Zoom-call gaffes led to someone getting axed, 1 in 4 bosses say

Some Zoom miscues, like New Yorker magazine writer Jeffrey Toobin getting fired for inadvertently exposing himself, have been well-publicized. The pessimistic findings illustrate how workers are still getting accustomed to working remotely.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/zoom-call-gaffes-led-to-someone-getting-axed-1-in-4-bosses-say/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

‘The algorithm fired me’: California bill takes on Amazon’s notorious work culture

California lawmakers are taking aim at Amazon. An Assembly-passed bill is expected to soon reach the Senate floor to crack down on the opaque, algorithm-led and harsh warehouse work conditions often attributed to the Seattle technology behemoth.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/the-algorithm-fired-me-california-bill-takes-on-amazons-notorious-work-culture/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Fallen tech star Elizabeth Holmes prepares to go on trial

A jury is being assembled to decide the fate of Elizabeth Holmes, a former Silicon Valley star facing felony charges of duping her elite financial backers and a high-powered board of directors into believing she had invented a revolutionary blood-testing technology that could detect hundreds of diseases with a finger prick

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/fallen-tech-star-elizabeth-holmes-prepares-to-go-on-trial/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google again delays return to office due to COVID surges

Google is once again postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-January

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/google-again-delays-return-to-office-due-to-covid-surges/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Survey: Owners frustrated when linking phones to vehicles

A large U.S. survey of new-vehicle owners found that automobile quality rose last year, but glitches in pairing smartphones with infotainment systems frustrated owners more than anything

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/survey-owners-frustrated-when-linking-phones-to-vehicles/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

South Korea bans Google, Apple payment monopolies

South Korea’s National Assembly has approved legislation that bans app store operators such as Google and Apple from forcing developers to use their in-app payment systems

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/south-korea-bans-google-apple-payment-monopolies/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

There’s no escape from Facebook, even if you don’t use it

You pay for Facebook with your privacy. And it keeps raising the price. So what can you do to stop Facebook from following you? The whole problem with monopolies is that they leave consumers with few good choices, says tech writer Geoffrey A. Fowler.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/theres-no-escape-from-facebook-even-if-you-dont-use-it/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How to block Facebook from snooping on you

Here are seven steps you can take to keep Facebook and Instagram from gathering information about what you do outside of their apps. Yes, there's the nuclear option, but tech writer Geoffrey A. Fowler offer a few other options, too.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-to-block-facebook-from-snooping-on-you/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How to keep your phone charged and useful in a natural disaster

If you're preparing for, in the midst of, or recovering from a disaster, here are some of the best ways you can get your phone in the best shape to help you: From making a charge last as long as possible, to finding the right information online.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/how-to-keep-your-phone-charged-and-useful-in-a-natural-disaster/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Lithium fuels hopes for revival on California’s largest lake

Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around California’s dying Salton Sea

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/lithium-fuels-hopes-for-revival-on-californias-largest-lake-4/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Lithium fuels hopes for revival on California’s largest lake

Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around California's dying Salton Sea

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/lithium-fuels-hopes-for-revival-on-californias-largest-lake-3/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

California lawmakers vote to limit secret settlements

The California Legislature has voted to guarantee people can call out their bosses publicly in most harassment and discrimination cases

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/california-lawmakers-vote-to-limit-secret-settlements/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple plans to add satellite features to iPhones for emergencies

Apple's push to bring satellite capabilities to the iPhone will be focused on emergency situations, allowing users to send texts to first responders and report crashes in areas without cellular coverage.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/apple-plans-to-add-satellite-features-to-iphones-for-emergencies/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Schemer or naïf? Elizabeth Holmes going to trial

Jury selection for the trial of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the blood-testing Silicon Valley startup Theranos, begins Tuesday. She faces 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud over false claims she made about her business.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/schemer-or-naif-elizabeth-holmes-going-to-trial/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Colorado election official files suit to remove county clerk

The Colorado secretary of state has sued to remove a rural county’s election clerk who is accused of allowing a security breach of voting equipment that the FBI also is investigating

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/colorado-election-official-files-suit-to-remove-county-clerk/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon teams with Affirm to offer buy-now, pay-later option

Amazon is teaming with payments company Affirm to offer online shoppers a buy-now, pay-later option that does not involve credit cards. The increasingly common option is popular with retailers because it encourages customers to spend more.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-teams-with-affirm-to-offer-buy-now-pay-later-option/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Lithium fuels hopes for revival on California’s largest lake

Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around California’s dying Salton Sea

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/lithium-fuels-hopes-for-revival-on-californias-largest-lake-2/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

China limits children to 3 hours of online gaming a week

China is banning children from playing online games for more than three hours a week, the harshest restriction so far on the game industry as Chinese regulators continue cracking down on the technology sector.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/china-limits-children-to-3-hours-of-online-gaming-a-week/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Are you ready for sentient Disney robots?

