Month: August 2024
Apple shuffles CFOs for the first time in a decade
Shakeups of the C-suite at Apple are quite rare.
Enlarge / A building at Apple Park, the company’s Cupertino, California, HQ. (credit: Apple)
Apple has announced a major change on its leadership team: Longtime Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri will step down from his role on January 1, 2025.
Maestri has, by all appearances, had a resoundingly successful run since he took on the CFO role a decade ago in 2014. In his tenure, Apple had its strongest fiscal decade ever, as the company’s net income more than doubled.
Apple stock is worth nine times what it was when he stepped into the job. Certainly, that can’t be attributed exclusively to the company’s CFO, but it appears Maestri navigated both the popularity of the iPhone and the company’s shift to services (which make five times more money than they did earlier in his time as CFO) well.
Mac App Store and Apple Books Experiencing Outage
The Mac App Store and the Apple Books are both having issues at this time, according to Apple’s System Status page. There are no specific details on what the outage entails, as Apple only says that some users are experiencing a problem with the services.
Apple says that the outages started at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Only some users are affected, so not all users will see problems with the Mac App Store or Apple Books.
We’ll update this article when the Mac App Store and Apple Books are back online.Tag: Mac App StoreThis article, “Mac App Store and Apple Books Experiencing Outage” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
The Mac App Store and the Apple Books are both having issues at this time, according to Apple’s System Status page. There are no specific details on what the outage entails, as Apple only says that some users are experiencing a problem with the services.
Apple says that the outages started at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Only some users are affected, so not all users will see problems with the Mac App Store or Apple Books.
We’ll update this article when the Mac App Store and Apple Books are back online.
This article, “Mac App Store and Apple Books Experiencing Outage” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Gannett is Shuttering Site Accused of Publishing AI Product Reviews
An anonymous reader shares a report: Newspaper giant Gannett is shutting down Reviewed, its product reviews site, effective November 1st, according to sources familiar with the decision. The site offers recommendations for products ranging from shoes to home appliances and employs journalists to test and review items — but has also been at the center of questions around whether its work is actually produced by humans.
“After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews,” Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton told The Verge in an email. But the site more recently has been the subject of scrutiny, at times by its own unionized employees. Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site. The articles in question were written in a strange, stilted manner, and staff found that the authors the articles were attributed to didn’t seem to exist on LinkedIn and other platforms. Some questioned whether they were real at all. In response to questions, Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce and that the original reviews didn’t include proper disclosure. But Gannett denied that AI was involved.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Newspaper giant Gannett is shutting down Reviewed, its product reviews site, effective November 1st, according to sources familiar with the decision. The site offers recommendations for products ranging from shoes to home appliances and employs journalists to test and review items — but has also been at the center of questions around whether its work is actually produced by humans.
“After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews,” Reviewed spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton told The Verge in an email. But the site more recently has been the subject of scrutiny, at times by its own unionized employees. Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of publishing AI-generated product reviews on the site. The articles in question were written in a strange, stilted manner, and staff found that the authors the articles were attributed to didn’t seem to exist on LinkedIn and other platforms. Some questioned whether they were real at all. In response to questions, Gannett said the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce and that the original reviews didn’t include proper disclosure. But Gannett denied that AI was involved.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Tech giants are looking to repurpose old power stations for data center demand
The likes of Microsoft, Amazon and Google are looking to repurpose old power stations to meet data center demand.
The rising demand for AI is driving leading tech companies to explore alternative solutions for powering their data centers. Microsoft, in particular, is considering the potential use of nuclear energy to meet these needs.
The challenges confronting firms like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon extend beyond securing affordable and green energy sources, however. They are also grappling with the problem of identifying suitable locations for new data centers that provide the necessary infrastructure, including sufficient power and connectivity.
As traditional locations become saturated, the tech titans are increasingly considering more unconventional sites, including repurposing old industrial facilities and decommissioned power stations.
