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Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Riot Reaches New Settlement for Gender Discrimination Class Action, Will Pay $100 Million in Total

Riot Reaches New Settlement for Gender Discrimination Class Action, Will Pay $100 Million in Total

Riot Games

Riot Games announced yesterday to have reached a settlement agreement with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), and multiple private plaintiffs regarding the gender discrimination class action that originated back in 2018.

Under the terms of the agreement (whose final approval by the court is pending), Riot Games will pay $80 million to the class. This includes all current and former full-time employees and temporary agency contractors in California who identify as women and worked anytime from November 2014 to the present day. Riot will also take care of another $20 million in attorney fees and other miscellaneous expenses, bringing the total costs to $100 million. Additionally, the game developer has agreed to have its internal reporting and pay equity processes monitored for three years by a third party which will be jointly selected by Riot and the DFEH.

As you might recall, Riot had already settled with the plaintiffs over two years ago for a total of $10 million. Shortly after that, though, the DFEH objected to the settlement, arguing that the injured parties could be entitled to over $400 million. This new settlement seems to be a middle ground between the two propositions.

Riot Games also shared a statement to go with the news.

Three years ago, Riot was at the heart of what became a reckoning in our industry. We had to face the fact that despite our best intentions, we hadn’t always lived up to our values. As a company we stood at a crossroads; we could deny the shortcomings of our culture, or we could apologize, correct course, and build a better Riot. We chose the latter. We’re incredibly grateful to every Rioter who has worked to create a culture where inclusivity is the norm, where we’re deeply committed to fairness and equality, and where embracing diversity fuels creativity and innovation.

While we’re proud of how far we’ve come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past. We hope that this settlement properly acknowledges those who had negative experiences at Riot and demonstrates our desire to lead by example in bringing more accountability and equality to the games industry.

The post Riot Reaches New Settlement for Gender Discrimination Class Action, Will Pay $100 Million in Total by Alessio Palumbo appeared first on Wccftech.

Saturday, December 4, 2021

TSMC Chairman Says “Nothing To Be Addressed” In Response To Intel CEO

TSMC Chairman Says “Nothing To Be Addressed” In Response To Intel CEO

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) chairman Dr. Mark Liu refused to comment on statements made by Intel Corporation's chief executive officer (CEO) Mr. Patrick Gelsinger earlier this week. In his statements, the Intel chief had cast doubt on the geopolitical stability of Taiwan and used it to argue for a greater push towards semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. Dr. Liu responded to questions from the press at a forum in Taiwan yesterday, where he downplayed Mr. Gelsinger's comments.

TSMC Does Not Criticize Its Industry Peers Says Chairman In Response To Intel CEO's Worries About Instability

Mr. Gelsinger shared his opinion about the current state of the semiconductor industry and the risks associated with it at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech Conference held in California on Wednesday. At the event he outlined that while encouraging foreign companies to set up chip manufacturing facilities in the United States was a positive development, it was better for the U.S. government to invest in American companies since it would ensure that valuable intellectual property for chip manufacturing would remain in North America.

He also stated that the geopolitical situation in Taiwan made the region unstable. Specifically, Mr. Gelsinger mentioned a recent incursion by Chinese fighter jets into the island's air defence buffer zone to highlight how the security situation in the area might make some uncomfortable.

The Nikkei quoted him as saying:

"Taiwan is not a stable place," said Gelsinger, adding that Beijing sent 27 warplanes to Taiwan's air defense identification zone this week. "Does that make you feel more comfortable or less?"

When asked about Mr. Gelsinger's statements, TSMC's chairman Dr. Mark Liu downplayed the entire affair. He made his comments at a forum in Taiwan on Friday, where he said that while geopolitical tensions can have a short term impact, Taiwan's potential for contribution to the global semiconductor manufacturing space was immense.

Dr. Mark Liu at a Memorial forum in Taiwan yesterday. Image: Guo Rixiao/Channel News Asia (CNA)

Before the event, Dr. Liu was quoted by CNA English as saying:

[T]here's nothing that needs to be addressed. TSMC does not speak ill of other companies in the industry.

He went on to add that Mr. Gelsinger's comments do not carry much weight, as there are only a few people who believe that geopolitical tensions in Taiwan will affect TSMC's chip manufacturing capabilities.

The TSMC executive also shared updates for the company's under construction chip plant in Arizona. He maintained that plant is on schedule to kick off mass production by 2024 on TSMC's currently leading edge 5-nanometer (nm) semiconductor process. The fab plans to launch its 3nm process next year, with significant advancements over 5nm, and many have worried that by the time the Arizona plant starts its output, its manufacturing processes will be replaced by newer and better technologies.

Mr. Gelsinger had also mentioned the Arizona facility during his talk this week, and outlined that his company has to compete with those who are strongly supported by their governments. Mentioning TSMC and Korean chaebol Samsung Group's chipmaking division Samsung Foundry, he stated that both were receiving significant subsidies from their governments, which inadvertently led to Intel competing not with companies but with governments due to the financial nature of the support.

TSMC's U.S. facility will be its largest in the country, and several rumors have suggested that the company might increase its scope. While the company's official plans list down output of 20,000 wafers per month, rumors have speculated that this might increase fivefold to 100,000 per month. Whether this purported expansion will also involve the 3nm manufacturing process is uncertain.

The post TSMC Chairman Says “Nothing To Be Addressed” In Response To Intel CEO by Ramish Zafar appeared first on Wccftech.

