Challenger report: US tech companies have announced 136,831 layoffs in 2023 so far, more than in any full year since 2001, when job cuts reached 168,395 (Alexandre Tanzi/Bloomberg)

Alexandre Tanzi / Bloomberg:
Challenger report: US tech companies have announced 136,831 layoffs in 2023 so far, more than in any full year since 2001, when job cuts reached 168,395  —  US companies have announced more job cuts this year than during all of 2022, according to executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

AT Protocol's account portability tool gives the users of Bluesky, a public benefit LLC independent from Twitter, a way out should a billionaire take over (Micah Lee/The Intercept)

Micah Lee / The Intercept:
AT Protocol's account portability tool gives the users of Bluesky, a public benefit LLC independent from Twitter, a way out should a billionaire take over  —  Here are some answers about the new social media network Bluesky that you don't need an invite to see. … The vibes are great.

Government of India offering free laptop to students scheme is fake: PIB Fact Check

A fake scheme claiming that the Indian government is offering free laptops to youth under the Prime Minister Free Laptop Scheme 2023 is circulating on the internet. PIB Fact Check has confirmed that this claim is false, and that the education ministry of India isn’t running any such scheme to offer free laptops. The scheme asks students to submit registration forms on the official website and login with required details to receive a Lenovo laptop. Students are advised to avoid the scheme to prevent getting scammed. https://ift.tt/C6yF4bx

LA- and Bengaluru-based hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel raised a $36M Series B led by Google, after launching three demonstration satellites in 2022 (Aria Alamalhodaei/TechCrunch)

Aria Alamalhodaei / TechCrunch:
LA- and Bengaluru-based hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel raised a $36M Series B led by Google, after launching three demonstration satellites in 2022  —  Hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel has closed $36 million in funding as it prepares to roll out new remote sensing and analytics capabilities to customers.

Russia accuses US of using Apple iPhones for spying

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused the US of using Apple iPhones to spy. The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB said that it had uncovered a US National Security Agency (NSA) plot using previously unknown malware to access specially made so-called backdoor vulnerabilities in Apple phones. Incidentally, this is the same NSA that had tried to garner public opinion on its side as it objected to Apple's refusal to give it access to user data. https://ift.tt/HdrTyxn

A look at the grotesque world of AI true-crime-victim TikTok, where AI deepfakes, based on images of children who were abused, describe their own ghastly demise (EJ Dickson/Rolling Stone)

EJ Dickson / Rolling Stone:
A look at the grotesque world of AI true-crime-victim TikTok, where AI deepfakes, based on images of children who were abused, describe their own ghastly demise  —  TikTok accounts are posting horrifying artificial intelligence-generated clips of murder victims — mostly children — describing their own ghastly demise

OnePlus 11 Genshin Impact likely to launch in June: What to expect

OnePlus 11 5G made its debut in India earlier this year. It seems the company is still not done with its latest premium iteration as it is planning to launch a new edition of the OnePlus 11 5G model. Tipster Max Jambore has claimed that OnePlus may soon launch a special version of the phone in India later this month. Dubbed the OnePlus 11 Genshin Impact Limited Edition, the smartphone is likely to make its debut in India and China. The company has previously launched the Genshin Impact Limited Edition of the OnePlus Ace 2 and OnePlus Ace Pro in China. OnePlus has not confirmed any details about the launch of the special edition OnePlus 11. https://ift.tt/Vm9vG5I

KPMG, Coatue, VC firm Headline, and other investors are using AI to help pick acquisition targets and startups for investment, hoping for an edge over rivals (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
KPMG, Coatue, VC firm Headline, and other investors are using AI to help pick acquisition targets and startups for investment, hoping for an edge over rivals  —  Accountancy firm KPMG, hedge fund Coatue and VC firm Headline among those incorporating the technology

Xiaomi announces Summer Service Camp 2023: Here’s what the users will get

Xiaomi has announced a new service for its customers. The Chinese smartphone maker has announced the Summer Service Camp for 2023. The service camp will start on June 1 and it will be held at over 1000 authorised Xiaomi service centres in the country. https://ift.tt/wqN5DOG

How the Shoggoth, a character from a 1936 H.P. Lovecraft novella, became a meme among AI workers as a metaphor for not fully understanding LLMs' inner workings (Kevin Roose/New York Times)

Kevin Roose / New York Times:
How the Shoggoth, a character from a 1936 H.P. Lovecraft novella, became a meme among AI workers as a metaphor for not fully understanding LLMs' inner workings  —  The Shoggoth, a character from a science fiction story, captures the essential weirdness of the A.I. moment.

Google officially ends support for 1st-generation Chromecast

Google launched its 1st generation Chromecast in 2013. The tech giant has now quietly announced that the company has ended support for the device. This means that Google will no longer offer updates to the 1st generation Chromecast. https://ift.tt/xhK0C9J

An investigation into Papa, a TaskRabbit-like service for seniors that has raised $240M, finds dozens of allegations of harassment, assault, theft, and more (Priya Anand/Bloomberg)

Priya Anand / Bloomberg:
An investigation into Papa, a TaskRabbit-like service for seniors that has raised $240M, finds dozens of allegations of harassment, assault, theft, and more  —  If you've been to an annual open enrollment fair in the past few years, you may have noticed a new eldercare benefit with the unusual name of Papa.

Foxconn predicts "triple-digit growth in AI servers" in H2 2023 as demand skyrockets; in 2022, Foxconn made ~$36B in server revenue out of its $215B total (Kathrin Hille/Financial Times)

Kathrin Hille / Financial Times:
Foxconn predicts “triple-digit growth in AI servers” in H2 2023 as demand skyrockets; in 2022, Foxconn made ~$36B in server revenue out of its $215B total  —  Apple's largest manufacturer says demand for servers needed to run ChatGPT-like services will double this year

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says the company had "serious issues" in leadership, people, and methodology, discusses the rough turnaround, competitors, and more (Asa Fitch/Wall Street Journal)

Asa Fitch / Wall Street Journal:
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says the company had “serious issues” in leadership, people, and methodology, discusses the rough turnaround, competitors, and more  —  Rivals such as Nvidia have left the chip company far behind.  CEO Pat Gelsinger aims to reverse firm's fortunes by vastly expanding its factories.

Why Amazon is joining hands with UP Police for these Nukkad Nataks

The Uttar Pradesh Police and Amazon India are coming together to tackle the menace of online shopping scams with a consumer education and awareness campaign, Mission GraHAQ. The two partners are collaborating to explore several joint initiatives aimed at empowering consumers to shop online with greater confidence. https://ift.tt/YAPFOxd