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Tumblr to run on skeleton crew as parent company Automattic absorbs staff

November 9, 2023

According to a leaked memo, Tumblr’s longterm financial woes have reached a breaking point. Aside from a skeleton crew of essential workers in departments like trust and safety, the majority of Tumblr’s 139 workers will be reassigned to other products at parent company Automattic, which employs around 1,900 people. CEO Matt Mullenweg acknowledged the memo […]

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European Space Agency signs agreement with Starlab developers to secure ongoing access to low Earth orbit

November 9, 2023

The European Space Agency has signed a new agreement with the developers of the Starlab commercial space station, with the aim of establishing a “sustained access to space for Europe,” the groups said in a statement. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between ESA, Voyager Space and Airbus Defense and Space will initially focus on how […]

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TikTokers are sharing Palestinian family recipes to raise money for aid

November 9, 2023

“This is Palestinian falafel, and this is my Palestinian grandmother,” TikTok creator Vegan Bodegacat says in a voiceover as her grandmother blends soaked chickpeas with fresh parsley, then scoops the mixture into hot oil, where it quickly browns. “… I’ve been spending my days feeling helpless and hopeless, but it’s better to focus on small […]

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Meta and Amazon team up on new in-app shopping feature on Facebook & Instagram

November 9, 2023

Meta may have abandoned its efforts around live shopping on Facebook and Instagram, but the social networking company still believes in its apps’ potential as a shopping platform. That leads to today’s news that the company is now working with Amazon to allow customers to link their Facebook and Instagram accounts to their Amazon account […]

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ByteDance’s Oculus challenger Pico lays off hundreds, halts aggressive expansion

November 9, 2023

When Pico launched its Oculus Quest challenger in China last year, it did so with great optimism. Light (295 grams) and affordable ($420), the virtual reality headset released by the ByteDance-owned manufacturer was expected to drive adoption in a market inaccessible to Meta. The odds were against Pico. Its sales have been sluggish, and this […]

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Archer Aviation aims to launch all-electric air taxi service in India in 2026

November 9, 2023

Archer Aviation, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle startup, has partnered with India’s travel and hospitality conglomerate InterGlobe Enterprises to launch an all-electric air taxi service in the country in 2026. If successful, it would make the South Asian nation its second international market outside the U.S. to experience its ambitious air taxi […]

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Ghost, now OpenAI-backed, claims LLMs will overcome self-driving setbacks — but experts are skeptical

November 9, 2023

It’s not hyperbolic to say that the self-driving car industry is facing a reckoning. Just this week, Cruise recalled its entire fleet of autonomous cars after a grisly accident involving a pedestrian that led the California DMV to suspend the company from operating driverless robotaxis in the state. Meanwhile, activists in San Francisco have taken […]

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