Robots have been part of Disney’s special theme park sauce since the 1960s, when Walt Disney introduced “audio-animatronics,” his word for mechanical figures with choreographed movements. Today, the company's secretive research and development division has produced a walking, talking, emoting arboreal “Avengers” character.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/are-you-ready-for-sentient-disney-robots/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

A thumbs-down for streaming privacy | Commentary

Most of the popular streaming services and TV streaming gadgets we pay for, such as Netflix, Roku and Disney+, aren’t necessarily careful with our personal information, writes columnist Shira Ovide.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/a-thumbs-down-for-streaming-privacy-commentary/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Alphabet’s Wing touts milestone in drone deliveries

Even as government regulators in the U.S. and elsewhere hash out technical requirements for this newish class of delivery drones, Alphabet's Wing subsidiary is expanding rapidly in Australia with tests happening in Virginia and Finland.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/alphabets-wing-touts-milestone-in-drone-deliveries/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

NFTs supplant Rolexes and Lambos as the new digital savvy ‘flex’

Non-fungible tokens, which allow holders of art and collectibles to track ownership, are staging a resurgence after fading from the headlines during bitcoin's springtime swoon. But some are concerned the market will soon collapse.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nfts-supplant-rolexes-and-lambos-as-the-new-digital-savvy-flex/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Tesla on autopilot slams into Florida state police car

In the latest case of a Tesla in autopilot mode slamming into an emergency vehicle, the Florida Highway Patrol says a trooper narrowly escaped injury when the electric vehicle hit his cruiser on an interstate near downtown Orlando

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tesla-on-autopilot-slams-into-florida-state-police-car/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Buy or wait? Here’s a guide to phone upgrades

It’s almost phone season again — the time of year when companies bombard us with glitzy ads to persuade us to upgrade. Apple, Samsung and others want us to replace phones often, but many issues with current devices can be fixed, writes Brian X. Chen.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/buy-or-wait-heres-a-guide-to-phone-upgrades/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Experts warn of dangers from breach of voter system software

Republican efforts questioning the outcome of the 2020 presidential race have led to voting system breaches that election security experts say pose a heightened risk to future elections

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/experts-warn-of-dangers-from-breach-of-voter-system-software/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

China spells out how excessive overtime culture is illegal

China's tech giants and other companies are coming under scrutiny for their role in the "996" culture. The numbers refer to the common practice of working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/china-spells-out-how-excessive-overtime-culture-is-illegal/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How to deal with drying printer ink

Patrick Marshall answers questions from readers about drying printer ink, Samsung cellphones and QR codes and where to purchase Microsoft Office 2010.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-to-deal-with-drying-printer-ink/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

House panel seeks records from tech companies in riot probe

The House panel investigating the riot at the U.S. Capitol has issued sweeping document requests to social media companies

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/house-panel-seeks-records-from-tech-companies-in-riot-probe/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Rivian, an EV startup with big backers, files to go public

Rivian, an electric vehicle startup backed by Amazon, Ford, and other deep-pocketed investors, confidentially filed to become a publicly traded company

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rivian-an-ev-startup-with-big-backers-files-to-go-public/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon-backed Rivian files for IPO, seeking $80 billion valuation

Rivian Automotive Inc., the maker of electric pickups backed by Amazon.com, has filed for an initial public offering and is seeking a roughly $80 billion valuation.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-backed-rivian-files-for-ipo-seeking-80-billion-valuation/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Microsoft cloud databases vulnerable for years, researchers say

A vulnerability in Microsoft's cloud database system left data at thousands of clients exposed to potential cyberattacks for about two years, according to the Israeli cybersecurity firm that discovered the bug.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft-cloud-databases-vulnerable-for-years-researchers-say/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

T-Mobile says hacker used specialized tools, brute force

T-Mobile US said a cyberattack earlier this month that exposed millions of customer records was carried out using specialized tools to gain entry to the network, followed by brute force-style hacking techniques to access user data.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/t-mobile-says-hacker-used-specialized-tools-brute-force/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Chinese regulators to exercise more control over algorithms

Chinese regulators will exercise greater control over the algorithms used by Chinese technology firms to personalize and recommend content, in the latest move in a regulation spree across the internet sector

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/chinese-regulators-to-exercise-more-control-over-algorithms/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store, in major concession amid antitrust pressure

Apple will let developers tell its iPhone and iPad customers about ways to pay for apps outside the official App Store, it said Thursday. The move would be the biggest change Apple has made in response to accusations that it has monopoly powers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/apple-will-let-developers-accept-payment-outside-app-store-in-major-concession-amid-antitrust-pressure/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple loosens app store payment rules in lawsuit settlement

