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Showing posts from December, 2023

Automation Leverage in Turnaround Strategy

Automation Leverage in Turnaround Strategy Turnaround work is often described as a crisis discipline: reduce costs, preserve cash, stabilize operations and buy time. Those moves matter, but they are not enough. A durable turnaround also needs leverage: better systems, clearer information flows and repeatable execution. For Livio Andrea Acerbo , AI automation is useful in turnaround strategy when it improves the operating rhythm of a company. The point is not to add tools. The point is to remove friction from decisions that must happen every week. From cost control to operating clarity Cost control can stop the bleeding, but operating clarity creates the next phase. Teams need to know which products are profitable, which customers deserve attention, where working capital is trapped and which workflows create avoidable delay. Automation helps when it turns scattered data into a management cadence. Dashboards, exception reports, document summaries, pipeline reviews and cash visibi...

How to Back Up Your Digital Life (2023): Hard Drives, Cloud-Based Tools, and Tips

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Backups are boring, but they’ll save your bacon. Here’s how to make sure your data lives on, even when your PC doesn’t. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

What a long, strange year it’s been in enterprise tech news

Looking back at the top enterprise news stories of the year, it's clear that generative AI dominated, but it wasn't the only news. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The Evolution of Mr. & Mrs. Smith: From 2005 Blockbuster to 2024’s TV Series

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Join Alvin on GreenGround as he delves into the thrilling world of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," comparing the iconic 2005 movie with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to the eagerly awaited 2024 TV series starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. Discover the legacy of the original film and what to expect from the new adaptation. Share your thoughts, like, and subscribe for more captivating insights into the latest movies, TV series, and tech trends. Check the description for more details and join the conversation in the comments! #MrAndMrsSmith, #DonaldGlover, #MayaErskine, #TVSeries2024, #ActionComedy, #SpyThriller, #BradPitt, #AngelinaJolie, #GreenGround, #EntertainmentNews Remember, if you want to stay updated with the latest trends, news, and tech reviews, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Greenground! Follow up on our website https://www.greenground.it or follow up on our social #fyp, #foryou, #love, #explorepage, #trending, #reviews, #news #YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Livi...

Amazon Echo Frames review, MrBeast jumps the shark and the Apple Watch gets un-banned

Hey, folks, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter recapping the week that was in tech. Typically, the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s tends to be on the sleepier side — but that wasn’t the case in 2023. Fortunately, the TC crew was around to document all that happened. This edition © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Now’s the last chance to send your name to one of Jupiter’s moons on NASA’s Europa Clipper

NASA’s campaign to gather names for a sort of “message in a bottle” that will fly with its upcoming Europa Clipper mission closes after this weekend, so if you were hoping to participate but haven’t yet made your submission, you’d better hurry up and do so. The signatures will accompany a poem written for Europa by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón, which will be engraved in Limón’s handwriting on a metal plate attached to the spacecraft. Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons, is thought to have a deep saltwater ocean beneath its icy crust — and there, the conditions could be suitable for microbial life. To enter the Message in a Bottle campaign, you just need to go to NASA’s website and fill out a short signup form. The deadline is tomorrow, December 31. So far, more than 2.4 million people have added their names. According to NASA, the names of everyone who participated will be stenciled in tiny, tiny letters onto microchips using an electron beam that can create lines of text smaller tha...

It’s not all doom and gloom: When cybersecurity gave us hope in 2023

A funny — but true — joke at TechCrunch is that the security desk might as well be called the Department of Bad News, since, well, have you seen what we’ve covered of late? There is a never-ending supply of devastating breaches, pervasive surveillance and dodgy startups flogging the downright dangerous. Sometimes though — albeit © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Remembering the startups we lost in 2023

Not every startup collapse is an FTX or Theranos. They don’t all burn so brightly and explode so spectacularly. More often than not, there won’t be some high-profile court case and prison time. Amanda Seyfried isn’t going to play you in the made for Hulu movie. The story of most startup failures is far less © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The password identity crisis: Evolving authentication methods in 2024 and beyond

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A future beyond passwords: Key identity management techniques to watch out for in 2024, including passkeys, biometrics and zero trust. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Diving Deep (!) into Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

