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☆ Warren Buffett's rival for attention at Berkshire weekend: Squishmallows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Investors and guests walk by a Squishmallow display during the Berkshire Hathaway Inc in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. May 5, 2023. On Friday, the start of Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) three-day shareholder weekend, thousands thronged a convention hall in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, for five hours to buy discounted products from many Berkshire-owned brands. For many, the $9.99 Squishmallows featuring Buffett and Munger, made by Berkshire's recently acquired toy company Jazwares, were the must-have memento. About 10,000 Buffett and Munger Squishmallows were sold, and by Monday they were fetching as much as $255 at auction on eBay. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska Editing by Megan Davies and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Google rolls out an alternative to the password
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —The days of having to think up new passwords that aren’t “password123” may be coming to an end – at least on your Google accounts. Google on Wednesday began rolling out support for passkeys, an alternative sign-in method for apps and websites that the company says is meant to serve as an “easier to use and more secure” alternative to the password. With passkeys, Google said users can access their various accounts the same way they might unlock their phone: with a fingerprint, face scan or screen lock PIN. Apple rolled out its passkey option with the release of iOS 16, allowing people to use the technology across apps, including Apple Wallet. Passkey support was rolled out on Chrome and Android devices in October 2022, but now the option is available across Google accounts, from Gmail to Drive.

☆ Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak voices concerns about AI and a need for regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I’m just a scientist who suddenly realized that these things are getting smarter than us,” Hinton told CNN’s Jake Tapper in an interview on Tuesday. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was one of the signatories on the letter, appeared on “CNN This Morning” on Tuesday, echoing concerns about its potential to spread misinformation. “Tricking is going to be a lot easier for those who want to trick you,” Wozniak told CNN. Hinton, for his part, told CNN he did not sign the petition. “It’s not clear to me that we can solve this problem,” Hinton told Tapper.

☆ AI pioneer quits Google to warn about the technology’s ‘dangers’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

He worked part-time at Google for a decade on the tech giant’s AI development efforts, but he has since come to have concerns about the technology and his role in advancing it. In a tweet Monday, Hinton said he left Google so he could speak freely about the risks of AI, rather than because of a desire to criticize Google specifically. “I left so that I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering how this impacts Google,” Hinton said in a tweet. OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are at the forefront of this trend, but IBM, Amazon, Baidu and Tencent are working on similar technologies. Obviously, I no longer think that.”Even before stepping aside from Google, Hinton had spoken publicly about AI’s potential to do harm as well as good.

☆ America's broken housing market is making millennials and Gen Z lonelier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Loneliness is a perceived lack of connection — the discrepancy between the social connection someone has and the connection they want. Holt-Lunstad's widely-cited research has found that loneliness and social isolation have health impacts comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. People who live in communities with more walkable neighborhoods, shared space, greenery, and diverse types of housing, feel more socially connected and less lonely. In her work, Peavey has come up with six design strategies for creating third spaces — places that aren't home, work, or school — to facilitate social connection. But neighborhoods need to be dense and walkable in order for people to easily access these places because cars and physical distance get in the way.

New York CNN —Musician Ed Sheeran played guitar and sang on the stand Thursday as part of his testimony in a copyright infringement trial about whether his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied the classic Marvin Gaye song “Let’s Get It On.”Sheeran played the opening line of “Thinking Out Loud” in an attempt to rebut the testimony of the plaintiff’s expert witness, Alexander Stewart. Kathryn Townsend Griffin, daughter of singer and songwriter Ed Townsend, speaks outside New York Federal Court during a copyright infringement trial against singer Ed Sheeran, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in New York. John Minchillo/APSheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Sheeran’s legal team has argued throughout the week that the sounds used in both songs are common in pop music. In his opening statement Tuesday, Townsend attorney Ben Crump noted Sheeran played his ballad and Gaye’s song back-to-back in a medley during a concert, and called the moment a “smoking gun.”

New York CNN —Elizabeth Holmes won’t be starting her 11-year prison sentence just yet. Holmes was sentenced last November after she was convicted months earlier on multiple charges of defrauding investors while running the now-defunct blood testing startup. As a result, Holmes can remain free on bail while the latest appeal is considered by the court, as per the court’s rules. It also came to light that Theranos was relying on third-party manufactured devices from traditional blood testing companies rather than its own technology. Like Holmes, Balwani’s legal team delayed the start of his prison sentence by roughly a month with an appeal.

☆ TikTok is testing a new option to create AI-generated avatars for profile pictures
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —TikTok is testing a new option to let users create AI-generated avatars for their profile pictures, the company confirmed to CNN on Wednesday, in a move with the potential to put recent advances in artificial intelligence technology front and center for millions of users. The new feature appears to create a stylized, illustrated image of the user based on an uploaded picture, according to a post from social media consultant Matt Navarra, who was first to spot the option. The feature is still in the early stages of testing and not widely available to TikTok users, according to the company, and there is currently no timeline for when the feature might roll out. “We’re always thinking about new ways to add value to the community and enrich the TikTok experience, as we continue to build a safe place that entertains, inspires creativity, and drives culture,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNN. “In a few select regions, we’re experimenting with a new way to create and share profile pictures with the TikTok community.”AI-generated images have taken over the internet in recent months, but some tools have also raised concerns among privacy experts, digital artists, and users who have noticed the potential to sexualize images, make skin paler and make bodies thinner.

Sheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, sister Helen McDonald and the estate of his former wife, Cherrigale Townsend, are the listed plaintiffs on the “Thinking Out Loud” case. In particular he sees melodic similarities in the verse, chorus and interlude of Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” he said. British singer Sheeran’s legal team has argued that the sounds used in both songs are common in pop music. “No one owns basic musical building blocks,” Ilene Farkas, Sheeran’s attorney, told the jury in opening remarks Tuesday.

New York CNN —Musician Ed Sheeran took the stand Tuesday in a high-profile copyright trial about whether his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied a classic Marvin Gaye song. Sheeran was called to testify Tuesday by Townsend attorney Keisha Rice. Earlier in Tuesday’s court proceedings, Crump attempted to portray Sheeran as someone who recognized the “magic” of Gaye’s soul song and then used it to catapult his career. She said she hired her own musicologists for her “personal clarity.”There have been a number of prominent music copyright lawsuits in recent years. After his successful 2022 legal battle, Sheeran posted a video to his Instagram voicing his concern over the recent wave of music copyright cases.

☆ 2023 layoff tracker: The latest on which companies have announced job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

New York CNN —BuzzFeed, Lyft, Whole Foods and Deloitte all recently announced layoffs affecting thousands of US workers. With 11,000 job cuts announced in November and the 10,000 announced in March, Meta’s headcount will fall to around 66,000 — a total reduction of about 25%. The company announced in January that it was eliminating some 18,000 positions as part of a major cost-cutting bid at the e-commerce giant. IndeedJob listing website Indeed.com announced cuts of approximately 2,200 employees, representing almost 15% of its total workforce, the company said in March. The cuts come after the company announced several rounds of job cuts throughout the pandemic due to falling demand, followed by rapid hiring last year.

☆ Chevron Championship: Lilia Vu channels memory of late Grandfather to clinch first major title
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Lilia Vu triumphed at the Chevron Championship on Sunday, besting American compatriot Angel Yin in a playoff to seal the first major of her career in The Woodlands, Texas. I’m just really happy and proud of Cole [caddie] and I for doing this.”Vu (R) celebrates her win in the water. Amid bubbling frustrations during a wet and windy final round, it was the memory of her grandfather that kept Vu grounded. Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesYin upbeatRunner-up Yin was upbeat despite agonizingly missing out on a first career major. “My caddie was telling me to calm down, but other than that, I really just wasn’t really feeling much.

New York CNN —A copyright infringement case against British pop artist Ed Sheeran is set to kick off this week, with the potential to further complicate the legal landscape for songwriters. The jury was selected Monday in the case against Sheeran, who is accused of copying the 1973 soul hit “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the song with Marvin Gaye. The trial concerns Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud,” which won the 2016 Grammy award for song of the year. Sheeran, meanwhile, has faced previous legal battles over his music and won. After his successful 2022 legal battle, Sheeran posted a video to his Instagram voicing his concern over the recent wave of music copyright cases.

☆ Vu at the top of early second round Chevron leaderboard
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Lilia Vu took advantage of soft conditions to move to the top the Chevron Championship leaderboard on Friday after the start of second round play at the year's first women's major was delayed by two hours due to heavy rain. "Really happy to finish today," said American Vu, the world number 12. The round left the American on six-over for the tournament well adrift of the projected one-over cut. Taiwan's Chien, the world's 189th-ranked player, was the surprise leader after round one and among the late starters on Friday along with world number one Lydia Ko. Second round play is expected to spill over into Saturday after more than two inches (5 cm) of rain dropped on the Jack Nicklaus designed layout overnight.

New York CNN —Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, the former chief operating officer of failed startup Theranos and ex-boyfriend of founder Elizabeth Holmes, has reported to prison, according to his attorney. “Mr Balwani turned himself in… smoothly without incident,” Jeffrey Coopersmith, Balwani’s attorney, said in an email to CNN on Thursday. Holmes was also convicted on multiple counts of defrauding investors and has been ordered to turn herself in on April 27. Balwani, nearly 20 years older than Holmes, first met her in 2002 before she dropped out of Stanford. He served as an informal adviser to Holmes in Theranos’ earliest days and the two became romantically involved.

☆ Florida apologizes for sending emergency alert test at 4:45 a.m.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The early morning alert was a test but the outrage was real. Many in Florida were woken up at 4:45 a.m. on Thursday by a notification on their phones from the Emergency Alert System: “TEST - This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No action is required.”After sending the test out across the state, the Florida Division of Emergency Management apologized for the very, very early alert. Ron DeSantis said he has ordered Guthrie “to bring swift accountability for the test of the emergency alert system in the wee hours of the morning.”“This was a completely inappropriate use of this system,” DeSantis said in a tweet “Stay tuned.”A screenshot shows an Emergency Alert System push notification received at 4:45am on Thursday, reading "TEST - This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. CNNEarly morning tests are scheduled throughout the year, with a 4:50 a.m. alert scheduled for June, according to the Florida Association of Broadcasters.

☆ Smartmatic could be Fox’s next big problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Fox News’ legal battle with Dominion Voting Systems is over. It now has to deal with Smartmatic, which is seeking billions of dollars more than its rival wanted in damages. Dominion wanted “only” $1.6 billion and settled with Fox for $787 million Tuesday. Both lawsuits focus on Fox News’ coverage of the 2020 election, including lies about voter fraud. “Dominion’s litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox’s disinformation campaign,” Smartmatic lawyer Erik Connolly said in a statement after the settlement.

☆ Taiwan's Chien grabs early lead at Chevron Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Peiyun Chien seized early control of the year's first women's major on Thursday, carding a five-under 67 to grab the first-round clubhouse lead at the Chevron Championship and grabbing the spotlight from the sport's big names. "I saw the pin sheet last night, and I can't sleep," said Chien, who came to the major off her best result of the season, a tie for fourth at last week's LOTTE Championship. Ko had a roller coaster round including four birdies and three bogeys which left the New Zealander on one-under 71 alongside Canada's twice major winner Brook Henderson. Kupcho, world number two and Olympic gold medallist Nelly Korda, U.S. Open champion Minjee Lee of Australia and British Open winner Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa were among the late starters. Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How to watch the Chevron Championship live: Start time, channel and other things to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Once again, the first women’s golf major of the season tees off with The Chevron Championship. How to watchUS viewers can watch the first and second rounds on the Golf Channel, with coverage running from 10 a.m. CST until 7 p.m. CST. “I think I was in a bit of a panic last year,” Kupcho told reporters Tuesday. But I don’t think that’s going to be my driving force going to any of these events this year.”Ko tees off at the HSBC Women's World Championship in March. “I don’t think I have a weakness in my game at all, and I think that’s partially why I’ve been very consistent,” Hall told reporters.

☆ Not the same major splash as Chevron moves to Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 19 (Reuters) - When women's golf crowns its first major winner of the season on Sunday at the Chevron Championship it will not make the same splash it once did. "I'm not really sure," said defending Chevron champion Jennifer Kupcho. "I think there might be snakes in the water here, so might be a little interesting." While a dock can be quickly constructed, it takes years to build traditions and rarely are they transferable. After missing last year's Chevron due to injury, Korda is back to full fitness with four finishes inside the top six in five starts this season, including runner-up at last month's HSBC World Championship.

☆ Kupcho expecting different challenge in Chevron defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 18 (Reuters) - American Jennifer Kupcho is expecting a very different challenge as she defends her first major title away from the familiar surrounds of last year's triumph, with the Chevron Championship kicking off the women’s major calendar at a new Texas venue after more than 50 years in its former Palm Springs home. Kupcho had yet to clinch a LPGA Tour title before her victory last year, when she held on through a nervy back nine to win by two shots. Yet the world number 20 will find very different conditions this year at Carlton Woods course. The 25-year-old picked up two more wins on the tour after her Chevron title but has struggled to make much of an impact in 2023, most recently finishing tied for 25th at the DIO Implant LA Open. Feel like I have my feet under me and ready to go," Kupcho added.

☆ FBI warns consumers not to use public phone charging stations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Why so many Americans hate their work hours
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Lower-income workers want to work more, and higher-income workers want to work less. In fact, nearly a quarter of low-income workers making less than $47,000 a year want to work more hours. On the flipside, almost a third of middle- and high-income workers say they work too many hours, according to a Pew Research Center report released Thursday. Workers are left either wanting to work more but can't get the hours, or they want to work less but feel they shouldn't. When surveyed, lower-income workers would likely jump at the opportunity to work more hours to earn more.

☆ Hard work just doesn't pay like it used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today's workers, especially gig workers, don't have the security that hard work once promised. Fueling the pessimism about hard work might be that Americans have "been doing nothing but hard work for the last two decades," Jennifer Klein, a Yale labor historian, told Insider. Blame the rise of gig work for hard work not paying offThough Americans work fewer hours now than they have in years past, they're working harder than ever. As a result, "people have experienced hard work and intensified work, but in very, very unpleasant and not particularly rewarding terms," she added. However, deregulation of employment and the dismantling of the New Deal structures of fair work have decoupled hard work and security, Klein said.

☆ Apple’s Weather app briefly went down and rained on everyone’s morning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Apple’s default Weather app briefly went down for many users on Tuesday morning, showing blank screens with no data. “The Apple Weather app has been down all morning and I never imagined how much disruption that would cause,” wrote one Twitter user. Another tweeted an apparent “Top Gun” reference: “Biggest storm of the season is about to hit Fargo and the Apple weather app is down. One CNN reporter saw only a handful of cities on the Weather app home screen load with full data, while most cities remained completely blank. The app was revamped as part of the iOS 16 release in September after Apple bought popular weather service Dark Sky in 2020 and fully integrated its features into the newest operating system.

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