Friday, December 3, 2021

BioShock Sequel Reportedly Set in Antarctica During a Familiar Time Period

BioShock Sequel Reportedly Set in Antarctica During a Familiar Time Period

BioShock

We’ve known for some time now that another BioShock is in development at 2K’s new California-based studio Cloud Chamber, but actual details have been hard to come by. Job ads have hinted we may be getting more of an “emergent sandbox world” and RPG-like progression systems this time around, but beyond that, we’ve been left to speculate.

Well, thanks to sometimes-leaker Colin Moriarty’s latest Sacred Symbols podcast, we may have some more details about the new BioShock’s world. Apparently, the game will be a return to the familiar 1960s era of the original BioShock games and will take place in a new Antarctic city called Borealis. According to the reliable Video Games Chronicle, who provided the following transcription, this info jives with what they’ve heard from their own sources…

It takes place in a 1960s Antarctic city called Borealis. [The game is] codenamed ‘Parkside’… I’ve been told that the development team has incredible latitude to get it right. That seems and sounds right to me. Internally the game is very secret and apparently, totally locked up. Apparently the inclination there is that they understand full well that this game will be compared to what [BioShock creator] Ken Levine does. And by the way, [Take-Two/2K] is also publishing Levine’s next game.

Take this with a grain of salt of course, but this all sounds plausible enough. This leak comes amid increased BioShock-related chatter, as a teaser site theresalwaysalighthouse.com featuring what appears to be a shining beacon amongst a background of stars surfaced. That said, it seems the website has actually been around for a while, so it doesn’t necessarily indicate any forthcoming BioShock news (although keep your fingers crossed for something at The Game Awards).

What do you think? Is the possible setting of the new BioShock a promising one? Kind of sounds like Cloud Chamber is going back to basics (the 60s, another city in an inhospitable location) after BioShock Infinite changed things up a bit, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The post BioShock Sequel Reportedly Set in Antarctica During a Familiar Time Period by Nathan Birch appeared first on Wccftech.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Intel To Finalize 3nm Deal With TSMC This Month As Pilot Production Kicks Off – Report

Intel To Finalize 3nm Deal With TSMC This Month As Pilot Production Kicks Off – Report

Intel Patrick Gelsinger Fortune Brainstorm Tech December 2021

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has commenced pilot production of its next-generation 3-nanometer semiconductor manufacturing node. This report comes the courtesy of the Taiwanese publication Digitimes, which also reports that executives from U.S. chip giant Intel Corporation are set to visit Taiwan later this month to finalize orders for the 3nm process. TSMC's manufacturing technologies often have a limited capacity during the early stages of their lifecycle, which sees only a few companies being able to procure products manufactured through them.

TSMC's Initial 3nm Production Capacity Will Be Limited To 40,000 Wafers Per Month Believes Report

The report about 3nm pilot production comes as TSMC and Korean chaebol Samsung Group's semiconductor manufacturing arm Samsung Foundry are neck to neck when it comes to estimated mass production timelines for next generation semiconductor manufacturing technologies. While Samsung expects that its 3nm process will be ready during the first half of next year, TSMC's chief executive officer Dr. C.C. Wei has outlined that his company will enter mass production during H2 2022.

TSMC's 3nm pilot production kickoff meets Dr. Wei's estimates given earlier this year at an investor call. His company is marketing the manufacturing technology as its most advanced to date and believes that it will be able to reap the dividends from it for years to come.

With transistor sizes continuing to shrink, it takes chip fabricators years to develop new technologies, even as TSMC maintains that it is on track to double its process technology performance every two years.

Furthermore, as outlined by @chiakokhua on Twitter, Intel is eager to make sure that it is the first in line when it comes to procuring TSMC's 3nm products. Generally, the freshest silicon off of the Taiwanese company's manufacturing lines is thought to go to Cupertino tech giant Apple, Inc, which then uses them to maintain its technological advantages in smartphones and notebooks.

A TSMC presentation slide outlining its semiconductor manufacturing process roadmap. Image: TSMC

According to @chiakokhua, who also quotes Digitimes:

Intel execs to visit Taiwan mid-Dec to:

- Finalize scope of cooperation with TSMC.

- Solicit/ensure N3 capacity will not be affected by Apple.

- Initiate discussions about cooperation for N2.

- First wave of N3 capacity <60K, will only reach 40K+ wpm in 1H'23.

Rumors of companies soliciting TSMC for the top spots for its latest chip technologies have also surfaced before, with Santa Clara semiconductor designer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (AMD) and San Diego firm Qualcomm Incorporated both rumored to be preferring Samsung's 3nm process over its Taiwanese counterpart.

More interestingly, Digitimes's belief that Intel will also discuss cooperating with TSMC for the 2nm process is telling, since the Santa Clara, California company also has plans for its own 2nm node. Dubbed as 20A (angstrom), this technology might make its way to the production line in 2024, according to Intel's roadmap revealed in July this year.

This might be a full year earlier than TSMC's 2nm node, which can enter production in 2025 if the back of the hand estimates given by Dr. Wei turn out to be accurate.

Intel's cooperation with TSMC for the 3nm process has been reported since January 2021, and the latest report suggests that the pair will work together on a graphics processing unit (GPU) and three datacenter central processing units (CPUs). Both are crucial products for Intel, which is yet to solidify its place in the rapidly growing GPU market and is competing with AMD in the data center segment, with the latter consistently demonstrating strong sequential and annual revenue growth in the segment.

The post Intel To Finalize 3nm Deal With TSMC This Month As Pilot Production Kicks Off – Report by Ramish Zafar appeared first on Wccftech.

