An analysis of 20 million LinkedIn profiles sheds light on the power of casual relationships.
Inside Amazon Air’s Quest to Seize the Skies
In a bid to keep its two-day delivery promise, the fast-moving tech giant entered the risk-averse air cargo business—with some bumps along the way.
All the Actually Important Stuff Neuralink Just Announced
The company is vying for an edge in an increasingly crowded field that seeks to let people control machines with their minds.
Disney unveils FRAN, an AI tool that helps TV or film producers make an actor look older or younger without the need for complex and expensive visual effects (Andrew Liszewski/Gizmodo)
Andrew Liszewski / Gizmodo: Disney unveils FRAN, an AI tool that helps TV or film producers make an actor look older or younger without the need for complex and expensive visual effects — With just a few clicks, actors can look younger or older without the need for expensive visual effects. — Alerts
In a rare interview, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew explains how US data will be kept out of China through “Project Texas”, discusses “booktok”, algorithms, and more (Nilay Patel/The Verge)
Nilay Patel / The Verge: In a rare interview, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew explains how US data will be kept out of China through “Project Texas”, discusses “booktok”, algorithms, and more — The 40-year-old Chew was funny and relaxed for most of the interview, even if many of his answers sounded straight …
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says the company does not plan to stop selling “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America”, an antisemitic film promoted by Kyrie Irving (Associated Press)
Associated Press: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says the company does not plan to stop selling “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America”, an antisemitic film promoted by Kyrie Irving — Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Wednesday the company does not have plans to stop selling the antisemitic film …
San Francisco’s Killer Police Robots Threaten the City’s Most Vulnerable
Law enforcement says that in some scenarios a lethal robot is the only way to protect public safety. Experts say the policy will harm communities of color.
Google Moves to Block Invasive Spanish Spyware Framework
The Heliconia hacking tool exploited vulnerabilities in Chrome, Windows Defender, and Firefox, according to company security researchers.
Why China Is Still Stuck in a Zero-Covid Nightmare
Protesters are calling for China to ease restrictions most nations have already ditched. But the country faces a fraught path toward normalcy.
Mark Zuckerberg says Apple’s policies that let the company unilaterally control which apps can be installed are not sustainable and cause a conflict of interest (Sara Fischer/Axios)
Sara Fischer / Axios: Mark Zuckerberg says Apple’s policies that let the company unilaterally control which apps can be installed are not sustainable and cause a conflict of interest — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday added to the growing chorus of concerns about Apple, arguing that it’s …
Pathmatics: Apple’s Twitter ad purchases grew from $989K in October to $1M+ in November; on November 28, Elon Musk said Apple “mostly stopped” Twitter ads (Thomas Germain/Gizmodo)
Thomas Germain / Gizmodo: Pathmatics: Apple’s Twitter ad purchases grew from $989K in October to $1M+ in November; on November 28, Elon Musk said Apple “mostly stopped” Twitter ads — Musk tweeted that Apple had all but stopped buying ads on Twitter. The iPhone maker’s ad purchases had actually increased, according to an ad analytics […]
Box reports Q3 revenue of $250M, up 12% YoY, and billings of $258.2M, up 12% YoY, and forecasts Q4 revenue between $255M and $257M, vs. $259.3M est. (Jon Swartz/MarketWatch)
Jon Swartz / MarketWatch: Box reports Q3 revenue of $250M, up 12% YoY, and billings of $258.2M, up 12% YoY, and forecasts Q4 revenue between $255M and $257M, vs. $259.3M est. — Software company reports sales just $100,000 shy of $250 million and expects to top the mark in fourth quarter, but neither hits analysts’ […]
Bio-inspired glider collects data without leaving polluting e-waste
A gliding sensor inspired by Javan cucumber seeds could be used for environmental monitoring, and then quickly biodegrade, leaving no waste behind
Plastic ‘Pac-Man’ moves using water ripples
A simple device made of plastic and rubber can be controlled using ripples in water to move around obstacles
A targeted approach to reducing the health impacts of crop residue burning in India
To clear the way for planting wheat in November, a farmer in Punjab, India, sets aflame the leftover straw, or stubble, of a harvested rice paddy crop in October. The burning residue fills the air with carbon monoxide, ozone, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that will make it harder to breathe for days afterward and […]
Communications system achieves fastest laser link from space yet
In May 2022, the TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) payload onboard a small CubeSat satellite was launched into orbit 300 miles above Earth’s surface. Since then, TBIRD has delivered terabytes of data at record-breaking rates of up to 100 gigabits per second — 100 times faster than the fastest internet speeds in most cities — via an […]
Mysteriously bright flash is a black hole jet pointing straight toward Earth, astronomers say
Earlier this year, astronomers were keeping tabs on data from the Zwicky Transient Facility, an all-sky survey based at the Palomar Observatory in California, when they detected an extraordinary flash in a part of the sky where no such light had been observed the night before. From a rough calculation, the flash appeared to give […]
4 Plausible Geopolitical Scenarios CEOs Should Consider When Setting Strategy – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM EY-PARTHENON
Sponsor content from EY-Parthenon.
