national security.

  • Users Can No Longer Downgrade to iOS 16.3

    Users Can No Longer Downgrade to iOS 16.3

    Users can no longer downgrade to iOS 16.3, a result of Apple no longer signing the iOS 16.3 update.

    Apple released iOS 16.3.1 in mid-February and has stopped signing its immediate predecessor. As a result, any users who may be experiencing issues in 16.3.1, no longer have the option to downgrade, according to MacRumors.

    The move is not at all uncommon, as Apple routinely stops signing older versions of its operating systems. This ensures users stay on the latest editions, which in most cases is a good thing.

  • Windows 11 Now Displays a Watermark on Unsupported PCs

    Windows 11 Now Displays a Watermark on Unsupported PCs

    Microsoft is upping the ante in its war on unsupported PCs, displaying a watermark on those systems running Windows 11.

    Windows 11 has stricter system requirements than its predecessors, requiring a CPU with Trusted Platform Module (TPM). While there are ways of installing Windows on an unsupported machine, Microsoft is not keen on the idea and is making it more irritating to do so.

    According to Gizmodo, reports are surfacing of Windows 11 displaying a watermark when running on an unsupported PC. The issue appears to have started with the January 2023 Windows 11 update.

    Microsoft already has a major adoption problem with Windows 11 and it’s unlikely this stunt will improve the situation.

  • Linux Kernel 6.2 Is Out and Brings Apple M1 Support

    Linux Kernel 6.2 Is Out and Brings Apple M1 Support

    Linux kernel 6.2 has been released, bringing support for the M1 processor, Apple’s Custom Silicon that powers its Mac computers.

    The Asahi Linux Project has been working to reverse engineer drivers for the M1 in an effort to bring native Linux support to Apple’s chip. The project has been making major progress and, thanks to their work, mainline support for the M1 is now in the kernel.

    Read More: Asahi Linux Shows the M1’s Greatest Limitation May Be macOS

    Phoronix details the extent of the support:

    There is now mainline support for the Apple M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra SoCs. There was already supported carried by Asahi Linux’s kernel build while more of that work has been upstreamed for Linux 6.2. There is additional driver work for these newer Apple Silicon SoCs still to be upstreamed. For now the best hardware support for Apple M1/M2 devices on Linux is with using the Asahi Linux code.

    Unlike Windows, where drivers must often be installed manually, most Linux users simply rely on the kernel — the core component of the OS — to provide the drivers for their hardware. Having mainline support for the M1 in the kernel is a major step forward, giving Linux users the ability to run some of the most powerful and efficient chips currently on the market.

  • It’s Not Just You…Microsoft Outlook’s Spam Filters Are Borked

    It’s Not Just You…Microsoft Outlook’s Spam Filters Are Borked

    Users’ inboxes were flooded with spam Monday, an apparent issue with Microsoft Outlook’s spam filters not working.

    According to Mashable, the Twitterverse is ablaze with reports of inboxes filled to the brim with spam messages. The emails ranged from random — but not necessarily harmful — emails to blatant phishing attempts.

    There does not appear to be an explanation for the issue, nor is there a time frame for when it will be fixed. Mashable reached out to Microsoft for comment, but has not received a response.

    We will update this story as more information becomes available.

  • Akamai Is Taking on the Cloud’s Top Dogs With Linode

    Akamai Is Taking on the Cloud’s Top Dogs With Linode

    Akamai is hitting the ground running with its Linode purchase, using it as the backbone of its cloud ambitions.

    Akamai made its name as the world’s leading content delivery network (CDN), but has been aggressively transforming itself into a cloud provider. It’s $900 million purchase of Linode was a major piece of that transformation and the company is using it as a launchpad to challenge the cloud industry’s giants.

    Last week, Akamai unviled its Connected Cloud service, and promised a “a fundamentally different approach to cloud.” The company plans to build “three new enterprise-scale core cloud computing sites” in the US and Europe. The new sites are expected to go live by the end of Q2 2023 and will be based on the Linode assets. The sites will also serve as a template for 10 additional core sites the company will deploy throughout the year.

    The company also plans to roll out out at least 50 distributed sites in 2023, greatly expanding cloud computing’s reach, especially in remote locations.

    In what is sure to be good news for many companies, Akamai plans to bring CDN economics to cloud egress pricing in an effort to help drive down cost. This has been a growing concern for many companies, with cloud computing costs growing much faster than many expected.