Intel Chief Says Taiwan Instability Calls For Subsidies To American Chip Makers

Intel Chief Says Taiwan Instability Calls For Subsidies To American Chip Makers

Intel Corporation's chief executive officer Mr. Patrick Gelsinger stressed the need to support American companies in the ongoing push to develop a sustainable semiconductor supply chain in the United States. The executive made his comments at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech Conference held in Half Moon Bay, California, with the statements coming in the wake of Korean giant Samsung Group's decision to build a $17 billion semiconductor fabrication facility in Taylor, Texas.

Intel Chief Outlines Significant Subsidies For Chip Firms In Taiwan And Korea As Driving Factor For Semiconductor Industry Growth

Details of his talk at the event, reported by The Nikkei Asian Review, stressed the need to develop American firms that are capable of competing globally when it comes to manufacturing advanced semiconductors. Mr. Gelsinger believes that by supporting firms like Micron Technology, Texas Instruments and Intel, the United States government can ensure that precious intellectual property (IP) related to chip fabrication stays within the country. According to him, the geopolitical fragility of Taiwan necessitates the need to have reliant chip IP based inside the U.S.

As he outlined:

"Do you want to own the IP, the R&D, and tax stream associated with that or do you want that going back to Asia?"

The Intel executive also shared concerns regarding the geopolitical situation in Taiwan. The island, home to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), recently witnessed 27 warplanes from the People's Republic of China enter its air defense buffer zone, an event that seemed to be on Mr. Gelsinger's mind as his comments quoted by The Nikkei outlined:

"Taiwan is not a stable place," said Gelsinger, adding that Beijing sent 27 warplanes to Taiwan's air defense identification zone this week. "Does that make you feel more comfortable or less?"

TSMC is the world's leading contract chip manufacturer, which means that it is responsible for supplying firms with semiconductors built using its own technologies but their designs. The company is currently mass producing its 5-nanometer (nm) chip manufacturing node, which is amongst the most advanced in the world.

Mr. Gelsinger at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference yesterday. Image: Future Brainstorm Tech

He also decried the lack of subsidies in America for chip companies when compared to their Asian counterparts in South Korea and Taiwan. According to him, the high subsidies mean that Intel is not competing with companies, but with countries.

Mr. Gelsinger bemoaned that:

"How do you compete with a 30 to 40% subsidy? Because that means we're not competing with TSMC or Samsung, we're competing with Taiwan and Korea. The subsidies in China are even more significant."

Both Samsung and TSMC have received subsidies from U.S. states to build their facilities inside CONUS. Samsung's $17 billion chip plant can fetch as much as $4 billion, while TSMC's $12 billion facility in Arizona is aided by the Pheonix City Council through $205 million in spending to improve infrastructure.

The Brainstorm Tech Conference wasn't the first time Gelsigner stressed on the importance of subsidies for one of the world's largest chipmakers. Intel, which announced a $20 billion investment in Ocotillo, Arizona earlier this year to expand and develop its contract chip manufacturing capabilities, was yet to receive any relief from the U.S. government as of April end this year.

However, the company's boss remained optimistic about the future, sharing that he expected Congress to pass the crucial CHIPS for America Act by the end of this month. This Act, if enacted alongside an amendment to the Endless Frontier Act,  will see companies receive as much as $3 billion for individual projects; funding which is integral for the $4 billion in estimated subsidies for Samsung's plant mentioned above.

The post Intel Chief Says Taiwan Instability Calls For Subsidies To American Chip Makers by Ramish Zafar appeared first on Wccftech.

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Apple Halts iPhone, Mac and Other Product Sales in Turkey Following Lira Crash

Apple Halts iPhone, Mac and Other Product Sales in Turkey Following Lira Crash

Apple Halts iPhone, Mac and Other Product Sales in Turkey Following Lira Crash

Apple has temporarily halted online sales of its devices ranging from iPhones and Macs in Turkey. The reason for this is the latest monetary policy enabled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has resulted in the country’s currency, the Lira, to crash as much as 42 percent. Apple has not officially announced that it has temporarily suspended sales in the country, but MacRumors reports that its online shopping is not available, which is likely due to the economic instability.

Though the Apple online store in Turkey is completely functional, you will be unable to add products to your cart and checkout. Instead, the website reports nearly all devices as unavailable, and Turkish consumers living in the region will be extremely disappointed that the latest policy will prevent them from getting their favorite Apple product. As if the persistent chip shortage was bad enough, now we have the California-based giant halting sales in a country where it was likely already difficult to get your hands on the latest and greatest Apple product before.

According to Reuters, Turkey’s lira crashed 15 percent on Tuesday, which is a day after Erdogan said there would be no backing down from a monetary policy that has seen the country’s central bank cut interest rates amid soaring inflation. The lira traded at a record low of 13.44 to the dollar before recovering to 12.86 against the dollar later in the day.

Unfortunately, the lira has shed 42 percent of its value this year, and for the time being, that drop continues to increase. Former bank deputy governor Semih Tumen, who was earlier dismissed by Erdogan in the latter’s leadership overhaul, believes that the lira’s value must be protected.

“This irrational experiment which has no chance of success must be abandoned immediately and we must return to quality policies which protect the Turkish lira's value and the prosperity of the Turkish people.”

The advantage to this drop is that lowering the lira’s value will enable Turkey’s exports to become more price-competitive, while the entire region will be viewed by foreign entities as a lucrative investment opportunity, which will also result in increased employment. Unfortunately, if you are looking for an Apple product online, you will be fresh out of luck, though it is unclear if the same practice has been observed at the company’s retail outlets.

The post Apple Halts iPhone, Mac and Other Product Sales in Turkey Following Lira Crash by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.

