Techrights

Links 23/08/2024: Leaked Microsoft Spreadsheet and 2024 Tech Layoffs May Exceed 200,000

Posted by Roy Schestowitz on Aug 23, 2024

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Contents

=> https://techrights.org/#m2309093808 HTTPS: Defence/Aggression

=> https://techrights.org/#m2309093813 HTTPS: Finance

Leftovers

Lou Plummer ☛ I Am Not Proud

I think I like blogging as much as I do because I can authentically be myself without a care in the world. There are lots of people who have been doing it longer than me. There are lots of people whose blogs are more popular than mine. I don't care about either one, because I'm not competing. I'm just here for the kindness and the community. I enjoy the conversations and the lessons to be learned from the mass of people who participate in blogging culture. I'm grateful not proud.

Education

Nikola Kotur ☛ Computer magazine from 1988

I visited an apartment I used to live a long time ago and picked up some of my old stuff. Among them was a computer magazine Svet Kompjutera (World of Computers) I used to buy religiously. It's from April 1988, full 36 years ago. It was really fun to read it from this perspective.

CBC ☛ How will the new school cellphone bans actually be enforced?

The start of school will look a little different for some students as several Canadian provinces have introduced cellphone bans for the 2024-25 school year. The bans vary by jurisdiction but they all have a similar aim: to restrict cellphone use in classrooms to cut down on distractions and encourage safe social media use.

Ben Jojo ☛ Better IX network quality monitoring

Large Internet eXchange (IX) LAN’s have long often been more than “just” simple Ethernet broadcast domains, either due to the need to scale up in bits per second, or just the need to make an Ethernet (a non loop tolerant system) domain appear in more than two locations without creating loops (and avoiding Spanning Tree).

So instead a lot of exchanges run behind some kind of overlay network, where packets are first encapsulated in VXLAN,MPLS or similar tech and routed around the network.

CS Monitor ☛ Back to school – with cellphone bans and social media restrictions

Over the past year, a growing number of parents, educators, and lawmakers have expressed alarm about the ever-presence of phones in students’ lives. There’s been a growing sense that social media is changing, and in some ways robbing, children of their childhood.

Amid this sea change in public sentiment about kids and their smartphones, a host of jurisdictions and school boards in the United States and Canada are taking steps to curb students’ cellphone use and access to social media. At the same time, they have filed waves of lawsuits, charging social media companies with intentionally designing addictive products and then marketing them to young people who are developmentally susceptible to social media’s lures.

But Mr. Howe hopes he will see fewer students bowing over their devices in the hallways and at lunch. In other words, it’s not just about reducing distractions in the classroom, it’s about old-fashioned social development.

Hardware

Matt Webb ☛ The agony and the ecstasy of, um, hardware products (Interconnected)

Really I want to do more connected hardware. But if I talk about that any more you need to stage an intervention, ok.

It’s better than last time I suppose. The e-paper test farm for the clocks is relatively contained and lives on a shelf. The vending machine was 270kg, a dog to move around, and the house was full of boxes of stock and machine parts and spare shelve helixes.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

Ness Labs ☛ The Science-Based Benefits of Writing - Ness Labs

We don’t realize how much time we spend writing every day: we text our friends and families, we leave comments on social media, we send emails, we create documentation, presentations, and more.

Well, good news: writing is actually good for you. Let’s explore the science-based benefits of writing and how you can make the most of this amazing tool only humans have been found to use.

India Times ☛ Eight of 10 users increasing their time on open [Internet]: report

The Trade Desk's research indicates that young Indian consumers are increasingly using the open [Internet]z, with 8 out of 10 users increasing their time on it and 76% expecting this trend to persist.

These insights are part of the new research study, "India’s Engaged Audience: Why the Open Internet is the New Premium," highlighting opportunities to connect with the highly coveted consumer group aged 18 to 34.

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Quartz ☛ Laid-off GM workers say they were 'thrown onto the curb like useless trash'

“We were all used as stepping stones, to build exceptional products, industry-first tech and leapfrog our competitors,” a product manager affected by GM’s cuts wrote on LinkedIn. “All for what? A pat on the back and ‘good job’.”

The Detroit automaker’s layoffs affected workers around the world, including some 600 workers in Warren, Michigan, where GM has a tech campus home to more than 21,000 staffers. Impacted workers were notified on Monday morning, CNBC reported.

Security Week ☛ Cisco Patches High-Severity Vulnerability Reported by NSA

Tracked as CVE-2024-20375, the high-severity issue (CVSS score of 8.6) impacts the SIP call processing function of Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) and Cisco Unified Communications Manager Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME) and can be exploited remotely, without authentication.