    “The cloud’s next phase requires a shift in how developers and enterprises think about getting applications and data closer to their customers. It redefines how the industry looks at things like performance, scale, cost, and security, as workloads are no longer built for one place but are delivered across a wide spectrum of compute and geography,” said Dave McCarthy, Research VP, IDC. “Akamai’s innovative rethinking of how this gets done — and how it is architecting Akamai Connected Cloud — puts it in a unique position to usher in an exciting new era for technology and to help enterprises build, deploy, and secure distributed applications.”

    “We’re taking a fundamentally different approach to cloud computing — building on 25 years of experience scaling and securing the internet for the biggest companies in the world,” said Tom Leighton, Akamai’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Akamai is building the cloud the next decade needs.”

  • FTC Commissioner Resigns, Pens Scathing Op-Ed About Lina Khan

    FTC Commissioner Resigns, Pens Scathing Op-Ed About Lina Khan

    FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson is resigning, penning a scathing op-ed in The Wall Street Journal condemning Chairwoman Lina Khan.

    Lina Khan was a controversial choice to lead the Federal Trade Commission, with some in the tech industry opposed to her appointment over her long-standing criticism of Big Tech. Since taking over the agency, Khan has increased regulatory scrutiny of tech companies.

    In her op-ed, Wilson argues the case that Khan has taken the FTC beyond the rule of law, and she can there no longer stand by and “enable her”:

    Much ink has been spilled about Lina Khan’s attempts to remake federal antitrust law as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. Less has been said about her disregard for the rule of law and due process and the way senior FTC officials enable her. I have failed repeatedly to persuade Ms. Khan and her enablers to do the right thing, and I refuse to give their endeavor any further hint of legitimacy by remaining. Accordingly, I will soon resign as an FTC commissioner.

    Wilson accuses Khan and her allies of breaking with established law and “decades of bipartisan precedent” in the pursuit of their agenda:

    Since Ms. Khan’s confirmation in 2021, my staff and I have spent countless hours seeking to uncover her abuses of government power. That task has become increasingly difficult as she has consolidated power within the Office of the Chairman, breaking decades of bipartisan precedent and undermining the commission structure that Congress wrote into law. I have sought to provide transparency and facilitate accountability through speeches and statements, but I face constraints on the information I can disclose—many legitimate, but some manufactured by Ms. Khan and the Democratic majority to avoid embarrassment.

    Wilson also takes aim at Khan’s past criticism of Big Tech and argues that it disqualifies Khan from serving as an impartial judge in cases involving the companies she has railed against in the past.

    Consider the FTC’s challenge to Meta’s acquisition of Within, a virtual-reality gaming company. Before joining the FTC, Ms. Khan argued that Meta should be blocked from making any future acquisitions and wrote a report on the same issues as a congressional staffer. She would now sit as a purportedly impartial judge and decide whether Meta can acquire Within. Spurning due-process considerations and federal ethics obligations, my Democratic colleagues on the commission affirmed Ms. Khan’s decision not to recuse herself.

    Commissioner Wilson’s op-ed is a lengthy read, one in which she continues to detail her allegations of abuses of power on Khan’s part.

    Most interestingly, Wilson’s position is an increasingly rare one in US politics. Wilson is currently the only Republican FTC Commissioner. As such, she repeatedly calls out her Democratic colleagues at a time when cracking down on antitrust abuses is one of the few things that lawmakers and regultors on both sides of the aisle can agree on.

  • Meta Is Testing ‘Meta Verified’ Service

    Meta Is Testing ‘Meta Verified’ Service

    Meta is taking on Twitter Blue, testing a “Meta Verified” service that would allow content creators to distinguish themselves.

    The company, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, made the announcement Sunday:

    To help up-and-coming creators grow their presence and build community faster, today Mark Zuckerberg announced that we’ll begin testing a new offering called Meta Verified, a subscription bundle on Instagram and Facebook that includes a verified badge that authenticates your account with government ID, proactive account protection, access to account support, and increased visibility and reach. We’re starting with a gradual test in Australia and New Zealand later this week to learn what’s most valuable, and we hope to bring Meta Verified to the rest of the world soon.

    The new service will give creators a verified badge; better protection against impersonation; better reach and visibility; live support; and exclusive features to help verified creators reach their audience.

