diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 0726a68..63bb424 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -28,3 +28,4 @@ Technology is always changing. To embrace change in the world of technology, we + diff --git a/arstechnica_scraper/arstechnica_scraper.py b/arstechnica_scraper/arstechnica_scraper.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7bd1892 --- /dev/null +++ b/arstechnica_scraper/arstechnica_scraper.py @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ +from bs4 import BeautifulSoup +import requests +import pandas as pd + +ARTICLES_COUNT = 10 +titles_data = [] +links_data = [] +paragraphs = [] + +def body(url) : + article = requests.get(url) + doc = BeautifulSoup(article.text, "html.parser") + + bodies = doc.find('article').find_all(lambda tag: tag.name == 'p' and not tag.attrs) + bodies = [paragraph.text.strip() for paragraph in bodies] + body = ' '.join(bodies) + paragraphs.append(body) + +def article_links_and_title(url) : + page = requests.get(url) + doc = BeautifulSoup(page.text, "html.parser") + + titles_and_links = [header.a for header in doc.find_all('h2')[:ARTICLES_COUNT]] + for row in titles_and_links: + link = row.attrs['href'] + title = row.text.strip() + titles_data.append(title) + links_data.append(link) + +url = "https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/" +article_links_and_title(url) +for link in links_data: + body(link) + +df = pd.DataFrame({'Title': titles_data, + 'Link': links_data, + 'Body': paragraphs}) +df.to_csv("../data/arstechnica_data.csv", encoding='utf-8-sig', index=False) \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/arstechnica_scraper/data.csv b/arstechnica_scraper/data.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7118bf7 --- /dev/null +++ b/arstechnica_scraper/data.csv @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +Title,Link,Body +"Remembering Apple’s Newton, 30 years on",https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/remembering-apples-newton-30-years-on/,"Thirty years ago, on May 29, 1992, Apple announced its most groundbreaking and revolutionary product yet, the Newton MessagePad. It was released to great fanfare a year later, but as a product, it could only be described as a flop. Widely mocked in popular culture at the time, the Newton became a poster child for expensive but useless high-tech gadgets. Even though the device improved dramatically over time, it failed to gain market share, and it was discontinued in 1997. Yet while the Newton was a failure, it galvanized Apple engineers to create something better—and in some ways led to the creation of the iPad and the iPhone. Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple in 1976, had wooed marketing guru John Sculley away from PepsiCo to become the new Apple CEO in 1983. However, their relationship broke down, and Jobs resigned from Apple two years later after a bitter power struggle. Although Sculley made Apple profitable by cutting costs and introducing new Macintosh models, he felt lost without Apple’s visionary founder. So when Apple Fellow Alan Kay burst into Sculley’s office and warned him that “next time, we won’t have Xerox” (to borrow ideas from), he took it seriously. In 1986, Sculley commissioned a team to create two “high concept” videos for a new type of computing device that Apple could conceivably build in the future. These “Knowledge Navigator” promos showed a foldable, tablet-like device with a humanoid “virtual assistant” that interacted via spoken instructions. While some derided the impracticality of these sci-fi vignettes, they fired up Apple employees and got them thinking about the future of computing. Meanwhile, Apple engineer Steve Sakoman was bored after launching the Macintosh II. He wanted to make a portable device like the pioneering PC laptop he had built for Hewlett-Packard. To stop him from leaving Apple, vice president Jean-Louis Gassee let him set up a “skunkworks” project to pursue his dream. But he didn’t want to just make a Macintosh laptop. He had a vision of a tablet-like device, the size of a folded A4 sheet of paper, that could read people’s handwriting. +Advertisement The technology to create such a device didn’t exist when the Newton project began in 1987, so Sakoman contacted AT&T and hired the company to design a low-power version of its CRISP CPU, which became known as the AT&T Hobbit. Unfortunately, the Hobbit wasn’t nearly as nimble and clever as its namesake. The CPU was “rife with bugs, ill-suited for our purposes, and overpriced,” according to Apple Chief Scientist Larry Tesler. The original Newton design required three Hobbit CPUs to operate, the end-user cost was nearing $6,000, and the device wouldn’t even be ready for at least five years. The handwriting-recognition software, a key selling point for the device, was also progressing slowly. Development of the Newton had bogged down, and Sakoman started to lose hope that it would ever be finished. In 1990, he left Apple along with Gassee to found Be, Inc., which made its own desktop computers and the BeOS operating system. At the same time, another “top secret” Apple division was also working on unique portable devices and software under the code name “Pocket Crystal."" Larry Tesler was asked to evaluate this team to see if it might be able to replace the Newton. Instead, he suggested spinning out Pocket Crystal into a separate company (which became General Magic) and refocusing the Newton project with new hardware and new leadership." +Sony accelerates push into car sector in diversification drive,https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/05/sony-accelerates-push-into-car-sector-in-diversification-drive/,"Sony expects to supply imaging sensors to 15 of the world’s top 20 global automakers by 2025, underscoring the company’s ambitions for electric vehicles and autonomous driving as it tries to diversify beyond mobile phones. The Japanese conglomerate flagged its intention to accelerate a push into the auto industry in 2020 when it unveiled a prototype EV called the Vision-S. This year, it has launched an EV division and announced a joint venture with Honda to make cars. Sony has now said it aims to provide the sensors crucial to EVs and autonomous vehicles, as it diversifies beyond making smartphone camera parts for Apple, Google, and Samsung. “We expect to be doing business in automotive imaging sensors with 75 percent of the top 20 global carmakers by financial year 2025,” said Terushi Shimizu, the head of Sony’s imaging and sensing business at a two-day event for investors that finished on Friday. The 20 automakers would make about 80 percent of cars sold globally within three years, he added. Sony plans to spend about 900 billion yen ($7 billion) to develop imaging sensors in the 2021-23 period, nearly three times as much as it spent between 2015 and 2017. One acute challenge is securing chips, as the pandemic has squeezed supply chains and sharply cut companies’ inventories. Shimizu said Sony had invested in a joint venture with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build a $7 billion chip factory in Japan and wanted to deepen its collaboration to secure stable supplies of logic semiconductors, which are used to control the operation of electronic devices. Akira Minamikawa, a Tokyo-based semiconductor analyst at research firm Omdia, said Sony was making advances after a stuttering start. “Sony has struggled on the car front at first, but they have been catching up. There have been problems with production capacity, but thanks to the tie-up with TSMC they are being resolved,” he added. Sony also told investors it would ratchet up the production of its PlayStation 5 console and further diversify into mobile and PC gaming. The PlayStation 5 console was launched in late 2020 and sold fewer units in its second year because of parts shortages caused by the pandemic. Analysts expect it to close that gap in the third year and overtake PS4 sales in 2024. “We’re planning on a significant ramp up in PS5 production this year, allowing us to close the gap versus PS4,” Jim Ryan, Sony’s gaming chief, told a press briefing. He added that Sony planned for “heavy further increases in console production, taking us to production levels that we’ve never achieved before”. But Ryan said supply issues were his “top priority.” pointing to risks stemming from COVID-19 lockdowns in China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company is still betting on an economic lift from China, with hopes that PS5 sales would be driven in part by “unprecedented demand” in the world’s second-largest economy. While console titles are expected to make up more than two-thirds of releases this year, Sony intends to release nearly half of its new games on mobile or PCs by 2025, said Ryan. “Ryan dropped a few small bombs during his presentation,” said Tokyo-based gaming analyst Serkan Toto, adding that Sony’s move into mobile and PC gaming was “extremely aggressive” given the company’s modest presence on those platforms. © 2022 The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way." +AMD clarifies power usage limits of its next-gen AM5 CPUs (and why that’s important),https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/amd-provides-more-details-on-how-much-power-socket-am5-cpus-will-be-able-to-use/,"AMD released some of the first details about its upcoming Ryzen 7000 processors, 600-series chipsets, and the new AM5 CPU socket earlier this week. We learned that Ryzen 7000 chips will perform at least 15 percent faster than comparable Ryzen 5000 CPUs and that they'll require DDR5 RAM. We learned that all Ryzen 7000 chips will come with integrated RDNA2-based GPUs, though AMD still plans to offer a separate line of APUs with more capable integrated graphics for people who want to play games. And we found out some details about how PCIe 5.0 support will work for SSDs and GPUs. Another bit of information AMD gave was about the AM5 socket's power limits—the amount of power an AM5 socket will be able to provide to a processor. Power limits have become more important for PC builders and enthusiasts as core counts have increased and power consumption has gone up. Some of our recent Intel CPU reviews have explored how differently the same processor can perform with different power settings, though we've also discovered that boosting performance this way can have diminishing returns (that is to say, you can double your power use without doubling your performance). AMD's processors can work similarly, though the terminology is different. Intel uses different power limits, with the PL1 value determining power usage under a sustained workload and the PL2 value determining how much power the CPU can use in short bursts (a third number, Tau, defines how long the CPU will run at that PL2 limit). AMD has a few acronyms for different power figures, but the most relevant is package power tracking (PPT). PPT is the maximum power that a CPU package can draw from the processor socket. Both Intel and AMD use thermal design power (TDP) numbers. These are related to heat output and cooling, but they usually end up being a decent proxy for sustained power usage. Socket AM4 has a 142 W PPT and supports CPUs with TDPs of up to 105 W. AMD's original announcement and press briefings made it sound like socket AM5 would support a 170 W PPT, a modest increase compared to AM4 but well short of the 241 W that Intel's LGA1700 socket can provide. On Thursday, AMD clarified to Tom's Hardware that the 170 W number refers to the maximum TDP of socket AM5 processors and that the PPT number could go as high as 230 W, which is much higher than AM4 and more in line with Intel's platform. Support for higher TDP and PPT values will have the most noticeable effect on heavily threaded workloads that run for more than a few minutes, like video encoding tasks and CPU-dependent rendering work. When we've tweaked Intel's power limits in other reviews, tests like Cinebench and our Handbrake video-encoding test show the most noticeable improvements, while more variable and single-threaded workloads like general usage and gaming don't benefit much. In short: expect the 12- and 16-core Ryzen 7000 CPUs to run faster for longer than their Ryzen 5000 equivalents, even if that means more power draw and more heat." +LG’s new OLED monitor is big enough to replace your TV,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/lg-launches-its-biggest-fastest-oled-monitor-yet/,"LG is already an OLED TV king, but when it comes to PC monitors, the company's OLED offerings are scant. That's changing this summer with the LG UltraGear 48GQ900 announced this week. Just like LG's other OLED monitors, you can expect this to be a lavish display for those with extreme needs and large budgets. Aimed at console and PC gamers, the 47.5-inch OLED screen will have a 4K resolution at 120 Hz (overclockable to 138 Hz) and a 0.1 ms gray-to-gray response time. Some people consider 120 Hz beneficial for watching content made at 24 fps, like movies, to avoid the judder you might get with some 60 Hz displays. All that, combined with a generous panel size, makes it easy to see the monitor being a living room TV replacement, especially for a cable-cutter. It will even come with a remote. For extreme competitive PC gaming, however, it's worth noting that you can now reserve an OLED monitor with a 240 Hz refresh rate. OLED has a reputation for generally being less bright than LED-backlit alternatives. LG didn't specify how bright the 48GQ900 will get, but it noted that the panel will use LG's proprietary anti-glare, low-reflection coating to reduce ""visual distractions."" The screen will also have 98.5 percent DCI-P3 color coverage and HDR10 support. The monitor is compatible with G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. Both fight screen tearing when paired with an Nvidia or AMD graphics card, respectively, and you also get frame rate compensation, which allows the display to show frames multiple times if the frame rate falls below the lowest refresh rate that the monitor supports. There's also a pair of 20 W speakers, plus an audio jack that can add virtual surround sound to an attached headset via DTS Headphone:X. The port selection concludes with a pair of HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a USB-A 3.0 upstream port, and two downstream ports. But even after the 48GQ900 comes out, those interested in the rich contrast of OLED in PC monitor form will continue to have limited options. The majority are large screens built for gamers that are overkill for most people. LG's 26.5-inch and 32-inch OLED monitors, technically aimed at businesses, continue to be some of the more accessible OLED monitors around, despite steep prices ($3,000 and $4,000, respectively). LG hasn't confirmed a US price for the LG 48GQ900 yet but said the monitor will come out in Japan this month before releasing in North America, Europe, and Asia. Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs." +"Google Drive gets multi-text selection, copy/paste shortcuts for files",https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/google-drive-gets-multi-text-selection-copy-paste-shortcuts-for-files/,"The Google Workspace team is rolling out some solid productivity updates to Google Drive. You can now select multiple blocks of text at the same time in the Docs editor for quick editing. This is a feature Microsoft Word has had for a while, and it allows you to you can hold Ctrl, highlight multiple blocks of text, and apply a style. Unfortunately, Google Docs isn't using an obvious shortcut key. According to the updated shortcuts page, you'll need at least four fingers to get this done. It's Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left/Right arrow on Windows, or  Ctrl + Cmd+ Shift + Left/Right arrow on a Mac. From there, Google says you'll need to ""use [the] left/right arrow to move to a separate section of text you also want to select."" The next dead-simple addition is keyboard shortcuts for copy/paste in the Google Drive file browser. The ability to copy and paste in the text editors has been around forever, but you'll now be able to do so in Drive's web file manager, which previously wasn't possible. It's strange that it has taken Google so long to implement this feature, but there's a lot of abstraction between you and the Google Drive JavaScript app. If you copy a Google Docs document, you aren't actually copying a file to the clipboard because the file lives on the Internet. You're moving organizational links around with a clipboard that JavaScript doesn't even have read access to. You've also always been able to install the Drive sync app and manage files through your operating system's file manager, but now the web version is getting better functionality. Both features are rolling out now. Multi-text-selection should hit everyone in about 15 days, and Drive copy/paste will take about a month. Listing image by Google Drive" +Apple boosts employee pay as workers attempt to organize,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/apple-raises-worker-pay-amid-unionization-inflation-and-more/,"Apple plans to raise the starting pay of its hourly workers, according to a Wall Street Journal report. In the US, employees' pay will be at least $22 per hour, which could be higher in some markets. That's 45 percent higher than it was in 2018. Additionally, Apple plans to increase starting salaries for corporate workers in the United States. It will also move up some employees' annual reviews by several months to enact pay increases as soon as July. In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said: Supporting and retaining the best team members in the world enables us to deliver the best, most innovative, products and services for our customers. This year as part of our annual performance review process, we’re increasing our overall compensation budget. There are likely several reasons for this move. First, businesses of all sizes are having a harder time attracting and retaining talent in this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple recently lost an AI/machine learning leader who specifically cited the company's remote work policy as a reason for his departure. Last week, the company postponed an imminent requirement to bring office workers back on-site for three days a week. Economic factors are at play, too. Inflation has been at its highest in decades, contributing to pay dissatisfaction. The recent volatility of tech stocks could also be a factor. Tech companies like Apple sometimes seek to entice workers with stock options on top of salary and other compensation, but current and prospective employees might feel less enthusiastic about stock benefits right now. Finally, retail workers at three US Apple Store locations have announced unionization plans. Some union organizers called for Apple to increase its base hourly pay." +The Google Pixel Foldable is reportedly delayed to 2023,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/the-google-pixel-foldable-is-reportedly-delayed-to-2023/,"At Google's recent I/O conference, we heard about a lot of upcoming Google hardware, including the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel Watch, and even a Pixel Tablet, which isn't due out until sometime in 2023. We didn't hear anything about a Pixel foldable, though. Still, we know something is in the works since the Google Camera app included the detection flag ""isPixel2022Foldable"" alongside flags for other Pixel devices. So what's the deal? The Elec reports that the Google foldable is delayed until 2023. This would mark the second time the foldable has been delayed, as it was originally due out late last year. It seems that the original plan was to release the product alongside Android 12L, aka 12.1, the tablet-and-foldables-focused Android release. Google often tries to develop Android builds and new hardware simultaneously, but making hardware is difficult. Google and Samsung are partnering up for Wear OS and the Google Tensor SoC, and the Pixel foldable is likewise expected to use a lot of Samsung parts. That means a Samsung Display-made flexible OLED display on the inside, flexible ""ultra-thin glass"" for added rigidity, and a hinge from Samsung's hinge supplier. The display sizes are 7.57 inches inside and 5.78 inches outside. That's close to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 but not exactly the same. 9to5Google found simplified animations of a Google Foldable in Android 12L, and they suggest that Google's phone will open to a wider aspect ratio than Samsung's, which would put it more in line with the Oppo Find N. You can't blame Google for not wanting to rush a foldable to market. Users still regularly report cracked displays, even from Samsung's third-generation foldable; combined with the device's $1,800 price tag, that makes it a tough sell." +"Modular Panasonic Toughbook has 8 replaceable parts, 1,200-nit screen",https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/modular-panasonic-toughbook-has-8-replaceable-parts-1200-nit-screen/,"Pansonic's rugged Toughbook line expanded this week with the Toughbook 40. The new laptop carries many of the hallmarks of its predecessor, including military-grade durability specs and swappable parts, with some upgrades in size and display. Toughbooks have durable designs meant to withstand long drops (as much as six feet, in this case) and challenging conditions, like rain. But another standout characteristic is their modularity. The Toughbook 40 has eight parts made to be easy to repair or upgrade: the battery, RAM, storage, and keyboard, plus four expansion areas. Various types of expansion packs are available, including an optical drive, fingerprint and barcode readers, and extra I/O ports, batteries, and storage. In a FAQ (PDF), Panasonic said you can access most of the expansion areas with a screwdriver and some screws, while some only require you to use a slide lever. IT managers can lock down the SSD or expansion areas with a screw. According to Panasonic, there are 6,048 ways to build the Toughbook. At 7.4 lbs, the 14-inch Touchbook 40 is 1.2 lbs lighter than the preceding laptop, the 13.1-inch Toughbook 31. That's several pounds heavier than today's ultralight laptops, but Toughbooks are built for extreme cases, like military and law enforcement use. At 1,200 nits, the laptop's 1920×1080 touchscreen is fit to use in a sunny room or outside. Panasonic didn't specify battery life at that extreme brightness but claims that the PC can last up to 18 hours on the MobileMark 2014 benchmark and 36 hours if you get a second battery. The laptop's resistive touchpad has a 60 percent larger area, and it can be used while wearing gloves or during rain. Inside, the Toughbook 40 has up to an Intel Core i7-1185G7 with Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics (a discrete, unspecified GPU will be coming at some point). The laptop is configurable with up to 2TB of storage, upgradeable via a quick-release latch, and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM. Additionally, there's a 5 MP webcam and the option for 4G or 5G connectivity. In Panasonic's announcement, Toughbook GM Craig Jackowski said the Toughbook 40 is the ""most rugged"" of the series. It meets the MIL-STD-810H and MIL-STD-461H military specifications and is CID2-certified for use in hazardous environments. It is IP66-certified, protecting it against dust and powerful water jets. On the security side, the laptop has an encrypted OPAL SSD with optional FIPS, TPM 2.0, Intel Hardware Shield, and Microsoft Secure-core PC. The Toughbook 40 also introduces a ""Secure Wipe"" feature that ""wipes the contents on the drive in a matter of seconds,"" according to Panasonic. Aimed at businesses and the public sector, the Toughbook 40 will start at $4,899 when it comes out in late spring, Panasonic's announcement said. If you're seeking something with a more digestible price, the 13.5-inch, DIY-friendly Framework laptop just got 12th Gen Intel CPUs." +Broadcom will pay $61 billion to become the latest company to acquire VMware,https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/05/broadcom-will-pay-61-billion-to-become-the-latest-company-to-acquire-vmware/,"Chipmaker Broadcom will be acquiring VMware for $61 billion in cash and stock, the companies announced today. Broadcom is best known for designing and selling a wide range of wired and wireless communication chips, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips and the processors that power many routers and modems. But the company has spent billions in recent years to acquire an enterprise software portfolio—$18.9 billion for CA Technologies in 2018 and $10.7 billion for Symantec in 2019. The VMware buy is much larger than either of those purchases, but it fits the pattern of Broadcom's other software acquisitions. Once the acquisition is completed, the Broadcom Software Group will adopt the VMware name. If approved, Broadcom expects the transaction to be complete in 2023. This wouldn't be the first time someone paid a lot of money for VMware. EMC first purchased the company back in 2004 for $625 million (or just under $1 billion, adjusted for inflation). EMC itself was acquired by Dell for $67 billion in late 2015, and VMware was part of that acquisition. Dell sold many of its shares of VMware in late 2021 to help pay off debts, though Michael Dell continues to own about 40 percent of VMware's stock and remains the chairman of VMware's board. VMware makes most of its money from subscriptions to its enterprise software products, which handle the virtualization of PCs and apps, networking, and security. Ars readers may know it better for its consumer virtualization products, which include VMware Fusion for Mac and the free-for-home-use VMware Workstation Player." +Prominent ex-Tesla self-driving car exec leaves Apple for greener pastures,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/prominent-ex-tesla-self-driving-car-exec-leaves-apple-for-greener-pastures/,"Apple has reportedly been working on self-driving car technology since 2014, but it has faced a series of prominent employee departures over the past year. As reported Wednesday by Bloomberg, the latest is CJ Moore, who had only just joined the company last August. In any case, he's now moving to lidar company Luminar Technologies, which has been aggressively hiring prominent directors and executives from tech and automobile giants. At Luminar, Moore will lead the global software development for lidar-based features to ensure passengers' safety in autonomous vehicles. Bloomberg notes that ""nearly the entire Apple Car management team"" has left Apple over the past two years. The other notable departures included project lead Doug Field, who left to join Ford last year. Apple technology VP Kevin Lynch, who worked at Adobe before joining Apple in 2013, reportedly now runs Apple's car project, which is internally dubbed Project Titan. While much of Apple is focused on the iPhone and other products and services in its periphery, Project Titan is one of Apple's two largest efforts to develop a new product category that could be as successful and disruptive as the iPhone's introduction. Both Project Titan and the mixed reality project have seen many bumps in the proverbial road, as is often the case for major new R&D projects in the tech frontier. Apple is said to be in the early stages of development for self-driving cars, but multiple recent reports have claimed that the company's first mixed reality glasses are moving toward release." diff --git a/bs4_scraper/bs4_scraper.py b/bs4_scraper/bs4_scraper.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c1f6b69 --- /dev/null +++ b/bs4_scraper/bs4_scraper.py @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +from bs4 import BeautifulSoup +import requests +url = "https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01320-y" +page = requests.get(url) +doc = BeautifulSoup(page.text, "html.parser") +links = doc.find('article').find_all('a') +f = open('./data/links.txt','a') +f.write(str(doc.find('h1').string)+'\n') +for link in links: + if ('href' in link.attrs) and ('http' in str(link.attrs['href'])): + f.write(str(link.attrs['href'])+'\n') +f.close() diff --git a/bs4_scraper/data/links.txt b/bs4_scraper/data/links.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4776b60 --- /dev/null +++ b/bs4_scraper/data/links.txt @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +Black hole at the centre of our Galaxy imaged for the first time +http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=search&term=%22Davide%2BCastelvecchi%22 +https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?as_q=&btnG=Search+Scholar&as_sauthors=%22Davide%2BCastelvecchi%22 +https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Black+hole+at+the+centre+of+our+Galaxy+imaged+for+the+first+time&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-022-01320-y +http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-022-01320-y +mailto:?subject=Black hole at the centre of our Galaxy imaged for the first time&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-022-01320-y +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01155-0 +https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2041-8205/page/Focus_on_First_Sgr_A_Results +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01155-0 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01155-0 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02717-3 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02717-3 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02764-w +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02726-x +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02764-w +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00458-6 +https://www.nature.com/news/how-to-hunt-for-a-black-hole-with-a-telescope-the-size-of-earth-1.21693 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00347-y +https://doi.org/https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.3847%2F2041-8213%2Fac6674 +http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?&title=&journal=Astrophys.%20J.%20Lett.&volume=930&publication_year=2022&author=Akiyama%2CK. +https://citation-needed.springer.com/v2/references/10.1038/d41586-022-01320-y?format=refman&flavour=references +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01155-0 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01191-w +https://www.nature.com/news/how-to-hunt-for-a-black-hole-with-a-telescope-the-size-of-earth-1.21693 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02764-w +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02726-x +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02717-3 +http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01276-z +http://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04635-y +http://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04608-1 +https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/ +https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/postdoctoral-fellowship-position-in-biomolecular-spectroscopy-the-university-of-british-columbia-ubc-758341 +https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/postdoctoral-fellow-for-translational-highfield-mri-german-cancer-research-center-in-the-helmholtz-association-dkfz-758334 +https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/phd-position-fmd-helmholtz-centre-for-environmental-research-ufz-758340 +https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/postdoc-in-proton-microscopy-all-genders-tenure-track-helmholtz-centre-for-heavy-ion-research-gmbh-gsi-758335 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01155-0 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01191-w +https://www.nature.com/news/how-to-hunt-for-a-black-hole-with-a-telescope-the-size-of-earth-1.21693 +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02764-w +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02726-x +https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02717-3 +https://www.nature.com/info/privacy diff --git a/data/arstechnica_data.csv b/data/arstechnica_data.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6bd9393 --- /dev/null +++ b/data/arstechnica_data.csv @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +Title,Link,Body,keywords +"Remembering Apple’s Newton, 30 years on",https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/remembering-apples-newton-30-years-on/,"Thirty years ago, on May 29, 1992, Apple announced its most groundbreaking and revolutionary product yet, the Newton MessagePad. It was released to great fanfare a year later, but as a product, it could only be described as a flop. Widely mocked in popular culture at the time, the Newton became a poster child for expensive but useless high-tech gadgets. Even though the device improved dramatically over time, it failed to gain market share, and it was discontinued in 1997. Yet while the Newton was a failure, it galvanized Apple engineers to create something better—and in some ways led to the creation of the iPad and the iPhone. Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple in 1976, had wooed marketing guru John Sculley away from PepsiCo to become the new Apple CEO in 1983. However, their relationship broke down, and Jobs resigned from Apple two years later after a bitter power struggle. Although Sculley made Apple profitable by cutting costs and introducing new Macintosh models, he felt lost without Apple’s visionary founder. So when Apple Fellow Alan Kay burst into Sculley’s office and warned him that “next time, we won’t have Xerox” (to borrow ideas from), he took it seriously. In 1986, Sculley commissioned a team to create two “high concept” videos for a new type of computing device that Apple could conceivably build in the future. These “Knowledge Navigator” promos showed a foldable, tablet-like device with a humanoid “virtual assistant” that interacted via spoken instructions. While some derided the impracticality of these sci-fi vignettes, they fired up Apple employees and got them thinking about the future of computing. Meanwhile, Apple engineer Steve Sakoman was bored after launching the Macintosh II. He wanted to make a portable device like the pioneering PC laptop he had built for Hewlett-Packard. To stop him from leaving Apple, vice president Jean-Louis Gassee let him set up a “skunkworks” project to pursue his dream. But he didn’t want to just make a Macintosh laptop. He had a vision of a tablet-like device, the size of a folded A4 sheet of paper, that could read people’s handwriting. +Advertisement The technology to create such a device didn’t exist when the Newton project began in 1987, so Sakoman contacted AT&T and hired the company to design a low-power version of its CRISP CPU, which became known as the AT&T Hobbit. Unfortunately, the Hobbit wasn’t nearly as nimble and clever as its namesake. The CPU was “rife with bugs, ill-suited for our purposes, and overpriced,” according to Apple Chief Scientist Larry Tesler. The original Newton design required three Hobbit CPUs to operate, the end-user cost was nearing $6,000, and the device wouldn’t even be ready for at least five years. The handwriting-recognition software, a key selling point for the device, was also progressing slowly. Development of the Newton had bogged down, and Sakoman started to lose hope that it would ever be finished. In 1990, he left Apple along with Gassee to found Be, Inc., which made its own desktop computers and the BeOS operating system. At the same time, another “top secret” Apple division was also working on unique portable devices and software under the code name “Pocket Crystal."" Larry Tesler was asked to evaluate this team to see if it might be able to replace the Newton. Instead, he suggested spinning out Pocket Crystal into a separate company (which became General Magic) and refocusing the Newton project with new hardware and new leadership.","['founder apple', 'newton messagepad', 'sculley apple', 'resigned apple', 'computing apple']" +Sony accelerates push into car sector in diversification drive,https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/05/sony-accelerates-push-into-car-sector-in-diversification-drive/,"Sony expects to supply imaging sensors to 15 of the world’s top 20 global automakers by 2025, underscoring the company’s ambitions for electric vehicles and autonomous driving as it tries to diversify beyond mobile phones. The Japanese conglomerate flagged its intention to accelerate a push into the auto industry in 2020 when it unveiled a prototype EV called the Vision-S. This year, it has launched an EV division and announced a joint venture with Honda to make cars. Sony has now said it aims to provide the sensors crucial to EVs and autonomous vehicles, as it diversifies beyond making smartphone camera parts for Apple, Google, and Samsung. “We expect to be doing business in automotive imaging sensors with 75 percent of the top 20 global carmakers by financial year 2025,” said Terushi Shimizu, the head of Sony’s imaging and sensing business at a two-day event for investors that finished on Friday. The 20 automakers would make about 80 percent of cars sold globally within three years, he added. Sony plans to spend about 900 billion yen ($7 billion) to develop imaging sensors in the 2021-23 period, nearly three times as much as it spent between 2015 and 2017. One acute challenge is securing chips, as the pandemic has squeezed supply chains and sharply cut companies’ inventories. Shimizu said Sony had invested in a joint venture with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build a $7 billion chip factory in Japan and wanted to deepen its collaboration to secure stable supplies of logic semiconductors, which are used to control the operation of electronic devices. Akira Minamikawa, a Tokyo-based semiconductor analyst at research firm Omdia, said Sony was making advances after a stuttering start. “Sony has struggled on the car front at first, but they have been catching up. There have been problems with production capacity, but thanks to the tie-up with TSMC they are being resolved,” he added. Sony also told investors it would ratchet up the production of its PlayStation 5 console and further diversify into mobile and PC gaming. The PlayStation 5 console was launched in late 2020 and sold fewer units in its second year because of parts shortages caused by the pandemic. Analysts expect it to close that gap in the third year and overtake PS4 sales in 2024. “We’re planning on a significant ramp up in PS5 production this year, allowing us to close the gap versus PS4,” Jim Ryan, Sony’s gaming chief, told a press briefing. He added that Sony planned for “heavy further increases in console production, taking us to production levels that we’ve never achieved before”. But Ryan said supply issues were his “top priority.” pointing to risks stemming from COVID-19 lockdowns in China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company is still betting on an economic lift from China, with hopes that PS5 sales would be driven in part by “unprecedented demand” in the world’s second-largest economy. While console titles are expected to make up more than two-thirds of releases this year, Sony intends to release nearly half of its new games on mobile or PCs by 2025, said Ryan. “Ryan dropped a few small bombs during his presentation,” said Tokyo-based gaming analyst Serkan Toto, adding that Sony’s move into mobile and PC gaming was “extremely aggressive” given the company’s modest presence on those platforms. © 2022 The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved Not to be redistributed, copied, or modified in any way.","['sony plans', 'evs autonomous', 'imaging sensors', 'carmakers financial', 'billion chip']" +AMD clarifies power usage limits of its next-gen AM5 CPUs (and why that’s important),https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/amd-provides-more-details-on-how-much-power-socket-am5-cpus-will-be-able-to-use/,"AMD released some of the first details about its upcoming Ryzen 7000 processors, 600-series chipsets, and the new AM5 CPU socket earlier this week. We learned that Ryzen 7000 chips will perform at least 15 percent faster than comparable Ryzen 5000 CPUs and that they'll require DDR5 RAM. We learned that all Ryzen 7000 chips will come with integrated RDNA2-based GPUs, though AMD still plans to offer a separate line of APUs with more capable integrated graphics for people who want to play games. And we found out some details about how PCIe 5.0 support will work for SSDs and GPUs. Another bit of information AMD gave was about the AM5 socket's power limits—the amount of power an AM5 socket will be able to provide to a processor. Power limits have become more important for PC builders and enthusiasts as core counts have increased and power consumption has gone up. Some of our recent Intel CPU reviews have explored how differently the same processor can perform with different power settings, though we've also discovered that boosting performance this way can have diminishing returns (that is to say, you can double your power use without doubling your performance). AMD's processors can work similarly, though the terminology is different. Intel uses different power limits, with the PL1 value determining power usage under a sustained workload and the PL2 value determining how much power the CPU can use in short bursts (a third number, Tau, defines how long the CPU will run at that PL2 limit). AMD has a few acronyms for different power figures, but the most relevant is package power tracking (PPT). PPT is the maximum power that a CPU package can draw from the processor socket. Both Intel and AMD use thermal design power (TDP) numbers. These are related to heat output and cooling, but they usually end up being a decent proxy for sustained power usage. Socket AM4 has a 142 W PPT and supports CPUs with TDPs of up to 105 W. AMD's original announcement and press briefings made it sound like socket AM5 would support a 170 W PPT, a modest increase compared to AM4 but well short of the 241 W that Intel's LGA1700 socket can provide. On Thursday, AMD clarified to Tom's Hardware that the 170 W number refers to the maximum TDP of socket AM5 processors and that the PPT number could go as high as 230 W, which is much higher than AM4 and more in line with Intel's platform. Support for higher TDP and PPT values will have the most noticeable effect on heavily threaded workloads that run for more than a few minutes, like video encoding tasks and CPU-dependent rendering work. When we've tweaked Intel's power limits in other reviews, tests like Cinebench and our Handbrake video-encoding test show the most noticeable improvements, while more variable and single-threaded workloads like general usage and gaming don't benefit much. In short: expect the 12- and 16-core Ryzen 7000 CPUs to run faster for longer than their Ryzen 5000 equivalents, even if that means more power draw and more heat.","['am5 processors', 'pcie support', 'upcoming ryzen', 'gpus amd', 'amd plans']" +LG’s new OLED monitor is big enough to replace your TV,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/lg-launches-its-biggest-fastest-oled-monitor-yet/,"LG is already an OLED TV king, but when it comes to PC monitors, the company's OLED offerings are scant. That's changing this summer with the LG UltraGear 48GQ900 announced this week. Just like LG's other OLED monitors, you can expect this to be a lavish display for those with extreme needs and large budgets. Aimed at console and PC gamers, the 47.5-inch OLED screen will have a 4K resolution at 120 Hz (overclockable to 138 Hz) and a 0.1 ms gray-to-gray response time. Some people consider 120 Hz beneficial for watching content made at 24 fps, like movies, to avoid the judder you might get with some 60 Hz displays. All that, combined with a generous panel size, makes it easy to see the monitor being a living room TV replacement, especially for a cable-cutter. It will even come with a remote. For extreme competitive PC gaming, however, it's worth noting that you can now reserve an OLED monitor with a 240 Hz refresh rate. OLED has a reputation for generally being less bright than LED-backlit alternatives. LG didn't specify how bright the 48GQ900 will get, but it noted that the panel will use LG's proprietary anti-glare, low-reflection coating to reduce ""visual distractions."" The screen will also have 98.5 percent DCI-P3 color coverage and HDR10 support. The monitor is compatible with G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. Both fight screen tearing when paired with an Nvidia or AMD graphics card, respectively, and you also get frame rate compensation, which allows the display to show frames multiple times if the frame rate falls below the lowest refresh rate that the monitor supports. There's also a pair of 20 W speakers, plus an audio jack that can add virtual surround sound to an attached headset via DTS Headphone:X. The port selection concludes with a pair of HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a USB-A 3.0 upstream port, and two downstream ports. But even after the 48GQ900 comes out, those interested in the rich contrast of OLED in PC monitor form will continue to have limited options. The majority are large screens built for gamers that are overkill for most people. LG's 26.5-inch and 32-inch OLED monitors, technically aimed at businesses, continue to be some of the more accessible OLED monitors around, despite steep prices ($3,000 and $4,000, respectively). LG hasn't confirmed a US price for the LG 48GQ900 yet but said the monitor will come out in Japan this month before releasing in North America, Europe, and Asia. Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.","['oled monitor', 'lg 48gq900', 'hz beneficial', 'tv replacement', 'backlit alternatives']" +"Google Drive gets multi-text selection, copy/paste shortcuts for files",https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/google-drive-gets-multi-text-selection-copy-paste-shortcuts-for-files/,"The Google Workspace team is rolling out some solid productivity updates to Google Drive. You can now select multiple blocks of text at the same time in the Docs editor for quick editing. This is a feature Microsoft Word has had for a while, and it allows you to you can hold Ctrl, highlight multiple blocks of text, and apply a style. Unfortunately, Google Docs isn't using an obvious shortcut key. According to the updated shortcuts page, you'll need at least four fingers to get this done. It's Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left/Right arrow on Windows, or  Ctrl + Cmd+ Shift + Left/Right arrow on a Mac. From there, Google says you'll need to ""use [the] left/right arrow to move to a separate section of text you also want to select."" The next dead-simple addition is keyboard shortcuts for copy/paste in the Google Drive file browser. The ability to copy and paste in the text editors has been around forever, but you'll now be able to do so in Drive's web file manager, which previously wasn't possible. It's strange that it has taken Google so long to implement this feature, but there's a lot of abstraction between you and the Google Drive JavaScript app. If you copy a Google Docs document, you aren't actually copying a file to the clipboard because the file lives on the Internet. You're moving organizational links around with a clipboard that JavaScript doesn't even have read access to. You've also always been able to install the Drive sync app and manage files through your operating system's file manager, but now the web version is getting better functionality. Both features are rolling out now. Multi-text-selection should hit everyone in about 15 days, and Drive copy/paste will take about a month. Listing image by Google Drive","['shortcuts copy', 'google workspace', 'text selection', 'docs editor', 'drive select']" +Apple boosts employee pay as workers attempt to organize,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/apple-raises-worker-pay-amid-unionization-inflation-and-more/,"Apple plans to raise the starting pay of its hourly workers, according to a Wall Street Journal report. In the US, employees' pay will be at least $22 per hour, which could be higher in some markets. That's 45 percent higher than it was in 2018. Additionally, Apple plans to increase starting salaries for corporate workers in the United States. It will also move up some employees' annual reviews by several months to enact pay increases as soon as July. In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said: Supporting and retaining the best team members in the world enables us to deliver the best, most innovative, products and services for our customers. This year as part of our annual performance review process, we’re increasing our overall compensation budget. There are likely several reasons for this move. First, businesses of all sizes are having a harder time attracting and retaining talent in this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple recently lost an AI/machine learning leader who specifically cited the company's remote work policy as a reason for his departure. Last week, the company postponed an imminent requirement to bring office workers back on-site for three days a week. Economic factors are at play, too. Inflation has been at its highest in decades, contributing to pay dissatisfaction. The recent volatility of tech stocks could also be a factor. Tech companies like Apple sometimes seek to entice workers with stock options on top of salary and other compensation, but current and prospective employees might feel less enthusiastic about stock benefits right now. Finally, retail workers at three US Apple Store locations have announced unionization plans. Some union organizers called for Apple to increase its base hourly pay.","['workers apple', 'pay increases', 'base hourly', 'apple increase', 'employees pay']" +The Google Pixel Foldable is reportedly delayed to 2023,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/the-google-pixel-foldable-is-reportedly-delayed-to-2023/,"At Google's recent I/O conference, we heard about a lot of upcoming Google hardware, including the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel Watch, and even a Pixel Tablet, which isn't due out until sometime in 2023. We didn't hear anything about a Pixel foldable, though. Still, we know something is in the works since the Google Camera app included the detection flag ""isPixel2022Foldable"" alongside flags for other Pixel devices. So what's the deal? The Elec reports that the Google foldable is delayed until 2023. This would mark the second time the foldable has been delayed, as it was originally due out late last year. It seems that the original plan was to release the product alongside Android 12L, aka 12.1, the tablet-and-foldables-focused Android release. Google often tries to develop Android builds and new hardware simultaneously, but making hardware is difficult. Google and Samsung are partnering up for Wear OS and the Google Tensor SoC, and the Pixel foldable is likewise expected to use a lot of Samsung parts. That means a Samsung Display-made flexible OLED display on the inside, flexible ""ultra-thin glass"" for added rigidity, and a hinge from Samsung's hinge supplier. The display sizes are 7.57 inches inside and 5.78 inches outside. That's close to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 but not exactly the same. 9to5Google found simplified animations of a Google Foldable in Android 12L, and they suggest that Google's phone will open to a wider aspect ratio than Samsung's, which would put it more in line with the Oppo Find N. You can't blame Google for not wanting to rush a foldable to market. Users still regularly report cracked displays, even from Samsung's third-generation foldable; combined with the device's $1,800 price tag, that makes it a tough sell.","['pixel foldable', 'upcoming google', 'displays samsung', 'ispixel2022foldable', 'flexible oled']" +"Modular Panasonic Toughbook has 8 replaceable parts, 1,200-nit screen",https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/modular-panasonic-toughbook-has-8-replaceable-parts-1200-nit-screen/,"Pansonic's rugged Toughbook line expanded this week with the Toughbook 40. The new laptop carries many of the hallmarks of its predecessor, including military-grade durability specs and swappable parts, with some upgrades in size and display. Toughbooks have durable designs meant to withstand long drops (as much as six feet, in this case) and challenging conditions, like rain. But another standout characteristic is their modularity. The Toughbook 40 has eight parts made to be easy to repair or upgrade: the battery, RAM, storage, and keyboard, plus four expansion areas. Various types of expansion packs are available, including an optical drive, fingerprint and barcode readers, and extra I/O ports, batteries, and storage. In a FAQ (PDF), Panasonic said you can access most of the expansion areas with a screwdriver and some screws, while some only require you to use a slide lever. IT managers can lock down the SSD or expansion areas with a screw. According to Panasonic, there are 6,048 ways to build the Toughbook. At 7.4 lbs, the 14-inch Touchbook 40 is 1.2 lbs lighter than the preceding laptop, the 13.1-inch Toughbook 31. That's several pounds heavier than today's ultralight laptops, but Toughbooks are built for extreme cases, like military and law enforcement use. At 1,200 nits, the laptop's 1920×1080 touchscreen is fit to use in a sunny room or outside. Panasonic didn't specify battery life at that extreme brightness but claims that the PC can last up to 18 hours on the MobileMark 2014 benchmark and 36 hours if you get a second battery. The laptop's resistive touchpad has a 60 percent larger area, and it can be used while wearing gloves or during rain. Inside, the Toughbook 40 has up to an Intel Core i7-1185G7 with Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics (a discrete, unspecified GPU will be coming at some point). The laptop is configurable with up to 2TB of storage, upgradeable via a quick-release latch, and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM. Additionally, there's a 5 MP webcam and the option for 4G or 5G connectivity. In Panasonic's announcement, Toughbook GM Craig Jackowski said the Toughbook 40 is the ""most rugged"" of the series. It meets the MIL-STD-810H and MIL-STD-461H military specifications and is CID2-certified for use in hazardous environments. It is IP66-certified, protecting it against dust and powerful water jets. On the security side, the laptop has an encrypted OPAL SSD with optional FIPS, TPM 2.0, Intel Hardware Shield, and Microsoft Secure-core PC. The Toughbook 40 also introduces a ""Secure Wipe"" feature that ""wipes the contents on the drive in a matter of seconds,"" according to Panasonic. Aimed at businesses and the public sector, the Toughbook 40 will start at $4,899 when it comes out in late spring, Panasonic's announcement said. If you're seeking something with a more digestible price, the 13.5-inch, DIY-friendly Framework laptop just got 12th Gen Intel CPUs.","['laptops toughbooks', 'pansonic rugged', 'touchbook 40', 'storage upgradeable', 'durability specs']" +Broadcom will pay $61 billion to become the latest company to acquire VMware,https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/05/broadcom-will-pay-61-billion-to-become-the-latest-company-to-acquire-vmware/,"Chipmaker Broadcom will be acquiring VMware for $61 billion in cash and stock, the companies announced today. Broadcom is best known for designing and selling a wide range of wired and wireless communication chips, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips and the processors that power many routers and modems. But the company has spent billions in recent years to acquire an enterprise software portfolio—$18.9 billion for CA Technologies in 2018 and $10.7 billion for Symantec in 2019. The VMware buy is much larger than either of those purchases, but it fits the pattern of Broadcom's other software acquisitions. Once the acquisition is completed, the Broadcom Software Group will adopt the VMware name. If approved, Broadcom expects the transaction to be complete in 2023. This wouldn't be the first time someone paid a lot of money for VMware. EMC first purchased the company back in 2004 for $625 million (or just under $1 billion, adjusted for inflation). EMC itself was acquired by Dell for $67 billion in late 2015, and VMware was part of that acquisition. Dell sold many of its shares of VMware in late 2021 to help pay off debts, though Michael Dell continues to own about 40 percent of VMware's stock and remains the chairman of VMware's board. VMware makes most of its money from subscriptions to its enterprise software products, which handle the virtualization of PCs and apps, networking, and security. Ars readers may know it better for its consumer virtualization products, which include VMware Fusion for Mac and the free-for-home-use VMware Workstation Player.","['vmware buy', 'chipmaker broadcom', 'emc acquired', 'acquisition dell', 'billion symantec']" +Prominent ex-Tesla self-driving car exec leaves Apple for greener pastures,https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/prominent-ex-tesla-self-driving-car-exec-leaves-apple-for-greener-pastures/,"Apple has reportedly been working on self-driving car technology since 2014, but it has faced a series of prominent employee departures over the past year. As reported Wednesday by Bloomberg, the latest is CJ Moore, who had only just joined the company last August. In any case, he's now moving to lidar company Luminar Technologies, which has been aggressively hiring prominent directors and executives from tech and automobile giants. At Luminar, Moore will lead the global software development for lidar-based features to ensure passengers' safety in autonomous vehicles. Bloomberg notes that ""nearly the entire Apple Car management team"" has left Apple over the past two years. The other notable departures included project lead Doug Field, who left to join Ford last year. Apple technology VP Kevin Lynch, who worked at Adobe before joining Apple in 2013, reportedly now runs Apple's car project, which is internally dubbed Project Titan. While much of Apple is focused on the iPhone and other products and services in its periphery, Project Titan is one of Apple's two largest efforts to develop a new product category that could be as successful and disruptive as the iPhone's introduction. Both Project Titan and the mixed reality project have seen many bumps in the proverbial road, as is often the case for major new R&D projects in the tech frontier. Apple is said to be in the early stages of development for self-driving cars, but multiple recent reports have claimed that the company's first mixed reality glasses are moving toward release.","['titan apple', 'project internally', 'lidar company', 'car technology', 'cj moore']" diff --git a/data/techcrunch_data.csv b/data/techcrunch_data.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..87d3ae6 --- /dev/null +++ b/data/techcrunch_data.csv @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +Title,Link,Body,keywords +HitPay is a one-stop solution for SMEs,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/hitpay-is-a-one-stop-solution-for-smes/,"HitPay has almost everything SMEs need to run their businesses. In addition to being an online payment gateway, it also offers tools like point-of-sale software with card readers, plugins, payment links and no-code online stores. The Y Combinator alum announced today that it has raised $15.75 million in Series A funding led by Tiger Global, with participation from returning investors Global Founders Capital and HOF Capital. It is currently used by over 10,000 merchants in Singapore and Malaysia, with plans to expand into more Southeast Asian markets, including Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Co-founder and CEO Aditya Haripurkar told TechCrunch HitPay started in 2016 as an e-wallet but then pivoted toward being an SME-facing platform in 2018 as a virtual POS product. As its team began to understand the needs of SMEs more, it started to develop the other tools on the platform. HitPay’s Series A funding will be used for building a payments infrastructure from the ground up, with the intention of saving SMEs money and helping them expand their business. This will include business tools and payments infrastructure (including all commonly used payment rails in each market, including bank transfers, cards, e-wallets and BNPL services.) “SMEs have very specific requirements, so we wanted to build a one-stop no-code platform,” said Haripurkar. “That entails all our plugins, point of sale software, business software, online stores and recurring payments. We’ll be focusing on building these free SaaS tools in addition to building up payment rails, which are focused currently on Singaporean and Malaysian merchants. But in each country we launch in, that will look very different, so we will look at local payment methods in every country. That’s the biggest challenge for our team and where most of our investment and time is going as well.” The first step HitPay will take as it expands into new countries is to get regulated in each market it operates in, to allow it to build payment infrastructure for SMEs from the ground up. Then it will integrate the most popular payment methods. For example, in Singapore, HitPay currently works with about 10 to 15 payment methods. HitPay’s no-code platform allows SMEs to unify their online and offline payment stacks. It is typically used by medium-sized businesses, with annual revenue between $500,000 to $2 million. Most are in the retail segment, but Haripurkar expect that to evolve as well.","['tools payments', 'hitpay expands', 'infrastructure smes', 'series funding', 'tiger global']" +Zinc heads toward new $41M tech-for-good fund to back pre-team talent solving big problems,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/zinc-heads-towards-new-41m-tech-for-good-fund-to-back-pre-team-talent-solving-big-problems/,"So-called “tech for good” accelerators addressing such worthy-sounding subjects as ESGs and SDGs have appeared in the last few years. Some observers have dismissed these efforts as scalable only to a point. However, the evidence is mounting that they are increasingly attracting some of the world’s best talent, because the world’s best talent does actually want to solve some of the planet’s biggest problems. And where the talent goes, the money and backing will follow. In Europe, Entrepreneur First (EF) and Antler have tried to scale their models as “talent investors,” while the Bethnal Green Ventures fund was even acquired and recapitalized by its new owners. Clearly this approach is on something of a roll. Zinc is an accelerator that appeared back in 2017 when it was founded by Ella Goldner, Paul Kirby and Saul Klein (LocalGlobe founder) and backed by its early investors including the London School of Economics. It went on to back over 220 diverse founders who built more than 60 ventures, such as Vira Health (menopause support), Tandem (transportation for workers), Pexxi (personalized contraception pills) and Untangle (grief support). As you can see, it is indeed possible to create businesses that address what, to some, might seem like intractable problems. Zinc has now hit the first £28 million ($34 million) close of a new fund and is aiming for a final close of £33 million ($41 million) to invest in startups buildimg commercial solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges. Zinc will invest up to £250,000 in each of the companies created. Zinc 2 Fund will back talent that (similar to EF) is pre-team and pre-idea to build these startups. The cohort draws in talent focused on four missions: mental health, the environment, improving the quality of later life and helping people impacted by automation and globalization. Zinc and the entrepreneurs share a conviction that each of these missions is a big opportunity for both social impact and commercial success. Goldner, co-founder of Zinc, said in a statement: Rather than waiting for good companies to appear, Zinc helps individuals (before they have a business idea or a team) to build from scratch a new commercially ambitious company to solve the social challenge that they are most passionate about. “Typically,” she says “those individuals are 10 to 20 years into their career but are frustrated that they are not having the social impact they want … Zinc brings these groups together to combine social impact and commercial skills.” The individuals chosen by Zinc join a cohort of up to 70 people who all share the same mission and access a 12 month program of support and investment. Each of our programs has 100 Visiting Fellows and a network of partners. Givent the “Great Resignation” post pandemic, Zinc thinks it will attract those reevaluating their careers. Paul Kirby, co-founder of Zinc, says “Our missions are a call to arms: ‘Who wants to quit their jobs and spend the next decade or more solving this problem?’” Some of the examples of the founders who have built a venture with Zinc include Dr. Rebecca Love, the co-founder of Vira Health, which has raised $14 million of VC funding, and Alex Shapland Howes of Tandem, which has raised £2 million. Other investors in Zinc’s new fund include Big Society Capital, Molten Ventures, Isomer, Dunhill Medical Trust, Atomico, Anthemis Group, Taavet Hinrikus from Taaven+Sten, Illka Paannan (Supercell), Basecamp, Sarah Wood and Stuart Roden. The founders Zinc backed in its most recent venture builder program are over 50% women, 15% Black, with an average age of 38.","['zinc entrepreneurs', 'good accelerators', 'talent investors', 'green ventures', 'efforts scalable']" +Max Q: Mines and metals,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/max-q-mines-and-metals/,"Hello and welcome back to Max Q. There is SO much news this week, so let’s dive in. In this issue: Don’t forget to sign up to get the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox. Although we’ve long understood that asteroids are not simply the rubble of the universe, but potentially profitable stores of precious minerals, humanity has never been able to unlock this value. Y Combinator startup Astroforge wants to succeed where other companies have failed, by becoming the first to mine an asteroid and bring the material back to Earth — and it’s aiming to do so as early as the end of the decade. (Yes, that is not a typo — end of the decade!) To start, Astroforge will be conducting a tech demonstration mission sometime next year. The company’s already booked a spot on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission, and it has also contracted a deal with OrbAstro to manufacture the satellite. But for now, the startup is staying mum on the actual details of the payload, and how they will solve the myriad technical challenges for which asteroid mining is so notorious. “We now need to build a world-class team to go after this, as it’s a really hard problem to solve,” co-founder Matt Gialich said. Later in the conversation, he added, “That’s the fun part of startups, right? It’s a big risk until you go do it.” Near-Earth asteroid, computer artwork. Image Credits: Science Photo Library – ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI / Getty Images Near-Earth asteroid, computer artwork. Image Credits: Science Photo Library – ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI / Getty Images Welcome back, Starliner! The spacecraft touched down in New Mexico on Wednesday, successfully concluding a six-day mission and the craft’s first successful test flight. As TC’s Devin Coldewey writes, even though not everything went exactly as planned, “this success may establish Boeing as a much-needed second provider of commercial ISS launch capabilities.” During a post-launch briefing, NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich called the landing “picture perfect.” Next up is a Crew Flight Test (CFT), which will carry astronauts and, for that reason, will be much higher stakes. The date of that launch will likely not be set for several months. Image Credits: Boeing / NASA / YouTube Image Credits: Boeing / NASA / YouTube I loved this photo, tweeted out by Relativity Space, of Terran 1’s second stage crossing state lines. If all goes to plan, Terran 1 will make its first orbital launch attempt by the end of this year. Image Credits: Relativity Space (opens in a new window) I loved this photo, tweeted out by Relativity Space, of Terran 1’s second stage crossing state lines. If all goes to plan, Terran 1 will make its first orbital launch attempt by the end of this year. Image Credits: Relativity Space (opens in a new window) Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you enjoy reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend. ","['asteroid mining', 'startup astroforge', 'deal orbastro', 'rubble universe', 'exactly planned']" +Partner sessions at TC Sessions: Climate offer knowledge and insight,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/partner-sessions-at-tc-sessions-climate-offer-knowledge-and-insight/,"We’re just about two weeks away from our first foray into climate tech at TC Sessions: Climate & The Extreme Tech Challenge 2022 Global Finals on June 14 in Berkeley, California — with an online day to follow on June 16. It’s going to be an epic day all around for many reasons — did you know that Bill Gates is one of the featured speakers? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from and engage with the new wave of climate-tech entrepreneurs, early-stage founders, CEOs, scientists, researchers, engineers and the VCs who fund them. You know what else you can’t afford to miss? Our 2-for-1 pass Memorial Day sale — it ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. (PDT). Buy your pass now and save! Pro tip: Yes, TechCrunch editors will interview the leading voices in the fight against climate-change (check out the event agenda), but we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t remind you about our partner breakout sessions. These expert-led, topic-specific partner sessions give you time to lean in, get more answers, discover new opportunities and connect with companies that support early-stage climate-tech startups. Take a look at this impressive group of partners and what they’ll discuss. They’re ready with knowledge and resources to help you build a successful startup. This panel jumps into the breakthrough tech innovations that are transforming industries to build a radically better world. How can business, government, philanthropy and the startup community come together to create a better tomorrow? Hear from these seasoned investors and industry veterans about how technology can not only shape the future, but also where the biggest opportunities lie. Sponsored by XTC. Speakers: +Jamey Butcher (CEO and president, Chemonics International), Philipp Gruener (global head of Due Diligence, Decisive Capital Management SA), Victoria Slivkoff (executive managing director, Extreme Tech Challenge) and Bill Tai (angel investor; partner emeritus CRV; co-founder, Extreme Tech Challenge) Making the choice to deploy to the cloud is clearly the better choice for the climate, but you can further reduce your emissions by taking a couple of key steps. You are invited to attend this session to learn more about how the tech community is helping to mitigate climate change and a simple strategy to reduce your carbon footprint in the cloud. Sponsored by Platform.sh. Speakers: +Fred Plais (co-founder and CEO, Platform.sh) TC Sessions: Climate 2022 takes place on June 14 in Berkeley, California (with an online day June 16). Be sure to soak up the knowledge waiting for you in our partner breakout sessions. And don’t wait another second to buy your pass — the Memorial Day 2-for-1 sale ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. (PDT). Go forth and save! Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Sessions Climate 2022? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form. + + +","['climate tech', 'memorial day', 'breakout sessions', '2022', 'tech startups']" +"Perceptron: Risky teleoperation, Rocket League simulation and zoologist multiplication",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/__trashed-12/,"Research in the field of machine learning and AI, now a key technology in practically every industry and company, is far too voluminous for anyone to read it all. This column, Perceptron (previously Deep Science), aims to collect some of the most relevant recent discoveries and papers — particularly in, but not limited to, artificial intelligence — and explain why they matter. This week in AI, researchers discovered a method that could allow adversaries to track the movements of remotely controlled robots even when the robots’ communications are encrypted end to end. The co-authors, who hail from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, said that their study shows adopting the best cybersecurity practices isn’t enough to stop attacks on autonomous systems. Remote control, or teleoperation, promises to enable operators to guide one or several robots from afar in a range of environments. Startups including Pollen Robotics, Beam and Tortoise have demonstrated the usefulness of teleoperated robots in grocery stores, hospitals and offices. Other companies develop remotely controlled robots for tasks like bomb disposal or surveying sites with heavy radiation. But the new research shows that teleoperation, even when supposedly “secure,” is risky in its susceptibility to surveillance. The Strathclyde co-authors describe in a paper using a neural network to infer information about what operations a remotely controlled robot is carrying out. After collecting samples of TLS-protected traffic between the robot and controller and conducting an analysis, they found that the neural network could identify movements about 60% of the time and also reconstruct “warehousing workflows” (e.g., picking up packages) with “high accuracy.” Image Credits: Shah et al. Image Credits: Shah et al. Alarming in a less immediate way is a new study from researchers at Google and the University of Michigan that explored peoples’ relationships with AI-powered systems in countries with weak legislation and “nationwide optimism” for AI. The work surveyed India-based, “financially stressed” users of instant-loan platforms that target borrowers with credit determined by risk-modeling AI. According to the co-authors, the users experienced feelings of indebtedness for the “boon” of instant loans and an obligation to accept harsh terms, overshare sensitive data and pay high fees. The researchers argue that the findings illustrate the need for greater “algorithmic accountability,” particularly where it concerns AI in financial services. “We argue that accountability is shaped by platform-user power relations and urge caution to policymakers in adopting a purely technical approach to fostering algorithmic accountability,” they wrote. “Instead, we call for situated interventions that enhance agency of users, enable meaningful transparency, reconfigure designer-user relations and prompt a critical reflection in practitioners toward wider accountability.” In less dour research, a team of scientists at TU Dortmund University, Rhine-Waal University and LIACS Universiteit Leiden in the Netherlands developed an algorithm that they claim can “solve” the game Rocket League. Motivated to find a less computationally intensive way to create game-playing AI, the team leveraged what they call a “sim-to-sim” transfer technique, which trained the AI system to perform in-game tasks like goalkeeping and striking within a stripped-down, simplified version of Rocket League. (Rocket League basically resembles indoor soccer, except with cars instead of human players in teams of three.) Image Credits: Pleines et al. Image Credits: Pleines et al. It wasn’t perfect, but the researchers’ Rocket League-playing system, managed to save nearly all shots fired its way when goalkeeping. When on the offensive, the system successfully scored 75% of shots — a respectable record. Simulators for human movements are also advancing at pace. Meta’s work on tracking and simulating human limbs has obvious applications in its AR and VR products, but it could also be used more broadly in robotics and embodied AI. Research that came out this week got a tip of the cap from none other than Mark Zuckerberg. Simulated skeleton and muscle groups in Myosuite. Image Credits: Meta Simulated skeleton and muscle groups in Myosuite. Image Credits: Meta MyoSuite simulates muscles and skeletons in 3D as they interact with objects and themselves — this is important for agents to learn how to properly hold and manipulate things without crushing or dropping them, and also in a virtual world provide realistic grips and interactions. It supposedly runs thousands of times faster on certain tasks, which lets simulated learning processes happen much quicker. “We’re going to open source these models so researchers can use them to advance the field further,” Zuck says. And they did! Lots of these simulations are agent- or object-based, but this project from MIT looks at simulating an overall system of independent agents: self-driving cars. The idea is that if you have a good amount of cars on the road, you can have them work together not just to avoid collisions but to prevent idling and unnecessary stops at lights. If you look closely, only the front cars ever really stop. Image Credits: MIT If you look closely, only the front cars ever really stop. Image Credits: MIT As you can see in the animation above, a set of autonomous vehicles communicating using V2V protocols can basically prevent all but the very front cars from stopping at all by progressively slowing down behind one another but not so much that they actually come to a halt. This sort of hypermiling behavior may seem like it doesn’t save much gas or battery, but when you scale it up to thousands or millions of cars it does make a difference — and it might be a more comfortable ride, too. Good luck getting everyone to approach the intersection perfectly spaced like that, though. Switzerland is taking a good, long look at itself — using 3D scanning tech. The country is making a huge map using UAVs equipped with lidar and other tools, but there’s a catch: The movement of the drone (deliberate and accidental) introduces error into the point map that needs to be manually corrected. Not a problem if you’re just scanning a single building but an entire country? Fortunately, a team out of EPFL is integrating an ML model directly into the lidar capture stack that can determine when an object has been scanned multiple times from different angles and use that info to line up the point map into a single cohesive mesh. This news article isn’t particularly illuminating, but the paper accompanying it goes into more detail. An example of the resulting map is visible in the video above. Lastly, in unexpected but highly pleasant AI news, a team from the University of Zurich has designed an algorithm for tracking animal behavior so zoologists don’t have to scrub through weeks of footage to find the two examples of courting dances. It’s a collaboration with the Zurich Zoo, which makes sense when you consider the following: “Our method can recognize even subtle or rare behavioral changes in research animals, such as signs of stress, anxiety or discomfort,” said lab head Mehmet Fatih Yanik. So the tool could be used both for learning and tracking behaviors in captivity, for the well-being of captive animals in zoos and for other forms of animal studies as well. They could use fewer subject animals and get more information in a shorter time, with less work by grad students poring over video files late into the night. Sounds like a win-win-win-win situation to me. Image Credits: Ella Marushenko / ETH Zurich Image Credits: Ella Marushenko / ETH Zurich Also, love the illustration.","['teleoperated robots', 'cybersecurity practices', 'attacks autonomous', 'operations remotely', 'concerns ai']" +"For remittances, crypto is still a problem looking for a solution",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/for-remittances-crypto-is-still-a-problem-looking-for-a-solution/,"It is no secret that Andreessen Horowitz is bullish about crypto: Not only does the firm boast that it started to invest in the space a decade ago, but it also debuted a $4.5 billion web3 fund last week. To understand a16z’s bullishness despite what others have described as a “crypto winter,” its 2022 State of Crypto Report is a good start. Per its disclaimers, the document is not directed to any investors or potential investors — yada, yada, yada. But it does read like an argument for crypto, DeFi, NFTs and all things web3. The problem, in my view, is that the report’s authors, all of whom are part of a16z’s team, are overstating the current opportunity for crypto. By doing so, they are making it sound bigger than it is — and it may take years to get to that point. TechCrunch+ is having a Memorial Day sale. You can save 50% on annual subscriptions for a limited time. That the report takes an optimistic view of crypto is understandable. After all, if you are about to deploy billions in funding into a market, and you are not even alone, the TAM needs to be up to par. But the report is also meant to be an overview of trends, which is why it seems questionable to allude to opportunities that aren’t real yet. The point that bothered me the most has to do with remittances — money sent cross-border by individuals, typically from a richer country to a poorer one. The World Bank expects that such annual inflows will reach $630 billion in 2022. And yes, there are inefficiencies and fees along the way. For the authors of the a16z report, that’s more than enough to list remittances as an argument for DeFi. But are remittance payments and money transfers really ripe for crypto disruption? And is DeFi really the right solution to help what the report describes as the “huge part of the world [ … ] underserved by existing financial institutions”? That’s definitely not what I am hearing from the ground — as also confirmed by two founders I reached out to Tomás Bercovich from Global66 and Ryan Newton from Paisa. Just earlier this month, I sat in the audience of the Tech.eu Summit as Wise CEO Kristo Käärmann was interviewed on stage. “Currently, Wise doesn’t accept cryptocurrencies. Do you think,” Bloomberg’s Ivan Levingston asked him, “that this might change at some point?” This is a recurring question for the fintech company, so Käärmann made sure not to sound dismissive. “I am very excited about the technology,” he said, while also adding that “there are interesting experiments going on all around the world.” But the gist of his answer was still a nail in the crypto coffin. “We are just looking for a use case,” he said. “We’re looking for the problem that we can solve with it.” ","['crypto report', 'a16z bullishness', 'web3 fund', 'investors potential', 'bullish crypto']" +Strong Compute raises $7.8M seed round to speed up ML training pipelines,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/strong-compute-raises-7-8m-seed-round-to-speed-up-ml-training-pipelines/,"Strong Compute, a Sydney, Australia-based startup that helps developers remove the bottlenecks in their machine learning training pipelines, today announced that it has raised a $7.8 million seed round. The round includes a total of 30 funds and angels, including the likes of Sequoia Capital India, Blackbird, Folklore and Skip Capital, as well as Y Combinator, Starburst Ventures and founders and engineers from companies like Cruise, Waymo, Open AI, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. The company, which was part of Y Combinator’s Winter ’22 batch, promises that its optimizations can speed up the training process by 10x to 1,000x, depending on the model, pipeline and framework. As Strong Compute founder Ben Sand, who previously also co-founded AR company Meta, told me, the team has recently made some breakthroughs where it was able to make Nvidia’s reference implementation, which its customer LayerJot used, run 20 times faster. Image Credits: Strong Compute Image Credits: Strong Compute “That was a big win,” Sand said. “It really gave us the sense that there is nothing that can’t be improved.” He didn’t quite want to reveal all of the details of how the team’s optimizations worked, but he noted that the company is now hiring mathematicians and is building tools that give it a more detailed view of how their user’s code interacts with the CPUs and GPUs at a much deeper level than was previously possible. As Sand stressed, the current focus for the company is to start automating a lot of the current work to optimize the training process — and that’s something the company can now tackle, thanks to this funding round. “Our goal now is to have serious development partners in self-driving, medical and aerial, in order to be looking at what is actually going to generalize really well,” he explained. “We’ve now got the resources to have an R&D team that doesn’t have to deliver something in a two-week sprint but that can actually look at what’s some real core tech that could take a year to actually get a win out of but that can really help with that automated analysis of the problem.” Strong Compute wants to speed up your ML model training The company currently has six full-time engineers but Sands plans to double that over the next few months. In part, that’s also because the company is now getting inbound interest from large companies that often spend $50 million or more on their compute resources (and Sands noted that the market is basically bimodal, with customers either spending less than $1 million or $10 million to $100 million, with only a few players in the middle). Image Credits: Strong Compute Image Credits: Strong Compute Every company that is trying to build ML models, though, suffers from the same problem: training models and running experiments to improve them still takes a lot of time. That means the well-paid data scientists working on these problems spend a lot of time in a holding pattern, waiting for results to come in. “Strong Compute is solving the basketball court problem,” said SteadyMD CFO Nikhil Abraham. “Long training times had our best devs shooting hoops all day, waiting on machines.” And while some of that inbound interest is coming from the financial industry and companies that want to optimize their natural language processing models, Strong Compute’s focus remains on computer vision for the time being. “We’ve only just scratched the surface of what machine learning and AI can do.” said Folklore partner Tanisha Banaszczyk. “We love working with founders who have long-range ambition and visions that will endure across generations. Having invested in autonomous driving, we know how important speed to market is — and see the impact Strong Compute can have on this market with its purpose-built platform, deep understanding of the $500 billion market and world-class team.”","['million compute', 'training pipelines', 'make nvidia', 'ventures founders', 'optimizations speed']" +SWVL plans to lay off 32% of its team two months after going public,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/swvl-plans-to-lay-off-32-of-its-team-two-months-after-going-public/,"Egypt-born and Dubai-headquartered mobility startup SWVL is planning to lay off 32% of its workforce it said in a statement today. The company’s LinkedIn profile shows it has over 1,330 employees. Letting go of over 30% of its workforce means that around 400 people will lose their jobs at the mobility company. Tech companies, private and public, have faced a reckoning in the past few months with their valuations taking a beating. The effect of an economic downturn has also affected their finances leading them to cut costs; the top of the list is letting go of employees. This downsizing from the Dubai-based startup adds to the long list of global cross-stage layoffs in what has been a rough month for tech employees. Over 15,000 tech workers have lost their jobs in the U.S. alone according to reports. Companies such as Klarna, Getir, Gorillas and Bolt have dismissed portions of their workforce while the likes of Snap, Twitter and Instacart have slowed down hiring entirely. It’s been a very busy 18 months for SWVL leading up to this news. This March, the company went public via a SPAC merger with U.S. women-led blank check company Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital. It listed at $10 per share and targeted a $1.5 billion valuation but has traded between $4 and $8 for the most part. Its current valuation hovers around $500-$600 million. All eyes are on Swvl as it starts trading on a SPAC combination The layoffs are coming just a month after SWVL acquired U.K.-based mass transit group Zeelo for $100 million according to sources. It’s one of five acquisitions SWVL has made within the past year; others include Germany’s door2door, Turkey’s Voltlines (for ~$40 million), Spain’s Shotl and Argentina’s Viapool. SWVL said that though these acquisitions have contributed to its overall growth, it will need to make reductions on roles automated by investments in its engineering and product and support functions teams. “The planned layoffs will impact teams responsible for functions that have been automated following investment in engineering, product and support functions,” SWVL said in a statement. SWVL said it plans to attain profitability next year. Dismissing hundreds of employees is one way to get there. Others include developing its proprietary technology stack and growing its three models — where it makes $5 million in MRR — across existing and new markets, it said in a statement. SWVL is present in 13 markets globally: the UAE, Egypt, Kenya, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Pakistan. According to a source, the majority of the layoffs will come from the company’s Dubai and Pakistan offices. Whether SWVL will continue its expansion into new markets such as Colombia, Mexico and South Africa, and the U.S. — announced during its SPAC merger — is uncertain. “As a result of the portfolio optimization program, Swvl’s management currently expects that the company will be cash-flow positive in 2023.” CEO Mostafa Kandil sent out a letter to his employees addressing the layoffs. Here’s a part of it: Become Free Cash Flow Profitable in 2023 – Swvl is implementing a portfolio optimization program to focus on its highest profitability operations, enhance efficiency and reduce central costs – Capitalizes on the highest profitability operations TaaS and SaaS which currently have > 500 contracts in > 10 countries generating > $5m revenue per month – B2C business is also expected to be contribution margin positive before the end of 2022 – Builds on recent acquisitions of TaaS and SaaS businesses Viapool, Volt Lines, Shotl and pending acquisition of door2door which improve profitability margins – Benefits from a world class engineering and product team and technology stack which allows for scalability and sustainable growth Resources No matter how big, resources are not infinite; cash is meant to be responsibly utilized. We need to be as disciplined as ever, which is why today, May 30, 2022, we announced that our portfolio optimization program to turn cash flow positive in 2023. As part of that program, we have considered various scenarios that will allow us to demonstrate how much we value our workforce. We believe that Swvl has reached such a level of success only because of the team, and we are also sure that Swvl will continue to get stronger. What we did: – Voluntary salary deductions from the top management team – Reduction of current office spaces – Freezing our current hiring program – Freezing travel and accommodation expenses – Tying expenditures to essential business requirements People Effective today, May 30, 2022, we are optimizing our operations in some of our markets while reducing our workforce. The reduction follows an extensive evaluation of team redundancy and how this complements our strategy. We have arranged for one-to-one communications with all of the impacted teammates. Each member of the reduced workforce will receive an invitation to have a conversation with a relevant senior leader to receive clarity on the next steps based on each market’s local laws, severance rules, and best practices. To those who will leave, I would like to say I am sorry. And more importantly, this is not your fault. You will forever be part of Swvl, and our door will always be open to you in the future. We are incredibly lucky and grateful to have worked with such remarkable talent that many companies would be fortunate to have. Besides your work, what will stay with us is knowing that we genuinely did hire people better than us. I am sure you will continue to have a significant impact wherever you go, as you have done day in and day out at Swvl. Easing the transition for impacted employees: – Severance: All impacted employees to receive severance based on gross salary and complete cash payout – Provident Fund, Gratuity & Leave encashment other legal payments – All RSU to be considered vested – Expense claims/OPD claims to be cleared – All Final Settlements to be taxed as per local requirement – Payout Transfer to be complete in the next 21 days Medical Insurance: to be extended for all entitled employees Stock Options: all unvested stocks for impacted employees to continue to vest as per schedule Alumni Directory: an alumni network directory to support our impacted workforce No interview policy for Rejoiners Laptops to be retained by employees subject to data security requirements Update: In an email to TechCrunch, CFO Youssef Salem said Swvl is not shutting down operations in any country whether from its existing footprint or planned expansions but rather optimizing its network and headcount in each country.","['company dubai', 'layoffs impact', 'mobility startup', 'acquisitions swvl', 'lost jobs']" +Mintlify taps AI to automatically generate documentation from code,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/mintlify-taps-ai-to-automatically-generate-documentation-from-code/,"Mintlify, a startup developing software to automate software documentation tasks, today announced that it raised $2.8 million in a seed round led by by Bain Capital Ventures with participation from TwentyTwo Ventures and Quinn Slack, Sourcegraph’s co-founder. CEO Han Wang says that the proceeds will be put toward product development and doubling Mintlify’s core three-person team by the end of the year. Ithaca, New York-based Mintlify was co-founded in 2021 by Han Wang and Hahnbee Lee — both software engineers by trade. Wang previously co-launched Foodful, a startup that developed a cloud-based monitoring system for cows, and Pe•ple, an online customer community platform that was acquired by Tribe in early 2021. Lee was a co-founder at Pe•ple before briefly joining Duolingo as an engineer. Wang said the idea for Mintlify came from his and Lee’s experiences in software development, which involved working with documentation that wasn’t always complete or of the highest quality. Their observations agree with a 2017 GitHub survey, which found that 93% of developers consider incomplete or outdated documentation to be a pervasive problem. “We’ve worked as software engineers at companies in all stages ranging from startups to Big Tech and found that they all suffer from bad documentation, if it even existed at all,” Wang told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Documentation is the lifeline for junior engineers and those jumping into new codebases. It helps senior devs save time from explaining their code to others in the future. For public-facing and open source products, documentation has a direct impact on user adoption.” Image Credits: Mintlify Image Credits: Mintlify Mintlify aims to address the challenges around documentation with automation, specifically auto-generating documentation. The company’s platform reads code and creates docs to explain it, leveraging technologies including natural language processing and web scraping. Wang declined to reveal more about Mintlify’s technical underpinnings, but generating documentation from code is well within the realm of possibility with today’s AI techniques. That’s evidenced by the fact that Mintlify has several competitors taking similar approaches, including Documatic, whose AI system automatically generates change logs and explanations from code in addition to documentation. Wang asserts that Mintlify provides “significantly” higher quality results than its rivals, and — unlike some — doesn’t force developers to host documentation on a cloud service. “Mintlify’s mission is to solve documentation rot by developing continuous documentation into a standard practice for software teams,” Wang added. “[W]hen engineering managers are actively seeking solutions for better documentation practices … that’s when we step in.” Beyond generating documentation, Mintlify routinely scans for “stale” documentation and detects how users engage with the documentation to improve its readability. (Wang emphasized that the platform doesn’t store code and encrypts all user data at rest and in transit.) Mintlify, which is free for individual developers, also integrates with existing systems including Slack, Dropbox and GitHub for automating task management and development workflows. According to Wang, adoption of Mintlify’s free plan has been growing 20% every week since its January launch. With the user base now eclipsing 6,000 active accounts, the company plans to shift its focus to a premium offering oriented toward enterprise customers. “The pandemic standardized a decentralized and asynchronous work environment. This made high-quality documentation critical to achieving efficient communication, onboarding and product development,” Wang said. “Our expansion into workflow automations is addressing the challenge by targeting the engineering managers with our existing fanbase serving as champions.”","['mintlify founded', 'documentation cloud', 'individual developers', 'foodful startup', 'slack sourcegraph']" +"The Station: EV SPACs face new regulatory speed bump, more on Rivian’s reorg and VW weighs direct sales for Scout brand",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/the-station-ev-spacs-face-new-regulatory-speed-bump-more-on-rivians-reorg-and-vw-weighs-direct-sales-for-scout-brand/,"Welcome back to The Station, your weekly guide to everything going on in the world of transportation. Many readers of this weekly newsletter are likely enjoying a three-day weekend thanks to the Memorial Day holiday. So, this week I will keep it a wee bit shorter. Before we get started, check out the latest transportation Q&A, this time with Convoy co-founder and CEO Dan Lewis. He predicts digital freight will go mainstream within the year. Why? Lewis said: “The industry is going to contract differently. Brokers are going to think about digital capacity and how they get access to that; they’re going to be comfortable using a platform like Convoy for that.” As always, you can email kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or rebecca.techcrunch@gmail.com to share thoughts, criticisms, opinions or tips. You also can send a direct message to @kirstenkorosec. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Maybe scooter ADAS isn’t such a bad idea after all. A new report from the U.K. Department for Transportation revealed that the number of pedestrians injured after being hit by e-scooters was nearly four times higher in 2021, at 223 people, than in 2020 when 57 people were injured. Seeing as how it’s still illegal in the U.K. for people to ride private e-scooters, most of these injuries occurred with vehicles from shared micromobility schemes. The report doesn’t say where these accidents occurred — were scooter riders on the sidewalk, and if so, are there protected bike lanes on the street where the accidents occurred? PeopleForBikes, in partnership with Wend Collective, released a report celebrating the milestones of certain U.S. cities that have systematically increased bike mobility by following the organization’s grassroots effort strategy. Here are some of the highlights: +• Austin, Texas: Completed 115 miles of new bike lanes in 24 months and secured another $460 million to complete the network by 2025. + • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Completed 50 new network miles and plans to build another 15 miles in 2022. +• Providence, Rhode Island: Constructed 43 miles of new bikeways under the Great Streets Initiative, with another 22 miles planned for this year. +• New Orleans, Louisiana: Constructed 27 miles of new “high comfort” bikeways in underserved areas. Offered highest concentration of new protected bike lanes of any other city in the program. +• Denver, Colorado: Constructed 100 miles of new bikeways with another 50 miles of community-based networks scheduled for 2022. A BCG survey predicts subscription will be the fastest-growing area of micromobility this decade. Self-combusting micromobility vehicles are getting more abundant. Serial 1 has released its new BASH/MTN e-bike, a single-speed, small-batch production bike where minimalism meets off-road adventure. Squad Mobility launched preorders for its Solar City Car, a two-seater compact city car that charges itself, in part, on solar energy. The car will be available in 2023 from €6,250. See ya next week! — Rebecca Bellan Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Perhaps you saw coverage of a leaked internal email, first viewed by Bloomberg, from Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe that detailed changes among some of its higher profile leaders at the company. Initial reports, including ours, focused on Rivian hiring Frank Klein as its new chief operating officer. Klein will join the company June 1 to oversee the automaker’s production, manufacturing engineering and supply chain. The automaker also said its head of manufacturing engineering, Charly Mwangi, is leaving the company. I finally got my hands on the complete internal email and there are a few other changes worth noting. Rivian is dividing its commercial business with one group focused on its B2B vertical and the other on its B2C vertical. Chief Growth Officer Jiten Behl will focus on the B2B business, which includes commercial vans, Rivian’s fleet management software FleetOS, charging and importantly, its relationship with Amazon. (And that makes sense considering Behl is largely responsible for Rivian’s relationship with Amazon.) Behl, who will report directly to Scaringe, will also oversee strategy and corporate development, which includes strategic partnerships, business development activities and launching in international markets. Rivian has launched a job search for a chief commercial officer to lead its B2C business. Rivian is also changing up its marketing, brands and comms team a bit. The brand team led by Forest Young and the communications team, led by Nick Mulholland, will now report directly to Scaringe. The marketing team, led by Lindsey Pearl, will be join the communications team. Then over in manufacturing and operations is the new COO I noted above. Under Klein will be several executives including Tim Fallon, who heads up manufacturing operations; Michael Smith, who is VP of quality; and Steve Gawronski, who is VP of supply chain. The manufacturing engineering spot, which Mwangi previously held until resigning, will also move under the COO. Finally, Jimmy Knauf, the executive VP of facilities, and Rivian’s entire facilities team will join the CFO organization and report directly to Claire McDonough. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Just a roundup this week, folks! American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings is exploring a potential sale, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The Detroit-based auto-parts supplier has already hired an adviser to help with the process and a leveraged buyout through a private equity firm is a likely option. Battery Ventures, the U.S. private equity firm, made a A$657.6 million ($466.76 million) preliminary buyout offer for Australia-based automotive software provider Infomedia, Reuters reported. The A$1.75 in cash per Infomedia share bid is five Australian cents more than the rival proposal from a consortium led by U.S. private equity firm TA Associates. Booster, the on-demand direct-to-fuels delivery startup, raised more than $125 million in Series D funding led by Rose Park Advisors with participation from new investors Chaac Ventures, Equinor Ventures, Mitsubishi Corporation and Thayer Ventures. Renewable Energy Group, a producer of low-carbon renewable fuels, also increased its strategic investment. Existing investors Cercano Management, Conversion Capital, Enterprise Holding Ventures, Invus Opportunities, Madrona Venture Group, Maveron Ventures, Perot Jain LP and Version One Ventures also participated. BMW i Ventures led an undisclosed investment in the Series A-1 financing round of Mangrove Lithium. BMW i Ventures was joined by existing investor Breakthrough Energy Ventures in the round. Caribou, the auto financing and insurance platform, raised $115 million in Series C funding led by Goldman Sachs. The funding has pushed the fintech company’s valuation past the $1 billion mark. Other investors in the round included Innovius Capital, Harmonic, Accomplice, CMFG Ventures, Curql Collective, Firebolt Ventures, Gaingels, Moderne Ventures and Motley Fool Ventures. Finn, the car subscription startup, raised $110 million in a Series B round led by Korelya Capital along with Keen Venture Partners, Climb Ventures, Greentrail Capital and Waterfall Asset Management. Existing investors such as White Star Capital, HV Capital, Heartcore Capital, UVC Partners and Picus Capital also participated in the round. The funds will be used to help Finn expand in the U.S. and Europe and reach 30,000 subscriptions by the end of the year. Johnson Matthey agreed to most of its battery material unit to Australia’s EV Metals Group for £50 million ($63.15 million), reported the Financial Times. Meanwhile, Johnson Matthey sold its battery materials unit in Canada to Nano One for C$10.25 million ($8.05 million). Meritor announced last week (I missed this one) that it agreed to acquire Siemens’s 200-person Commercial Vehicles business for approximately €190 million ($203.9 million) in cash. Motive, the fleet management software startup that formerly known as KeepTruckin, raised $150 million in series F funding round co-led by Insight Partners and Kleiner Perkins. Motive’s post-funding valuation is now $2.85 billion, according to the company. Natrion, a solid-state battery technology startup founded in 2019, raised $2 million in seed funding ed by Chicago-based TechNexus Venture Collaborative with participation from Tamarack Global, Mark Cuban, Illinois Ventures and other private investors. Nowports, an automated digital freight forwarder in Latin America, raised $150 million in a Series C funding round led by SoftBank Latin America Fund. The raise, which pushes its post-funding valuation to $1.1 billion, comes just six months after the Monterey, Mexico-based startup announced it had secured $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global Management. Roetz, a Dutch e-bike maker, has raised $1.9 million from from Veth Investments and entrepreneurs Pim Claassen and Alexander van Citters. Sylndr, the Cairo-based online used car startu, raised a pre-seed round of $12.6 million — the largest of its kind in MENA and sub-Saharan Africa. Saudi-based early-stage venture capital firm RAED Ventures led the round. VC firms Algebra Ventures, Nuwa Capital, 1984 Ventures and Global Founders Capital participated, with several regional and global angel investors taking part as well. United Gear & Assembly, a maker of high-precision gears for EVs and other industries, has agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company Aesther Healthcare Acquisition Corp. United Gear, a subsidiary of United Star Holdings, designs and makes high-precision gears for multiple large-end markets and its customers include Allison Transmission, Caterpillar, GM, Ingersol Rand, John Deere, Lucid Group, Toyota and Volvo. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch The IEEE Standards Association, which focuses on autonomous vehicle (AV) safety, released a new standard called IEEE 2846-2022 Standard for Assumptions for Models in Safety-Related Automated Vehicle Behavior. The association says this is a technology-neutral safety standard that scholars, engineers, automakers, industry representatives and regulatory bodies can align around as a universally accepted basis for AV safety. Pony.ai’s permit to test its autonomous vehicle technology with a driver was revoked by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The agency, which regulates AV testing in the state, pulled the permit because Pony.ai failed to monitor the driving records of the safety drivers on its testing permit. Pony confirmed the revocation of its permit to TechCrunch, saying the DMV took issue with the driving records of three of its safety operators. EV SPACs — and actually all SPACs — are facing a new regulatory speed bump, TC’s Jaclyn Trop reports. Hyundai plans to invest more than $10 billion toward accelerating electrification and autonomous vehicle technology in the U.S. by 2025. Stellantis and Samsung SDI will team up to build a $2.5 billion lithium-ion battery plant in Indiana. The project, which will create 1,400 new jobs and could surpass the $3 billion mark once it’s complete, is Stellantis’ first battery plant in the U.S. and its fifth worldwide. Tesla lost an effort to keep a sexual harassment suit within closed-door arbitration. A judge rejected Tesla’s motion and ruled it can proceed in court. VW Group CEO Herbert Diess made an interesting comment to me about the sales model of the new Scout EV brand during my interview with him for TC Sessions: Mobility 2022. You can watch the entire interview here. It wasn’t so much what he said but what he didn’t. When I asked if the Scout brand would use a direct-to-consumer sales model or sell its EVs through dealerships, Diess played coy. That’s interesting because generally legacy automakers are lightning quick to stick to the we-will-always-use-dealerships line. Diess told me that “the company will need to reconsider what is the right franchise for it or is there a franchise for it?” That line has U.S. dealerships freaking out. Joby Aviation received the necessary certification from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin on-demand commercial air taxi operations. The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee approved the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act (S.4246) in the Senate. Walmart is extending its partnership with DroneUp to include 34 sites across six states. The planned rollout is set to be completed by the end of the year, at which point it will — theoretically — cover up to 4 million U.S. households. Super fast delivery startups have had a tough go. Perhaps this was poor choice from a unit-economics perspective, writes TC+ editor Alex Wilhelm. Rally Jameel is the first women-only race in Saudi Arabia. Luminar has poached executives from Apple, Nvidia and Tesla in the continuing talent war in automated driving and autonomous vehicle technology. Christopher “CJ” Moore, director of autonomous systems at Apple and former director of Tesla’s Autopilot software, has joined Luminar as VP of software. Taner Ozcelik, founder of Nvidia’s Automotive Business, has become executive vice president and general manager responsible for research and development and Luminar’s semiconductor subsidiaries, among other areas. Tesla’s chief IP Counsel, Chris Lubeck, is now head of intellectual property.","['digital freight', 'scooter adas', 'latest transportation', 'convoy email', 'micromobility vehicles']" +One AI raises $8M to curate business-specific NLP models,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/one-ai-raises-8m-to-curate-business-specific-nlp-models/,"Whether to power translation to document summarization, enterprises are increasing their investments in natural language processing (NLP) technologies. According to a 2021 survey from John Snow Labs and Gradient Flow, 60% of tech leaders indicated that their NLP budgets grew by at least 10% compared to 2020, while a third said that spending climbed by more than 30%. It’s a fiercely competitive market. Beyond well-resourced startups like OpenAI, Cohere, AI21 Labs and Hugging Face and tech giants including Google, Microsoft and Amazon, there’s a new crop of vendors building NLP services on top of open source AI models. But Yochai Levi isn’t discouraged. He’s one of the co-founders of One AI, an NLP platform that today emerged from stealth with $8 million led by Ariel Maislos, Tech Aviv, Sentinel One CEO Tomer Wiengarten and other unnamed venture firms and angel investors.  “While the market is growing fast, advanced NLP is still used mainly by expert researchers, Big Tech and governments,” Levi told TechCrunch via email. “We believe that the technology is nearing its maturity point, and after building NLP from scratch several times in the past, we decided it was time to productize it and make it available for every developer.” Image Credits: One AI Image Credits: One AI Levi lays out what he believes are the major challenges plaguing NLP development. It’s often difficult to curate open source models, he argues, because they have to be matched both to the right domain and task. For example, a text-generating model trained to classify medical records would be a poor fit for an app designed to create advertisements. Moreover, models need to be constantly retrained with new data — lest they become “stale.” Case in point, OpenAI’s GPT-3 responds to the question “Who’s the president of the U.S.?” with the answer “Donald Trump” because it was trained on data from before the 2020 election. Levi believes the solution is a package of NLP models trained for particular business use cases — in other words, One AI’s product. He teamed up with CEO Amit Ben, CPO Aviv Dror and CSO Asi Sheffer in 2021 to pursue the idea. Ben previously was the head of AI at LogMeIn after the company acquired his second startup, Nanorep, an AI and chatbot vendor. Dror helped to co-found Nanorep and served as a platform product manager at Wix. Sheffer, a former data scientist at Nanorep, was the principal data scientist at LogMeIn. As for Levi, he was the VP of online marketing at LivePerson and the head of marketing at WeWork. One AI offers a set of models that can be mixed and matched in a pipeline to process text via a single API call. Each model is selected and trained for its applicability to the enterprise, Levi said, and automatically matched by the platform to a customer’s task and domain (e.g., conversation summarization, sales insights, topic detection and proofreading). One AI’s models can also be combined with open source and proprietary models to extend One AI’s capabilities. The platform’s API accepts text, voice and video inputs of various formats. With One AI’s language studio, users can experiment with the APIs and generate calls to use in code. “With the maturation of Language AI technologies, it is finally time for machines to start adapting to us,” Ben told TechCrunch via email. “The adoption of language comprehension tools by the broader developer community is the way to get there.” Image Credits: One AI Image Credits: One AI One AI prices its NLP service across several tiers, including a free tier that includes processing for up to one million words a month. The stackable “growth tier” adds 100,000 words for $1. The hurdle One AI will have to overcome is convincing customers that its services are more attractive than what’s already out there. In April, OpenAI said that tens of thousands of developers were using GPT-3 via its API to generate words for over 300 apps. But, with Fortune Business Insights pegging the NLP market at $16.53 billion in 2020, it could be argued that there’s a large enough slice of the pie for newcomers. Added TehAviv founder and managing partner Yaron Samid: “Language is the most valuable untapped resource, beyond the reach of most products and companies. This is true to most industries and domains and results in negative outcomes that include everything from lost sales to lower levels of user engagement and loyalty to reputation damage. Unleashing Language AI allows us to harness the power of this unstructured data and turn it into useful information and insights.” One AI says that a portion of the seed round proceeds will be put toward expanding its 22-person team, which includes 10 NLP data scientists.","['nlp technologies', 'yochai levi', 'founders ai', 'power translation', 'summarization enterprises']" +Ayoken raises $1.4M to grow its NFT marketplace for creatives,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/ayoken-raises-1-4m-to-grow-its-nft-marketplace-for-creatives/,"Ayoken, an NFT marketplace for creatives, has raised $1.4 million pre-seed funding to enable users grow their revenue streams through digital collectibles. The startup’s marketplace, Ayokenlabs, will feature digital collectibles from musicians, sports brands and influencers from all over the world. Ayoken founder and CEO, Joshua King, told TechCrunch that the marketplace is a bridge between fans and artists, and gives supporters a sense of ownership in the success of their idols. Through the NFT marketplace, he said, fans will have access to tokens such as behind-the-scenes videos and album art. NFT holders will also get other perks like access to unreleased music and exclusive live events by the creatives. “Through VIP passes, fans will get the ability to actually livestream music by these artists before it arrives on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Music. Fans will get discounts for future events too,” said King, who has 14 years’ experience in strategy, growth and innovation consultancy, and entrepreneurship. His career includes helping scale AZA (Bitpesa), a Nairobi-based platform that leverages bitcoin to facilitate cross-border remittances and where he first got introduced to crypto and blockchain technology. MARA raises $23M from Coinbase Ventures and FTX to build Africa’s portal to the crypto economy King said Ayoken will over the next few months release NFTs of some major African artists and others across the world. The London-headquartered startup has already partnered with Ghanaian afrobeats artist KiDi (Dennis Nana Dwamena) for his first NFT drop on the first day of June. King said the cross-chain marketplace (although currently built on Avalanche blockchain) allows crypto and card payments but plans to add mobile money as the startup makes it easier for people in emerging markets like Africa to trade with ease. King said they are negotiating partnerships with a number of telcos in the continent to make this a reality. “We are reducing friction points for the users by letting people use their cards instead of having to use crypto to buy; we are working on partnerships with telcos that will allow people to use mobile money to make the payment in future too. Nothing comes close to what we are doing and that is why we are able to sign some of the biggest names in the creative industry,” he said. Users will get token (Ayo) rewards when they buy the NFTs or refer people, which they can redeem later for an NFT. King said, unlike other NFT marketplaces, they have distribution partners including YouTubers, influencers, newsletters, crypto exchanges and telecoms to promote NFT drops — allowing the creatives to tap a wider audience and not just their fanbase. “What this means is that celebrities do not have to rely on their social media following to drive transactions. They get instant access to millions of people all around the world at the touch of a button. And our approach is so different to any other NFC marketplace on the planet. We also have a marketing agency to help these creatives succeed in their first NFT drops,” said King. “They (distribution partners) will get a revenue share based on any transactions generated on their social media promotions.” Using the funds raised from the investors, among them Founders Factory Africa, Texas-based Kon Ventures, Europe-based venture capital collective Crypto League, Ghana-based R9C Ventures and Maximus Ventures, Ayoken plans to sign a number of exclusive deals with artists and partnerships with telcos, besides growing its team and secondary marketplaces. “A majority of the funding will go into buying exclusive licenses and into building our tech team; that is the developers and engineers by fourfold,” he said. eBay launches its first collection of NFTs in partnership with web3 platform OneOf Coinbase’s NFT marketplace is off to a lackluster start ","['marketplace ayokenlabs', 'nft holders', 'media promotions', 'money startup', 'spotify']" +"Betastore gets $2.5M to solve stockouts, financing challenges for informal retailers in West and Central Africa",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/30/betastore-gets-2-5m-to-solve-stock-outs-financing-challenges-for-informal-retailers-in-west-and-central-africa/,"About 80% of household retail in sub-Saharan Africa is delivered through informal channels, which perennially face several challenges like stockouts, leading to an instability in earnings and a lack of attractiveness to financiers. These challenges befall millions of microretailers across the continent, and Betastore, a B2B retail marketplace for informal retailers, is working to resolve in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal. The Betastore marketplace enables informal traders to source fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) directly from manufacturers or distributors — which keeps the prices of the products competitive by eliminating interactions with sales agents. It also works with logistics partners to ensure the delivery of goods within 24 hours. The Nigeria-based startup plans to provide these services beyond its current three markets by expanding to Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon by the end of this year, after closing $2.5 million in pre-series A funding from 500 Global, VestedWorld and Loyal VC. Betastore has to date raised $3 million in funding. “What is really important for us is to be able to continue to scale by leveraging our asset-light model. We plan to enter new markets before the end of the year and to expand to 100 cities across Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal. We are also planning to reinforce our technology and leadership teams and to bring in new products and to improve existing ones,” said Betastore CEO, Steve Dakayi-Kamga, who co-founded the startup with Leo-Armel Tchoudjang mid 2020. MarketForce raises $40 million Series A, introduces BNPL merchant stock financing The asset-light model means Betastore does not have any capital and labor intensive assets like warehouses or its own fleet of vehicles for delivery. Dakayi-Kamga said that this has helped the startup to optimize its technology to ensure that retailers source goods from the closest distributors. On average, a retailer using Betastore makes 4.4 orders per month. “Our technology enables retailers to order on demand, access a variety of products and solves logistics headaches for them too. With Betastore, they don’t have to close their shops to go get goods from distributors stores or the market, and do not have to lose close to half of the margins in in the logistics,” said Dakayi-Kamga, who previously worked for Jumia, where he led the e-commerce platform’s logistics, warehousing and marketplace fulfillment department. The B2B e-commerce platform is set to introduce financing in July, a launch that follows a pilot program involving 200 retailers that the startup carried out last year. The BNPL financing strategy, Tchoudjang says, will be based on retailers’ sales and will go a long way in helping them to grow the value of their shopping baskets and ultimately their businesses. The startup plans to charge an interest based on product margins. Betastore is currently integrating its technology into a network of financing partners including fintechs and banks. “The mandate of some of the partners we have on board is to support the economy by financing small businesses but are not able to lend to them because they do not have the data to inform decisions. We have the visibility of what is happening in this sector and have data they can use to extend financing,” said Tchoudjang, who previously held executive and leadership roles within the IFC-backed AccessHolding AG network in Africa. He has also helped multinationals rollout fintech and microfinance products for emerging markets in the past. Namibian B2B e-commerce retail platform JABU raises $15M led by Tiger Global Retailers use the Betastore wallet to repay loans, deposit money for their operations and to send, receive and save money. “The wallet helps them separate their business money from their own money, and it is directly connected to the whole banking system, meaning that retailers can receive and send money to any bank and load cash with any agency banking platform,” said Tchoudjang. Since launch, the startup claims to have grown its customer base and revenues by 10 and 12 times, respectively. The startup anticipates greater growth especially after entering more countries and rolling out its buy now, pay later (BNPL) product as it taps the retail market in sub-Saharan Africa, which was valued at $380 billion in 2021, contributing 20%-50% of the region’s GDP on average. “We want to simplify access to goods and services for the retailers and for the end consumer because we see the merchant as an agent able to make access to goods and services easier. We started out in Nigeria, and we are expanding within Francophone Africa on our way to being a pan-African player,” said Dakayi-Kamga. Amit Bhatti, the principal at 500 Global while commenting on the latest funding round said, “We believe Betastore’s talented team is creating market efficiencies that have the potential to boost the growth of Africa’s retailers. With Betastore, merchants can get greater transparency into wholesaler inventories and price points.”","['betastore merchants', 'expanding ghana', 'africa retailers', 'leveraging asset', 'businesses startup']" +Berlin-based B2B BNPL platform Mondu raises $43M Series A led by Valar in the US,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/29/2326877/,"Given the likely global recession, small businesses are reaching for new kinds of financing. Thus, the buy now, pay later business model is now expanding into this B2B world at a rate of knots. Playter has raised backing to do this, as has Hokodo, Billie and Tranch, to name a few other players. But in Germany, B2B Payments company Mondu has emerged as a significant entrant to the market. Mondu has now raised a $43 million Series A round led by U.S.-based venture capital fund Valar Ventures and will use the funding to expand into more European countries later this year. Previous investors Cherry Ventures, FinTech Collective and tech entrepreneurs and senior executives from Klarna, Zalando, and SumUp also participated. The company has now raised $57 million to date. Mondu’s BNPL for B2B solutions for merchants and marketplaces offers the main payment B2B payment options and flexible payment terms. Malte Huffmann, co-founder and co-CEO of Mondu, said in a statement: The concept of BNPL isn’t new in the B2B world; offline business trade has enjoyed it for decades. But as more companies increasingly move to digital, the need for BNPL for B2B online will grow immensely. We are on the verge of a “digitalization boom,” and Mondu wants to be part of that revolution and drive innovation within the B2B payments space. Philipp Povel, co-founder and co-CEO of Mondu, said there is a “$200 billion opportunity just in Europe and the U.S., which is bigger than the global consumer BNPL market.” Since October 2021, Mondu has signed merchant customers across industries such as beauty, cleaning and manufacturing. One example is Ionto Comed, a manufacturer in the beauty sector that supplies salons. Andrew McCormack, founding partner of Valar Ventures, commented: BNPL for B2B sits at the intersection of three huge markets that are all in transition. The B2B payments market is immense, and its transition to digital has been accelerated over the past couple of years. The B2B eCommerce market is larger than B2C but is underserved by current offerings, and supply chain financing is a growing need, particularly for SMBs. Mondu will have to expand quickly. Berlin-based Billie has raised €138.2 million so far, and Tranch in the U.K. has raised $5.6 million.","['b2b payment', 'market mondu', 'funding expand', 'ventures fintech', 'bnpl isn']" +Indonesia’s Astro raises $60M to work on 15-minute grocery delivery,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/29/astro-indonesia-grocery-delivery-60-million-funding/,"Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago has long been a headache for logistics companies, but there’s no lack of brave challengers. Jarkata-based Astro, which provides 15-minute grocery delivery, has recently closed a $60 million Series B financing round, lifting its total funding to $90 million since the business launched just nine months ago. The Series B round was led by Accel, Citius and Tiger Global, with participation from existing investors AC Ventures, Global Founders Capital, Lightspeed and Sequoia Capital India. The company declined to disclose its post-money valuation. The speed at which Astro is attracting investment goes to show the need for hefty upfront investment in the grocery delivery race, which is about establishing a logistics infrastructure quickly and locking in loyal customers ahead of rivals. Founded by Tokopedia veteran Vincent Tjendra, Astro plans to spend its funding proceeds on user acquisition, product development and hiring more staff to add to its current team of 200. As in many countries around the world, on-demand delivery got a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. But e-grocery penetration in the country remains low and is estimated to be just 0.5% by 2022, compared to China’s 6% and South Korea’s 34% in 2020. That means there’s a huge opportunity for companies like Astro that are trying to prove the convenience of online grocery ordering over brick-and-mortar visits. The e-grocery delivery market in Indonesia is projected to reach $6 billion by 2025. Astro offers 15-minute delivery within a range of 2-3 km through its network of rented “dark stores,” which are distribution hubs set up for online shopping only. The company has opted for a cash-intensive model, as it owns the entire user journey going from inventory sourcing, supply chain, mid-mile to last-mile delivery. The benefit of this heavyweight approach is that it gets to monitor the quality of customer experience. Astro currently operates in around 50 locations across Greater Jakarta, an area with 30 million residents, through a fleet of about 1,000 delivery drivers. Revenues grew more than 10x over the past few months and downloads hit 1 million, the company said. The startup is competing with incumbents like Sayurbox, HappyFresh and TaniHub to win over users. Its customers range from working professionals to young parents at home “who seek convenience,” said Tjendra. Grocery delivery is notoriously cash-burning, but Tjendra reckoned margins will improve as the business scales. The company’s main source of revenue is the gross margin it earned from the goods sold and delivery fees customers pay. A large chunk of the business’s costs comes from delivery, which the founder believed “will come down over time as we deploy for hubs and subsequently reduce the delivery distance areas.” ","['indonesia grocery', 'astro provides', 'upfront investment', 'delivery race', 'world demand']" diff --git a/data/theverge_data.csv b/data/theverge_data.