Asa Hiken / Ad Age: Sources: Crypto.com saw a 30%-40% reduction in headcount between June and August, with 2,000+ employees leaving the company, mostly due to layoffs — The cryptocurrency exchange has been dramatically downsizing its marketing deals and headcount in the wake of crypto winter — May 7 was a joyous day at Crypto.com.
New system designs nanomaterials that conduct heat in specific ways
Computer chips are packed with billions of microscopic transistors that enable powerful computation, but also generate a great deal of heat. A buildup of heat can slow a computer processor and make it less efficient and reliable. Engineers employ heat sinks to keep chips cool, sometimes along with fans or liquid cooling systems; however, these […]
Super Mario Sounds Exactly Like Chris Pratt—and That’s Fine
The voice revealed in Nintendo’s trailer disappointed some fans—but honestly, could you listen to high-pitched peals of “Mamma mia!” for an hour and a half?
13 Best Target Deal Days Sales (2022): Dyson, Apple, and More
Hoping for an Apple iPad Mini or Dyson for the holidays? Both Target and Amazon are hosting a second yearly sales event.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro (2022): Features, Price, Release Date
These new Android handsets don’t represent a giant leap from last year’s Pixel 6, but they do contain some smart updates.
Amazon stops working on Scout, its autonomous home delivery cooler-sized robot in testing since 2019; source: ~400 people were working on the project globally (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Amazon stops working on Scout, its autonomous home delivery cooler-sized robot in testing since 2019; source: ~400 people were working on the project globally — Amazon.com Inc. is abandoning its home delivery robot, the latest sign that the e-commerce giant is starting to wind down experimental projects amid slowing sales growth.
Pew: 6% of US adults regularly get news on BitChute, Gab, Gettr, Parler, Rumble, Telegram, or Truth Social, but no one site drew over 2% of those seeking news (Tiffany Hsu/New York Times)
Tiffany Hsu / New York Times: Pew: 6% of US adults regularly get news on BitChute, Gab, Gettr, Parler, Rumble, Telegram, or Truth Social, but no one site drew over 2% of those seeking news — The appeal of platforms like Parler, Truth Social and Telegram is another symptom of the partisan divide in media, […]
Filing: a judge grants Elon Musk’s request to halt the Twitter trial and says that if the deal doesn’t close by 5pm on October 28, the trial begins in November (Richard Lawler/The Verge)
Richard Lawler / The Verge: Filing: a judge grants Elon Musk’s request to halt the Twitter trial and says that if the deal doesn’t close by 5pm on October 28, the trial begins in November — The pending trial between Elon Musk and Twitter is suddenly on hold, as Judge Kathaleen McCormick granted the Musk […]
Metal-enriched silkworm silk is one of the strongest materials ever
Standard silkworm silk has been made stronger than spider’s silk, one of the toughest materials known, by bathing it with metals and respinning it
Massachusetts Microelectronics Internship Program connects undergraduates with industry
One of the most critical components of our technological future is easy to overlook. Microelectronics, the devices and circuits at the core of computer and communication chips, are aptly named: built on the micrometer (and nanometer!) scale, they cannot be seen with the naked eye, but they power almost everything around us from smart watches, […]
What drives ecosystems to instability?
Trying to decipher all of the factors that influence the behavior of complex ecological communities can be a daunting task. However, MIT researchers have now shown that the behavior of these ecosystems can be predicted based on just two pieces of information: the number of species in the community and how strongly they interact with […]
Study finds the risks of sharing health care data are low
In recent years, scientists have made great strides in their ability to develop artificial intelligence algorithms that can analyze patient data and come up with new ways to diagnose disease or predict which treatments work best for different patients. The success of those algorithms depends on access to patient health data, which has been stripped […]
How Parents Can Promote Resilience in the Family Business
Focus on providing learning experiences for the next generation — and room for them to make mistakes.
Is Your Leadership Development Program Undermining Your DEI Goals?
Poorly designed programs can exacerbate inequity.
4 Business Ideas That Changed the World: Scientific Management
A roundtable conversation on Taylorism and how it shapes management still today.
Are You Sure You Know What Revenge Porn Is?
Forty-eight states have passed protections against revenge porn—but their narrow definition of such content leaves many people exposed.
Meta Rethinks the Philosophy of the Facebook Feed
WIRED spoke with the head of Facebook about competition from TikTok and his theory that algorithms can enhance our personal relationships.
Why Can’t You Tickle Yourself? Neuroscientists Unravel the Mystery
Playfulness and tickling aren’t always considered “serious” subjects, but a new study shows how they can address key questions about the brain.