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Join Alvin on Greenground as we take a deep dive into the world of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." In this comprehensive review, we explore the highs and lows of the latest DC superhero epic. From the evolving superhero landscape to the performances of Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson, and the film's approach to environmental themes, we cover it all. Whether you're a die-hard Aquaman fan or just curious about the movie, this review offers insights, critiques, and a bit of fun. Don't forget to engage in the conversation – drop your thoughts in the comments, and let's discuss the underwater world of Aquaman together! #AquamanLostKingdom, #SuperheroReview, #DCUniverse, #JasonMomoa, #MovieCritique, #EnvironmentalThemes, #AquamanAnalysis, #GreengroundChannel, #FilmDiscussion, #HollywoodBlockbusters Remember, if you want to stay updated with the latest trends, news, and tech reviews, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Greenground! Follow up on our website https://...

Should auld acquaintance be robot

This is always a strange week for us. Save for the occasional disastrous patent dispute, things are (thankfully) almost uncannily quiet in the week separating Christmas and New Year’s. You see a lot of reflective posts go up during this time, not only because the calendar year is coming to a close, but also because it’s © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

LG is bringing a 4K projector with a weird handle to CES 2024

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LG just announced its latest 4K projector, the CineBeam Qube. It’ll officially unveil the projector at CES 2024 in early January, but the company’s giving curious consumers an early look. The CineBeam Qube has plenty of high-tech bells and whistles, but with a stylish design that LG calls “minimalist." There's also a handle that resembles a crank. Yeah this thing has an actual handle. The CineBeam Qube is built for portability. It’s lightweight, at around three pounds, and the square form factor makes it easy to place just about anywhere. The 360-degree rotatable handle also helps with placement. LG’s calling it “one of the smallest projectors available.” LG Of course, the most important part of any projector is, well, the projection. The Qube projects 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution images that measure up to 120 inches. There’s an RGB laser light source, a 450,000:1 contrast ratio and 154 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. With these specs, that episode of Reacher ...

Play Our 2023 TechCrunch Pub Quiz! (Round 2)

How well do you remember everything that happened this year? Quiz yourself and find out! © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Top 5 data stories of 2023: Microsoft’s play in cloud war, Databricks’ acquisition and more

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A look at VentureBeat's top data stories of 2023, covering Microsoft Fabric, Salesforce's data partnerships, Databricks' massive acquisition and more. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

From toilets to the sky: UK startup makes waste into low carbon jet fuel

Firefly Green Fuels, a UK-based company, has developed a new form of jet fuel that is entirely fossil-free and made from human waste. The company worked with experts at Cranfield University to confirm that the fuel they developed had a 90 percent lower carbon footprint than what is used in aviation today, according to the BBC. Tests by independent regulators validated that what Firefly Green Fuels has developed is nearly identical to standard A1 jet fuel. In 2021, the company received a £2 million grant from the Department of Transport to continue developing its sustainable aviation fuel. Although it’s not yet available commercially, the company says it is on track to bringing its fuel to the global market and it will have its first commercial plant operating within 5 years. The company has already inked a partnership with the budget airline Wizz Air — the name of the company and the source of its potential combustibles could scarcely be a more perfect pairing — to supply it with fuel ...

Google agrees to settle $5 billion lawsuit accusing it of tracking Incognito users

In 2020, Google was hit with a lawsuit that accused it of tracking Chrome users' activities even when they were using Incognito mode. Now, after a failed attempt to get it dismissed, the company has agreed to settle the complaint that originally sought $5 billion in damages. According to Reuters and The Washington Post, neither side has made the details of the settlement public, but they've already agreed to the terms that they're presenting to the court for approval in February.  When the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit, they said Google used tools like its Analytics product, apps and browser plug-ins to monitor users. They reasoned that by tracking someone on Incognito, the company was falsely making people believe that they could control the information that they were willing to share with it. At the time, a Google spokesperson said that while Incognito mode doesn't save a user's activity on their device, websites could still collect their information during the ses...

