Month: August 2024
Cache Energy’s mysterious white pellets could help kill coal and natural gas
The pellets can be stored in piles or silos, moved around using conveyor belts, and transported via rail cars.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The pellets can be stored in piles or silos, moved around using conveyor belts, and transported via rail cars.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Hacker dad who faked death to avoid child support sentenced to prison
Now he owes child support, plus about $80,000 to repair state death registries.
Enlarge (credit: MikeCherim | E+)
A Kentucky man has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison after hacking into state registries to fake his own death, in hopes of avoiding about $116,000 in child support payments.
In a press release, the US Attorney’s Office wrote that Jesse Kipf, 39, was sentenced for charges including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. On top of hacking state death registries in Arizona, Hawaii, and Vermont, Kipf also “hacked into private businesses and attempted to sell access to networks on the dark web” and stole identities of real people to open two credit accounts.
Now, Kipf has agreed to pay $195,758.65 in damages, including the child support owed to his ex-wife and nearly $80,000 to repair damage to the state death registries.
One of my favorite comedies with 94% on Rotten Tomatoes is leaving Netflix soon – here’s why you can’t miss The Edge of Seventeen
It’s a bit romcom, and bit coming-of-age dramedy, and a lot good.
The Edge of Seventeen is a shining diamond buried amongst the romcom flops that have flooded Netflix recently, so it’s safe to say I was disappointed to hear that it has fallen victim to the list of everything leaving Netflix in August 2024.
The best streaming service has become inundated with wishy-washy relationship comedies like A Family Affair and Find Me Falling. However, The Edge of Seventeen is one of the few comedies that not only has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, but also managed to re-inject life into the endangered genre that just doesn’t quite hit like it did back in the good ol’ days.
The Edge of Seventeen isn’t a typical romcom though, it’s a striking coming-of-age dramedy that resonates with both young and old audiences, even though it has some romance in it. But despite its high ratings, The Edge of Seventeen went rather unnoticed and didn’t get the recognition it deserved like Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age movie Lady Bird did when it was released the following year.
Now with the movie leaving the streamer on August 31, there’s no better time to watch one of the best Netflix movies (not for long) before it’s gone.
Not just your average romcom
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, The Edge of Seventeen follows seventeen-year-old Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) who is trying to survive high school and the pitfalls of adolescence alongside her best friend Krista (Hayley Lu Richardson).
Nadine has a turbulent relationship with her popular older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) and her emotionally detached mother Mona (Kyra Sedgwick) following the loss of her beloved father Tom. But soon enough, the only stable relationship in Nadine’s life is thrown into chaos when Krista starts dating Darian and she’s left feeling incredibly lonely.
What makes The Edge of Seventeen one of the most realistic coming-of-age movies is the resentment, rebellion, isolation and dark humor peppered throughout the story as Nadine grapples with her own insecurities. Although it’s clear that Nadine is depressed and full of self hatred, the film doesn’t display her as just being sad all the time, but instead she expresses her inner turmoil through a broad spectrum of emotions which often makes for some rather funny mishaps.
It’s not all doom and gloom though – there’s rom alongside the com as Nadine befriends fellow classmate Erwin (Hayden Szeto), who has a crush on her and she realizes that it might not be the end of her world after all. I suppose it’s also kind of a love story about friendship, as Nadine is heartbroken to think that she’s lost the only person in her life that keeps her grounded.
With family grief, friendship feuds, and complicated romance, it’s an accurate portrayal of youth that will have both teens and adults laughing and crying throughout the 104 minute runtime. All in all, The Edge of Seventeen is definitely an underrated movie that deserves to be seen by far more people – so catch it while you can on Netflix!
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Cruise closes one robotaxi investigation with a recall
Image: Cruise
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is closing an investigation from 2022 into the GM-owned robotaxi company. The agency was looking into Cruise vehicles that stopped unexpectedly, including three times where they were struck from behind.
From the report (included in full below):
Based on ODI’s analysis of immobilization data, the potential safety risk is heavily dependent on the context of the immobilized vehicle’s location, detectability of the vehicle due to hazard lights automatically engaging, and none of the immobilization incidents reviewed resulted in a crash or injuries.
ODI also analyzed hard braking data which included 7,632 hard braking events commanded by the Cruise ADS. These events were determined by certain thresholds, including rate of deceleration, without regard to the appropriateness of the braking. ODI determined that Cruise vehicles contributed to 10 crashes that were reported under the Standing General Order 2021-01 (SGO), 4 of which involved a vulnerable road user and resulted in injury
As reported by Reuters, Cruise disagreed about issuing a recall over the issue but did so with a software update applied to Cruise vehicles last month “intended to reduce the risk of unexpected braking maneuvers, including by improvements to perception, prediction, and planning.”
The now-closed investigation is separate from the California incident last year, where a pedestrian in San Francisco was struck by one of its vehicles and dragged for over 20 feet. Investigations into the accident by multiple agencies are continuing, and Cruise is still banned in California. Cruise responded to that incident with another recall.
After the pedestrian incident, Cruise announced in April that it was resuming fleet testing without passengers, and it later installed a new CEO. In June, GM announced an $850 million investment in Cruise to cover its operational costs and keep the company afloat while it works on getting the cars back on the road.
Image: Cruise
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is closing an investigation from 2022 into the GM-owned robotaxi company. The agency was looking into Cruise vehicles that stopped unexpectedly, including three times where they were struck from behind.
From the report (included in full below):
Based on ODI’s analysis of immobilization data, the potential safety risk is heavily dependent on the context of the immobilized vehicle’s location, detectability of the vehicle due to hazard lights automatically engaging, and none of the immobilization incidents reviewed resulted in a crash or injuries.
