DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Exclusive: Afghan government officials helped smugglers sneak almost $1 billion in cash and gold out of Afghanistan as the US-backed government neared collapse, documents show
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Edris Lutfi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The office of Ashraf Ghani, the US-backed Afghan president, had been informed about the problem, insiders say. The smuggling flouted Afghan laws requiring travelers to declare cash or gold worth $10,000 or more and a strict ban on exporting $20,000 or more. The documents identify the two men as being part of the 2021 smuggling ring; they do not allege who was behind the $824 million smuggled in 2019 and 2020. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani meets with President Joe Biden in June 2021. The UAE is also the home of Ghani and Noor, the former provincial governor with alleged ties to the Hairatan smuggling ring.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

☆ Two Tesla employees say they were illegally fired for complaining about Elon Musk's tweets and strict return-to-office policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two Tesla workers claim they were illegally fired for criticizing Elon Musk and company policy. The workers claim they were cut loose for discussing their working conditions, including "Tesla's failure to enforce its non-harassment policy and its implementation of its post-COVID return to office policy," according to the filings. One letter called for changes to the company's strict return-to-office policy announced in May, which required all Tesla employees to work from a company office for at least 40 hours per week. The other was told that organizing employee discussions amounted to an "attack" on Tesla, according to a filing. In June, a group of SpaceX employees filed a similar complaint saying they were fired after writing an open letter calling out Musk's behavior.

☆ Car prices could drop 20% next year. Here's where to expect the best deals first.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tim Levin | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After years of high prices and low inventory, car buyers might finally see things go their way. Consider certain brands or vehicle types if you’re car shopping in 2023. As a result, JPMorgan says, used car prices could fall by as much as 20% in 2023, and new car prices could drop by 5%. "The biggest, fastest drop in prices in returning toward normal, pre-pandemic prices would probably be in those segments," Brauer said. Pickup trucks, though popular in general, don't have great fuel economy, so prices have softened amid higher-than-normal gas prices, Brauer said.

☆ Toyota's CEO isn't fully sold on electric cars — and he says a 'silent majority' is on his side
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Toyota boss Akio Toyoda has long said that electric cars aren't the only way forward for the auto industry. He said a "silent majority" in the auto business agrees with him. But Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, isn't quite sold on electric vehicles. "That silent majority is wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option. Not everyone is ready for an electric car, the automaker has said, due to high prices and underdeveloped charging infrastructure.

☆ There's a growing chance your next electric car will be built by the same company as your iPhone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It's making deals to build cars for electric-vehicle startups — and someday wants to build cars for Tesla. Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics giant that assembles all manner of popular devices including the iPhone, iPad, Kindle, and Nintendo Switch, is diving head-first into the world of electric vehicles. Foxconn unveiled an electric pickup truck prototype in October. Lordstown Motors just recently started shipping out Foxconn-made electric pickup trucks to customers. Volkswagen is considering hiring Foxconn to build its new Scout-branded electric SUV and pickup truck destined for US buyers, Germany's Automobilwoche reported in November.

☆ Yes, electric vehicles are greener than gas cars — even when they use dirty power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There's a persistent myth that electric vehicles are somehow worse for the planet than regular cars. But building an EV creates more planet-warming emissions than making a gas vehicle. But mining the necessary cobalt, refining the lithium, and packaging it all into little cells that fit neatly in a larger pack creates significant greenhouse gas emissions. But zooming in on specific regions reveals how vastly EV emissions vary across the country. Electric cars that hit American roads in 2030 could have a 76% greener lifespan than gas counterparts if the US builds an electrical grid in line with the Paris Agreement's goals, according to the ICCT.

☆ Netflix has lost its golden touch. Here's why the streamer is so boring now.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Finance has long ranked employees, but it's been out of fashion in tech for nearly a decade. Netflix once made an explicit choice to invest in underrepresented communities, Paris Marx writes. Shows like "Orange is the New Black" and "GLOW" gave spotlights to women, queer people, people of color, and non-Americans. But, according to Marx, the company stopped prioritizing stories from underrepresented communities, and new players were throwing their hats into the streaming wars. Now, Marx writes that Netflix is filled with bland shows, half-assed reality TV, and hopelessly derivative movies.