PlayStation is Facing a Class Action Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

PlayStation is Facing a Class Action Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

PlayStation

In recent months and years, multiple major publishers including Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Riot have been the subject of discrimination and harassment lawsuits and accusations, and now Sony Interactive Entertainment is facing a lawsuit of their own. The lawsuit has been brought by former PlayStation employee Emma Majo, who is seeking other women who feel they’ve faced discrimination against at the company in order to expend her suit into a class action.

Per Majo, a former IT security analyst, “Sony discriminates against female employees, including those who are female and those who identify as female, in compensation and promotion.” According to her, promotions were difficult to obtain for women and the ratio of female employees at SIE actually declined between 2015 and 2021 when she was with the company. Majo says she was terminated shortly after bringing her concerns about gender bias at SIE to her superiors. She was reportedly told her firing was due to her department being dissolved, but she claims she wasn’t even a part of that department. Majo filed her complaints with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (the same agency that brought the recent lawsuit against Activision Blizzard) and received a “notice of right to sue” in November.

Sony has yet to reply to the suit, but the timing is noteworthy, as PlayStation boss Jim Ryan recently spoke out about Activision Blizzard’s handling of discrimination and harassment accusations (including those against company CEO Bobby Kotick) saying he was “disheartened and frankly stunned” by their response and that he had reached out to express Sony’s “deep concern.”

We outreached to Activision immediately after the article was published to express our deep concern and to ask how they plan to address the claims made in the article. We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation.

We’ll keep you updated as this story develops. In the meantime, you can read the full lawsuit here.

The post PlayStation is Facing a Class Action Gender Discrimination Lawsuit by Nathan Birch appeared first on Wccftech.

Activision Blizzard to Establish a Workplace Responsibility Committee Featuring Two Independent Directors

Activision Blizzard to Establish a Workplace Responsibility Committee Featuring Two Independent Directors

Activision Blizzard California DFEH

No doubt as a response to the external pressure that's been building up over the last few months, Activision Blizzard announced to have formed a Workplace Responsibility Committee, whose goal will be to oversee all of the company's efforts to improve the workplace culture and eliminate any forms of harassment or discrimination.

This Committee will be led by Dawn Ostroff, who's been an independent director on the Activision Blizzard board since June 2020 (all the while remaining Chief Content Officer at Spotify), with Reveta Bowers (also an independent director on the board since 2018) serving on the Committee, too. Additionally, a third 'diverse' director will be added to the Activision Blizzard board.

The Workplace Responsibility Committee will reportedly require the company's management to develop indicators to measure progress and ensure accountability. Activision Blizzard's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief People Officer are expected to provide frequent reports to the Committee, which will then report to the board as a whole. Last but not least, the Committe is empowered to hire external consultants and advisers, including legal counsel, to assist in their work.

As part of the settled EEOC lawsuit, the company is set to hire an Equal Employment Opportunity coordinator, who will engage directly with the Committee, the board, and another independent EEO consultant.

The press release ends with the acknowledgement that the Activision Blizzard board needs to do more to address the outstanding issues, hence the formation of the Workplace Responsibility Committee, which should facilitate workplace culture changes with 'urgency' and 'impact'.

Sadly, there's no comment at all on the recent rumor that CEO Bobby Kotick himself could resign if the harassment and discrimination culture isn't eradicated quickly enough at Activision Blizzard. Of course, there's also the little matter of Kotick's own instances of harassment and discrimination against fellow assistants coming to light through a Wall Street Journal report from last week.

Will the Workplace Responsibility Committee be enough to implement meaningful change at Activision Blizzard? One can only hope.

The post Activision Blizzard to Establish a Workplace Responsibility Committee Featuring Two Independent Directors by Alessio Palumbo appeared first on Wccftech.

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Elon Musk Lays Down True Test For Rivian’s Success, Downplays Pepsi Deliveries

Elon Musk Lays Down True Test For Rivian’s Success, Downplays Pepsi Deliveries

Tesla chief Elon Musk has laid down the true test for measuring electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive, Inc's success. Rivian became the latest American company to sell its shares to the general public earlier this week, and the company aims to sell larger vehicles such as pickup trucks and delivery vans. Musk's comments, made earlier this week, are the second time the executive has shared his tough experiences to remind new entrants in the industry about the perils of upscaling electric vehicle production. His warnings come as Tesla aims at chasing a million vehicle deliveries in a unique market full of demand and global attention.

Elon Musk Expresses Hope That Rivian Can Recover Capital Expenditure And Establish Smooth Production

Musk's support for Rivian came before he downplayed the recent announcement by Pepsi's Mr. Ramon Laguarta, which had outlined that his company was expecting Tesla to deliver its semi-trucks before the end of this year. Despite shipping only standard passenger vehicles, Tesla has also announced larger vehicles, such as its Cybertruck pickup truck and the Tesla Semi Class 8 electric truck.

Pepsi placed its order for 100 Tesla Semis four years ago and Musk cautioned that even though Mr. Laguarta had announced deliveries for the ongoing quarter, semiconductors and batteries remain Tesla's primary production constraints.

Musk, who has seen his investment in Tesla grow from millions to billions of dollars, also expressed his hope that Rivian would generate a positive cash flow from its production. Electric vehicle manufacturing is significantly different from standard vehicle production, and it has taken Tesla years to consistently churn out its products.

Despite the turmoil caused by the ongoing pandemic, 2021 has been Tesla's best production year to date, even after it delivered half a million vehicles last year. However, owing to demand, the company has focused its attention on standard passenger vehicles only, with larger projects such as the Tesla Semi still waiting to roll off the lines.

The Tesla Model Y during quality control in the company's Texas Gigafactory. Image: Tesla

Musk's remarks for Rivian came once again in response to a Twitter user's surprise about the valuation of an electric vehicle startup. Previously, he had cautioned both Rivian and Newark, California-based Lucid Group about the need for "high pain tolerance" to tolerate the difficulties of establishing large scale production lines for electric vehicles.