Wired ☛ A Popular iOS Illustration App Is Saying No to Generative AI

“Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things,” Procreate wrote on its website. “Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future.”

In a video posted on X, Procreate CEO James Cuda laid out his company's stance, saying, “We’re not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products. I don’t like what’s happening to the industry, and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists.”

PC World ☛ It's scary when your webcam turns on and you don't know why

Fortunately, there’s a checklist of troubleshooting steps you can take if your webcam is on and you don’t know why.

Security

Privacy/Surveillance

The Register UK ☛ Microsoft resurrects Windows Recall for upcoming preview

Weeks have turned into months, but finally Recall is set to be released to Microsoft's army of unpaid testers, the Windows Insiders. Then it will be made available on all Copilot+ PCs.

Site36 ☛ More and more countries are negotiating mutual swaps of police data, while the US is pushing for a ring exchange with EU systems | Matthias Monroy

The EU will soon be putting two new, huge information systems for travellers into operation. The personal data stored there is arousing the US government’s interest.

Defence/Aggression

NPR ☛ Court to decide who can see secret evidence U.S. has filed against TikTok

For more than four years, federal officials in Washington have outlined a case against TikTok in broad and general terms: that since the app’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, TikTok’s algorithm and data-collection practices could potentially be weaponized by the Chinese Communist Party.

C4ISRNET ☛ Army not sold on new approach to radio acquisition

Mark Kitz, the Army’s program executive officer for tactical command, control and communications, said Wednesday the service hasn’t determined how to proceed with the effort.

Kansas Reflector ☛ Latvian man extradited to Kansas to face charges in Russian illegal avionics export scheme

Chistyakov is charged with conspiracy, nine counts of smuggling, four counts of money laundering violations and 12 counts related to violations of the Export Control Reform Act, a 2018 law giving presidents the authority to control exports related to national security.

The Washington Spectator ☛ Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy

Indeed, many of the key provisions of Project 2025, the playbook for another Trump presidency drawn up by former members of the Trump administration and sponsored and paid for by organizations supportive of his candidacy, were inspired by authoritarian regimes that Trump admires.

Hindustan Times ☛ Al-Qaeda module busted: Terror group wanted to unleash ‘khilafat’; full details

According to a statement by the Delhi police, the Al-Qaeda module was being led by Dr. Ishtiyaq of Ranchi (Jharkhand), and it was aspiring to declare 'khilafat' and execute serious terrorist activities within the country, reported PTI.

India Times ☛ Sweden and Denmark to pressure tech platforms over gang [sic] crime ads

Since April, there have been 25 instances in which Swedish gang [sic] members have been hired by Danish gangs [sic] for violent attacks on rivals in Denmark, many times through ads on messaging platforms such as Telegram. Danish Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard said encrypted services and social media - naming Telegram and TikTok - were widely used to facilitate crime and that if it was up to him alone, some communication platforms would be geo-blocked and shut down.

India Times ☛ Nepal lifts TikTok ban after app addresses cyber crime concerns

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting after the company agreed to cooperate with Nepal's law enforcers to address TikTok-related crime and regulate its content, a government source said on condition of anonymity.

Deccan Chronicle ☛ Taylor Swift on Vienna concert cancellation over terror threat

She explained why she had kept quiet about it until then pointing out that she put her fans’ safety first. “If I believe addressing something will incite people into harming those who come to my shows, then you better believe I’m not going to talk about it out loud,” she wrote. “In situations like this ‘silence’ is more like discretion- waiting for the right time.”

NL Times ☛ Two men were arrested in May for trying to travel to ISIS territories

Two 21-year-old men from Utrecht and Vleuten were arrested in May of this year on suspicion of joining a terrorist organization, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported. They attempted to travel to ISIS-controlled areas. The man from Vleuten is also suspected of destroying graves in Utrecht.

NDTV ☛ Al Qaeda-Inspired Terror Cell Busted, Wanted To Create 'Khilafat' In India

The Delhi Police today found and dismantled a terror module that was allegedly inspired by al Qaeda. The operation, which involved joint efforts from police forces across Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, led to the arrest of 14 individuals allegedly linked to the group. The group was reportedly preparing to execute a series of high-profile terrorist activities aimed at establishing a 'Khilafat' within India.

Semafor Inc ☛ Russia in Africa: Why Moscow's mercenaries are increasingly active

The number of political violence events involving Russian fighters in Africa was higher in the final quarter of 2023, and in each of the first two quarters of 2024, than in the comparable periods since Wagner group began operations in Africa in 2017. This is according to data from the Armed Conflict Location Event Data (ACLED), a US-based conflict monitoring group.

