Remember when Microsoft was criticized for enabling “workplace surveillance” over “productivity scores” in its Microsoft 365 office software which gave managers highly detailed profiles of each individual employee’s activity. Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes:
The Microsoft 365 Productivity Score apparently has roots in another Microsoft patent application for Systems, Methods, and Software for Implementing a Behavior Change Management Program, which also lays…
Tag: meeting
Tired of Mockery, Austrian Village Changes Name
Residents of an Austrian village will ring in the new year under a new name — Fugging — after ridicule of their signposts, especially on social media, became too much to bear. From a report:
They finally grew weary of Fucking, its current name, which some experts say dates back to the 11th century. Minutes from a municipal council meeting published on…
ZTE’s Designation as Security Threat Affirmed by US FCC
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission affirmed its decision to designate ZTE as a national security threat over concerns telecommunications gear made by the Chinese company could be used for spying. From a report: The action shows that the FCC remains determined to drive ZTE and fellow Shenzhen-based manufacturer Huawei Technologies Co. from the U.S. market, where small rural carriers rely on…
In the mysterious Blue Ring Nebula, scientists see the fate of binary stars
Scientists have discovered a rare object called the Blue Ring Nebula, a ring of hydrogen gas with a star at its center. The properties of this system suggest it is the remnant of two stars meeting their ultimate demise: an inward orbital dance that resulted in the two stars merging. The result offers a new window into the fate of many…
Is Boris Johnson’s climate plan enough for the UK to hit net zero?
The UK’s new 10-point climate plan is the first big step towards meeting a target of net zero emissions by 2050, but it doesn’t have the funding to make new climate policies a reality Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2260128-is-boris-johnsons-climate-plan-enough-for-the-uk-to-hit-net-zero/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Apophis asteroid might be more likely to strike Earth in 2068 than thought
David Tholen, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii, recently reported on the status of asteroid Apophis during a virtual meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences. During his presentation, he outlined research he and his team conducted regarding the path of the asteroid and the likelihood that it will strike Earth. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-apophis-asteroid-earth-thought.html…
Stripe, Mozilla, Dropbox, Spotify, Others Form Tech ‘Challenger Group’ To Sway European Policy
Mark Di Stefano, reporting for The Information (paywalled): A few years back, two Brussels-based lobbyists from midsize tech companies were out for drinks, and in the course of the conversation they realized they had a common problem. Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook were sucking all of the oxygen out of European debates about regulating the internet, leaving out the voices of…
McDonald’s McPlant is Coming For Beyond Meat’s Crown
McDonald has announced plans to introduce its own plant-based burger option to the menu in select markets as soon as next year. From a report: The company made its plans public this week at an investor meeting. The McPlant — the McPlant! — uses a fake-meat amalgamation of McDonald’s own creation, rather than partnering with an existing plant-based company like Impossible…
McDonald’s To Launch a Plant-Based Burger: The McPlant
According to USA Today, McDonald’s has developed a new plant-based platform dubbed McPlant that will debut in markets around the world early next year. From the report: “McPlant is crafted exclusively for McDonald’s, by McDonald’s,” Ian Borden, McDonald’s international president, said at the investor meeting. “In the future, McPlant could extend across a line of plant-based products including burgers, chicken substitutes…
Sega Sells Off Its Arcade Business Due To Coronavirus
New submitter clubalien writes: Sega has sold off its arcade business due to coronavirus. In a press release, parent company Sega Sammy Holdings Inc said it has sold the vast majority (85.1 per cent) of Sega Entertainment, its Japanese amusement business, to amusement machine company Genda. Sega put the sale down to Covid-19, which has devastated its arcade business. Sega expects…