Sanna Marin, the popular former prime minister of Finland, on Putin, powerful women and legislating in the age of AI

Earlier this month, at the Slush tech conference in Helsinki, this editor had the opportunity to sit down with Sanna Marin, the popular former prime minister of Finland who became known internationally for socializing with friends, but whose accomplishments in office are far more significant, including successfully pushing Finland to join NATO to better protect the © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Why attackers love to target misconfigured clouds and phones

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Unencrypted identity data stored in unsecured or misconfigured clouds is an attackers' goldmine. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Amazon’s third-generation Echo Show 8 falls to a new all-time low of $90

The new year is almost here, and not many purchases say fresh start more than an upgrade to your smart home tech. Thankfully, getting one of the latest smart home gadgets won't cost too much right now, thanks to a 40 percent discount on Amazon's new third-generation Echo Show 8. The device is down to $90 from $150 — an all-time low.  Amazon announced the third-gen Echo Show 8 at an event in September, showing off the device's new edge-to-edge front glass and nice, softer curves. The latest model has quite a few upgrades, but one of the most notable is an Adaptive Content feature. When you're far away from the device — say, sitting across the room — it will display information like the weather and time in a large font. However, the Echo Show 8 will show more personalized content like playlists or news articles when you step closer. Amazon also designed this feature for the second-gen model and other Echo Show devices.  As for the third-gen Echo Show 8, it has spatial au...

India to block crypto exchanges Binance, Kraken websites

Financial Intelligence Unit, an Indian government agency which scrutinizes financial transactions, said Thursday nine global crypto exchanges — including Binance, Kraken, Kucoin and Mexc — are operating “illegally” in the country without complying with the local anti-money laundering act and asked the IT Ministry to block their websites. FIU said it has issued show cause © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Xiaomi’s first EV is the freshest take on a ‘smartphone on wheels’

Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi has revealed its first electric car, a sharp-looking sedan called the SU7. Slated to roll out in China next year, it’s another entry into an increasingly-crowded market for EVs. It’s also another attempt in this software-obsessed world to match up the technology people find in their phones to what goes on © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

LG’s 2024 TV lineup includes a giant 98-inch QNED model

LG is best known for its OLED range when it comes to TVs, but it's expanding its 2024 QNED-branded LCD lineup as well. For CES 2024, the company has unveiled a 98-inch QNED LCD TV, while updating the previous models including its 8K lineup with a new version of its webOS smart TV system, built-in Chromecast, AI-enhanced video and more.  This year, LG has four QNED ranges (QNED = quantum dot and nanocell): the 8K miniLED QNED99T, 4K miniLED QNED90T, QNED85T LCD, and the QNED80T range at the bottom. The top QNED99T models will use LG's Alpha 9 processor that can enhance video and audio using AI, while the the QNED90T and QNED85T lineup will feature an updated Alpha 8 processor with improved processing, graphics and AI performance. The QNED80T will use LG's lower-end Alpha 5 Gen 7 chip.  All models offer LG's webOS 24, with individual profiles that allow for personalized recommendations and voice recognition for each individual user. It also has Chromecast built in, so you...

Russia will assist NASA with ISS space flights through 2025

Russia and the United States have had a strained relationship, at best, in recent years. However, the pair are still working together in one regard: getting crews to the International Space Station (ISS). Roscosmos, Russia's federal space agency, has announced that the two countries will continue partnering on "cross-flights until 2025 inclusive." Cross-flights involve putting crews from multiple countries onto the same spacecraft. Roscosmos intends always to have at least one of its own representatives in the Russia section of the ISS and at least one NASA representative in the US section. The agency added that the decision was made "to maintain the reliability of the ISS as a whole." The ISS, launched in 1998, is a symbol of US-Russia cooperation after the Cold War and the space race ended. The news follows NASA's April 2023 announcement that Russia will remain aboard the ISS until 2028. The Director General of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, had previously said ...

Apple is selling its contested Watch models again after import ban pause

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 wearables are back on sale via the manufacturer. We knew this was coming yesterday, after a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. granted a temporary pause on an import and sales ban. The ban could be reinstated on January 10, when the International Trade Commission (ITC) decides on whether to grant Apple a longer pause. It could also come back on January 13, which is when the same agency makes a decision regarding Apple’s redesign of both smartwatches. All told, the ban lasted little more than a day and really only impacted consumers purchasing directly from Apple, as the devices were readily available from third-party retailers. Apple told Engadget it’s “pleased the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has stayed the exclusion order while it considers our request to stay the order pending our full appeal.” At the heart of the issue is a lawsuit issued by medical technology company Masimo, which alleges that the blood oxygen sensors used ...