Responding to a comment that Rivian's market capitalization of $100 billion was starkly higher than Tesla's when the latter sold its shares to retail investors, Musk replied that volume production and cost recuperation remained the two true tests of a new carmaker.

According to him:

I hope they’re able to achieve high production & breakeven cash flow. That is the true test.

There have been hundreds of automotive startups, both electric & combustion, but Tesla is only American carmaker to reach high volume production & positive cash flow in past 100 years.

4:13 PM · Nov 11, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

High production and positive cash flows are a problem for Musk's satellite internet constellation, Starlink. This service, a subsidiary of his space transportation services provider SpaceX, aims to build a constellation with tens of thousands of satellites to provide global internet coverage.

Rivian, for its part, claims to have more than 50,000 preorders for its R1T and R1S pickup truck and sports utility vehicles. The first customer, R1T, a pickup truck, exited the production line in September this year, as Rivian's chief Mr. RJ Scaringe thanked employees for their work in getting the company off the ground.

Later on, Musk cautioned about expecting too much from Pepsi's Q4 Tesla Semi delivery announcement, stating that chip and battery shortages had constrained his company's ability to increase volume production.

According to him:

Please don’t read too much into this. As mentioned publicly, Tesla is constrained by chip supply short-term & cell supply long-term.

Not possible to produce additional vehicles in volume until both constraints are addressed.

1:22 PM · Nov 13, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

Rivian has a market capitalization of $110 billion based on its closing share prices this Friday. This makes it one of the most valuable electric vehicle manufacturers in the world, as it surpasses Lucid Group's $71 billion market valuation. The pair combined are a little less than one-fifth of Tesla's trillion-dollar valuation, which has propelled Musk at the top of the list of global billionaires.

The post Elon Musk Lays Down True Test For Rivian’s Success, Downplays Pepsi Deliveries by Ramish Zafar appeared first on Wccftech.



source https://wccftech.com/elon-musk-lays-down-true-test-for-rivians-success-downplays-pepsi-deliveries/

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Explained: How COVID-19 contributed to plastic pollution and overwhelmed waste management system

Explained: How COVID-19 contributed to plastic pollution and overwhelmed waste management system

The increased demand of single-use plastic during COVID-19 has increased pressure on the already out-of-control problem, generating 8.4m tonnes of waste from 193 countries since the start of the pandemic, according to new research.

The research also revealed that plastic waste weighing 25,900 tonnes from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaked into the ocean, said Yiming Peng and Peipei Wu from Nanjing University, the authors of Magnitude and impact of pandemic-associated plastic waste published in the online journal PNAS.

In the past year, in the midst of an unfolding catastrophe like the coronavirus pandemic, we've also added more plastic to our daily use: PPE kits, gloves, face shields, N95 masks.

Impact of plastic pollution on environment

Inadequate plastic waste management has resulted in an alarming accumulation of plastic in soil and aquatic ecosystems. For example, it is estimated that approximately 1.56 billion face masks ended up in the oceans in 2020.

"This poses a long-lasting problem for the ocean environment and is mainly accumulated on beaches and coastal sediments," added the study.

The team led by researchers at Nanjing University in China and University of California (UC) San Diego, US, used a newly developed ocean plastic numerical model to quantify the impact of the pandemic on plastic discharge from land sources.

They incorporated data from the start of the pandemic in 2020 through August 2021, finding that most of the global plastic waste entering the ocean is coming from Asia, with hospital waste representing the bulk of the land discharge.

Overwhelmed waste management programs

The study also stressed the need for better management of medical waste in developing countries.

According to News-Medical, the estimated volume of plastic waste reached over 530 Mt in the first seven months of the COVID-19 outbreak (December 2019–June 2020), suggesting plastic waste totals for 2020 would be at least double those of 2019 when 400 Mt of waste was produced globally. Moreover, large pieces of plastic waste, (including masks,) can break into microplastics and nanoplastics.

The accidental ingestion of these micro/nano plastics by marine and freshwater organisms, alongside the unexpected accumulation in terrestrial plants and animals, and transport in the atmosphere as "plastic-rain" or "plastic-smog", raise concerns for the safety of human food, drinking water, and breathable air. In addition, micro-/nano-plastics can serve as potential vectors for pathogens and toxic contaminants, leading to injury and death, with direct negative effects on biodiversity.

Plastic pollution has been labeled as a driver of environmental change. Production, transportation, and recycling could emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, clearly exhibiting a clear deviation from climate change mitigation.

Moreover, the consumption of plastic packaging by takeaway services, e-commerce outlets and express delivery industries increased extensively with social distancing requirements. Takeaway and home delivery services generated an additional 1.21 Mt of plastic waste from April to May 2020 during the lockdown in Singapore alone.

The marked increase in PPE waste has overwhelmed waste management programs globally, as used plastic PPE must be disposed of suitably to prevent cross-contamination. Potentially contaminated plastics are restricted at recycling centres, meaning incineration and landfilling are being widely prioritised. Such disposal methods are a clear deviation from the goals of plastic circular economy and sustainable development.

Improvements

To begin with, it’s time to improve transparency in the plastic production system.

There is not enough data on which types and amounts of plastics are imported and exported between countries, as well as on how those plastics are used, meaning we don’t always know precisely where most waste is generated. A monitoring system that can properly track how plastics flow across different countries will help us to better understand where regulations may be needed.

For example, blind spots in plastic data collection can be illuminated using track-and-trace technology able to follow a piece of plastic from its origin, along many trade routes, to the end of its journey as refuse or recycling.

