Tag Archives: Tech

Ireland embraces tech giants while neglecting public services

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IIn 1956, a man
TK “Ken” WhitakerAn Irish civil servant by training as an economist, he was appointed Permanent Secretary to the Treasury in Dublin at the relatively young age of 39. From his vantage point as the head of the national treasury, the outlook was bleak. The Republic of Ireland was in deep economic and social crisis. It had no natural resources, little industry, and was in deep depression. Inflation and unemployment were high. Ireland’s main export was young people, who fled by the thousands each year in search of work and a better life. The proud dream of Irish independence produced an impoverished nation of priests on the verge of collapse.

Mr. Whitaker quickly assembled a team of young officials to critically analyze the country’s economic failures and devise a series of policies to remedy them. As a result, a report titled “First Plan for Economic Expansion” was published in November 1958, and subsequently
Sean Lemas He was elected Taoiseach (Prime Minister) in 1959 and became Ireland’s survival strategy.

At its heart were several important proposals. Ireland will have to embrace the idea of free trade. That would mean boosting competition and ending the protectionism that had been a feature of Irish economic policy under Lemas’s predecessor Airmon de Valera (whose economic philosophy was once described as “non-British”). But most importantly, the strategy requires that Ireland must welcome foreign capital in the future, which essentially means being nice to national companies, giving multinationals generous tax breaks, giving them help finding land to build on, and generally being responsive to their needs.

Whittaker’s strategy was bold, but it worked. (Of course, joining the European Economic Community in 1973 didn’t hurt either.) The republic moved from a state of deep socio-economic problems to an apparent paradigm of neoliberal prosperity. I have transformed. Foreign companies (mainly American companies) flooded in. German crane manufacturer Liebherr was an early entrant. In 1980, he was followed by Apple, and then came pharmaceutical companies. (Perhaps Viagra is manufactured in Ireland, once the holy land of Catholicism.) Then along came the big technology companies, many of which now have their European headquarters in Dublin.

If any of these behemoths had any doubts about coming to the Emerald Isle, two things would have reassured them. The first is Brexit. These companies had to join the EU. The second was how the republican government rushed to the rescue of one of its compatriots, Apple. When the European Commission concluded in 2016 that the company had been unfairly granted €13 billion in tax exemptions by Irish authorities, Apple not only successfully appealed this decision in 2020 but also had a similar ruling in 2020. was lowered.
The republican government did it.. Think about it for a moment. A small country is refusing to accept her 13 billion euro payment. (Incidentally, the Commission has appealed this decision, and it appears Apple may still have to pay an additional €1.2 billion in interest. This money is currently held in an escrow fund with the Irish government.)

But the subconscious message to corporate bosses was: “If you run into trouble with the EU, we will support you.” This message may have reached Beijing as well. In any case, it is
interesting to learn It comes just as the US and EU are considering cracking down on TikTok (whose owner ByteDance, coincidentally, is based in Dublin), and the Irish government is considering cracking down on popular e-commerce app Temu and other companies. It says that it welcomes Chinese-funded companies. Shein, and tech company Huawei.

I might regret this for the rest of my life, but for now, isn’t that all the treble? Only up to a certain point. On the one hand, the influx of foreign capital into Ireland was transformative. Tax revenue from resident high-tech companies is, on paper, making the country richer. The government is paying out of its ear.

surplus

65.2 billion euros by 2027.



Meanwhile, Ireland faces some difficult problems. For example, corporate wealth has done to Dublin what Silicon Valley did to San Francisco, turning a once livable city into a highly unaffordable metropolis. There is a huge
lack of affordable housing. A related homelessness crisis: around 12,000 people are in emergency accommodation, with an average monthly rent of €1,468. Add to that a creaky public health service (along with lavish and expensive private health services).

And it is the only country in Europe.
Population explosion underway: Current demographic trends indicate that the Republic
The population in 2016 was 4.7 million
somewhere in the range of about $5.5 million.
6.7 million people by 2051 By the end of this century, there will be 10 million people living on the entire island of Ireland.

There is a paradox here. Mr. Whitaker’s strategy is to build enough affordable housing to build all the affordable housing the country needs, to fund a world-class public health system, and to build a mass transit system that frees up the nation’s capital. It brought in tax revenue and created a society that was clearly richer than his wildest dreams. Traffic congestion, electrification of everything, etc. Nevertheless, it is ruled by a coalition government that appears unable to look ahead to the next election. Perhaps it is true that we are getting the government we deserve.

what i was reading

A game with a frontier

A great essay by Bruce Schneier
How “Frontier” became the slogan for uncontrollable AI.

talking points

Salvo, Volume 5 Featuring a fascinating interview transcript by Gavin Jacobson.
new statesman With the famous French economist Thomas Piketty.

into the clouds

The incredible ecological impact of computing and the cloud Anthropologist Stephen Gonzalez Montserrat details what he learned while working in a giant data center.

Source: www.theguardian.com

“British tech company accused of being ‘controlling’ as Mike Lynch fraud trial continues into second day” | Autonomy

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British entrepreneur Mike Lynch faced arrest on the first day of his criminal trial, where prosecutors portrayed him as a controlling boss who orchestrated a massive fraud. Lynch is set to appear in court in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Co-founder of Autonomy, Lynch is accused of inflating the software company’s sales, misleading auditors, analysts, and regulators, and threatening those who raised concerns before its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Lynch’s lawyers plan to have him testify once prosecutors complete their case against him. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

A deal by HP to acquire Autonomy for $11.1 billion soured when HP reduced the purchase price by $8.8 billion due to alleged accounting irregularities, omissions, and misstatements in the business.

As the trial commenced, prosecutors called on Ganesh Vaidyanathan, Autonomy’s former head of accounting, as the first witness to testify about accounting issues raised in 2010.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Reeves argued that Lynch presented Autonomy as a successful company to HP but that its financial statements were false and misleading due to accounting tricks and concealing hardware sales.

Chamberlain, Autonomy’s financial director, also pleaded not guilty to charges related to falsifying documents and misleading auditors, with his attorney suggesting he was a pawn caught in a battle between giants.

Lynch alleges Autonomy’s poor performance post-acquisition was due to mismanagement by HP, not wrongdoing before the acquisition, as he spent time preparing for trial under house arrest.

Extradited from Britain to the U.S. last year, Lynch posted bail and wears a GPS tag on his ankle under 24-hour guard surveillance.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Supreme Court to Decide on Government’s Authority on Online Misinformation | Tech

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The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a case that may have significant implications for the federal government’s relationship with social media companies and online misinformation. The plaintiffs in Marcy v. Missouri claim that the White House’s request to remove false information about the coronavirus on Twitter and Facebook constitutes unlawful censorship in violation of the First Amendment.

The discussion began with Brian Fletcher, the Justice Department’s acting chief attorney general, arguing that the government’s actions do not cross the line from persuasion to coercion. He also disputed the lower court’s portrayal of events in the ruling, calling it misleading or containing quotes taken out of context.

“When the government convinces a private organization not to distribute or promote someone else’s speech, it is not censorship but rather persuading the private organization to act within its legal rights,” stated Fletcher.

The justices, particularly conservatives Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, pressed Fletcher on where the distinction lies between coercing and persuading a company. Fletcher defended the government’s actions as part of a broader effort to mitigate harm to the public.

Louisiana Attorney General Benjamin Aguignaga argued that the government was covertly pressuring platforms to censor speech, violating the First Amendment. The lawsuit, led by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, accused the government of infringing on constitutional rights.

