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☆ Cruise testing continues in Japan, Dubai, even as vehicles parked in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At issue is an Oct. 2 accident in which a Cruise vehicle dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco after striking her. As recently as October, it had hundreds of autos carrying passengers around San Francisco with no drivers and had announced aggressive expansion plans. In Dubai, Cruise vehicles have primarily been seen recently on a couple of islands on the outskirts of the main city. In Japan, Honda (7267.T) and Cruise have jointly been testing self-driving vehicles on public roads in the city of Utsunomiya - a regional hub of about 513,000 people - and the adjacent Haga town. Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink in Toyko and Rachna Uppal in Dubai Editing by Ben Klayman and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, General Motors, Cruise, ”, “, Bryant Walker Smith, Greg Bensinger, Daniel Leussink, Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis Organizations: GM Bolt, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, General, Reuters, University of South, National, Traffic Safety Administration, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Cruise, Honda, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Dubai, Japan, University of South Carolina, Arizona, San Francisco, California, Utsunomiya, Haga town, Toyko

☆ Amazon.com to cut 'several hundred' Alexa jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) on Friday announced it is trimming jobs at its Alexa voice assistant unit, citing shifting business priorities and a greater focus on generative artificial intelligence. Many companies are shifting resources to generative AI, which can create software code and lengthy text responses from short prompts. Alexa is a voice assistant that can be used to set timers, ask search queries, play music, or as a home automation hub. In particular, people familiar with the matter pointed to the Alexa voice assistant, now nearly a decade old, as having failed to keep pace in the age of generative artificial intelligence. The Seattle-based online retailer's voice assistant products compete with offerings from Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Apple (AAPL.O).

Persons: Steve Marcus, Daniel Rausch, Panos Panay, David Limp, Jeff Bezos, Rausch, Greg Bensinger, Kenneth Li, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Alexa, Fire, Reuters, Devices, Microsoft, Amazon, Origin, Echo, Amazon.com, Apple, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Panay, Seattle, San Francisco

A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company?s headquarters in San Francisco, California, U.S., September 26, 2018. In an email to staff seen by Reuters, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt said the company will re-evaluate the employee equity program in light of the suspension, which "pushed out our commercialization and revenue generation timelines." The regulator said Cruise had not initially disclosed all video footage of an Oct. 2 accident where Cruise's car dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco. The unlisted Cruise unit last year introduced the equity program under which current and former employees can sell their vested equity to GM and other investors every quarter. Asked about the Thursday's email from Vogt, a Cruise spokesperson said, "GM and Cruise are working together on what competitive compensation packages at Cruise will look like going forward."

Persons: Heather Somerville, Kyle Vogt, Cruise, Sam Abuelsamid, Vogt, Hyunjoo Jin, Greg Bensinger, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Matthew Lewis, Daniel Wallis Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, General Motors, GM, Reuters, Cruise, California Department of Motor Vehicles, United Auto Workers, UAW, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, California, San Francisco, California , Arizona, Washington

☆ Alphabet CEO, in Play store trial, acknowledges some materials not retained
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He largely stuck to one-word answers but was occasionally admonished by Epic Games' attorney for straying beyond simple answers. Pichai, in examination by a Google attorney, denied he had ever tried to keep any document hidden from a lawsuit. Epic Games has alleged in its lawsuit that app store policies amount to an illegal monopoly and have caused consumers to pay artificially high prices. Google has said changing its systems would cause its Android-based app store to be less secure and damage its ability to compete with Apple (AAPL.O). Google has settled claims over its app store with dating app maker Match Group and from U.S. consumers and U.S. states.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evelyn Hockstein, Pichai, ” Pichai, Epic's, “ Fortnite ”, Cary, Greg Bensinger, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Google, U.S, India's, White, REUTERS, Alphabet's Google, Epic Games, Games, Apple, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, San Francisco, North Carolina, U.S

☆ Amazon cuts jobs in games unit, part of broader restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) has cut around 180 jobs in its games division, at least the second round of cuts in under a week, as part of a broader restructuring, according to an email viewed on Monday by Reuters. It represents the second cut to the division this year. Amazon last week also began cutting jobs in its streaming music and podcast division, according to people familiar with the matter. The games division offers downloadable versions of many video games, on a monthly rotation, as well as some Twitch channels and other services. In April, Amazon cut about 100 jobs in the games unit.