Global VC funding in Q3 2022 was $81B, down 53% YoY from $171B and 33% QoQ from $121B, the lowest level since $70.6B in Q1 2020 (Gené Teare/Crunchbase News)
Gené Teare / Crunchbase News: Global VC funding in Q3 2022 was $81B, down 53% YoY from $171B and 33% QoQ from $121B, the lowest level since $70.6B in Q1 2020 — The big global venture capital pullback we were all expecting is truly here. — Venture and growth investors in private companies scaled …
Minnesota-based Arctic Wolf, which offers cybersecurity tools and on-site experts, raised $401M in debt, after raising $150M at a $4.3B valuation in July 2021 (Kyle Wiggers/TechCrunch)
Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: Minnesota-based Arctic Wolf, which offers cybersecurity tools and on-site experts, raised $401M in debt, after raising $150M at a $4.3B valuation in July 2021 — In a sign that pure equity financing is getting harder to come by, cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, which last July raised $150 million …
Amazon plans to hire 150,000 seasonal workers, the same as in 2021, ahead of the holidays; Walmart plans to hire 40,000, down from 150,000 in 2021 (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Amazon plans to hire 150,000 seasonal workers, the same as in 2021, ahead of the holidays; Walmart plans to hire 40,000, down from 150,000 in 2021 — Amazon.com Inc. plans to hire 150,000 seasonal workers, about the same as last year despite slowing sales and predictions of a lackluster holiday shopping season.
Nutrient-measuring device could make microwaves that count calories
Scientists have found a way to use leaked electromagnetic radiation to measure nutrients in microwaved meals
Simulating neutron behavior in nuclear reactors
Amelia Trainer applied to MIT because she lost a bet. As part of what the fourth-year nuclear science and engineering (NSE) doctoral student labels her “teenage rebellious phase,” Trainer was quite convinced she would just be wasting the application fee were she to submit an application. She wasn’t even “super sure” she wanted to go […]
The Psychological Impact of Consuming True Crime
From Serial to Netflix’s Jeffrey Dahmer series, it’s time to think about what pop culture’s fascination with murder cases does to viewers—and victims.
10 Great Outdoor Deals on Tents, Jackets, and Snow Gear (2022)
Forget hiding indoors during the cold season. Enjoy the crisp autumn air with backyard grills, cozy camping gear, and more.
How A British Teen’s Death Changed Social Media
An inquest found content on Pinterest and Instagram contributed to the 2017 death of Molly Russell. The sites say they’ve changed—with opposing strategies.
Minneapolis-based NetSPI, which offers penetration testing and attack surface management services, raised $410M from KKR, bringing its total funding to $500M (Chris Metinko/Crunchbase News)
Chris Metinko / Crunchbase News: Minneapolis-based NetSPI, which offers penetration testing and attack surface management services, raised $410M from KKR, bringing its total funding to $500M — Although venture funding in cybersecurity has taken a slight dip this year—as it has in most sectors—that does not mean large growth rounds do not exist.
Fast Company brings its site back online after eight days offline, saying a cyberattack hit its CMS and “no customer or advertiser information was disclosed” (Brendan Vaughan/Fast Company)
Brendan Vaughan / Fast Company: Fast Company brings its site back online after eight days offline, saying a cyberattack hit its CMS and “no customer or advertiser information was disclosed” — Eight days. That’s how long FastCompany.com was offline after we were targeted in a cyberattack, first on the afternoon of Sunday …
Dutch chip manufacturer STMicroelectronics plans to invest €730M to build a chip materials plant in Italy to create a self-reliant supply chain amid shortages (Lauly Li/Financial Times)
Lauly Li / Financial Times: Dutch chip manufacturer STMicroelectronics plans to invest €730M to build a chip materials plant in Italy to create a self-reliant supply chain amid shortages — Factory in Italy will help region become more self-reliant in key semiconductor market — STMicroelectronics …
Watch a two-legged sprinting robot set a world record over 100 metres
A robot has established a Guinness World Record for the fastest 100 metres by a bipedal robot
Documentary featuring Professor Sara Seager wins Emmy Award
A number of MIT affiliates featured prominently at the 43rd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards presented by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences — including the winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary. “The Hunt for Planet B” — which focuses, in part, on Sara Seager, MIT’s Class of […]
Astronomers find a “cataclysmic” pair of stars with the shortest orbit yet
Nearly half the stars in our galaxy are solitary like the sun. The other half comprises stars that circle other stars, in pairs and multiples, with orbits so tight that some stellar systems could fit between Earth and the moon. Astronomers at MIT and elsewhere have now discovered a stellar binary, or pair of stars, […]
Engineers develop a new kind of shape-memory material
Shape-memory metals, which can revert from one shape to a different one simply by being warmed or otherwise triggered, have been useful in a variety of applications, as actuators that can control the movement of various devices. Now, the discovery of a new category of shape-memory materials made of ceramic rather than of metal could […]
The UK Economic Crisis Might Not Be a One-Off
Britain’s travails are part of a wider set of political and economic problems in Europe.
