Technology
Lyft fined $2.1 million for misleading ads about how much drivers could make
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Friday that rideshare company Lyft has agreed to pay $2.1 million as part of a proposed settlement that requires it to change how it advertises driver pay.
The company routinely advertised that drivers could make “specific hourly amounts” — in one instance, claiming earnings of “up to $33” per hour for driving in Atlanta — that were based not on an average, but on what the top fifth of drivers made, according to the Commission. The company also apparently included tips in those figures.
Such moves “overinflated the actual earnings achieved by most drivers by as much as 30%,” writes the FTC, which says the company now must base potential pay claims on what drivers typically make, instead. And those amounts can no longer factor in tips as part of stated hourly pay.
“It is illegal to lure workers with misleading claims about how much they will earn on the job,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC will keep using all its tools to hold businesses accountable when they violate the law and exploit American workers.”
The FTC included examples of Lyft’s offending ads in its complaint, such as those below.
Screenshots: United States of America v. Lyft, Inc. proposed order
Screenshots: United States of America v. Lyft, Inc. proposed order
Lyft also apparently promoted earnings guarantees, such as one promising $975 for completing 45 rides in a weekend. But those also misled drivers, who thought they’d be getting the amount as a bonus on top of what they earned, when the offer was actually a conditional minimum pay guarantee for doing a set number of rides, according to the FTC. The company is now required to make that fact clear.
Here is the proposed order:
In a statement on its website, Lyft highlights changes it has made recently to tell drivers how much they can earn and says it is “committed to following the FTC’s best practices” when communicating such details.
Technology
ISRO Chairman Somanath- The Week
“It is very important to defend the Earth from asteroids and we need to prepare ourselves with a little bit of defence from the asteroids though they are not going to come and attack us like missiles, guns or laser beams but will simply come and hit us and can be dangerous,” remarked ISRO Chairman S Somanath while speaking on a Workshop on Planetary Defence on the sidelines of the International of International Asteroid Day 2024. He said that no one nation can defend the earth against the Asteroids alone and a joint effort of different nations in the world is needed to serve the purpose.
S Somanath added that India as a space-faring nation is very keen to work on this. Debate and discussions are required to save the Earth from any such kind of catastrophe.
Speaking at length on asteroids, Somanath said that there were lakhs of asteroids mainly between Mars and Jupiter. “Asteroids are small in size compared to the celestial bodies such as the Sun, the Moon and the planets but have huge energy. Some of them are as big as 1000 kilometers. They move at tremendous speeds and it is very important to understand them. Many missions have gone to asteroids and collected samples.
“It is more challenging to go to Asteroids when compared to other planetary objects such as the Moon as the Moon has a definite path around the Earth. Landing on an Asteroid is much more trickier because of their shape. However many many nations have done this which is remarkable,” said Somanath.
The ISRO chairman also recalled the Hollywood movie “Armageddon’ that focused on a large asteroid en route to Earth with the possibility to destroy life. He also recalled the June 30t incident in 1908 wherein a huge blast from an asteroid had flattened about 2200 square kilometre of forest destroying nearly 80 million trees in Tunguska a remote location in Siberia, Russia.
In accordance with the UN resolution in 2016, International Asteroid Day is celebrated to “observe each year at the international level the anniversary of the Tunguska impact over Siberia Russian Federation, on 30t June 1908 and to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard”.
The workshop on planetary defence was the first of its kind in the country and aimed to raise awareness on the impact threats of asteroids, the importance of asteroids research for a better understanding of our universe and also inspire participants to find innovative solutions for planetary defence.
Planetary defence involves early detection of hazardous asteroids, their continual observation for better characterization and risk assessment and devising an appropriate risk mitigation strategy. Several scientific missions for asteroid exploration and sample return have improved the understanding of the asteroids and the recent successful demonstrations of kinetic impactor technology for asteroid deflection by DART mission has further spurred global interest in this field. Due to this, ISRO has also initiated focused activities towards planetary defence.
Technology
NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Sunday, October 27
Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle.
Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below.
How to play Strands
You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable.
If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it.
Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once.
Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow.
The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints.
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s theme is “Best of the best”
Here’s a hint that might help you: words that make a phrase for great things.
Today’s Strand answers
Today’s spanagram
We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own:
Today’s Strands answers
- CREAM
- CROP
- HEAD
- CLASS
- PICK
- LITTER
- LIFE
- PARTY
Technology
Black Ops 6 is live on Xbox Game Pass
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is finally here and in addition to the launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Battle.net, the game is also live on Xbox Game Pass. This is a monumental shift in how one of Activision’s biggest game franchises is made available to players. The announcement about the game coming to Xbox Game Pass was made earlier this year, but the reality of this distribution of the game is likely just now setting in for some.