Several justices, including liberals Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, also weighed in on the government’s efforts to address potential harm and the boundaries of the First Amendment. Sotomayor criticized the factual inaccuracies in the plaintiffs’ lawsuit.

Aguignaga apologized for any shortcomings in the brief and acknowledged that it may not have been as thorough as it should have been.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Unexpected downfall of British tech mogul Mike Lynch: From Wealth to ankle bracelets

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MTech mogul Ike Lynch, once known as Britain’s Bill Gates, has been in San Francisco for the past 10 months with a GPS bracelet on his ankle and two armed guards watching him 24/7. This week, he faces a tough battle for his freedom in court.

Thirteen years after a major acquisition involving one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent companies and Lynch’s business, his reputation as one of Britain’s top engineers has come into question. The acquisition is now the focus of a criminal fraud trial where Lynch could potentially be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.

Lynch’s spectacular downfall started with his role as co-founder of Autonomy, a software company that once made him a star in the British tech industry. His accomplishments in business earned him an OBE in 2006 for his contributions. However, his reputation is now at stake as he faces accusations related to the Autonomy acquisition.

Lynch is on a mission to prove his innocence and clear his name from the allegations surrounding the Autonomy deal. The odds are stacked against him as federal prosecutors in the US have a high conviction rate, making it challenging for defendants to win in court.

The trial will focus on the events leading up to HP’s acquisition of Autonomy in a multi-billion dollar deal that Lynch believed would propel the company to new heights in the software industry. However, the aftermath of the acquisition was far from what was expected, leading to a series of legal and financial troubles for Lynch and Autonomy.

As the trial approaches, Lynch is preparing his defense with the help of his legal team, who are working tirelessly to navigate the complex legal landscape surrounding the case. Both sides will present their arguments, and a jury will ultimately determine Lynch’s fate.

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Spanish Tech Startup Aims to Introduce 3D Printed Meat to Our Tables’

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Cocuus, a cutting-edge technology start-up headquartered in an industrial park on the outskirts of Pamplona, ​​takes on a group of drunken tourists who willingly surrender to the sound of fate, horns and hooves during a bull run in a Spanish city. They are just as happy to embrace every bit of the clichés of their sector. A festival held every July.

Table soccer? check.lager and IPA on tap? check. Inspirational Message – Preferably an homage to Alice in Wonderland with “Before Breakfast She Believes in Six Impossible Things”? Check. How about sci-fi memorabilia, perhaps Tintin's moon rocket or Alien's xenomorph head? Check. clearly.

A clue as to what's different lies in the platters of oysters, tuna, foie gras, bacon, nuggets, steak and charcuterie displayed at the bar. Nothing is what it seems. Steak and pork do contain meat, but like other dishes, they are the result of years of research into “copycat foods,” culminating in the rapid burst of 3D printing.

Founded six years ago by Patxi Larumbe and Daniel Rico, Cocuus continues its loud and disruptive quest to fuse science, technology, and nutrition. It announced its existence three years ago when the duo decided to attract meat lovers in Pamplona and beyond by 3D printing steaks and posting them on social media.




Patsi Larumbe with 3D machinery to produce shrimp. Photo: Markel Redondo/Guardian

“I knew that if I was going to print something, it had to be something that would piss people off,” says Larumbe, who quit a €100,000-a-year job in construction materials to focus on the startup.

“We knew that printing a big steak would upset a lot of people in Spain, especially in northern Spain. So we printed the steak and posted it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 700,000 people. We got replies. Most of them were people telling us to shove it up our butts. It was crazy and I was really happy.”

Even better, the product also attracted the attention of American food company Cargill, which is now one of Coccus' major investors. This Spanish company also specializes in formulations and machinery used in food printing, and for the past few years has designed and manufactured multi-nozzle printers that can create food products that mimic the taste and texture of meat and fish. . The hardware can also be painted on molded purees to look like a plate of chicken and chips or hake and peas, creating meals that stimulate the eyes and appetites of people with swallowing difficulties.

As befits a self-confessed bunch of sci-fi geeks, much of the inspiration comes from the transport plane that beams the crew of the USS Enterprise between the ship and the planet's surface. Larrambe said Social Media Steak is the result of experimenting with the idea of ​​converting steak cells into data that can be teleported. After taking X-rays and cross-sectional scans of real steaks, they located the cells that make up the meat, fat, and bones, converted them into data, and entered them into a printer.




Larumbe cooks 3D vegan steaks. Photo: Markel Redondo/Guardian

“We're a group of physicists, geometry mathematicians, geeks, and Star Trek and Star Wars enthusiasts who are starting to research food,” Larumbe says. “Every food company studies things in very similar ways, using nutritionists and food technologists, and they come to very similar conclusions to existing ones. To come up with new cakes. If you get a bunch of bakers together, they'll come up with something very similar to what already exists and what we know as cake.”

But if you combine a physicist with a nutritionist, a machine maker, a baker and a comedian, he added, “you'll create a new kind of cake.”

Cocuus' bacon and foie gras are made from a rich vegetable paste, while the steaks are made with real beef from 50kg of meat that would otherwise be discarded or made into cat food when cows are slaughtered. The fat in steak marbling is made from a vegetable mixture and is much lower in saturated fat than the real thing.

Mr Larumbe exudes confidence in his products as surely as his printers extrude meat and vegetable pastes, but he also takes a swipe at many of his supposed rivals and says they've made light work of the vegan burger boom in recent years. He dismissed it as a “bubble” and pointed out the huge costs and low costs. Yields of lab-grown meat.




Cocuus' 3D printed meat steaks contain real beef. Photo: Markel Redondo/Guardian

When asked what sets his company apart in an already crowded field, he insists it's scale. Cocuus and its partner Foody's have sold 80,000 pieces of meat-free foie gras and 200,000 pieces of cholesterol-free vegan bacon since the products hit Carrefour store shelves last September. Cocius also has the production capacity to produce 1,000 tons of bacon and his 3,000 tons of foie gras annually at his factory in the city of Tudela.

“We are the first company in the world to successfully do this on an industrial scale rather than on an experimental scale,” says Larumbe.

“Secondly, our imitation is complete and has never existed before. There was a vegetarian version, but the content was bad. Thirdly, there is something fundamentally wrong here. We have scientists coming up with different formulations and technologies. All of this means we are the most advanced company in the world in this field, and one that partners with the largest international food companies. about it.”

What has the local reaction been like in areas where beef is highly revered?

Making bacon without pigs or “seeing a bunch of idiots make steaks with 3D printing” may not be appealing to Navarre's farmers, Larumbe admits. But after learning more about the company and understanding that more money could be made for the cows thanks to new technology that utilizes parts that were traditionally thrown or fed to cats, many He says people are coming.

Once again, after spending an hour or two with him, you get the impression that Larumbe doesn't really care about other people's opinions.

“Humanity progresses because of people who disagree,” he says. “There is no progress if you and I agree. We don't agree on everything.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sheryl Sandberg: From Tech Executive to 2 Billion Dollar Woman

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MArc Zuckerberg hired Sheryl Sandberg as Facebook’s chief operating officer in 2008 as the social network grew rapidly and sought to attract investment. Zuckerberg was just 23 when he founded Facebook in his Harvard dorm room, but Sandberg, 38, was considered the “adult in the room.”

The former head of sales at Google and chief of staff at the U.S. Treasury has become one of the most influential people in global technology and one of the few women at the top of the industry. She also made a lot of money – which she is now worth after selling most of her stake in Meta, her Facebook parent company that also owns Instagram and her WhatsApp.
Nearly $2bn (£1.6bn).