Apple is selling its contested Watch models again after import ban pause

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 wearables are back on sale via the manufacturer. We knew this was coming yesterday, after a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. granted a temporary pause on an import and sales ban. The ban could be reinstated on January 10, when the International Trade Commission (ITC) decides on whether to grant Apple a longer pause. It could also come back on January 13, which is when the same agency makes a decision regarding Apple’s redesign of both smartwatches. All told, the ban lasted little more than a day and really only impacted consumers purchasing directly from Apple, as the devices were readily available from third-party retailers. Apple told Engadget it’s “pleased the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has stayed the exclusion order while it considers our request to stay the order pending our full appeal.” At the heart of the issue is a lawsuit issued by medical technology company Masimo, which alleges that the blood oxygen sensors used ...

Meet the cyber-criminals of 2023

Once again we look back at the past year in cybercrime and those who we lost… to the law. This year was no different to last: we saw another round of high-profile busts, arrests, sanctions, and prison time for some of the most prolific cybercriminals in recent years. This is our look back at who © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

LG’s latest Gram laptops are predictably stuffed with AI features

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LG just announced new entries in its gram series of laptops as part of an early CES 2024 reveal. These include two new LG Gram Pro laptops and standard refreshes of the pre-existing gram line. The LG Gram Pro boasts impressive specs, with an Intel Core Ultra processor and a GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. These computers also ship with Intel’s AI Boost technology. LG says this upgrade allows the laptop to “handle AI workloads even without a network connection.” This AI tomfoolery also extends to the company’s proprietary Link app, which now automatically shares files and photos between devices. Finally, this is the first gram laptop to feature a dual-fan cooling system. AI tools are notoriously power-hungry and this will help stave off excess heat. You can choose between 16-inch and 17-inch models here. LG The LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 offers similar specs to the standard Pro, but with a convertible form factor and a one-size-fits-all 16-inch OLED display. There’s a touchscreen, a 360-degree adjustable...

The first EV with a lithium-free sodium battery hits the road in January

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JAC Motors, a Volkswagen-backed Chinese automaker, is set to launch the first mass-produced electric vehicle (EV) with a sodium-ion battery through its new Yiwei brand. Although sodium-ion battery tech has a lower density (and is less mature) than lithium-ion, its lower costs, more abundant supplies and superior cold-weather performance could help accelerate mass EV adoption. CarNewsChina reports that the JAC Yiwei EV hatchback deliveries will begin in January. Yiwei is a new brand in 2023 for JAC. Volkswagen has a 75 percent stake in (and management control of) JAC and owns 50 percent of JAC’s parent company, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Holdings (JAG). The Chinese government owns the other half of JAG, making for one of the auto industry’s stranger pairings. The Sehol E10X, which the new Yiwei EV appears to be a rebranded version of.JAC via CarNewsChina The Yiwei EV appears to be a rebranded version of the Sehol E10X hatchback (above), announced earlier this year. CarNewsChina de...

SoftBank-backed FirstCry seeks to raise nearly $220 million in India IPO

E-commerce startup FirstCry is seeking to raise $218 million through issue of fresh shares in its initial public offering, the 13-year-old startup said in a draft prospectus filed with the market regulator Thursday, becoming the latest Indian startup to explore the public markets. FirstCry earlier sought to raise as much as $700 million in its © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Beware AI’s hidden costs before they bankrupt innovation

GenAI is driving another layer of technical debt for many businesses. Under the pressures of constant innovation, we could see the AI cloud grow at new, record-breaking speeds. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

SanDisk’s 1TB microSD is just $90 in Amazon’s storage sale

The holidays are over and all those great digital Nintendo Switch games you got aren't going to store themselves, especially if you’ve maxed out your Switch storage. Fortunately, a well-timed sale has you covered, with SanDisk's 1TB microSD currently on sale for $90 from $150 — a solid 40 percent discount. It's designed specifically for the Nintendo Switch and features a Legend of Zelda design.  SanDisk's 1TB microSD is Nintendo Switch system's official licensed microSD card, meaning you don't have to worry about any issues with compatibility. It offers write speeds of up to 90MB per second and read speeds up to 100MB per second. The Nintendo Switch only comes with 32GB of storage (part of which the system uses), so an extra 1TB can go a long way toward saving all your gaming data.  If you're in need of a whole lot more storage, Western Digital's 4TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSD is also on sale. The Windows computer drive is currently down to $230 fr...

