Theres a lot to catch up on during this years Thanksgiving meal, and its not all related to the pandemic, either. Despite global computer chip shortages and shipping issues, the US has made progress on a few other pressing tech issues. Changes to Facebook and some of its more concerning practices, increased governmental funding for services like cybersecurity and transportation, and better accessibility to electronics repairs on the consumer side are a few of the major tech happenings to be thankful for this year.
Nearly three million tons of e-waste makes it into landfills each year, as gadgets that are out of date or cannot be repaired are tossed for faster, fresher electronics. A major reason that so many items are scrapped in favor of new ones is the costs and difficulties associated with fixing a gadget in the first placebut the US has taken recent steps to make this a little bit easier.
First came an executive order from President Joe Biden over the summer aimed at reducing monopoly that makes it difficult to get smartphones, laptops, and other products repaired directly. The order calls on the Federal Trade Commission to hold manufacturers accountable for restricting access to needed parts for repairs and making in-house repairs pricey.
Tech companies, including big names like Microsoft, Apple, Motorola, HP, and Dell, have begun to make it easier to send in goods to get fixed, or for consumers to even make the fixes themselves, in light of the executive order and right to repair activism. Apple just announced its intent to make self-service repairs available for iPhones 12 and 13 this November, and Microsoft agreed in October to expand their repair options for devices, directly acknowledging the amount of electronic waste they produce every year.
The bipartisan infrastructure act signed into effect by the president on November 15 will provide funding for some much needed infrastructure areas, although critics argue that its not enough in some cases. Cybersecurity, internet access for all, and transportation are just a few of the issues the legislation seeks to address.
The package allocates $2 billion for cybersecurity over four years, half of which will go toward state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Another $21 million chunk will make its way to the Office of the National Cyber Director, a newer agency responsible for advising the president on cybersecurity. And another $100 million will go to dealing with significant hacking or ransomware situations, as chosen by the Department of Homeland Security.
The act also includes the largest ever US investment in broadband internet with $65 billion. This is a rough estimate of how much it might cost to get internet access to everyone in America, as many go without the ability to connect to broadband infrastructure. When many were working from home during the first year of the pandemic, this lack of access became even more evident. Of that $65 billion, $42.4 billion will go toward a Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, $14.2 billion will go toward subsidies for making internet more affordable, and $2 billion will go toward making sure Indigenous communities have workable connections as well.
The legislation includes a lot for transportation toobut ferries, a vital form of transport for some in rural areas connected by waterways, got special attention with a $1.6 billion allocation. From Manhattan to Southeast Alaska, these boats make a massive difference in the lives and commutes of individuals. The stream of funding can help combat problems ferry systems are facing, like staff shortages and aging vessels. Some of it is specifically designated for bringing in electric and low-carbon emission ferries.
Facebook, which continues to receive negative attention from across the board, made a few essential changes to its platform over the course of the year. One included dismantling their Face Recognition system, which the company announced in early November. Account owners can still manually tag someone in a photo, but will not receive suggestions of whom to tag, as the system will not automatically store and recognize facial data. More than a third of the daily users on the site opted into this system since its existence, according to Facebook, and will all have their individual templates removed.
The controversial Instagram Kids project has also been put on hold after criticism from parents, elected leaders, and more. Facebook was called in front of Congress after documents from the Wall Street Journal showed the platform had an interest in attracting and maintaining a younger audience. It has since put the project on the backburner.
Facebook is also making changes to the way it pushes advertisements. Meta, its newly dubbed parent company, will no longer suggest targeted ads related to sensitive topics, a broad description that could include anything from religiously affiliated information to lung cancer awareness.
If thats not enough good news to keep the wheels of conversation turning over dinner, feel free to bring up how SUVs and pickup trucks are increasingly going electric, space food technology is pushing the boundaries, and online tutoring continues to grow more accessible.
Go here to read the rest:
Good tech developments and changes in 2021 - Popular Science
- 2023 Boosts Big Techs AI monopoly? Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and others wield money power - HT Tech - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Alphabet (GOOGL) and Meta Shows Power of Ads Over Subscriptions - Bloomberg - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Looking Beyond The 'Magnificent 7' Analysts Just Upgraded These Three Large-Cap Stocks - Anheuser-Busch - Benzinga - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Mapping the Biggest Tech Talent Hubs in the U.S. and Canada - Visual Capitalist - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Google, Meta, other tech giants slash DEI-related jobs, resource groups in 2023: Report - Fox Business - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- South Koreas proposed tech regulations would be a gift to China - The Hill - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Outlook 2024: Big changes to expect in personal tech - The Indian Express - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Big Tech Dumped $17 Billion Into AI Companies in 2023 Despite Frozen Market - The Messenger - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Why OpenAI signals the start of the post-Christensen startup world - Tech.eu - January 2nd, 2024 [January 2nd, 2024]
- Opinion | Lindsey Graham and Elizabeth Warren: When It Comes to Big Tech, Enough Is Enough - The New York Times - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Globe editorial: Canada can't tackle Big Tech on its own - The Globe and Mail - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- July jobs report and more Big Tech earnings are in the week ahead after markets notch historic run for Dow - CNBC - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- A Setback in the F.T.C.'s Fight Against Big Tech - The New Yorker - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Be strong in the fight against Big Tech, Canada - Canada's National Observer - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Decoding volatility: Are big tech stocks as stable as we think? - CryptoSlate - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Patients think their health data will be leaked and don't trust big tech ... - Contemporary Pediatrics - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Big Tech Earnings Season - Fagen wasanni - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The problem with Big Tech's voluntary AI safety commitments - Emerging Tech Brew - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- How the Crypto Market Prepares Ahead of Big Tech Earnings ... - BeInCrypto - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Tony Anscombe: It's Misleading to Ask if Big Tech Wants to Read ... - BroadbandBreakfast.com - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The Week Ahead: Fed, ECB and BoJ set rates, and Big Tech ... - Financial Times - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- China's Big Tech making a comeback with Beijing offering fresh ... - The Straits Times - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Montgomery County school district sues Big Tech over youth mental ... - Washington Times - June 18th, 2023 [June 18th, 2023]