Persons: Pascal Rossignol, Christoph Hartmann, Hartmann, We've, Greg Bensinger, Sayantani Ghosh Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Amazon Games, Amazon, Technology, Gaming, Thomson Locations: Lauwin, France, Seattle, United States

☆ Exclusive: Amazon.com previews FTC defense at companywide meeting -transcript
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Amazon.com's (AMZN.O) top lawyer on Tuesday previewed the broad outlines of the company's possible defense against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit against the retailer, at a private companywide meeting. The lawsuit, which was joined by 17 state attorneys general, was filed in federal court in Seattle and follows a four-year investigation into the company's practices. The FTC takes "issue with us refusing to show prices that are higher than our biggest competitors," Zapolsky said on Tuesday, according to the transcript. "It’s not that we don’t let customers sell at these prices, we just don’t feature that product at that price." Amazon has said it disagrees with the FTC and would defend itself in court.

Persons: David Zapolsky, Taylor Swift, Zapolsky, Andy Jassy, Ty Rogers, Greg Bensinger, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade, Reuters, Amazon, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, FTC, Thomson Locations: Seattle, San Francisco

☆ Amazon cuts jobs in music streaming unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Amazon is seen on the door of an Amazon Books retail store in New York City, U.S., February 14, 2019. Employees in Latin America, North America and Europe received notices that their jobs had been eliminated Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. “Some roles have been eliminated on the Amazon Music team. Amazon has been quietly trimming jobs, including communications staff in its Studios, Video and Music divisions last month. Amazon Music, which also includes podcasts, competes with Spotify , Pandora, Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google and Apple (AAPL.O) in offering unlimited music streaming services for a fee.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Greg Bensinger, Peter Henderson, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Amazon, REUTERS, Employees, Reuters, Amazon Music, Studios, Spotify, Google, Apple, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Latin America, North America, Europe, Washington, California, New York

☆ These 22 House Democrats voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her rhetoric on Israel — while these 4 Republicans voted against it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

22 Democrats voted for a more narrow resolution proposed by a different House Republican. 22 House Democrats voted with the vast majority of Republicans to support a censure resolution put forward by Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia condemning Tlaib. 4 Republicans voted against it, largely on free speech grounds, while 3 Democrats and 1 Republican voted present. That effort failed after 23 Republicans voted to table that resolution, and McCormick was among those who voted against it. Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Ritchie Torres of New York, and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey all voted to censure fellow Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Persons: Rashida Tlaib, Marjorie Taylor Greene, —, Rashida, she's, Rich McCormick, Tlaib, McCormick, Jared Moskowitz, Florida, Ritchie Torres, Josh Gottheimer, Bill Clark, Anna Moneymaker, Ministry's, Adam Schiff of, Dave Joyce of Ohio, Abigail Spanberger, Donald Norcoss of, Susan Wild of, Steve Cohen, Jim Costa of, Angie Craig, Don Davis of, Lois Frankel, Jared Golden, Dan Goldman, Greg Landsman, Susie Lee, Kathy Manning of, Wiley Nickel, Chris Pappas, Marie Gluensenkamp Perez, Pat Ryan, Brad Schneider, Kim Schrier, Darren Soto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Frederica Wilson of, censuring Organizations: Palestinian American, Republican, Service, Republicans, Capitol, New, Democratic, Getty Images, Democratic Rep, Adam Schiff of California, Trump, Tennessee Rep, Jim Costa of California Rep, Minnesota Rep, Don Davis of North Carolina Rep, Florida Rep, Maine Rep, New York, New Jersey Rep, Ohio Rep, Nevada Rep, Kathy Manning of North Carolina Rep, North Carolina Rep, New Hampshire Rep, New York Rep, Illinois Rep, Washington Rep Locations: Israel, Michigan, Georgia, Tlaib, Gaza, New York, New Jersey, Russia, Virginia, Donald Norcoss of New Jersey, Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Frederica Wilson of Florida

