Victoria Fox's Blog, page 190

Elon Musk’s X Corp sues anti-hate group over its research

After threatening to do so, X Corp (aka Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Bloomberg has reported. It claimed that the anti-hate group is illegally “scraping” its servers and cherry picking hateful posts as part of “a scare campaign to drive away advertisers,” according to documents filed in San Francisco federal court. X Corp. is asking for unspecified monetary damages and an injunction barring the CCDH from accessing its data.

The Center published a research article in June asserting that X allowed explicitly racist and homophobic posts despite policies to the contrary, even after they’d been reported. However, X responded that the CCDH used poor methodology, and failed to study all 500 million posts on the service each day. It also maintained that the Center was taking funding from competitors or foreign governments as part of an “ulterior agenda,” according to The New York Times. 

In a new blog post called “Protecting the public’s right to free expression,” Twitter/X explained its reasoning for filing a legal claim against CCDH. “X is a free public service funded largely by advertisers. Through the CCDH’s scare campaign and its ongoing pressure on brands to prevent the public’s access to free expression, the CCDH is actively working to prevent public dialogue,” the post states.

It went on to note that the CCDH scraped its data, accessing it without authorization from Brandwatch, a Twitter partner that provides “consumer & market insights,” “brand monitoring” and more. It added that CCDH’s “‘research’ cited in aBloomberg article ‘contained metrics used out of context to make unsubstantiated assertions about X (formerly Twitter).'”

“That’s why X has filed a legal claim against the CCDH and its backers,” it stated. It also accused the CCDH of “targeting people on all platforms who speak about issues the CCDH doesn’t agree with,” “attempting to coerce the deplatforming of users whose views do not conform to the CCDH’s ideological agenda” and more. 

In a letter published earlier today, the CCDH countered Twitter’s earlier allegations. It noted that it never claimed to be conducting a comprehensive study, and documented the methodology it did use. It wrote that X didn’t provide any specific examples, and said it doesn’t accept funding from companies or governments. It further stated that it “will not be bullied,” will continue publishing its research and that a lawsuit with “frivolous” claims could prove risky.

“The public has the right to know if and how @ElonMusk’s leadership has led to more hate speech on Twitter,” the nonprofit tweeted earlier. “By threatening us, Musk is trying to hide the truth about his own failures. Platforms must be held accountable for spreading hate & lies.”

SOURCE

I had 12 cans of Mountain Dew every day — here’s what happened when I stopped

He couldn’t dew it anymore.

Chris Stewart, 37, used to drink 12 cans of Mountain Dew a day and eat large McDonald’s meals for lunch — until he saw a photo of himself at his dad’s funeral that made him feel “sick.”

“Who is going to carry my casket?” Stewart recalled to SWNS. “I thought if I didn’t change something I’m going to die.”

The Illinois forklift driver weighed 400 pounds at his heaviest, wearing a size 5XL.

He would consume two cans of Mountain Dew each morning when he woke up and two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, a McChicken sandwich and fries for lunch.

At his heaviest, Chris Stewart weighed 400 pounds. Chris Stewart / SWNS

He claimed he drank 12 cans of Mountain Dew a day. Chris Stewart / SWNS

But after he saw a photo of himself at his dad’s funeral, he decided to make a change. Chris Stewart / SWNS

For dinner, he would eat frozen food.

“I’d stuff my face with whatever I could,” Stewart admitted. “My wife and I put in a different order for food.”

Stewart has lost nearly 200 pounds after making serious lifestyle changes — and some of them are quite simple.

“I used Pinterest to look up healthy recipes,” he explained. “Now I am half the man I used to be.”

Stewart swapped Mountain Dew for sparkling water and ditched the fast food.

Stewart lost about 200 pounds and noticed a difference in his energy levels. Chris Stewart / SWNS

He swapped out the Mountain Dew for sparkling water. Chris Stewart / SWNS

He also started working out on an exercise bike. Chris Stewart / SWNS

Now he eats pita pizzas and meat-and-cheese wraps.

For breakfast, he’ll have a smoothie made with protein, banana, mixed frozen fruit, peanut butter powder, chia and hemp seeds, and a peanut butter oatmeal bar as a snack.

He said he has noticed a major change in his energy.

He even started helping out with heavy lifting at his office.

Previously, when he worked as a supermarket manager, he would sit in the office all day and go straight to the couch when he got home.