AI predictions for 2024: What top VCs think

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Top venture capitalists make bold predictions for artificial intelligence in 2024, forecasting the rise of multimodal models, real-time diffusion applications, open source AI democratization, and more despite ethical concerns and GPU shortages. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Amazon’s Prime Video will start serving ads on January 29 unless you pay extra

Amazon has started notifying Prime Video subscribers that they have to pay extra if they don't want their viewing experience interrupted by commercials. In an email the company has sent to customers, it said that it will start showing "limited advertisements" with its service's movies and shows starting on January 29. Those who want to keep their accounts ad-free will have to pay an extra fee of $3 a month on top of their Prime subscription or their standalone $9-a-month Prime Video membership.  The company first announced that it was going to serve ads with its content — and that the initial regions to be affected are the US, UK, Germany and Canada — back in September. Customers in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia will have to make the decision whether to endure the advertisements it serves or pay extra by late next year. Amazon mentioned back then that it's aiming to "have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers....

Apple Vision Pro tipped for late Jan/early Feb release

We’ve known about the Vision Pro for more than half-a-year now (not to mention the years of rumors), but Apple’s first “spatial computing” device is one of consumer electronics’ biggest question marks heading into the new year. The $3,499 headset was given an “early-2024” release time frame when it was unveiled at WWDC in June, © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Nonprofit Code.org sues Byju’s unit WhiteHat Jr over payment dues

Code.org, the US educational non-profit, has filed a lawsuit in a California district court alleging that Byju’s subsidiary WhiteHat Jr breached a licensing contract by failing to pay fees while continuing to use Code.org’s platform. WhiteHat Jr, which sold to Byju’s for $300 million in 2020, partnered with Code.org last year and agreed to pay © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Apple is now banned from selling its latest Apple Watches in the US

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Apple can no longer sell the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US after President Joe Biden’s administration declined to veto the ban today. Apple pulled both devices from its website on December 21st and from its store shelves after December 24th. A statement (via CNBC) from the Office of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the agency “decided not to reverse the ITC’s [International Trade Commission] determination” after “careful consideration.” The ITC issued the ban after finding that Apple infringed on blood oxygen saturation technology patented by a company called Masimo. It also ordered Apple to stop selling any previously-imported devices with the infringed-upon tech. While Apple attempted to block the decision while... Continue reading… Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

20 Best After-Christmas Sales and Deals (2023)

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Put your gift cards to use with deals on tech, a huge discount on the Balmuda Toaster Oven, and video games. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

AI moves from theory to practice, zero trust gets real, and other 2024 predictions from Dell CTO

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What does 2024 have in store? Improved gen AI ecosystems, next-level security, 'common edge' — plus, how quantum will support AI. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

CBS, Paramount owner National Amusements says it was hacked

National Amusements, the cinema chain and corporate parent giant of media giants Paramount and CBS, has confirmed it experienced a data breach in which hackers stole the personal information of tens of thousands of people. The private media conglomerate said in a legally required filing with Maine’s attorney general that hackers stole personal information on © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Unveiling the Mystery of Alien: Romulus – A New Chapter in the Alien Saga

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Join Alvin on Greenground as we delve into the spine-tingling world of "Alien: Romulus." Discover what lies between the original Alien and Aliens in this standalone film. With a fresh cast, the return of Ridley Scott, and a release date set for 2024, this episode is a must-watch for all sci-fi and horror enthusiasts. Like, subscribe, and comment your theories below. More exciting details are in the description and feel free to ask anything in the comments! #AlienRomulus, #SciFiHorror, #NewAlienMovie, #FedeÁlvarez, #RidleyScott, #CaileeSpaeny, #IsabelaMerced, #2024Movies, #Xenomorph, #CinematicExperience Remember, if you want to stay updated with the latest trends, news, and tech reviews, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Greenground! Follow up on our website https://www.greenground.it or follow up on our social #fyp, #foryou, #love, #explorepage, #trending, #reviews, #news #YouTube: https://youtube.com/@LivioAcerbo #TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greengroundit #Facebook...

Five bold cybersecurity predictions for 2024

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The cybersecurity cat-and-mouse game will intensify in 2024 as AI, the cloud and other technologies change the threat landscape. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Rebel Moon Review: A Space Saga That Lost Its Shine?

