Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2020

EV maker Byton halts operations for six months amid financial woes

Another luxury electric car maker is taking drastic action in light of financial trouble. Chinese firm Byton has told The Detroit Bureau and The Verge that it’s stopping operations for “at least” six months due to financial struggles exacerbated by t... from Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/3gbkrWj via IFTTT

Facebook is cracking down on anti-government extremist 'boogaloos,' but it has reportedly been profiting off boogaloo ads calling for violence for months (FB)

Facebook on Tuesday banned hundreds of accounts and groups associated with the "boogaloo" movement, designating a subset of the anti-government extremist network as "violent." But Facebook took money from boogaloo-affiliated advertisers for several months before its ban, BuzzFeed News reported. Some of those ads suggest violence, despite Facebook's claims that it is cracking down on such content. Facebook has been facing growing pressure to take stronger action against hate speech and racism on its platform. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . Facebook is banning a network of anti-government extremist "boogaloos" from its platform, calling the group "violent" and designating it as a "dangerous organization," the company announced Tuesday. "This is the latest step in our commitment to ban people who proclaim a violent mission from using our platform," the company said, adding that it had

Facebook bans hundreds of groups and accounts linked to the far-right boogaloo movement

Facebook has banned a network of hundreds of Facebook accounts, groups, and pages associated with the far-right "boogaloo" movement from its platform. In a statement, Facebook called the network a "violent" and "dangerous organization." It said the specific network of hundreds of groups and accounts it banned on its platform was distinct from the broader amorphous boogaloo movement because the former "actively seeks to commit violence." The social media giant said it removed 220 Facebook accounts, 95 Instagram accounts, 28 pages, and 106 groups linked to the boogaloo network it identified from its platform. Multiple people associated with the extremist movement have been arrested on murder and domestic terrorism charges this month and in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies have also circulated a number of intelligence assessments warning of individuals linked

THE SMART SPEAKER REPORT: Smart speakers could be the fastest-growing digital platform ever — here's how to engage with customers through the devices

This is a preview of The Smart Speaker research report from Business Insider Intelligence. Purchase this report. Business Insider Intelligence offers even more technology coverage with Connectivity & Tech Pro. Subscribe today to receive industry-changing connectivity news and analysis to your inbox. The smart speaker has been a runaway success in the handful of years since it hit the market, catapulting from obscurity to the peak of sales lists and cementing itself in the public consciousness. According to primary survey data from Business Insider Intelligence, as many as half of US respondents reported living in a home with a voice-enabled AI device. The prevalence of smart speakers is changing how companies in a range of spaces — media, e-commerce, smart home, banking, and more — interact with consumers. For companies looking to sell these speakers and brands looking to engage with their customers through the now-critical medium, it's important to understand how the

Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell launches a game studio

It’s been a while since Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell left Facebook, and now it’s clear what he’s doing next. TechCrunch reports that Mitchell has launched a new game studio, Mountaintop, with the help of industry veterans who’ve worked at Double F... from Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/3gka1nr via IFTTT

IoT 101: Your Essential Guide to the Internet of Things

You’ve likely heard the phrase Internet of Things, or IoT, at some point if you have been following any tech news in the last several years. But at the same time, you might be scratching your head figuring out what it is or what it means past a flashy buzzword. Simply put, the IoT refers to the connection of devices (other than typical fare such as computers and smartphones) to the Internet. Cars, refrigerators, juicers, wine racks, heart monitors, ovens, watches, and more are all candidates for connection. A new report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, called   IoT 101: The Essential Guide to the Internet of Things , outlines the basics of the IoT and what this next wave of technology means to the everyday individual. The report dives into key IoT terms, predictions and trends for the IoT in the next five years, the industries that the IoT will affect the most, and the biggest challenges facing the IoT. To get your copy of this

NASA delays Mars rover launch until at least July 30th

You’ll have to wait longer than you might like to see the Perseverance rover begin its journey to Mars. NASA and United Launch Alliance have delayed blast-off for the Mars 2020 mission from July 22nd to “no earlier than” July 30th. Processing problem... from Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2Aj60jz via IFTTT

'Bar Lives Matter' concert promoted by Texas bar owner to protest coronavirus restrictions

The coronavirus is thrilled to learn that a bar owner in Texas is organizing a 'Bar Lives Matter' concert to protest the state's restrictions to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Protesters are upset @GovAbbott shut down bars in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19. More than 30 bar owners are suing over the executive order. Protesters are demonstrating at the State Capitol and soon at the Governor’s Mansion. @KVUE pic.twitter.com/MaRSILqIxk — Jenni Lee (@JenniL_KVUE) June 30, 2020 It's pretty nuts in Texas, where coronavirus infections and deaths are accelerating. HAPPENING NOW: The “Texas Bars Fight Back” protest is happening outside the Texas Capitol to protest the closing the bars statewide. pic.twitter.com/NPLen0fFmF — Kacey Bowen (@KaceyonFox7) June 30, 2020 There was apparently an organized protest by other bar owners today at the Texas Capitol. 'Bar lives matter' protesters descend on Texas capitol to oppose closures https://t.co/TeAMK1K