- Big Tech knows most Brits don't know how to protect their online ... - TechRadar - June 18th, 2023 [June 18th, 2023]
- The time for talk is over is time for action on data privacy - The Hill - June 18th, 2023 [June 18th, 2023]
- Meet the man calling out Big Techs climate hypocrisy - Corporate Knights Magazine - June 18th, 2023 [June 18th, 2023]
- Letter: UK watchdog's tough stance on Big Tech should reassure MPs - Financial Times - June 18th, 2023 [June 18th, 2023]
- Peter Thiel on Big Tech: A Throwback Lecture - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence - June 18th, 2023 [June 18th, 2023]
- Big Tech Is Big Tobacco - The Lever - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Graham fires warning shot at Big Tech: Were going to unleash the courtrooms of America on you - Fox News - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Experts weigh the current cost of anticompetitive behavior in Big ... - NYU Law - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Big Tech lobbying on AI regulation as industry races to harness ... - Center for Responsive Politics - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- 'Big Tech is knowingly fueling a mental-health crisis in this country ... - Morningstar - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- EY's Abandoned Split Exposes Obstacles to Big Tech Consulting - Bloomberg Tax - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Apple CEO Tim Cook calls mass layoffs a last resort, as the company avoids the giant job cuts of its Big Tech peers - Yahoo Finance - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Big Tech stocks are flying! Which ones are the best buys today? - Motley Fool UK - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Why Indian start-ups have accused the Internet and Mobile Association of India of spreading Big Tech propaganda - The Indian Express - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Intimate Images Protection Update Big Tech Warned To Be Ready ... - BC INJURY LAW - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Apple Stock and Big Tech Are Winners. Why Cathie Wood's ARK Is Still a Loser. - Barron's - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- White House officials will meet Big Tech CEOs as President Biden looks to tackle AI safety concerns - Yahoo Canada Finance - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- The top 10 buzziest companies Gen Z wants to work fornone of them are in Big Tech, says new report - CNBC - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Apple Reports Earnings Today. What to Expect. - Barron's - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Big Tech Earnings: Time to Take Another Bite of Apple? - Yahoo Finance - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Vibe Check: Big Tech Is Losing Its 'Luster' For The Class Of 2023 Amid Mounting Layoffs And An Uncertain Economy - Forbes - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Lindsey Graham says Big Tech will kill online child safety bill, teases plan with Elizabeth Warren - Washington Times - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- 'Break them open' new EU rules coming for Big Tech - TNW - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- EY's Abandoned Split Exposes Obstacles to Big Tech Consulting - Bloomberg Law - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Open Source Communities Need More Than Funding From Big Tech - DevOps.com - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Night School, Class 3: Big Tech vs the insurgents - Financial Times - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- MM View: The Big Tech monster is coming for you - but only if you let it - Money Marketing - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Big Tech has eviscerated America's patent system The Gilmer Mirror - Gilmer Mirror - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- We need regulators with teeth to fight Big Tech monopolism - The Spectator Australia - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- IAMAI showdown: Start-ups explore other lobby groups to fight Big Tech dominance - Moneycontrol - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Snap and Amazon Q1 Shows Big Tech's Advertising Advantage - The Information - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- How big tech is undermining women's reproductive rights in ... - San Francisco Chronicle - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Opinion: Failure to regulate artificial intelligence will entrench Big ... - The Globe and Mail - May 4th, 2023 [May 4th, 2023]
- Tech layoffs: Yes, there's a better way to fire people. Is Big Tech doing it? No way. - Yahoo Finance - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- As Big Tech cuts workers, other industries are desperate to hire them - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Worlds 22 Biggest Tech Companies of 2023 - UserGuiding - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Big techs supersized ambitions | The Economist - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan subpoenas big tech CEOs over user speech - CBS News - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- At Tesla and Other Big Tech Firms, Its Not the Machines But the Assumptions Behind Them Causing Problems - Forbes - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Big Tech earnings face more heat as cloud cover fades | Reuters - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Big Tech earnings face more heat as cloud cover fades - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Big Tech on defense: Apple, Amazon and Google report earnings - CNN - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Californias new gold rush: Big tech moves to gain the edge in AI - The Indian Express - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Big (1988) - IMDb - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Big (film) - Wikipedia - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Dow books third straight day of gains, but Nasdaq and S&P 500 end lower as investors await big tech earnings - MarketWatch - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Google Layoffs: Big Tech Continues Downsizing - forbes.com - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- Here Comes More Censorship: Rachel Levine Pressuring Big Tech to Shut ... - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- Preserve local journalism by holding Big Tech accountable - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Fauci testimony 'confirms' Big Tech collusion to censor free speech on ... - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- How big tech defeated the biggest antitrust push in decades on Capitol Hill - Los Angeles Times - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- J6 Witch Hunt Is What Happens When Big Tech And Feds Team Up - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Big Tech, Big Fines | ZeroHedge - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Court: Psaki Must Testify Over White House's Big Tech Collusion - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Big Tech shows off its AI | Financial Times - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Big Tech and governments are fighting the fake reviews industry. India is gearing up too. - Economic Times - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- VOTE: Do you trust Big Tech platforms to treat all points of view fairly? - ABC6OnYourSide.com - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]