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☆ Why tech is holding up better than the rest — listen to 'The Homestretch'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

THERE WAS A FUNNY MOMENT WHENPEOPLE WERE TRYING TO SAY THATTRADING AND -- AND JAMES GORMANSAID WE'RE NOT A TRADING FIRM. TECH IS LEADING AND NVIDIA,BECAUSE THE CHINESE WILL SITDOWN WITH JANET YELLEN BUT ITCOULD BE A PURE BOUNCE BACK. AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT ISNECESSARY -- WE DID SELL SOMEBUT I'M NOT SURE WHETHER TO GETRID OF A POSITION LIKE THAT. NOW THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND MOREMONEY ON INSTRUMENTATION, MAKINGNEW DRUGS AWAY FROM COVID. BUT OVERALL, I DON'T THINK CALLTHIS A MOVE INTO THAT GROUP.

☆ The most-popular big tech default email programs are old and vulnerable
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Elizabeth Macbride | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

All over the world, organizations of all sizes, including small businesses, scrambled to upload patches and to figure out if they'd been infiltrated. Each time big software companies have changed default settings or made blanket changes with cybersecurity in mind, he points out, cybercrime fell measurably. Some of its donors are big technology companies. "Microsoft takes email security very seriously," said Girish Chander, head of Microsoft Defender for Office, in a statement to CNBC. Updating email software default settings.

☆ Here are analysts' favorite tech stocks for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The tech sector was hit hard last year as worries about economic weakness and the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hike path to tame inflation weighed on companies. In particular, rising interest rates hurt the present value of the future stream of earnings for tech stocks. The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK), a fund that corresponds with the tech sector of the S & P 500, dropped 28% in 2022. Still, there are some bright spots in the sector where Wall Street analysts see growth ahead. The stock gained nearly 45% in 2022 and could rise another 43% this year, according to the consensus price target from Wall Street analysts.

☆ ESG will be a heavy focus for tech leaders in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Bob Violino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Reducing the carbon footprint of IT operationsThere are a number of drivers moving ESG forward. One area of focus will be the need for reporting on ESG progress, as required by regulations. Nearly half of the respondents said their organization could not accurately report its carbon footprint. Efforts appear to be underway to enhance ESG reporting strategies. By 2024, IDC said, 75% of large enterprises will implement ESG data management and reporting software as a response to emerging legislation and increased stakeholder expectations.

"There'll certainly be an impact to the fourth quarter," Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green told reporters on a call on Thursday. While other U.S. airlines got back to their feet relatively quickly, Dallas-based Southwest is still limping back to normalcy. Employee unions say they have repeatedly warned Southwest management that the airline's technology systems badly needed upgrades. Flight attendants have been complaining about technological failures at the airline for years, according to Lyn Montgomery, president of the Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Union, a local 556 of the Transport Workers Union. The comments echoed those of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, which said leadership had failed to adapt operations to address repeated systems failures, despite years of calls for improvements by the union.

☆ 2022 was tough for media stocks like Netflix and Disney, and 2023 doesn't look good, either
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

On top of that, companies are contending with lower ad revenue and more cord cutting. Tightening ad marketOn top of this, the ad market has worsened. Paramount missed third-quarter estimates after its ad revenue dropped, with its stock hitting a low in the following days. "We also anticipate that advertising streaming will become more important in the year to come," Solomon Partners' Boidman said. For media companies like Comcast and Charter Communications , lagging subscriber growth on the broadband front, rather than the pay-TV business, weighed more significantly on their stocks.

☆ For 60 years, the US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to keep rivals away from its most sensitive hardware
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Gidget Fuentes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

The US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to detect undersea threats since the 1960s. A US Navy trainer with a Mark 5 Marine Mammal sea lion in Key West in October 1990. The program worked with sharks, rays, and sea turtles but settled on dolphins and sea lions. US NavyThe Navy Marine Mammal Program's budget for 2023 provides $40 million for "food, medicine, veterinary care, husbandry, and facilities," Wilson said. A US Navy sea lion jumps into a riverine command boat during a mine-countermeasures exercise in Bahrain in November 2014.

☆ Investors will stop rewarding digital health startups masquerading as tech companies in 2023, VC Aike Ho predicts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Blake Dodge | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many digital-health startups enjoy tech valuations without differentiated technology. As record investment has flowed into care startups, many of them have enjoyed valuations that mirror those of tech companies. In 2023, thanks in part to the struggling economy, Ho predicts that digital-health investing will stop rewarding this approach and favor startups with true technology differentiation. Ho said it's the right time for real technology startups to take off in healthcare. She's looking for founding teams with three distinct superpowers: understanding the healthcare landscape, understanding the technology behind products, and understanding that technology's clinical application.