☆ 22 House Democrats voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her rhetoric on Israel — while 4 Republicans voted against it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Persons: Rashida Tlaib, Marjorie Taylor Greene, —, Rashida, she's, Rich McCormick, Tlaib, McCormick, Jared Moskowitz, Florida, Ritchie Torres, Josh Gottheimer, Bill Clark, Anna Moneymaker, Ministry's, Adam Schiff of, Steve Cohen, Jim Costa of, Angie Craig, Don Davis of, Lois Frankel, Jared Golden, Dan Goldman, Greg Landsman, Susie Lee, Kathy Manning of, Wiley Nickel, Chris Pappas, Marie Gluensenkamp Perez, Pat Ryan, Brad Schneider, Kim Schrier, Darren Soto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Frederica Wilson of, censuring Tlaib Organizations: Palestinian American, Republican, Service, Republicans, Capitol, New, Democratic, Getty Images, Democratic Rep, Adam Schiff of California, Trump, Tennessee Rep, Jim Costa of California Rep, Minnesota Rep, Don Davis of North Carolina Rep, Florida Rep, Maine Rep, New York, New Jersey Rep, Ohio Rep, Nevada Rep, Kathy Manning of North Carolina Rep, North Carolina Rep, New Hampshire Rep, New York Rep, Illinois Rep, Washington Rep Locations: Israel, Michigan, Georgia, Tlaib, Gaza, New York, New Jersey, Russia, Ohio, Florida, Frederica Wilson of Florida

☆ Exclusive: Amazon previews FTC defense at companywide meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Amazon.com's (AMZN.O) top lawyer on Tuesday previewed the broad outlines of the company's possible defense against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit against the retailer, at a private companywide meeting. The lawsuit, which was joined by 17 state attorneys general, was filed in federal court in Seattle and follows a four-year investigation into the company's practices. The agency asked the court to issue a permanent injunction ordering Amazon to stop what it called unlawful conduct. Amazon has said it disagrees with the FTC and would defend itself in court. "The whole complaint is based on a very constrained and manufactured view that Amazon is a monopoly," said Zapolsky.

Persons: David Zapolsky, Taylor Swift, Zapolsky, Andy Jassy, Ty Rogers, Greg Bensinger, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade, Reuters, Amazon, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, FTC, Thomson Locations: Seattle, San Francisco

☆ US probes GM's Cruise robocars over pedestrian close calls
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NHTSA previously made public another Oct. 20 letter in which it raised concerns over several hard-braking incidents by Cruise vehicles that resulted in collisions. Safety officials cited two videos where Cruise vehicles came close to pedestrians in crosswalks and appeared to nearly strike them. Cruise had been operating an Uber-like service with unmanned vehicles, primarily in San Francisco, but the company halted that service this week. As of Friday, Waymo vehicles continued driverless passenger operations in San Francisco, its main hub. Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Cruise, Greg Bensinger, David Shepardson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, General Motors, National, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Cruise, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Teamsters, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, crosswalks, Arizona, Texas, Washington

☆ Double Alps portion on men's Tour menu, women to finish at L'Alpe d'Huez
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It will be the first time since 1989 that the last stage of the race will be actually competed. "The last three four days will be very tough because we will be in the mountains," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told Reuters. "We were committed to avoid Paris because of the Olympics," Prudhomme told Reuters. "We went to the Tourmalet last year, we wanted to go to iconic places and L'Alpe d'Huez is part of cycling's history," women's Tour director Marion Rousse told reporters. "It's the toughest stage in Tour de France Femmes history with 4,000m of altitude gain.