☆ Cold weather can wreak havoc on an electric car's range, but these models do the best in frigid temperatures
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Electric cars can lose lots of driving range in freezing temperatures. Recurrent, a startup that tracks battery health, studied how 13 electric models perform in the cold. Owners of electric vehicles face an extra challenge when temperatures drop: less driving range. RecurrentAll the models Recurrent studied experienced some range loss in cold temperatures. In an analysis of 20 models, the Norwegian Automobile Association found that cold temperatures dealt an 18.5% blow to range on average and stunted charging speeds.

☆ Many laid-off tech workers are bouncing back stronger than ever. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm almost certain that this prescient verse was talking about how over half the tech workers who got laid off recently are now earning more than what they made before, according to new analysis. Laid-off tech workers are actually finding jobs quickly. Because tech workers are typically college-educated, with specialized skills in high demand across many industries, their chances of finding new jobs are pretty good in any economy. But right now, those odds are unusually good — and many tech workers are bouncing back stronger than ever. Even though tech companies are doing terribly right now, a lot of businesses in other industries are fine.

☆ Used cars are still expensive. These are the 20 best models for the money, according to a new study.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app

☆ Toyota's sleeker, quicker Prius will cost $27,450. See the new-and-improved hybrid here.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reported that the charges against Bankman-Fried include wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and money laundering. Neither the Attorney General of the Bahamas nor the Royal Bahamas Police Force would confirm the nature of the charges against Bankman-Fried. "I didn't ever try to commit fraud," Bankman-Fried said. The CFTC and lawmakers have begun their probes into FTX and Bankman-Fried, who told Sorkin he was down to his last $100,000. Failed lender BlockFi sued Bankman-Fried in November, seeking unnamed collateral that the FTX founder provided for the crypto lending firm.

☆ Electric cars make utility bills cheaper for everyone, new research finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Electric cars are helping push electricity rates down in the US, according to a new study. They bring lots of revenue to utility companies, but don't cost much to provide energy to. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Researchers at Synapse Energy Economics zeroed in on three California utilities that serve lots of households with electric cars (more than 735,000 at the end of 2021). Synapse Energy EconomicsSo utilities and their shareholders are getting rich off of Tesla drivers?

☆ These are the 10 coolest electric cars sold around the world that you can't buy in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

What really sets Nio apart is its battery-swapping tech. Pull into a Nio battery-swapping station and you can be back on the road with a full charge in minutes. Nio battery swapping station. Jin Zheming/VCG via Getty Images

☆ We got an early look at Volkswagen's nostalgic electric minivan — see inside the ID.Buzz
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

If you're a fan of all this cuteness and you live in the US, you'll have to wait a while. Commercial and passenger ID.Buzz models go on sale in Europe later this year, but it only hits US shores in 2024. The Volkswagen ID.Buzz. Tim Levin/Insider

☆ Ford unveiled a $1.7 million, track-only supercar with 800 horsepower — and it's only making 67 of them
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Its final sendoff is the $1.7 million Ford GT Mk IV, the most powerful GT to date. The Detroit automaker on Friday unveiled the 2023 GT Mk IV, an extremely limited, $1.7 million version of its GT supercar. The 2023 Ford GT Mk IV. The GT Mk IV is the most powerful GT to date, promising to crank out more than 800 horsepower from a unique twin-turbocharged engine. The 2023 Ford GT Mk IV.

☆ A Warren Buffet-backed Tesla competitor is making a dent in Elon Musk's EV empire
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's BYD is quickly gaining on Tesla, the world leader in electric car sales. This year, it kicked combustion-engine cars to the curb and has grown its EV business at an explosive pace. In 2021, the Warren Buffet-backed carmaker shipped some 320,000 pure electric vehicles (not including the plug-in hybrid vehicles that still make up much of BYD's sales). BYD's epic rise comes amid signs that Tesla is losing steam in China, the world's biggest market for electric cars. Some industry watchers like Michael Dunne, founder of the EV industry consultancy ZoZoGo, think BYD is primed to become the EV sales leader and dethrone Tesla.