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d3a4813 --- /dev/null +++ b/data/theverge_data.csv @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +Title,Link,Body,keywords +Alleged Pixel 7 prototype hits eBay months ahead of the phone’s official release,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147576/google-pixel-7-pro-prototype-ebay,"An alleged prototype of Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 smartphone has been posted on eBay, giving us our first look at the new phone in the wild months ahead of its scheduled fall release (via Android guru Mishaal Rahman). Google just revealed the phone a few weeks ago at Google I/O, and what we can see in the prototype matches up with what Google has already shown. The distinctive camera bar is back, and this year it’s an aluminum bar with cutouts for the cameras. And the alleged prototype’s casing is a deep black that looks just like one of the colors Google showed off at I/O. The eBay listing includes a few photos of the front, back, and sides of the device, though there’s not much to see that you can’t already spot on Google’s official renders. A photo of the phone turned on shows it has 128GB of storage, which suggests Google will once again be offering a 128GB model as an option for the final phone. A screenshot says that the phone’s model is GVU6C. And one photo indicates that this eBay seller may have gotten their hands on a Pixel 7 Pro as well, as you can catch the reflection of what looks to be the Pixel 7 Pro’s camera bar on the back of the Pixel 7 prototype. We’ve collected images from the eBay listing into the gallery below, if you want to scrutinize them for yourself: In messages with The Verge, the seller claims they bought the Pixel 7 prototype from a wholesaler without knowing what it was. The seller says they realized it was a Pixel 7 after doing research and seeing pictures that seemed like the phone they had. They also say they had a Pixel 7 Pro, but sold it already. The listing has been closed, so you won’t be able to snap up this device for your collection. There were no bids for the prototype, and the starting bid was $450. Google didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. This Pixel 7 listing is just the latest major pre-release leak of a Pixel device, which has a history of surprise appearances dating back to the very first phone to carry the name. A prototype of a Pixel Watch was apparently found at a restaurant shortly before the smartwatch’s announcement at I/O. A mention of the Pixel 6A appeared in a coloring book all the way back in January. Somebody filmed what appeared to be a Pixel 6 Pro test unit a few weeks before Google officially launched the device. I could go on. Unfortunately, we’ll likely be waiting a few months before Google shares more about the Pixel 7. The phones aren’t set to arrive until the fall, and if past years are any indication, we should expect some kind of launch event in October. Until then, these photos from eBay might be our best look at the upcoming phone... well, until it inevitably leaks again. Related","['pixel smartphone', 'alleged prototype', 'gvu6c photo', 'google official', '128gb model']" +"Oddly enough, The Weather Channel makes for a pretty great streaming service",https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23144935/weather-channel-streaming-service-app-personalization,"The Weather Channel is not trying to win you over by spending big on its version of House of Cards. It’s not bidding on The Office next time it comes up, nor is it interested in NFL games. “Our tentpole is Mother Nature,” says Nora Zimmett, TWC’s chief content officer. “And she’s always delivering weather.” TWC launched a dedicated streaming service this month. It costs $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and it is ... well, it’s The Weather Channel. The app’s main screen is an always-on stream that replicates exactly what you’d see on cable. That, Zimmett says, is what viewers were actually looking for. “We looked at our audience and heard, ‘where can I get The Weather Channel if I don’t want to pay $200 a month for a traditional bundle?’” she says. Rather than try to reinvent itself for streaming, TWC opted to just stream its channel. This is a surprisingly novel idea in the streaming world, by the way. Most networks have linear TV deals that specify when and where content is allowed to appear; that’s why most shows only stream after they air, and some don’t stream at all. That causes a particularly big problem for news, sports, and other particularly timely content. Who’s going to stream a “live news report” from last week, or even last night? Meanwhile, those linear deals continue to be hugely lucrative for those networks, and most are not eager to dump cable (and its carriage fees) a minute before they have to. As a result, you get services like CNN Plus, which tried to build an entirely new lineup of live shows rather than simply streaming its existing ones. And we all know how that went. “We are at a weird inflection point in our industry,” Zimmett says, “where we have one foot in cable and one foot in streaming. And I think all companies are still trying to figure out how to keep both sides happy – legally, financially, and everything else in between.” The Weather Channel’s bet, here, seems to be that it’s so essential to viewers that it can have it both ways. We’ll see how that pans out: The Weather Channel has had its fair share of fee disputes, and the new streaming service isn’t likely to make the carriers happy. TWC has another weird corporate situation to deal with, too: The Weather Channel as you know it online and in mobile apps is owned by IBM and is an entirely separate entity from the TV network. As a result, you can’t stream the TWC service on mobile or PCs, only TVs (according to the FAQ, it’s available on “Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Xfinity Flex,” with Vizio support planned in the future). Which is a bummer. From a content perspective, though, The Weather Channel is a surprisingly clever study in how to take a linear-TV channel and make it feel more internet-y. When you open The Weather Channel’s streaming app, you’re dropped right into the linear feed, the same one everyone’s watching all over the country. But the blue ticker at the bottom? That’s personalized to your local weather, a running feed of everything you need to know right now. You can also call up a full-screen radar to see what’s coming, relegating the live show to one corner of the screen. I spent most of my time in that view, with local weather on most of the screen and the news and shows on the rest, and all I could think was, “boy does this have Doctor’s Waiting Room TV written all over it.” This is the part where you say, Wait, hang on, who watches The Weather Channel? My phone tells me if it’s raining. The answer is more people than you’d think, but the outlook’s not great: TWC’s total viewership has grown over the last couple of years, but it’s losing ground with younger viewers. Those are precisely the people TWC is hoping to reach with its streaming service. And as climate change becomes an ever-more important story, Zimmett says she thinks there’s more to the weather than the forecast. “Our superpower is visualizing data,” Zimmett says. She’s not wrong: TWC has long been known for its mixed-reality graphics, including the Unreal Engine-powered animation that showed what a nine-foot Hurricane Florence storm surge might look like. Expect much, much more of that going forward. “At the end of the day, if I feel like my family is in danger due to a storm, I really don’t need a 2D map with orange and yellow colors over it,” Zimmett says. “I want to see someone live in it to show me what’s coming, or to give me a futuristic look at what’s coming to my doorstep.” There are plenty of places The Weather Channel could and doesn’t embrace this kind of personalization and interactivity, though. I watched a few hours of the service while a red tornado warning spun around in the bottom right corner, but I couldn’t click on it or learn anything else about what was going on. The Weather Channel does have some on-demand content, though it’s mostly short clips and explainers and behind-the-scenes footage. But Zimmett says she has plans. TWC does have some original programming, including Uncharted Adventure, which Zimmett proudly noted was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Going forward, TWC plans to make its new shows available on-demand on its streaming service 48 hours before they appear on the live network and stream. (I did watch a couple of episodes of Uncharted Adventure, by the way. It’s a fun show, like a mix between a travel vlog and Man vs. Wild.) The streaming service is already starting to change the way TWC thinks about its linear programming, too. Zimmett says she’s been inspired by streaming sports, as she’s thought about the future of weather coverage. Like the NFL RedZone channel: “maybe we’re covering 10 storms at once, and there’s an automatic channel that anytime you’re getting close to landfall, we’re going to take you there.” Or the new alternative broadcasts for games: “We’re really looking at covering weather as an event, which we’ve always done, but doing it in a choose-your-own-adventure way that really brings the storm to the doorsteps of our users.” But let’s be clear: the weather is still the star of the show here. In a certain, cynical sort of way, it’s never been better to be The Weather Channel. Climate change is making the weather more volatile and making natural disasters more frequent, which is exactly the kind of thing that makes a viewer flip to TWC. Hurricane season is just about to start, and the NOAA is predicting it’s going to be an “above-normal” year. Zimmett says TWC is trying to use the opportunity not to traffic in disaster porn — though you could accuse the company of occasionally doing that, it does love horrifying storm footage — but to educate people about the science behind the weather. “It’s critical to us,” she says. “We cannot have a climate conversation without having a weather conversation.” There’s really no chance that The Weather Channel can compete with Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max to be your go-to entertainment platform. But maybe it doesn’t have to. The company is betting that as the world shifts to streaming, a huge number of viewers aren’t looking for something radically different than the TV they’re used to; they just want it to be more convenient and less expensive. It’s both personalized and a shared experience, both always-on and on-demand, and still only a couple of clicks away. (Once it gets to Vizio and Apple TV and the other platforms, anyway.) And with the weather getting more outrageous seemingly every day, there’s always going to be something to watch.","['weather channel', 'streaming twc', 'tv deals', 'broadcasts games', 'channel app']" +The best Memorial Day sales happening now,https://www.theverge.com/good-deals/23131413/best-memorial-day-sales-2022-tech-deals-gadgets-tvs-headphones-speakers-phones-outdoors,"Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer in the US. In addition to using the long weekend of this national holiday for travel and taking some well-earned rest and relaxation, it usually kick-starts lots of outdoor activities — like backyard cookouts, road trips to the beach, and camping trips. It’s also another shopping holiday, with discounts on offer for all kinds of home goods and some great tech, gadgets, and gear. There are plenty of deals on cool outdoorsy gear to take advantage of leading up to the holiday — like BioLite’s current discount on the FirePit Plus. But there are also great sales happening on indoor toys as well, like a range of Hisense TVs that are now available for up to $590 off. And let’s not forget travel essentials like Zendure’s heavy-duty power bank, which is on sale for $70 off. Because what good is a luxurious getaway vacation if you can’t keep your devices juiced up? There are worthwhile sales happening for everyone, so check out all these notable ones hand-picked by the Verge Deals team. Related Bose’s QuietComfort 45 headphones update the company’s popular, impossibly comfortable design with USB-C, improved noise cancellation, and longer battery life. The smaller Apple Watch Series 7 comes in a range of colors with either GPS or GPS and LTE. The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, which comes outfitted with the company’s new M1 chip and in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold). Jabra’s Elite 3 earbuds have a refreshed design that’s more stylish than the company’s past earbuds. While they don’t have many frills or extra features, they fare well in the key areas of sound quality, comfort, and battery life. Acer’s Swift 3 laptop features a 14-inch 1080p IPS display, an Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also sports a fingerprint reader for easy sign-in and a backlit keyboard, making typing in low-light situations a breeze. The Acer Aspire 5 is a big-screen budget laptop. This configuration includes an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The SuperTank Pro has a 26,800mAh / 96.48Wh capacity, which is the maximum that you can take on a commercial flight, per FAA rules. It features four USB-C ports, an info-dense OLED panel, and more. Use code ZENVERGE at checkout from Wellbots to get $70 off. Google’s Nest Wifi router and Point extender have an unassuming design. The router has two ethernet ports, while the Point can be used as a smart speaker. The Nest Hub Max has a 10-inch screen and integrated camera for making video calls. It is Google’s largest and most complete Google Assistant smart display. The HyperX Cloud Flight balances comfort and a solid price-to-performance. The wireless, lightweight headset offers up to 30 hours of battery life and can also be used wired. Anybody feel like some grape jelly? This DualSense controller features a deep purple color accented by the black of its two-tone styling. The latest FromSoftware title, Elden Ring, takes the Dark Souls formula to a vast open world. An OLED TV loaded with features, including support for 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync The newest model of Samsung’s aesthetically pleasing TV retains the same vivid QLED display as its predecessor but uses a new anti-glare, low-reflection coating dubbed “Matte Display,” which provides images with qualities that resemble actual canvas. The latest 4K TV from Hisense supports Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10 Plus. It also supports Google Play, giving you access to a wide selection of streaming apps. This 34-inch curved gaming panel from LG offers a resolution of 3440 x 1440 and can operate with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. Please confirm your subscription to Verge Deals via the verification email we just sent you.","['holiday discounts', 'wireless lightweight', 'luxurious getaway', 'vacation devices', 'screen budget']" +DeLorean offers a first look at its gull-winged Alpha 5 EV revival,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147339/delorean-alpha-5-first-look-gull-winged-ev-revival,"DeLorean Motor Company has revealed the first images of the Alpha 5 electric vehicle (EV), the brand’s attempt at resurrecting the DeLorean name in an all-electric form. Staying true to the classic ‘80s-era DeLorean known for its appearance in Back to the Future, the Alpha 5 comes with those iconic gull-wing doors and can reach 60mph in about 2.99 seconds (or 88mph in 4.35 seconds, if you’re curious). Before we dive into the details, it’s worth noting the company behind the Alpha 5 isn’t actually the same one behind the original DeLorean vehicles — that company went defunct in 1982. An unrelated Texas-based company, which supplies replacement parts to the owners of vintage DeLorean vehicles, snapped up the rights to the DeLorean brand and teased an all-electric revival in April. The Alpha 5 could come with a 100kWh battery, offering an estimated 300 miles of range and a top speed of 155mph. DeLorean indicates these specs will belong to the “base” performance model, but there isn’t any word on other possible performance tiers or pricing. While the Alpha 5 does hint at its heritage to its gas-powered predecessor with gull-winged doors and a sloped design, it trades an angular look for smoother curves and four seats instead of two. Despite some obvious differences, DeLorean partnered with Italdesign, the same Volkswagen-owned design team that helped develop the look of the 1981 DMC-12, and its take on the electrified version ushers it into the future. DeLorean plans on showing off the Alpha 5 to the public on its website tomorrow morning, but you can sign up to get a sneak peek at its images and specs right now. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the car in action, though, as DeLorean’s set to reveal the Alpha 5 in Pebble Beach on August 21st.","['delorean electric', 'pricing alpha', 'ev brand', '88mph 35', 'performance tiers']" +The merging of Comixology and Kindle has created a hell I’d like to escape,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23140157/comixology-amazon-kindle-integration-terrible,"In February of this year, Amazon finally completed its consumption of the once independent app for downloading comics, Comixology. Amazon had acquired the app way back in 2013, and apart from removing the ability to buy comics directly from the app, it left it untouched for nearly a decade. But this year, Amazon changed things — incorporating Comixology’s digital marketplace directly into the Kindle ecosystem and totally redesigning the Comixology app. It has taken two distinct mediums — digital comics and digital books — and smashed them together into an unholy blob of content that is worse in every single way. Apparently, if you let one company acquire a near-monopoly in the digital books and comics spaces, it will do terrible things that make the experience worse. For those of you who aren’t big comic nerds, Comixology is the largest marketplace for digital comics. If you don’t want to pay for individual monthly subscriptions to publishers, it’s the only per-issue supplier of digital comics from a number of major publishers, including DC Comics and Image. If you read comics and want to avoid the issues of storing your physical collection, Comixology has, until recently, always provided a pretty solid catchall alternative. Related Kindle, meanwhile, has maintained a de facto monopoly in the digital books space in the United States. Amazon’s e-readers are the most widely purchased in the US, with Rakuten’s Kobo line of e-readers (Rakuten is the largest bookseller in Japan) and Barnes & Noble’s line of Nook e-readers trailing behind. If you think the enormity of these marketplaces would mean Kindle or Comixology were the best, you’d be sorely mistaken. They’ve succeeded entirely due to their size — not their quality. Amazon is so large it can regularly use its size to pressure publishers or ignore them. In 2019, Amazon shipped numerous copies of the sequel to Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale a week in advance, and despite an uproar from independent booksellers, it suffered no issues with the publisher, Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House didn’t even mention Amazon when apologizing to readers and booksellers for the broken embargo. Amazon’s increasingly outside role in digital publishing had led me to try and cut back on using its services. So when Amazon completed its integration of Comixology in February, it took me a little while to notice. But oh boy, I’ve started noticing lately. The new Comixology app is largely just... annoying. That’s the best word for it. Everything you need is still there, but the design isn’t really intuitive, and it can make a large collection of comics (I’ve been using Comixology since 2011) difficult to navigate. It feels sort of like when you go to the grocery store after they move aisles around. Everything is still there, but the change feels so dramatic after years of the familiar. But where my local Food Bazaar will helpfully label the aisles, Comixology has not. There are no clear labels for useful built-in tools like its “Guided View,” which is designed to fluidly move you from panel to panel with a swipe instead of having each page take up the whole display. The Guided View is still there, but the clear explanation of what it is or how to use it is gone. You access it by double-tapping — which I only know because I was trying to access the menu to leave the book. Yet the real pain of the new Comixology experience is its store’s integration with the larger Amazon store. Amazon’s always been a struggle to navigate. There are the fake products, the sponsored ads, and sometimes even fake products in sponsored ads. When I went to preorder the new Poison Ivy series, about the DC villainess, earlier this month, I was instead met with salves used to treat poison ivy rashes. wanted to preorder the new poison ivy comic and was instead violently reminded of comixology being ruined by Amazon (the comic I wanted is the third actual book down) pic.twitter.com/4tFemED9YP In the three weeks since, they’ve fixed that search result. The new book is now the top result. The salves come after. The rest of the Poison Ivy-focused books DC has released over the years are now “below the fold,” hidden until you scroll past the sponsored junk you probably weren’t searching for. Other popular heroes, like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Batman, return toy results right alongside the comics. Comixology searches used to just return comic results. And look, those search results weren’t exactly great before the merge. There have to be a million variations on the Spider-Man title. If you’re looking for issue 10 of a very specific Spider-Man run, you’re probably going to be sifting through a lot of results unless you add more to your query. But pre-Amazon merger, you weren’t also dodging results for Amazon Prime TV shows, toys, salves and anything else Amazon thinks a searcher of Spider-Man comics might want to buy. Using the service now, you are reminded, painfully, at every turn, that you are in Amazon’s house and you will consider more than just the one thing you wanted to buy. It’s obtrusive and unpleasant. And for months, I have griped out about it with friends and read about it while nodding in agreement and generally accepted the unpleasantness. But last week, I wanted to read a book in the Kindle app. I hadn’t used it in a while, preferring Libby when I can, but I knew I owned this book, and I knew I wanted to read it. Only instead of being met with the myriad of books I’ve acquired over a decade of using the Amazon Kindle store, I was met with the myriad of comics I’ve acquired over a decade of using the Comixology store. There’s no way to filter the comics out of my Kindle app. They’re always just right there. The first thing I’ve seen if I haven’t purchased a book that week. It is annoying on my iPad Mini. It is downright offensive on my Android E-Ink tablet and Kindle Oasis. It also doesn’t have to be this way. Amazon is one of the largest and wealthiest companies in the world. It has money to spare on front-end user interface designers. It could sort this out quickly. But I don’t think Amazon has any inclination to. For the most part, Amazon is content to maintain its ebook business, not be actual leaders or good stewards. And it’s not just the bonehead design choices that came after merging its digital comics and ebook stores that have me feeling this way. The Kindle lineup of e-readers now feels painfully outdated next to something like the Kobo Elipsa and Sage or basically the entire Onyx Boox lineup. Those use the latest E-Ink displays and include fancy abilities like faster refresh rates for web browsing and stylus input. The biggest thing going for the Kindle lineup is the e-readers are relatively cheap and work with Amazon’s store. Amazon has left its main book-recommending app, Goodreads, to wallow, too. The app doesn’t appear to have had a UI refresh since Amazon acquired it in 2013. In fact, it looks a lot like it did when it launched in 2007. Other apps, like Netflix, Facebook, and Google, have grown powerful using their immense amount of data to develop algorithms that try to anticipate what you want to read or watch before you do. Goodreads just recommends whatever is popular widely and in a genre vaguely adjacent. From the store to the recommendation service to the Kindle hardware, Amazon could do a whole lot better. Yet it’s as if Amazon actually likes how little effort it has to exert over its enormous monopoly to continue raking in dollars. Earlier this year, Comixology CEO David Steinberger left to “lead a new Amazon-wide initiative that is too good an opportunity to not take.” In a Twitter thread, he assured he would be with Comixology in an advisory role. From the outside, it sure seems like Amazon went and rewarded ineptitude with a promotion. I’d be more annoyed, but I’m still trying to find that book I wanted to read on my Kindle.","['comics kindle', 'comixology amazon', 'subscriptions publishers', 'comics comixology', 'maintain ebook']" +The Real-World AI Issue,https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/28/18194816/ai-artificial-intelligence-issue,"The term “artificial intelligence” was coined fairly recently in 1955, but the idea of smart machines that do our bidding has far deeper roots, going back to the ancient myths of Greece, India, and China. Perhaps that’s why AI has such an impact on our imagination, and why, in recent years, there’s been so much hype surrounding the technology. But AI is not a myth, nor is it a magical machine. It’s a technology like any other, that, after decades of research, has reached a new plateau of productivity. Cheap processing power and abundant data have made this possible, and AI and machine learning are now useful tools in a diverse range of fields, including astronomy, health care, transportation, and music. After years of promise, AI is finally becoming useful. But what usually happens to useful technologies is that they disappear. We forget about the things that just work, and we shouldn’t let that happen to AI. Any technology destined to change the world needs scrutiny, and AI, with its combination of huge imaginative presence and very real, very dangerous failings, needs that scrutiny more than most. So, for the AI Issue at The Verge, we’re taking a closer look at some of the ways artificial intelligence and machine learning are affecting technology right now — because it’s too late to understand something after it’s changed the world. ","['ai finally', 'useful technologies', 'technology ai', 'ai myth', 'intelligence coined']" +Amazon is ending Cloud Cam service and offering owners a free Blink Mini,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147362/amazon-cloud-cam-shutting-down-free-blink-mini-echo-replacement,"Amazon is ending support for its Cloud Cam security camera and offering owners a free Blink Mini to replace it. MacRumors noted the change late last week, and The Verge obtained a copy of an email sent to customers announcing the change. Cloud Cam owners will be able to use their cameras and download video until December 2nd of this year, after which all recordings will be deleted and the hardware will no longer function. Customers with the Cloud Cam Key Edition will also lose the ability to connect to smart locks, although they can get a free fourth-generation Echo to replace the functionality. “As the number of Alexa smart home devices continues to grow, we are focusing efforts on Ring, Blink, and other technologies that make your home smarter and simplify your everyday routines. Therefore, we have decided to no longer continue support for Amazon Cloud Cam and its companion apps,” Amazon said in its email, which was also posted on Reddit. In a statement to MacRumors, Amazon added that “we will continue to offer innovative smart home security solutions for our customers through Amazon’s Ring and Blink brands.” It also specified that it will give Blink Mini cameras to users who are “still actively using their Cloud Cam,” although it’s not clear if that’s a formal criteria for getting the free replacement. Cloud Cam owners will be emailed instructions for redeeming their free Blink Mini and (for Key Edition owners) Echo before the December 2nd deadline. The Blink Mini will come with a one-year subscription to Blink Subscription Plus, which typically costs $10 per month or $100 per year. A subscription — either to Plus or the $3 per month single-camera Basic plan — is required for many Blink features, including rapid access to videos and motion-activated recording. Cloud Cam also required a paid subscription for advanced features, although it offered some free options that require payment on the Blink Mini. The Cloud Cam lineup launched in 2017 and wound down in late 2019 after Amazon acquired the security camera makers Blink and Ring. Now, Amazon is following a well-established pattern of companies bricking smart home hardware because they no longer want to support its ecosystem. Customers won’t be left completely without recourse thanks to the replacement — but they’ll still end up with some useless hardware that they may have bought just a few years ago.","['cloud cam', 'alexa smart', 'blink technologies', 'support amazon', 'home devices']" +This iPad Mini 6 case offers MagSafe-like charging capability,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23144394/pitaka-ipad-mini-6-magez-case-pro-magnetic-magsafe-charging-price-specs-features,"If you’ve wanted MagSafe-style convenient charging on an iPad Mini, Pitaka’s latest case is here for you. The new $79 MagEZ Case Pro for the sixth-generation iPad Mini (aka the iPad Mini 6) has magnetic points on the back that pass power through the iPad’s USB-C port when used with the included pad. Or you can use it with the $129 MagEZ Charging Stand, which elevates the tablet and provides a second Qi charging spot in its base for a phone or headphones. There are some downsides to this approach. Pitaka’s case doesn’t make use of the magnets built into the back of the iPad Mini, and it blocks the USB-C port from access, leaving you with the magnetic pad as the only way to charge the device. Forget about transferring any data over a wired connection while the case is on, too. The case itself is a stiff rubber with a carbon fiber-like weave pattern, which should provide protection from most average drops but isn’t the most rugged thing I’ve seen. It also doesn’t cover the screen like Apple’s folio cases, so you’ll probably want to pair it with some kind of screen protector. On the plus side, the case does allow for Apple Pencil charging on the right side, and there’s a little accessory that grabs the Pencil and holds it in place better when you toss the iPad in a bag. Those downsides aside, the MagEZ certainly lives up to the easy part of its name, as charging just requires plopping the case near the base and letting the magnets do their thing. The magnetic attraction is strong, and the stand will hold the iPad easily in either landscape or portrait orientation. (The stand also tilts, but it does not have any height adjustment.) Neither the case nor the stand comes with a charging brick, and Pitaka recommends at least a 45W USB-C Power Delivery brick if you want to charge the iPad and a phone at full speed at the same time on the stand. (The base supports 7.5W charging with iPhones or up to 15W charging with other Qi devices.) You do have to really be committed to wanting magnetic charging to make this setup worthwhile, though, as neither the case nor the stand is particularly cheap. But if that’s not a blocker for you, both accessories should be available starting today, May 30th.","['magnetic charging', 'ipad mini', 'pitaka case', 'charge ipad', 'mini magnetic']" +Pixel Tablet could include support for third-party styluses,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147251/usi-universal-stylus-initiative-google-pixel-tablet,"Google’s upcoming Pixel Tablet might support the cross-manufacturer USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) standard, allowing it to be used with a range of third party styluses, if a recently-discovered entry in the USI’s list of certified products is to be believed. The entry, which we spotted via NuGiz, lists a device from Google with the product name “Tangor” and the model number “Tablet,” which are presumably placeholder names for the Android-powered tablet Google announced earlier this month. USI is an industry-wide stylus standard that Google joined in 2018. It’s already supported across a range of Chromebooks, allowing them to be used with a variety of styluses from different manufacturers. But while there are plenty of proprietary stylus / Android tablet offerings (like Samsung’s S Pen for its Galaxy tablets), no tablets have been certified to work with the universal USI standard. Earlier this year, the USI announced version 2.0 of the standard. This version includes a new wireless charging feature that could allow compatible styluses to be charged by simply being placed next to a supported device, similar to what Apple offers with the Apple Pencil 2 and select iPads. It’s unclear which version of the standard Google’s tablet might support. As 9to5Google notes, it seems unusual that Google’s tablet has appeared in the USI’s database this early, after Google said it’s targeting a 2023 release. According to the Wayback Machine, the listing first appeared at some point after January. Neither the USI nor Google responded to The Verge’s request for