ReHacked #75: 286 vs 386SX, Facebook may be forced to sell Giphy, Facebook may be forced to sell Giphy and more

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286 vs 386SX - The Silicon Underground #hardware #history

The main reason the SX existed was Microsoft Windows. Windows would run on a 286, but not in 386 enhanced mode. That meant no multitasking DOS programs, and no virtual memory. Windows ran better on a 386DX or a 486 system, but those were expensive in the very early 1990s. The SX provided something better than a 286 at about the same price. If you only ran DOS software and weren’t interested in multitasking, you wouldn’t notice much difference, aside from better memory management. But if you wanted to use Windows, it was better. Still not great, but better.

Facebook may be forced to sell Giphy one year after buying it | Ars Technica #copyrights #internet

The UK competition regulator has called for Facebook to sell online image platform Giphy, which it bought for $400 million last year, after provisionally finding competition concerns following an in-depth investigation.

The move is a rare example of an overseas regulator trying to unwind a Big Tech deal, as antitrust scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s acquisitions has intensified around the world.

Tesla is actually going to make a 'Tesla Bot' humanoid robot for general purpose use - Electrek #technology #futurism

CEO Elon Musk announced that Tesla plans to build a humanoid robot called Tesla Bot.

Musk described Tesla as already being the biggest robotic company in the world, considering the capabilities of its vehicles to see and understand the world around them and act on that information.

The CEO believes that it makes sense for Tesla to use their significant advancements in computer vision, but instead of deploying in a robot on four wheels, the company will do it in a humanoid robot.

Musk said that Tesla Bot will be geared toward doing “repetitive and boring tasks.”

OnlyFans to Bar Sexually Explicit Videos Starting in October - Bloomberg #internet

Starting in October, the company will prohibit creators from posting material with sexually explicit conduct on its website, which many sex workers use to sell fans explicit content. They’ll still be allowed to put up nude photos and videos, provided they’re consistent with OnlyFans’ policy, the company said Thursday.

Chip shortage: Toyota to cut global production by 40% - BBC News #hardware #economy

Toyota is to slash worldwide vehicle production by 40% in September because of the global microchip shortage.

The world's biggest carmaker had planned to make almost 900,000 cars next month, but has now reduced that to 540,000 vehicles.

Volkswagen, the world's second-biggest car producer, has warned it may also be forced to cut output further.

The Covid pandemic boosted demand for appliances that use chips, such as phones, TVs and games consoles.

The world must cooperate to avoid a catastrophic space collision #space

There’s an awful lot of stuff orbiting Earth, with more arriving all the time. More than 29,000 satellites, pieces of rockets and other bits of debris large enough to track from the ground are circling the planet. Smaller items number in the millions. The Californian company SpaceX alone has launched some 1,700 satellites over the past 2 years as part of its Starlink network, which provides broadband Internet, with thousands more planned. Other companies are also planning such megaconstellations, and more and more nations are launching or plan to launch satellites.

Giving kids and teens a safer experience online #internet #privacy

While we already provide a range of removal options for people using Google Search, children are at particular risk when it comes to controlling their imagery on the internet. In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce a new policy that enables anyone under the age of 18, or their parent or guardian, to request the removal of their images from Google Image results. Of course, removing an image from Search doesn’t remove it from the web, but we believe this change will help give young people more control of their images online.

Facebook suppressed report that made it look bad - The Verge #internet

On Wednesday, Facebook released a report about what content was most viewed by people in the US last quarter. It was the first time it had released such a report. But according to The New York Times, Facebook was working on a similar report for the first quarter of 2021 that it opted not to share because it might have reflected poorly on the company.

Genius checklist - supermemo.guru #learning

How to become a genius

A majority of people carry the potential to become a genius. There are factors that are far more important than genes and IQ. I have compiled a checklist that I believe should work, when followed. All you need to begin with is to be free and reasonably healthy. I try to list the factors that prevent many people from accomplishing their greatest potential. The list begins with the stumbling blocks that are most likely to occur on one's road to genius. Some factors need to be balanced against each other, and some factors overlap. For example, the first three preconditions of genius are strongly related: freedom from stress, good sleep, and self-discipline. They may provide the key to answering why we are not (yet) a planet of geniuses. I listed individual points separately on the basis of their ability to motivate and inspire. Before you start reading, however, remember what Herbert Simon said about genius: it takes about ten years to develop it. Not only will you have to meet all the criteria listed below, but lots of hard work and patience will be required before you climb that summit!