Persons: Christian Prudhomme, Marion Rousse, Stephanie Lecocq, L'Alpe d'Huez, Florence, Marco Pantani's, la, Greg Lemond, pip France's Laurent Fignon, Jonas Vingegaard, Prudhomme, L'Alpe, du Glandon, Julien Pretot, Christian Radnedge Organizations: France, Femmes, Rights, Summer, Monaco, Reuters, de, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Marion, Nice, Italy, Rimini, Massif, Netherlands, Belgium

☆ Warren Buffett's deputy isn't in 'The Big Short' like Michael Burry - but he also bet against the housing bubble and spoke to Michael Lewis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"The Big Short" starred Michael Burry and others who bet the mid-2000s housing bubble would burst. Author Michael Lewis phoned Combs to talk about his housing wager while researching "The Big Short." AdvertisementAdvertisementMichael Burry and the other stars of "The Big Short" weren't the only investors to uncover the toxic assets underpinning the mid-2000s housing bubble, and place bets on its spectacular collapse. Lewis said he was working on a book about the whole situation that would become "The Big Short." AdvertisementAdvertisementCombs finished the story by saying he enjoys being "one small little piece" of the fascinating backstory behind "The Big Short."

Persons: Michael Burry, Todd Combs, Warren Buffett's, Michael Lewis, Combs, —, Warren, Ted Weschler, Baupost Group's Seth Klarman, Klarman, Bear Stearns, Lewis, Steve Eisman, Danny Moses, Greg Lippmann, Buffett, it's Organizations: Service, Berkshire Hathaway's, Countrywide, Washington, Long, Mortgage, Street, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Berkshire, Bear Stearns

☆ 'Big Short' investor Greg Lippmann eyes resilient assets for tough environment: 'buy the bad at the horrible pricing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Greg Lippmann of "The Big Short" fame sees a soft landing as unlikely, he told Bloomberg TV. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementGreg Lippmann, founding partner at LibreMax Capital, is focused on resilient assets as the chances of a soft landing are slim. That comes as high interest rates, weakened credit availability, and an office vacancy uptrend have all become mounting pressures on commercial real estate. But other ones are going to turn out to be medium to bad," he told Bloomberg TV, adding that, "And you just buy the bad at the horrible pricing.

Persons: Greg Lippmann, —, Lippmann, Ryan Gosling, It's, Rob Arnott Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, LibreMax

☆ Cough syrup deaths overseas prompt US crackdown on toxic testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Defendants and lawyers attend a court hearing in the case of child deaths linked to contaminated cough syrups, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan August 16, 2023. Cough syrups made in India and Indonesia have been linked to deaths of more than 300 children globally. The medicines were found to contain high levels of DEG and EG, leading to acute kidney injury and death. IMPORT ALERTSThe FDA warning letters give manufacturers an opportunity to fix quality control problems or face penalties. In addition, 13 U.S. makers of consumer products like earwax removers, nasal spray, hand soap and shampoo, including Lex, were threatened with possible seizures and injunctions by the FDA.

Persons: Stringer, Paul Hastings, Peter Lindsay, syrups, Lex, Charlene Paz, Greg Landry, Patrick Wingrove, Rishika, Joyce Lee, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, FDA, Drug Administration, EG, Reuters, South, South Korea's LCC, LCC, Daxal Therapeutics, Herbals, South Korea’s KM Pharmaceutical, Sangleaf Pharma, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Thomson Locations: Tashkent, Uzbekistan, U.S, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Egypt, Washington ,, Indonesia, United States, Florida, South Korea's, South, New York, Rishika Sadam, Hyderabad, Seoul