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

Meduza ☛ Putin says Ukraine attempted attack on Kursk Nuclear Power Plant — Meduza

Meduza ☛ Meet the ‘Bucha Witches’ — the all-female fire teams guarding Ukraine’s skies from Russian drones and missiles — Meduza

Meduza ☛ Centuries ago, Ukrainian Cossack leader Ivan Mazepa founded multiple settlements in modern Russia’s Kursk region. Now they’re within miles of the front line. — Meduza

Environment

Energy/Transportation

Science Alert ☛ Wild Study Says a 'Black Hole Moon' Could Give a Planet Unlimited Power

He argued that this could be done by building a harness around the black hole's accretion disk, where infalling matter is accelerated to close to the speed of light, triggering the release of energy in multiple wavelengths.

Since then, multiple researchers have suggested that advanced civilizations could use this method (the Penrose Process) to power their civilization and that this represents a technosignature we should be on the lookout for.

Wired ☛ Ford Steps Back From EVs—and Says Hybrids Are the Future

Noting that the Dearborn, Michigan, company is responding to market demand, chief financial officer John Lawler told reporters on a call today that Ford would be "pivoting" away from its existing electric future and instead expand its other platforms.

Axios ☛ [Cryptocurrency] is dominating corporate election spending

The [cryptocurrency] industry accounts for almost half the money contributed by corporations to political action committees so far in 2024, according to a new report from Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group.

Why it matters: [Cryptocurrency] is pioneering a strategy for direct corporate election spending that could usher in a new era of spending by big companies to get the outcomes they want in elections, the organization argues.

Wired ☛ How Much Will It Cost to Charge Your Electric Car? It’s Complicated

In fact, there’s data to back up drivers’ pricing qualms. Public fast charging has gotten a touch more expensive this year, according to a new analysis by Stable, an electric vehicle charging software company. Public fast chargers increased from an average of 45 cents per kilowatt-hour at the end of March to 46 cents per kilowatt-hour at the end of June. At that price, it would cost about $35 to charge a Tesla Model 3 Performance and just over $40 for a Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Wildlife/Nature

Deccan Chronicle ☛ First Batch of Dasara Elephants Reach Mysuru

Among the 9 tamed elephants in the first batch are Abhimanyu, Varalakshmi, Dhananjaya, Gopi, Bheema, Lakshmi, Kanjan, Rohit and Ekalavya. The elephants are selected to participate in Dasara festivities owing to their temperament, previous Dasara participation, health factors among others.

Finance

2024 Tech Layoffs May Exceed 200,000

Iver-hiring during the pandemic, rising interest rates, and shifting priorities due to AI continue to shake up the tech world.

[...]

Layoffs have continued to expound since 2022, which first saw a litany of job cuts following a hiring boom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According layoffs.fyi, a redundancies tracking website, more than 264,000 people were laid off in 2023, following 165,000 in 2022.

Business Insider ☛ Leaked Microsoft Spreadsheet Shows Pay for Hundreds of Engineers

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

India Times ☛ Microsoft rejigs reporting on business units, offers clarity on AI benefits

Microsoft on Wednesday restructured how it reports results for its business units, moving some search and news advertising revenue under the Azure cloud-computing unit as the tech giant looks to offer investors a clearer picture on AI contributions.

The Register UK ☛ Cisco wants United Nations to revisit cyber crime Convention

Human Rights Watch, for example, criticized the Convention as overly broad, while the Electronic Frontier Foundation has labelled the Convention "too flawed to adopt."

Those two orgs, and others, worry that the Convention doesn't offer a narrow definition of cyber crime, and could give signatory nations legal cover to target citizens who share views they dislike. They also worry about secrecy provisions in the document that would allow nations to demand info from service providers, without the individuals targeted by such requests being informed or having recourse.

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

Futurism ☛ Donald Trump Says He Doesn't Know Anything About AI-Generated Taylor Swift Images He Posted

It's a pitiful response, especially considering he had posted an AI-generated image of his presidential rival Kamala Harris leading a fake communist rally just hours before his Taylor Swift gaffe.

The hypocrisy is unmistakable at this point. Just last week, Trump took to Truth Social to wrongly accuse Harris of using AI to fake a picture of her in front of a big crowd.

