#tech industry

[iww-gnv]

Technical artist Farhan Noor’s website, Video Games Layoffs, has been tracking confirmed games industry job cuts since the start of last year. According to the site, an estimated total of 10,500 game industry workers lost their jobs in 2023. At the time of writing, the estimated total for 2024 on the same site currently stands at 3,770.

#news #labor news #gaming news #gaming industry news #gaming industry layoffs #tech industry #tech industry layoffs

[reasonsforhope]

“Across America, more than 20 state legislatures are looking over proposed laws that would help guarantee citizens’ access to parts, instructions, and diagnoses to help them repair products—from smartphones to tractors—in their own homes.

Called the “Right to Repair” movement, it’s been growing in urgency and size since the turn of the millennium, and 2023 could be the first year in many where the DIY capability of the American consumer grew, rather than diminished.

In Colorado, a bill was passed along party lines in the State House 9-4, mandating that tractor and other farm equipment manufacturers provide enough parts and instructions to allow farmers to repair their own tractors.

“The manufacturers and the dealers have a monopoly on that repair market because it’s lucrative,” said Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and one of the bill’s sponsors. “(Farmers) just want to get their machine going again.”

Certain dealers like John Deere (previously) and Steiger don’t allow, as part of the buying agreement, fixes at home, but as an article in the Miami Herald points out, repairmen aren’t on call 24-7 in the high plains of Colorado. One farmer had to wait 5 days for a service on his tractor that stopped during a crucial period in the growing season, where he could have been losing as much as $83,000 a day.

Right to Repair farming legislation is on the table or has already passed in 10 states in the Union, including Colorado, but also Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, and Vermont...

It’s not just tractors that are potentially becoming easier to fix at home, but automobiles as well.

This January, the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act was introduced into the House.

“The legislation would require all tools and equipment, wireless transmission of repair and diagnostic data, and telematics systems needed for vehicle repairs to be made available to the independent repair industry,” writes Automotive News.

The bill has come to the House after similar legislation was passed in Massachusetts and Maine, where lawmakers wanted to beef up the right-to-repair and aftermarket auto parts industry, especially regarding telematic data and other information from onboard computers.

Just as it wasn’t only tractors and farmers who felt their right to DIY repairs needed protecting, it isn’t only mechanical engineering where right-to-repair is flourishing.

The New York state Senate signed the Digital Fair Repair Act into law in the dying days of December, ensuring original equipment manufacturers make parts, instructions, and diagnostics data available to anyone looking to repair a device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

“As technology and smart devices become increasingly essential to our daily lives, consumers should be able to easily fix the devices they rely on in a timely fashion,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This legislation will empower consumers with better options to repair their devices, thereby maximizing the lifespan of their devices, saving money, and reducing electronic waste.” ...

“After a decade of trying, we get two [state laws] in a very short period of time,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, told Axios.

“Every single day, I’m seeing a couple more states file a new bill. And I think we’re going to be over 20 states very soon and those bills are moving.”

There’s also something to be said for the ultimate end which consumers of many of these irreparable items are forced to make for them; they end up in landfills. E-waste is a potentially-catastrophic oncoming environmental problem since it doesn’t really biodegrade in any meaningful sense, and recycling it requires technical dismantling.

The right-to-repair is also equally about keeping easily-fixable devices out of the landfills.”

-via Good News Network, 2/14/23

#right to repair #diy #monopoly #big tech #tech industry #auto industry #tractor #farmers #agriculture #us politics #united states #colorado #maine #michigan #new york #good news #hope

[91vaults]

As someone who has a Comp Sci degree…sometimes i look at tech and just think “nah, shut it the fuck down. We had a good run but I think we’ve had enough”

#ai art #ai art discourse #technology #tech industry #tech bros #computer #computer science #the internet

[ellison-airplane]

The tech industry is no longer concerned with innovation; its only idea anymore is rent extraction

#tech industry #tech bros #silicon valley #tech #AI #capitalism #late stage capitalism #commodification

[mckitterick]

Let the Platforms Burn

Tumblr is seeing massive growth thanks to the implosion of Twitter and Reddit. but migrating here or elsewhere means starting all over from the beginning, which is why users so seldom make the leap away from much-despised platforms (can you say "Facebook")

in his important new piece, Cory Doctorow argues that we need to fundamentally change the way social media and other user-content platforms operate, and give users the power to easily migrate their content and connections from site to site

he argues we need to let bad platforms burn (using the metaphor of healthy fires that clear out dangerous underbrush, preventing destructive wildfires) to make room for new, better ones without punishing users for escaping social-media prison

full piece (and podcast version) here: X

a few choice excerpts:

Today's tech giants run "walled gardens" that are actually walled prisons that entrap their billions of users by imposing high switching costs on them. How did that happen? How did tech become "five giant websites filled with screenshots from the other four?"

