TechSlice 2023-10-13

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BIG TECH & STARTUPS

Microsoft's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard finally gets UK approval (2 minute read)

The UK's antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has approved Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion after initially blocking the deal due to concerns over cloud gaming dominance. Microsoft addressed the CMA's concerns by agreeing to sell cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft, which the regulator deemed a "gamechanger that will promote competition." With this approval, the CMA has largely cleared the path for the two companies to complete the largest merger in gaming history, although there remains a potential hurdle from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking to challenge the deal.

Google to pay €3.2M yearly fee to German news publishers (1 minute read)

Google has agreed to pay €3.2 million per year to German publishers for using their content on its News search engine. This is part of an interim agreement with Corint Media, a European corporation representing the rights of over 500 German and international media companies. The final amount may be significantly higher than the preliminary agreement, with Corint Media initially seeking €420 million for the use of news content in 2022.

2023 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: Blue Frontier and its energy-efficient AC (4 minute read)

Blue Frontier aims to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of air conditioning systems by reducing humidity and cooling the air separately, making their AC units three times more efficient than conventional systems and reducing overall energy consumption by over 60%. They also incorporate alternative refrigerants and utilize energy storage to operate during off-peak hours, reducing strain on the grid. Blue Frontier's technology has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by air conditioning and could help address the rising global demand for AC while minimizing its environmental impact.

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SCIENCE AND FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

Focused ultrasound turns chemo from shotgun blast to sniper shot (2 minute read)

Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a method that combines soundwaves and chemotherapy to create a more targeted treatment for cancer. They used small-molecule platinum-based prodrugs and highly-targeted ultrasound waves to convert them into chemotherapy drugs at tumor sites, resulting in tumor cell death by damaging the cancer cell mitochondria.

The AI Boom Could Use a Shocking Amount of Electricity (5 minute read)

Data centers, including AI servers, are consuming a significant amount of electricity, potentially accounting for 1.5% of global electricity use, according to the International Energy Agency. Researchers warn that the increasing demand for AI, especially large models like ChatGPT, could drive up electricity consumption substantially.

21-year-old uses AI to decode a burnt & unopened Herculaneum scroll (2 minute read)

A college student, Luke Farritor, used artificial intelligence (AI) to decode an entire word from an unopened Herculaneum scroll, earning him a $40,000 First Letters Prize award as part of the Vesuvius Challenge. Farritor trained a machine-learning model to identify ink strokes and letters from a "crackle pattern" in the segmented CT scans of the scrolls, and his model identified the word "Porphyras," meaning "purple." The challenge was organized by tech entrepreneurs Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross to encourage scientists to decode the Herculaneum library scrolls using high technology and win a $700,000 prize.

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PROGRAMMING, DESIGN & DATA SCIENCE

These 4 Steps Took My Website From 6k to 26k Hits Per Month in 9 Months (2 minute read)

The writer initially found SEO to be a frustrating process with inconsistent results until a friend advised her to be more consistent and methodical in her approach. She started by conducting keyword research using Google Keyword Planner before writing her blog posts and saw a significant increase in traffic over nine months, emphasizing the importance of diligence in SEO efforts.

How To Choose Typefaces For Fintech Products: Our Best Practices Guide (11 minute read)

Recognizing the challenges of using financial tools daily and the potential for eyestrain and errors, Daria shares her approach to selecting typefaces for fintech products. She explains the importance of considering factors like language support, special characters, and use conditions when choosing typefaces for financial interfaces, emphasizing the impact on legibility and user experience.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Qualcomm is cutting over 1,200 jobs in California (1 minute read)

Qualcomm is eliminating 1,258 positions in California, affecting about 2.5% of its workforce. The job cuts will primarily affect workers from the company's San Diego and Santa Clara offices, and more than 750 of the affected employees are from the engineering team, including director-level personnel. Qualcomm's decision is part of its restructuring efforts in response to ongoing challenges in the smartphone market and declining revenue, with global smartphone shipments expected to be the worst in a decade.

Apple AirTags stalking led to ruin and murders (6 minute read)

Over three dozen victims who claim they were stalked using Apple AirTags have joined a class-action lawsuit against Apple. They argue that AirTags have become one of the most dangerous tools used by stalkers, enabling them to easily and covertly track victims, sometimes with severe consequences, including violence and even murder. The plaintiffs argue that Apple knew about these issues but failed to prevent them, and despite some safety improvements, AirTags still pose risks for those being stalked.

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QUICK LINKS

FTX thief cashes out millions during Bankman-Fried trial (2 minute read)

A thief who stole over $470 million in cryptocurrency from FTX during its crash is now attempting to cash it out while the exchange's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, is on trial for fraud. The thief managed to steal digital keys to FTX crypto wallets on the day the exchange collapsed, moving hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency into a new wallet. Experts say that roughly $20 million of the stolen funds are being laundered into traditional money daily after lying dormant for nine months, and some of the laundered Bitcoin has been traced to a wallet linked to Russian cybercriminals, suggesting a potential connection to Russian cybercrime.

Cruise now offers paid robotaxi rides in Houston (1 minute read)

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, is offering the public a chance to ride in its self-driving robotaxis in Houston. The company began offering fully driverless rides to employees, friends, and family members in August and is now onboarding Houston residents who signed up for the waitlist, with a flat fare of $5 for early users. Initially, the service will operate from 9 PM to 6 AM in specific Houston neighborhoods, expanding its service over time.

Tesla now sells CyberBeer, but it'll cost you (1 minute read)

Tesla has added a new product to its online shop, but it's not an electric vehicle – it's beer. The Tesla CyberBeer, a "Helles Lager with European Noble Hops Saaz and Hallertau Mittlefruh," comes in a "Limited Edition" set, including two bottles of beer and two matte black ceramic beer steins inspired by the Cybertruck's design.

Why do so many people think they are in a bullshit job? (8 minute read)

While there's debate on whether some jobs are inherently useless, a recent study suggests that certain occupations align with the concept of "bullshit jobs," as proposed by anthropologist David Graeber. According to the study, individuals working in specific categories, including administrative support, sales, business and finance, and management roles, were more likely to perceive their jobs as socially useless.

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