Cendana Capital, which has been backing seed funds for a decade, has $278 million more to invest

When in 2010, former VC Michael Kim set out to raise a fund that he would invest in a spate of micro VC managers, the investors to which he turned didn’t get it. Why pay Kim and his firm, Cendana Capital ,  a management fee on top of the management fees that the VC managers themselves charge? Fast forward to today, and Kim has apparently proven to his backers that he’s worth the extra cost. Three years after raising $260 million across a handful of vehicles whose capital he plugged into up-and-coming venture firms, Kim is now revealing a fresh $278 million in capital commitments, including $218 million for its fourth flagship fund, and $60 million that Cendana will be managing expressly for the University of Texas endowment. We talked with Kim last week about how he plans to invest the money, which differs slightly from how he has invested in the past. Rather than stick solely with U.S.-based seed-stage managers who are raising vehicles of $100 million or less, he will split Cenda

Facebook shuts down Hobbi, its experimental app for documenting personal projects

Facebook’s recently launched app, Hobbi , an experiment in short-form content creation around personal projects, hobbies, and other Pinterest-y content, is already shutting down. The app first arrived on iOS in February as one of now several launches from Facebook’s internal R&D group, the NPE Team. Hobbi users have now been notified by way of push notification that the app is shutting down on July 10, 2020. The app allows users to export their data from its settings. In the few months it’s been live on the U.S. App Store, Hobbi only gained 7,000 downloads, according to estimates from Sensor Tower. Apptopia also reported the app had under 10K downloads and saw minimal gains during May and June. Though Hobbi clearly took cues from Pinterest, it was not designed to be a pinboard of inspirational ideas. Instead, Hobbi users would organize photos of their projects — like gardening, cooking, arts & crafts, décor, and more — in a visual diary of sorts. The goal was to photograph

Lyft’s self-driving test vehicles are back on public roads in California

Lyft’s self-driving vehicle division has restarted testing on public roads in California, several months after pausing operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lyft’s Level 5 program said Tuesday some of its autonomous vehicles are back on the road in Palo Alto and at its closed test track. The company has not resumed a pilot program that provided rides to Lyft employees in Palo Alto. The company said it is following CDC guidelines for personal protective equipment and surface cleaning. It has also enacted several additional safety steps to prevent the spread of COVID. Each autonomous test vehicle is equipped with partitions to separate the two safety operators inside, the company said. The operators must wear face shields and submit to temperature checks. They’re also paired together for two weeks at a time. Lyft’s Level 5 program — a nod to the SAE automated driving level that means the vehicle handles all driving in all conditions — launched in July 2017 but didn’t starting testi

10 best on-screen crushes of 2020 (so far)

Thus far, 2020 has an excellent track record with on-screen crushes. Over the past six months, plenty of TV and film characters have won our hearts. Whether they seduced main characters center stage or existed on the periphery as background snacks, heartthrobs of all kind have filled our screens and made an otherwise tumultuous start to the decade enjoyable. We're a long way from crowning the biggest fictional catch of 2020, but no reason we can't check-in at the halfway mark to see who has got a fighting chance. Listed in particular order (because wow, how dare you), here are 10 of the most swoon-worthy on-screen crushes we've fallen for this year.  Read more... More about Birds Of Prey , Crushes , Normal People , Best Of 2020 , and Entertainment from Mashable https://ift.tt/31x0hC4 via IFTTT

Advertisers are running from Facebook. What's next?

The advertiser boycott is quickly spiraling into an even bigger headache for Facebook. The boycott, organized by civil rights groups, has more than 300 participants, and isn’t slowing down. The group has called for an international expansion, and bra... from Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/38eY2EI via IFTTT

Uber is reportedly trying to buy Postmates

Uber might have missed its chance to buy Grubhub, but it might not go away empty-handed. New York Times sources claim Uber has made an offer to buy Postmates. The talks are still in progress and aren’t guaranteed to lead to a union, but negotiations... from Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/31vlo7Q via IFTTT

AT&T brings 5G to Austin, Miami, Salt Lake City, and 25 other regions

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge AT&T’s low-band 5G network is expanding to 28 new regions today , including Austin, Miami, Dallas, and Salt Lake City. If you’ve been waiting for a slight speed boost over your current LTE connection and have a 5G-compatible phone, you might want to check if your neighborhood is part of this latest expansion. Technically, we’re talking about AT&T’s low-band 5G network, which has slightly better speeds and latency compared to 4G LTE. When OpenSignal tested 5G speeds from major phone carriers in downtown cities over the winter, it found AT&T’s low-band download speeds averaged 59.3Mbps. The low-band network is not to be confused with AT&T’s 5G Plus , a high-band network with mmWave frequencies, which offer far faster internet speeds than low-band offerings — sometimes over 1Gbps . The company also offers another “5G” option: 5G E. But that’s not real 5G at all, but rather a slightly faster version of LTE. Yes, it’s all a litt