This controllable prosthetic, the Third Thumb, attaches to the right hand, granting wearers the ability to perform a slew of one-handed tasks such as grasping objects, opening bottles, sorting cards, and even peeling a banana.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/13293438

Ultra Accelerator Link is an open-standard interconnect for AI accelerators being developed by AMD, Broadcom, Intel, Google, Microsoft, others

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My January 2024 thread (186 comments)

Most states rely on paper bureaucracy to ensure that the state can function and provide services. Paper bureaucracy has been part and parcel of how we maintain states and corporations since the Chinese invented the first paper bureaucracy systems of management 3000 years ago. But as you all probably know, bureaucracy kinda sucks. It costs a lot to maintain, and in the worst cases bureaucracy can turn a state into a labyrinthian monstrosity that can be near to impossible to navigate.

Estonia is a Baltic country that in recent years has been embarking on reform programs that are intended to change this. Estonia is a “Paperless state” meaning a state that has effectively removed all paper from it’s bureaucracy and replaced it with a digital state structure. In this short video I would like to introduce you to the digital state and argue for it.

Summary:

• Colorado's new right-to-repair law allows residents to repair their cell phones, computers, and other devices.
• The law requires manufacturers like Samsung and Apple to provide documentation, software, and tools to device owners and independent repair shops at the same prices as authorized repair providers.
• The law prohibits manufacturers from restricting replacement parts and displaying misleading alerts about parts.
• The law passed on partisan lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed, and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
• Exemptions to the law include video game consoles, medical devices, electric car chargers, and more.
• Opponents of the law argue it could pose security risks and impact device reliability, while supporters believe it promotes consumer choice and reduces electronic waste.

• Twitch on Friday will end the contracts for all members of its Safety Advisory Council, a resource made up of industry experts, streamers and moderators, who consulted on trust and safety issues.
• The council has advised Twitch on “drafting new policies and policy updates,” “developing products and features to improve safety and moderation” and “protecting the interests of marginalized groups,” per a company webpage.
• On May 6, council members were called into a meeting after receiving an email that all existing contracts would conclude on May 31, 2024, and that they would not receive payment for the second half of 2024.

Despite its name, the infrastructure used by the “cloud” accounts for more global greenhouse emissions than commercial flights. In 2018, for instance, the 5bn YouTube hits for the viral song Despacito used the same amount of energy it would take to heat 40,000 US homes annually.

Large language models such as ChatGPT are some of the most energy-guzzling technologies of all. Research suggests, for instance, that about 700,000 litres of water could have been used to cool the machines that trained ChatGPT-3 at Microsoft’s data facilities.

Additionally, as these companies aim to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, they may opt to base their datacentres in regions with cheaper electricity, such as the southern US, potentially exacerbating water consumption issues in drier parts of the world.

Furthermore, while minerals such as lithium and cobalt are most commonly associated with batteries in the motor sector, they are also crucial for the batteries used in datacentres. The extraction process often involves significant water usage and can lead to pollution, undermining water security. The extraction of these minerals are also often linked to human rights violations and poor labour standards. Trying to achieve one climate goal of limiting our dependence on fossil fuels can compromise another goal, of ensuring everyone has a safe and accessible water supply.

Moreover, when significant energy resources are allocated to tech-related endeavours, it can lead to energy shortages for essential needs such as residential power supply. Recent data from the UK shows that the country’s outdated electricity network is holding back affordable housing projects.

In other words, policy needs to be designed not to pick sectors or technologies as “winners”, but to pick the willing by providing support that is conditional on companies moving in the right direction. Making disclosure of environmental practices and impacts a condition for government support could ensure greater transparency and accountability.

CATANIA, Italy May 31 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Friday approved Italian state aid for chipmaker STMicroelectronics (STMPA.PA), to build a 5 billion euro ($5.4 billion) plant in Catania, Sicily, to make specialist microchips that boost energy efficiency in electric cars.

Chipmakers across the globe are investing billions of dollars in new plants, encouraged by rising use of semiconductors in everyday devices as well as U.S. and EU subsidies aimed at keeping the West ahead of China in the race for cutting-edge technology.

The aid approved by the EU executive will be a direct grant of about 2 billion euros to support STMicro's production of chips made from silicon carbide, which is more energy-efficient than standard silicon.