Censorship/Free Speech

ANF News ☛ HRW: Iran’s use of the death penalty as a tool of intimidation reveals a chilling abuse of power

The Iranian government has long made extensive use of the death penalty, including in response to protests in which those prosecuted and executed were exercising their fundamental rights to free expression and peaceful assembly. Human Rights Watch opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances because of its inherent cruelty. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that the authorities executed Rasaei on August 6 at Dizelabad prison in Kermanshah without prior notice to his family or a final meeting with them. Rasaei, 34, was a member of the Yarsan religious minority group from Sahneh in Kermanshah province. Rasaei was arrested on November 24, 2022, in Shahriar, Tehran, and transferred to Dizelabad prison after his interrogation.

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights Hengaw Organization for Human Rights ☛ Thirty Weeks of Resistance Against Executions: The Continuation of the "No to Execution Tuesdays" Campaign in 18 Prisons Across the Country

The ongoing and growing momentum of this campaign comes at a time when the judiciary and security officials of the Islamic Republic have executed over 310 people since the beginning of 2024. Among those executed in recent months, 16 were female prisoners. The regime has accelerated its execution rate in recent weeks, with 118 individuals executed in August alone.

The regime's recent widespread use of the death penalty has been so extensive that it seems the officials of this authoritarian state systematically view execution as the solution to all crises, effectively taking "hard revenge" on the people of this land through the gallows.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

VOA News ☛ Ex-official charged with murder of Las Vegas journalist says he was framed

Telles is on trial in the killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German. The 69-year-old investigative reporter was found stabbed to death outside his suburban Las Vegas home on September 3, 2022.

VOA News ☛ Bangladeshi court allows detention of 2 journalists amid protest chaos

This development comes as heightened threats face journalists in Bangladesh amid ongoing protests. Since the protests broke out, dozens of journalists have been injured, and at least five have been killed.

RFERL ☛ Russia's FSB Opens Criminal Case Against Journalists From CNN, Ukraine Over Reporting From Kursk Region

The journalists entered Russia embedded with a Ukrainian military convoy and travelled to the town of Sudzha in a reporting mission CNN said was a legitimate reporting trip. "Our team was invited by the Ukrainian government, along with other international journalists, and escorted by the Ukrainian military to view territory it had recently occupied," CNN said in a statement.

"This is protected activity in accordance with the rights afforded to journalists under the Geneva Convention and international law," it added.

CPJ ☛ 2 DRC reporters threatened by province officials after airing critical reports

The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to ensure the safety and freedom of two journalists — Radio Tokomi Wapi reporter Martin Kasongo and Top Lomami radio reporter Michaël Tenende — after local officials in the south-central Lomami province threatened them in separate incidents.

Press Gazette ☛ Biggest websites for news US: Top 50 updated each month

All of the top-ten most-visited news sites in the US saw traffic growth when compared with June, according to figures from digital intelligence platform Similarweb. The biggest increases in traffic were at USA Today (34%), CNN (33%), Newsweek (21%), Fox News (20%) and The New York Times (15%).

404 Media ☛ What We Learned In Our First Year of 404 Media

In our first year, we have exposed how fraudsters can make realistic photos of fake identity documents in seconds, how hackers in the digital underground attack one another, how multi-billion and trillion-dollar companies gobble up the internet to train AI, and exposed dangerous working conditions in the country’s biggest medical lab. We explained how big tech companies favor AI slop over human-made content, got to the bottom of Facebook’s Shrimp Jesus AI spam situation, have demystified how the ticket scalper industry works, and uncovered thousands of pages of documents via public records requests. Our work led to Google cutting off a sketchy surveillance company; curtailed abuse of VC-backed artificial intelligence company Civitai; forced Microsoft to stop people making explicit AI-images of Taylor Swift using its tools; triggered a lawsuit against Nvidia for scraping YouTube, and much more.

Civil Rights/Policing

RFA ☛ In Pictures: 17,000 gather in New York arena to offer prayers for Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama also spoke about the need for religious harmony and emphasized the principles of secular ethics — an ethics system that appeals to religious and nonreligious alike and is based on the cultivation of genuine compassion.

Deccan Chronicle ☛ Afghanistan: Taliban bans women’s voices and bare faces in public

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have issued a ban on women's voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue.

The laws were issued on Wednesday after they were approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, a government spokesman said. The Taliban had set up a ministry for the 'propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice' after seizing power in 2021.

The Independent UK ☛ California woman fed up with stolen mail sends Apple AirTag to herself to catch thief

They located the package with the AirTag among the victim's mail, as well as items believed to have been stolen from more than a dozen other people. The woman declined to be identified, the sheriff's department said.

Inside Towers ☛ 17,000 AT&T Workers Strike Down South

“Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith,” Richard Honeycutt, vice president of CWA District 3 in the Southeast, said in a statement.