Hydrogen lobbyist quits, slams oil companies’ “false claims” about blue hydrogen | Ars Technica #technology #futurism

The head of a hydrogen lobbying group has stepped down amid concerns that blue hydrogen made from natural gas would serve as a “lock-in” for fossil fuels.

Oil and gas companies in recent years have been touting the purported advantages of hydrogen made from natural gas. Supporters admit that blue hydrogen is not zero-carbon, but they argue that its use would help build demand and infrastructure while costs for green hydrogen, which is made from renewable power, are brought down.

At issue, though, is whether blue hydrogen is truly low-carbon, as its boosters suggest. According to a recent study, blue hydrogen may be worse for the climate than coal. The low-carbon claims about blue hydrogen hinge on the fact that carbon dioxide needs to be captured at every step, from the steam reformation process that makes the gas from methane to the natural gas generators that provide heat and power for the reactions. Not every step is perfect, and between 10 and 40 percent of the carbon dioxide can evade capture depending on the system.

On the Link Between Great Thinking and Obsessive Walking ‹ Literary Hub #psychology #learning #longread

Moreover, you must walk like a camel, which is said to be the only beast which ruminates when walking.

–Henry David Thoreau, “Walking,” 1861Charles Darwin was an introvert. Granted, he spent almost five years traveling the world on the Beagle recording observations that produced some of the most important scientific insights ever made. But he was in his twenties then, embarking on a privileged, 19th-century naturalist’s version of backpacking around Europe during a gap year. After returning home in 1836, he never again stepped foot outside the British Isles.

He avoided conferences, parties, and large gatherings. They made him anxious and exacerbated an illness that plagued much of his adult life. Instead, he passed his days at Down House, his quiet home almost twenty miles southeast of London, doing most of his writing in the study. He occasionally entertained a visitor or two but preferred to correspond with the world by letter. He installed a mirror in his study so he could glance up from his work to see the mailman coming up the road—the 19th-century version of hitting the refresh button on email.

Bigger vehicles are directly resulting in more deaths of people walking | Smart Growth America #society #security #urbanisation

You don’t need to read a research paper to know that more people are driving trucks and SUVs (sport utility vehicles) compared to 20 years ago, that today’s trucks and SUVs are significantly bigger than they were 10-20 years ago, or that they’re more dangerous for people walking, biking, or getting around with an assistive device. It’s intuitive.

The data bears these trends out, and federal regulators are both aware and failing to act.

This post is adapted and expanded from the 2021 Dangerous by Design report from Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition.

How far from London you can go by bus in 24 hours. Thread.

I Was There: When the DC-8 Went Supersonic | History | Air & Space Magazine #technology #engineering #history

On August 21, 1961, pilot William Magruder, copilot Paul Patten, flight engineer Joseph Tomich, and flight test engineer Richard H. Edwards took Douglas DC-8-43 no. N9604Z for a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The aircraft exceeded Mach 1—the only intentional supersonic flight by an airliner other than the Concorde and the Tu-144. Bill Wasserzieher interviewed Richard Edwards in May 2007

Buy an Empty House in Japan for Less Than a Month's Rent! #society #economy

Located in Japan's southwestern side, small villages including Wakayama, Tokushima, Kagoshima and Kochi are currently undergoing an issue of large numbers of houses being left abandoned (over 18% home vacancy rates in these areas). This ongoing problem - predominantly due to the ageing population - is the inspiration behind the government's incentive to start offering these unoccupied homes (known as akiya) to people for as little as $500. Local authorities are even giving some properties away for free, offering grants for renovations, and supporting childcare to new families who move into the area.

"The program not only helps the old owners, who were struggling to utilize the properties and pay taxes, but also for the town by reducing the number of abandoned buildings that could collapse or otherwise pose risks in the future," reported a spokesperson for the Okutama government office in charge.

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