The answer lies in the fact that tech was born as antitrust was dying. Reagan hit the campaign trail the same year the Apple ][+ hit shelves. With every presidency since, tech has grown more powerful and antitrust has grown weaker (the Biden administration has halted this decay, but it must repair 40 years' worth of sabotage).

This allowed tech to "merge to monopoly." Google built a single successful product – a search engine – and then conquered the web by buying other peoples' companies, even as their own internal product development process produced a nearly unbroken string of flops. Apple buys 90 companies a year – Tim Cook brings home a new company more often than you bring home a bag of groceries.

When Facebook was threatened by an upstart called Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg sent a middle-of-the-night email to his CFO defending his plan to pay $1b for the then-tiny company, insisting that the only way to secure eternal dominance was to eliminate competitors – by buying them out, not by being better than them. As Zuckerberg says, "It is better to buy than compete"

it's great that we're seeing such a reinvigorment of Tumblr, but this site's delight could evaporate overnight with some bad updates (presaged in recent corporate messages). better than hoping Tumblr might stay good forever is ensuring we can leave without losing everything - and knowing we can leave would help prevent the enshittification of our beloved Hellsite

#social media #enshittification #monopolies #capitalism ruins everything #good ideas #tech industry

[elizabethminkel]

For WIRED's "Future of Enterainment" series, I wrote about the tech entrepeneurs suggesting AI will utterly transform books and reading—and why they're just the latest in a long line of people trying to "fix" something that isn't broken. (Featuring, amongst others, the VC who sugggested fic readers were itching to chat with characters instead of reading.)

#wired #books #fanfiction #reading #AI #books and technology #tech industry

[berniesrevolution]

@tolstoybb

#politics #the left #banking #silicon valley #venture capital #venture capitalism #vulture capitalism #tech industry

[izicodes]

do you have any advice for someone who kinda "failed" to break into tech and is still in the medium-level for learning. i feel like i've spent so much time (years) on this but haven't made much progress. how do i really get into it and stay in it? love your blog btw. i'm tempted to start one of my own but my projects are a mess and ugly 😭

I'm sorry to hear that you feel like you haven't made much progress in breaking into tech. It's important to remember that everyone's journey is different, and it's never too late to start or improve. But then again, you have spent years learning and you want to into the tech industry.

The obvious advice would be don't give up. My dad has been studying to get into Cybersecurity since the early 90s and he just got into the industry this year. He never gave up - family to look after and he could study like the other students in his university course because the large majority of them were single 18-22-year-olds who their only responsibility is themselves. Don't give up and don't compare yourself to other people.

You've got to look at what has been holding you back. Health issues, work issues, money? Can't study full-time or even part-time if you need to pay the bills.

Even if you can, are you consistent with your studying? We all know consistency is key. Studying for one week but don't study for 2-3 weeks won't work. I know the type of learner I am - if I don't code or study every day, even just for 30 minutes, then my tendency to procrastinate will increase a lot and it'll all go downhill from there.

Know your strength - build on the skills you are good at. Believe it or not, I know a developer I met in a discord server who only uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build websites and webpage themes for clients as a freelancer and he's doing really well. It's because he realised that he's really good at those three basic languages and he worked really hard to excel at them. Expand on what you know best.

On the flip side, you could look at job postings around where you live or nationally in your country and see what skills/languages/technologies they ask for the most for hiring developers. Example: I live in the UK and a couple of months ago when I was actively looking for a new Frontend Dev job, I saw that Vue.js, React.js, and PHP (besides the usual HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) were asked for the most. If I wanted those jobs, I would learn those technologies, create a few projects to showcase my knowledge in them, and start applying. That could be one way to break into the industry.

Another way would be certificated. Bootcamps, online courses, or in-person courses like university or community colleges. Yes, they say that you don't always need a university degree to get into tech but some kind of education you've gone through that is tech-related e.g. Google courses or the Frontend Dev course that Meta is providing (paid). My colleague completed a computer science degree but he then did a bootcamp and he completed and that's how he landed the job where I work. So even graduates are getting further education. If you can't afford the massive fees, Udemy is a great place to get courses. And don't be shy with the Havard CS50 course videos they have on YouTube - free and you get a certificate free as well!

