The Biden administration is reportedly drafting an executive order designed to modernize federal space regulations. According to Reuters, White House officials have hosted multiple “listening sessions” since November 14th. The goal of those meetings ha…
Vivaldi integrates Mastodon into its desktop browser
Mastodon has been gaining popularity ever since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Shortly after the deal became official, Vivaldi became the first browser to create its own Mastodon “instance” called Vivaldi Social. Now, the browser has announced that it’s integrating the platform into the sidebar of its desktop browser, giving users an easy way to view posts from the accounts they follow.
The Twitter alternative bears similarities to Musk’s social network and gives users a way to make short posts. Unlike Twitter, which a single entity runs, Mastodon is a decentralized service that runs on an open-source protocol. Users can create and run their own servers or “instances” that other people can join, and Vivaldi Social is just one of them. Instances can communicate with one another, and people from different servers can still follow each other and see the other’s posts.
With the browser’s latest update, its users can now find Vivaldi Social in the sidebar, though they can also add any Mastodon instance they want. When they access an instance from the panel, it pops up and is displayed on the side to create a split-screen view.
Vivaldi
Juul will pay $1.2 billion to settle multiple youth-vaping lawsuits
Juul has faced numerous lawsuits over the past few years, accusing the company of targeting underage users with its marketing and sales tactics. Now, according to Bloomberg, Juul has agreed to pay $1.2 billion in settlement, which will resolve around 10,000 lawsuits — including 8,500 personal injury cases, over 1,400 cases by government entities and school districts, as well as 32 tribal cases. California, for instance, sued Juul in 2019, accusing the company of targeting minors in the state, failing to verify the age of its customers and failing to warn users of their exposure to chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects.
The San Francisco Unified School District, which also filed a lawsuit against Juul over its marketing practices, reportedly said it was “very pleased” with the settlement. Who can actually participate in the settlement and how much each plaintiff will get are still under discussion. The plaintiffs’ lawyers said people eligible to sign onto the deal will receive a minimum gross amount of $1,000 before attorney fees and other deductions. They also said that most people are expected to receive “substantially higher settlements.” Plaintiffs who sued the company over personal injury will learn how much they’ll get in February, according to the lawyers. US District Judge William Orrick will still have to approve this proposed settlement before it can be finalized.
Juul has been under scrutiny since 2018 after the US Food And Drug Administration ordered e-cigarette brands to stop selling flavored pods if they can’t prove that they can keep them out of minors’ hands. It’s been facing one lawsuit after another since then. In addition to this particular deal, the company also agreed to pay $439 million to settle a two-year investigation by multiple states and Puerto Rico that accuse Juul of marketing products to teens.
Recommended Reading: The ‘Diablo IV’ crunch
‘Diablo IV’ developers work long hours, bracing for impending release
Shannon Liao, The Washington Post
Crunch has become a common issue at game development studios, especially as high-profile titles near launch. The release date for Diablo IV isn’t until June, but people working on the Activision Blizzard game are already saying it will be difficult to meet the deadline even with employees working 12-hour days, late into evening and on the weekend.
Tony Fadell is trying to build the iPod of crypto
Steven Levy, Wired
The Nest co-founder once worked on a team at Apple that created the iPod. Now he’s making a hardware wallet for crypto to give the digital currency its own iPod moment with the Paris-based company Ledger. Levy chronicles the period leading up to launch of the Ledger Stax this week.
The 50 best albums of 2022
Pitchfork
An activity I look forward to every year is listening through Pitchfork’s year-end lists. There are several, but I always start with albums — the long game. It’s a fun annual chore, discovering new acts I’ve never heard of and listening back to some I’m already familiar with.
Uber files lawsuit to block NYC driver pay increase
Back in November, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) voted to increase the pay rates of Uber and Lyft drivers to make up for the rise in inflation and and operational costs. The new rates were supposed to be implemented on December 19th, but now Uber has sued the commission to block the new rates from taking effect. According to Bloomberg, Uber said in its lawsuit that it would have to spend an additional $21 million to $23 million a month if the new rates are implemented and that it wouldn’t be able to recover those costs without raising fares.
