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Google Maps 2025 holiday trends: Enjoy the holidays and save time with new insights from Google MapsGoogle Maps 2025 holiday trends: Enjoy the holidays and save time with new insights from Google MapsChief Sleigh Logistics Officer

GoogleBlog - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 09:00
Google Maps reveals the best times to avoid traffic, hit the post office – and even which states get their shopping done earliest during the holiday season.Google Maps reveals the best times to avoid traffic, hit the post office – and even which states get their shopping done earliest during the holiday season.
Categories: Technology

Our new deal with Mombak is designed to accelerate the planet’s natural ability to remove CO2.Our new deal with Mombak is designed to accelerate the planet’s natural ability to remove CO2.Carbon Credits and Removals Lead

GoogleBlog - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 09:00
We signed a new carbon dioxide (CO2) removal deal with Mombak, a Brazil-based company that is restoring degraded land in the Amazon by planting native, biodiverse forest…
Categories: Technology

We're sharing 3 tips for holiday success with Google's Commerce Media Suite.We're sharing 3 tips for holiday success with Google's Commerce Media Suite.Group Product Manager, Retail Media Solutions

GoogleBlog - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 09:00
Maximize holiday success with Commerce Media Suite. Fuel AI, own the shelf, and measure SKU-level ROI.
Categories: Technology

Nvidia's Jensen Huang Says China 'Will Win' AI Race With US

Slashdot.org - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 09:00
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has warned that China will beat the US in the AI race, thanks to lower energy costs and looser regulations. From a report: In the starkest comments yet from the head of the world's most valuable company, Huang told the FT: "China is going to win the AI race." Huang's remarks come after the Trump administration maintained a ban on California-based Nvidia selling its most advanced chips to Beijing following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week. The Nvidia chief said that the west, including the US and UK, was being held back by "cynicism." "We need more optimism," Huang said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Financial Times' Future of AI Summit. Huang singled out new rules on AI by US states that could result in "50 new regulations." He contrasted that approach with Chinese energy subsidies that made it more affordable for local tech companies to run Chinese alternatives to Nvidia's AI chips. "Power is free," he said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Manufacturer Bricks Smart Vacuum After Engineer Blocks It From Collecting Data

Slashdot.org - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 08:00
A curious engineer discovered that his iLife A11 smart vacuum was remotely "killed" after he blocked it from sending data to the manufacturer's servers. By reverse-engineering it with custom hardware and Python scripts, he managed to revive the device to run fully offline. Tom's Hardware reports: An engineer got curious about how his iLife A11 smart vacuum worked and monitored the network traffic coming from the device. That's when he noticed it was constantly sending logs and telemetry data to the manufacturer -- something he hadn't consented to. The user, Harishankar, decided to block the telemetry servers' IP addresses on his network, while keeping the firmware and OTA servers open. While his smart gadget worked for a while, it just refused to turn on soon after. After a lengthy investigation, he discovered that a remote kill command had been issued to his device. He sent it to the service center multiple times, wherein the technicians would turn it on and see nothing wrong with the vacuum. When they returned it to him, it would work for a few days and then fail to boot again. After several rounds of back-and-forth, the service center probably got tired and just stopped accepting it, saying it was out of warranty. Because of this, he decided to disassemble the thing to determine what killed it and to see if he could get it working again. [...] So, why did the A11 work at the service center but refuse to run in his home? The technicians would reset the firmware on the smart vacuum, thus removing the kill code, and then connect it to an open network, making it run normally. But once it connected again to the network that had its telemetry servers blocked, it was bricked remotely because it couldn't communicate with the manufacturer's servers. Since he blocked the appliance's data collection capabilities, its maker decided to just kill it altogether. "Someone -- or something -- had remotely issued a kill command," says Harishankar. "Whether it was intentional punishment or automated enforcement of 'compliance,' the result was the same: a consumer device had turned on its owner." In the end, the owner was able to run his vacuum fully locally without manufacturer control after all the tweaks he made. This helped him retake control of his data and make use of his $300 software-bricked smart device on his own terms. As for the rest of us who don't have the technical knowledge and time to follow his accomplishments, his advice is to "Never use your primary WiFi network for IoT devices" and to "Treat them as strangers in your home."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

China Delays Shenzhou-20 Crew Return After Suspected Space Debris Impact

Slashdot.org - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 05:00
China has delayed the return of its Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft after it was suspected to have been struck by space debris while docked at the Tiangong space station. "The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft is suspected of being struck by a small piece of space debris, and impact analysis and risk assessment are underway," the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) statement Nov. 5 read. "To ensure the safety and health of the astronauts and the complete success of the mission, it has been decided that the Shenzhou-20 return mission, originally scheduled for Nov. 5, will be postponed." SpaceNews reports: CMSEO did not specify the location of the suspected strike, the extent of any damage, or the data that indicated an impact. No potential dates were noted for a return to Earth. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft launched April 24, carrying three astronauts -- commander Chen Dong and crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie -- to the Tiangong space station. The spacecraft docked at the radial port of Tiangong's Tianhe core module. The crew have completed their six-month-long mission in orbit, and had handed over control of the space station to the newly-arrived Shenzhou-21 crew Nov. 4. Checks on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft could include telemetry and leak tests, verifying guidance and propulsion systems, and screening for impacts in accelerometer and acoustic sensor data. A key concern would be potential damage to the spacecraft's thermal protection system or parachute deployment structures, both critical for safe atmospheric reentry and landing. Tiangong features a 10-meter-long robotic arm, capable of crawling, and a smaller, more precise arm. These could be employed to position cameras and provide closeup imagery of a potential impact. Crews may be able to conduct an extravehicular activity (EVA) to assess the situation. Tiangong crews have recently added debris shields during a number of EVAs; the same procedures, tools, and arm support can be adapted for a Shenzhou inspection.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The lasting impact of Google’s support for Ukrainian foundersThe lasting impact of Google’s support for Ukrainian foundersGlobal Director of Google for Startups

GoogleBlog - Thu, 11/06/2025 - 04:00
The second Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund is now complete, having successfully provided funding and mentorship to 98 startups.The second Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund is now complete, having successfully provided funding and mentorship to 98 startups.
Categories: Technology

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