Mr. Sandberg, now 54, stepped down from his role a year and a half ago, and announced Wednesday night that he would also step away from Meta’s board. “We feel now is the right time to exit,” she wrote in a Facebook post, noting that Mehta is “well positioned for the future.”

“Sheryl, thank you for your extraordinary contributions to our company and our community over the years,” said Zuckerberg, the world’s sixth-richest man with an estimated personal fortune of $133 billion. “Your dedication and guidance have contributed to our success, and I appreciate your unwavering dedication to me and Meta over the years.”

…

Mr. Sandberg was one of six executive officers.
Name as it appears in the prospectus When Facebook filed for an initial public offering in 2012. With her resignation, Zuckerberg is the only one left among the six. She was considered so important to the company’s success that she was named, along with the founder, as one of the key people who posed a potential risk to investors’ funds in the event of their departure.

…

…

Source: www.theguardian.com

UN Secretary-General condemns big tech companies for prioritizing profits over ethics in AI development at Davos 2024

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The pursuit of profits from artificial intelligence by big technology companies is reckless. Urgent action is necessary to mitigate the risks from this rapidly growing sector, the UN chief has warned.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a scathing attack on technology multinationals during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. He stated that each advance in generative AI has heightened the threat of unintended consequences.

Guterres connected the risks related to AI to those posed by the climate crisis, highlighting that the international community lacks a strategy to address either issue.

During the WEF in Switzerland, the UN Secretary-General appealed to technology industry representatives in the audience to collaborate with governments in establishing guardrails for AI.

He referred to a warning in an IMF report, saying, “This technology has great potential for sustainable development, but it is very likely to exacerbate inequality.”

Guterres argued that influential technology companies are prioritizing profits without regard for human rights, personal privacy, and social impact.

While tech companies claim to have preventive measures in place to stop AI from being used for crime or other nefarious purposes, Guterres insisted that more action is necessary, urging governments and international organizations such as the United Nations to play a role in ensuring that AI is a force for good.

He emphasized the need for governments to work with technology companies to develop a risk management framework for current AI developments and to monitor and mitigate future damage, as well as to increase access to AI to bridge the digital divide.

Sam Altman, an executive at OpenAichief, highlighted the requirement for energy breakthroughs to meet the future demands of AI. He underlined the need for climate-friendly energy sources such as nuclear fusion, cheap solar power, and storage.

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Guterres also criticized fossil fuel companies for impeding progress on climate change and stressed the importance of phasing out fossil fuels for a just and equitable transition to renewable energy.

In summary, Guterres highlighted the need for a significant global strategy to address the threats posed by climate change and uncontrolled AI.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Post Office Horizon Scandal: Valuable Lessons for Big Tech Companies to Learn

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TThe Post Office Horizon scandal has long been a frustrating one to follow as a technology reporter. Because even though it stems from the failure to deploy a large-scale government IT project, it’s not about technology at all.

In such stories there is a desire to uncover the specific fault lines that caused the disaster to occur. Taking Grenfell Tower as an example, the entire system was flawed and the investigation into the fire revealed gory details, but it is also clear that the fatal error was in covering the building with combustible panels. Identifying that fulcrum leads both ways to further questions (how were the panels deemed safe, and was the building able to be safely evacuated despite their flaws?), but the catastrophic It is clear where it is.

I feel like there should be comparable focus points in the Horizon system. “What happened at Horizon that led to so many false accounts?” is a question I’ve asked many times over the decade since I first learned of the scandal. Thanks to Computer Weekly for the coverage. I searched for systems in the hopes of finding some important crux, a terrible decision around which all subsequent problems swirl, that could be sensibly explained to provide a technical foundation for a very human story of malice and greed. I’ve been looking into architecture.

Still, the conclusion I’m forced to draw is that Horizon was really, really broken. From toe to toe, the system was terrible. Each postmaster had fundamentally different flaws, so a plethora of technical errors, worst practice decisions, and lazy cutbacks were probably part of the reason the Postal Service continued to fight for so long. Masu.

One system continued to accept input even when the screen froze, writing transactions to the database invisibly, while other systems simply had edge-case bugs in the underlying system that caused transactions to change. It just couldn’t lock when it shouldn’t have. There was also a problem with the network with the central database, causing transactions to be dropped without warning whenever there was a problem with the data connection.

Still, if you want to trace the point in time when bad IT became a crisis, you need to look completely into the technology past. The Post Office declared Horizon to be functional as legal tender. Everything that happened after that was a logical conclusion. If Horizon works, the cause of the error should be in the subpostmaster operation. If they say they haven’t made a mistake, they must have committed fraud. If they committed fraud, a conviction is morally right.

But Horizon didn’t work.

Today’s big technology companies aren’t so cocky as to claim that their software is perfect. In fact, the opposite is accepted as reality. The phrase “all software has bugs” is repeated too often and casually, implying that users are demanding too much of the technology they rely and work reliably on.

But they often still act as if they believe the opposite. My inbox is constantly filled with unmanageable people who have been falsely flagged as spammers, scammers, or robots by Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple’s automated systems. These people have lost years of shopping, lost access to friends and family, and lost the pages and profiles on which they built their careers. I can’t help them all and still do my day job, but strangely enough, the cases I decide I can contact a large company for are almost always easily resolved. It turns out.

No one would argue that even the worst software Google has put out is as broken as Horizon. (The Post Office says the current version of the software, created in 2017, has been found to be “robust compared to comparable systems.”) But the real culprit is broken software with flaws. If you’re acting like something isn’t supposed to be there, that’s serious. The tech industry may have more lessons to learn from this scandal than it’s willing to admit.

Source: www.theguardian.com

A Peculiar Tale: California Forever, the Impromptu Metropolis of Tech Tycoons

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A road sign near a property recently purchased by Flannery Associates near Rio Vista, California.

Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

For the past six years, a mysterious group called Flannery Associates has been buying up swaths of farmland in Solano County, north of San Francisco.now it has Plans to build a city on an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers have been made public, and the name of the project has been revealed. california forever.

Jan Sramek, CEO of the business, said: work Investors include venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. They are…

Source: www.newscientist.com

African American Congressional members express concerns about how tech sector layoffs may affect minority workers

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Members of the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su expressing concerns about the disproportionate impact high-tech layoffs could have on Black workers, according to a letter obtained by TechCrunch. expressed.

It was first reported The GrioThe letter includes steps the Department of Labor has taken to monitor the impact of technology layoffs on African Americans, regulations regarding business practices, and recent Supreme Court precedents to ensure that they are not treated unfairly. Contains a list of questions regarding Used to undermine a company’s DEI practices and budgets.

The technology industry has cut more than 240,000 jobs this year due to layoffs. The concern here is that the “last-in, first-out” approach to layoffs commonly adopted by companies may not be effective for new employees and less senior “non-essentials”, who are most likely to be in the minority. This could potentially affect employees in an emergency.

“Laying off the most recent hires directly impacts a group of people who have benefited from new diversity policies introduced in response to heightened race-based conversations in 2020,” the letter said. “have a significant impact.”

“While corporations reap billions in profits, Black, brown, and women tech workers bear the brunt of layoffs,” said Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, co-chair of the CBC. We’ve seen it happen,” Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, co-chair of the CBC, told TechCrunch. “Member of Parliament [Barbara] Lee and I as co-chairs CBC TECH2025is calling on governments to take steps to address this harmful and troubling trend. ”

The Ministry of Labor has not yet responded to the letter dated December 15th. A Ministry of Labor representative said, “We can confirm that we have received the letter and are considering it.”