Call of Duty is almost always the best-selling game of the year. If it isn’t number one, it’s typically in the top five. That won’t necessarily change with Black Ops 6, but the Game Pass availability will no doubt have some players choosing to play it for free as opposed to paying for it. The reason this is such a big deal is because it’s just never been done before.
It’s not the first Call of Duty to make its way to Game Pass. Warzone, Modern Warfare II, and Modern Warfare III were all dropped into the Game Pass library back in July. With Black Ops 6 though, it’s the first Call of Duty title to go live on the service on launch day. That’s the factor that makes this such a big deal. Day one availability on Microsoft’s gaming subscription service for one of the biggest franchises in gaming.
With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 live on Xbox Game Pass, the game should see a surge of players
From Microsoft and Activision’s financial standpoints, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Game Pass availability is going to hurt the bottom line.
From a player standpoint, this is perhaps the best thing to happen to Call of Duty in a while. It means the game will now be available to more players than ever. There will be some overlap of players who would buy the game and play it regardless of whether or not it was on Microsoft’s subscription service. However, there are also some players who would certainly avoid the game if it meant having to pay for it.
Now, those players will be able to give the game a shot and see if they like it. This should translate to the number of players in Black Ops 6 growing beyond what we saw in past Call of Duty games. However, that also depends on how fun the game is over an extended period of time. The first few weeks and likely the first season will probably maintain a large number of players either way.
The game is new and people will still be having that honeymoon stage with it. As time goes on, some players will undoubtedly drop off. Either out of boredom or because of other more important commitments. But it seems highly likely that because the game can be played for free via Xbox Game Pass, more people will jump in to check things out than with Modern Warfare III, simply because of the fact that it’s rolled into a service that many people subscribe to.
You don’t need Game Pass Ultimate
While I personally think this is still the best value, you don’t need to have the Ultimate membership to play Black Ops 6. It’s available via PC Game Pass as well, which is less expensive. You can also play it for free on the Xbox Series X|S consoles if you have the Ultimate plan. You cannot, however, access the game for free if you have the Core or Standard plans on console. At least, not right away.
Microsoft doesn’t confirm when or if Black Ops 6 will eventually be accessible via those two plans, but it is possible that it will land on them eventually. Players should also not forget that if they bought the game on Steam or Battle.net, or play via PC Game Pass, it can be streamed through GeForce NOW.
Technology
iOS 18.2 will include daily Sudoku puzzles for Apple News+ subscribers
The long-anticipated iPhone iOS 18.1 , bringing with it , but we are already on to the next new thing. The company is busy , which has already entered its beta stage and should be widely released in December. This next operating system will include daily Sudoku puzzles for Apple News+ subscribers, .
Users will be able to choose from three difficulty options each day, ranging from easy to challenging. There’s a scoreboard to track stats, which includes the total number of puzzles solved, speed metrics and more. This is the fourth puzzle game to be included with an Apple News+ subscription, joining Crossword, Crossword Mini, and Quartiles. The New York Times also offers a slew of games with a subscription, , so this is becoming an actual trend.
Sudoku will also be available for Apple News+ subscribers with the forthcoming launch of iPadOS 18.2, and rumors indicate a similar release for macOS Sequoia 15.2. Apple News+ costs $13 per month on its own but is , along with Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud storage.
Of course, number-based mobile games aren’t the only feature shipping with iOS 18.2. Apple Intelligence is getting an expansion, including the custom emoji maker Genmoji and ChatGPT/Siri integration. There’s also a child safety feature and report it to Apple.
Technology
Project Helping Hands helps the long-term unemployed in games
Project Helping Hands is a new community-based initiative to help game industry job seekers who have been out of work or underemployed for more than a year.
Aiming to draw a spotlight for long-term job seekers in games, it’s a project led by Amir Satvat, the game job opening aggregator who has amassed a big following of 400,000 unique viewers on LinkedIn. (You can apply here).
“Our goal is to help long-term job seekers in games get the spotlight they deserve,” Satvat said in a LinkedIn post.
This effort could be a big deal for job seekers as Satvat has been able to help more than 2,800 people find jobs. Satvat is a “top voice” on LinkedIn for games and he has 101,000-plus followers. He has also amassed a lot of data about jobs in the game industry, which is regrettably not transparent about hirings and firings. More than 32,000 people have been laid off in games in the past three years.
If you’ve been unemployed or underemployed for 12 months or more and have been seeking roles in games as part of your job search, this program is for you. You don’t need to have been exclusively looking in games, but it does need to be at least part of your goal, Satvat said.
He said that three times a week, he will spotlight up to 15 individuals looking for new opportunities.
Applicants can fill out a form, and Satvat will randomly select participants to feature along with a short bio you provide.
How it works
On his LinkedIn profile, Satvat has begun listed the profile details of 15 people each week who have been looking for work for a year or more. The post includes the name, function, years of experience, location, and whether the person is open to remote work.