Analysing hundreds of thousands of these journeys will help us develop a deeper understanding of the complex political and economic power dynamics that influence plastic supply chains across the planet.

What’s more, we must promote sustainable plastic waste management within countries by making it economically achievable to recycle plastics, even in places with little recycling infrastructure.

To do this, there need to be significant changes in regulations to ensure that companies make the effort to recycle where possible, as well as incentives to achieve recycling targets and establish plants.

In the UK, the plastic packaging tax, due to be introduced in April 2022, aims to increase the demand for recycled plastic. By taxing plastic packaging that contains less than 30 percent recycled material at £0.20 per kilogram, the government is creating a clear incentive for businesses to take advantage of recycled plastic when planning their products’ packages.

Similarly, in the EU, the plastic packaging levy introduced in January 2021 mandates member states to pay a tax of £0.68 per kilogram on non-recycled plastic packaging.

Although it may be a few years before the effects of these taxes become clear, both are likely to spur improvements in plastic recycling rates while attracting investment into better recycling facilities. But if measures like these are to be successful, monitoring systems need to be put in place to make sure companies aren’t finding ways to dodge the laws.

With inputs from agencies



source https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/explained-how-covid-19-contributed-to-plastic-pollution-and-overwhelmed-waste-management-system-10126731.html

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Judge Denies Apple’s Request to Delay App Store Changes; Says Company Has Until December 9 to Implement Them

Judge Denies Apple’s Request to Delay App Store Changes; Says Company Has Until December 9 to Implement Them

Judge Denies Apple’s Request to Delay App Store Changes; Says Company Has Until December 9 to Implement Them

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who earlier handed down the verdict that Apple must redirect users to third-party payment options, has denied the iPhone maker a motion to delay its App Store changes. Her new order reads as follows.

“Apple’s motion is based on a selective reading of this Court’s findings and ignores all of the findings which supported the injunction.”

In the original ruling, Apple was given 90 days to bring the necessary changes to the App Store. Apple, instead, filed a new request in October, requesting more time, saying that the company wanted all appeals in the Epic v. Apple lawsuit to conclude before finalizing any and all changes to the App Store. Unfortunately for the California-based giant, it is not being rewarded any additional time, and the changes must be completed before December 9.

For those who were not following the original ruling, Apple will not prohibit developers from including metadata buttons, external links, and other calls to action that direct users to different purchasing options. Judge Gonzalez Rogers also said that app developers should be able to choose the in-app purchase system.

“Consumer information, transparency, and consumer choice is in the interest of the public.”

Apple attorney Mark Perry says that this will be the first time in the company’s history that the company will be putting live links in an app and that bringing about such changes will take months, and careful guidelines need to be placed.

“This will be the first time Apple has ever allowed live links in an app for digital content. It’s going to take months to figure out the engineering, economic, business, and other issues. It is exceedingly complicated. There have to be guardrails and guidelines to protect children, to protect developers, to protect consumers, to protect Apple. And they have to be written into guidelines that can be explained and enforced and applied.”

However, Judge Gonzalez Rogers was skeptical of Apple’s request, saying that the company asked for an indefinite stay of the injunction, or in other words, it might have been using delay tactics. Apple says it plans on appealing to the Ninth Circuit for a stay, believing that no business changes should be put into effect until all appeals in the lawsuit are resolved.

Let us revisit on December 9 and see if Apple brings those App Store changes.

The post Judge Denies Apple’s Request to Delay App Store Changes; Says Company Has Until December 9 to Implement Them by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.



source https://wccftech.com/judge-denies-apple-request-delay-app-store-changes/

Monday, November 1, 2021

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Policy Has Reportedly Cost Social Media Giants Nearly $10 Billion in Revenue

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Policy Has Reportedly Cost Social Media Giants Nearly $10 Billion in Revenue

Apple’s App Tracking Policy Has Reportedly Cost Social Media Giants Nearly $10 Billion in Revenue

Apple officially introduced its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature back in April this year and gave iPhone owners more control when it came to their data. Unfortunately, this step has caused a revenue dip for several social media companies, with a thorough investigation claiming that this decision created a loss of nearly $10 billion.

Amongst Many Social Media Companies, Facebook Criticized Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Using a Full-Sized Newspaper Ad

According to The Financial Times, social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Snap suffered revenue hits that amounted to $9.85 billion as a result of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature kicking in. Due to its massive size compared to other social media companies, Facebook reportedly lost the most money ‘in absolute terms’ where the figure could be around $8 billion, while Snap suffered the worst when it came to measuring the percentage of the company.

Since Snap does not have a desktop application and is only made for smartphones, it would make complete sense that they would be hurting from Apple’s decision. Adtech consultant Eric Seufert told The Financial Times that lots of social media platforms would have to rebuild from scratch as a result of ATT.

“Some of the platforms that were most impacted — but especially Facebook — have to rebuild their machinery from scratch as a result of ATT. My belief is that it takes at least one year to build new infrastructure. New tools and frameworks need to be developed from scratch and tested extensively before being deployed to a high number of users.”

For those that do not know how Apple’s App Tracking Transparency works, your iPhone will need to have iOS 14.5 or later to view it and when the feature is available, apps now have to ask users for permission to track their activity for targeted advertising. As you can tell by the aforementioned figures, a ton of users probably opted out of being tracked.

Meanwhile, the last quarter for Apple saw the California-based giant’s advertising revenue reach $18.3 billion, which was a difference of $700 million compared to the previous quarter. Also, assuming these social media companies do not change the way they track their users, Apple’s App Tracking Transparency could cost these giants a lot more money in the coming quarters.