Not without problems
The Financial Times, quoting Adam Cookson, head of land transactions for real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield’s Emea data center advisory group, says “many data center markets are ‘heavily constrained when it comes to land availability and power,’ which in turn [has] fueled interest in smaller markets and ‘more complicated sites’ such as old power stations”.
Camilla Hodgson, who authored FT piece, notes, “Coal power stations are being decommissioned in parts of the US and Europe, but may have attributes that a data center campus would need. Industrial sites will typically have been designed for high power usage, for example, and might come with power transmission infrastructure and be located close to a water source.”
The conversion of such sites is not without challenges of course, particularly when it comes to reconnecting them to the power grid. However, repurposing old industrial locations is increasingly being seen as a more viable option than building new facilities entirely from scratch.
According to the article, Microsoft plans to develop data centers at the sites of the decommissioned Eggborough and Skelton Grange power stations near Leeds, England, with construction at Eggborough expected to begin in 2027. Amazon is reportedly planning a project at the site of the old Birchwood power station in Virginia, USA.
More from TechRadar Pro
Why the future of AI is nuclearDeveloping a nuclear strategy to power data centersTerraPower’s Natrium reactor uses sodium to quench AI’s energy thirst
Apple’s M3 iMacs Hit New Record Low Prices on Amazon, Starting at $1,099.99
Amazon today has a big sale on the 24-inch M3 iMac, including both 256GB and 512GB models. All of these deals beat the Prime Day prices we tracked last month by about $50, and you won’t need any coupon codes to see them this time around.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the 8-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac, this model is available for $1,099.99 in two colors, down from $1,299.00. Amazon also has the 10-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac on sale for $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is also available in two colors.
$199 OFFM3 iMac (8-core/256GB) for $1,099.99
$200 OFFM3 iMac (10-core/256GB) for $1,299.00
$199 OFFM3 iMac (10-core/512GB) for $1,499.99
Lastly, the 10-core GPU/512GB M3 iMac has hit $1,499.99 in two colors, down from $1,699.00. All of Amazon’s deals today are all new record low prices on the M3 iMac, and right now only Amazon is offering these steep discounts.
Apple launched the M3 iMac back in October 2023, bringing significant speed and efficiency improvements with the upgrade from the M1 to the M3 chip. Otherwise, there are no major design changes to the newest iMac model. Keep up with all of this week’s best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, “Apple’s M3 iMacs Hit New Record Low Prices on Amazon, Starting at $1,099.99” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Amazon today has a big sale on the 24-inch M3 iMac, including both 256GB and 512GB models. All of these deals beat the Prime Day prices we tracked last month by about $50, and you won’t need any coupon codes to see them this time around.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the 8-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac, this model is available for $1,099.99 in two colors, down from $1,299.00. Amazon also has the 10-core GPU/256GB M3 iMac on sale for $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is also available in two colors.
Lastly, the 10-core GPU/512GB M3 iMac has hit $1,499.99 in two colors, down from $1,699.00. All of Amazon’s deals today are all new record low prices on the M3 iMac, and right now only Amazon is offering these steep discounts.
Apple launched the M3 iMac back in October 2023, bringing significant speed and efficiency improvements with the upgrade from the M1 to the M3 chip. Otherwise, there are no major design changes to the newest iMac model. Keep up with all of this week’s best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
This article, “Apple’s M3 iMacs Hit New Record Low Prices on Amazon, Starting at $1,099.99” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Save Up to 40% on Chargers, Cases and Charging Stations at Journey’s Labor Day Sale
You could save up to 40% on a charger, charging station or case with Journey’s Labor Day discount.
You could save up to 40% on a charger, charging station or case with Journey’s Labor Day discount.
HP secures up to $50 million in CHIPS Act funding to expand an Oregon facility
HP is the latest recipient of CHIPS and Science Act funding. The Biden-Harris Administration said on Tuesday that the Department of Commerce has agreed to preliminary terms with the company to funnel up to $50 million into modernizing the company’s Oregon-based plant. The expansion of HP’s “lab-to-fab” facility, which combines R&D with chip manufacturing, is expected to create over 250 jobs.