To note, drivers’ per-minute rates are going up by 7.18 percent and per-mile rates by 16.11 percent under the new rules. That means for a 7.5-mile trip that takes 30 minutes, a driver would earn at least $27.15, which is $2.50 more than current rates. The drivers are also getting another pay bump in March 2023, based on inflation rates comparing December’s to September’s this year. A company spokesperson told Engadget that by increasing drivers’ pay this December, TLC is locking in “this summer’s high gas prices in perpetuity.”
Freddi Goldstein, Uber spokesperson told us:
“With this latest rulemaking, on top of the annual inflation adjustment, the TLC is choosing to invent a new methodology that locks in this summer’s high gas prices in perpetuity with a ‘mid-year’ adjustment that takes place 12 days before the end of the year. The TLC should have followed its usual annual adjustment and instituted a temporary gas surcharge when gas prices were actually elevated.”
The company’s lawsuit seems to indicate that it intends to pass the costs associated with drivers’ pay increase to riders. “Such a significant fare hike, right before the holidays, would irreparably damage Uber’s reputation, impair goodwill, and risk permanent loss of business and customers,” its lawsuit said. In a strongly worded response to the lawsuit, TLC said acknowledged that Uber already charges 37 percent more today compared to 2019, but it said that the company is keeping money earned from fare hikes over the past few years to itself.
The commission’s statement reads: “Just in time to steal Christmas from New York families, Uber is suing to stop the raise the TLC enacted for app drivers after months of public hearings, years of stalled wages, and the pandemic decimating incomes. Uber’s Grinch move is on top of denying a fuel surcharge to only NYC drivers when costs skyrocketed due to record high inflation, forcing drivers in one of their most profitable markets to choose between groceries and fueling up.
Uber is already charging passengers 37% more today compared to 2019 AND KEEPING IT FOR THEMSELVES but says this modest raise for drivers is what will break the company. Shame on you, Dara Khosrowshahi. We call on the City to stand firm and defend the rights of drivers to labor with dignity. Uber seeks chaos. We seek dignity. We are confident we will prevail.”
The ride-hailing giant is now asking the court to declare the new pay rates as invalid and to prevent the first increase’s implementation this month while the lawsuit is ongoing.
UPDATE 12/10/22 10:53AM: Uber clarified that it’s had rate hikes over the past years and that the per-minute increase is 7.18 percent, while the per-mile is 16.11 percent. We also added the company’s official statement.
DeepMind created an AI tool that can help generate rough film and stage scripts
Have you ever thought up an idea for a movie or play that you just know will be a smash hit, but haven’t gotten around to writing the script? Alphabet’s DeepMind has built an AI tool that can help get you started. Dramatron is a so-called “co-writing” tool that can generate character descriptions, plot points, location descriptions and dialogue. The idea is that human writers will be able to compile, edit and rewrite what Dramatron comes up with into a proper script. Think of it like ChatGPT, but with output that you can edit into a blockbuster movie script.
To get started, you’ll need an OpenAI API key and, if you want to reduce the risk of Dramatron outputting “offensive text,” a Perspective API key. To test out Dramatron, I fed in the log line for a movie idea I had when I was around 15 that definitely would have been a hit if Kick-Ass didn’t beat me to the punch. Dramatron quickly whipped up a title that made sense, and character, scene and setting descriptions. The dialogue that the AI generated was logical but trite and on the nose. Otherwise, it was almost as if Dramatron pulled the descriptions straight out of my head, including one for a scene that I didn’t touch on in the log line.
Playwrights seemed to agree, according to a paper that the team behind Dramatron presented today. To test the tool, the researchers brought in 15 playwrights and screenwriters to co-write scripts. According to the paper, playwrights said they wouldn’t use the tool to craft a complete play and found that the AI’s output can be formulaic. However, they suggested Dramatron would be useful for world building or to help them explore other approaches in terms of changing plot elements or characters. They noted that the AI could be handy for “creative idea generation” too.
✏️ We interviewed 15 industry experts including playwrights, screenwriters and actors who produced work using Dramatron.