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Join Alvin on GreenGround as he delves into Zack Snyder's latest space epic, "Rebel Moon." Is it a stellar journey through the cosmos or a misadventure in the galaxy of filmmaking? In this detailed review, we explore the highs and lows of this ambitious movie. From its narrative structure to its visual aesthetics, Alvin provides an engaging and thoughtful critique. Whether you're a sci-fi aficionado or just curious about this new release, tune in for an insightful analysis. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments, like, and subscribe for more content from the universe of movies, TV series, and tech! #RebelMoon, #ZackSnyder, #MovieReview, #SpaceEpic, #SciFiMovies, #FilmCritique, #GreenGround, #CinemaInsights, #MovieLovers, #FilmAnalysis Remember, if you want to stay updated with the latest trends, news, and tech reviews, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Greenground! Follow up on our website https://www.greenground.it or follow up on our social #fy...

The Hollywood Strikes Stopped AI From Taking Your Job. But for How Long?

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The year was dominated by talk of what artificial intelligence could do—and what it could do better than most humans. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Navigating the Cosmic Misadventure of ‘Rebel Moon’: A GreenGround Review

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Today, we embark on an interstellar journey, delving into the depths of Zack Snyder’s latest space epic, “Rebel Moon.” Is it a shining star in the cinematic galaxy or a... Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

How we built a less-explodey lithium battery and kickstarted the EV revolution

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Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium — these foundational materials are literally what the modern world is built on. Without sand for glass, say goodbye to our fiber optic internet. No copper means no conductive wiring. And a world without lithium is a world without rechargeable batteries.  For the final installment of Hitting the Books for 2023, we're bringing you an excerpt from the fantastic Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway. A finalist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year award, Material World walks readers through the seismic impacts these six substances have had on human civilization throughout history, using a masterful mix of narrative storytelling and clear-eyed technical explanation. In the excerpt below, Conway discusses how the lithium ion battery technology that is currently powering the EV revolution came into existence.   Thanks very much for reading Hitting the Books this year, we'll...

10 great shows from 2023 to watch on Hulu

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The Verge / Photo Courtesy of IMDB and Hulu Hulu got a big price hike this year, but it’s getting increasingly harder to cancel (at least for me) thanks to the overwhelming number of shows and movies to watch on the Disney-owned service. While those of us in the US can currently access Hulu separately from Disney Plus, things are about to change very soon. Disney is planning to launch a combined Hulu and Disney Plus app for users who subscribe to both services, and it’s set to come out next year after some initial testing. Keep in mind that this won’t change the content available on either service, just how you access it. For now, though, here are some of the best shows released on Hulu this year. Only Murders in the Building (Season 3) Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short are back for season 3 of Only Murders in the Building. This comedy follows Mabel (Gomez), Charles (Martin), and Oliver (Short) as three neighbors in an Upper West Side apartment building brought toge...

Ubisoft reportedly stopped hackers from stealing 900GB of data in a breach this week

Ubisoft’s internal services were compromised in a security breach this week when hackers attempted to steal 900GB of data, including Rainbow Six Siege user data, according to VX-Underground. Ubisoft spotted the breach 48 hours later, and was able to revoke the hackers’ access before they could successfully exfiltrate the data. In a statement to BleepingComputer, Ubisoft said, “We are aware of an alleged data security incident and are currently investigating. We don't have more to share at this time.” VX-Underground posted redacted screenshots shared by the attacker that allegedly show they accessed Microsoft Teams conversations, the Ubisoft SharePoint server, Confluence and MongoDB Atlas. “The Threat Actor would not share how they got initial access,” VX-Underground wrote in a post on X. “Upon entry they audited the users access rights and spent time thoroughly reviewing Microsoft Teams, Confluence, and SharePoint.” December 20th an unknown Threat Actor compromised Ubisoft. The ind...