☆ Climate tech startups Treefera, ReSeed, Vaulted Deep, and Skyqraft raised a combined $18.6 million this month. Check out the pitch decks they used to raise the funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Early-stage climate tech startups Treefera, ReSeed, Vaulted Deep, and Skyqraft have raised a collective $18.6 million in fresh funds this month. It can monitor tree health, carbon sequestration, and the likelihood of a forest fire or drought, which may put the project at risk, in "near-time." Check out the 21-slide redacted pitch deck they used to raise the funds below:ReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedReSeedCarbon sequestration company Vaulted Deep raised $8 millionVaulted Deep, a Texas-based carbon removal and sequestration company, raised an $8 million seed round from Chris Sacca's Lowercarbon Capital. Vaulted Deep already has two injection sites, where waste is injected deep into the Earth. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck below:Vaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepVaulted DeepSkyqraft raised $3.8 million to monitor energy infrastructureSkyqraft, a Stockholm-based startup hoping to improve the resilience of energy infrastructure, also secured $3.8 million earlier this month.

Persons: Morgan, Jonathan Horn, Caroline Grey, Greg Lavender, ReSeed, Baratunde Thurston, Chris Sacca's, Advantek, Louise Gauffin, Gauffin Organizations: Global, Concept Ventures, Twin Path Ventures, Ventures, Thorn Partners, Earthshot Ventures, E.ON, Subvenio, Neptunia Invest Locations: London, New York, The Pennsylvania, Texas, Stockholm

(AP) — A Louisiana man who fled his 1991 trial for attempted murder has been arrested more than three decades later after authorities found him hiding in Mexico, authorities said. Greg Lawson, 63, was brought back to the United States on Thursday after being located in Mexico, the FBI said. Lawson fled the courthouse just as the jury was headed back into the courtroom to return a guilty verdict on a charge of attempted murder, KSLA reported. “The three-decades-long search for a man convicted of attempted murder is over, thanks to a tip received by #FBINewOrleans. This morning, 63-year-old Greg Lawson is back in a Louisiana jail awaiting action by Bienville Parish authorities,” the FBI wrote.

Persons: Greg Lawson, Lawson, KSLA Organizations: —, FBI, Twitter Locations: La, Louisiana, Mexico, United States, Bienville Parish

☆ Amazon plays catch-up with Alexa generative AI, shows off new, refreshed hardware
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It will also be able to compose and recite poems, Amazon showed at the company's annual product launch in Arlington, Virginia. At the event, Amazon also introduced refreshed versions of children's Fire tablets, a soundbar for televisions and new search capabilities on the FireTV service to find free content. Among the new devices Amazon announced is the $180 Echo Hub wall-mounted touchscreen for controlling gadgets throughout the home. Amazon also showed off a new feature for its Alexa app that can map out internet-connected devices throughout a user's home for easier control. Additional announcements included updates to the Echo Frames eyeglasses, with Alexa embedded, and refreshed versions of its Blink outdoor security cameras and Eero Wi-Fi extenders.

Persons: Bard, Alexa, longform, Dave Limp, Limp, Eero, Greg Bensinger, Richard Chang Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Wednesday, Amazon, Reuters, Alexa, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Seattle

☆ Amazon devices unit morale wanes amid cuts, weak development pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon hopes consumers will install Alexa-enabled devices in more rooms of their homes and become accustomed to using the system throughout the day, the sources said. Amazon has said its devices and services business is not profitable, without providing figures. Amazon is set to name as successor Microsoft's Panos Panay who oversaw development of the Surface, according to Bloomberg. Alexa employees were included in rounds of layoffs beginning last year resulting in 27,000 job cuts across Amazon. For years, Amazon has said it can sell devices for close to production cost and see a profit through services offered on them.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Dave Limp, Alexa, Kinley Pearsall, Amazon, hasn’t, “, ”, Avi Greengart, Limp, Microsoft's Panos Panay, Gregg Zehr, Tom Taylor, Ken Washington, Andy Jassy, Siri, That’s, Bruno Borges, I‘m, Greg Bensinger, Ken Li, Claudia Parsons Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Alexa, Amazon, Devices, Google, Microsoft, Echo, “, Bloomberg, Astro, Medtronic, Intelligence, Amazon.com, Lightform, Thomson Locations: Amazon’s, Lab126, Alphabet’s, Vancouver, Canada