The technology and venture industries have been facing a recession in recent years. In response to the 2020 killing of George Floyd, many companies pledged to support the Black community.But as the market slumps, the diversity pledge lack of fundsDEI jobs are being cut, and venture capital funding to Black founders continues to decline every quarter.

CBC is also being strengthened.Last week, it was I have written It called on Sam Altman and the OpenAI board to “quickly diversify the board to include subject matter expertise with perspectives from the African American community.” OpenAI Board of Directors I don’t have it at the moment Whether it’s women or people of color.

Updated to add comment from DoL. The headline has been updated to reflect that they are representatives, not senators.

Source: techcrunch.com

Top 5 Pet Tech Gifts for Your Furry Friend in 2023

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If you or someone you know is looking for a gift to pamper one of the cutest creatures on the planet, there are some strong contenders worth checking out. From smart cameras that keep an eye on mischievous puppies 24/7 to interactive toys, automatic spinning balls, and drinking fountains for cats, here are 5 high-tech pet gifts that will make your life easier and your pet’s life more enjoyable.

Introducing: PetCube Bites 2 Lite – Price: $149
It can be difficult to leave your pet alone at home, especially if your pet has very convincing puppy dog eyes or a meow that’s been trained to break your heart. A smart camera like PetCube’s Bites 2 Lite is a good option. This camera is equipped with 1080p HD video, night vision, a 160-degree lens, two-way audio, and a treat dispenser that lets you toss treats from up close or far.

Recordable Conversation Button – Price: from $40
For those looking to jump on the TikTok trend of dogs learning to “speak” specific words, investing in a recordable conversation button is a great option. Fluent Pet is a system of foam hexagonal tiles and recordable sound buttons designed to teach pets how to communicate their wants and needs.

Cheerable – Price: $35.00
Cheerable is a self-rotating ball with three interactive modes: rolling, bouncing, and glowing, providing mental stimulation, physical exercise, and even stress relief for bored pets. The toy will stay lit for up to 4 hours before needing to be charged.

Fi Smart Dog Collar – Price: $19/month
In addition to attaching to a collar using an Apple AirTag, the Fi Smart Dog Collar creates a geofence for your dog and uses algorithms to detect dog escapes and send alerts to your app. It also tracks your dog’s location, sleep, steps, and has social features that compare your dog’s activity to other users.

Petlibro Pet Fountain – Price: $31.99
Petlibro pet fountain is designed to help cats embrace their ancestral background by providing a gently flowing stream and filtered water. It is recommended to change the filter every two weeks to keep the water fresh.

These high-tech pet gifts are a fun way to interact with your pet and reward positive behavior, but remember that they are not a substitute for one-on-one attention.

Source: techcrunch.com

FTC suggests fortifying COPPA and tightening restrictions on tech monitoring of children

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The FTC proposed strengthening rules to protect children from the surveillance economy. The updated rules will require companies to get parental permission before sharing data with advertisers and prohibit them from retaining data for vague “internal operations,” among other things.

“The proposed changes to COPPA are much needed, especially in an era when online tools are essential to daily life and companies are deploying increasingly sophisticated digital tools to monitor children. Masu.” FTC Chair Lina Khan said: In a blog post. “Children need to be able to play and learn online without being endlessly tracked by companies looking to hoard and monetize their personal data.”

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has been in place since 2000 and remains effective at preventing the most egregious data collection and abuse of children, but it was last updated in 2013 and now has a new coat. can do. of paint. The FTC asked for comments a long time ago on how the rules should change, and (as is often the case with Internet privacy issues) the response was overwhelming.

“We received more than 175,000 comments after the FTC announced it was considering revisions to the COPPA rule.” the agency mentioned in a news release.. “The proposed rule reflects what he has heard from parents, educators, industry members, researchers and others, and his 23 years of experience enforcing COPPA.”

The agency will soon issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), a draft of the new COPPA regulations, that the public will be able to comment on and criticize for the next 60 days. The exact timing will depend on when this document is published in the Federal Register, which is outside the FTC’s control, but could happen in the coming weeks. In the meantime, what you can do is Watch the draft here.

The updated rules require:

  • Parents will opt-in before sharing their child’s information with third parties, unless sharing is “essential” to the service. Expect many things to suddenly “integrate” next year.
  • Narrow the loophole in “support for internal operations.” For example, Amazon exploited this exception to retain children’s information indefinitely to improve its speech recognition models. Hopefully it will be less.
  • Better justify “nudges” like push notifications to get kids to open apps or stay online.
  • We do not force children to provide personal data to use our apps or features. For example, “Give me your birthday to get her 100 free crystals.”
  • Data is not retained beyond its original stated use. As in the Amazon example, you can use your child’s voice command to launch an app (its primary use), but then you can’t “reliably” launch anything else.
  • Schools and school districts may authorize educational technology providers to collect and use personal information about students for educational purposes only.
  • “Personal information” now includes biometrics.

There are a few other details about the NPRM itself (of interest primarily to those directly involved). If you would like to know more about why these things are necessary, or why he needs COPPA in the first place, please contact Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya. We have released a helpful commentary on this topic.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) approved the update, calling it “an encouraging step toward putting safeguards in place to protect the youngest users of social media from constant surveillance and manipulation.” .

But, he continued, “Rulemaking is not a substitute for law, and Congress needs to act. Create minimum age requirements for social media use and prohibit algorithmic targeting of children and teens. We urgently need to pass legislation to protect children online.”

Given the current state of Congress and (at least) the prospect of losing a controversial election in 2024, I doubt the senators’ urgency will translate into legislation any time soon. FTC rules will need to remain in place for some time to come.

Source: techcrunch.com

‘Divergent Views on Personalization in Big Tech Prompt New EU Calls for Default Turning Off of Profiling-Based Content Feeds’

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Another policy tug-of-war may be emerging in the European Union over Big Tech’s content recommendation systems, with the European Commission ruling out profiling-based content feeds (also known as “personalization” engines that process user data). Many members of Congress are calling for the government to curb this. To determine what content to display. The tracking and profiling of users by mainstream platforms to power “personalized” content feeds has long raised concerns about potential harm to individuals and democratic societies, and whether this technology is fueling social media addiction. , some critics say poses mental health risks to vulnerable people. There are also concerns that this technology is undermining social cohesion through its tendency to amplify divisive and polarizing content that can push individual anger and anger towards political extremes.

Of letter, 17 MPs from political groups including S&D, the Left, the Greens, EPP and Renew Europe have signed the petition, which calls for recommendation systems on technology platforms to be switched off by default. The idea emerged during negotiations over the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA). ), but it was not included in the final regulations because it did not have a democratic majority. Instead, EU lawmakers agreed to transparency measures for recommender systems, along with a requirement that large platforms (so-called VLOPs) must provide at least one content feed that is not based on profiling. But in a letter, lawmakers are calling for a complete dedefault on the technology. “Interaction-based recommender systems, especially hyper-personalized systems, pose a serious threat to the public and society as a whole, as they prioritize emotional and extreme content and target individuals who are particularly likely to be provoked. ” they wrote. “This insidious cycle exposes users to sensational and dangerous content, prolonging their engagement with the platform in order to maximize ad revenue.”