How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview
Advice on what to say — and what not to — along with sample email templates.
3 Lessons from Hyperinflationary Periods
What today’s businesses can learn about pricing strategies and consumer trust.
Sources detail Huawei’s plans to stealthily build a domestic chip supply chain with partners in Beijing, Wuhan, Qingdao, and Shenzhen, investing over $55.8B (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia: Sources detail Huawei’s plans to stealthily build a domestic chip supply chain with partners in Beijing, Wuhan, Qingdao, and Shenzhen, investing over $55.8B — Battered by sanctions, Huawei leads the way in stealthily building a domestic semiconductor supply chain
SpaceX’s Starlink increases the price for new Ukrainian customers to $700, far above the $385 cost from earlier in 2022; monthly subscriptions rise to $75 (Financial Times)
Financial Times: SpaceX’s Starlink increases the price for new Ukrainian customers to $700, far above the $385 cost from earlier in 2022; monthly subscriptions rise to $75 — Cost of communications devices made by Elon Musk-owned SpaceX set to rise due to Russian assault on electricity grid
Emboldened by FTX’s collapse, the disgraced founders of Terra, Celsius, and Three Arrows Capital have reemerged, offering their thoughts on SBF, FTX, and more (Emily Nicolle/Bloomberg)
Emily Nicolle / Bloomberg: Emboldened by FTX’s collapse, the disgraced founders of Terra, Celsius, and Three Arrows Capital have reemerged, offering their thoughts on SBF, FTX, and more — Welcome to Bloomberg Crypto, our twice-weekly look at Bitcoin, blockchain and more. If someone forwarded this to you, sign up here.
Looking beyond “technology for technology’s sake”
Austen Roberson’s favorite class at MIT is 2.S007 (Design and Manufacturing I-Autonomous Machines), in which students design, build, and program a fully autonomous robot to accomplish tasks laid out on a themed game board. “The best thing about that class is everyone had a different idea,” says Roberson. “We all had the same game board […]
203 Cyber Monday Deals Still Going Strong Right Now
The sale bonanzas may be over, but many of the same discounts are alive, including on phones, office chairs, and kitchenware.
Volvo EX90: The Biggest Problem for the New EV Flagship is Polestar
The EX90 ushers in a new era of lidar-driven safety tech for Volvo. But if it’s nearly the same as the Polestar 3 underneath, how can the brand stand out?
Scientists Reexamine Why Zebra Stripes Mysteriously Repel Flies
While biologists still aren’t exactly sure how it works, a new study closes in on why the insects that pester Savannah animals zig when anything zags.
IBM and Maersk’s blockchain-enabled supply chain offering TradeLens, launched in 2018, will shut down in Q1 2023; Maersk blames a lack of industry collaboration (Christiana Loureiro/The Block)
Christiana Loureiro / The Block: IBM and Maersk’s blockchain-enabled supply chain offering TradeLens, launched in 2018, will shut down in Q1 2023; Maersk blames a lack of industry collaboration — – The companies made a viable platform but couldn’t get a global collaboration going. — Danish shipping company Maersk …
Pinterest says it is ending the creator rewards program that it launched in 2021, which offered cash bonuses when creators completed certain goals (Kaya Yurieff/The Information)
Kaya Yurieff / The Information: Pinterest says it is ending the creator rewards program that it launched in 2021, which offered cash bonuses when creators completed certain goals — Pinterest is ending its creator rewards program, which offered cash bonuses when creators completed goals such as hitting certain engagement metrics, The Information is first to […]
CrowdStrike reports Q3 revenue up 53% YoY to $581M, vs. $574M est., subscription customers up 44% YoY to 21,146; stock drops 17% on weaker-than-expected growth (Ashley Capoot/CNBC)
Ashley Capoot / CNBC: CrowdStrike reports Q3 revenue up 53% YoY to $581M, vs. $574M est., subscription customers up 44% YoY to 21,146; stock drops 17% on weaker-than-expected growth — – CrowdStrike shares dropped 18% after the company reported third-quarter results that beat estimates but said new revenue growth was weaker than expected.