comment.","['universal stylus', 'pixel tablet', 'charging feature', 'styluses charged', 'supported device']" +Apple’s RealityOS for rumored headset appears in trademark application,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147213/realityos-os-ros-trademark-apple-virtual-augmented-reality-headset,"RealityOS — the name Apple is reportedly using for the operating system running on its rumored virtual and augmented reality headset — has appeared in a trademark filing spotted by Parker Ortolani. Bloomberg News was first to report the “reality operating system” branding back in 2017, and references to the name have appeared in Apple’s software. The trademark application hasn’t officially been filed by Apple, but it’s common practice for large companies to apply for trademarks under one-off company names — like Realityo Systems LLC, in this case — in the state of Delaware for the sole purpose of maintaining anonymity. The trademark application is the latest evidence that Apple is on the cusp of announcing its long-rumored headset. It follows the news earlier this month that the company’s board of directors reportedly tried out the wearable device, which is common practice ahead of a public launch. In January, Bloomberg News reported that the headset was originally planned for release in late 2022 after an announcement at the company’s developer conference, but that could be delayed due to development challenges. The headset’s release could now happen in 2023, according to Bloomberg. The trademarks are also the only ones owned by this company “Realityo Systems LLC.” They were originally filed on December 8, 2021. This was just two months before “realityOS” began showing up in Apple source code. The trademark documentation references “wearable computer hardware” and is said to relate to “design and development of computer hardware, software, peripherals, and computer and video games.” The design and functionality of Apple’s headset has been the source of much speculation over the years, but most reports suggest that it’ll be able to offer a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, immersing you in virtual content as well as layering virtual elements over real world environments. It’s important to note that the RealityOS trademark hasn’t been applied for by Apple itself, and has instead been registered by a company called “Realityo Systems LLC.” But Ortolani reports that Realityo doesn’t appear to have any public presence, suggesting that it’s a shell company used by the Cupertino-based tech company to hide its involvement. Apple has reportedly taken the same approach in the past, 9to5Mac reports, using a shell company called “Yosemite Research LLC” to register macOS update names like Yosemite, Big Sur, and Monterey. The kicker? Both Realityo Systems LLC and Yosemite Research LLC are registered at the same address, which heavily implies that Apple is behind them. The RealityOS filings for a trademark and service mark don’t list any examples of the name’s use in public (meaning the product they’re associated with is yet to be released), and they’re also the only two applications associated with Realityo Systems LLC. The applications have been discovered just days before Apple is due to kick off its annual developer conference next week on June 6th, and are listed with deadlines of June 8th, leading to speculation that we could see the headset announced during Apple’s keynote. But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes that the timing of the June 8th date is likely a coincidence, and coincides with a key legal deadline that comes six months after a trademark is originally filed. “Maybe we’ll see it [at WWDC],” Gurman tweeted, “but the trademark application isn’t evidence of that.”","['realityos trademark', 'apple headset', 'apple realityos', '2022 announcement', 'references wearable']" +"For $500, you can buy the Third Sister’s 6.5-foot double-bladed lightsaber",https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/29/23146694/double-bladed-lightsaber-costs-500-star-wars-obi-wan-third-sister-reva,"Hasbro has designed a lifelike lightsaber just in time for the premiere of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, one that might be the toymaker’s most ambitious — and expensive — replica yet. The Black Series Reva Force FX Elite Lightsaber costs $499 and measures a total of 6.5 feet long with both blades attached. It’s modeled after the lightsaber wielded by the Third Sister, also known as Reva, a cold and callous Inquisitor set on hunting down Obi-Wan. Just like the iconic lightsabers we’ve seen held by Inquisitors in past Star Wars series, you can take off one of the blades, as well as remove half of the circle in the center of the lightsaber. There are a number of cool lighting and sound effects that you can activate too, and they work whether you’re using one or both blades. While a progressive ignition effect has the lightsaber loading up with red light in preparation for battle, a blast deflect effect eliminates lighting in particular areas of the lightsaber (complete with “pew pew” sound effects) to make it look like you’re shielding yourself from projectiles. There’s even a wall-cutting mode that turns the tip of the lightsaber bright white while emitting a buzzing sound as if you’re actually cutting through metal. Unfortunately, it does have some (expected) limitations — it doesn’t spin on its own, so you can’t use it as a sort of helicopter to propel yourself short distances or repel enemy attacks (something shown quite often in Star Wars Rebels). You’ll have to get your baton-twirling skills in order if you really want to get in on that spinning action. The Third Sister’s lightsaber looks like Hasbro’s most expensive so far, likely because of the double blades. Taking a look at Hasbro’s collection of lightsabers, the FX Force Elite replicas don’t seem to go over $300. You can check out Reva’s lightsaber for yourself on its crowdfunding page, which will almost certainly fulfill the 5,000 backer requirement (because who wouldn’t want the chance to say they have a 6.5-foot lightsaber in their home?). It’ll be available for purchase until July 11th at 11:59PM ET, but won’t start shipping until fall 2023. Correction May 30th, 8:12AM ET: A previous version of this article stated that there was a $5,000 crowdfunding requirement when it is actually a 5,000 backer requirement. We regret the error.","['lightsaber costs', 'blast deflect', 'reva lightsaber', 'modeled lightsaber', 'eliminates lighting']" +"Apple can’t dismiss Cydia’s amended antitrust lawsuit, judge says",https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/29/23146529/apple-cant-dismiss-cydia-antitrust-lawsuit-judge,"Apple’s attempt to dismiss an amended antitrust lawsuit filed by the creator of Cydia, an app store for jailbroken iPhones, has failed (via Reuters). California District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied Apple’s motion to dismiss the case on Thursday and is giving the company 21 days to respond to Cydia’s refiled complaint. Cydia developer Jay Freeman (who also goes by the username Saurik), first filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020. The complaint alleges Apple “has wrongfully acquired and maintained monopoly power” in iOS app distribution and payments, ultimately “depriving” third-party app stores of “the ability to compete with the App Store.” Cydia emerged before the Apple App Store even existed, and allowed users to find and download third-party apps for jailbroken devices. Freeman shut down the Cydia store in 2018. Judge Gonzalez Rogers — the same judge who issued a mixed ruling for the Epic vs. Apple trial — dismissed the case in January, citing Freeman’s claims were outside of the four-year statute of limitations for antitrust lawsuits. Gonzalez Rogers still gave Freeman the chance to amend the complaint, which is what he did. The fresh complaint argues that from 2018 to 2021, Apple implemented “more aggressive” changes in iOS that allegedly prevented Cydia and other alternative app stores from providing “useable” apps for iPhones. Apple once again sought to shut down the refiled complaint on the basis that the allegations occurred outside the statute of limitations, but Gonzalez Rogers denied the motion for dismissal. The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back. In 2020, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple following Fortnite’s removal from the App Store — Apple kicked out Fornite for offering an alternate payment option, enabling Epic to get around Apple’s up to 30 percent commission it takes from in-app purchases. Epic filed a similar lawsuit against Google around the same time, which is set to go to trial in 2023. Earlier this month, Match Group, the company behind Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge also filed a lawsuit against Google for its payment restrictions on the Play Store. In addition to app developers, Apple has been the subject of scrutiny from government agencies. While the Netherlands waged a string of fines against the company for barring Dutch dating apps from using their own billing systems, South Korea has passed a law requiring both Apple and Google to let developers incorporate third-party payment processors. The US and EU are working to clamp down on the power of large technology companies as well, with the EU set to enact the Digital Markets Act next year, and the US making progress with the Open App Markets Act designed to promote competition in mobile computing.","['lawsuit apple', 'cydia app', 'app store', 'jailbroken iphones', 'ios allegedly']" +iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max could finally get always-on display,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/29/23146454/iphone-14-pro-max-always-on-display-apple-wwdc-rumors,"Apple may finally bring always-on display to the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple could introduce the feature with iOS 16, allowing the iPhone to display a limited amount of information even when it’s locked. Gurman says the iPhone’s version of always-on mode could work similarly to the way it does with the Apple Watch Series 5 and up — the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will drop the lock screen’s frame rate with always-on mode enabled, letting them conserve energy while the display remains powered on. It’s unclear if the new iPhone will use the same low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) display Apple uses in newer Watch models. These low-powered screens play a huge part in getting always-on mode to work properly, as they're built to keep devices from consuming too much power. Last year, analysts predicted that the iPhone 13 would come with an LTPO display to enable always-on display. A number of Android devices already support always-on mode — and have for many years. On certain Samsung devices, for example, always-on display can show the time, battery level, widgets, and more, all while the phone stays locked. Gurman expects iOS 16 to come with similar functionalities, including wallpapers with “widget-like capabilities.” Always-on display isn’t the only feature said to be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, as past leaks indicate that Apple may only include its new A16 chip with the two premium devices. Apple is set to announce a number of other changes at its closely-approaching Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6th. In line with previous predictions, Gurman believes that Apple could introduce enhanced windowing and multitasking features on the iPad. He cites findings from developer Steve Troughton-Smith, who recently discovered that Apple may be working on a feature that could let users freely resize windows. Apple could overhaul some of its apps as well — in addition to adding new audio features to Messages, Gurman predicts Apple will revamp its System Preferences menu to make it more like the Settings app on iOS. With WWDC a little more than a week out, we won't have to wait much longer to see how many of these predictions come true. Related","['iphone display', 'watch models', 'lock screen', 'battery level', 'ltpo display']" +Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II is coming to Switch,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/28/23145825/star-wars-knights-old-republic-ii-sith-lords-nintendo-switch-restored-content-dlc,"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) II: The Sith Lords is heading to the Nintendo Switch on June 8th, as announced at this year's Star Wars Celebration event. The sequel to the classic KOTOR RPG is supposed to feature some performance enhancements and resolution upgrades, as well as a Restored Content DLC set to arrive post-launch. As you might’ve guessed, the Restored Content DLC comes with the content that Obsidian Entertainment and Aspyr Media, the game’s developers, left out during their rush to launch the game in 2004. There’s already a fanmade mod for KOTOR II on Steam that restores some of this lost content, but it’s unclear how similar the official DLC will be when it comes out. You can preorder KOTOR II on the Nintendo Store for $15.00 right now, or you can buy it as part of a $29.99 bundle that also includes the original KOTOR that arrived on the Switch last year. And while Aspyr is currently working on a KOTOR remake that’s exclusive to the PlayStation 5, there’s still no word on a release date.","['kotor remake', 'official dlc', 'wars knights', 'exclusive playstation', 'upgrades restored']" +Twitter Circle may be starting to roll out to more users,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/28/23145745/twitter-circle-starting-roll-out-more-users,"Twitter started testing Circle earlier this month with a limited group, and now it looks like it’s starting to roll out to more users (via Android Police). The feature works a lot like Instagram’s Close Friends, as it allows users to send out tweets to a specific group of people rather than all of Twitter. Right now, it’s unclear how many people currently have access to Circle. It looks like more users (myself included) are finally seeing the feature pop up when they start composing a tweet, but some users still report not having access quite yet. Twitter spokesperson Joseph Nunez told The Verge it’s still in testing. “We are still currently testing Twitter Circle with a group of people across iOS, Android and Web globally,” Nunez said. “The feature has not rolled out widely to everyone yet as we continue to gather feedback.” To check if you have access to Twitter Circle, update your Twitter app or head to Twitter in a web browser. When you start composing a tweet, you’ll see a dropdown menu at the top that reads Everyone. From here, you can choose Twitter Circle to limit your tweet to a select audience, or you can hit Edit to add or remove people from your Circle. Twitter won’t notify users if you add or remove them. You can add up to 150 users to your Circle, whether they follow you or not. Users in your Circle will see a note appended to Circle-only tweets (and vice versa), stating: “Only people in @[yourusername]’s Twitter Circle can see this tweet.” Tweeting to your Circle is almost like having a private account, only it privatizes certain tweets instead of limiting access to your entire profile. The people in your Circle won’t be able to retweet anything you post to it, but they can still screenshot and download your tweets. It’s also important to keep in mind that Twitter’s community guidelines still apply even if you’re sending your tweets out to a smaller audience. Related Update May 28th, 5:27PM ET: Updated to add a statement from a Twitter spokesperson, as well as to reflect that Circle hasn’t rolled out to everyone yet.","['circle twitter', 'tweet users', 'access twitter', 'people ios', 'instagram close']" diff --git a/keyword_extractor/keybert_extractor.py b/keyword_extractor/keybert_extractor.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d620ce9 --- /dev/null +++ b/keyword_extractor/keybert_extractor.py @@ -0,0 +1,14 @@ +from keybert import KeyBERT +import pandas as pd +csv_list = ['../data/arstechnica_data.csv','../data/techcrunch_data.csv','../data/theverge_data.csv'] +kw_model = KeyBERT() +for csv in csv_list: + data = pd.read_csv(csv) + keywords=[] + for doc in data['Body']: + keywordsList = [item[0] for item in kw_model.extract_keywords(doc, keyphrase_ngram_range=(1, 2), stop_words='english', + use_mmr=True, diversity=0.5)] + keywords.append(keywordsList) + data['keywords']=keywords + data.to_csv(csv, encoding='utf-8-sig', index=False) + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/keyword_extractor/keyword_extractor.py b/keyword_extractor/keyword_extractor.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d098a1 --- /dev/null +++ b/keyword_extractor/keyword_extractor.py @@ -0,0 +1,6 @@ +from keybert import KeyBERT +kw_model = KeyBERT() +def keyword_extractor(text): + keywords = [item[0] for item in kw_model.extract_keywords(text, keyphrase_ngram_range=(1, 2), stop_words='english', + use_mmr=True, diversity=0.5)] + return keywords diff --git a/keyword_extractor/ref.bib b/keyword_extractor/ref.bib new file mode 100644 index 0000000..088e8f0 --- /dev/null +++ b/keyword_extractor/ref.bib @@ -0,0 +1,9 @@ +@misc{grootendorst2020keybert, + author = {Maarten Grootendorst}, + title = {KeyBERT: Minimal keyword extraction with BERT.}, + year = 2020, + publisher = {Zenodo}, + version = {v0.3.0}, + doi = {10.5281/zenodo.4461265}, + url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4461265} +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/data.csv b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/data.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7a4b342 --- /dev/null +++ b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/data.csv @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +Title,Link,Body +Amazon is ending Cloud Cam service and offering owners a free Blink Mini,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147362/amazon-cloud-cam-shutting-down-free-blink-mini-echo-replacement,"Amazon is ending support for its Cloud Cam security camera and offering owners a free Blink Mini to replace it. MacRumors noted the change late last week, and The Verge obtained a copy of an email sent to customers announcing the change. Cloud Cam owners will be able to use their cameras and download video until December 2nd of this year, after which all recordings will be deleted and the hardware will no longer function. Customers with the Cloud Cam Key Edition will also lose the ability to connect to smart locks, although they can get a free fourth-generation Echo to replace the functionality. “As the number of Alexa smart home devices continues to grow, we are focusing efforts on Ring, Blink, and other technologies that make your home smarter and simplify your everyday routines. Therefore, we have decided to no longer continue support for Amazon Cloud Cam and its companion apps,” Amazon said in its email, which was also posted on Reddit. In a statement to MacRumors, Amazon added that “we will continue to offer innovative smart home security solutions for our customers through Amazon’s Ring and Blink brands.” It also specified that it will give Blink Mini cameras to users who are “still actively using their Cloud Cam,” although it’s not clear if that’s a formal criteria for getting the free replacement. Cloud Cam owners will be emailed instructions for redeeming their free Blink Mini and (for Key Edition owners) Echo before the December 2nd deadline. The Blink Mini will come with a one-year subscription to Blink Subscription Plus, which typically costs $10 per month or $100 per year. A subscription — either to Plus or the $3 per month single-camera Basic plan — is required for many Blink features, including rapid access to videos and motion-activated recording. Cloud Cam also required a paid subscription for advanced features, although it offered some free options that require payment on the Blink Mini. The Cloud Cam lineup launched in 2017 and wound down in late 2019 after Amazon acquired the security camera makers Blink and Ring. Now, Amazon is following a well-established pattern of companies bricking smart home hardware because they no longer want to support its ecosystem. Customers won’t be left completely without recourse thanks to the replacement — but they’ll still end up with some useless hardware that they may have bought just a few years ago." +This iPad Mini 6 case offers MagSafe-like charging capability,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23144394/pitaka-ipad-mini-6-magez-case-pro-magnetic-magsafe-charging-price-specs-features,"If you’ve wanted MagSafe-style convenient charging on an iPad Mini, Pitaka’s latest case is here for you. The new $79 MagEZ Case Pro for the sixth-generation iPad Mini (aka the iPad Mini 6) has magnetic points on the back that pass power through the iPad’s USB-C port when used with the included pad. Or you can use it with the $129 MagEZ Charging Stand, which elevates the tablet and provides a second Qi charging spot in its base for a phone or headphones. There are some downsides to this approach. Pitaka’s case doesn’t make use of the magnets built into the back of the iPad Mini, and it blocks the USB-C port from access, leaving you with the magnetic pad as the only way to charge the device. Forget about transferring any data over a wired connection while the case is on, too. The case itself is a stiff rubber with a carbon fiber-like weave pattern, which should provide protection from most average drops but isn’t the most rugged thing I’ve seen. It also doesn’t cover the screen like Apple’s folio cases, so you’ll probably want to pair it with some kind of screen protector. On the plus side, the case does allow for Apple Pencil charging on the right side, and there’s a little accessory that grabs the Pencil and holds it in place better when you toss the iPad in a bag. Those downsides aside, the MagEZ certainly lives up to the easy part of its name, as charging just requires plopping the case near the base and letting the magnets do their thing. The magnetic attraction is strong, and the stand will hold the iPad easily in either landscape or portrait orientation. (The stand also tilts, but it does not have any height adjustment.) Neither the case nor the stand comes with a charging brick, and Pitaka recommends at least a 45W USB-C Power Delivery brick if you want to charge the iPad and a phone at full speed at the same time on the stand. (The base supports 7.5W charging with iPhones or up to 15W charging with other Qi devices.) You do have to really be committed to wanting magnetic charging to make this setup worthwhile, though, as neither the case nor the stand is particularly cheap. But if that’s not a blocker for you, both accessories should be available starting today, May 30th." +Pixel Tablet could include support for third-party styluses,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147251/usi-universal-stylus-initiative-google-pixel-tablet,"Google’s upcoming Pixel Tablet might support the cross-manufacturer USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) standard, allowing it to be used with a range of third party styluses, if a recently-discovered entry in the USI’s list of certified products is to be believed. The entry, which we spotted via NuGiz, lists a device from Google with the product name “Tangor” and the model number “Tablet,” which are presumably placeholder names for the Android-powered tablet Google announced earlier this month. USI is an industry-wide stylus standard that Google joined in 2018. It’s already supported across a range of Chromebooks, allowing them to be used with a variety of styluses from different manufacturers. But while there are plenty of proprietary stylus / Android tablet offerings (like Samsung’s S Pen for its Galaxy tablets), no tablets have been certified to work with the universal USI standard. Earlier this year, the USI announced version 2.0 of the standard. This version includes a new wireless charging feature that could allow compatible styluses to be charged by simply being placed next to a supported device, similar to what Apple offers with the Apple Pencil 2 and select iPads. It’s unclear which version of the standard Google’s tablet might support. As 9to5Google notes, it seems unusual that Google’s tablet has appeared in the USI’s database this early, after Google said it’s targeting a 2023 release. According to the Wayback Machine, the listing first appeared at some point after January. Neither the USI nor Google responded to The Verge’s request for comment." +Apple’s RealityOS for rumored headset appears in trademark application,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147213/realityos-os-ros-trademark-apple-virtual-augmented-reality-headset,"RealityOS — the name Apple is reportedly using for the operating system running on its rumored virtual and augmented reality headset — has appeared in a trademark filing spotted by Parker Ortolani. Bloomberg News was first to report the “reality operating system” branding back in 2017, and references to the name have appeared in Apple’s software. The trademark application hasn’t officially been filed by Apple, but it’s common practice for large companies to apply for trademarks under one-off company names — like Realityo Systems LLC, in this case — in the state of Delaware for the sole purpose of maintaining anonymity. The trademark application is the latest evidence that Apple is on the cusp of announcing its long-rumored headset. It follows the news earlier this month that the company’s board of directors reportedly tried out the wearable device, which is common practice ahead of a public launch. In January, Bloomberg News reported that the headset was originally planned for release in late 2022 after an announcement at the company’s developer conference, but that could be delayed due to development challenges. The headset’s release could now happen in 2023, according to Bloomberg. The trademarks are also the only ones owned by this company “Realityo Systems LLC.” They were originally filed on December 8, 2021. This was just two months before “realityOS” began showing up in Apple source code. The trademark documentation references “wearable computer hardware” and is said to relate to “design and development of computer hardware, software, peripherals, and computer and video games.” The design and functionality of Apple’s headset has been the source of much speculation over the years, but most reports suggest that it’ll be able to offer a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, immersing you in virtual content as well as layering virtual elements over real world environments. It’s important to note that the RealityOS trademark hasn’t been applied for by Apple itself, and has instead been registered by a company called “Realityo Systems LLC.” But Ortolani reports that Realityo doesn’t appear to have any public presence, suggesting that it’s a shell company used by the Cupertino-based tech company to hide its involvement. Apple has reportedly taken the same approach in the past, 9to5Mac reports, using a shell company called “Yosemite Research LLC” to register macOS update names like Yosemite, Big Sur, and Monterey. The kicker? Both Realityo Systems LLC and Yosemite Research LLC are registered at the same address, which heavily implies that Apple is behind them. The RealityOS filings for a trademark and service mark don’t list any examples of the name’s use in public (meaning the product they’re associated with is yet to be released), and they’re also the only two applications associated with Realityo Systems LLC. The applications have been discovered just days before Apple is due to kick off its annual developer conference next week on June 6th, and are listed with deadlines of June 8th, leading to speculation that we could see the headset announced during Apple’s keynote. But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes that the timing of the June 8th date is likely a coincidence, and coincides with a key legal deadline that comes six months after a trademark is originally filed. “Maybe we’ll see it [at WWDC],” Gurman tweeted, “but the trademark application isn’t evidence of that.”" +"For $500, you can buy the Third Sister’s 6.5-foot double-bladed lightsaber",https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/29/23146694/double-bladed-lightsaber-costs-500-star-wars-obi-wan-third-sister-reva,"Hasbro has designed a lifelike lightsaber just in time for the premiere of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, one that might be the toymaker’s most ambitious — and expensive — replica yet. The Black Series Reva Force FX Elite Lightsaber costs $499 and measures a total of 6.5 feet long with both blades attached. It’s modeled after the lightsaber wielded by the Third Sister, also known as Reva, a cold and callous Inquisitor set on hunting down Obi-Wan. Just like the iconic lightsabers we’ve seen held by Inquisitors in past Star Wars series, you can take off one of the blades, as well as remove half of the circle in the center of the lightsaber. There are a number of cool lighting and sound effects that you can activate too, and they work whether you’re using one or both blades. While a progressive ignition effect has the lightsaber loading up with red light in preparation for battle, a blast deflect effect eliminates lighting in particular areas of the lightsaber (complete with “pew pew” sound effects) to make it look like you’re shielding yourself from projectiles. There’s even a wall-cutting mode that turns the tip of the lightsaber bright white while emitting a buzzing sound as if you’re actually cutting through metal. Unfortunately, it does have some (expected) limitations — it doesn’t spin on its own, so you can’t use it as a sort of helicopter to propel yourself short distances or repel enemy attacks (something shown quite often in Star Wars Rebels). You’ll have to get your baton-twirling skills in order if you really want to get in on that spinning action. The Third Sister’s lightsaber looks like Hasbro’s most expensive so far, likely because of the double blades. Taking a look at Hasbro’s collection of lightsabers, the FX Force Elite replicas don’t seem to go over $300. You can check out Reva’s lightsaber for yourself on its crowdfunding page, which will almost certainly fulfill the 5,000 backer requirement (because who wouldn’t want the chance to say they have a 6.5-foot lightsaber in their home?). It’ll be available for purchase until July 11th at 11:59PM ET, but won’t start shipping until fall 2023. Correction May 30th, 8:12AM ET: A previous version of this article stated that there was a $5,000 crowdfunding requirement when it is actually a 5,000 backer requirement. We regret the error." +The Real-World AI Issue,https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/28/18194816/ai-artificial-intelligence-issue,"The term “artificial intelligence” was coined fairly recently in 1955, but the idea of smart machines that do our bidding has far deeper roots, going back to the ancient myths of Greece, India, and China. Perhaps that’s why AI has such an impact on our imagination, and why, in recent years, there’s been so much hype surrounding the technology. But AI is not a myth, nor is it a magical machine. It’s a technology like any other, that, after decades of research, has reached a new plateau of productivity. Cheap processing power and abundant data have made this possible, and AI and machine learning are now useful tools in a diverse range of fields, including astronomy, health care, transportation, and music. After years of promise, AI is finally becoming useful. But what usually happens to useful technologies is that they disappear. We forget about the things that just work, and we shouldn’t let that happen to AI. Any technology destined to change the world needs scrutiny, and AI, with its combination of huge imaginative presence and very real, very dangerous failings, needs that scrutiny more than most. So, for the AI Issue at The Verge, we’re taking a closer look at some of the ways artificial intelligence and machine learning are affecting technology right now — because it’s too late to understand something after it’s changed the world. " +"Apple can’t dismiss Cydia’s amended antitrust lawsuit, judge says",https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/29/23146529/apple-cant-dismiss-cydia-antitrust-lawsuit-judge,"Apple’s attempt to dismiss an amended antitrust lawsuit filed by the creator of Cydia, an app store for jailbroken iPhones, has failed (via Reuters). California District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied Apple’s motion to dismiss the case on Thursday and is giving the company 21 days to respond to Cydia’s refiled complaint. Cydia developer Jay Freeman (who also goes by the username Saurik), first filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020. The complaint alleges Apple “has wrongfully acquired and maintained monopoly power” in iOS app distribution and payments, ultimately “depriving” third-party app stores of “the ability to compete with the App Store.” Cydia emerged before the Apple App Store even existed, and