Striking workers are involved in AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Tommy Palmer ☛ Remote Lurking

Working from home by yourself wouldn’t mean being alone. Meetups, social events, and just chatting over a pint could be something organised by your local branch of the RWSC.

Something to think about anyways.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

New York Times ☛ Internet Slows to a Crawl in Pakistan, Stoking Fear of a Firewall

When Shafi Naeem noticed internet speeds slowing in Pakistan in recent days, he grew nervous. Then he panicked. The websites that the Karachi-based freelance software designer used to find work would not load. Those that he had built for clients were taking hours longer than usual to upload onto servers — if they uploaded at all.

Clients sent him WhatsApp voice notes and photos that would not download. An outline of a clock at the bottom right of every image — the symbol that it had not yet been sent — seemed to taunt him.

“It’s not just bad for business; it’s devastating,” said Mr. Naeem, 39. He estimates he has already lost more than half of his roughly $4,000 monthly income. “Our work depends on fast, reliable internet.”

Digital Restrictions (DRM)

Macworld ☛ The M4 Mac mini will be like no other Mac you've ever seen

Then there’s also the M4 Pro coming to the Mac mini for even more performance. Expect to see a 45 percent increase in performance over the M2 Pro. An M4 Pro model will be ideal for users who do a lot of processor-intensive tasks.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

Six Colors ☛ Epic’s app store is still in conflict with Apple

I would argue that this is all by Apple’s design. Whether the European Commission regulators think it fails to establish the competitive marketplaces that the Digital Markets Act was attempting to create, well, that’s for the EC to decide.

India Times ☛ Apple to update EU browser options, make more apps deletable

Apple will introduce changes to its browser options and default app settings for users in the European Union. A new choice screen for selecting default browsers and a dedicated section for default apps will be introduced. Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps, excluding essential ones.

India Times ☛ Apple to let iPhone users in Europe delete its App Store

Apple will allow iPhone and iPad users in the European Union delete the App Store or its Safari browser, the tech giant told developers on Thursday.

Silicon Angle ☛ Apple updates iOS and iPadOS to improve compliance with EU’s DMA law

Apple Inc. today previewed an update for iOS and iPadOS that will improve the operating systems’ compliance with the European Union’s DMA law.

The update is set to roll out at an unspecified date later this year.

RTL ☛ Apple to let iPhone users in Europe delete its App Store

Apple had long fiercely protected the App Store as the lone gateway for digital content to get onto its popular mobile devices. The change comes as the company loosens its grip on devices in the EU due to the bloc's landmark new digital rules.

Copyrights

Torrent Freak ☛ 17-Year-old Student Exposes Germany's 'Secret' Pirate Site Blocklist

In Germany, several large Internet service providers are blocking notorious pirate sites. These actions are the result of a voluntary agreement with rightsholders, under which the affected domain names can't be named. A 17-year-old student isn't keen on this secrecy and, together with some friends, has released a dedicated portal exposing all blocked domains to the public.

Digital Music News ☛ Major Labels Request Supreme Court Review in Cox Copyright Suit

Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music just recently submitted their petition for a writ of certiorari, after Cox itself asked the Supreme Court to step in. At this point, even a semi-detailed recap of the underlying courtroom confrontation, which has delivered more than a few twists, would prove lengthy.

Keeping the focus on brass-tacks takeaways, however, a jury in December of 2019 ordered Cox to pay a whopping $1 billion over the alleged recording and compositional infringement in question. Predictably, the ISP promptly began working to beat the fine – ultimately achieving (partial) success in February of 2024.

Digital Music News ☛ Method Man Says He’s Never Been Paid From Streaming

Unfortunately, Method Man didn’t divulge any further details about why he hasn’t received any money from streaming services, as he claims. The ownership of his music and/or publishing may certainly play a factor, but the rapper has yet to go into detail.

Bitdefender ☛ [Cracker] leaks upcoming episodes of Netflix shows online following security breach

Iyuno said it was "actively investigating" the security breach and would attempt to "identify the responsible parties" in the wake of numerous clips, footage, and even complete episodes of unreleased Netflix shows were leaked online by hackers.

Variety ☛ Netflix Arcane, Terminator Zero Anime Shows Leak After Partner Hacked

In a statement released Friday, Aug. 9, the company said, “Iyuno is aware of a recent security issue, involving unauthorized access to confidential content. Protecting our clients’ confidentiality and ensuring the security of their content is our highest priority. We are actively investigating this security breach to mitigate any potential risks and identify the responsible parties. When there are material changes or information we will make further statements.”