Unveiling ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’: A Deep Dive into Po’s Newest Journey

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Today, we’re thrilled to explore the much-anticipated ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ set for release on March 8, 2024. Join us as we delve into the world of Po, the beloved... Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

GM halts sales of its new Chevy Blazer EV amid reports of major software issues

GM has issued a stop-sale order for the Chevy Blazer EV just weeks after its release following reports of software problems that made the vehicle undrivable. Edmunds, which received confirmation on Friday night that the company is halting deliveries, previously documented 23 issues during tests of the SUV, including the infotainment system repeatedly crashing and displaying a multitude of error messages. Inside EVs writer Kevin Williams also tested the Blazer EV and not only encountered similar problems with the display, but was left stranded after the car broke down while charging. In a statement to Edmunds, Chevrolet said, “We are aware that a limited number of Blazer EV owners have experienced some software quality issues. To ensure our customers have a great experience with their vehicle, we are temporarily pausing sales of Blazer EVs.” All new deliveries are on pause, VP Scott Bell said. The Chevrolet Blazer EV is powered by GM’s Ultium battery system, which is being used in a sle...

Apple Watch ban: everything you need to know

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Apple is banning new sales of the Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US due to a patent dispute — here’s all the latest news. Continue reading… Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The Internet Isn’t Dead. It’s ‘Saturday Night Live’

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In 2023, a new idea took hold: The internet isn’t fun anymore. Except it's not a new idea. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Deal Dive: Thank god a startup is solving the bed bug problem

Spotta's devices can identify bugs before they become infestations, both indoors and outdoors. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

China’s regulators restrict game monetization, sending Chinese game stocks down

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China has been tough on games in recent years and its regulators have now cracked down on monetization practices. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Like a Dragon Gaiden is my end-of-year treat to myself | Kaser Focus

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It's been a chaotic week, so GamesBeat's Rachel Kaser just wants to relax and play a comfort game -- in this case, Like a Dragon Gaiden. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

First American discloses a ‘cybersecurity incident,’ a few years after its major leak

First American, a real estate and mortgage financial firm, experienced a "cybersecurity incident" impacting operations, the company posted on its website on Thursday. The company has not released any details about what happened, but as of the time of publication, its website remained down.  "First American has experienced a cybersecurity incident," says a statement on its website. "In response, we have taken certain systems offline and are working to return to normal business operations as soon as possible." First American did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  In 2019, First American came under fire for its handling of sensitive information. It paid a $1 million fine to the New York State Department of Financial Services after a vulnerability in its proprietary "EaglePro" application left data like social security numbers and bank information exposed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/first-a...

Steam’s Winter Sale is taking up to 60 percent off some of our favorite games

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Diablo IV, Diablo IV, Diablo IV. | Image: Blizzard Entertainment If your holiday plans involve chillaxing and binging on a ton of video games, we have some great news for you. Now through January 4th at 1PM ET, thousands of great titles are on sale as part of Steam’s annual winter sale, including many of our favorites from the past year. The ongoing promo offers a great chance to catch up on newer titles, including demon-slaying action RPG Diablo IV ($28 off), the terrific remake of Dead Space ($36 off), and Mortal Kombat 1 ($35 off). Other titles that aren’t as discounted but still well worth a look include GOTY contender Baldur’s Gate 3 ($6 off), Cocoon ($5 off), and the delightfully charming deep sea exploration game, Dave the Diver ($4 off). There are plenty of older titles on sale, too, just in... Continue reading… Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Hyperloop One is shutting down

Hyperloop One had once dreamed of building a high-speed freight link between Europe and China, one that could take cargo from one end to the other in a single day. That will, however, remain one of the many goals the company won’t be able to fulfill. Hyperloop One is shutting down, a staff member has confirmed to Engadget after Bloomberg published a report about its closure. It was founded in 2014 following the release of Elon Musk’s paper about his vision for hyperloop transportation technologies. The company originally aimed to provide transportation for both cargo and people in the form of pods traveling through sealed metal tubes across long distances in airplane-like speeds. From 2017 until 2022, it was known as Virgin Hyperloop One due to an investment from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. But Virgin quietly pulled its branding last year when the company decided to abandon its plans of transporting passengers to focus on building a cargo-only service. Hyperloop One laid off over 1...

Sony won’t take away your PlayStation-bought Discovery shows after all

If you'd previously purchased Discovery shows from the PlayStation Store, you can breathe easily now. Sony has announced that it's no longer removing shows from the network by December 31 like it had previously planned, thanks to updated licensing agreements. Earlier this month, the company said that it's pulling Discovery shows from PlayStation and is even removing any purchased title from your library due to content licensing agreements with its providers. The Discovery shows available on the PlayStation Store include MythBusters, Deadliest Catch and Cake Boss. In all, around 1,200 titles would've been affected by the change, and you wouldn’t have gotten a refund for any of them. The announcement came shortly after Warner Bros Discovery, the owner of Discovery Channel, had revealed in an earnings report that its flagship streaming service Max lost 2.5 million subscribers over a six month period. Both of Sony’s announcements were brief and didn’t elaborate on its licen...

