Author: Benjamin Carter
Amazon have opted not to renew their lease on a pair of California facilities, a decision that will impact the hundreds of workers employed across the 2 sites. A spokesperson told SFGate that the decision was taken in order to meet the international multi-billion dollar technology company’s “business needs”. Amazon Struggles Nico Baum/Unsplash This move is the latest in a series of layoffs that Amazon have undertaken in 2024 so far in various divisions. In the first 2 months of 2024, the company gave workers their marching orders in their healthcare and Amazon Prime divisions. Amazon-owned Twitch also lost hundreds…
There is an old adage that goes: ‘as soon as you drive your car off the lot (the car salesroom), it loses half its value’. This statement has never been totally accurate as price drops for used cars were never that dramatic. However, new data from iseecars.com show that EVs are now depreciating in value so rapidly that used models can be bought at an even cheaper price than their gas-guzzling counterparts. Tesla Price Cuts Andreas Rasmussen/Unsplash The downward trend in EV prices may have been sparked by a series of price cuts to Tesla models last year. Tesla have…
In the latest of a series of perplexing discoveries made by the James Webb Telescope, astronomers have discovered what appears to be a colossal question mark in the night sky. Although some may be wondering who might have left the inquisitive message in the sky, NASA scientists have come up with a more sober explanation for the phenomenon. An Image From the Past Bryan Goff/Unsplash Images picked up by telescopes such as this only offer a glimpse into the state of the universe at an earlier time. This is because light travels at a finite speed, so the images gathered…
A hurricane watch has been put in place for parts of southern US as storm Francine is upgraded to a hurricane on Tuesday evening. The new classification was made by the National Hurricane Center when the storm was found to have sufficient wind speeds. Residents of several states, some inland, can expect to receive warnings regarding heavy storms. Hurricane Upgrade NASA/Unsplash Tropical storms are classified as hurricanes when sustained wind speeds top 74 miles per hour under the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The scale is a predictor of potential property damage, so the classification of a storm as a hurricane is…
Aerospace manufacturer Boeing are currently under fire for a number of quality control issues, particularly over their 737 Max plane series. Amid these issues, the company has also been facing union action from their machinist union, which represents tens of thousands of workers, and the union have just scored what looks like a major victory. Previous Crashes Tory Doughty/Unsplash Despite the modern rarity of plane crashes (International Air Transport Association flights had no fatal crashes in 2023), Boeing’s 737 Max 8 suffered 2 fatal crashes within 6 months of each other in 2018/2019. In October 2018, a 737 Max 8…
In one of the largest recall events of 2024, a large automobile company has been forced into a recall of over 1.2 million trucks following the discovery of a malfunction in its ABS breaking system. Owners of the vehicles, some of which have been in production since 2019, have been urged by the manufacturer to return their car for servicing. Pickup Trucks Eyosias/Unsplash Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) issued the recall via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who discovered the fault. The fault affects recent Ram 1500 vehicles, specifically the 2019 and 2021–2024 models of the Stellantis vehicles. ABS…
Upcoming retirees willing to relocate may want to consider setting up their post-career base in Florida, according to a recent study that determined the best cities to live in on a fixed retirement income. The methodology used by Wallethub, a personal finance website, employed 45 metrics, and their ultimate list put 5 Florida cities in the top 10. Californian cities were not able to break the top 35. Best States to Live Mylo Kaye/Unsplash Wallethub also conducted a broader study in January which looked at the best states to live, using similar metrics. Florida came out top here, just ahead…
New reports have revealed the specs for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6, and while some will be excited about the new AI features it can access, others have sounded the alarm. The past week or so has seen a number of leaks that mean, ahead of next week’s Glow event, we can already assess some of the features and specs Apple customers can look forward to or be wary of. Apple Glow Event Shekai/Unsplash The iPhone 16 is set to be officially revealed at Apple’s upcoming ‘It’s Glowtime’ event at their headquarters in Cupertino, California. The event, scheduled for Monday, September…
In dramatic scenes broadcast live on X, SpaceX’s star rocket Falcon 9 burst into flames as it attempted to touch down on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took action, grounding the rocket after the reusable booster failed to complete its Starlink-launching mission sans mishap, and the decision may have knock-on effects for other planned SpaceX launches. 2 Failures in 2 Months Sven Piper/Unsplash The FAA’s decision to ground the rocket is not without precedent, as Falcon 9 was previously grounded in July. Then, it failed mid-launch, causing 23 satellites to be lost. The FAA’s…
A safety bill, meant to prevent disaster in the face of extreme threats from AI, has passed the California legislature, and now awaits final approval from governor Gavin Newsom. The bill has received public support from major players in the tech industry, including Elon Musk, but is not without its detractors. Time to Decide Government of California/Wikimedia The bill was put forward by senator Scott Wiener, and narrowly passed with legislators on Assembly Wednesday. Following its approval in the Senate, it will await its ultimate go-ahead from Newsom, who has until September to come to a final decision. Safety First…