The post Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Policy Has Reportedly Cost Social Media Giants Nearly $10 Billion in Revenue by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.



source https://wccftech.com/apple-app-tracking-transparency-policy-cost-social-media-companies-10-billion-revenue/

Friday, October 29, 2021

Apple Lost Around $6 Billion Due to the Supply Issues in Q4, 2021

Apple Lost Around $6 Billion Due to the Supply Issues in Q4, 2021

Apple Lost Around $6 Billion Due to the Supply Issues in Q4, 2021

Despite missing expectations, Apple reported a respectable $83.36 billion in revenue, thanks to the increasing demand for the iPhone 13 range and M1 Mac family. Unfortunately, the aforementioned figure could have been higher if not for supply constraints, which apparently cost the California-based giant $6 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter.

Apple Is Working to Fix These Supply Constraints, but It May Take a While, as There Are Still Long Wait Times for the iPhone 13

Speaking to CNBC’s Josh Lipton, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the following on the supply constraints.

“We had a very strong performance despite larger than expected supply constraints, which we estimate to be around $6 billion. The supply constraints were driven by the industry wide chip shortages that have been talked about a lot, and COVID-related manufacturing disruptions in Southeast Asia.”

Earlier, we reported that Apple is working to improve supply issues for the iPhone 13, but Cook has not provided an expected timeline on when the situation is expected to improve. These supply constraint issues can also have an adverse impact on future products released by Apple, as those will likely feature advanced chips mass produced on TSMC’s technology. Sadly, if TSMC is unable to keep up with demand, customers will probably see longer wait times for future iPhones and Macs.

To keep pace with this demand, TSMC recently announced its N4P architecture, which will serve as a performance and power-efficiency improvement over the 5nm node. However, while it touts significant advantages, including improvement of wafer cycles production that should ease the grip on this chip shortage, it is still using the 5nm architecture, and not the 4nm one, meaning that real-world performance might not see a massive gain.

TSMC is expected to release the first tape-outs on N4P by the second half of 2022. Earlier, the manufacturer was said to mass produce 3nm chips for Apple in H2, 2022, but after a while, we reported that this node might have to be delayed. If these delays persist, customers might see longer wait times for future Apple products, but let us hope it does not come to that.

The post Apple Lost Around $6 Billion Due to the Supply Issues in Q4, 2021 by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.



source https://wccftech.com/apple-lost-6-billion-in-q4-2021-due-to-supply-constraints/

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Facebook transforms into ‘Meta’: Why Mark Zuckerberg's decision on rebranding is a step towards the future

Facebook transforms into ‘Meta’: Why Mark Zuckerberg's decision on rebranding is a step towards the future

Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand.

The social media giant’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement on Thursday at the Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference where he said his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future what Zuckerberg calls the metaverse.

"I've been thinking a lot about our identity as we begin this next chapter. Facebook is one of the most used products in the history of the world," Zuckerberg said on Thursday. "It is an iconic social media brand, but increasingly it just doesn't encompass everything that we do.

"Today we're seen as a social media company," he added, "but in our DNA, we are a company that builds technology to connect people. And the metaverse is the next frontier just like social networking was when we got started."

Zuckerberg, who said he loved studying classics in school, said the name was inspired by the Greek word meta, which means "beyond." "For me, it symbolises that there is always more to build."

For those who still don't get it, Instagram head Adam Mosseri issued this video, explaining what the Metaverse is and what Facebook, who owns Instagram, plans to do. As he says, "the idea is to create a internet when you are not on but you in... a more immersive experience."

What changes at Facebook?

The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them.

For those who don't remember, it's very similar to what Google did in 2015 when they restructured its company, calling its parent firm Alphabet. That, sadly hasn't caught on.

The company also unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday, replacing its thumbs-up “Like” logo with a blue infinity shape. Facebook did not announce any executive changes on Thursday. But on Zuckerberg's personal Facebook page, his job title was changed to: "Founder and CEO at Meta."

In a blog post, highlighting the change, Zuckerberg wrote that the company's structure would not change, but how it reports financial results will. "Starting with our results for the fourth quarter of 2021, we plan to report on two operating segments: Family of Apps and Reality Labs” he explained. “We also intend to start trading under the new stock ticker we have reserved, MVRS, on 1 December. Today’s announcement does not affect how we use or share data.”

Other announcements made by Meta

In addition to its name change, Meta also announced an upcoming virtual reality headset called Project Cambria, a high-end product available to be released next year at a higher price point than the $299 Quest 2 headset, the company said in a blog post.

Meta also announced the code name of its first fully AR-capable smart glasses: Project Nazare. The glasses are 'still a few years out,' the company said in a blog post and Zuckerberg noted, 'we still have a ways to go with Nazare, but we're making good progress.'

What exactly is Meta?

So, as we get used to Meta, let’s also understand what this means and why Zuckerberg chose this as the name for his company.

For tech-challenged people, the term 'metaverse' refers to digital spaces, which are made more lifelike by the use of virtual reality or augmented reality.

Zuckerberg has previously suggested the metaverse to be the future of the company, and has been talking up the metaverse since July.

The buzzy word, first coined in a dystopian novel three decades earlier, is popular in Silicon Valley and has been referenced by other tech firms such as Microsoft.

Describing his plans, Zuckerberg said he expects the metaverse to reach a billion people within the next decade. He described futuristic plans to create a digital world, in which users will feel they are with one another and have a “sense of presence” despite being far apart.

The platform would allow users to customise their avatars and digital spaces, decorating a digital office with pictures, videos and even books. The presentation imagined users inviting friends over virtually, two people attending a concert together despite being across the world from one another, and colleagues making work presentations remotely.

