Author: KnowledgeHippo

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday banned unsolicited robocalls generated by artificial intelligence amid growing concerns about voter disinformation and consumer fraud facilitated by the technology.The FCC’s unanimous decision cited a three-decade-old law aimed at curbing spam calls, clarifying that spam calls generated by artificial intelligence are also illegal. In doing so, the agency said it expanded the ability of states to prosecute the creators of unsolicited spam bots.”It seems like something from the distant future, but it’s already here,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable…

Cale Yarborough, who won three straight NASCAR Winston Cup Series championships and whose 83 victories tied him for sixth on the all-time wins list, died Sunday. It was 84.He was battling a rare genetic disorder, his family told The Associated Press.At the height of his success, Yarborough won nine races in 1976, nine in 1977 and 10 in 1978, capturing the points championship each time. His feat was tied until 2008, when Jimmie Johnson matched it. Yarborough was also runner-up in the series in 1973 and 1974 and again in 1980.He won the Daytona 500 four times (1968, 1977, 1983…

The damage that air pollution can cause is extensive and well-known: Chemicals produced by human activities can trap heat in the atmosphere, change the chemistry of the oceans, and harm human health in a myriad of ways.Now, a new study shows that air pollution can also make flowers less attractive to pollinating insects. Compounds called nitrate radicals, which can be abundant in nighttime urban air, severely degrade the scent emitted by the pale evening primrose, reducing visits by pollinating hawkmoths, researchers reported in Science on Thursday.This sensory pollution could have far-reaching effects, hindering plant reproduction and reducing the production of…

For a historical overview, I would recommend it “Lagos: A Cultural History” by Kaye Whiteman. It traces the history of the city from the arrival of Portuguese explorers in 1472 to the occupation by the British in 1861 and the modern era. It takes us through the topography of Lagos (the Island-Mainland divide), its streets and their stories, the city’s nightlife and its film, music, art and literary scenes.What books should I bring with me?Teju Cole’s novel “Every day is for the thief” it is designed like a travel guide. The anonymous narrator has just returned to Lagos from New…

European football leaders on Thursday got right behind their powerful president, Aleksander Ceferin, by approving a change to term limit rules that would allow him to keep his post until 2031, years beyond the organisation’s strict 12-year limit.The vote, however, quickly became inconsequential: About an hour after winning the right to seek a new four-year term as president of European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, Mr. Ceferin said he would not seek.”I’ve decided I’m not going to run for 2027,” said a stone-faced Mr. Ceferin, reading from prepared notes in the comments he used to simultaneously explain his thinking and settle…

To the Editor:Re “The ‘Gig’ Label Is Being Used to Exploit Workers,” by Terri Gerstein (Opinion guest essay, January 29):We are the independent writers and publishers that Ms. Gerstein mentioned who are suing the Department of Labor over the independent contractor rule that, she said, “will make it more difficult for employers to treat workers as independent contractors rather than as employees.” So let’s explain.The Labor Department acknowledges in its 339-page rule published Jan. 10 that most of the public comments made by independent contractors expressed opposition according to the rule, “criticizing the Department’s proposed economic reality test as ambiguous…

The graceful art deco buildings that dominate Chicago’s central business district are reporting occupancy rates as high as 17 percent.A set of gleaming office towers in Denver that were packed with tenants and valued at $176 million in 2013 are now largely empty and last valued at just $82 million, according to data provided by Trepp, a research firm that tracks real estate loans. Even Los Angeles’ famous buildings are about half their pre-pandemic prices.From San Francisco to Washington, the story is the same. Office buildings remain trapped in a slow crisis. Workers sent to work from home at the…

First, digital assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant were talking. Then there were online chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard. Now, the two are merging.On Thursday, Google unveiled Gemini, a smartphone app that acts like a talking digital assistant, as well as a conversational chatbot. Responding to voice and text requests, it can answer questions, write poetry, create images, design emails, analyze personal photos, and do other things like set a timer or make a phone call.Immediately available to English speakers in more than 150 countries and territories, including the United States, Gemini replaces Bard and Google Assistant. It…

When Bologna became the first major Italian city to impose a speed limit of 30 kilometers, or 20 miles per hour, Luca Mazzoli, a local taxi driver, posted a sign in his cab warning passengers of the change.He had to, he said grumpily the other day, “explain why I’m driving so slowly.”Since the limit became enforceable in mid-January, it has taken Mr. Mazzoli longer to get from point A to point B, he argued, meaning he has taken fewer passengers and found himself stuck in traffic more often.”A city has to move,” he said.Critics of the measure say Bologna is…

The CEOs of three major pharmaceutical companies appeared before the Senate health committee on Thursday to defend how much they charge for drugs in the United States, leading them into further confrontation with lawmakers and the Biden administration over the cost of some of the drugs. the most widely used prescription drugs.The three executives testifying — Johnson & Johnson’s Joaquin Duato, Merck’s Robert M. Davis and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Christopher Boerner — are expected to clash with the health committee’s chairman, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who has reins in drugs. Times is a characteristic speech for the…