Why Manufacturing’s Last Boom Will Be Hard To Repeat
American manufacturing’s postwar boom from the 1940s through the 1970s resulted from conditions that cannot be recreated, a story on WSJ argues. Global competitors had been destroyed by war. Energy was cheap. Unions could demand concessions without fearing job losses to foreign rivals.

Strikes were frequent in steel, auto, trucking, rubber and coal mining. That relentle … ⌘ Read more

Automattic Inc. Claims It Owns the Word ‘Automatic’
An anonymous reader shares a report: Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, is asking Automatic.CSS – a company that provides a CSS framework for WordPress page builders – to change its name amid public spats between Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg and Automatic.CSS creator Kevin Geary. Automattic has two T’s as a nod to Matt.

“As you know, our client owns and … ⌘ Read more

OpenAI CFO Says Company Isn’t Seeking Government Backstop, Clarifying Prior Comment
OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said late Wednesday that the AI startup is not seeking a government backstop for its infrastructure commitments, clarifying previous comments she made on stage during the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event. From a report: At the event, Friar said OpenAI is looking to create an ecosyste … ⌘ Read more

US Software Firm SAS Exits China After 25 Years
An anonymous reader shares a report: US software company SAS Institute has withdrawn from mainland China and dismissed its local staff, according to a Beijing-based employee affected by the move, as the analytics specialist ended more than two decades of operations amid intense domestic competition and geopolitical tensions. The company on Thursday announced the lay-offs via an e … ⌘ Read more

Thousands of Flights in Danger of Cancellation as FAA Announces Major Cuts
The government shutdown-spurred airport chaos is about to get a whole lot worse. From a report: The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it will reduce flight volumes by 10 percent across 40 major airports in response, a move that could threaten 3,000 to 4,500 flights daily. The cuts will affect “high volume” markets … ⌘ Read more

‘Grand Theft Auto’ Studio Says Fired Employees Were Leaking Information
Rockstar Games, the company behind the hit Grand Theft Auto franchise, said that the dozens of employees it fired last week were leaking company secrets, disputing allegations by labor leaders that it was disrupting workers’ attempt to unionize. From a report: The employees had been sharing company information in a forum that include … ⌘ Read more

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Says China ‘Will Win’ AI Race With US
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has warned that China will beat the US in the AI race, thanks to lower energy costs and looser regulations. From a report: In the starkest comments yet from the head of the world’s most valuable company, Huang told the FT: “China is going to win the AI race.” Huang’s remarks come after the Trump administration maintained a ban o … ⌘ Read more

Manufacturer Bricks Smart Vacuum After Engineer Blocks It From Collecting Data
A curious engineer discovered that his iLife A11 smart vacuum was remotely “killed” after he blocked it from sending data to the manufacturer’s servers. By reverse-engineering it with custom hardware and Python scripts, he managed to revive the device to run fully offline. Tom’s Hardware reports: An engineer got cu … ⌘ Read more

China Delays Shenzhou-20 Crew Return After Suspected Space Debris Impact
China has delayed the return of its Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft after it was suspected to have been struck by space debris while docked at the Tiangong space station. “The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft is suspected of being struck by a small piece of space debris, and impact analysis and risk assessment are underway,” the Chi … ⌘ Read more

Universe Expansion May Be Slowing, Not Accelerating, Study Suggests
A new study challenges the Nobel-winning theory that the universe’s expansion is accelerating, suggesting instead that it may be slowing down as dark energy weakens – potentially leading to a future “big crunch” where the cosmos collapses back in on itself. “Our study shows that the universe has already entered a phase of decelerated expa … ⌘ Read more

A New Ion-Based Quantum Computer Makes Error Correction Simpler
An anonymous reader quotes a report from MIT Technology Review: The US- and UK-based company Quantinuum today unveiled Helios, its third-generation quantum computer, which includes expanded computing power and error correction capability. Like all other existing quantum computers, Helios is not powerful enough to execute the industry’s dream money- … ⌘ Read more

The Louvre’s Video Surveillance Password Was ‘Louvre’
A bungled October 18 heist that saw $102 million of crown jewels stolen from the Louvre in broad daylight has exposed years of lax security at the national art museum. From trivial passwords like ‘LOUVRE’ to decades-old, unsupported systems and easy rooftop access, the job was made surprisingly easy. PC Gamer reports: As Rogue cofounder and former Polygon arch-jester Cass … ⌘ Read more

72% of Game Developers Say Steam Is Effectively a PC Gaming Monopoly
A new survey of over 300 US and UK gaming executives found that 72% view Steam as a monopoly. “Furthermore, 88% said that at least three-quarters of their revenue came from Steam, while 37% reported that the platform accounted for 90% of their total revenue,” adds Techspot. From the report: Atomik Research conducted the recent survey on b … ⌘ Read more

Gemini AI To Transform Google Maps Into a More Conversational Experience
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Google Maps is heading in a new direction with artificial intelligence sitting in the passenger’s seat. Fueled by Google’s Gemini AI technology, the world’s most popular navigation app will become a more conversational companion as part of a redesign announced Wednesda … ⌘ Read more

New Bipartisan Bill Would Require Companies To Report AI Job Losses
A new bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Mark Warner and Josh Hawley would require companies and federal agencies to report quarterly on AI-related workforce changes, including layoffs, new hires, and retraining efforts. The data from the AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act (PDF) would then be compiled by the Department of Labor into a public … ⌘ Read more

43% of Gen Z Prefer YouTube and TikTok To Traditional TV and Streaming
A new Activate Consulting report reveals that 43% of Gen Z now prefer YouTube and TikTok over traditional TV or paid streaming. With global media revenues surging and traditional TV viewership collapsing, the average person now spends over 13 hours a day consuming content across platforms, effectively living a “32-hour day” th … ⌘ Read more

Danish Authorities In Rush To Close Security Loophole In Chinese Electric Buses
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: Authorities in Denmark are urgently studying how to close an apparent security loophole in hundreds of Chinese-made electric buses that enables them to be remotely deactivated. The investigation comes after transport authorities in Norway, where the Yutong buses ar … ⌘ Read more

T-Mobile Brings Free 911 Emergency Texting To AT&T and Verizon Customers
An anonymous reader shares a report: T-Mobile is opening up access to its Starlink-powered emergency texting service. The carrier announced on Wednesday that anyone with a compatible phone – even AT&T and Verizon customers – can sign up to text 911 over satellite for free.

In July, T-Mobile launched its “T-Satellite” service … ⌘ Read more