Author: arcadeloot
Have you ever been in a group project where one person decided to take a shortcut, and suddenly, everyone ended up under stricter rules? That’s essentially what the EU is saying to tech companies with the AI Act: “Because some of you couldn’t resist being creepy, we now have to regulate everything.” This legislation isn’t just a slap on the wrist—it’s a line in the sand for the future of ethical AI. Here’s what went wrong, what the EU is doing about it, and how businesses can adapt without losing their edge. When AI Went Too Far: The Stories We’d…
(Zillow Image) Rocket Companies’ planned $1.75 billion acquisition of Seattle-based brokerage Redfin sparked questions about a potential competitive threat to fellow Seattle real estate company Zillow Group, another key player in the digital real estate arena. Rocket, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, has ambitions to become more of a comprehensive platform for home ownership, including researching and looking at listings, said Tom White, a senior equity research analyst with D.A. Davidson. The acquisition of Redfin could accelerate that strategy, but it’s too early to say whether the deal will materially threaten Zillow’s leadership of online home search, White said. Zillow is…
Cowbell Cyber Inc., a startup that insures businesses against cyberattack-related losses, has raised $60 million in a Series C funding. The company announced the investment today. It disclosed that the capital was provided by Zurich Insurance Group Ltd., one of the world’s largest insurers. The cash infusion brings Cowbell’s total outside funding to $202 million. Companies often purchase not one but multiple insurance policies to protect against potential losses. In many cases, one of those policies is a so-called cyber insurance plan designed to mitigate the financial impact of a cyberattack. Pleasanton, California-based Cowbell competes in this market with a…
from the slapped-around dept At long last, we’ve got a fresh new original episode for you! This week, Mike is joined by David Enrich, business investigations editor for the New York Times, to discuss his new book Murder The Truth, all about the abuse of defamation laws to silence journalists and discourage critical reporting of the rich and powerful. You can also download this episode directly in MP3 format. Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.…
Tesla was one of the first all-electric brands, giving it a head start compared to other EV brands and longer-standing automakers. That leg up is long gone though. Several major automakers have started to produce impressive EVs in the last few years, and some new companies have been founded and blossomed in the same time frame. What’s more, many companies now offer Tesla supercharger adapters (or NACS plugs of their own), so that their cars can be charged at Tesla’s stations — so that advantage has all but evaporated. As rivals continue to add…
Small business owners must be ready for the real-time payment revolution in 2025, as instantly received payments can create more precise cash flows and improve satisfaction. Real-time payments are any account-to-account fund transfers that give the beneficiary of the transaction immediate access to the funds. This is because the payments are cleared and settled within seconds, at any time of any day, including on public holidays and weekends. Meanwhile, traditional payment methods are often subject to fund transfer delays, creating uncertainty for small business owners who rely on prompt payments to support their cash flow. For example, checks can take…
Google did something remarkable with the Pixel 9 last year, launching four phones two months earlier than the standard October launch window it reserved for previous models. It was all a bold play to bring Gemini AI to the masses quicker than Apple could release Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 models, even if that meant shipping the Pixel 9 running the previous year’s Android version rather than the newest software.Several months later, Apple is facing Apple Intelligence delays for the smart Siri experience that was at the core of Apple’s demos during WWDC 2024. It’s clear that Google’s play…
WAABI Here’s how that works. Whenever its real trucks drive on a highway, Waabi records everything—video, radar, lidar, the state of the driving model itself, and so on. It can rewind that recording to a certain moment and clone the freeze-frame with all the various sensor data intact. It can then drop that freeze-frame into Waabi World and press Play. The scenario that plays out, in which the virtual truck drives along the same stretch of road as the real truck did, should match the real world almost exactly. Waabi then measures how far the simulation diverges from what actually…
EU governments are in talks with four European satellite firms about providing a back-up service for Starlink in Ukraine, as the region pushes to boost tech sovereignty amid mounting transatlantic tensions. Starlink has provided a vital communications system to Ukraine’s military since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. It allows the armed forces to coordinate drone strikes, identify targets, and stream battlefield data to troops on the ground in real-time. However, European leaders are increasingly concerned about relying on Starlink — fears stoked by a Reuters report that US officials had threatened to cut off the system in Ukraine if…
The number of people buying smartwatches fell for the first time in the history of the category, according to newly published global sales figures. The data from Counterpoint says shipments fell 7% in 2024. While that’s not a precipitous fall, the sector had previously grown each year prior to that. According to the research the slump may be down to the Apple Watch range falling out of favour somewhat. OnePlus Watch 2 for just £149 Not only has the OnePlus Watch 2 plummeted to only £149 for a limited time, but it now also includes a free pair of OnePlus…