Once finalized, HP’s funding would support the development of chips for life sciences lab equipment. This includes devices used for drug discovery, single-cell research and cell line development. HP says the expansion will also advance tech built for microfluidics, the study of the behavior and control of fluid on a microscopic scale. “Microfluidics has the potential to drive revolutionary changes across industries, delivering speed, efficiency, and precision, to help pave the way for the next generation of innovation in life sciences and technology,” HP’s President and CEO Enrique Lores wrote in a Department of Commerce press release.
The proposed $50 million would support the expansion and modernization of HP’s existing plant in Corvallis, OR, around 80 miles south of Portland. In addition to manufacturing silicon, the plant is one of the company’s three global R&D centers. The 80,000-square-foot plant has incubated 39 startups, including 20 spun off from Oregon State University faculty and students. The company has academic partnerships with Portland Community College on training and recruitment programs.
The proposed $50 million funding is through a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT). The non-binding agreement is “conditional on the achievement of certain milestones.” Having completed a merit review of HP’s application, the Department of Commerce will begin due diligence on HP’s proposed projects before the agency negotiates or refines its final funding terms.
The $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, directs funding to incentivize semiconductor companies to manufacture in America, boosting America’s ability to compete with China while generating job growth. It includes $39 billion in subsidies for domestic chip manufacturing and $13 billion for workforce training.
Previous recipients include $8.5 billion for Intel, $6.6 billion for TSMC and $6.4 billion for Samsung. In addition, GlobalFoundries received $1.5 billion and Texas Instruments got $1.6 billion to produce legacy chips (less advanced silicon for things like phones, appliances and defense equipment).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/hp-secures-up-to-50-million-in-chips-act-funding-to-expand-an-oregon-facility-171233289.html?src=rss
HP is the latest recipient of CHIPS and Science Act funding. The Biden-Harris Administration said on Tuesday that the Department of Commerce has agreed to preliminary terms with the company to funnel up to $50 million into modernizing the company’s Oregon-based plant. The expansion of HP’s “lab-to-fab” facility, which combines R&D with chip manufacturing, is expected to create over 250 jobs.
Once finalized, HP’s funding would support the development of chips for life sciences lab equipment. This includes devices used for drug discovery, single-cell research and cell line development. HP says the expansion will also advance tech built for microfluidics, the study of the behavior and control of fluid on a microscopic scale. “Microfluidics has the potential to drive revolutionary changes across industries, delivering speed, efficiency, and precision, to help pave the way for the next generation of innovation in life sciences and technology,” HP’s President and CEO Enrique Lores wrote in a Department of Commerce press release.
The proposed $50 million would support the expansion and modernization of HP’s existing plant in Corvallis, OR, around 80 miles south of Portland. In addition to manufacturing silicon, the plant is one of the company’s three global R&D centers. The 80,000-square-foot plant has incubated 39 startups, including 20 spun off from Oregon State University faculty and students. The company has academic partnerships with Portland Community College on training and recruitment programs.
The proposed $50 million funding is through a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT). The non-binding agreement is “conditional on the achievement of certain milestones.” Having completed a merit review of HP’s application, the Department of Commerce will begin due diligence on HP’s proposed projects before the agency negotiates or refines its final funding terms.
The $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, directs funding to incentivize semiconductor companies to manufacture in America, boosting America’s ability to compete with China while generating job growth. It includes $39 billion in subsidies for domestic chip manufacturing and $13 billion for workforce training.
Previous recipients include $8.5 billion for Intel, $6.6 billion for TSMC and $6.4 billion for Samsung. In addition, GlobalFoundries received $1.5 billion and Texas Instruments got $1.6 billion to produce legacy chips (less advanced silicon for things like phones, appliances and defense equipment).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/hp-secures-up-to-50-million-in-chips-act-funding-to-expand-an-oregon-facility-171233289.html?src=rss