He credits his wife, Nicole, as a big support for him throughout the journey. Chris Stewart / SWNS

Stewart used Pinterest as a source for healthy meals. Chris Stewart / SWNS

Stewart also bought an exercise bike to continue his journey, starting out with 10 minutes a day and working up to 20.

In the summer, he likes to take daily walks.

He credits his 36-year-old wife, Nicole, for his success, as she was a great support system for him.

“I’m so glad she stayed with me,” Stewart told SWNS. “I was a disrespect to our relationship.”

“Weight loss is easy. I just switched my mindset. It’s you versus you,” he added.

SOURCE

Medal of Honor recipient watches as warship bearing his name is christened in Maine

Marine 1st Lt. Harvey “Barney” Barnum jumped to the ground when he came under fire during an ambush in Vietnam that killed his radio operator and commander.

Collecting himself, Barnum realized he was now the highest-ranking officer of a rifle company he’d just joined. He called in artillery and, amid gunfire, dragged the commander to safety, where he died in Barnum’s arms. Then he proceeded to mount a counterattack, oversee evacuation of the wounded and lead the unit’s eventual break out to rejoin the battalion.

The Medal of Honor recipient, now 83, watched Saturday as his wife smashed a bottle of sparkling wine against the bow to christen the future US Navy destroyer that’ll bear the name Harvey C. Barnum Jr.

He said he was speechless when he learned that a warship would bear his name. “As anybody that knows Barney Barnum knows, I’ve never been speechless,” he joked before the event.

The ceremony on Saturday at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works was a tribute to the Vietnam War hero who during his first firefight was foisted into leadership of Marines who didn’t yet know his name because he’d just joined them a few days earlier.

Dignitaries included Maine’s governor and senators, as well as Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who praised Barnum’s humility and generosity, in addition to being a war hero who inspired fellow Marines.

Guests arrive for the christening ceremony of the Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. at Bath Iron Works on Saturday, July 29, 2023 in Bath, Maine. AP

Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant whose nomination to lead the Marine Corps is being blocked by a Republican senator, called Barnum “an icon, a legend, a Marine.”

In an interview, Barnum said the combat was harrowing on that day, Dec. 18, 1965, during Operation Harvest Moon. His unit was outnumbered, caught off guard and separated from the larger battalion outside the village of Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province.

The ship’s namesake said he was scared like everybody else but he tried not to show it. The other Marines were looking to him, an artillery spotter, after their commander died, he said.

To launch a counterattack, he brandished a .45-caliber handgun and told the others to follow him. They did.

Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. speaks during a christening ceremony for his namesake warship, the Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. at Bath Iron Works on Saturday, July 29, 2023 in Bath, Maine.AP

“It’s a tough business. But when it gets tough, the tough get going and that’s what Marines do,” he said. “We came together as a team. And, you know, there’s no fury unleashed that’s greater than that of a bunch of Marines that know that their buddies have been shot.”

Barnum later became the first Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam conflict to return for another tour. He retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel after nearly three decades of service and served the secretary of defense as principal director of drug enforcement policy, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for reserve affairs, and acting assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs.

Barnum, of Reston, Virginia, was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, and studied at Saint Anselm College, a Benedictine college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The school’s abbot, Mark Cooper, delivered the invocation on Saturday.

The event was a family affair for Barnum, who now lives in Virginia.

His wife, Martha Hill, served as the ship’s sponsor. At the event Saturday, she was in a wheelchair; Barnum has been her care provider since she had a stroke about five years ago. Her daughter; two granddaughters, one of whom sang “God Bless America;” and an 11-year-old great-granddaughter were also participants at the event. Other family and friends were present.

Displacing 9,500 tons, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is built to simultaneously wage war against submarines, aircraft and missiles, and other warships. The newest versions are being equipped for ballistic missile defense.

The 510-foot guided-missile destroyer was in dry dock for the ceremony as work continues to prepare the ship for delivery to the Navy.

SOURCE

My plane seat’s window shade was broken — I was told to tape up my own

Why so shady?

Ally Shapiro — the daughter of “The Real Housewives of New York City” alum Jill Zarin — claims in a now-viral TikTok that a Delta Airlines flight attendant offered her random materials to makeshift her own window shade after hers broke.

The video showed Shapiro, who was flying from Nimes, France, to New York, finagling a Delta safety booklet against the plane window and taping it down to ensure she could get some shut-eye on the long trip home.

“When you pay for an extremely expensive international flight thats 8 hours long you would think a window shade would be included…they offered me tape and safety books (ironically) so i could tape it myself,” Shapiro, 32, captioned a TikTok posted earlier this month.