☆ Kuss victory can boost U.S. road racing, says Horner
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Sepp Kuss's unlikely victory in La Vuelta a Espana could provide a timely boost for a flagging road cycle racing scene in the United States, according to Chris Horner whose 2013 triumph Kuss emulated on Sunday. The 29-year-old Kuss entered the race as a 'domestique' for more illustrious Jumbo-Visma team mates Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic. The road race scene is hardly booming in the U.S with few stage-racing opportunities for up-and-coming riders after the demise of the Tour of California, Colorado and Utah. "The racing scene in the U.S. is drowning or at best its nose is over the water. They were having meetings before the race, during the race, after the race, and then before everyone went to bed.

Persons: Sepp Kuss's, Chris Horner, Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, Horner, Greg LeMond, Lance, Vingegaard, Jumbo, GCN, Angliru, Sepp, Visma, Richard Plugge, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge Organizations: La, de France, Giro, of California, EF Education, de, Jumbo, Thomson Locations: Espana, United States, U.S, of California , Colorado, Utah, Madrid

☆ Tesla ordered by auto regulators to provide data on 'Elon mode' Autopilot configuration
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla has received a special order from federal automotive safety regulators requiring the company to provide extensive data about its driver assistance and driver monitoring systems, and a once secret configuration for these known as "Elon mode." If the driver leaves the steering wheel unattended for too long, the "nag" escalates to a beeping noise. As CNBC previously reported, with the "Elon mode" configuration enabled, Tesla can allow a driver to use the company's Autopilot, FSD or FSD Beta systems without the so-called "nag." Tesla CEO Elon Musk who also owns and runs the social network X, formerly Twitter, often implies Tesla vehicles are self-driving. His use of Tesla's systems would likely comprise a violation of the company's own terms of use for Autopilot, FSD and FSD Beta, according to Greg Lindsay, an Urban Tech fellow at Cornell.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Tesla, Elon, John Donaldson, Philip Koopman, Koopman, Ann Carlson, Ashok Elluswamy, Greg Lindsay, Grep, Bruno Bowden, Musk Organizations: SpaceX, Twitter, Porte de, CNBC, Traffic Safety Administration, Bloomberg, NHTSA, Automotive, Carnegie Mellon University, California DMV, FSD, Urban Tech, Cornell Locations: Paris, California

☆ Idalia is expected to rapidly intensify in the extremely warm Gulf of Mexico. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Mike Lang/USA Today Network Workers and residents clear debris from a destroyed bar in Fort Myers on Saturday, October 1. Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Jake Moses and Heather Jones explore a section of destroyed businesses in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Thursday. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach on September 24.

