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BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 22:30 EDT

Meta Freezes AI Hiring

According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta has paused hiring in its artificial intelligence division after bringing on more than 50 researchers and engineers. "All that's happening here is some basic organizational planning: creating a solid structure for our new superintelligence efforts after bringing people on board and undertaking yearly budgeting and planning exercises," a spokesperson for Meta said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Read more of this story... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 21:25 EDT

Most Air Cleaning Devices Have Not Been Tested On People

A new review of nearly 700 studies on portable air cleaners found that over 90% of them were tested in empty spaces, not on people, leaving major gaps in evidence about whether these devices actually prevent infections or if they might even cause harm by releasing chemicals like ozone or formaldehyde. The Conversation reports: Many respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19 and influenza, can spread through indoor air. Technologies such as... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 20:45 EDT

Masimo Sues US Customs Over Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Workaround

Last week, following a recent U.S. Customs ruling, Apple reintroduced blood oxygen monitoring to certain Apple Watch models in the U.S., sidestepping an ITC import ban stemming from its legal dispute with medical device maker Masimo. Today, Masimo fired back with a new lawsuit against the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 9to5Mac reports: The company says US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) overstepped its authority and violated due process when... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 20:02 EDT

Oregon Man Accused of Operating One of Most Powerful Attack 'Botnets' Ever Seen

A 22-year-old Oregon man has been charged with operating one of the most powerful botnets ever recorded. The network, known as Rapper Bot, launched over 370,000 DDoS attacks worldwide, including against X, DeepSeek, U.S. tech firms, and even Defense Department systems. It was allegedly operated by Ethan Foltz of Eugene, Oregon. The Wall Street Journal reports: Foltz faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on a charge of abetting... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 19:20 EDT

Google's Pixel Watch 4 Has a Big Focus On AI

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge's Victoria Song: The original Pixel Watch was late to the game. For years, there had been rumors of a Google smartwatch that never materialized. Then, when it finally arrived, it was a quintessential first-gen device, with thicc bezels, dismal battery life, and a host of quirks that needed ironing out. My DMs were full of people wondering when the watch would... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 18:40 EDT

Harvard Dropouts To Launch 'Always On' AI Smart Glasses That Listen, Record Every Conversation

Two Harvard dropouts are launching Halo X, a $249 pair of AI-powered smart glasses that continuously listen, record, and transcribe conversations while displaying real-time information to the wearer. "Our goal is to make glasses that make you super intelligent the moment you put them on," said AnhPhu Nguyen, co-founder of Halo. Co-founder Caine Ardayfio said the glasses "give you infinite memory." "The AI listens to every conversation you have and... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 18:02 EDT

Trump Confirms US Is Seeking 10% Stake In Intel

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: After the Trump administration confirmed a rumor that the US is planning to buy a 10 percent stake in Intel, US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) came forward Wednesday to voice support for the highly unusual plan, finding rare common ground with Donald Trump. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the plan would see the US disbursing approved CHIPS Act grants only... Read more ›

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Slashdot
BeauHD @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 17:25 EDT

Gemini For Home Is Google's Biggest Smart Home Play In Years

Google announced Gemini for Home, a new AI-powered voice assistant that will replace Google Assistant on Nest smart speakers and displays starting in October. Powered by Gemini's advanced reasoning and conversational capabilities, it promises more natural interactions, complex task handling, and features like Gemini Live for back-and-forth conversations. The Verge reports: According to a blog post by Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer of Google Home and Nest, using Gemini for... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 16:44 EDT

Amazon Looks To Ditch Homegrown Software For Android in Fire Tablet Revamp

Amazon is plotting a big change to its Fire tablet lineup following years of escalating gripes from consumers and app developers over the company's homegrown operating system. Reuters: As part of a project known internally as Kittyhawk, Amazon plans to release a higher-end tablet as soon as next year offering the Android operating system software for the first time, according to six people familiar with the matter. Since the Fire... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 16:05 EDT

UAE Adds Newborns To Major Genome Project

Abu Dhabi is gathering the DNA of Emirati newborns in a significant expansion of a national genomic sequencing project that aims to put the UAE on the cutting-edge of health care. From a report: The UAE capital has so far mapped the genomes of 68% of Emirati citizens, a spokesperson for M42, the firm running the program, told Semafor, while at-birth sequencing is being offered to parents on a voluntary... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 15:25 EDT

