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SpaceX reportedly fired employees behind letter criticizing Elon Musk
SpaceX has reportedly fired employees who participated in writing and distributing an open letter criticizing Elon Musk.
Republican Senators raise concerns about IRS use of ID.me facial recognition
They sent the Internal Revenue Service a letter expressing privacy and security concerns.
Microsoft employees ask the company to end contracts with Seattle police
Hundreds of Microsoft employees are calling on the company to cancel its contracts with the Seattle Police Department.
US senators ask Amazon why it keeps firing COVID-19 whistleblowers
A group of nine senators, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, want to know why Amazon keeps firing COVID-19 whistleblowers.
Rep. Schiff wants Google and Twitter to use COVID-19 misinformation warnings
Congressman Adam Schiff asks Google, YouTube and Twitter to notify users if they've interacted with COVID-19 misinformation.
Hundreds of employees criticize Facebook's political ad policies
Over the past month, Facebook has come under criticism for allowing politicians to run false or misleading ads. Now, employees are speaking out. More than 250 Facebook employees wrote a letter addressed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg and top Facebook officials calling Facebook's political ad policies "a threat to what FB stands for."
Tim Cook defends Apple’s decision to remove Hong Kong protest app
Less than a day after Apple sparked controversy by removing a Hong Kong protest app, CEO Tim Cook has defended the decision. Apple removed the HKmap.live app after China Daily -- owned by the Communist Party of China -- criticized the company for listing it in the App Store. In an internal letter, Cook wrote, "we believe this decision best protects our users."
US Senators ask the FCC to review licenses with China-owned telecoms
Two US Senators want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review whether two Chinese state-owned telecoms should be permitted to operate in the US. In a letter to the FCC, Democratic leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) ask the Commission to review licenses that give China Telecom and China Unicom the right to use networks in the US. According to The New York Times, the Senators are concerned that the companies may use that access to carry out espionage.
FDA criticizes Juul for telling students its e-cigs are ‘totally safe’
In a letter published today, the US Food and Drug Administration criticized Juul for telling students that its vaping products are "totally safe" and "99% safer than cigarettes." According to the letter, Juul portrayed its products as "modified risk tobacco products." That is, Juul presented its vaping products as having "a lower risk of tobacco-related disease or are less harmful than one or more other commercially marketed tobacco products." Such claims can only be made with FDA approval, which Juul did not have.
Senators question whether Facebook is doing enough to protect kids’ privacy
Senators are questioning Facebook again. This time their concerns are related to a technical error that let thousands of kids join group chats with unauthorized users, The Verge reports. Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg today, asking whether Facebook has done enough to protect children's online safety.
IRS reminds 10,000 taxpayers that cryptocurrency is subject to taxes
By the end of August, an estimated 10,000 taxpayers will receive letters from the IRS warning them that they may owe back taxes on unreported cryptocurrency earnings. While it might not be immediately obvious, you must include cryptocurrency earnings when you file federal taxes. As with tax evasion for traditional currency, anyone convicted of evading crypto taxes could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Senators ask the FCC to limit 5G auction to protect weather forecasts
In March, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began auctioning blocks of the 24 GHz spectrum, which could be used to implement future 5G networks. Shortly afterward, the US Navy released a memo warning that 5G in the 24 GHz band could interfere with weather satellites. Now, Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) are urging the FCC not to allow wireless companies to operate 5G in that spectrum until weather forecasting operations are protected. The Senators wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai yesterday, citing the Navy's memo and accusing the FCC of ignoring "the serious alarms the scientific community is raising."
Twitter and others warn FCC of 'disastrous' net neutrality reversal
Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit and Airbnb were among 200 firms that signed a letter warning FCC Chairman Ajit Pai not to roll back net neutrality, according to Broadcasting & Cable. Dated on Cyber Monday (November 27th), the letter notes that record Black Friday sales are "a testament to the power of the free and open internet to encourage entrepreneurship, drive innovation, make our lives easier, and to support a healthy economy."
Ballmer's last shareholder letter lays out Microsoft's devices and services future
Sure, Steve Ballmer still has a few months left as Microsoft's CEO, but the last shareholder letter he'll pen while holding that title has just been posted online. The missive catches Redmond's head honcho in a reflective, yet forward-looking mood, highlighting the firm's future in devices and services, and what's been done to put it on that trajectory. Naturally, he calls out the outfit's restructuring, Windows 8, consistent UX across gadgets and its purchase of Nokia's own hardware and services division. Ballmer also reiterated that Microsoft will concentrate on building a "family of devices and services for individuals and businesses" that lean on "high-value activities," such as gaming and communicating with customers, family and friends. When it comes to turning a buck, the technology giant will lead the charge with hardware and enterprise services, using its consumer experiences such as Skype as an "on-ramp" to their business-grade products. Ballmer is set to give up his post within a year, but he thinks the future is bright for the company he'll leave behind, saying, "I'm optimistic not only as the CEO but as an investor who treasures his Microsoft stock."