allowed users to find and download third-party apps for jailbroken devices. Freeman shut down the Cydia store in 2018. Judge Gonzalez Rogers — the same judge who issued a mixed ruling for the Epic vs. Apple trial — dismissed the case in January, citing Freeman’s claims were outside of the four-year statute of limitations for antitrust lawsuits. Gonzalez Rogers still gave Freeman the chance to amend the complaint, which is what he did. The fresh complaint argues that from 2018 to 2021, Apple implemented “more aggressive” changes in iOS that allegedly prevented Cydia and other alternative app stores from providing “useable” apps for iPhones. Apple once again sought to shut down the refiled complaint on the basis that the allegations occurred outside the statute of limitations, but Gonzalez Rogers denied the motion for dismissal. The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back. In 2020, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple following Fortnite’s removal from the App Store — Apple kicked out Fornite for offering an alternate payment option, enabling Epic to get around Apple’s up to 30 percent commission it takes from in-app purchases. Epic filed a similar lawsuit against Google around the same time, which is set to go to trial in 2023. Earlier this month, Match Group, the company behind Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge also filed a lawsuit against Google for its payment restrictions on the Play Store. In addition to app developers, Apple has been the subject of scrutiny from government agencies. While the Netherlands waged a string of fines against the company for barring Dutch dating apps from using their own billing systems, South Korea has passed a law requiring both Apple and Google to let developers incorporate third-party payment processors. The US and EU are working to clamp down on the power of large technology companies as well, with the EU set to enact the Digital Markets Act next year, and the US making progress with the Open App Markets Act designed to promote competition in mobile computing." +The best Memorial Day sales happening now,https://www.theverge.com/good-deals/23131413/best-memorial-day-sales-2022-tech-deals-gadgets-tvs-headphones-speakers-phones-outdoors,"Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer in the US. In addition to using the long weekend of this national holiday for travel and taking some well-earned rest and relaxation, it usually kick-starts lots of outdoor activities — like backyard cookouts, road trips to the beach, and camping trips. It’s also another shopping holiday, with discounts on offer for all kinds of home goods and some great tech, gadgets, and gear. There are plenty of deals on cool outdoorsy gear to take advantage of leading up to the holiday — like BioLite’s current discount on the FirePit Plus. But there are also great sales happening on indoor toys as well, like a range of Hisense TVs that are now available for up to $590 off. And let’s not forget travel essentials like Zendure’s heavy-duty power bank, which is on sale for $70 off. Because what good is a luxurious getaway vacation if you can’t keep your devices juiced up? There are worthwhile sales happening for everyone, so check out all these notable ones hand-picked by the Verge Deals team. Related The SuperTank Pro has a 26,800mAh / 96.48Wh capacity, which is the maximum that you can take on a commercial flight, per FAA rules. It features four USB-C ports, an info-dense OLED panel, and more. Use code ZENVERGE at checkout from Wellbots to get $70 off. The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, which comes outfitted with the company’s new M1 chip and in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold). The smaller Apple Watch Series 7 comes in a range of colors with either GPS or GPS and LTE. Sony’s SRS-XB43 is a large Bluetooth speaker that’s perfect for parties both indoors and out. The powerful stereo drivers sound great with plenty of bass, and you also get a customizable light show. Jabra’s Elite 3 earbuds have a refreshed design that’s more stylish than the company’s past earbuds. While they don’t have many frills or extra features, they fare well in the key areas of sound quality, comfort, and battery life. Bose’s QuietComfort 45 headphones update the company’s popular, impossibly comfortable design with USB-C, improved noise cancellation, and longer battery life. Acer’s Swift 3 laptop features a 14-inch 1080p IPS display, an Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also sports a fingerprint reader for easy sign-in and a backlit keyboard, making typing in low-light situations a breeze. The Acer Aspire 5 is a big-screen budget laptop. This configuration includes an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Google’s Nest Wifi router and Point extender have an unassuming design. The router has two ethernet ports, while the Point can be used as a smart speaker. The Nest Hub Max has a 10-inch screen and integrated camera for making video calls. It is Google’s largest and most complete Google Assistant smart display. The HyperX Cloud Flight balances comfort and a solid price-to-performance. The wireless, lightweight headset offers up to 30 hours of battery life and can also be used wired. Anybody feel like some grape jelly? This DualSense controller features a deep purple color accented by the black of its two-tone styling. This handy device from Elgato is a must-have for any streamer. The Elgato Game Capture HD60 S Plus allows you to record the audio and video output of any device with an HDMI port at 4K resolution. And as the name implies, is capable of recording at 60fps. The latest FromSoftware title, Elden Ring, takes the Dark Souls formula to a vast open world. An OLED TV loaded with features, including support for 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync The newest model of Samsung’s aesthetically pleasing TV retains the same vivid QLED display as its predecessor but uses a new anti-glare, low-reflection coating dubbed “Matte Display,” which provides images with qualities that resemble actual canvas. The latest 4K TV from Hisense supports Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10 Plus. It also supports Google Play, giving you access to a wide selection of streaming apps. A 31.5-inch, curved gaming monitor that provides a 1440p resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and AMD FreeSync support. This 34-inch curved gaming panel from LG offers a resolution of 3440 x 1440 and can operate with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. Please confirm your subscription to Verge Deals via the verification email we just sent you." +iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max could finally get always-on display,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/29/23146454/iphone-14-pro-max-always-on-display-apple-wwdc-rumors,"Apple may finally bring always-on display to the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple could introduce the feature with iOS 16, allowing the iPhone to display a limited amount of information even when it’s locked. Gurman says the iPhone’s version of always-on mode could work similarly to the way it does with the Apple Watch Series 5 and up — the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will drop the lock screen’s frame rate with always-on mode enabled, letting them conserve energy while the display remains powered on. It’s unclear if the new iPhone will use the same low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) display Apple uses in newer Watch models. These low-powered screens play a huge part in getting always-on mode to work properly, as they're built to keep devices from consuming too much power. Last year, analysts predicted that the iPhone 13 would come with an LTPO display to enable always-on display. A number of Android devices already support always-on mode — and have for many years. On certain Samsung devices, for example, always-on display can show the time, battery level, widgets, and more, all while the phone stays locked. Gurman expects iOS 16 to come with similar functionalities, including wallpapers with “widget-like capabilities.” Always-on display isn’t the only feature said to be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, as past leaks indicate that Apple may only include its new A16 chip with the two premium devices. Apple is set to announce a number of other changes at its closely-approaching Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6th. In line with previous predictions, Gurman believes that Apple could introduce enhanced windowing and multitasking features on the iPad. He cites findings from developer Steve Troughton-Smith, who recently discovered that Apple may be working on a feature that could let users freely resize windows. Apple could overhaul some of its apps as well — in addition to adding new audio features to Messages, Gurman predicts Apple will revamp its System Preferences menu to make it more like the Settings app on iOS. With WWDC a little more than a week out, we won't have to wait much longer to see how many of these predictions come true. Related" +Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II is coming to Switch,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/28/23145825/star-wars-knights-old-republic-ii-sith-lords-nintendo-switch-restored-content-dlc,"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) II: The Sith Lords is heading to the Nintendo Switch on June 8th, as announced at this year's Star Wars Celebration event. The sequel to the classic KOTOR RPG is supposed to feature some performance enhancements and resolution upgrades, as well as a Restored Content DLC set to arrive post-launch. As you might’ve guessed, the Restored Content DLC comes with the content that Obsidian Entertainment and Aspyr Media, the game’s developers, left out during their rush to launch the game in 2004. There’s already a fanmade mod for KOTOR II on Steam that restores some of this lost content, but it’s unclear how similar the official DLC will be when it comes out. You can preorder KOTOR II on the Nintendo Store for $15.00 right now, or you can buy it as part of a $29.99 bundle that also includes the original KOTOR that arrived on the Switch last year. And while Aspyr is currently working on a KOTOR remake that’s exclusive to the PlayStation 5, there’s still no word on a release date." +Twitter Circle may be starting to roll out to more users,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/28/23145745/twitter-circle-starting-roll-out-more-users,"Twitter started testing Circle earlier this month with a limited group, and now it looks like it’s starting to roll out to more users (via Android Police). The feature works a lot like Instagram’s Close Friends, as it allows users to send out tweets to a specific group of people rather than all of Twitter. Right now, it’s unclear how many people currently have access to Circle. It looks like more users (myself included) are finally seeing the feature pop up when they start composing a tweet, but some users still report not having access quite yet. Twitter spokesperson Joseph Nunez told The Verge it’s still in testing. “We are still currently testing Twitter Circle with a group of people across iOS, Android and Web globally,” Nunez said. “The feature has not rolled out widely to everyone yet as we continue to gather feedback.” To check if you have access to Twitter Circle, update your Twitter app or head to Twitter in a web browser. When you start composing a tweet, you’ll see a dropdown menu at the top that reads Everyone. From here, you can choose Twitter Circle to limit your tweet to a select audience, or you can hit Edit to add or remove people from your Circle. Twitter won’t notify users if you add or remove them. You can add up to 150 users to your Circle, whether they follow you or not. Users in your Circle will see a note appended to Circle-only tweets (and vice versa), stating: “Only people in @[yourusername]’s Twitter Circle can see this tweet.” Tweeting to your Circle is almost like having a private account, only it privatizes certain tweets instead of limiting access to your entire profile. The people in your Circle won’t be able to retweet anything you post to it, but they can still screenshot and download your tweets. It’s also important to keep in mind that Twitter’s community guidelines still apply even if you’re sending your tweets out to a smaller audience. Related Update May 28th, 5:27PM ET: Updated to add a statement from a Twitter spokesperson, as well as to reflect that Circle hasn’t rolled out to everyone yet." +The new Ayn Loki handheld runs Windows and starts at $299,https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/28/23145658/ayn-loki-handheld-runs-windows-starts-299,"Ayn, the maker of the Odin Android handheld, is releasing a lineup of what it calls the “most affordable” portable Windows gaming consoles yet (via Liliputing). The cheapest of the bunch starts at just $299 — $100 less than the 64GB Steam Deck. Ayn announced the news in a YouTube video and a series of posts on Instagram, giving us a look at what we can expect for looks, tech specs, and pricing. While the entry-level $299 Loki Mini comes with 64GB of storage and an Intel Alder Lake U chip, the standard Loki handheld has an AMD Ryzen 5 6600U chip with three different storage options: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB, each costing $499, $599, and $699, respectively. The $799 Loki Max features an upgraded AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chip and 512GB of storage. If you’re not happy with the amount of storage that comes with the device, you may be able to upgrade after purchasing it. YouTuber Taki Udon learned that each model could come with swappable storage, meaning you might have the option of giving your storage a boost if you start running out of space (via Liliputing). On the outside, it looks like the Ayn Loki inherits most of its design from the Switch-like Odin, but as Liliputing notes, it swaps a colorful set of buttons in an X, A, B, Y configuration to a solid black or white scheme with the same Y, B, A, X arrangement you’d find on an Xbox controller. There’s also a USB-C port and headphone jack on the bottom of the device. Judging by another one of Ayn’s Instagram posts, it looks like the Loki is set for release tomorrow at 9:00PM EST, and will likely be available to purchase from its website. Taki Udon also indicates that Odin owners may get access to the Loki lineup at discounted prices, but it’s unclear how much Ayn will take off. Related Ayn is just one brand attempting to take on the Steam Deck. Another company, Aya Neo, made its first handheld gaming PC available on Indiegogo last year. It has since come out with the Aya Neo 2 and Aya Neo Slide, both of which feature the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chip and Radeon 680M iGPU that could beat the Steam Deck on paper. Aya Neo hasn’t released pricing information on these two models yet, but they aren’t likely to be as affordable as the entry-level Loki Mini or Steam Deck — most of Aya Neo’s handhelds cost upwards of $1,000. That’s probably why Aya Neo just released the Aya Neo Air lineup, a set of lighter handhelds that start at $549 for an AMD Ryzen 5 5000U processor and 128GB of storage." +"Comcast received a patent for this smart speaker design, but will it ever be released?",https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/28/23145559/comcast-smart-speaker-patent-design-release,"Comcast has received a patent for a smart speaker — one with a very unusual design, to say the least (thanks to @SteveDonohue on Twitter for pointing this out). Instead of opting for a spherical shape that comes with the Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod Mini, or even the rounded rectangular look of the Google Nest Audio device, a sketch shows what appears to be a speaker with a sloped top and a wide base. Online records show that Comcast first filed for the patent last year, but it didn’t get approved until April 2022. As seen in the sketch, the device seems to have playback controls on the side of the speaker, with an additional button and a small stand on the bottom. At first glance, I’d say this device looks more like a router (minus the antennas) than a smart speaker, something I suppose makes sense for a company that specializes in connectivity. But after one of my colleagues said it looked like a bedpan, I just couldn’t unsee the resemblance. The funny thing is that Comcast was reportedly looking into making some sort of health-focused speaker that tracked your bathroom habits in 2019. Although it never made it into the hands (or bathrooms) of consumers, it was supposed to come with sensors that tracked how often someone got up to use the bathroom and how long they stayed in there. At the time, Comcast made sure to emphasize that it was not a smart speaker. It’s not entirely clear if these two devices are somehow related, and Comcast didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment. I’m going to try my best to reserve my judgments for now — it’s still hard to tell how the smart speaker will actually look from this sketch alone. If the device is ever released, however, I’d like to see how its design translates into a tangible speaker." +The latest iPad Air with M1 processor and expanded 256GB storage is $70 off,https://www.theverge.com/good-deals/2022/5/28/23144495/apple-ipad-air-2022-xbox-series-s-console-google-pixel-6-pro-lenovo-chromebook-duet-5-deal-sale,"It’s officially Memorial Day Weekend. Time to get the grill going, throw some drinks in the cooler, and saddle up for some hot deals. We’ve been covering sales and discounts for Memorial Day all week, and we’ve got some fresh ones for your Saturday. First off, Apple’s latest iPad Air with expanded 256GB storage is down to $679 at Amazon. This $70 discount is the best price in over a month for this configuration. If you don’t feel that you need the extra storage, the 64GB model is $569.99 (about $30 off) at Amazon and Walmart. Though the 256GB helps ensure you don’t run short on space too quickly. This latest generation of the iPad Air looks a lot like the previous model from 2020, but it’s been given a big performance boost by borrowing the same M1 processor of the iPad Pro models and entry-level MacBooks. The Air is fast, has great battery life, and its 10.9-inch screen looks great. While it shares the same CPU as the pricier iPad Pro, it uses Touch ID built into its side button instead of Face ID and lacks ProMotion for smoother scrolling. However, this discount helps further separate the 256GB Air from the base 128GB iPad Pro which normally runs $799 — making it the better value for most people. Read our review. The latest iPad Air retains the iPad Pro-esque redesign of the 2020 model but does away with the A14 Bionic processor in favor of Apple’s lightning-fast M1 chip. It also comes in one of five colors and boasts a 12MP front-facing camera with support for Apple’s Center Stage feature. Miraculously, if you want to buy an Xbox Series X console right now you have multiple options. You can get one at Costco or direct from Microsoft, or if you’re lucky, there might be one at your local Best Buy — but those aren’t deals. The deal du jour in the Xbox family right now is that Antonline is offering a free extra controller of your choice with the purchase of an Xbox Series S for the price of $299.99. That’s the regular selling price of the tiny console, and you get an extra gamepad valued at up to $69.99 for free. The Xbox Series S is a great little console if you don’t mind a digital-only box that tops out at 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution. Sure, it’s a little lean on storage, with 512GB built-in, but it’s perfect for Xbox Game Pass and game streaming. Plus, with this deal, you can pick from black, white, red, blue, and yellow-green controllers — even the translucent smoked-black 20th anniversary special edition (which is the right choice, by the way). This deal runs through June 7th or until sold out. Read our review. Related The Xbox Series S is smaller than the 4K-capable Xbox Series X, but it can still tackle the same digital games — albeit at 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution. Antonline’s offer of the console with a free extra controller saves $59.99 to $69.99 depending on the chosen gamepad. If you don’t want to wait around until July for Google’s upcoming Pixel 6A and you’re a T-Mobile or Sprint customer, you can get the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro for $150 off from Best Buy with an activation. This deal drops the price of the Pixel 6 down to $459.99 — the same as the more budget-minded 6A — and the Pixel 6 Pro is now $749.99. Both deals require an activation on T-Mobile or Sprint, but you choose to pay for them upfront or in monthly installments. While the Pixel 6 siblings have had some troubled waters with software updates, they still have some of the best cameras in a smartphone — and arguably some of the best Android phones around. The Pixel 6A will be borrowing the Google Tensor CPU when it comes out in the summer, but the improved cameras are staying exclusive to the premium Pixels. Read our review. The Google Pixel 6 is the new base model of Google’s latest flagship. It features the Google Tensor CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a rear camera with both 50 megapixels for its main wide-angle and 12 megapixels for its ultrawide. The Google Pixel 6 Pro is the larger sibling of the newest Pixel duo, with a 6.7-inch screen, 12GB of RAM, and a third camera featuring a 4x telephoto lens and 48 megapixels of resolution. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet has maintained its status as one of our favorite budget Chromebooks, though in late 2021, a newer model came out with a higher price tag that brought some compromises along. This new model is the Chromebook Duet 5, which got a bit fancier with a 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen and a new price point of around $500. The screen is great, the keyboard attachment is once again very good, and it’s got lengthy battery life. But it’s a bit of a different game when it’s $200 more than its predecessor. Now, you can get the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 for a much more respectable $379 at Best Buy. This discount of $120 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD makes it much easier to overlook some of its flaws — like the lack of biometric authentication and no included pen. Money saved always makes things look better, am I right? Read our review. Related The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 comes with a lovely 13.3-inch Full HD OLED touchscreen and long battery life, but lacks biometric authentication. Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. Please confirm your subscription to Verge Deals via the verification email we just sent you." +How to print from a Chromebook,https://www.theverge.com/23131478/chromebook-printer-cloud-google-how-to,"While Google’s Chromebooks are all about online services, sometimes you need a good old-fashioned printout to accompany your digital adventures. Printing from a Chromebook has gotten a lot easier over the years, but it still isn’t always obvious how to get started or which paths to embrace. Follow this guide, and with any luck, you’ll be churning out paper from your cloud-centric computer in no time. [Note: unfortunately, the Cloud Print system, which made it a lot easier to print using any cloud-connected device, was relegated to the Google graveyard in 2020. This means that some older printers may not be able to print from a Chromebook, period. Before purchasing a printer, especially a used one, make sure it’s compatible with ChromeOS. Google lists some compatible printers on this page.] Provided you have a reasonably recent printer that’s capable of connecting to the internet, you should be able to add it directly to your Chromebook without the need for supplementary services. First, make sure the printer is on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. The procedure for connecting a printer to Wi-Fi varies from one model to the next, but there’s generally a “Wi-Fi” or “internet” option somewhere on the printer’s display, either as an icon on the main screen or as an option in its settings menu. This should walk you through the process. Got the printer online and ready? Here’s what to do next: If your printer doesn’t appear in the list (which may happen if it’s an older device), you’ll need to click the Add printer button. If you’re using a much older printer that isn’t internet-capable, or if it is internet-capable but you’re having trouble connecting it manually as described above, don’t fret. You can connect your printer physically to a Chromebook using a USB cable. That’s it! Now just hit Ctrl-P from any browser tab or look for the Print command in any app. (Note: In the Print box that appears, you may not immediately see the name of your printer in the Destination field. If not, click in the field, and if you still don’t see your printer, click on See more... You should see your printer there.) Then prepare to print to your heart’s content. Update May 28th, 2022, 9:00AM ET: This article was originally published on April 17th, 2019, and has been updated to explain that Google eliminated its Cloud Print feature." diff --git a/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/keyword_extractor.py b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/keyword_extractor.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc87ea6 --- /dev/null +++ b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/keyword_extractor.py @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +from rake_nltk import Rake +import pandas as pd +import seaborn as sns + +r = Rake() +file = pd.read_csv('../data/theverge_data.csv') +keywordList = {} +for my_text in file.loc[:,'Body']: + r.extract_keywords_from_text(my_text) + rankedList = r.get_ranked_phrases_with_scores()[:10] + for keyword in rankedList: + keyword_updated = keyword[1].split() + keyword_updated_string = " ".join(keyword_updated[:3]) + print(keyword_updated_string) + if(not (keyword_updated_string in list(keywordList.keys()))): + keywordList[keyword_updated_string]=0 + keywordList[keyword_updated_string]+=1 + print('\n') +keywordList={k: v for k, v in sorted(keywordList.items(), key=lambda item: item[1])} +kw_data = pd.DataFrame({'trends':list(keywordList.keys())[:10], + 'popularity':list(keywordList.values())[:10]}) +plot_data=kw_data.head(5) +kw_plot=sns.barplot(x="trends",y="popularity",data=plot_data) +kw_plot.figure.savefig("trends.png") +kw_data.to_csv("kw_data.csv", encoding='utf-8-sig', index=False) \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/kw_data.csv b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/kw_data.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ce14f39 --- /dev/null +++ b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/kw_data.csv @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +trends,popularity +california district judge,1 +gonzalez rogers still,1 +"username saurik ),",1 +ultimately “ depriving,1 +providing “ useable,1 +apple app store,1 +judge gonzalez rogers,1 +app store .”,1 +maintained monopoly power,1 +apple trial —,1 diff --git a/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/theverge_scraper.py b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/theverge_scraper.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..959bbc4 --- /dev/null +++ b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/theverge_scraper.py @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +from bs4 import BeautifulSoup +import requests +import pandas as pd + +ARTICLES_COUNT = 15 +titles_data = [] +links_data = [] +paragraphs = [] + +def body(url) : + article = requests.get(url) + doc = BeautifulSoup(article.text, "html.parser") + + bodies = doc.find('div', attrs={'class':'c-entry-content'}).find_all('p') + for paragraph in bodies: + for match in paragraph.find_all('a'): + for emphasized in match.find_all('em'): + emphasized.replaceWithChildren() + match.replaceWithChildren() + bodies = [paragraph.text.strip() for paragraph in bodies] + body = ' '.join(bodies) + paragraphs.append(body) + +def article_links_and_title(url) : + page = requests.get(url) + doc = BeautifulSoup(page.text, "html.parser") + + titles_and_links = [header.a for header in doc.find_all('h2', attrs={'class':'c-entry-box--compact__title'})[:ARTICLES_COUNT]] + for row in titles_and_links: + link = row.attrs['href'] + title = row.text.strip() + titles_data.append(title) + links_data.append(link) + +url = "https://www.theverge.com/tech" +article_links_and_title(url) +for link in links_data: + body(link) + +df = pd.DataFrame({'Title': titles_data, + 'Link': links_data, + 'Body': paragraphs}) +df.to_csv("../data/theverge_data.csv", encoding='utf-8-sig', index=False) \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/trends.png b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/trends.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0a4e4d5 Binary files /dev/null and b/keywords_and_trends_from_theverge/trends.png differ diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d2247b --- /dev/null +++ b/requirements.txt @@ -0,0 +1,10 @@ +BeautifulSoup4 +Rouge +Sumy +nltk +requests +pandas +nltk-rake +stopwords +seaborn +keybert \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/techcrunch_scraper_and_summarization/summarization.csv b/techcrunch_scraper_and_summarization/summarization.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7753399 --- /dev/null +++ b/techcrunch_scraper_and_summarization/summarization.csv @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +Title,Link,Original paragraphs,reference summary,r1 f1 score lex rank,Sumy summary using lex rank,r1 f1 score luhn,Sumy summary using Luhn,r1 f1 score lsa,Sumy summary using LSA +Can Andreessen Horowitz prevent the next crypto winter?,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/28/can-andreessen-horowitz-prevent-the-next-crypto-winter/,Our engineers are working quickly to resolve the issue.Thank you for your patience.,,,,,,, +"Daily Crunch: With Bungie under its wing, Sony plans to invest half of its PlayStation Studios development budget on live service games this year",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/daily-crunch-with-bungie-under-its-wing-sony-plans-to-invest-half-of-its-playstation-studios-development-budget-on-live-service-games-this-year/,"To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here. Happy Friday, Crunchers! It’s 27 May 2022, and we are slinking into a long weekend because it’s Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. There’s no newsletter on Monday — Haje is going 🍷 wine tasting in Sonoma, and Christine is planning to spend Monday 🛋️ sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing, which we celebrate wholeheartedly. We’ll see you back here on Tuesday! Not sure what to do this weekend? Check out this roundup of all the amazing podcasts we published this week. It’ll keep you busy for a few hours at least.  — Haje and Christine","It's 27 May 2022, and we are slinking into a long weekend because it's Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. Haje is going wine tasting in Sonoma, and Christine is planning to spend Monday sitting on the sofa doing nothing. Check out this roundup of all the amazing podcasts we published this week.",0.6868686818814408,"It’s 27 May 2022, and we are slinking into a long weekend because it’s Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. There’s no newsletter on Monday — Haje is going 🍷 wine tasting in Sonoma, and Christine is planning to spend Monday 🛋️ sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing, which we celebrate wholeheartedly. We’ll see you back here on Tuesday!",0.6315789425223146,"To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here. It’s 27 May 2022, and we are slinking into a long weekend because it’s Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. There’s no newsletter on Monday — Haje is going 🍷 wine tasting in Sonoma, and Christine is planning to spend Monday 🛋️ sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing, which we celebrate wholeheartedly.",0.6601941697954568,"It’s 27 May 2022, and we are slinking into a long weekend because it’s Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. There’s no newsletter on Monday — Haje is going 🍷 wine tasting in Sonoma, and Christine is planning to spend Monday 🛋️ sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing, which we celebrate wholeheartedly. It’ll keep you busy for a few hours at least." +Tech layoffs top 15K in a brutal May,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/tech-layoffs-top-15k-employees-in-a-brutal-may/," It’s been a rough month in the tech sector. We’ve rounded up week after week of layoffs, and according to aggregator layoffs.fyi, more than 15,000 tech workers have lost their jobs this month. Hopefully the sun will come out in June. A number of tech companies that enjoyed pandemic-related surges are facing a correction, due to a number of factors, from rising inflation, economic distress, war and shifting consumer taste buds. Companies including Meta and Twitter have publicly announced hiring freezes, while Snap confirmed this week that it is slowing hiring as it misses revenue targets. ","More than 15,000 tech workers have lost their jobs this month. A number of tech companies that enjoyed pandemic-related surges are facing a correction. Rising inflation, economic distress, war and shifting consumer taste buds may be to blame for job losses in tech sector.",0.4383561594970914,"It’s been a rough month in the tech sector. We’ve rounded up week after week of layoffs, and according to aggregator layoffs.fyi, more than 15,000 tech workers have lost their jobs this month.",0.696629208498927,"We’ve rounded up week after week of layoffs, and according to aggregator layoffs.fyi, more than 15,000 tech workers have lost their jobs this month. A number of tech companies that enjoyed pandemic-related surges are facing a correction, due to a number of factors, from rising inflation, economic distress, war and shifting consumer taste buds.",0.24324323833455083,"It’s been a rough month in the tech sector. Companies including Meta and Twitter have publicly announced hiring freezes, while Snap confirmed this week that it is slowing hiring as it misses revenue targets." +Lidar exposes the remnants of an overgrown ancient civilization in the Amazon,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/lidar-exposes-the-remnants-of-an-overgrown-ancient-civilization-in-the-amazon/,"It’s Friday and the world is falling apart, so let’s just take a short mental health break with some interesting news out of the field of archaeology, where tech is enabling some fascinating new discoveries. A new lidar-powered analysis of land in the Amazon basin has provided evidence of a previously unknown urban center of “mind blowing” complexity. To be clear, that doesn’t mean ancient aliens or long-lost technology, just that it far exceeds the expected levels of organization and population that scholars considered possible for Amazonians of 1,500 years ago. “Nobody expected that kind of society in that region … pyramids 20 meters high,” said Heiko Prümers, of the German Archaeological Institute, in a video produced by Nature. “The whole region has been so densely habitated during the pre-hispanic time, that’s incredible to believe. There is a new civilization, new culture, waiting for us to study them.”","Archaeologists discover previously unknown urban center in the Amazon basin. Lidar-powered analysis of land provides evidence of highly sophisticated society. There is ""a new civilization, new culture, waiting for us to study them,"" an archaeologist says. The discovery was made by the German Archaeological Institute.",0.31111110613333337,"It’s Friday and the world is falling apart, so let’s just take a short mental health break with some interesting news out of the field of archaeology, where tech is enabling some fascinating new discoveries. A new lidar-powered analysis of land in the Amazon basin has provided evidence of a previously unknown urban center of “mind blowing” complexity.",0.10101009612488546,"It’s Friday and the world is falling apart, so let’s just take a short mental health break with some interesting news out of the field of archaeology, where tech is enabling some fascinating new discoveries. To be clear, that doesn’t mean ancient aliens or long-lost technology, just that it far exceeds the expected levels of organization and population that scholars considered possible for Amazonians of 1,500 years ago.",0.18947367927756245,"It’s Friday and the world is falling apart, so let’s just take a short mental health break with some interesting news out of the field of archaeology, where tech is enabling some fascinating new discoveries. “Nobody expected that kind of society in that region … pyramids 20 meters high,” said Heiko Prümers, of the German Archaeological Institute, in a video produced by Nature." +"As crypto becomes more mainstream, can it stay decentralized?",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/as-crypto-becomes-more-mainstream-can-it-stay-decentralized/,"As global markets continue to face downward trends, crypto markets are anticipating greater adoption as people see the digital asset sector as a hedge against inflation (even though some prices are currently down from their 52-week marks). Whether it’s first-time buyers of cryptocurrency or people learning more about NFTs, Bitcoin and the general crypto ecosystem, there has been an uptick globally in crypto awareness and, in turn, adoption, data indicates. About half of all crypto owners in the U.S., Latin America, Asia Pacific, Brazil, Hong Kong and India bought digital assets for the first time in 2021, marking a major breakthrough for the nascent industry, according to a Gemini report. Globally, 41% of individuals surveyed who did not own crypto said they were interested in learning more or buying it in 2022, the report added.","As global markets continue to face downward trends, crypto markets are anticipating greater adoption. Half of all crypto owners in the U.S., Latin America, Asia Pacific, Brazil, Hong Kong and India bought digital assets for the first time in 2021. 41% of individuals surveyed who did not own crypto said they were interested in learning more or buying it in 2022.",0.35897435399225663,"As global markets continue to face downward trends, crypto markets are anticipating greater adoption as people see the digital asset sector as a hedge against inflation (even though some prices are currently down from their 52-week marks). Whether it’s first-time buyers of cryptocurrency or people learning more about NFTs, Bitcoin and the general crypto ecosystem, there has been an uptick globally in crypto awareness and, in turn, adoption, data indicates.",0.5945945895950006,"As global markets continue to face downward trends, crypto markets are anticipating greater adoption as people see the digital asset sector as a hedge against inflation (even though some prices are currently down from their 52-week marks). Globally, 41% of individuals surveyed who did not own crypto said they were interested in learning more or buying it in 2022, the report added.",0.47457626620942256,"Whether it’s first-time buyers of cryptocurrency or people learning more about NFTs, Bitcoin and the general crypto ecosystem, there has been an uptick globally in crypto awareness and, in turn, adoption, data indicates. About half of all crypto owners in the U.S., Latin America, Asia Pacific, Brazil, Hong Kong and India bought digital assets for the first time in 2021, marking a major breakthrough for the nascent industry, according to a Gemini report." +Elon Musk says Starlink has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/elon-musk-says-starlink-has-been-approved-in-nigeria-and-mozambique/,"Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Friday that Starlink, the satellite internet service launched by SpaceX, his space exploration company, has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique. This news is coming three days after Musk answered a tweet about the service launch in Africa. “Yes, first countries in Africa to be announced coming soon,” he tweeted. “Starlink will serve everywhere on Earth that we’re legally allowed to serve.”","Starlink, the satellite internet service launched by SpaceX, has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique. This news is coming three days after Musk answered a tweet about the service launch in Africa. ""Yes, first countries in Africa to be announced coming soon,"" Musk tweeted.",0.799999995000889,"Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Friday that Starlink, the satellite internet service launched by SpaceX, his space exploration company, has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique. This news is coming three days after Musk answered a tweet about the service launch in Africa.",0.799999995000889,"Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Friday that Starlink, the satellite internet service launched by SpaceX, his space exploration company, has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique. This news is coming three days after Musk answered a tweet about the service launch in Africa.",0.7301587253111617,"This news is coming three days after Musk answered a tweet about the service launch in Africa. “Yes, first countries in Africa to be announced coming soon,” he tweeted." +4 questions to ask before building a computer vision model,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/4-questions-to-ask-before-building-a-computer-vision-model/,"In 2015, the launch of YOLO — a high-performing computer vision model that could produce predictions for real-time object detection — started an avalanche of progress that sped up computer vision’s jump from research to market. It’s since been an exciting time for startups as entrepreneurs continue to discover use cases for computer vision in everything from retail and agriculture to construction. With lower computing costs, greater model accuracy and rapid proliferation of raw data, an increasing number of startups are turning to computer vision to find solutions to problems. However, before founders begin building AI systems, they should think carefully about their risk appetite, data management practices and strategies for future-proofing their AI stack.","A growing number of startups are turning to computer vision as a solution to problems. With lower computing costs, greater model accuracy and rapid proliferation of raw data, more use cases for computer vision are emerging.",0.29629629157140686,"In 2015, the launch of YOLO — a high-performing computer vision model that could produce predictions for real-time object detection — started an avalanche of progress that sped up computer vision’s jump from research to market. It’s since been an exciting time for startups as entrepreneurs continue to discover use cases for computer vision in everything from retail and agriculture to construction.",0.6756756708071586,"It’s since been an exciting time for startups as entrepreneurs continue to discover use cases for computer vision in everything from retail and agriculture to construction. With lower computing costs, greater model accuracy and rapid proliferation of raw data, an increasing number of startups are turning to computer vision to find solutions to problems.",0.29629629157140686,"In 2015, the launch of YOLO — a high-performing computer vision model that could produce predictions for real-time object detection — started an avalanche of progress that sped up computer vision’s jump from research to market. It’s since been an exciting time for startups as entrepreneurs continue to discover use cases for computer vision in everything from retail and agriculture to construction." +Steal this hot new summer look (it’s bacteria),https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/colorifix-dye-textile-bacteria-22-million-h-m/,"Bacterial secretions might dye your future wardrobe, and that’d be an improvement. That’s because textiles usually get their hues from toxic chemicals, and the resulting wastewater — laden with dyes, acids and formaldehyde — destroys rivers, such as those surrounding Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Wastewater treatment, when it happens, is just one of the energy-intensive (read: carbon-spewing) processes that make fast fashion possible. The environmental crises linked to textiles have given rise to several firms that aim to reimagine dyeing altogether. One such company, Colorifix, just got a boost via a $22.6 million (£18 million) Series B round, led by Swedish fashion giant H&M.","Textiles usually get their hues from toxic chemicals, and the resulting wastewater - laden with dyes, acids and formaldehyde - destroys rivers. One such company, Colorifix, just got a boost via a $22.6 million (£18 million) Series B round, led by fashion giant H&M.",0.4285714235714286,"Bacterial secretions might dye your future wardrobe, and that’d be an improvement. That’s because textiles usually get their hues from toxic chemicals, and the resulting wastewater — laden with dyes, acids and formaldehyde — destroys rivers, such as those surrounding Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.",0.560975604759072,"Wastewater treatment, when it happens, is just one of the energy-intensive (read: carbon-spewing) processes that make fast fashion possible. One such company, Colorifix, just got a boost via a $22.6 million (£18 million) Series B round, led by Swedish fashion giant H&M.",0.44444443946666673,"That’s because textiles usually get their hues from toxic chemicals, and the resulting wastewater — laden with dyes, acids and formaldehyde — destroys rivers, such as those surrounding Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Wastewater treatment, when it happens, is just one of the energy-intensive (read: carbon-spewing) processes that make fast fashion possible." +Diesel is a horrible thing for an economy to depend on,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/diesel-is-a-horrible-thing-for-an-economy-to-depend-on/,"Want to bring inflation to heel? There’s no single, simple fix, of course, or we would have done it already. But a good place to start would be weaning the economy off gasoline and diesel. Prices for fossil fuels are through the roof. Gas prices are up over 75% since last year, and diesel is up 55%, according to AAA. There are myriad reasons why — Putin’s war in Ukraine, an unexpected surge in demand following early pandemic shutdowns, an East Coast refinery that literally exploded a few years ago and so on. The recent surge shows the folly of tying the transportation sector — which accounts for 6% to 12% of GDP in developed countries — to highly volatile consumables that are broadly bought on a spot-price basis.","The price of fossil fuels are through the roof. Gas prices are up over 75% since last year, and diesel is up 55%, according to AAA. The recent surge shows the folly of tying the transportation sector to volatile, spot-price goods, writes Andrew Keen.",0.07142856694515334,"Want to bring inflation to heel? There’s no single, simple fix, of course, or we would have done it already.",0.301075264025899,"There are myriad reasons why — Putin’s war in Ukraine, an unexpected surge in demand following early pandemic shutdowns, an East Coast refinery that literally exploded a few years ago and so on. The recent surge shows the folly of tying the transportation sector — which accounts for 6% to 12% of GDP in developed countries — to highly volatile consumables that are broadly bought on a spot-price basis.",0.153846148942012,"There’s no single, simple fix, of course, or we would have done it already. But a good place to start would be weaning the economy off gasoline and diesel." +"TechCrunch+ roundup: Cannabis investor survey, product ops, recurring revenue financing",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/techcrunch-roundup-cannabis-investor-survey-product-ops-recurring-revenue-financing/,"The cannabis industry is doing very well in the United States: More than 75% of the population lives in a state where access is permitted, and the legal market is expected to generate $33 billion this year. A black market still eats into the industry’s bottom line, however, and a patchwork of state regulations artificially constrain the TAM for public and private companies managing grow operations, distribution, transportation, inventory control, testing and point-of-sale software. In California, dispensaries advertise on freeway billboards and budtenders are a frequent sight at weddings, but Anna Heim found that the industry still has a long way to go before it reaches maturity nationwide, largely because federal laws continue to bar cannabis-related business from using traditional financial services.","Cannabis industry in U.S. expected to generate $33 billion this year, but black market still eats into the industry's bottom line. A patchwork of state regulations artificially constrain the TAM for public and private companies. In California, dispensaries advertise on freeway billboards and budtenders are a frequent sight at weddings.",0.5321100867940409,"The cannabis industry is doing very well in the United States: More than 75% of the population lives in a state where access is permitted, and the legal market is expected to generate $33 billion this year. A black market still eats into the industry’s bottom line, however, and a patchwork of state regulations artificially constrain the TAM for public and private companies managing grow operations, distribution, transportation, inventory control, testing and point-of-sale software.",0.5321100867940409,"The cannabis industry is doing very well in the United States: More than 75% of the population lives in a state where access is permitted, and the legal market is expected to generate $33 billion this year. A black market still eats into the industry’s bottom line, however, and a patchwork of state regulations artificially constrain the TAM for public and private companies managing grow operations, distribution, transportation, inventory control, testing and point-of-sale software.",0.57599999523328,"A black market still eats into the industry’s bottom line, however, and a patchwork of state regulations artificially constrain the TAM for public and private companies managing grow operations, distribution, transportation, inventory control, testing and point-of-sale software. In California, dispensaries advertise on freeway billboards and budtenders are a frequent sight at weddings, but Anna Heim found that the industry still has a long way to go before it reaches maturity nationwide, largely because federal laws continue to bar cannabis-related business from using traditional financial services." +Found celebrates one year by bringing on four founders in a roundtable episode,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/found-celebrates-one-year-by-bringing-on-four-founders-in-a-roundtable-episode/," Found is officially one year old and we’ve got a brand new look! To celebrate we decided to have back four founders who made us think, laugh and have generally stuck with us since we talked with them. If we’ve learned anything from one year of talking with founders at all stages and in a multitude of industries, it’s that startups and the people who found them are always evolving. We get to talk to people at a fixed point in their journey, but in this episode, we get the opportunity to check back in and see how they’ve grown as founders and leaders.",Found is celebrating one year of talking with founders at all stages of their journey.,0.2553191447532821,"Found is officially one year old and we’ve got a brand new look! To celebrate we decided to have back four founders who made us think, laugh and have generally stuck with us since we talked with them.",0.13793103082045194,"To celebrate we decided to have back four founders who made us think, laugh and have generally stuck with us since we talked with them. We get to talk to people at a fixed point in their journey, but in this episode, we get the opportunity to check back in and see how they’ve grown as founders and leaders.",0.42307691914201184,"Found is officially one year old and we’ve got a brand new look! If we’ve learned anything from one year of talking with founders at all stages and in a multitude of industries, it’s that startups and the people who found them are always evolving." +"Tesla won’t set up manufacturing plant in India until allowed to first sell and service cars, Elon Musk says",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/tesla-wont-set-up-manufacturing-plant-in-india-until-allowed-to-first-sell-and-service-cars-elon-musk-says/,"Tesla won’t set up a manufacturing plant in India until it is first allowed to sell and service imported cars in the South Asian nation, the carmaker’s chief executive Elon Musk said Friday, more than a year after an Indian state said that the electric carmaker was planning to open a plant in the southern part of the country. Responding to an individual on Twitter, who had asked for an update on Tesla’s manufacturing plant in India, Musk responded, “Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed first to sell & service cars.” Tesla and the Indian government have been engaging for more than two years to evaluate a pathway for the electric carmaker to enter the world’s second most populous nation but are stuck in a deadlock.","Tesla won't set up a manufacturing plant in India until it is first allowed to sell and service imported cars, CEO Elon Musk says. Tesla and the Indian government have been engaging for more than two years to evaluate a pathway for the electric carmaker to enter the South Asian nation.",0.5954198429182449,"Tesla won’t set up a manufacturing plant in India until it is first allowed to sell and service imported cars in the South Asian nation, the carmaker’s chief executive Elon Musk said Friday, more than a year after an Indian state said that the electric carmaker was planning to open a plant in the southern part of the country. Responding to an individual on Twitter, who had asked for an update on Tesla’s manufacturing plant in India, Musk responded, “Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed first to sell & service cars.” Tesla and the Indian government have been engaging for more than two years to evaluate a pathway for the electric carmaker to enter the world’s second most populous nation but are stuck in a deadlock.",0.5954198429182449,"Tesla won’t set up a manufacturing plant in India until it is first allowed to sell and service imported cars in the South Asian nation, the carmaker’s chief executive Elon Musk said Friday, more than a year after an Indian state said that the electric carmaker was planning to open a plant in the southern part of the country. Responding to an individual on Twitter, who had asked for an update on Tesla’s manufacturing plant in India, Musk responded, “Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed first to sell & service cars.” Tesla and the Indian government have been engaging for more than two years to evaluate a pathway for the electric carmaker to enter the world’s second most populous nation but are stuck in a deadlock.",0.5954198429182449,"Tesla won’t set up a manufacturing plant in India until it is first allowed to sell and service imported cars in the South Asian nation, the carmaker’s chief executive Elon Musk said Friday, more than a year after an Indian state said that the electric carmaker was planning to open a plant in the southern part of the country. Responding to an individual on Twitter, who had asked for an update on Tesla’s manufacturing plant in India, Musk responded, “Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed first to sell & service cars.” Tesla and the Indian government have been engaging for more than two years to evaluate a pathway for the electric carmaker to enter the world’s second most populous nation but are stuck in a deadlock." +"NJ talent firm exposed thousands of resumes, detailing immigration statuses and security clearances",https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/voto-resumes-clearances-exposed/,"A New Jersey talent acquisition firm exposed the resumes and personal information of at least 30,000 prospective workers by leaving a database on the internet without a password. The database belongs to Voto Consulting, a North Brunswick company that finds U.S. jobs largely for Indian IT professionals. It’s not known exactly how long the database was exposed, but it was first indexed by Shodan, a search engine for exposed devices and databases, on May 10. The database was discovered by Anand Prakash, a security researcher and founder of PingSafe AI, who provided details of the database to TechCrunch.","The database belongs to Voto Consulting, which finds U.S. jobs largely for Indian IT professionals. It was first indexed by Shodan, a search engine for exposed devices and databases, on May 10. The database was discovered by Anand Prakash, a security researcher.",0.493827155531169,"A New Jersey talent acquisition firm exposed the resumes and personal information of at least 30,000 prospective workers by leaving a database on the internet without a password. The database belongs to Voto Consulting, a North Brunswick company that finds U.S. jobs largely for Indian IT professionals.",0.40963854927565685,"A New Jersey talent acquisition firm exposed the resumes and personal information of at least 30,000 prospective workers by leaving a database on the internet without a password. It’s not known exactly how long the database was exposed, but it was first indexed by Shodan, a search engine for exposed devices and databases, on May 10.",0.7407407357780826,"The database belongs to Voto Consulting, a North Brunswick company that finds U.S. jobs largely for Indian IT professionals. It’s not known exactly how long the database was exposed, but it was first indexed by Shodan, a search engine for exposed devices and databases, on May 10." +Rivian hires a new COO amid other leadership and organizational shifts,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/rivian-hires-a-new-coo-amid-other-leadership-and-organizational-shifts/,"Rivian has hired a new chief operating officer to lead the restructuring and alignment of its operations, the automaker said Thursday. Frank Klein will join the company on June 1 as Rivian’s new COO to oversee the automaker’s production, manufacturing engineering and supply chain. The automaker also said its head of manufacturing engineering, Charly Mwangi, is leaving the company. The EV maker built 2,553 vehicles and delivered 1,227 in the first quarter, which means it must increase production more than tenfold for the rest of the year to meet its target.","The automaker also said its head of manufacturing engineering, Charly Mwangi, is leaving the company. Rivian must increase production more than tenfold for the rest of the year to meet its target.",0.272727267842057,"Rivian has hired a new chief operating officer to lead the restructuring and alignment of its operations, the automaker said Thursday. Frank Klein will join the company on June 1 as Rivian’s new COO to oversee the automaker’s production, manufacturing engineering and supply chain.",0.5161290273048909,"Frank Klein will join the company on June 1 as Rivian’s new COO to oversee the automaker’s production, manufacturing engineering and supply chain. The automaker also said its head of manufacturing engineering, Charly Mwangi, is leaving the company.",0.272727267842057,"Rivian has hired a new chief operating officer to lead the restructuring and alignment of its operations, the automaker said Thursday. Frank Klein will join the company on June 1 as Rivian’s new COO to oversee the automaker’s production, manufacturing engineering and supply chain." +Snapchat rolls out new ‘Shared Stories’ feature to make it easier to share memories,https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/27/snapchat-shared-stories-feature/,"Snapchat is rolling out a new “Shared Stories” feature that is designed to make it easier for users on the app to collaborate and share memories. The feature is a new iteration of the app’s “Custom Stories” feature, which allows users to create a story and add friends to view and contribute to it. With the new Shared Stories feature, users who have been added to a group can add their friends as well to make it easier “for the whole soccer team, camp squad, or group of coworkers to get in on the fun,” Snap says. You can start a Shared Story by heading to your profile, tapping the new story option and then selecting “Shared Story.” As with all stories sent on Snapchat, Snaps sent to a Shared Story are automatically deleted after 24 hours. However, unlike regular friend Stories and Groups, there isn’t a chat component for Shared Stories. Snapchat says content is moderated using a combination of automatic language detection and community review tools. In addition, the app will notify users if they’ve joined a Shared Story with someone they have blocked. Snapchat says this will allow users to remain in control of who they share content with on the app. ","Snapchat is rolling out a new ""Shared Stories"" feature. The Shared Stories feature allows users to create a story and add friends to view and contribute to it. Snaps sent to a Shared Story are automatically deleted after 24 hours. Unlike regular friend Stories and Groups, there isn't a chat component for Shared Stories.",0.3116883067093945,Snapchat is rolling out a new “Shared Stories” feature that is designed to make it easier for users on the app to collaborate and share memories. Snapchat says this will allow users to remain in control of who they share content with on the app.,0.3404255269963785,"Snapchat is rolling out a new “Shared Stories” feature that is designed to make it easier for users on the app to collaborate and share memories. With the new Shared Stories feature, users who have been added to a group can add their friends as well to make it easier “for the whole soccer team, camp squad, or group of coworkers to get in on the fun,” Snap says.",0.16666666176311742,Snapchat says content is moderated using a combination of automatic language detection and community review tools. Snapchat says this will allow users to remain in control of who they share content with on the app. diff --git a/techcrunch_scraper_and_summarization/tc_crawler_and_summarizer.py b/techcrunch_scraper_and_summarization/tc_crawler_and_summarizer.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08589c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/techcrunch_scraper_and_summarization/tc_crawler_and_summarizer.py @@ -0,0 +1,123 @@ +from bs4 import BeautifulSoup +# from sumy.parsers.plaintext import PlaintextParser +# from sumy.nlp.tokenizers import Tokenizer +# from sumy.summarizers.lex_rank import LexRankSummarizer +# from sumy.summarizers.luhn import LuhnSummarizer +# from sumy.summarizers.lsa import LsaSummarizer +# from rouge import Rouge +import requests +import pandas as pd + +ARTICLES_COUNT = 15 +titles_data = [] +links_data = [] +paragraphs = [] +Sumy_lex_rank = [] +Sumy_luhn = [] +Sumy_lsa = [] +references = [] +f1_lex_rank = [] +f1_luhn = [] +f1_lsa = [] + +# def final(result,r): +# if r!="": +# scores = rouge.get_scores(result, r) +# return scores[0]["rouge-1"]["f"] + +# def lex_rank(p): +# summarizer = LexRankSummarizer() +# summary = summarizer(parser.document,2) #summarize into 2 sentences +# return str(summary[0])+' '+str(summary[1]) + +# def luhn(p): +# summarizer = LuhnSummarizer() +# summary = summarizer(parser.document,2) +# return str(summary[0])+' '+str(summary[1]) + +# def lsa(p): +# summarizer = LsaSummarizer() +# summary = summarizer(parser.document,2) +# return str(summary[0])+' '+str(summary[1]) + +def body(url) : + article = requests.get(url) + doc = BeautifulSoup(article.text, "html.parser") + if(doc.find('div', attrs={'class':'article-content'}) is None): + titles_data.pop() + links_data.pop() + else: + bodies = doc.find('div', attrs={'class':'article-content'}).find_all('p') + for paragraph in bodies: + for match in paragraph.find_all('a'): + match.replaceWithChildren() + bodies = [paragraph.text for paragraph in bodies] + body = ' '.join(bodies) + paragraphs.append(body) + + +def article_links_and_title(url) : + page = requests.get(url) + doc = BeautifulSoup(page.text, "html.parser") + titles_and_links = [header.a for header in doc.find_all('h2', attrs={'class':'post-block__title'})[:ARTICLES_COUNT]] + for row in titles_and_links: + link = row.attrs['href'] + title = row.text.strip() + titles_data.append(title) + links_data.append(link) + +url = "https://techcrunch.com/" +article_links_and_title(url) +for link in links_data: + body(link) +# rouge = Rouge() +# for p in paragraphs: +# if len(p)<300: # too short to summarize in 2 sentences +# Sumy_lex_rank.append("") +# Sumy_luhn.append("") +# Sumy_lsa.append("") +# references.append("") +# f1_lex_rank.append("") +# f1_luhn.append("") +# f1_lsa.append("") +# continue +# print(p+'\n') +# reference = input("Your summary:") +# print('\n') +# references.append(reference) +# parser = PlaintextParser.from_string(p,Tokenizer("english")) +# result = lex_rank(parser) +# f1_lex_rank.append(final(result,reference)) +# Sumy_lex_rank.append(result) +# result = luhn(parser) +# f1_luhn.append(final(result,reference)) +# Sumy_luhn.append(result) +# result = lsa(parser) +# f1_lsa.append(final(result,reference)) +# Sumy_lsa.append(result) + +data = pd.DataFrame({'Title': titles_data, + 'Link': links_data, + 'Body': paragraphs}) +data.to_csv("../data/techcrunch_data.csv", encoding='utf-8-sig', index=False) +# df = pd.DataFrame({'Title': titles_data, +# 'Link': links_data, +# 'Original paragraphs': paragraphs, +# 'reference summary': references, +# 'r1 f1 score lex rank': f1_lex_rank, +# 'Sumy summary using lex rank': Sumy_lex_rank, +# 'r1 f1 score luhn': f1_luhn, +# 'Sumy summary using Luhn': Sumy_luhn, +# 'r1 f1 score lsa': f1_lsa, +# 'Sumy summary using LSA': Sumy_lsa}) +# df.to_csv("summarization.csv", encoding='utf-8-sig', index=False) + + + + + + + + + +