February 7, 2025

These documents are influencing the DOGE-sphere’s agenda

Reports from the US Government Accountability Office on improper federal payments in recent years are circulating on X and elsewhere online, and they seem to be a big influence on Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency and its supporters as the group pursues cost-cutting measures across the federal government.  The payment reports have been…

Technology

McKinsey, eyeing the MLOps space, buys Tel Aviv-based Iguazio

January 23, 2023

The same day Microsoft invested billions in OpenAI, McKinsey snatched up an enterprise-focused AI firm, Iguazio, for a relative steal. The consulting giant reportedly paid around $50 million for Iguazio, a Tel Aviv-based company offering an MLOps platform for large-scale businesses — “MLOps” referring to a set of tools to deploy and maintain machine learning […]

McKinsey, eyeing the MLOps space, buys Tel Aviv-based Iguazio by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

A few pieces of good news on climate change (and a reality check)

January 23, 2023
When it comes to climate, the picture can look bleak.  Emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change reached a new peak in 2022, according to early estimates. And climate disasters seem to be hitting at a breakneck pace. In 2022, the world experienced record heat waves in China and Europe, and devastating floods…

Microsoft invests billions more dollars in OpenAI, extends partnership

January 23, 2023

Microsoft today announced that it’s extending its partnership with OpenAI. The latter will receive a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar investment from the company — the exact dollar amount wasn’t disclosed — that OpenAI says will be used to continue its independent research and “develop AI that is increasingly safe, useful and powerful.” OpenAI will remain a capped-profit […]

Microsoft invests billions more dollars in OpenAI, extends partnership by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

Germany is looking into PayPal’s terms for merchants

January 23, 2023

Veteran tech giant PayPal is facing an antitrust investigation in Germany — where the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has announced it’s looking into its rules on surcharges. The regulator is concerned that restrictions PayPal imposes on merchants could be harming competitors and inflating costs for consumers by restricting price competition. Clauses in PayPal’s terms the […]

Germany is looking into PayPal’s terms for merchants by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: amazing space, and and geoengineering restrictions

January 23, 2023
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How the James Webb Space Telescope broke the universe When the James Webb Space Telescope sent its first images back to Earth in July last year, researchers gathered excitedly to pore over them.…