Canadian company @TheatreSports edited co-written theatre scripts and performed them on stage in Plays By Bots to positive reviews. https://t.co/FlGzIdCuqXpic.twitter.com/6gqnB8e1L9
— DeepMind (@DeepMind) December 9, 2022
That said, a playwright staged four plays that used “heavily edited and rewritten scripts” they wrote with the help of Dramatron. DeepMind said that in the performance, experienced actors with improv skills “gave meaning to Dramatron scripts through acting and interpretation.”
Use of the AI tool may raise questions about authorship and who (or what) should get the credit for a script. Last year, a UK appeals court ruled that artificial intelligence can’t be legally credited as an inventor on a patent. DeepMind notes that Dramatron can output fragments of text that were used to train the language model, which, if used in a script that was produced, could lead to accusations of plagiarism. “One possible mitigation is for the human co-writer to search for substrings from outputs to help to identify plagiarism,” DeepMind said.
Self-driving electric tractor promises eco-friendly, hands-off farming
The autonomous tractor world is heating up, apparently. CNH Industrial has unveiled what it says is the “first” electric light tractor prototype with self-driving features, the New Holland T4 Electric Power. The machine promises zero emissions, quieter operation than diesel models and (according to CNH) lower running costs while reducing the amount of time farmers spend behind the wheel. Sensors and cameras on the roof help the vehicle complete tasks, dodge obstacles and work in harmony with other equipment. You can even activate it from your phone.
The T4 Electric Power’s 120HP motor produces a 25MPH top speed comparable to regular tractors. The battery is large enough to handle a day’s work “depending on the mission profile,” CNH says. That suggests the tractor might need a mid-day top-up, but that might not necessarily be a problem when the T4 can reach a full battery in an hour using off-the-shelf fast chargers.
Like Ford’s F-150 Lightning, this tractor can serve as a power pack on wheels. It has outlets to plug in common tools like drills, and it serves as a backup power source for emergencies. You can attach hydraulic, mechanical and Power Take Off implements. Production of the completed T4 Electric Power is expected at the end of 2023, with more models on the way.
CNH Industrial
There’s also an environmentally conscious option for farmers who prefer the familiarity of fuel. An equally new T7 Methane Power LNG (shown at middle) is billed as the “world’s first” liquid natural gas tractor. It can run on biomethane sourced from livestock manure — instead of letting methane slip directly into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change, farmers can put the chemical to work powering their equipment. The CO2 emissions reduction for a 120-cow farm is supposedly equivalent to that of 100 “western households” without sacrificing diesel-like performance. The T7 LNG doesn’t have a launch date, and is only characterized as a “pre-production prototype.”
Prices aren’t available, and they may be important when farmers often have to work with tight budgets. However, CNH is betting that its technology will ultimately save money. The T4 Electric reportedly cuts operating costs by up to 90 percent thanks to the zero-fuel design and lower maintenance, and its hushed powerplant lets it work both at night and nearer to animals. The T7 LNG, meanwhile, lets farms make their own fuel, fertilizer and sellable excess electricity. Food growers could recoup at least some of their investment even as they reduce their impact on the planet.
Sam Bankman-Fried says he’ll testify next week about FTX Collapse
Embattled FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said today that he will testify before Congress next week. After a Twitter back-and-forth with committee chair Rep. Maxine Waters, he agreed to testify about the crypto exchange’s sudden collapse. “I still do not have access to much of my data — professional or personal. So there is a limit to what I will be able to say, and I won’t be as helpful as I’d like,” he tweeted this morning. “But as the committee still thinks it would be useful, I am willing to testify on the 13th.” The House Committee on Financial Services will hold a hearing on Tuesday investigating FTX.
His agreement to testify is an about-face from last week when he tweeted that he only would appear after he finished “learning and reviewing” what led to the company’s rapid downfall. Waters replied, “Based on your role as CEO and your media interviews over the past few weeks, it’s clear to us that the information you have thus far is sufficient for testimony.”
Bankman-Fried’s testimony for the House Committee will likely be remote, according to The Wall Street Journal. Leaders of the Senate Banking Committee, holding a separate FTX hearing next week, have threatened to subpoena him if he doesn’t also agree to appear in front of their panel. But that may be tough to enforce since he lives in the Bahamas.