Avoiding Conflict Will Only Hurt Your Family Business
Beware the corrosive effects of fake harmony.
In a Volatile World, Your Strategy Must Be Flexible
Give yourself plenty of opportunities to change course.
The FCC’s Rules on Space Junk Just Got Stricter
A new and contentious five-year limit for getting rid of dead satellites could slow the growing orbital litter problem—if people actually abide by it.
5 Future Scenarios for Google Lens
On the visual search tool’s anniversary, we consider its promise and how that could play out.
A Bold Effort to Cure HIV—Using Crispr
An experiment tests whether the gene-editing technology can stop the virus from replicating, which would ultimately wipe out the infection.
Elon Musk’s revived $44B Twitter acquisition could rely on $12.5B from banks at a time when offloading risky debt is difficult, potentially leading to losses (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Elon Musk’s revived $44B Twitter acquisition could rely on $12.5B from banks at a time when offloading risky debt is difficult, potentially leading to losses — Elon Musk’s shock proposal to proceed with his acquisition of Twitter Inc. for the original offer price poses a headache …
A report by Senator Warren’s office: fraud and scams are occurring more often on P2P payments app Zelle, with banks only reimbursing ~47% of defrauded customers (Ken Sweet/Associated Press)
Ken Sweet / Associated Press: A report by Senator Warren’s office: fraud and scams are occurring more often on P2P payments app Zelle, with banks only reimbursing ~47% of defrauded customers — Incidents of fraud and scams are occurring more often on the popular peer-to-peer payment service Zelle, according …
LA County arrests election software maker Konnech’s CEO Eugene Yu over the alleged theft of data on poll workers and says some data was found stored in China (Stuart A. Thompson/New York Times)
Stuart A. Thompson / New York Times: LA County arrests election software maker Konnech’s CEO Eugene Yu over the alleged theft of data on poll workers and says some data was found stored in China — The executive, Eugene Yu, and his firm, Konnech, have been a focus of attention among election deniers.
A factory for FrEDs at MIT
MIT is famous as a factory of ideas. You could also call MIT a factory for learning. But for one group of students over the past year MIT has been, in fact, a factory. The team of graduate students designed and built — entirely within an MIT lab — an assembly factory for a low-cost, […]
Here’s What the ‘Matter’ Smart Home Standard Is All About
The open source protocol is finally here to ensure that your devices play nicely. Here’s how it could change the smart home scene.
Elon Musk says buying Twitter “is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app”; Musk previously teased launching X.com as a social media site (Jeremy C. Owens/MarketWatch)
Jeremy C. Owens / MarketWatch: Elon Musk says buying Twitter “is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app”; Musk previously teased launching X.com as a social media site — Entrepreneur’s first big hit was with X.com, an online bank that was acquired by PayPal; he re-acquired the rights to the website …
Amazon is discontinuing Glow, its video calling device aimed at kids, amid lackluster sales and a shift in consumer behavior, after debuting it last year (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Amazon is discontinuing Glow, its video calling device aimed at kids, amid lackluster sales and a shift in consumer behavior, after debuting it last year — Amazon.com Inc. is discontinuing its pandemic-era kids’ video calling device amid lackluster sales and a shift in consumer behavior.
Meta debuts Instagram ads on the Explore page and tests ads in profile feeds, letting creators earn extra income, and a shorter ad format for Facebook Reels (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch: Meta debuts Instagram ads on the Explore page and tests ads in profile feeds, letting creators earn extra income, and a shorter ad format for Facebook Reels — Following another quarter that saw marketers pull back on their ad spending, Meta today announced it’s increasing its ad load on Instagram with […]
AI can tell which buildings are energy efficient from the outside
AI can use images from Google Street View and satellites to estimate building energy efficiency across entire cities. That could guide investments in reducing energy waste and fighting climate change
A diploma, a discovery, and an historic legacy
History and the future joined forces on Friday at a campus event honoring Robert Robinson Taylor, MIT’s first Black graduate and the first accredited Black architect in the United States. The gathering also highlighted new collaborations between MIT and Tuskegee University. The event featured remarks from former White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, who is Taylor’s […]
Four from MIT receive NIH New Innovator Awards for 2022
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded grants to four MIT faculty members as part of its High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. The program supports unconventional approaches to challenges in biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. Each year, NIH Director’s Awards are granted to program applicants who propose high-risk, high-impact research in areas relevant to the […]