Gliding sensors inspired by floating seeds will biodegrade after use
A biodegradable glider based on the seeds of the Javan cucumber, which float for long distances, could be used to monitor the environment without leaving polluting e-waste
Spreading joy with Wide Tim
He has his own Instagram account. He stars as the featured profile picture on MIT Admission’s Facebook page. When MIT’s Campus Preview Weekend 2022 came around, he joyfully opened his arms widely to welcome the admitted Class of 2026 at a campus photo booth. You can find him everywhere on campus, from murals and posters […]
Busy GPUs: Sampling and pipelining method speeds up deep learning on large graphs
Graphs, a potentially extensive web of nodes connected by edges, can be used to express and interrogate relationships between data, like social connections, financial transactions, traffic, energy grids, and molecular interactions. As researchers collect more data and build out these graphical pictures, researchers will need faster and more efficient methods, as well as more computational […]
A breakthrough on “loss and damage,” but also disappointment, at UN climate conference
As the 2022 United Nations climate change conference, known as COP27, stretched into its final hours on Saturday, Nov. 19, it was uncertain what kind of agreement might emerge from two weeks of intensive international negotiations. In the end, COP27 produced mixed results: on the one hand, a historic agreement for wealthy countries to compensate […]
How to Communicate Your Company’s Strategy Effectively
Ditch the lofty purpose statements and lengthy slide decks.
When Inflation Rises, Health Outcomes Fall
Employers need to help people afford and access the care they need.
How to Be a Good Leader in a Bad Economy
It’s about navigating three tensions to ensure you’re getting the work done while supporting your team.
The Planet Desperately Needs That UN Plastics Treaty
An agreement can’t magically end the catastrophe of plastic pollution. But it could be a step in the right direction.
The Hunt for the Kingpin Behind AlphaBay, Part 6: Endgame
With AlphaBay shuttered, Operation Bayonet enters its final phase: driving the site’s refugees into a giant trap. But one refugee hatched his own plan.
189 Absolute Best Cyber Monday Deals Right Now (2022): Away Luggage, AirPods Pro, and More
These are the top discounts we’ve found across the web. Whether you want an Away carry-on or AirPods Pro, there’s something for everyone.
The Reserve Bank of India plans to launch a retail pilot for its CBDC on December 1, after testing with nine banks since November 1 (Swati Bhat/Reuters)
Swati Bhat / Reuters: The Reserve Bank of India plans to launch a retail pilot for its CBDC on December 1, after testing with nine banks since November 1 — The Reserve Bank of India’s first pilot for a retail e-rupee, its version of the central bank digital currency (CBDC), will be launched on Dec. […]
Twitter stopped enforcing its longstanding COVID-19 “harmful misinformation” policy on November 23; more than 11,000 accounts were suspended under the rules (Donie O’Sullivan/CNN)
Donie O’Sullivan / CNN: Twitter stopped enforcing its longstanding COVID-19 “harmful misinformation” policy on November 23; more than 11,000 accounts were suspended under the rules — New York (CNN Business)Twitter said it will no longer enforce its longstanding Covid misinformation policy …
Binance’s $1B recovery fund is a lifeline, but questions remain, including on decision making and why funds came from a cold wallet that holds customer funds (Ryan Weeks/The Block)
Ryan Weeks / The Block: Binance’s $1B recovery fund is a lifeline, but questions remain, including on decision making and why funds came from a cold wallet that holds customer funds — – The billion-dollar fund could be a crucial lifeline for the industry, as companies tussle with the aftershocks of FTX’s collapse.
Breaking the scaling limits of analog computing
As machine-learning models become larger and more complex, they require faster and more energy-efficient hardware to perform computations. Conventional digital computers are struggling to keep up. An analog optical neural network could perform the same tasks as a digital one, such as image classification or speech recognition, but because computations are performed using light instead […]
Lessons in innovation based on values of the Cherokee Nation
Traditional Cherokee community values can broadly be condensed into four primary teachings that have guided members of the community through life and its challenges for centuries, two members of the Cherokee nation told an MIT audience last week. Be respectful and curious; observe and learn from your environment; take time to think about and find […]
22 Best Cyber Monday Sex Toy Deals (2022): Dame, Lelo, and More
The weather is getting colder, which means it’s a great time to warm things up inside.
35 Best Walmart Cyber Monday Deals (2022): TVs, Vacuums, Earbuds, Sonos
Smartwatches, video games, tech, and toys are on sale at the retailer for Cyber Monday—and you can pick up your purchases as soon as today.
76 Best Cyber Monday Laptop and Home Office Deals (2022): Office Chairs, Standing Desks, Portable Monitors
Get discounted office chairs, standing desks, and plenty more to furnish your remote workstation.
Analysis: high-profile Republican members of Congress saw an uptick in Twitter followers in the first few weeks of Musk’s reign, while Democrats lost followers (Washington Post)
Washington Post: Analysis: high-profile Republican members of Congress saw an uptick in Twitter followers in the first few weeks of Musk’s reign, while Democrats lost followers — Shift in follower counts for Elizabeth Warren, Ted Cruz show how the platform is beginning to change under Musk
Source: in Q1 2022, Apple was the top advertiser on Twitter, spending $48M and accounting for over 4% of Twitter’s revenue that quarter (Washington Post)
Washington Post: Source: in Q1 2022, Apple was the top advertiser on Twitter, spending $48M and accounting for over 4% of Twitter’s revenue that quarter — In a series of tweets, the billionaire says Apple also has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter — Elon Musk on Monday went on a tear against Apple …