The clip of the Jill & Ally business owner has soared with over 4.3 million views.

Ally Shapiro, daughter of “Real Housewives” alum Jill Zarin, said she boarded a Delta Airlines flight with no window shade next to her window seat. @allyshaps/TikTok

Shapiro made a video documenting the incident, which has gone viral with over 4.3 million views. @allyshaps/TikTok

“I used to be a very loyal Delta customer, but this was just insane,” she continued in the caption.

The Post contacted Delta and Shapiro for comment.

In a series of follow-up videos, Shapiro reported the ticket cost around $2,000 and explained that the window was not tinted.

It already had tape on it because there was no window shade, she claimed.

She also said the first flight attendant was “very rude and very dismissive,” but that a “much more friendly” steward eventually gave her some tape and booklets to make a DIY-nightshade.

“As someone that already has so much anxiety when I fly, this was a really sucky situation for me, and I wish they could have handled it better, or at least offered us a different seat, because I could not fly like this,” she said.

The content creator added that, “They made us remove [the booklet] before landing because management would be upset… shouldn’t they be upset for having a broken window and not letting us switch seats?!”

Shapiro said she was forced to create her own shade with tape and a safety pamphlet. @allyshaps/TikTok

Shapiro claimed that she was not offered another seat. @allyshaps/TikTok

In another follow-up clip, Shapiro said she called Delta to complain.

She said she was not given a refund, but rather “15,000 miles, which is equal to like $150, I think.”

The reality TV alum clarified that she didn’t think the flight should have been delayed, because the window was not actually broken — just the shade.

However, she again noted that it would have been helpful to have been offered a different seat or at least the “courtesy” of “acknowledging” that it was a strange mishap.

Shapiro made a number of follow-up videos talking more about the experience. @allyshaps/TikTok

“Yeah, it sucked, it was frustrating, but it wasn’t the end of the world. I’ll probably fly Delta again, but it would be nice if anyone from Delta reached out to me after 4 million people saw that video,” she concluded.

She claimed that Delta didn’t comment or message her.

In the comments section of Shapiro’s initial video, many users expressed shock over the incident.

“Wow I would be livid,” one user wrote.

Another agreed, typing, “No window shade AND you weren’t allowed to swap seats!? that’s crazy! .”

“Unacceptable,” someone else lamented. “Shame on them. These airlines are getting worse and costing more. How?!”

Others didn’t agree with her outrage.

“What did you want them to do, cancel your flight?” one person wondered.

SOURCE

Lotto winner who won over $100M a decade ago angers neighbors by planning another celebratory festival

A lucky lottery winner who scooped up $300 million has infuriated his neighbors with a huge four-day festival to celebrate his win — and he plans to do it all over again.

UK man Adrian Bayford won $162,000,000 in a EuroMillions draw in 2012 and hosted a “mini-Glastonbury” festival in his backyard to celebrate.

He has announced the ear-splitting festival will return, despite noise complaints from his neighbors.

The Cambridge Rock Festival, previously known as the Rockinbeerfest, takes place on Mr. Bayford’s estate in Cambridgeshire, which he bought after winning the life-changing sum.

Adrian and Gillian Bayford won £148 million in a EuroMillions draw in 2012.AFP via Getty Images

The Bayfords celebrated winning the jackpot of over 148 million GBP in the EuroMillions lottery on Aug. 14, 2012 in Hatfield Heath, England. Getty Images/Oli Scarff

The four-day festival previously took place in 2017 and 2018 and hosted up to 2000 festival-heads. It was set to take place again this year but was cancelled after organizers were asked to get a permanent event license. The festival has previously used a temporary license to operate.

Concerns were raised by locals about the “intolerable” level of noise and “severe disturbance to peace” posed by the festival, according to local outlet Cambridge Independent.

However, despite the complaints, it has now been announced the Cambridge Rock Festival will go ahead in 2024.

The couple hosted a “mini-Glastonbury” festival in his backyard to celebrate.@cambridgerockfestival/Instagram

He announced the ear-splitting festival will return, despite noise complaints from his neighbors.@cambridgerockfestival/Instagram

The South Cambridgeshire District Council dismissed the locals’ claims and approved the licence application, permitting the event to have live music, sell booze between 11am and 11pm and host up to 1500 people, including staff, contractors and entertainers.

The license also secures the future of the festival for years to come, granting it approval to go ahead for four days between May and September each year.

The event offers a “pay what you can afford” full festival ticket starting at £129 (AUD$248) as well as much cheaper day tickets.

The Cambridge Rock Festival, previously known as the Rockinbeerfest, takes place on Mr Bayford’s estate in Cambridgeshire.@cambridgerockfestival/Instagram

He bought the property where the large party is hosted after winning the lottery.Getty Images/ Oli Scarff

A statement posted on the event’s website reads: “Whilst it’s too late for this year, we are pleased to announce that the Cambridge Rock Festival has been granted its premises license, which will allow CRF 2024 to go ahead.

“Together with praise from the licensing sub-committee for putting on an event with such careful consideration for the local area.

“We will be shortly announcing the first acts who are very kindly rolling over their performances on to 2024.”

SOURCE

Generative AI is quickly infiltrating organizations, McKinsey reports

Head over to our on-demand library to view sessions from VB Transform 2023. Register Here

McKinsey and Company is no stranger to generative artificial intelligence (gen AI): around half of the global consulting giant’s employees were said to be using the technology as of earlier this summer.

But it’s not the only org to see a rapid uptake of gen AI. Indeed, a new annual report by McKinsey’s AI arm QuantumBlack finds that “use of gen AI is already widespread.”

McKinsey reached this conclusion by conducting an online survey of 1,684 participants across various regions, industries and company sizes between April 11 and 21, 2023. The majority (79%) of respondents reported “at least some exposure to gen AI, either for work or outside of work,” while 22% said they were using it regularly for their work.

Those findings echo VentureBeat’s own informal survey conducted ahead of our VB Transform conference in San Francisco last month, which found that more than 70% of companies are already experimenting with gen AI.

Event

VB Transform 2023 On-Demand

Did you miss a session from VB Transform 2023? Register to access the on-demand library for all of our featured sessions.

Register Now

Who is using gen AI and where?

Ok, so we know companies and individuals are getting their hands on gen AI, but who is using it the most, and for what? McKinsey’s new report provides some insights worth calling out.

So far, North America-based respondents lead the globe in terms of gen AI adoption for work, with 28% of them using the tech in their jobs and outside of work, compared to 24% of European respondents and 22% of Asia-Pacific respondents (Greater China was just 19%).

Credit: QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey “The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year”

This is perhaps expected, given the gen AI craze kicked off in the U.S. in November 2022 with OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT.

Similarly, the industries that have most rapidly embraced the technology for work and/or outside of work so far are “technology, media and telecom,” at 33%, followed by “financial services” and “business, legal and professional services,” at 24% and 23%, respectively.

Credit: QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey “The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year”

Again, this is not too surprising: The tech industry, which originated gen AI products, has been leading the adoption curve.

Interestingly, though, when it comes to which job titles use gen AI the most for work and/or outside of it, both C-suite and senior managers clocked in at 24% regular usage for work and outside of work, combined. Midlevel managers were close behind at 23%, although they were more likely to have had no exposure, as well (19%).

Credit: QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey “The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year”What gen AI is being used for

The business functions most commonly harnessing these newer tools mirror those where AI use is most prevalent overall.

These include marketing and sales, product and service development and service operations such as customer care and back-office support.

In fact, the single largest category of functions where gen AI was being used as of April 2023 was marketing and sales, at 14%, followed by product/service development at 13%.

Very low on the list were supply chain management at 3% and manufacturing at just 2%.

While these areas may prove more challenging and time-consuming for AI adoption and have some physical constraints that make them more resistant to it, supply chain management in particular would seem to be a ripe area for new gen AI products and services to take hold — as a lot of it does involve planning, analyzing market conditions and providing insights based on vast volumes of data, all of which gen AI excels at.

In terms of what people are using gen AI to do, specifically, almost all of the capabilities so far revolve around creating, summarizing and analyzing documents. However, trend forecasting is a close second.

Credit: QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey “The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year”More than a fleeting trend

The report also revealed that gen AI is not just a fleeting trend but a strategic focus for many organizations. Nearly half (40%) of those reporting AI adoption indicated that their companies plan to ramp up their overall AI investments, thanks to gen AI. Furthermore, the technology has already made its way onto the board’s agenda for 28% of these organizations.

VentureBeat’s mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.

SOURCE

‘Bomb Rush Cyberfunk’ arrives on the PlayStation and Xbox in September

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, the upcoming game from Team Reptile with major Jet Set Radio vibes, is also heading to PlayStation and Xbox. It was initially announced for Switch and PC with a release date of August 18th. Now, the developer has revealed that PlayStation and Xbox gamers only have to wait a couple of weeks more, because the title will be released for their consoles two weeks later, on September 1st. 

Team Reptile describes Bomb Rush Cyberfunk as a world wherein “self-styled graffiti crews equipped with personal boostpacks are battling each other for control of the streets.” Its theme, gameplay and art style are all reminiscent of the Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio, which was released back in 2000. In the upcoming funkstyle game, players can explore the five main boroughs of New Amsterdam to spray graffiti, do dance battles and face off rival crews.

They can also expand their crew by finding new members around the city as they go around on inline skates, skateboards or bikes. (And yes, they can use the environment to do tricks.) Another layer of gameplay is that players have to evade militarized police as they move, which gets harder to do the longer they play because law enforcement scales up the more they vandalize the streets. 

[embedded content]

SOURCE

These 5 Excel Hacks That Will Make Spreadsheets Less Stressful

Excel formulas are indispensable hacks for performing quick calculations and analyses. Automating mathematical operations renders tedious manual computations obsolete, enabling the user to focus more on research than computation. (You can even get ChatGPT to write them for you.) More so, they can be customized and combined to create powerful calculations, giving Excel its versatile nature.

For instance, imagine a scenario where monthly sales data needs to be analyzed for trends; or a financial forecast for the next quarter needs to be built. Rather than manually calculating each figure, Excel formulas offer a quicker, more efficient, and more accurate alternative. They are integral to data analysis, forecasting, and tracking key performance indicators. To utilize Excel formulas:

Select a cell where the calculation’s result will be displayed.Start the equation with an equal sign.Enter the desired operation using numbers, cell references, operators, and Excel function names.Press Enter to complete the formula.

Despite their utility, Excel formulas can often lead to errors if not correctly used. A keen understanding of the syntax is paramount, as mistakes in formula construction can lead to incorrect results. Always ensure cell references are accurate, mainly when copying formulas across cells. Additionally, consider using Excel’s formula auditing tools to identify and rectify errors.

SOURCE

10 Of The Fastest Pre-War Cars, Ranked

E.L. Cord established an American auto company holding Auburn and Duesenberg in its portfolio of vehicles. Although he already had two exclusive marques under his control, Cord chose to add one bearing his name and introduced a highly innovative model in 1929 called the Cord L-29, which, as most may recall, was not the most fortuitous time in American history for big business. Despite launching a car just before the start of the Great Depression, Cord survived, at least, for a time.

The L-29 introduced Americans to front-wheel-drive, and that continued into later models, including the 812. Additionally, the 810 introduced the world to one of the most loved car features ever, the pop-up headlight. Innovation was a hallmark of the Cord 810/812 and the forward-thinking elements include the wrap-around front grille, rear-hinged hood, variable speed wipers, hidden door hinges, and a concealed fuel filler cap. Problems with brakes overheating led engineers to drill a series of holes in the wheel, which solved the issue and inadvertently created wheels with a striking appearance. Inside the car, drivers were greeted by a dashboard that looked more like that of an airplane, with full instrumentation complemented by a radio, a feature not standard in cars for many years after.

Also, the Cord was placed below the Duesenberg in price, but it was still a very expensive car. For the money spent on one, the 170 hp supercharged V8 propelled an 812S to a top speed of 102.3 mph, making it one of the fastest cars produced in its day.

SOURCE

5 Of The Best Products Sony Should Have Never Discontinued

Some of the products on this list were high sellers in their time but discontinued due to age or technological irrelevance. The Sony Aibo is not one of those products. The Aibo (which stands for Artificial Intelligence Robot) line consisted of robotic animals. These were primarily dogs, but a few other Aibo species were created, including lions. The robot pets came with touch sensors that let them know when they were being petted and enough moving parts for physical versatility.

The Aibo litter was born from Sony’s Computer Science Laboratory, the lab set up in the ’90s as an innovation center. They were never massive sellers, moving only 150,000 units in the seven years they were for sale. Despite not being a huge money maker, the Aibo designs are still featured in the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian. There’s even one in the Carnegie Mellon University Robot Hall of Fame!

This product line also stands out from the others because while it was discontinued in 2006, Sony actually has brought it back. The new Aibo has a hefty price tag (around $3,000), and Sony boasts it can form an emotional bond with its owner. While that sounds nice… we have seen the movie M3gan. The new Aibos are even illegal in Illinois, thanks to state regulations on face-detecting technology. We think maybe we just want the original Aibos back to be the good boys they were.

SOURCE