Persons: Ian —, Idalia, ” Brian McNoldy, Allison Wing, Florida State University . Hurricane Franklin, ”, Wing, ” McNoldy, Andrew Kruczkiewicz, Kruczkiewicz, Ricardo Arduengo, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Hurricane, Evan Vucci, Greg Guidi, Thomas Bostic, Joe Raedle, Win McNamee, Stephanie Fopiano, Kenya Taylor, Mike Lang, Giorgio Viera, Jonathan Drake, Candy Miller, Ana Kapel, Amy Beth Bennett, Meg Kinnard, Shannon Stapleton, Steve Helber, Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentintel, Alex Brandon, Jim Watson, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Bob Levitt, Thomas Cordy, Wilfredo Lee, Jake Moses, Heather Jones, Douglas R, Clifford, Tom, Jonathan Strong, Kylie Dodd, Brenda Brennan, Sean Rayford, John Raoux, Stefanie Karas, ZUMA, Ian, Marco Bello, Ben Hendren, Pedro, Reuters Melvin Phillips, Crystal Vander, Bryan R, Smith, Hurricane Ian, Greg Lovett, Stephen M, Dowell, Zuram Rodriguez, Joe Cavaretta, Crews, Ramon Espinosa, Yamil Lage, Chris O'Meara, Maria Llonch, Willie J, Allen Jr, Alexandre Meneghini, Reuters Frederic, Mary Herodet, Pete, Adalberto Roque, Phelan M, Ryan Copenhaver, Siesta, Gregg Newton, Cathie Perkins, Martha Asencio, Sarah Peterson, Andrew West, ” Kruczkiewicz, McNoldy, you’re Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, University of Miami, “, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Florida State University . Hurricane, Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, Getty, Fort Myers, Venice High, USA Today Network Workers, Reuters, South Florida Sun, AP, US Army National Guard, AP University of Central, Bloomberg, Texas, Force, USA, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Workers, Orange County Government, An, AP Vehicles, NOAA, NASA, City, Naples Police, Anadolu Agency, Punta Gorda, El, El Nuevo Herald, TNS, Officials, Orlando Sentinel, AP Highways, Wednesday, Sentinel, AP People, Southwest, Tampa International Airport, Bistro, Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, International, Costco, ZUMA Press, Hurricanes Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Matlacha , Florida, AFP, Fort Myers , Florida, Island , Florida, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Kenya, North Port, Venice , Florida, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, South Florida, Quarterman, North Charleston , South Carolina, North Port , Florida, Sanibel, AP University of Central Florida, Orlando , Florida, Orlando, Charleston , South Carolina, New Smyrna Beach , Florida, Cape Coral , Florida, Palm Beach County , Florida, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Naples , Florida, Orange County , Florida, Orange County, Punta Gorda , Florida, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte , Florida, Captiva, Port Charlotte, Iona , Florida, Bonita Springs , Florida, An Orlando, Sanibel , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Punta, Tampa, Roberts, El Nuevo, Stuart , Florida, Tampa Bay, Delray Beach , Florida, The, Hurricane, Pembroke Pines , Florida, Davie , Florida, Havana, Cuba, Batabano, Pinar del Rio, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Cuban, Fanguito, Sarasota , Florida, Havana Bay, Kissimmee, Pinellas County , Florida, Augusta , Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina

On Friday, Tiger Global reached out to its investment partners about the document, which has been seen by venture capitalists, hedge funds and in media circles. “These attacks are packed with lies, which we strongly believe were written and pushed by a disgruntled former employee with whom we parted ways,” Tiger Global said in its letter to investors. It was unclear how far the document has spread, but the Tiger Global letter said the firm has been aware of it for several months. Tiger told investors it had engaged "experts" to help it respond to the allegations in the document, without providing further details. Tiger Global has roughly $50 billion of assets under management, but saw its portfolio significantly trimmed last year as tech stocks faltered.

Persons: Tiger, Helen Coster, Greg Bensinger, Kenneth Li, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Investment, Tiger Global Management, Meta, Spotify, Reuters, New Yorker, Tiger Global, Global, Thomson

☆ Rapid intensification, explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

So as the climate crisis forces up ocean temperatures, rapid intensification becomes more likely, pushing storms to explode at a rapid pace into deadly hurricanes, scientists say. Mike Lang/USA Today Network Workers and residents clear debris from a destroyed bar in Fort Myers on Saturday, October 1. Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Jake Moses and Heather Jones explore a section of destroyed businesses in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Thursday. Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach on September 24.