Amnesty International’s experiment on TikTok showed that the algorithm were exposed to videos glorifying suicide within just an hour. Additionally, Meta’s internal research found that 64% of joins to extremist groups were due to recommended tools, and that extremists It has become clear that we are exacerbating the spread of ideology.” The phone is: Draft online safety guidelines for video sharing platforms, was announced earlier this month by the Irish Media Commission (Coimisiún na Meán). The committee will be responsible for overseeing the DSA when regulations become enforceable for covered services next February. Coimisiún na Meán is currently consulting on guidance proposing that video sharing platforms “take steps to ensure that profiling-based recommendation algorithms are turned off by default.” The publication of the guidance occurred after the following episodes. violent civil unrest in Dublin The country’s police authorities suggested the attack was fabricated by far-right “hooligans” with false information spread on social media and messaging apps. And earlier this week, Irish Civil Liberties and Human Rights Council ICCL, which has been campaigning on digital rights issues for many years, also called on the European Commission to support the Koimisiun na Mean proposal and to make it public. my report They say social media algorithms are tearing society apart and are calling for personalized feeds to be turned off by default.

In their letter, MEPs said they also accepted proposals from Ireland’s media regulator, which similarly tend to promote “emotional and extremist content” that they say could undermine civic cohesion. It suggests that it “effectively” addresses issues related to recommender systems. The letter also references recently adopted regulations. Report by the European Parliament On the addictive design of online services and consumer protection, they highlight the negative impact of recommender systems on online services, which involve the profiling of individuals, especially minors. , which aims to keep users on the platform for as long as possible, thus manipulating them.” Artificial amplification of hatred, suicide, self-harm, and disinformation. ” “We call on the European Commission to follow Ireland’s lead and not only approve this measure under TRIS, but also take decisive action.” [Technical Regulations Information System] In addition to following the steps, you can also recommend this measure as a mitigation measure for large online platforms to take. [VLOPs] 35(1)(c) of the Digital Services Act, to give citizens meaningful control over their data and online environment,” the MEPs wrote, adding: “The protection of our citizens, especially young people, is of paramount importance” We believe that the European Commission has an important role to play in ensuring a safe digital environment for everyone. We look forward to your prompt and decisive action on this issue. ”

Under TRIS, EU member states must submit proposals before they are adopted into national law so that the EU can carry out a legal review to ensure that they are consistent with the bloc’s rules, in this case the DSA. draft technical regulations must be notified to the European Commission. . This system means that domestic laws that seek to “golden” EU regulations are unlikely to pass scrutiny. As such, the Irish Media Commission’s proposal to turn off video platforms’ recommender systems by default appears to go further than the text of the relevant legislation and may not survive the TRIS process. be. However, no company has gone that far yet. And clearly not the kind of step that ad-funded, engagement-driven platforms would choose as their commercial default.

When we asked, the European Commission declined public comment on the MEP’s letter (or the ICCL report). Instead, the spokesperson pointed to the “clear” obligations regarding her VLOP’s recommendation system set out in Article 38 of the DSA. This mandate requires platforms to provide at least one non-profiling-based option for each of these systems. However, we were able to discuss the profiling feed debate with EU officials who provided background to speak more freely. They agreed that platforms could choose to turn off profiling-based recommender systems by default as part of DSA systemic risk mitigation compliance, but they still do not have initiatives that stray too far from their own policies. I have confirmed that the platform you are using does not exist. So far, we have only seen examples where non-profiling feeds are optionally provided to users, such as on TikTok and Instagram, in order to meet the aforementioned (Article 38) DSA requirement to provide users with the option of circumvention. not. Personalization of this type of content. However, this requires active opt-out by the user. On the other hand, setting a feed to non-profiling by default is clearly a stronger type of content regulation, as it requires no user action to enable. EU officials we spoke to said that the European Commission, in its capacity as enforcer of the DSA on VLOPs, is considering a recommender system, including the formal process initiated in relation to X earlier this week. admitted that. The recommendation system has also been the focus of some of the formal requests for information the commission has sent to his VLOP, including one to Instagram that focuses on child safety risks. they spoke. And they agreed that the EU could use its enforcer role, or law-abiding power, to force large platforms to stop personalized feeds by default. However, they indicated that the commission would only take such action if it determined it would be effective in mitigating a particular risk. The official noted that multiple types of profiling-based content feeds are in place, even on a platform-by-platform basis, and emphasized that each must be considered in context.

More generally, they appealed for “nuance” in the debate over the risks of recommendation systems. They suggested that the Commission’s approach here would be to conduct a case-by-case assessment of concerns and advocate for data-driven policy interventions on VLOPs rather than blanket measures. did. After all, it’s a collection of platforms as diverse as video-sharing and social media giants, as well as retail and information services and (most recently) porn sites. The risk that an enforcement decision will not be selected by legal challenge in the absence of solid evidence to support the decision is clearly a concern for the Commission. The official also wants to collect more information before making a decision on whether to recommend.

Source: techcrunch.com

Avoid These Tech Gifts for Family and Friends This Holiday Season

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It’s the season Going a little overboard with gift-giving. But this year, give yourself the gift of great security (and privacy) and avoid technologies that may introduce unwanted risks or consequences. We are not talking about things that explode in the night or suddenly break, but rather gifts that can have irrevocable or lasting consequences in the future. This year has seen several major hacks involving healthcare and genetic data, and consumer surveillance technology is becoming more commonplace to spy on unsuspecting people. everyone, an ongoing unscrupulous data operation that sells personal information to those who want to buy it. The best solution to this problem is to not get involved in the first place. We have many gift ideas for you to consider.

Things to avoid…

  • Genetic testing kits like 23andMe can have permanent and unexpected results
  • Video door phone to see and hear all
  • VPNs do not maintain your anonymity but may expose your web data
  • Tracking your kids with dangerous location tracking apps is a terrible idea
  • Cheap knock-off Android tablets can hide malware
  • For practical safety, avoid sex toys connected to the internet

Genetic testing is forever. Once you spit it into the tube and send it on its way, there’s no way to get it back. And it’s not just genes that are being digitized. You will also be sharing your genes with your immediate family and relatives. What could go wrong? This year, the profiles and genetic information of millions of 23andMe customers were removed from the company’s systems in what is believed to be the largest genetic data breach in recent years. But 23andMe is not the first victim of a data breach, nor will it be the last. Even if security isn’t a concern, the fact that these companies store large amounts of highly sensitive information to begin with makes them attractive targets for law enforcement trying to solve crimes. It becomes. And while companies like 23andMe and Ancestry have – in the past emphatically – resisted law enforcement efforts to access DNA data pursuant to transparency reports, other companies have Principle of laissez faire Approaches to accessing genetic data held by police. Jason Koebler of 404 Media I couldn’t have said it any better.: “Doing 23andMe is an irreversible act that can have unintended consequences not only for yourself, but also for your family and future descendants.”

Video door phone to see and hear all

While there may be some benefit to seeing who’s at your front door before they get there, the long-term effects of installing a video camera on your front door open up a world of surveillance to your neighborhood. You or your neighbors may be watching. Not comfortable. doorbell video recording all They use cameras and microphones to see and listen, and send the recorded footage to the cloud for later viewing. However, as a result, that footage is often also available to law enforcement and can be highly intrusive, especially if: Police obtained footage from inside the home without the owner’s permission. End-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cameras offer maximum privacy (assuming that’s the company you bought the camera from). Not lying about encryption claims) to ensure that no one other than the owner (including the company itself) can access their footage. This is a good thing, especially since companies like Ring have been fined in the past for letting their employees snoop on customers’ unencrypted videos. After resolving the charges with federal regulators, Ring now says: Staff will only access customer footage in “very limited circumstances.” Of course, Ring hasn’t said what those situations will be.