Massachusetts lawmakers mull ‘killer robot’ bill

Back in mid-September, a pair of Massachusetts lawmakers introduced a bill “to ensure the responsible use of advanced robotic technologies.” What that means in the simplest and most direct terms is legislation that would bar the manufacture, sale and use of weaponized robots. It’s an interesting proposal for a number of reasons. The first is © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Against Pseudanthropy

“Shall I say thou art a man, that hast all the symptoms of a beast? How shall I know thee to be a man? By thy shape? That affrights me more, when I see a beast in likeness of a man.” — Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy I propose that software be prohibited from © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Google’s new VideoPoet multimodal AI video generation model looks incredible

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VideoPoet can generate larger and more consistent motion across longer videos, based on the examples posted by the researchers online. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Exploring the Cutting-Edge: A Deep Dive into the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 and Z500

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Today, we’re shifting gears to explore the thrilling world of motorcycling with Kawasaki’s newest additions – the Ninja 500 and Z500. Kawasaki, a name that echoes in the halls of... Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The four podcast stories that will shape 2024

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Image: The Verge This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more. Hello! Apologies for the late send, I have been buried in Hot Pod Summit prep. I promise it will be worth it! We’re putting together a great lineup for 2024. We’re still working on our invitation list — if you’re interested in attending, let us know here. This is about the time yakky media folks like myself come out with predictions for next year. Nick Quah published takes from people across the industry today for Vulture. Yesterday, The Podglomerate’s Joni Deutsch had a piece for Nieman Lab with her own predictions. I highly recommend checking out both! Today, I don’t have predictions so much as stories on which I am keeping a close watch. Let’s get into it. Talent deals up for renewal Many of those big-money, multiyear deals announced in 2020 and 2021 are coming up for renewal in 2024. Companies spent tens of millions of dollars (or, in Joe Rogan’s case, h...

Elon Musk’s X suffered yet another global outage

Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, suffered an outage globally earlier Thursday that lasted for more than an hour. The error, the cause of which remains unknown, prevented users from viewing tweets, according to their complaints. X Pro, formerly known as TweetDeck, also faced the outage. While users were able to © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

How to create stickers on the iPhone using your photos in iOS 17

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Creating stickers from photos is an easily overlooked iPhone feature tucked into iOS 17. Using Apple’s machine learning algorithms that quickly separate a subject from its background, it extracts pictures of you, your friends or pets (or anything else it detects as the picture’s subject), transforming them into digital decals. It even makes animated stickers from Live Photos to slap onto iMessage chats or Markup tools. Here’s how to create your own. What are iPhone stickers? In Apple’s ecosystem, stickers are digital versions of their real-world counterparts. They debuted in iOS 10, Apple’s 2016 iPhone operating system, allowing users to place cut-outs of fun images onto iMessage bubbles for more personalized reactions. Apple Creating iPhone stickers from photos is new to iOS 17, and so is their location. In older versions of iOS, you had to navigate the iMessage App Store (in the Messages app) and app drawer to find them. In the new software’s more streamlined approach, you only have ...

Bobby Kotick’s reign at Activision Blizzard ends December 29, 2023

We knew it was coming, but now we have a date: Bobby Kotick will officially step down as CEO of Activision Blizzard on December 29, 2023. Blizzard and King vice chairman Humam Sakhnini will also leave at the end of December, Activision Blizzard chief communications officer Lulu Meservey is out in January, and a handful of other executives will leave in March, according to an internal memo from Xbox head Phil Spencer published by The Verge. Activision Blizzard vice chairman Thomas Tippl, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra and King president Tjodolf Sommestad will remain at the studio and report to Matt Booty, Microsoft's president of gaming content and studios. Otherwise, leadership teams across Activision, Blizzard and King will stay the same, according to the memo. Kotick has been the head of Activision since 1991. At Activision Blizzard, he oversaw massively popular franchises including Call of Duty, Diablo, Starcraft and World of Warcraft, and once the company acquired mobile studio...