Staff Writer - itbusinessdirect

People Can Now Hide Pestering ads on Google

January 29, 2018October 24, 2024 Staff Writer

Google will now let people mute advertisements that encourage them to buy products from websites they have previously visited. So-called reminder ads track which products people have looked at online and then promote them across the web. Google said reminder ads were “useful” but said it wanted to give people “more control” over what they see online. Individual reminder ads will be “mutable” on websites that use Google’s services to provide adverts. Muted promotions will be replaced with other adverts. There will not be a way to opt out of…

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Tesla new responds to Model 3 production issues

January 26, 2018October 24, 2024 Staff Writer

Well-known are Tesla’s Model 3 EV delays, including in the company’s own earnings report and quarterly delivery numbers. A fresh report from CNBC on Thursday claimed that Model 3 production was even more delayed than it appeared, with specific continued issues around battery manufacturing. CNBC also suggested that the company is “not close” to mass-production of the batteries required for its $35,000 trim level Model 3. Tesla initially responded to the news outlet pointing them to prior comments made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and CTO JB Straubel regarding its current…

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Former Employees New Confirmation that Lyft Staffers Spied on Passengers

January 26, 2018October 24, 2024 Staff Writer

Just like Uber’s scandal, Lyft staffers have been abusing customer insight software to view the personal contact info and ride history of the startup’s passengers. One source that formerly worked with Lyft says that widespread access to the company’s back end let staffers “see pretty much everything including feedback, and yes, pick up and drop off coordinates.” When asked if staffers, ranging from core team members to customer service reps, abused this privilege, the source said “Hell yes. I definitely looked at my friends’ rider history and looked at what…

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New Study Shows that Top Video Games Depict Unrealistic Drugs Use

January 25, 2018October 24, 2024 Staff Writer

Harmful narcotics often give unlikely strength and health boosts to characters, a study of real and made-up drugs in best-selling video games has highlighted. The report also details how players are often prompted to create drug cocktails to gain new or enhanced abilities. The work was done by Archstone, an addiction awareness organisation. It said parents needed to be cautious about what their children are playing and learning. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns age and content ratings to games in the US, says it is happy with…

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Latest: Sky TV Will No Longer Use Satellite Dish

January 25, 2018October 24, 2024 Staff Writer

Sky TV’s move to make all its channels and content available online means customers will no longer need a satellite dish on their property. The pay TV company already offers some programming online on its Sky Go and Now TV services and through Sky boxes. Sky termed the move a “major development” that would reduce costs and allow it to enter new markets. It hopes that making its hundreds of channels more widely available will increase both revenue and profits. Italy will be its first market to get all Sky…

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Two New Separate Self Drive Car Accidents Reported

January 25, 2018October 28, 2024 Staff Writer

Two self drive cars, namely a Tesla Model S and a General Motors Chevy Bolt, have been involved in separate road accidents in California. Culver City’s fire service said the Tesla had “ploughed into the rear” of one of its fire engines parked at the scene of an accident on Monday. On his part, the car owner claimed it had been in Autopilot mode at the time. The GM incident resulted in a collision with a motorbike in San Francisco. The rider says the car – which was using GM’s…

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Microsoft boss: New World needs more computing power

January 24, 2018October 28, 2024 Staff Writer

The world is rapidly “running out of computing capacity”, the head of tech giant Microsoft has warned. Satya Nadella said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that superfast quantum computers were needed to solve some of the most difficult problems. Mr Nadella cited the quest to create a catalyst that can absorb carbon, in order to help tackle climate change. This, he cautioned, would likely not be achieved without an increase in computer processing power. “Moore’s Law is kinda running out of steam,” Mr Nadella told assembled delegates, referring…

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Stripe’s New Ditch of Bitcoin Calls for Rethink of what the Cryptocurrency is good for!

January 24, 2018October 28, 2024 Staff Writer

Stripe has announced that it’s dropping support for Bitcoin-based transactions on its payments platform, citing high transaction confirmation times and numerous failures, as well as fees that are now as expensive as bank wires. That’s a huge blow to the cryptocurrency, not just because it’ll see fewer transactions, but also because it’s a sign that companies and consumers are growing disinterested in using Bitcoin to pay for things. Valued at $9 billion, Stripe is a major payments service provider in 25 countries, and the company claims to process billions of…

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