Google web search reveals English letter frequency, helps our Scrabble hustle
Wordsmiths go to great lengths to master a game of Scrabble or Words With Friends. Rarely are their efforts quite so calculated, however, as what we're seeing today. After Google research director Peter Norvig used his company's search engine to determine letter frequency in the English language, Deadspin and developer Kyle Rimkus compared it against Scrabble's point system and available words to determine which letters generate the most value relative to how often they can play. In short: H, Y and Z produce the most bang for the alphabetic buck, while J and Q are plagues on the rack that are seldom worth saving for a special moment. We can't guarantee that following the Google-derived tips will have serious opponents begging for mercy -- a wide vocabulary is often the real clincher -- but they may help a few of us wondering what to play on that triple word score.
Tim Cook apologizes to iOS 6 Maps users
The "letter from the CEO" tradition at Apple has continued into the Tim Cook era, as Apple's chief executive has released a letter to customers regarding the ongoing iOS 6 Maps issues. While the challenges and shortcomings of Maps have been obvious to most (with a few notable exceptions), Cook's direct admission that Maps "fell short on [Apple's] commitment" to "deliver the best experience possible for our customers" may help the situation somewhat. Interestingly, the letter suggests that users who are frustrated by Maps can avail themselves of third-party apps via the App Store -- or use the web versions of Google or Nokia's maps and bookmark them to the home screen. This workaround has certainly been mentioned in plenty of other contexts, but to have Apple's CEO come out and effectively say "Here, give our competitors' mapping products a go" is quite eyebrow-raising. Full text of the letter below. To our customers, At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better. We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up. There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you. While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app. Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard. Tim Cook Apple's CEO [hat tip TechCrunch]
AT&T urging customers to upgrade to 3G, possibly killing off 2G
In a move that is sure to surprise no one, it appears AT&T is getting ready to send its trusty 2G GSM network riding off into the sunset. MarketWatch is reporting that some Ma Bell customers have received letters, urging them to upgrade to a 3G or (gasp) 4G device and warning that service may degrade in some areas as spectrum is repurposed. While the letter stops short of saying the 2G network is being shut down, it seems the writing is on the wall. With the collapse of the T-Mobile acquisition and Verizon's sizable lead in the race to acquire spectrum, AT&T is left with little choice but to use its GSM channels for HSPA+ and LTE service. So far the notices have only gone out to customers in the New York metro area, but it seems safe to assume other locales will follow. The only question is whether the carrier will lean on hold-outs the same way it did when the time came to kill off TDMA -- with a tax on primitive technology.
EQII producer teases March update info, promises more communication
New EverQuest II Producer Holly Longdale has completed her maiden voyage around the good ship S.S. SOE, completing her first month of reviews and meetings as future plans are laid out. Now that she's gotten her feet wet, Longdale wrote a short letter to the community about the general activities and focus of the team. The March update -- centered around the Velious storyline -- is coming along, and the team will be unloading tons of information in the near future. Longdale reports that it's not just new content that the EQII crew is concerned about, as bug fixing and refining features are a major priority for the team's engineers. Players irritated with the quest feather graphic issue will be happy to know that it's high up on the priority list. Longdale also let players know that she's paying attention to "big hot-button issues" with the game and is trying her best not to overlook anything. She wraps up her post sharing the meaning behind her dev name, Windstalker, and promising that she'll be corresponding with the community frequently from here on out.
Zuckerberg outlines idealistic Facebook mission in IPO filing
IPO filings aren't just a great way to raise money, they're also a perfect place for young CEOs and idealistic internet companies to grandstand and proclaim their altruistic motives. Whether or not you buy what they're shoveling selling is something different. Google had "do no evil," now Facebook has it's own mission statement, though, it's admittedly quite scatter brained. Buried deep in the IPO filing is a letter from Mark Zuckerberg to investors in which he lays out Facebook's mission and role in improving the world. Zuck doesn't think his social network is about poking cute girls and tilling virtual fields, he "hope[s] to change how people relate to their governments and social institutions." And, lest you think every move is some calculated ploy to free you from the burden of cash or personal information, the billionaire CEO explains, "we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services." For the complete letter head on after the break. Trust us, whether you trust and like Zuckerberg or not, it's an interesting read.
Wiretapping Act could spell 'finito' for Italian Wikipedia
This week, lawmakers in Italy are debating a controversial new bill that could have disastrous implications for Wikipedia. Yesterday, the encyclopedia posted a lengthy letter on its Italian portal, informing visitors that the site may be shuttered within the country if parliament passes the proposed DDL Intercettazioni, or "Wiretapping Law." If ratified, the legislation would require all online publishers to amend any content considered objectionable or defamatory within 48 hours of receiving a complaint. Offenders would face a fine of €12,000 (about $16,000), and any requested corrections would not be subject to review. Of course, this presents obvious problems for the crowdsourced (and crowd-edited) Wikipedia, which characterized the law as "an unacceptable restriction of [its] freedom and independence." The site took particular umbrage at the bill's apparent disregard for third-party review, pointing out that the "opinion of the person allegedly injured is all that is required" to force a re-write, "regardless of the truthfulness of the information deemed as offensive, and its sources." At the moment, the portal is still up, but masked by Wikipedia's letter. If the Wiretapping Law progresses further, however, the organization says it will have no choice but to delete its Italian platform altogether. [Image courtesy of Toutlecine]