VPNs do not maintain your anonymity but may expose your web data

If you think a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will keep you anonymous on the Internet, think again. Consumer-grade VPNs hide your IP address (a series of numbers that identify you to other devices on the Internet) and make it appear as if you’re in the area, typically You can claim to allow access to blocked streaming shows. In reality, VPN providers have a negative impact on your privacy and should be avoided like the plague. A VPN allows you to divert all your internet traffic away from your internet provider and instead route it through a VPN provider that ostensibly hides your privacy. Internet traffic may include information about which websites you visit and when, and may include highly sensitive information such as passwords and other credentials. However, some VPN providers don’t even encrypt the user’s data flowing over their network, despite claiming to do so. VPN providers need to make money just like any other provider. Free her VPN providers are by far the worst offenders, as they make money by selling or sharing your internet traffic to advertisers (or other unscrupulous buyers). Even for premium or paid services, anonymity cannot be guaranteed if you are paying with a traceable method such as a credit card. If you want anonymity online, you may want to use the Tor browser. It’s slower than the typical public internet and not ideal for streaming video, but it’s a compromise you have to make to ensure maximum privacy. Otherwise, you run the risk of your VPN selling or exfiltrating your sensitive internet traffic. Also, if a VPN is right for your use case, at least consider setting up a VPN to run yourself.

Tracking your kids with dangerous location tracking apps is a terrible idea

We can all understand the stress and fear of having children in an age of stranger danger and online harm. No wonder many parents want to track the location of their children’s phones. But child tracking apps are a thorny security and privacy issue, and the data they collect rarely remains on the device. Location data is some of the most sensitive data belonging to individuals. Location information can determine where someone was at a particular time, which can be highly revealing and invasive. But for years, we’ve reported on leaked location-sharing apps that expose people’s real-time location data, as well as nefarious and buggy “stalkerware” apps that leak information to everyone on the internet. Even one of his well-known family tracking apps, Life360, was busted Sell ​​your precise location data to a data broker. There’s no reason not to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of tracking children. and your children. The key is trust, not stealth tracking. If your child consents to sharing their location, consider using the Family app or parental control apps built into most modern cell phones. Google also has Family Link, which allows Apple devices to share their end-to-end encrypted location with other Apple users, making it inaccessible to others.

Cheap knock-off Android tablets can hide malware

Cheaper isn’t always better, and Android devices are no exception. Case in point: earlier this year, EFF’s girlfriend Alexis Hancock discovered that her low-cost Android tablet given to her daughter had been shipped preloaded with software that appeared to be malware. This tablet also ran her Android software, which was released five years ago, but the app store designed for kids was also outdated. Hancock contacted the tablet manufacturer, but received no response. It’s tempting to buy a cheap device, but it’s not uncommon for manufacturers to include software for financial rebates to offset the price of the device itself. In some cases, preloaded software can send back data about the device or its user, or worse, have security bugs that can put the device’s data at risk. You may be able to recover your counterfeit tablet before you throw it away. Hancock has A great guide on how to protect your child’s Android device.

For practical safety, avoid sex toys connected to the internet

Last but certainly not least. There is a general belief in cybersecurity that any device or gadget that adds an internet connection is significantly more likely to be hacked, compromised, or tampered with remotely. One device that should not be connected to the internet is one inside your body. We’ve seen our fair share of horror stories about internet-connected sex toys. In 2020, we reported on smart chastity locks with security bugs that risked permanent lock-in. And this year, another smart sex toy maker exposed its customers’ user and location data due to a leaked server, but the company has yet to fix the issue. If your sex toy includes a phone app, there’s a good chance that the toy (or the app itself) could leak personal data, either by mistake or by sharing data with advertisers. It’s okay to be a pervert, no criticism here! However, if you absolutely must use a remote-controlled sex toy, consider a device that only has a

Source: techcrunch.com

Analyst warns that Google’s major court defeat to Epic Games may lead to reorganization of Big Tech companies due to antitrust concerns

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One of Google’s most vocal critics says Google’s “catastrophic” antitrust loss this week to “Fortnite” maker Epic Games is a huge blow to Big Tech companies and other companies. This could potentially change the situation completely, potentially exposing the company to a wave of restructuring. Matt Stoller, director of research at the antitrust watchdog American Economic Liberties Project, said the jury’s unanimous verdict that Google maintained an illegal monopoly through the Android app store was a sign that “the truly powerful Big Apple… This is the first time a “tech company” has lost a major antitrust case. case. “There will be appeals and things like that, but I think over the next five years or so Google will start to settle and agree to splits because they know they’re going to lose.” , it’s not worth it. There is a lot of legal uncertainty.” Stoller told journalist Glenn Greenwald on his show “System Update.” “I know there’s a lot of cynicism, but this is actually how we’re going to rebuild these companies,” Stoller added. “It’s kind of amazing that it actually works.” “It’s over.”Google just lost a major antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games, the first judgment of its kind against a major tech company.The potential impact on Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other companies cannot be overstated.@MatthewStoller I’ll explain 👇 pic.twitter.com/aaGQ96Bcgu— System Update (@SystemUpdate_) December 13, 2023 Stoller added that the jury’s decision sets an important new legal precedent that is likely to influence the process in a range of antitrust cases facing Google and other large companies. Google is awaiting a judge’s ruling on a landmark Justice Department case targeting its online search empire, as well as separate investigations into its digital advertising business and Google Maps business. “All of a sudden, there’s a precedent and these sneaky judges are going to have to find reasons to rule in favor of Google, whereas before they had to find reasons to rule against Google. Deaf,” Stoller said. “I think all of these lawsuits are going to be overturned, and it’s going to be much harder for Google to win the lawsuits.” As The Post reported, experts say the Google v. Epic ruling could upend the business model that underpins the company’s lucrative Play Store. The Play Store previously charged large companies up to a 30% fee on in-app purchases and required them to: Use your company’s pricing system. Matt Stoller is the research director of the American Economic Liberties Project, an antitrust watchdog group. X/@SystemUpdate_ U.S. District Judge James Donato will next decide which illegal business practices Google must eliminate. A judge could order Google to stop paying major app developers to discourage them from launching competing app stores and suspend billing requirements, among other remedies. . In May 2024, Judge Amit Mehta will decide Google’s fate in a Justice Department lawsuit that alleges it has maintained an illegal monopoly over online search. The Post reached out to Google for comment on Stoller’s comments. Google faces a series of antitrust battles in the future. EPA Meanwhile, Google has already announced plans to contest the verdict in the Epic lawsuit. “Android and Google Play offer more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform,” said Wilson White, the company’s vice president of government affairs and public policy. “This trial makes clear that we are in intense competition with Apple and its App Store, as well as the App Store for Android devices and game consoles.”

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Source: nypost.com

Top Tech Gifts Under $50 to Consider for 2023

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Tech gifts that your loved ones will use don’t have to come with a hefty price tag. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on a gift for someone, there are many great gadgets to choose from. This list includes budget-friendly gift ideas ranging from Bluetooth trackers and wireless earbuds to smart home accessories. I have personally used most of the items on this list, especially AirTags, and have even gifted some of the products to my own family (my brother has his Govee smart LED strip lights). You don’t have to spend a fortune to give someone a cool tech gift. All of these products are also easy to use, so they would make great gifts for anyone, regardless of age. This article contains links to affiliate partners where possible. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.

AirTags are a great gift for people who often misplace their belongings. AirTags help you find lost items through Apple’s “Find My” app. Small tracking devices can be attached to personal items such as wallets, bags, and keys. AirTags are also useful for friends and family who travel frequently, as they can be used to track their luggage.

Tile Pro is a great gift for both Android and iOS users. It essentially works the same way as an AirTag, as it helps you find lost items. If you’re not sure which phone the person you’re looking for a gift for has, Tile Pro is the way to go.