Microsoft Readies Big Feature Updates For Next Month and Beyond

Windows 11 users will receive significant UI refinements and AI improvements starting next month as Microsoft prepares its September feature drop followed by additional updates through fall. The update, Windows Central reports, will bring customizable lock screen widgets globally after months of European exclusivity, photo grid views in Windows Search, and a redesigned Windows Hello authentication interface. Copilot+ PCs will gain a revamped Recall application with workflow suggestions and File... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 14:45 EDT

Chinese 'Virtual Human' Salespeople Are Outperforming Their Real Human Counterparts

AI-powered salespeople are outperforming their human counterparts on Chinese e-commerce platforms, working around the clock without fatigue to sell products ranging from printers to wet wipes. Shanghai marketing firm PLTFRM has deployed 30 virtual avatars across Taobao and Pinduoduo using Baidu video models and DeepSeek language models. Brother's AI avatar generated $2,500 in printer sales within two hours and increased livestream revenue 30 percent. The company now checks overnight AI... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 14:00 EDT

FTC Sues LA Fitness For Making it Difficult for Consumers To Cancel Gym Memberships

FTC, in a press release Wednesday: The Federal Trade Commission today sued the operators of LA Fitness and other gyms over allegations they make it exceedingly difficult for consumers to cancel their gym memberships and related services that continued indefinitely unless cancelled. The agency is seeking a court order prohibiting the allegedly unfair conduct and money back for consumers harmed by the difficulty in cancelling memberships. "The FTC's complaint describes... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 13:25 EDT

India Seeks Ban on Online Betting Apps To Curb Addiction

India has moved a legislation to ban online money gaming due to rising instances of addiction, money laundering and financial frauds through these apps. From a report: A bill passed in the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday seeks to prohibit promotion and operation of gaming apps that require users to pay money for the chance to win cash. The move threatens India's $3.8 billion gaming industry that has drawn... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 12:51 EDT

Google Refreshes Pixel Lineup With Tensor G5 and Qi2 Charging Across Four Models

Google announced its Pixel 10 smartphone lineup today, introducing the Tensor G5 processor and Qi2 magnetic wireless charging across four models priced from $799 to $1,799. The base Pixel 10 adds a 5x telephoto lens for the first time at $799. The Pixel 10 Pro maintains its $999 starting price in a 6.3-inch size while the Pro XL starts at $1,199 for the 6.8-inch variant. The $1,799 Pixel 10 Pro... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 12:01 EDT

Sony Raises PS5 Prices by $50 Across All Models in US

Sony will increase PlayStation 5 console prices by $50 across all models in the United States starting August 21. The standard PS5 rises to $550, the Digital Edition to $500, and the PS5 Pro to $750. The company cited navigating a challenging economic environment for the increases. Read more of this story at Slashdot. Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 11:22 EDT

Passengers Sue Delta, United Over Windowless 'Window Seats'

In a pair of class actions filed this week, passengers from each coast quibbled with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines' policies charging extra for window seats that are not actually beside windows, instead offering a view of a blank aircraft wall. From a report: "Delta indicated to the plaintiff and class members that the particular seats they chose had a 'window'; even though Delta knew full well they did... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 10:40 EDT

Is Rotten Tomatoes Still Reliable? A Statistical Analysis

An analysis of Rotten Tomatoes data reveals average Tomatometer scores have climbed steadily since Fandango's 2016 acquisition of the review aggregation platform. The average number of reviewers per mainstream film release increased by 40 to 70 critics following the purchase. New additions to the critic pool include smaller outlets such as Denerstein Unleashed and KKFI-FM Kansas City. Prior to 2016, critic and audience scores demonstrated stable correlation year-over-year. Post-acquisition data... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 10:01 EDT

Microsoft Warns Excel's New AI Function 'Can Give Incorrect Responses' in High-Stakes Scenarios

Microsoft is testing a COPILOT function in Excel that uses OpenAI's gpt-4.1-mini model to automatically fill spreadsheet cells through natural language prompts. The function can classify feedback, generate summaries, and create tables based on specified cell ranges. Microsoft warns against using the AI function for numerical calculations or scenarios involving legal, regulatory, and compliance implications because COPILOT "can give incorrect responses." The feature processes up to 100 functions every 10... Read more ›

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Slashdot
msmash @ Slashdot · 08/20/2025 08:30 EDT

Dramatic Slowdown in Melting of Arctic Sea Ice Surprises Scientists

The melting of sea ice in the Arctic has slowed dramatically in the past 20 years, scientists have reported, with no statistically significant decline in its extent since 2005. From a report: The finding is surprising, the researchers say, given that carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning have continued to rise and trap ever more heat over that time. They said natural variations in ocean currents that limit ice melting... Read more ›

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