The advice I give might not work if you haven't identified why after all these years you haven't gotten your foot into the tech industry. This is no way intended to be rude, but if another person who had the same amount of time you studied, and they have gotten a tech job in that time, what makes you different? Goes back to what I said about the things that are holding you back. Some of the reasons are inevitable like health but you need to keep making that effort!

If you need help, you need to ask. Find a mentor or support group. Having someone to guide and encourage you can be incredibly helpful. Look for a mentor or join a support group where you can connect with others who are also learning and growing in tech. You can search for them online, some people offer advice for CV/Resume help or real "getting into tech" advice on places like Fiverr or Upwork or just google for some consultants online. They would cost obviously but if you're really struggling, this might help. After completing bootcamps, they tend to help you get your first job etc so they might be worth considering!

The last bit of advice is do you have a portfolio? No no, like a proper one where you feel confident enough to give to family members, friends, and potential employers? No? Either learn to build one (free of charge) or hire someone to build it for you (costs money) A portfolio is a great way to showcase your skills and projects to potential employers. Even if your projects feel messy or ugly, focus on highlighting what you learned and what you accomplished.

Obviously, I gave hints of advice more towards Frontend Dev because that's what I know more of but you can alter the advice to whatever niche in programming you're into. Remember, breaking into any field takes time and effort. Stay motivated and focused on your goals, and don't be afraid to reach out for help or support when you need it. Good luck!

** I'm not the best at giving advice but I hope this helps 💗

#my asks #programming #coding #studying #progblr #codeblr #studyblr #comp sci #tech industry #coding advice #motivation #study motivation #study help #programmer #computer science #tech advice #career #career advice

[irisjaycomics]

crossed wires 03.178

Get the point? There are new Crossed Wires comic pages live on http://crossedwires.irisjay.net and http://patreon.com/irisjay!

#crossed wires #cyberpunk #webcomic #comics #iris jay #hackers #tech industry #cyberspace #vr #queer #furry

[davidaugust]

The entertainment industry is _not_ the tech industry. Doing things like the tech industry does them is not what the entertainment industry is about, even if the CEOs forget that.

The AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA had to agree _this month_ to have the word “telegraph” replaced with the words “email or text” in the tentative agreement. North America hasn’t had a telegraph system since 2006.

Of course it takes time to get it right when setting up hundreds of pages of a contact, and supporting information, so that 160,000 members (and several million others) can access it. It is something to do right, not quickly just ‘cause we eager for it.

We spent 191 picketing between WGA and SAG-AFTRA this year, over 52% of a year. We can wait a few days for a contract to be shared that we will then have weeks to read, understand and consider how we want to vote on. We got this.

#ActorsStrike #SAGAFTRAStrike #SAGAFTRAstrong #UnionStrong #u1 #contract #TentativeAgreement #ratification

#actor #acting #actors strike #sag aftra solidarity #sag aftra strong #sag aftra strike #sag aftra #sag strike #union #union strong #patience #telegraph #tech #tech industry #entertainment industry #entertainment #time #contract #tentative agreement #ratification

[amatsuki]

the current tulip craze.

#technology #tech industry

[iww-gnv]

For years, the tech industry seemed like the best place to grow a cushy, stable career. But as benefits disappear and companies lay off thousands, some are questioning whether they made the right choice. In the first two months of the year alone, PayPal, Cisco, and Amazon, among others, have announced layoffs affecting thousands of workers, a continuation of the mass layoffs from last year. All in all, nearly 300,000 workers in the tech industry have lost their jobs in the past year, according to Layoffs.fyi. While the wider macroeconomic environment is still good and job numbers have surpassed expectations, the good vibes have not rippled across all sectors. In tech, even those employees who were not laid off have seen employers scale back benefits while also demanding more of workers.

#news #labor news #tech industry #tech industry layoffs #2024 layoffs #us news

[reasonsforhope]

"It seems like a new Silicon Valley startup could change the face of the battery industry forever by utilizing 3D printers to print solid-state batteries.

Solid-state batteries have advantages over lithium-ion because they aren’t flammable, they’re more easily recycled, work in extreme cold, and have greater energy density.

Solid-state batteries have traditionally been difficult to machine manufacture. But by using 3D printing arrays filled with powder, Sakuu systems can make these batteries not only using 40% less material, but in almost any shape the customer might want.

An electric bike could be powered by a battery that hugs a section of the central chassis, or a smartphone’s battery could run all the way around the frame of a circuit board. These unorthodox shapes are just one of the many advantages that Sakuu believe they can offer.

“Many people have built cells in the lab, but they have not been able to scale,” Sakuu CEO and founder Robert Bagheri told Fast Company. “Our vision started with that scalability in mind.”