These wireless earbuds have 8 hours of playtime, and the charging case gives you an additional 24 hours of playtime. Very comfortable and features deep bass. These earbuds don’t have fancy features like wireless charging or noise cancellation, but they’re water resistant, making them perfect for working out.

Govee Smart LED strip lights are a great way to bring color into anyone’s home. You can use it to accent the edges of a room, brighten your TV setting, or illuminate other areas of your home. You can use the Govee Home app to control the lights, change the color of the strips, turn them on or off.

This wireless charging stand is perfect for those who don’t have one yet. The great thing about wireless charging stands as opposed to wireless charging pads is that you can easily check your notifications using the stand. The stand allows you to charge your phone vertically or horizontally, so you can also watch movies, FaceTime, and other tasks while charging.

This smart hub is the perfect gift for someone who has yet to embrace the world of smart home technology. With Echo Dot, you can play music, check the weather, set alarms, control other smart home devices, and more. The fifth generation model has improved sound and faster response times.

This wireless mouse is comfortable and designed to fit people of all hand sizes. It has a battery life of 24 months and is compatible with computers, laptops, tablets, Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux, and iPadOS. You can use it on up to three computers and customize the six buttons for a customized experience.

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to gift someone a high-quality fitness tracker. The budget-friendly Amazfit Band 7 can track several basic health metrics. It can alert you to abnormal heart rate, monitor your stress levels, and track your sleep quality. This watch has a battery life of 18 days with normal use and up to 28 days in battery saver mode.

The Philips SmartSleep Alarm Clock is the perfect gift for anyone of any age. A simulated sunrise prepares your body to wake up while you’re still asleep, improving your morning mood. You can choose from 10 brightness levels and can also be used as a bedside lamp.

UV phone sanitizer is a great gift for anyone with a phone. Considering how dirty your phone gets after leaving it on something like a restaurant table, it’s good to have a layer of protection against viruses and other harmful germs. While some are more expensive, the PhoneSoap Basic is great and lets you sanitize more than just your phone, as you can add things like keys, glasses, wallets, and more.

This wireless Bluetooth speaker is a great gift for anyone who wants to listen to music or podcasts without headphones while at home, in the background, at the beach or camping. The speaker is protected from rain, dust, snow, and spills, so you can use it almost anywhere. The speaker can play for up to 24 hours on a single charge, so you don’t have to constantly worry about battery life.

This supurs electric lighter A great gift for someone who is crazy about candles. It’s also a great tool for friends and family who love barbecuing and camping. The lighter is designed with a child safety protection device as you need to press the safety lock switch first and then press the ignition switch.

This post was originally published on November 13th and has been updated to include more gift recommendations and deals. Check out our other 2023 gift guides.

Source: techcrunch.com

Playground Global secures $410 million Fund III for early-stage deep tech investments

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playground globalThe renowned early-stage venture capital firm has brought $410 million in capital commitments to Fund III to invest in early-stage deep technology and science companies. With this new fund, Palo Alto-based Playground will have more than $1.2 billion of his assets under management.

Co-founder and general partner Peter Barrett started his career as an engineer (a video game engineer, to be exact) before becoming a venture capitalist.Interesting fact about him — he still codes every day and is touted give Elon Musk his first job.

Barrett is surrounded by similarly tech-loving general partners Jolie Bell, Matt Hershenson, Bruce Leake and Laurie Yolar, all with similar deep scientific and operational backgrounds. I have.

Together, they are attracted to companies creating next-generation technologies across the computing, automation, infrastructure, logistics, decarbonization, and engineered biology industries.

Similar to the $500 million Fund II raised in 2017, Fund III’s capital deployment will focus on seed and Series A companies with initial investments of $1 million to $20 million.

Playground is often an early or first investor, and Barrett told TechCrunch that the company “believes that only a few transformative companies are born every year.” Examples of exits from the company’s portfolio include MosaicML, which was acquired by Databricks in June for $1.3 billion, and the company that will enable Elon Musk to print the Raptor engines to power Starship, which will be announced in 2021. Includes listed Velo3D.

TechCrunch spoke with Barrett via email about how the funding landscape has changed since his last round, the lessons he learned investing in deep tech, and what he looks for in startups.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

TC: Playground last raised funding in 2017. What was the funding environment like this time around?

P.B.: The macro environment is difficult for everyone, but when I meet with investors from around the world, they avoid fads and trends and instead focus on companies and industries where real and lasting value is being created. I said I was trying. A company with excellent durability and defense.

The new fund and the raising of several of our companies have proven that there is never a bad time to invest in great companies, especially in a down market, with investors flocking to quality.

We have received significant support from our existing investors and also used this opportunity to invite new investors. Fund III expanded its LP base to include endowments, foundations, single-family and multi-family offices.

What is unique about what Playground offers to startups?

We are an early stage venture capital firm and have been true partners in our companies since our inception. When you talk to our entrepreneurs, you’ll find that they consider us both investors and co-founders. We have the unique superpower to take on and eliminate technology risks, and can leverage the roadmaps we develop to identify best-in-class emerging technologies.

And because we don’t invest in competing companies, there’s a real sense of camaraderie within our portfolio. We were introduced to several new portfolio companies by the founders of Fund I and Fund II. In addition to our platform services, our 70,000 square foot studio is home to many of our portfolio companies and other non-competitive startups deep in the tech space.

Tell us about the pivot from consumer to deep tech. What led to that decision?

When we founded Playground, our team was assembled with the goal of helping both consumer technology and deep technology companies develop. It was clear early on that our superpowers were not reading the market risk tea leaves and were taking on technological risks. By focusing on deep technology and investing in roadmaps that guide our investment decisions, we have captured an undeserved share of the world’s most innovative companies.

What did you learn from diving into deep technology?

Since we founded Playground, we have invested in deep technology companies. PsiQuantum was one of our first investments. We have learned that everything is impossible until it happens, and that the combination of prudent capital and brilliant, tenacious people can move civilization forward.

What areas of deep tech are you interested in, and which areas do you tend not to invest in?

By taking on chemistry, biology and computing as a first-principle approach, we can invest in breakthrough companies across next-generation computing, AI/automation, infrastructure, artificial biology and decarbonization. .

There is no contradiction between the resulting technology investment and significant returns. We are attracted to companies that can build large technological moats and enter markets where they are clear category leaders. We follow the roadmap and don’t surf the zeitgeist.

What do you look for in a startup?

We look for testable hypotheses that address important problems with a plausible path to success. We are not looking for potential solutions to problems. We look for solutions that bring together the right ideas, the right people at the right time.

How many investments have you made from Fund III so far?

Playground has already made several investments from Fund III including d-Matrix, Ideon Technologies, Amber Bio, Infinimmune and Atomic AI, in addition to other portfolio companies operating in stealth.

We believe that our companies, operating in stealth, are well-positioned to revolutionize green metal production and provide the foundation for the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing.

d-Matrix, whose Series A was led by Playground, secured an oversubscribed Series B round of $110 million announced in September, and has already raised another round. The company is building the next generation of AI hardware through an in-memory computing platform focused on inference in the data center.

Given your past relationship with Elon Musk, what do you think about his stewardship over X, Tesla, etc.?

We all wish Elon would focus more time on electrifying the Earth and sending rockets into space.

Source: techcrunch.com

Deep Tech: Moving Beyond Science Fiction

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These industries lead the way

Carthy Madamy
Contributor

Karthee Madasamy is the Managing Partner of. MFV partnera venture company specializing in deep tech.

After reaching the height, hit an all-time high in 2021, but startup exits hit an all-time low over the past 12 months as interest rates soared, access to cheap capital decreased, and cash opportunities dried up. . Total exits for U.S. companies and venture capital investors in the first half of 2023 were the lowest in nearly 15 years. According to PitchBook data.