☆ A TikToker who 'consensually' doxxes people says it's easier than you'd think
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today, I am introducing you to a viral phenomenon that certainly wasn't on my 2022 bingo card: "consensual doxxing." Meet a TikToker who's gone viral for her "consensual doxxing" content. But one TikToker has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers who want her to expose their secrets. Kristen uses her platform to "consensually dox" users and reveal their birthdays using just social media — and has become a data-privacy educator by proxy. Users are often shocked by how easy it is for her to find out their information, Kristen said.

☆ Batteries got more expensive in 2022 after years of dropping prices — and it could delay access to cheaper electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The world may need to wait longer than expected for affordable electric cars. BloombergNEF graph of battery prices over time. BloombergNEFAs electric cars have graduated from niche to mainstream, battery costs have plummeted. And those steadily declining prices held the promise that someday EVs would cost roughly the same as combustion-engine cars and trucks. BloombergNEF expects battery prices to rise slightly in 2023 before continuing their downward trend in 2024 as lithium mining and processing ramps up.

☆ I drove BMW's $96,000 Tesla rival. Take a full tour of the luxurious — and polarizing — iX SUV.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The iX has caught heat for its divisive, beaver-tooth grille. But chuck all the insults you want at it — it's made of a plastic that heals itself of any nicks and scratches. The 2022 BMW iX xDrive50. Tim Levin/Insider

☆ Faster acceleration is just a click — and a credit card payment — away in new electric cars as the likes of Mercedes jump on a trend set by Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Tim Levin | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Both brands recently introduced software updates that boost a car's performance for a fee. Tesla pioneered using software updates to unlock special features in its cars. Luxury automaker Mercedes will soon offer an "Acceleration Increase" feature for its EQS and EQE electric sedans and their SUV counterparts. Tesla pioneered remote software updates in cars and offers extra performance to owners of its Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV who cough up a couple thousand dollars. Big-picture software playEfforts to monetize software-enabled features go beyond performance upgrades.

Gonzalez did his own spending and campaigning, but amid an onslaught of Republican spending in the region’s elections, the DCCC ads were welcome, Gonzalez’s campaign said. “We did historic investments when it came to Latino voters and voters of color,” said Maríafernanda Zacarías, DCCC senior adviser for Latino engagement. That Latino spending was just one portion of the big-money ultimately unsuccessful effort to hold the House Democratic majority. Democrats invested in holding their Latino support and “mostly succeeded,” said Angle, who runs the Lone Star Project supporting Texas Democrats. Republican Rep. Mike Garcia defeated Democrat Christy Smith to return to Congress for California’s 27th Congressional District, based in northern Los Angeles.

☆ You now have another 2 years to get a Real ID for flying in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US flyers now have an extra two years to get a Real ID-compliant form of identification. The US government has pushed the Real ID deadline multiple times. Once it does, air travelers 18 and older will need a Real ID-compliant driver's license or other federally approved form of identification to board domestic flights. DHS said COVID-19 slowed down the process for getting a Real ID. The Real ID Act, passed in 2005 in the wake of the September 11 attacks, established minimum security standards for driver's licenses and other forms of ID.

Bankman-Fried could face a host of potential charges – civil and criminal – as well as private lawsuits from millions of FTX creditors, legal experts told CNBC. There are three different, possibly simultaneous legal threats that Bankman-Fried faces in the United States alone, Levin told CNBC. He told CNBC, "prosecutors would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bankman-Fried or his associates committed criminal fraud." (Carter was not an FTX investor, and told CNBC that his fund passed on early FTX rounds.) "People should not jump to the conclusion that something is not happening just because it has not been publicly disclosed," Levin told CNBC.

Search resuls for: "Levin"

25 mentions found