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
His testimony could include a public showdown with John J. Ray III, FTX’s current CEO overseeing bankruptcy proceedings, who is also testifying Tuesday. Ray hasn’t minced words about Bankman-Fried’s “erratic and misleading public statements” about FTX. “Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occurred here.”
Bankman-Fried resigned last month after Binance backed out of a deal to buy FTX, citing concerns discovered while conducting due diligence. FTX then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, capping off the collapse. The company currently faces more than 100,000 creditors, but that number could expand to over one million.
Hollywood, never an industry to turn down a high-profile downfall story, quickly pounced. Amazon has already greenlit a limited series about FTX helmed by the Russo brothers.
You no longer need a PS VR2 invite to pre-order direct from Sony
If you missed out on securing a pre-order for Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset, you’re in luck. The PlayStation Direct store no longer requires an invitation to place a PS VR2 pre-order.
You won’t necessarily have to wait for months to get your hands on the next-gen PS5 headset either, as The Verge points out. As things stand, Sony expects to deliver the device between its February 22nd launch date and February 28th.
The initial wave of pre-orders required would-be PS VR2 owners to register their interest and hope they got an invitation from Sony. Now, you can reserve one and at least give yourself the option picking up the headset in February, especially given that it’s unclear how much stock Sony will have at launch. You could always cancel a pre-order if you change your mind.
You’ll have to dig deep into your pocket to actually buy a PS VR2. The headset costs $550 and you’ll need a PS5 to actually use the thing. Games from the original PS VR aren’t compatible with the latest model either, so you’ll need to build a fresh library of games or hope developers offer free PS VR2 upgrades. Polyarc just confirmed that it’s bringing Moss and Moss: Book II to PS VR2, while Sony’s positioning Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Call of the Mountain, a Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West VR spin-off, as the flagship launch title.
Chevy’s first hybrid Corvette leaks ahead of summer 2023 arrival
Chevrolet has inadvertently offered a peek at its first electrified Corvette. Fans on CorvetteBlogger, Corvette Forum and elsewhere discovered that GM briefly made the 2024 Corvette E-Ray hybrid available through Chevy’s online visualizer tool. The design mates the wide body of the C8 Z06 with the regular model’s exhaust pipes, and introduces minor cosmetic tweaks like new colors (Cacti green, anyone?) and model-specific wheels. The biggest changes, as you might guess, sit inside.
Images of the engine bay suggest the E-Ray will use the regular C8 Corvette’s LT2 V8 engine. As Jalopnikexplains, past reports have suggested this Vette will use an electric motor on the front axle to provide all-wheel drive. It might offer a combined 605HP. The absence of a charging port suggests this is a conventional hybrid rather than a plug-in, although a glimpse of the interior shows a button to control regenerative braking. You’d also see adaptive cruise control in the lineup for the first time.
C8 Corvette E-Ray, a new hybrid version with an expected total of 605 combined hp (490 engine, 115 electric) expected to be released in the next few months.. thoughts? pic.twitter.com/8l4Wnxwgq3
— Aaron (@aaron_g04xx) December 9, 2022
The slip-up hasn’t revealed much about options. A ZER Performance Package will add Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, underside strakes and possibly carbon-ceramic brakes. You’ll have your choices of aluminum and carbon fiber wheels, at least.
Chevy briefly confirmed the E-Ray’s existence to CorvetteBlogger, noting in a statement that “the holidays came early” and asking enthusiasts to stay tuned. There’s no mention of pricing, but the visualizer said the hybrid would arrive in summer 2023. The brand previously said to expect the semi-electric Corvette next year, but didn’t narrow the timeframe.
This is just the start of Chevy’s plans to electrify its iconic sports car. A full Corvette EV is in development, and future hybrids are rumored to include the 800HP ZR1 in 2024 and 1,000HP Zora in 2025. Like it or not, the American status symbol won’t be exclusively piston-powered for much longer — not that GM has much choice when numerous states plan to ban gas car sales by 2035.