☆ Fact Check-World Economic Forum did not declare ‘God is dead’ or that humans would become gods
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Social media posts have claimed without evidence that leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF) have said “God is dead” and that they will turn humans into gods. In the video, a woman claims Klaus Schwab, leader of the WEF, said “God is dead” and that “WEF leaders have acquired divine powers to rule over humanity” (here), (here). We are really acquiring divine powers of creation and destruction. A Google search for “Klaus Schwab” and “God is dead” did not result in any reports from credible news sources of similar statements by Schwab. The WEF did not state that “God is dead” or that the organization would turn humans into gods.

☆ How analytics and AI can help you build a better customer experience
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Ibm With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Organizations are fortunate today that technology tools such as advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are available to help them deliver enhanced customer experience. This notion of customer experience is the thing that creates competitive advantage for companies." Letting data be the guideCompanies in various industries could see benefits from investing in analytics to improve customer experience. Similarly, banks can work with IBM Consulting to improve customer experiences and build loyalty by improving the digital experience. Building better customer experiencesCandy says there are several best practices organizations should consider to help develop successful customer experience strategies utilizing data analytics and AI tools.

☆ EV battery startup QuantumScape starts shipping prototypes to automakers, a key milestone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Electric vehicle battery startup QuantumScape said Tuesday that it has begun shipping prototypes of its batteries to automotive customers, a key milestone that it had aimed to hit by year-end. The news that QuantumScape is shipping prototypes is an important milestone for the startup, but actual commercial production is still at least a few years away. QuantumScape has been working for several years to develop a viable "solid-state" battery for electric vehicles. Solid-state batteries are so called because they don't need the liquid or gel electrolyte found inside existing batteries. A solid-state battery pack can be smaller and lighter than a lithium-ion pack of similar capacity, with much less risk of catching fire.

☆ Rep. Ro Khanna says balancing regulation and ethics online is key to ensuring technology remains a force for good: 'We need technology to democratize voice in America'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"I think the trajectory of technology is still a force for good," he told Politico. Despite his concerns about Twitter, Khanna remains optimistic about the potential for technology companies to benefit society. "I think we need technology to solve climate," Khanna told Politico. We need technology to democratize voice in America. The office of Rep. Khanna did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ ChatGPT is too limited and way too expensive to even come close to replacing Google search
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Tom Dotan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A Google search executive who spoke to Insider on background said he definitely wasn't worried about the threat from ChatGPT. "What's unnerving is it looks as good and confident when it's wrong and when it's right," said Daniel Tunkelang, a search consultant and former employee on Google's search team. Google search is, of course, not immune to misinformation, and regularly surfaces links to pages that contain inaccuracies. But unlike Google search, which links to sources for information when it answers a question, an LLM runs into major problems there. Even in that situation, Google's search results would be well positioned.

Meanwhile, Twitter’s resources to fight child sexual exploitation content online (and what is sometimes called child pornography or child sexual abuse materials) are thin, following layoffs, mass-firings and resignations from the company. Child sexual exploitation content has remained a problem for Twitter, though most major social media platforms continue to deal with it in some form or another. Moderation of this content usually relies on a combination of automated detection systems and specialized internal teams and external contractors to identify child abuse content and remove it. “So, I mean, that is disheartening.”It’s unclear how many Twitter employees remain to work on child safety issues. A search on LinkedIn for current Twitter employees who say they work on child safety turned up only a few accounts.

Less than a month after taking control of Twitter , Elon Musk said addressing child sexual exploitation content on the social media platform was "Priority #1." "It is a crime that they refused to take action on child exploitation for years!" Meanwhile, Twitter's resources to fight child sexual exploitation content online (and what is sometimes called child pornography or child sexual abuse materials) are thin, following layoffs, mass-firings and resignations from the company. Twitter's imperfect efforts fighting child sexual exploitation content were well documented. Stroppa said he felt Twitter's previous efforts were lacking and that it now moves quickly to find and suspend accounts that post child sexual exploitation content.

☆ Google execs warn company's reputation could suffer if it moves too fast on AI-chat technology
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Some of them are wondering where Google is in the race to create sophisticated chatbots that can answer user queries. After all, Google's prime business is web search, and the company has long touted itself as a pioneer in AI. Billions of people across the globe use Google's search engine, while ChatGPT just crossed 1 million users in early December. Taking Google 'for granted'Employees had other concerns about Google search. Industry estimates still show that Google holds at least 90% of the search market, and the company remains under scrutiny by regulators.

☆ All those tech workers who've been laid off this year? New data suggests they're going to be just fine in the job market.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

You could do worse than an exit package from Big TechNearly 150,000 tech workers have lost their jobs in 2022, according to the layoff-tracking platform Layoffs.FYI. But tech workers are not likely to be out of a job for long. 'Pent-up demand' for tech workers in healthcare, defense, and bankingMost of the job growth for tech workers is in other industries, the Dice report found. The unemployment rate for the tech industry is hovering around 2%, according to an analysis by CompTIA, an industry association. "The arms race between tech companies on comp and benefits is over."

☆ Tumblr Shoots for a Comeback With Users and Advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Wireless company Verizon Communications Inc., which bought Yahoo in 2017, saw Tumblr users nosedive when it banned adult content, including nudity, in 2018. Tumblr users in the past month have depicted anthropomorphized versions of the Tumblr and Twitter logos, for example, having a quasiromantic relationship. And in April, it introduced Tumblr Blaze, which offers users, including brand accounts, wider exposure for their posts. Advertisers that create custom campaigns using the parlance popular among Tumblr users to appeal to particular communities usually see the best engagement, according to Tumblr’s chief marketing officer, Matthew Ryan. Some of the most active advertisers on Tumblr are movie and television studios that create Tumblr campaigns for die-hard fans of genres or series, Mr. Ryan said.

One technologist went as far as saying that with ChatGPT, "College as we know it will cease to exist." Artificial intelligence company OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding cheating concerns. In reality, AI tools like ChatGPT could actually be used to enhance education, according to Paul Fyfe, an associate professor of English at North Carolina State University. Computer-assisted writing tools, such as Grammarly or Google Doc’s Smart Compose, already exist — and have long been utilized by many students. For now, he suggested an older technology to combat fears of students using ChatGPT to cheat.

☆ India cenbank says digital currency transactions to stay largely anonymous
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nupur Anand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India started the pilot project for its digital currency, or e-rupee, from Nov 1, when it was opened for initial trial. Then only being used by banks for settlements with each other, the scope of the project was expanded to include consumers and retailers-led transactions from Dec. 1. "E-rupee is money, UPI is a payment method," RBI's Sankar said. "Digital currency is like payment of cash, it is possible that two private entities can provide wallet features and money can move in between them. That is not possible with UPI which has to be from one bank to the other," he said, adding that e-rupee provides privacy unlike UPI.

☆ These riderless electric lawn mowers can run on their own for 10 hours
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Now a Colorado-based startup is experimenting with commercial-grade electric mowers that not only produce no carbon emissions, but can run on their own. Scythe Robotics' autonomous electric mower can run for 8 to 11 hours at a time, depending on the grass length. Now it is experimenting with Scythe mowers. Beyond electrification's effect on carbon reduction, Morrison claims that the self-driving aspect of the mowers also benefits the planet. If a person doesn't have to spend hours mowing lawns, they have more time to do other landscaping work.

☆ Senators Urge Biden Administration to Provide Ukraine With Armed Drones
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | Gordon Lubold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of U.S. senators urged the Biden administration Tuesday to reconsider its decision to not give Ukraine advanced drones, saying that technology could help Kyiv to hold its territory and gain battlefield momentum. In a Nov. 22 letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin , 16 senators urged the administration to give Ukraine MQ-1C armed drones, or Grey Eagles, which are medium-altitude armed drones that can fly for more than 24 hours.

☆ U.S. weekly jobless claims fall despite surge in technology layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The surge in technology layoffs has raised fears that a recession was imminent. They argued that technology job openings remained well above their pre-pandemic level. They also noted technology sector layoffs have not historically been a leading indicator for deterioration in the overall labor market. The claims data covered the week during which the government surveyed business establishments for the nonfarm payrolls component of November's employment report. The so-called continuing claims, a proxy for hiring, increased 13,000 to 1.507 million in the week ending Nov. 5, the claims report showed.

☆ The tech firms laying off hordes of staff right now will regret it, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Major tech firms including Alphabet, Meta, Snap, and Twitter have laid off staff or frozen hires. But layoffs take the sheen off big tech firms' brand image, two tech execs told Insider. Tech firms that are slashing jobs and laying off staff are making a "major mistake" because future candidates will remember how those organizations acted during the downturn, tech and hiring execs say. "You're cutting your investment in future technology, that's number one. Instead of taking a hardline cutting and savings approach, tech firms should refocus on retaining loyal employees and cultivating talent.

☆ Ford vs. GM: Same Industry, two increasingly different companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article FGM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTJim Farley, CEO, Ford, left, and Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors Reuters; General MotorsDETROIT — "Same industry. GM has gained an edge in recent years on the back of better financials and early moves into electric and autonomous vehicles. GM most recently reported third-quarter results that, compared to Ford, knocked it out of the park. The investment cases for America's largest automakers are increasingly diverging as the companies — separated by just $1 billion in market value — have taken different tacks around electric and autonomous vehicles. Ford expects at least 40% of its sales globally to be electric vehicles by the end of this decade.

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