Apple has agreed to let developers of iPhone apps email their users about cheaper ways to pay for digital subscriptions and media by circumventing a commission system that generates billions of dollars annually for the iPhone maker

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/apple-loosens-app-store-payment-rules-in-lawsuit-settlement/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Spies for hire: China’s new breed of hackers blends espionage and entrepreneurship

China’s premier spy agency is increasingly reaching beyond its own ranks to recruit from a vast pool of private-sector talent. This new group of hackers has made China’s state cyberspying machine more sophisticated and dangerously unpredictable.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/spies-for-hire-chinas-new-breed-of-hackers-blends-espionage-and-entrepreneurship/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Airline lobby urges global adoption of EU vaccine passports

The International Air Transport Association urged countries around the world to adopt the European Union's Digital COVID Certificate as the global standard for vaccine certification. The vaccine passport is available in paper and digital form with a QR code.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/airline-lobby-urges-global-adoption-of-eu-vaccine-passports/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

UPS delivers first COVID vaccines by drone

UPS Flight Forward is making deliveries in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The drones open up the prospect of a quicker way to deliver sensitive medical shipments, such as to remote or rural areas.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ups-delivers-first-covid-vaccines-by-drone/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Microsoft recruits longtime Amazon cloud exec Charlie Bell

Microsoft appears to have scored a personnel win in the cloud wars, hiring cloud-computing veteran Charlie Bell, who was at Amazon Web Services as a senior vice president.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft-recruits-longtime-amazon-cloud-exec-charlie-bell/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Apple CEO poised to get $750 million final payout from award

Apple's soaring stock price has allowed Apple CEO Tim Cook to collect top payouts year after year and made him a billionaire. He currently has a net worth of about $1.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/apple-ceo-poised-to-get-750-million-final-payout-from-award/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Federal government to expand use of facial recognition despite growing concerns

The GAO said several federal agencies, including the Justice Department, the Air Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reported that they had used facial recognition software from Clearview AI, a firm that has faced lawsuits.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/federal-government-to-expand-use-of-facial-recognition-despite-growing-concerns/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Biden appeals to top tech, energy and finance executives to ‘raise the bar on cybersecurity’

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden called on the leaders of prominent businesses including Apple, Google and JPMorgan Chase to do more to respond to cybersecurity threats during a meeting Wednesday at the White House. “The reality is most of our critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and the federal government can’t […]

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/biden-appeals-to-top-tech-energy-and-finance-executives-to-raise-the-bar-on-cybersecurity/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Facebook said to consider forming an election commission

Facebook has approached academics and policy experts about forming a commission to advise it on global election-related matters, said five people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would allow the social network to shift some of its political decision-making to an advisory body.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/facebook-said-to-consider-forming-an-election-commission/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Biden tackles cybersecurity with tech, finance leaders

President Joe Biden is meeting with top executives from some of the country’s leading technology companies and financial institutions as the White House urges the private sector to help toughen cybersecurity defenses against increasingly sophisticated attacks.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/biden-to-tackle-cybersecurity-with-tech-finance-leaders/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

OnlyFans planned porn ban suspended after user outcry

OnlyFans, the subscription site known for porn, says it has “suspended” a plan to ban sexually explicit content following an outcry from its creators and advocates for sex workers

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/onlyfans-planned-porn-ban-suspended-after-user-outcry/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google invests in Seattle clean energy startup

LevelTen, a Seattle startup that has created an online marketplace that allows companies to navigate the complicated world of energy markets, has raised $35 million in a new round of funding from investors that include Google.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/google-invests-in-seattle-clean-energy-startup/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

The secret bias hidden in mortgage-approval algorithms

An investigation by The Markup has found that lenders in 2019 were more likely to deny home loans to people of color than to white people with similar financial characteristics

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/the-secret-bias-hidden-in-mortgage-approval-algorithms/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

FCC proposes record $5 million fine against two right-wing operatives for election robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a $5.1 million fine against two right-wing operatives known for perpetuating conspiracy theories, in one of its largest penalties to date.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/fcc-proposes-record-5-million-fine-against-two-right-wing-operatives-for-election-robocalls/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

That email asking for proof of vaccination might be a phishing scam

As delta variant concerns rise, so have pandemic-related phishing attempts, says a cyber security firm. And as confusion about proof of vaccination and booster shots abounds, this type of attack will evolve to reflect new coronavirus concerns.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/that-email-asking-for-proof-of-vaccination-might-be-a-phishing-scam/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

TikTok to let users shop through app with Shopify deal

TikTok users will soon be able to buy stuff directly through the short videos on the app

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tiktok-to-let-users-shop-through-app-with-shopify-deal/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology