Daily Tech News 16 April 2024

Top Story

Tesla is laying off 10% of its workforce - about 14,000 people - amid slowing sales of electric vehicles despite governments everywhere doing everything short of targeting conventional vehicles with drone strikes. (Tech Crunch)

Tesla actually had a record year in 2023 in terms of units sold, but that was with some pretty significant price cuts.

Tech News

Minisforum's V3 tablet is officially here, with preorders open and shipping expected next week. (Liliputing)

For $1199 you get an eight core Ryzen 8840U processor, a 14" 2560x1600 165Hz display with 100% DCI-P3 colour, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD, a detachable keyboard with the Four Essential Keys, and a touch-sensitive pen.

Ports include two USB4 ports, another USB-C port for video input, a headphone jack, and an SD card slot.

It's not Earth-shattering but it's very good - at least on paper - and half the price of an equivalent Microsoft Surface model.
If you bought Ubisoft's game The Crew, well, you didn't. (Tech Spot)

It's gone now. No, you don't get a refund. Don't be silly.

This case is a bit different because (a) this is probably illegal in France, and (b) Ubisoft is based in France.

French intellectual property lawyers right now are looking at the holiday homes they'll buy in Santorini when the lawsuit is done.
Roku is making two-factor authentication mandatory for all accounts after 600,000 customers got hacked. (The Register)

It doesn't seem that Roku itself was hacked, but that a lot of people still reuse passwords across multiple sites. Understandable, but not a good idea.
Meanwhile smart lock company Chirp still hasn't fixed 50,000 locks that it was informed were insecure in 2021. (Krebs on Security)

Yeah, with one of these here smart locks your home can be even less safe than your television channel.

Disclaimer: Nothing will come of nothing, speak again.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:19 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:20 AM (o3SCB)

2 Top 5?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:20 AM (omVj0)

3 My comment disappeared.

Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:21 AM (o3SCB)

4 First?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:22 AM (omVj0)

5 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at April 16, 2024 04:22 AM (fwDg9)

6 It's back now.

Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:22 AM (o3SCB)

7 A glitch in the space-time continuum!

Evening and morning, all.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:22 AM (omVj0)

8 Your last point is particularly clear, Pixy.

Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:22 AM (o3SCB)

9 Disclaimer: Nothing will come of nothing

MATH

Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:23 AM (o3SCB)

10 8 Your last point is particularly clear, Pixy.
Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:22 AM (o3SCB)

... the one above the disclaimer.
"Clear" as in "transparent."

Posted by: m at April 16, 2024 04:25 AM (o3SCB)

11 hiya

Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024 04:26 AM (T4tVD)

12 Tesla actually had a record year in 2023 in terms of units sold, but that was with some pretty significant price cuts.

Two fer a nickel ?

Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024 04:28 AM (T4tVD)

13 You should buy games through GOG and not steam so you dont need any kind of online account to play them.

If I couldn't get my Civilization fix every now and then, there would be problems.

Posted by: Outside of Life at April 16, 2024 04:28 AM (89Sog)

14 Welp !

I didn't win The Powerball !

AGAIN !!!

Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024 04:30 AM (T4tVD)

15 Meanwhile smart lock company Chirp still hasn't fixed 50,000 locks that it was informed were insecure in 2021. (Krebs on Security)

Yeah, with one of these here smart locks your home can be even less safe than your television channel.

Morning all!

Our new home came with the "Smart Home" system available. The sales rep wants to talk to me in all the worse ways about how safe I'll be with this. PLUS, I can control my furnace and door locks and garage door with my cell phone AND!!!! even have Alexa playing music for me when I walk into the house.

Hmmm... very attractive. Especially having that whole music thing.

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024 04:32 AM (DeG4V)

16 Did I mention that ADT will happily monitor all the systems for me for only 55 bucks a month?

Well, they will!!

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024 04:34 AM (DeG4V)

17 Welp !

I didn't win The Powerball !

AGAIN !!!
Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024

***
The lottery is a tax on people who don't get math. Since I'm barely competent in arithmetic, I stay away from it. Like all of us, though, I imagine what I would do if I won, say, a couple of million after taxes. (Move, buy a good-sized house out West, pick up a second "fun" car like a BMW sedan or coupe, do some traveling . . .)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:34 AM (omVj0)

18 My wife did mention that she would like a doorbell camera. Looking at those, I think I can install that.

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024 04:35 AM (DeG4V)

19 Our new home came with the "Smart Home" system available. The sales rep wants to talk to me in all the worse ways about how safe I'll be with this. PLUS, I can control my furnace and door locks and garage door with my cell phone AND!!!! even have Alexa playing music for me when I walk into the house.

Hmmm... very attractive. Especially having that whole music thing.
Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024

***
'Twould be nice to tell your house half an hour before you get home to turn the A/C lower, so it's nice and cool when you walk in, or turn the heat up in the winter.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:36 AM (omVj0)

20 Speaking of BMW coupes: I saw a 430 coupe being driven as I went to the barber on Saturday. A brilliant polished copper color, it was one with the small back seat, and had a cream interior and reasonably-sized tires. Definitely a "personal" car, as they used to call Thunderbirds and Monte Carlos once upon a time -- as distinct, I guess, from a "family" car. Probably with one of BMW's famous six-cylinder engines in it, maybe 300 hp (?) in a small body.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:40 AM (omVj0)

21 'Twould be nice to tell your house half an hour before you get home to turn the A/C lower, so it's nice and cool when you walk in, or turn the heat up in the winter.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

With the crazy up and down temps here in No Ill, I'm accustomed to, if needed, adjusting the thermostat up or down. I guess I would alway be thinking...but what if it isn't doing what I told it to do?

Maybe they sell a system for that too??

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024 04:44 AM (DeG4V)

22 I miss my old '73 Monte Carlo.

Plenty of room. Plenty of power (350 V

. A/C, PS, PB, AT... And reasonable mpg for all that.

Too bad my ex was such a pr!ck.

Posted by: JQ at April 16, 2024 04:45 AM (njWTi)

23 Watching a video yesterday on how the Chinese EV market and manufacturers are slumping.

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024 04:46 AM (DeG4V)

24 I had a computer program that was a lottery simulator, you pick the lottery type. You enter the lotto numbers you pick and how long you want it to run like maybe a day or so. Start the game and it will run and run and run. Keeps track of how much you made after the given time with the numbers you picked.
Needless to say it would run hours and then look at the results (winnings) Almost next to nothing, and far, far below what you put into the till.

Posted by: Colin at April 16, 2024 04:48 AM (/z/eU)

25 I miss my old '73 Monte Carlo.

Plenty of room. Plenty of power (350 V. A/C, PS, PB, AT... And reasonable mpg for all that.

Too bad my ex was such a pr!ck.
Posted by: JQ at April 16, 2024

***
The '73 was the one that was still on the mid-sized Malibu/Chevelle platform, wasn't it, JT? The year before they created that body with the swooping fenders and long hood, that Chevy touted as having a "handling package"?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 04:50 AM (omVj0)

26 Good morning! What's the good news?

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at April 16, 2024 04:53 AM (YRsIm)

27 Mornin' Wolfus!

My '73 had the "swooping fenders" and a fairly long hood. Seemed more full-size than mid-size but I dunno? It sure handled better than a '69 Chevelle! LOL

Posted by: JQ at April 16, 2024 04:53 AM (njWTi)

28 Twould be nice to tell your house half an hour before you get home to turn the A/C lower, so it's nice and cool when you walk in, or turn the heat up in the winter.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

I have a internet enabled thermostat that does exactly that and it's great. That and a couple security cameras is the extent of my smart home. What I won't do is enable my garage door, for example, so it can be controlled by some app. That opens up a whole new vector of compromise that I'm not signing up for.

Posted by: Lost in Space at April 16, 2024 04:55 AM (IwS0P)

29 Bruce, we have a Lorex door bell/camera. Pretty easy to install and integrates with the home camera system. You can install it stand alone as well.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at April 16, 2024 04:56 AM (YRsIm)

30 Bruce, we have a Lorex door bell/camera. Pretty easy to install and integrates with the home camera system. You can install it stand alone as well.
Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead

Thanks!

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2024 04:56 AM (DeG4V)

31 Phone didn't charge last night, so had to plug it in for awhile. Cord might have been disconnected

Posted by: Skip at April 16, 2024 05:00 AM (fwDg9)

32 Mornin' Wolfus!

My '73 had the "swooping fenders" and a fairly long hood. Seemed more full-size than mid-size but I dunno? It sure handled better than a '69 Chevelle! LOL
Posted by: JQ at April 16, 2024

***
I guess 1973 was the first year for that platform, then. The Monte Carlo began as a special Malibu/Chevelle model in 1970, and got replaced by the bigger model after about three years.

The former Mrs. Wolfus No. 2 took over her mother's MC, a '75 I think. A grand car -- except the A/C was broken, so we used it less than we did my Mercury Park Lane (the one with the power rear window that slid down behind the rear seat!).

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 05:01 AM (omVj0)

33 Time for me to shave and shower!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 16, 2024 05:01 AM (omVj0)

34 50s now going to low 70s, nice day
Forward Dog 9 hitting long road

Posted by: Skip at April 16, 2024 05:05 AM (fwDg9)

35 If you bought Ubisoft's game The Crew, well, you didn't. (Tech Spot)

Ubisoft lost me as a customer for good when they decided I needed to log in to a Ubisoft account to play a single player game. I bought a game and couldn't play it because their servers kept going down.

Some genius decided their games couldn't be hacked if they forced users to log in to their servers, when IRL the people playing the hacked version have the best end user experience.

Posted by: Ace's liver at April 16, 2024 05:07 AM (B9Dv5)

36 Have a good one and stay safe Skip !

Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024 05:07 AM (T4tVD)

37 The lottery is a tax on people who don't get math

Who says I don't get math ?

Two and two are four
four and four are eight
eight an eight are sixteen

So don't mess with them until they turn eighteen !

Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024 05:10 AM (T4tVD)

38 The lottery is a tax on people who don't get math. Since I'm barely competent in arithmetic, I stay away from it.

The lottery can be mathematically correct to play because the jackpot carries over if it isn't hit. Your odds of hitting it don't get better, but in theory if you played it an infinite number of times when the jackpot was over a billion dollars you'd end up with more money than you put in.

Posted by: Ace's liver at April 16, 2024 05:11 AM (B9Dv5)

39 >>I miss my old '73 Monte Carlo

Well, mine's still in the shed but it never got 'reasonable' gas mileage -- 12 mpg regardless. In fact, if you towed it, you still had to stop periodically to refill the tank, if memory serves ...

'73 was the first year of the new body style.

The '73 was distinguished from the '74 in that the '73 had the fuel filler in the rear bumper.

Posted by: Lurk at April 16, 2024 05:13 AM (Cq8oj)

40 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at April 16, 2024 05:16 AM (sAmhv)

41 Well, I was gonna ride the scooter to work today but rain has changed that plan.....maybe tomorrow...

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at April 16, 2024 05:25 AM (YRsIm)

42
@jihadwatchRS
Australia: Muslim stabs priest during mass, "He kept saying 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar'" -

https://twitter.com/jihadwatchRS/status/1779871563325604095

/ Diversity is our strength

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 05:29 AM (RKVpM)

43
@CitizenFreePres
John Mellencamp storms off stage after promoting Biden.

The audience didn't want to hear his political opinions.

https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/
1780085695018594395

/ Obscenity laced tirade is obscenity laced

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 05:34 AM (RKVpM)

44 John Watermelon Cougarcamp.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 05:34 AM (GkFGh)

45 If your odds of winning were above parity, it wouldn't be a lottery, and the payout wouldn't be fantastically large.

It's not a tax on stupid people. It's paying $20 downtown for a little slap and tickle with lady luck.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 05:38 AM (GkFGh)

46 G'morning, all.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 16, 2024 05:41 AM (a1415)

47 A granddaughter's gift. A reflection on a passage from Matthew 28 & the passage " I am with you always."

https://tinyurl.com/55uh6dah

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 16, 2024 05:44 AM (N8FxX)

48 Made it, not to bad in time

Posted by: Skip at April 16, 2024 05:49 AM (wAb9V)

49 Quartet sings a hymn favorite, "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms":

https://tinyurl.com/m8a65c6h

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 16, 2024 05:51 AM (N8FxX)

50 Quartet sings a hymn favorite, "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms":

I prefer the Robert Mitchum version.

Posted by: JT at April 16, 2024 05:55 AM (T4tVD)

51 43
@CitizenFreePres
John Mellencamp storms off stage after promoting Biden.

The audience didn't want to hear his political opinions.

https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/
1780085695018594395

/ Obscenity laced tirade is obscenity laced
Posted by: Divide by Zero

He's rich enough to be very comfortable with Bidenomics and insult his fans. Like his NJ contemporary, Bruce Springsteen. The whole 'Blue Collar' thing was always a pose. Shame, I still like his 80s era stuff. Still listen to it occasionally. Those CD's got to be 25-30 years old now.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at April 16, 2024 05:57 AM (sAmhv)

52 Most of the big gaming studios lost me when everything went to multiplayer. I don't like multiplayer. I don't do multiplayer. I'm playing a game to remove myself from reality for a while, not to have the same oppressive swarm of gormless bastards annoying me and doing stupid shit. If i wanted that I'd just go to the supermarket.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 05:58 AM (GkFGh)

53 "Everlasting Arms" would be a great name for a gunsmithing shop...

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 06:01 AM (GkFGh)

54 Good morning early risers!

Posted by: Rosasharn at April 16, 2024 06:03 AM (PzBTm)

55
A tale of two cities:

San Fran Golden Gate Bridge blocked for hours, police do nothing

Florida city police drag them away, now a felony punishable up to 15 years in prison

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 06:03 AM (RKVpM)

56 Most of the big gaming studios lost me when everything went to multiplayer. I don't like multiplayer. I don't do multiplayer. I'm playing a game to remove myself from reality for a while, not to have the same oppressive swarm of gormless bastards annoying me and doing stupid shit. If i wanted that I'd just go to the supermarket.
Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 05:58 AM

Me, too! Played ESO. Other people's avatars and pop-up dialogue everywhere. At least at the supermarket no one is wearing assless chaps and trying to sell me discount groceries.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at April 16, 2024 06:17 AM (Co0aw)

57 Careful with the doorbell cams, they sometimes use voltages lower than the usual 24 volt accessory systems common in houses. Depending on what the wiring to your existing doorbell (assuming you have one) is, it might not work. Check the transformer that runs your existing doorbell before buying, you might need more power to run a camera. If you do, you might need to run new wire for 24-30 volt.

Posted by: LenNeal at April 16, 2024 06:17 AM (43xH1)

58 For every Tesla you see on the road, as with every mask wearer, you can say to yourself with 100 percent confidence and accuracy - there goes an idiot.

Posted by: Son of Dad at April 16, 2024 06:20 AM (8JB5s)

59 For every Tesla you see on the road, as with every mask wearer, you can say to yourself with 100 percent confidence and accuracy - there goes an idiot.
Posted by: Son of Dad at April 16, 2024 06:20 AM (8JB5s)

The official hierarchy of vehicular assholery is:

Subaru Forester (non- outback)
Pickup truck
Non-Tesla EV
Tesla
Minivan
Bicycle
Motorcycle
Everything else

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 06:23 AM (GkFGh)

60
@darrengrimes_
The smirking face of the man who stabbed a bishop several times in Sydney whilst shouting Allahu Akbar. Pure evil.

https://twitter.com/darrengrimes_/status/1779903472713769324

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 06:23 AM (RKVpM)

61 And if you're on the road on a unicycle you can just plain go fuck yourself.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 06:24 AM (GkFGh)

62 'gormless' is a good word.

Mid-wit is good.

Lacks the satisfying frission of 'retard'.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 16, 2024 06:25 AM (di6C2)

63 I'm pretty good at I.D'ing early 70s cars but almost always get the Monte Carlo vs Grand Prix wrong.

Posted by: Son of Dad at April 16, 2024 06:25 AM (8JB5s)

64 I finally got disconnected from the data-gathering "wellness program" recommended by my workplace. The app kept setting off my privacy checker, which prompted me to change the password at the website - but I couldn't.

Even after deleting the app, the scale was still sending my stats somewhere.

When I asked about cancelling, I was warned that I'd never be able to rejoin. Bwahaha! Lifetime memes in exchange for data tracking.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at April 16, 2024 06:25 AM (Co0aw)

65
Speaking of Tesla:

@MrAndyNgo
Breaking: Police shoot pepper balls to repel pro-Palestine extremists trying to rush and attack the @Tesla
production facility in Fremont, Calif. The plant has closed in an emergency to protect people working there.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 06:25 AM (RKVpM)

66 Breaking: Police shoot pepper balls to repel pro-Palestine extremists trying to rush and attack the @Tesla
production facility in Fremont, Calif. The plant has closed in an emergency to protect people working there.
Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 06:25 AM (RKVpM)

This is not about Palestine anymore- it never was.

This is antifa-fascists, doing what they do.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 16, 2024 06:27 AM (di6C2)

67 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at April 16, 2024 06:28 AM (ju2Fy)

68 It's so tactically stupid for these brownshirt thug squads to run around attacking things willy nilly.

It's just going to cement into the zeitgeist the idea that "pro-palestinian" is synonymous with "violent irrational lunatic"

I mean, it is, so, yeah... but in terms of advancing their own goals, it seems counterproductive at best.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 06:29 AM (GkFGh)

69 "I mean, it is, so, yeah... but in terms of advancing their own goals, it seems counterproductive at best."

Let's not mention that to them, ok?

They need to piss off more folks.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 16, 2024 06:30 AM (a1415)

70 Edit:

"Careful with the doorbell cams, they sometimes use voltages *HIGHER* than the usual 24 volt accessory systems common in houses."

Some are 30 volt. Sorry about that. Point is, a lot of old doorbells are 16 volt and won't power a camera. I use 24 volt wiring for everything but a lot of older houses have doorbells and whatnot wired for 16v.

Posted by: LenNeal at April 16, 2024 06:31 AM (43xH1)

71 I guess it is the pattern. It's not about the Iraq War. It's not about the Lakers winning or losing. It's not about Tawanna Brawley or George Floyd or whoever. It's not about trans rights. It's not about global warming. It's not about Palestine. It's not about socialism.

It's about watching the world burn.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 06:31 AM (GkFGh)

72
It's about watching the world burn.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 16, 2024 06:31 AM

Every generation throughout recent history has had anarchists.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 06:34 AM (RKVpM)

73 Subaru Forester (non- outback)
Pickup truck
Non-Tesla EV
Tesla
Minivan
Bicycle
Motorcycle
Everything else

Around me it would be closer to, descending:
-Older luxury SUVs with tinted windows
-Fat, angry White women in filthy minivans
-'Immigrants' in sketchy vehicles they can't drive
-Drunks on bicycles at all hours dressed in dark colors
-Clapped out luxury sedans on their last legs
-Scooters not requiring a DL to pilot
-Loose dogs
-A very few Bro-type pickups (all the rest are working vehicles)

Posted by: LenNeal at April 16, 2024 06:38 AM (43xH1)

74
Police: "Put the knife down!"

https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1779973703197188435

/ spoiler: He didn't.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 16, 2024 06:42 AM (RKVpM)

75 Nood CBD.

Posted by: olddog in mo at April 16, 2024 06:42 AM (ju2Fy)

76 Fantifa can scream free Palestine and light the fire.
It's all good, really, burn it all down.

Posted by: Jamaica at April 16, 2024 06:43 AM (IG7T0)

77 I think the biggest assholery of any driver type or vehicle in my 'hood is furious women in shitty minivans in the early morning. They're tearing around in an angry lather trying to get their pack of rotten, delinquent brats to school, always more than one school, and then get to work or wherever else.

Absolutely horrible. It shocks me there aren't more really serious wrecks on weekday mornings here.

Posted by: LenNeal at April 16, 2024 06:43 AM (43xH1)

78 >It's gone now. No, you don't get a refund. Don't be silly.

You've never owned any kind of software, ever. You've always been granted a limited, revocable license to use the software. This has never been tested in court because every major software company has a vested interest in ensuring it's never tested.

And I don't have a problem with that, because video gamers are lying little thieves: World of Goo was a 2008 indie game that cost about $20USD, and the piracy rate was over 90%. https://www.wired.com/2008/11/world-of-goo-pi/

Posted by: Daniel Ream at April 16, 2024 06:30 PM (0Go0g)

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