The array, known as a Kavian, is much smaller than the traditional, “roll to roll” battery manufacturing methods, and because the powder loaded into the 3D printers can be extremely precise, there’s a 40% reduction in materials usage—a huge cost savings over competitors.

The batteries they print can be charged to 80% in just 15 minutes.

Because they can be printed in any shape, all kinds of clever innovations are possible, in all kinds of industries from e-mobility products to wearables and small devices. The company is even working with an aviation company that wants solid-state batteries for their aircraft with holes through the middle of it to help with heat management."

-via Good News Network, 2/27/23

#battery #batteries #tech industry #electricity #recycling #3d printing #lithium ion battery #good news #hope

[dropintomanga]

Enjoy the Tumbling

For those who don't know, Tumblr is becoming more of a sinking ship as business executives aren't sure on how to grow the platform anymore. It's going to be run by a skeleton crew going forward.

While I feel Tumblr is trying hard, it's not the same anymore compared to when I joined the platform as an alternative to WordPress.org back in 2010.

That's why I say enjoy the tumbling as much as you can. Sadly, not everyone ever truly understood Tumblr's appeal. I think one thing that really hurt Tumblr was the ban on NSFW content creators. There's a lot of stigma to this day towards anyone promoting sexual content/services/etc. Imagine if OnlyFans, which tried to ban all sexual-related performers on their platform one time, didn't change their mind. Also, the constant obsession with infinite growth that plagues tech platforms is always a problem.

I still like the platform's flexibility when it comes to posting things on the net. There probably will be a day when I'm not on here anymore. But I like it here. It's different from all the commercialized social media I see.

I know a good amount of you still here are enjoying Tumblr the best you can. I appreciate that. Although we may not be big historically, we're full of small historical moments that have affected our lives for better or worse.

Let's at least keep those memories of the internet alive for others to see that the small things in life can make life fun and meaningful.

#Tumblr #tech industry #fandom #internet culture #random thoughts

[d0nutzgg]

Stay Anonymous with TorRouterQT

Want an easy way to stay anonymous online? Route your traffic through the Tor Network for increased privacy with TorRouterQT

Features:

Simple, clean UI

Connects to the Tor Network and routes your traffic through nodes for privacy.

Displays the public IP that you show to the world afterwards

Dependencies:

Tor must be installed already on your computer. Must install stem, requests, and PyQt5 via pip for it to run right.

You can find it on my Github, feel free to fork or clone.

#vpn #tor network #tor #privacy #python #python programming #coding #coder #python 3 #python programmer #programmer #programming #programmers #internet security #security #anonymity #tech #technology #tech industry #freeware #free software #software developer #software development #software

[girlactionfigure]

I don’t know about you, but I needed this meeting on a day like today. 

This is Moha Alshawamreh. He is from a village near Hebron. He is a Palestinian working in the Israeli tech industry, not something you see often. 

Turns out, he reached out a while ago on LinkedIn and apparently I was very responsive. We then set up a zoom to talk about his career. Mind you, I didn’t remember any of this, but we met today because he wanted to meet and say thank you. He told me that he was in a deep depression when he reached out and the fact that I replied and took time to speak really helped him. 

You never know how a simple act like replying to a LinkedIn message can really transform a life. 

He also wanted to say how sorry he is for what happened to Ari. He said “I know I can’t bring him back but I am so sorry for what a Palestinian did to your brother.”

Recently The New York Times published an article about his personal trajectory and difficult journey into the Israeli tech industry https://nytimes.com/2023/03/11/world/middleeast/palestinians-israel-tech-workers.html… 

At the age of 15, Moha read the book called “Man’s Search for Meaning,” by Viktor E. Frankl. Through this book, he learned for the first time about the Holocaust and the concentration camps. He told me that he also learned perseverance and resilience, which helped in his journey. 

Moha spent about 8 years in South East Asia (Malaysia, Korea, Japan) where he earned a BA in computer science and MA in behavioral economics on a full scholarship. He also learned to speak both Korean and Japanese. 

While in Korea, he learned about Israel and the startup nation and decided to come back, got an internship in an Israeli startup, then completed his MBA at Tel-Aviv University after a difficult year with the help of David Broza and others. 

After a long journey full of hardships, rejections, depression, and tears - he was able to get his first full-time job in Israeli tech. 

Honestly I went into this meeting blind. He asked to meet. I agreed. I had very little context. Boy am I glad I took the meeting. It was incredibly inspiring and fulfilling to hear his story. 

It kinda restored my faith in humanity.

#Israel #Tech industry #Palestinians