“When I send my parents a video with my kids, they’re going to feel like they’re right in the moment with us not peering through a little window,” he said.

A rebranding effort?

For many, the name change appears to be an attempt to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, a leaked document trove so dubbed by a consortium of news organisations that include The Associated Press.

Many of these documents, first described by former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen, have revealed how Facebook ignored or downplayed internal warnings of the negative and often harmful consequences its algorithms wreaked across the world.

The Associated Press quoted marketing consultant Laura Ries as saying, “They can't walk away from the social network with a new corporate name and talk of a future metaverse.”

She compared the name Meta to when BP rebranded to Beyond Petroleum to escape criticism that it harmed the environment.

The company has had multiple hits to its reputation — from the reports that Facebook sat on research that showed Instagram harmed teenage mental health to even withholding important information about vaccine misinformation from policymakers during the pandemic.

It was also criticised for doing very little to curb hate speech.

Some of Facebook's biggest critics seemed unimpressed. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a watchdog group focused on the company, announced that it will keep its own name.

“Changing their name doesn't change reality: Facebook is destroying our democracy and is the world's leading peddler of disinformation and hate," the group said in a statement. "Their meaningless name change should not distract from the investigation, regulation and real, independent oversight needed to hold Facebook accountable.”

The company is attempting to 'divert the conversation from their current problems onto the metaverse, which is exciting and futuristic,' Anne Olderog, a senior partner at the consulting firm Vivaldi with 20 years of brand-strategy experience, told Business Insider.

She called it a 'brilliant move' because 'truly, nobody understands' the metaverse. However, she added that the public could 'definitely see through things like that at this stage.'

“The fact that Zuckerberg has set his sights firmly on the so-called ‘metaverse’ while societies all over the world are scrambling to alleviate the myriad harms caused by his platforms just goes to show how out of touch Facebook is with real people,” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

But that isn't stopping Zuckerberg, seemingly eager to move on to his next big thing as crisis after crisis emerges at the company he created.

With inputs from agencies



source https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/facebook-transforms-into-meta-why-mark-zuckerbergs-decision-on-rebranding-is-a-step-towards-the-future-10094901.html
CoD: Warzone Pacific Gets a Launch Date, Vanguard Owners Get 24-Hour Early Access

CoD: Warzone Pacific Gets a Launch Date, Vanguard Owners Get 24-Hour Early Access

Call of Duty Warzone Pacific Vanguard

Call of Duty: Vanguard launches in just about a week, and the game will usher in the biggest revamp of Call of Duty: Warzone to date. No minor map tweaks this time – players can look forward to a full new Pacific-set map, Caldera. Until now, we weren’t entirely sure when the Warzone Pacific update will arrive, but now Activision has locked down a December launch date. Oh, and those who buy CoD: Vanguard can jump in a bit early! You can get some additional detail on the CoD: Warzone Pacific update, below.

Lush forests and rocky crags. White sand beaches and mysterious ruins. And a dormant volcano that towers over the 200-plus points of interest. Built on the same tech and engine as Call of Duty: Vanguard, Caldera is visually appealing as it is ready to support this new game’s armaments, and will support fully optimized cross-play, cross-progression, and cross-gen support.

It, as well as Warzone as a whole, will also support RICOCHET Anti-Cheat. Our upcoming initiative, supported by a team of dedicated professionals focused on fighting unfair play, will already have several backend anti-cheat security features by Vanguard’s launch on November 5.

In addition to the overall World War II era theme, Warzone Pacific will also have some special modes and content specifically inspired by Vanguard.

Available to all players in Season One, Vanguard Royale mode – and later, Vanguard Plunder mode – showcase all new content from the Season One update onwards, including weaponry and vehicles like biplanes and AA trucks.

Vanguard Vehicles

Expect a new machinegun fighter aircraft to add another element of strategy and firepower to your squad’s winning Warzone Pacific tactics. These are also just part of a brand-new set of vehicles for these Vanguard-focused modes; another is an anti-air (AA) truck that provides a solid solution to grounding planes other than launchers, LMGs, stationary AA turrets or taking to the skies yourself.

Vanguard Royale

Available to all players, take to the skies or maneuver AA guns to breakup epic aerial battles in Vanguard Royale, featuring a streamlined loadout and weapon pool. The Pacific is home to dogfighting, aerial battles in the azure skies above the majestic isle. Think of a Precision Airstrike where you are in the cockpit, ready to rain down fire on a squad or defend yours from an enemy pilot. That, in its most basic terms, is what you can imagine aerial combat is like in the Pacific.

Activision also promises that all the weapons and other things you’ve already unlocked in Warzone will carry over to the Pacific map. Finally, we also have a few details about to expect from Call of Duty: Vanguard Season 1, which will launch alongside Warzone Pacific.

Vanguard players can expect three new Multiplayer Maps, three unique Operators, new Zombies content & features like additional Covenants, a new Objective, fresh Challenges, new weapons, and more. Plus, this season marks the first Battle Pass system across Vanguard and Warzone, where up to 100 Tiers of items – including a selection of free Weapon Blueprints, cosmetic content, and two functional weapons – are yours to unlock.

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has filed suit against Activision Blizzard, alleging widespread gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment at the Call of Duty publisher. You can get more detail on that unfolding story here.

Call of Duty: Vanguard storms onto PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 on November 5. Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific launches on December 3, although those who own Vanguard can play early on December 2 (the same day Vanguard Season 1 launches).

The post CoD: Warzone Pacific Gets a Launch Date, Vanguard Owners Get 24-Hour Early Access by Nathan Birch appeared first on Wccftech.



source https://wccftech.com/cod-warzone-pacific-release-date-vanguard-early-access/

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