However, in Q3 we saw some light at the end of the tunnel with PE/VC reaching the exit in August. Highest price in the last 22 months. Perhaps surprisingly, deep tech companies, which I define as companies leveraging new technologies, or engineering-driven innovation, contributed to the initial slow recovery of companies new to the field. are doing.See Crunch Base Billion dollar startup exits By 2023, a quarter of the 16 exiting unicorns will be deep tech companies. This comes as no surprise to our team, given the huge number of deep tech unicorns that have been born over the past few years. In 2021, we compiled a list A study of deep tech companies valued at over $1 billion found that 120 deep tech unicorns have already generated nearly $5 trillion in value.

Many earth-changing deep technology solutions are being commercialized, and the number and scale of successful exits continues to increase.

However, for those who do not closely follow the deep tech space on a daily basis, it is likely that they still believe that it is impossible to build a deep tech unicorn and that there are only a handful of opportunities to exit deep tech each year. there is. But the truth is, deep technology innovation is no longer science fiction or research experiment. Many earth-changing deep technology solutions are being commercialized, and the number and scale of successful exits continues to increase. In that sense, the exit of deep tech is no longer science fiction. To understand this better, our team recently analyzed the world’s deep technology withdrawals over the past decade (2013-2022) in what we believe is an industry first. As a result, the following was revealed.

Deep tech unicorn exits increase by 550% from 2018 to 2022

Source: techcrunch.com

Facebook disables previously used PGP-encrypted email, a feature once favored by a niche group of tech enthusiasts

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In 2015, as part of a wave to encrypt everything on the internet encouraged by the Edward Snowden revelations, Facebook announced: Allows users to receive encrypted emails from your company..

Even back then, this was a feature for paranoid users. When you turn on this feature, all emails sent by Facebook to users who opt in (primarily like notifications and private messages) will be sent using a decades-old technology called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). Encrypted.

After eight years, Facebook has discontinued the feature due to low usage, the company said. This feature was retired on Tuesday.

Message Facebook showed users ahead of deprecation of PGP-encrypted email.

Facebook declined to reveal exactly how many users are still using the encrypted email feature. It’s not hard to believe that no one was actually using it. I love encryption, but deprecating this feature makes a lot of sense.

First, you can turn off email notifications completely. The reason is simply that email notifications appear in the Facebook app or browser. Why would he want to get two notifications that a friend tagged you in a photo from a party where you were drunk without asking for permission?

For example, I was using the email encryption feature at the time, but since then I also turned off email notifications, so that feature was useless.

Also, who will be using PGP in the year of the Lord 2023? Even the inventor of PGP, the esteemed cryptologist Phil Zimmerman, has said that he does not use PGP Back in 2015.

“Ironically, I haven’t lost.” Zimmerman told me in an email at the time:.

Zimmerman said the main reason he didn’t use PGP since Symantec acquired PGP in 2010 to incorporate PGP technology into its products was because he couldn’t run the necessary encryption software on his MacBook. He said it was true. Zimmerman also said that “there was no version of his PGP that worked on iOS devices.” (It’s worth noting that you can encrypt email and files on your Mac. GPG Toolsafter its acquisition by Symantec, served as the de facto replacement for PGP (if you want to inflict that kind of pain on yourself).

I’m still using PGP very sometimes.If you want to annoy me, you can use my PGP public key Send an encrypted message. It will be much easier to read and respond if you send it on Signal or WhatsApp instead.

Rest in Peace, Facebook Email Encryption. I never really get lonely.

Source: techcrunch.com

After the recent Hamas attack, Israeli tech workers contemplate relocating to the US

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As Israel reels from Hamas terrorist attacks, some technology entrepreneurs and investors from so-called “emerging countries” are considering moving to the United States, sources tell On the Money.

“There’s a lot of patriotism going on right now, but it’s going to wane,” said one venture capitalist, who was told by several tech founders that they were considering exiting. “We saw a huge exodus of people to Miami or another city like it.”

“A lot of talented entrepreneurs don’t admit it to many people, but they are considering leaving their jobs,” he added.

Similarly, top investors who had previously traveled to Israel’s high-tech region known as “Silicon Wadi” are also canceling visits they had planned in the coming months, the people said. Ta.

Officials say employees at companies such as popular stock trading app eToro are now focused on protecting the country rather than pursuing initial public offerings.

Funding and new products are likely to be delayed given that so many high-tech workers are currently being called into combat, the source added.


Still, many venture capitalists remain convinced that Israel is the best place to hire talent and start a company.
Paola Morongello

Still, many venture capitalists remain convinced that Israel is the best place in the world to recruit talent and build companies, and that the conflict shows the strength of its people.

“I don’t think the founders will get a gratuity. I think we can get through this crisis on the same footing,” added Gigi Levy Weiss, founding partner of NFX. “We are going through difficult times and are already seeing the waves. We are not happy about this, but it does not matter to the business community.”

Israel’s vibrant technology sector accounts for nearly 20% of the country’s GDP. According to PitchBook, Israel has more venture capital firms per capita than anywhere else in the world, and most investments in Israeli startups include US-based investors.

Still, this summer was brutal even before the attack. A Startup Nation Central poll found that nearly 70% of 500 startups are considering moving some of their capital

Source: nypost.com

Chinese tech giants vie for $340 million investment in rival to OpenAI

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It is becoming increasingly clear that two parallel AI universes are forming between the United States and China. While the US has produced notable players such as her OpenAI and Anthropic, China has its own emerging candidates. One of these basic model developers, Zhipu AI, announced Today, the company announced that it has raised a total of 2.5 billion yuan ($340 million) so far this year.

Established in 2019, Chipu was Spun out from China’s prestigious Tsinghua University and is led by Tang and Jieprofessor in the university’s Department of Computer Science and Technology.

This announcement came at a sensitive time. This week, the Biden administration imposed additional restrictions on Nvidia AI chip exports to China, further hampering rivals’ ability to train large-scale language models. In anticipation of Washington’s semiconductor ban, China’s deep-pocketed AI companies are stockpiling semiconductors, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these coveted chips.

To stay in this expensive AI race, Zhipu is keeping itself well-funded by raising money from local investors. The $340 million investment was made from a renminbi-denominated fund, marking a shift from a two-decade trend in which US dollar funds were the preferred funding source until geopolitical tensions created a technology gap.

In August, President Joe Biden signed the agreement. presidential order Excludes U.S. investments in key Chinese technology areas including AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing. Although aimed at curbing China’s military buildup, the order also had a negative impact on China-focused U.S. venture capital, which currently avoids investing in sensitive areas. Some companies, such as Sequoia Capital China and GGV Capital, which were renamed Hongshan, are looking for solutions to continue operating in the market by spinning off their China divisions.

HonShan invested in Zhipu along with other prominent VCs such as Shunwei Capital and Hillhouse Capital, as well as state funds managed by Legend Capital.

The AI ​​startup has also raised funding from an impressive roster of Chinese internet giants, bringing together even its biggest rivals like Alibaba and Tencent, which rarely co-invest. The lineup includes Ant Group, Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi, Meituan, Kingsoft, TAL Education Group, and Boss Zhipin.

Zhipu recently open sourced a bilingual (Chinese and English) conversational AI model. Chat GLM-6Bhas been trained with 6 billion parameters and claims to be able to: Run inference on a single consumer graphics card. We also have an open source foundational model, GLM-130B, trained with 130 billion parameters.

Source: techcrunch.com