    The price starts at $11.99, with a $3 extra charge to subscribe on iOS or Android:

    Meta Verified is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in Australia and New Zealand starting later this week. People can purchase a monthly subscription for (USD) 11.99 on the web and (USD) 14.99 on iOS and Android.

  • Meta May Be Prepping for More Layoffs, Giving Thousands Poor Reviews

    Meta May Be Prepping for More Layoffs, Giving Thousands Poor Reviews

    Meta may be prepping to lay off thousands more employees after giving them poor performance reviews.

    Meta has already laid off 11,000 employees, the largest number for a single company in 2022. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the company may be preparing to add to that number, giving some 10% of its employees a “meets most” rating. Of the company’s five performance ratings, “meets most” is the second-lowest, with “meets some” being the lowest. Very few of the lowest ratings are ever given, however.

    Meta has repeatedly signaled its intention to drastically cut costs. CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that goal once again in a recent discussion with investors.

    “We’re working on flattening our org structure and removing some layers of middle management to make decisions faster as well as deploying AI tools to help our engineers be more productive,” Zuckerberg said.

    Employees have already expressed their frustration with Zuckerberg over his management of the company, especially his near-obsessive focus on the metaverse. The frustration is driven in no small part by the fact that Meta is continuing to pour billions into metaverse development, despite its mass layoffs.

    If the company does engage in another major round, it’s a sure bet confidence in Zuckerberg’s leadership will hit an all-time low.

  • Google Has Abandoned Fastlane App Automation Tool

    Google Has Abandoned Fastlane App Automation Tool

    Google appears to have abandoned yet another project, with the open-source Fastlane app automation tool the latest in a long list.

    Fastlane is an automation tool for building and releasing iOS and Android apps. Google acquired the company in early 2017 and supported its continued development for several years.

    Peter Steinberger, PSPDFKit founder, noted on Mastodon that the Fastlane project no longer has any active maintainers on GitHub:

    Good luck. Google abandoned Fastlane, it has no maintainers currently.

    RT @testableapple Ridiculous and long-lived nightmare. CI is especially scared.

    @FastlaneTools, what if I say this tiny PR might mitigate this issue?”

    Josh Holtz, Fastlane’s lead maintainer, chimed in, saying that he was still involved but had been struggling with his schedule to find time for the project:

    @jesusfdiaz @steipete Still working on it! Just been struggling schedule wise with a new addition to the family in October 🤷‍♂️

    But almost back to a new normal over here which should make things easier

    In response to a question about Google no longer sponsoring the project, Holtz confirmed that has been the case for more than a year:

    @steipete @jesusfdiaz This is facts ☺️ Have not been paid/sponsored since November-ish of 2021

    Holtz said Google still owns the copyright for Fastlane, but is not contributing anything toward its development, making the project a labor of love:

    @leohidalgo Yup, Google owns the IP… the community just does all (majority) the work these days 🤷‍♂️

    Edit: I think I meant copyright instead of IP but… hello Hackernews 👋

    Google has a long history of abandoning projects after they gain traction. In fact, the company has such a notorious reputation for doing so that it had to reassure cloud customers that they could, in fact, depend on the company long-term.

    It’s a shame to see Fastlane join the list of Google abandonware.

  • Tesla’s Net 2022 Bitcoin Losses Totaled $140 Million

    Tesla’s Net 2022 Bitcoin Losses Totaled $140 Million

    Tesla executives may be regretting the company’s investment in Bitcoin, with its losses totaling a whopping $140 million in 2022.

    Tesla surprised the industry with a $1.5 billion Bitcoin purchase in early 2021. The company initially announced plans to accept the cryptocurrency as payment before reversing course over environmental concerns. In the wake of the crypto crash, it appears the electric vehicle maker’s investment has taken quite the hit.

    According to an SEC filing, Tesla recorded a $204 million loss as a result of Bitcoin’s price drop. Despite this, the company was able to make $64 million in profits from Bitcoin trading, leaving it with a net loss of $140 million.

    For example, in the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded $204 million of impairment losses resulting from changes to the carrying value of our bitcoin and gains of $64 million on certain conversions of bitcoin into fiat currency by us.

  • GoDaddy Suffered Multi-Year Breach, Malware Installed On Servers

    GoDaddy Suffered Multi-Year Breach, Malware Installed On Servers

    GoDaddy has informed customers it suffered a multi-year breach, one that involved hackers installing malware on its servers.