Persons: ”, Phil Klotzbach, Klotzbach, ” Klotzbach, Ricardo Arduengo, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Hurricane, Evan Vucci, Greg Guidi, Thomas Bostic, Joe Raedle, Win McNamee, Stephanie Fopiano, Kenya Taylor, Mike Lang, Giorgio Viera, Jonathan Drake, Candy Miller, Ana Kapel, Amy Beth Bennett, Meg Kinnard, Shannon Stapleton, Steve Helber, Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentintel, Alex Brandon, Jim Watson, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Bob Levitt, Thomas Cordy, Wilfredo Lee, Jake Moses, Heather Jones, Douglas R, Clifford, Tom, Jonathan Strong, Kylie Dodd, Brenda Brennan, Sean Rayford, John Raoux, Stefanie Karas, ZUMA, Ian, Marco Bello, Ben Hendren, Pedro, Reuters Melvin Phillips, Crystal Vander, Bryan R, Smith, Hurricane Ian, Greg Lovett, Stephen M, Dowell, Zuram Rodriguez, Joe Cavaretta, Crews, Ramon Espinosa, Yamil Lage, Chris O'Meara, Maria Llonch, Willie J, Allen Jr, Alexandre Meneghini, Reuters Frederic, Mary Herodet, Pete, Adalberto Roque, Phelan M, Ryan Copenhaver, Siesta, Gregg Newton, Cathie Perkins, Martha Asencio, Sarah Peterson, Andrew West, Ida, Laura, Hurricane Dorian Organizations: CNN, of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, North Atlantic, Getty, Fort Myers, Venice High, USA Today Network Workers, Reuters, South Florida Sun, AP, US Army National Guard, AP University of Central, Bloomberg, Texas, Force, USA, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Workers, Orange County Government, An, AP Vehicles, NOAA, NASA, City, Naples Police, Anadolu Agency, Punta Gorda, El, El Nuevo Herald, TNS, Officials, Orlando Sentinel, AP Highways, Wednesday, Sentinel, AP People, Southwest, Tampa International Airport, Bistro, Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, International, Costco, ZUMA Press, Louisiana, Simpson Locations: North, Matlacha , Florida, AFP, Fort Myers , Florida, Island , Florida, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Kenya, North Port, Venice , Florida, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, South Florida, Quarterman, North Charleston , South Carolina, North Port , Florida, Sanibel, Florida, AP University of Central Florida, Orlando , Florida, Orlando, Charleston , South Carolina, New Smyrna Beach , Florida, Cape Coral , Florida, Palm Beach County , Florida, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Naples , Florida, Orange County , Florida, Orange County, Punta Gorda , Florida, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte , Florida, Captiva, Port Charlotte, Iona , Florida, Bonita Springs , Florida, An Orlando, Sanibel , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Punta, Tampa, Roberts, El Nuevo, Stuart , Florida, Tampa Bay, Delray Beach , Florida, The, Hurricane, Pembroke Pines , Florida, Davie , Florida, Havana, Cuba, Batabano, Pinar del Rio, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Cuban, Fanguito, Sarasota , Florida, Havana Bay, Kissimmee, Pinellas County , Florida, Bahamas

☆ San Francisco moves to center of robotaxi universe after California agency vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Cruise and Waymo have been running experimental services limited by times and geographic areas within San Francisco. The approval “marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO, in a prepared statement. San Francisco is important as both a symbolic hub of tech and, with hundreds of AVs already in operation, the largest test lab for the experimental cars. The vehicles, with empty driver seats and self-turning steering wheels, have become a common sight around San Francisco. Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma advocated for a delayed vote noting the volume of public comment and her lingering concerns following evidence that the vehicles have obstructed emergency vehicles in San Francisco.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Waymo, Motors ’, John Reynolds, AVs, Cruise, ”, Tekedra Mawakana, Prashanthi Raman, Uber, Genevieve Shiroma, Greg Bensinger, Jamie Freed, Diane Craft Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, Transportation, Cruise, Locals, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Technologists, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, San Francisco's, Francisco

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