ODI also analyzed hard braking data which included 7,632 hard braking events commanded by the Cruise ADS. These events were determined by certain thresholds, including rate of deceleration, without regard to the appropriateness of the braking. ODI determined that Cruise vehicles contributed to 10 crashes that were reported under the Standing General Order 2021-01 (SGO), 4 of which involved a vulnerable road user and resulted in injury
As reported by Reuters, Cruise disagreed about issuing a recall over the issue but did so with a software update applied to Cruise vehicles last month “intended to reduce the risk of unexpected braking maneuvers, including by improvements to perception, prediction, and planning.”
The now-closed investigation is separate from the California incident last year, where a pedestrian in San Francisco was struck by one of its vehicles and dragged for over 20 feet. Investigations into the accident by multiple agencies are continuing, and Cruise is still banned in California. Cruise responded to that incident with another recall.
After the pedestrian incident, Cruise announced in April that it was resuming fleet testing without passengers, and it later installed a new CEO. In June, GM announced an $850 million investment in Cruise to cover its operational costs and keep the company afloat while it works on getting the cars back on the road.
Creatopy, which automates ad creation using AI, raises a $10M Series A
The startup — which was developed in Romania but has a U.S. TopCo — now considers more than 5,000 brands and agencies as its clients.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The startup — which was developed in Romania but has a U.S. TopCo — now considers more than 5,000 brands and agencies as its clients.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Microsoft Engineers’ Pay Data Leaked, Reveals Compensation Details
Software engineers at Microsoft earn an average total compensation ranging from $148,436 to $1,230,000 annually, depending on their level, according to a leaked spreadsheet viewed by Business Insider. The data, voluntarily shared by hundreds of U.S.-based Microsoft employees, includes information on salaries, performance-based raises, promotions, and bonuses. The highest-paid engineers work in Microsoft’s newly formed AI organization, with average total compensation of $377,611. Engineers in Cloud and AI, Azure, and Experiences and Devices units earn between $242,723 and $255,126 on average.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Software engineers at Microsoft earn an average total compensation ranging from $148,436 to $1,230,000 annually, depending on their level, according to a leaked spreadsheet viewed by Business Insider. The data, voluntarily shared by hundreds of U.S.-based Microsoft employees, includes information on salaries, performance-based raises, promotions, and bonuses. The highest-paid engineers work in Microsoft’s newly formed AI organization, with average total compensation of $377,611. Engineers in Cloud and AI, Azure, and Experiences and Devices units earn between $242,723 and $255,126 on average.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Apple Studio Display Available for Record Low Price of $1,299.99 on Amazon
Amazon today has the Apple Studio Display for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00, which is a match of the all-time low price on the monitor. This is the standard glass version of the Studio Display with the tilt adjustable stand, and Amazon also has a few other models on sale as well.
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.
You can get the standard glass model with the VESA Mount Adapter for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00, but there isn’t currently a sale on the tilt- and height-adjustable stand model. In regards to the VESA model, this is a match of the all-time low price on the display.
$299 OFFStandard Glass Apple Studio Display for $1,299.99
If you want to upgrade to the nano-texture glass option, Amazon also has this model of the Studio Display on sale. It’s available for $1,599.00, down from $1,899.00, which is a second-best price on the Studio Display with nano-texture glass.
The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K retina display with a 5120 x 2880 resolution and up to 600 nits of brightness. Apple says that the standard display is engineered for “extremely low reflectivity,” but for rooms where there is a lot of glare, Apple suggests the nano-texture glass option with even less reflectivity.
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 Studio Display Available for Record Low Price of $1,299.99 on Amazon” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Amazon today has the Apple Studio Display for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00, which is a match of the all-time low price on the monitor. This is the standard glass version of the Studio Display with the tilt adjustable stand, and Amazon also has a few other models on sale as well.
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.
You can get the standard glass model with the VESA Mount Adapter for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00, but there isn’t currently a sale on the tilt- and height-adjustable stand model. In regards to the VESA model, this is a match of the all-time low price on the display.
If you want to upgrade to the nano-texture glass option, Amazon also has this model of the Studio Display on sale. It’s available for $1,599.00, down from $1,899.00, which is a second-best price on the Studio Display with nano-texture glass.
The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K retina display with a 5120 x 2880 resolution and up to 600 nits of brightness. Apple says that the standard display is engineered for “extremely low reflectivity,” but for rooms where there is a lot of glare, Apple suggests the nano-texture glass option with even less reflectivity.
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 Studio Display Available for Record Low Price of $1,299.99 on Amazon” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Save Up to $400 Off Motorola Phones Including the Razr Plus Foldable Today
Now is your chance to pick up one of several Motorola phones with deep discounts for a limited time.
Now is your chance to pick up one of several Motorola phones with deep discounts for a limited time.
How Mike Lynch took on the US Justice Department and HP — and won
Today, divers recovered the body of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch from the wreckage of his family’s superyacht Bayesian, which sunk off the coast of Sicily on Monday. Lynch — sometimes referred to as “Britain’s Bill Gates” — was holidaying in Sicily with his family and friends when disaster struck. An intense storm caused the Bayesian to capsize, plunging it to the bottom of the Mediterranean within minutes. Of the 22 people on board, seven died, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. The tragedy comes just two months after a US jury found Lynch innocent of fraud charges in relation…This story continues at The Next Web
Today, divers recovered the body of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch from the wreckage of his family’s superyacht Bayesian, which sunk off the coast of Sicily on Monday. Lynch — sometimes referred to as “Britain’s Bill Gates” — was holidaying in Sicily with his family and friends when disaster struck. An intense storm caused the Bayesian to capsize, plunging it to the bottom of the Mediterranean within minutes. Of the 22 people on board, seven died, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. The tragedy comes just two months after a US jury found Lynch innocent of fraud charges in relation…
This story continues at The Next Web