Good news for those across the pond: Home internet in the UK is getting an upgrade. Two new regulations will now require most new housing construction projects to include gigabit internet, while pre-existing tenants will also have easier access to a high-speed connection.
Despite how far advancements in AI video generation have come, it still requires quite a bit of source material, like headshots from various angles or video footage, for someone to create a convincing deepfaked version of your likeness. When it comes to faking your voice, that’s a different story, as Microsoft…
Coinbase is letting another 950 employees go, seven months after it cut 1,100 jobs. In a note to staff, the company’s CEO Brian Armstrong said that amid a downturn in the crypto market and the broader economy, he’s made the call to reduce operating expenses by 25 percent quarter over quarter, resulting in the layoffs. Coinbase says on its website that it has more than 4,700 employees, so it’s shedding around a fifth of its staff.
While acknowledging that some of the factors that resulted in the layoffs were outside of the company’s control, Armstrong said he took accountability. He added that, in hindsight, Coinbase could have let more people go back in June.
Armstrong said the company is “well capitalized and crypto isn’t going anywhere,” and noted that recent events like FTX’s collapse and clearer rules from regulators could benefit Coinbase in the long run. However, those changes won’t happen overnight. “We need to make sure we have the appropriate operational efficiency to weather downturns in the crypto market and capture opportunities that may emerge,” Armstrong wrote.
In planning for 2023, Coinbase’s leadership determined it was necessary “to reduce expenses to increase our chances of doing well in every scenario.” Armstrong notes that this is the first time that both the crypto market and the broader economy have simultaneously experienced a downturn, adding that planning has helped Coinbase to survive several bear markets over the last decade.
Due to the layoffs, Coinbase is canceling some projects that had a lower likelihood of success. Other teams will have to adjust for having a smaller headcount. Armstrong said the employees who are being let go will be informed today.
Impacted workers in the US will receive a compensation package of at least 14 weeks’ base pay with an extra two weeks per year of service, health insurance and other benefits. The company says it will offer “extra transition support” to those on work visas. Coinbase will extend similar support to fired workers in other countries in line with local employment laws and it will help those being laid off to find their next job.
Coinbase has had to contend with other issues in recent times. In July, it was reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the company over whether it sold unregistered securities. Earlier this month, Coinbase reached a $100 million settlement with a New York financial regulator over claims that it made the platform “vulnerable to serious criminal conduct,” in part by neglecting to carry out sufficient background checks and having a large backlog of flagged transactions to review.
Harry was asked about his and Megan Markle’s continued use of their duke and duchess titles after stepping back from the royal family in 2020.
As a kid, I had real pets and toy pets. The real pets loved me, for the most part. The plastic dogs of the early 2000s, whether they were the sharp-edged Poo-Chi or the iRobot, didn’t like me nearly as much. Probably because of how often they ended up getting kicked around the basement floor.
One of Elon Musk’s numerous tweets is now part of an ongoing federal investigation into the safety of Tesla’s automated driver-assistant system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requested more information from Tesla about a December 31 post from Musk, as first reported by the Associated Press and…
With only one iteration ahead, Meta has declared that its first Meta Quest VR headset won’t be receiving any more love or TLC.
Apple’s long-rumored plans to use its own wireless chipsets in iPhones may be solidifying. Bloombergsources claim Apple is not only prepping its first cellular modem (now slated for late 2024 or early 2025), but is working on a combination Bluetooth and WiFi chip to replace the Broadcom chip that handles those duties. That part would arrive in 2025, according to the tipsters.
The company is also said to be working on a follow-up that would combine the Bluetooth, cellular and WiFi functionality in a single design. A move like this could both simplify production and save space in the iPhone’s tightly packed chassis.
Apple and Qualcomm have already declined to comment. We’ve asked Broadcom for comment. Qualcomm said in November that it would supply the clear majority of iPhone cellular modems for 2023 models, but that it expected a “minimal contribution” from Apple hardware in its fiscal 2025. Broadcom chief Hock Tan, meanwhile, said in December that he believed Apple would continue to use his firm’s components.
While the exact reasoning for the transition wasn’t mentioned, it’s no secret that Apple started designing its own silicon to have more control over its products and reduce dependence on companies that might not always be on friendly terms. The tech behemoth notably got into a bitter royalty dispute with Qualcomm that led to a costly settlement, and Broadcom is known to strike hard bargains. Apple-made parts wouldn’t completely avoid problems like these, but they could reduce the chances of third parties effectively holding Apple captive.
There’s still no guarantee things will go according to plan, provided the rumor is accurate. Earlier scoops suggested Apple could switch to its own cellular chips as soon as 2023, and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple cancelled a fourth-gen iPhone SE that would use the company’s first internally-designed modem in 2024. If there are development troubles, Apple may have to lean on Broadcom and Qualcomm for a while yet.
Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, tweeted Elon Musk about reinstating her late husband’s Twitter blue checkmark.
CES is known for excess, and despite COVID giving presenters a bit of a break the past couple of years, the world’s premiere tech convention has not changed one bit. Walking around to the various booths on display across Las Vegas during CES 2023, tech companies were using some extravagant tricks to get consumers and…
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