    GoDaddy said it started receiving complaints from customers in December 2022. Some customers reported their websites intermittently redirecting to other domains. The company investigated, but the issue was difficult to prove since it appeared to be happening randomly across its customer base.

    Ultimately, the company realized it had been hacked and malware was responsible for the unusual behavior:

    As our investigation continued, we discovered that an unauthorized third party had gained access to servers in our cPanel shared hosting environment and installed malware causing the intermittent redirection of customer websites. Once we confirmed the intrusion, we remediated the situation and implemented security measures in an effort to prevent future infections.

    In the company’s 10-K filing, it acknowledged the breach was the result of a multi-year campaign against the it:

    Based on our investigation, we believe these incidents are part of a multi-year campaign by a sophisticated threat actor group that, among other things, installed malware on our systems and obtained pieces of code related to some services within GoDaddy.

    GoDaddy says it is applying the lessons it has learned from this breach in an effort to improve security. The company also says “these incidents as well as other cyber threats and attacks have not resulted in any material adverse impact to our business.”

    Despite its assurances, it’s a safe bet many customers will likely start migrating away from GoDaddy to more secure hosting services, something that will likely have a major impact on its business.

  • Where Is Bao Fan? Billionaire Chinese Banker Is Missing

    Where Is Bao Fan? Billionaire Chinese Banker Is Missing

    Bao Fan, a prominent tech banker and head of China Renaissance, has gone missing, sparking fresh fears of another Chinese tech crackdown.

    Bao Fan is one of China’s leading financial CEOs, having founded China Renaissance in 2005 after stints at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. According to The Guardian, quoting local news outlet Caixin, Bao Fan has been unreachable for two days, sparking a 50% drop in the company’s stock price. The price eventually regained 30%, but the questions about the CEO’s whereabouts remain.

    “[We] believe that everyone has had a restless night. At this time, [we] hope that you do not believe in or spread rumours,” the company said in a message to employees, seen by The Wall Street Journal.

    The incident is reminiscent of Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s disappearance in early 2021 amid Beijing’s crackdown on the tech and finance sector. Ma went missing for months before finally reappearing in a state media video. The fact that it was a state media video did little to reassure investors and fans that he was ok. Interestingly, Ma has since agreed to give up control of the Ant Group, the financial company at the heart of China’s regulatory efforts surrounding Ma.

    Many fear Bao Fan’s disappearance could be indicative of a similar crackdown on China Renaissance.

    Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, told The Guardian he was “not aware of the relevant information” about Bao’s disappearance.

    “But I can tell you that China is a country under the rule of law,” he added. “The Chinese government protects the legitimate rights of its citizens in accordance with the law.”

  • Snap Is Cutting Google and AWS Cloud Spending

    Snap Is Cutting Google and AWS Cloud Spending

    Snap is cutting back its cloud spending, reducing how much it pays both Google Cloud and AWS.

    Snap relies on both cloud providers to power its operations. Like many tech companies, however, Snap is looking to cut costs and operate more efficiently. According to Business Insider, CFO Derek Andersen said the company had identified its cloud contracts as an area to cut back, with cloud expenditures second only to employee pay in cost.

    As a result, the company has “restructured and renewed to achieve lower pricing and better ongoing leverage in those relationships,” Andersen said.

    There was likely quite a bit of room for negotiation, with the company signing a five-year, $2 billion deal with Google in 2017. Similarly, the company had signed a $1 billion deal with AWS that lasted through December 2021.

    “We’ve focused intently on efficient unit-cost management by engineering our products efficiently, and by migrating among cloud services and products to drive down our unit costs,” Andersen said.

    The efforts appear to be paying off. While Andersen did not say exactly how much the company had reduced its cloud costs, he did say that infrastructure cost per daily user had dropped from $2.78 two years ago to $2.31 today.

    Snap’s actions illustrate the dilemma many companies now face. The pandemic helped fuel a record-breaking rush to adopt cloud services in an effort to better support remote and hybrid work. The pandemic also helped drive record sales for many tech companies. As the pandemic has waned, however, many companies are now paying for massive cloud contracts at a time when business is nowhere near as profitable as it was a year ago.

    While the cloud segment has been relatively insulated from the economic downturn, that could quickly change as more companies follow Snap’s lead.