Satvat is accepting submissions through a Google form and each application must be complete. He will adjust the project as needed. Satvat started posting community member profiles on October 18 (here’s another one and another one).
The long-term unemployed?
It’s not clear how many people have been stuck looking for a job in games for more than a year. But Satvat’s data gives him insights on the issue of ageism in games.
He noted that for younger game job seekers — those with three or fewer years of work experience who have never worked in games — the chances of securing a role in the industry over 12 months are just 1% to 2%.
And, after two years of collecting data, Satvat said he knows that the odds of finding a role in games for those 50 and over are roughly the same.
While the overall likelihood of finding work in games over 12 months is around 7%, and this number rises to 20-25% for all who have previous experience in the industry, these statistics show a pronounced peak in opportunities for those in their late 20s and 30s, with meaningful decline by the time they reach their 40s, Satvat said.
“We need to be much more aware of how challenging the odds become for those in our industry as they age,” Satvat said. “If we feel empathy for younger applicants locked out of opportunities, I’m equally raising my hand in solidarity for those with the most experience – because, numerically, I now know that, at some point, they face the same struggle.”
This new service to help those who are out of work for a long time will likely help those who are also subjected to ageism.
Source link
Technology
A TikTok alternative called Loops is coming for the fediverse
The fediverse answer to TikTok is on its way. Signups opened this week for Loops, a short-form looping video app from the creator of Instagram alternative Pixelfed, reports TechCrunch.
Users who’ve signed up can post up to 60 seconds of video, according to details shared by developer Daniel Supernault on Mastodon. He added that using sounds and remixing others’ videos is coming, as are pinned profile videos, and that users will be able to “curate” their comment sections. Videos can be categorized, but hashtags and mentions aren’t yet supported.
Creating an account isn’t instantaneous as you’ll have to wait for a confirmation email, which could take time, according to Supernault. Its iOS app will be available initially in TestFlight, Apple’s program for testing unreleased apps that requires a free developer account. Loops will also have a “side-loadable” Android app, Supernault posted.
Loops will rely on human moderators, which Supernault put out a call for on Mastodon. Videos posted to the site will be moderated based on a trust score that every local user has, Supernault posted. Videos uploaded by people with low scores will be held for moderation before they go live, while those from “trusted users” will be posted right away.
Loops’ fediverse integration is in-progress but not live, and the platform hasn’t been open-sourced yet, according to a FAQ on the site. Users own their content, and Loops doesn’t sell or provide videos to third-party advertisers or train AI on them, the FAQ says. The site is instead relying on grants, sponsorships, and donations for funding. You can review the privacy policy here.
-
Technology1 month ago
Is sharing your smartphone PIN part of a healthy relationship?
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
How to unsnarl a tangle of threads, according to physics
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Hyperelastic gel is one of the stretchiest materials known to science
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
‘Running of the bulls’ festival crowds move like charged particles
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Maxwell’s demon charges quantum batteries inside of a quantum computer
-
Technology1 month ago
Would-be reality TV contestants ‘not looking real’
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
X-rays reveal half-billion-year-old insect ancestor
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Sunlight-trapping device can generate temperatures over 1000°C
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Liquid crystals could improve quantum communication devices
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Ukraine is using AI to manage the removal of Russian landmines
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Quantum ‘supersolid’ matter stirred using magnets
-
TV3 weeks ago
সারাদেশে দিনব্যাপী বৃষ্টির পূর্বাভাস; সমুদ্রবন্দরে ৩ নম্বর সংকেত | Weather Today | Jamuna TV
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Samsung Passkeys will work with Samsung’s smart home devices
-
News3 weeks ago
Massive blasts in Beirut after renewed Israeli air strikes
-
Sport3 weeks ago
Boxing: World champion Nick Ball set for Liverpool homecoming against Ronny Rios
-
Football3 weeks ago
Rangers & Celtic ready for first SWPL derby showdown
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Physicists have worked out how to melt any material
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Laser helps turn an electron into a coil of mass and charge
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
A new kind of experiment at the Large Hadron Collider could unravel quantum reality
-
News3 weeks ago
▶ Hamas Spent $1B on Tunnels Instead of Investing in a Future for Gaza’s People
-
News3 weeks ago
Navigating the News Void: Opportunities for Revitalization
-
Womens Workouts1 month ago
3 Day Full Body Women’s Dumbbell Only Workout
-
Football3 weeks ago
Why does Prince William support Aston Villa?
-
News3 weeks ago
‘Blacks for Trump’ and Pennsylvania progressives play for undecided voters
-
MMA3 weeks ago
‘Uncrowned queen’ Kayla Harrison tastes blood, wants UFC title run
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Dana White’s Contender Series 74 recap, analysis, winner grades
-
MMA3 weeks ago
Pereira vs. Rountree prediction: Champ chases legend status
-
Business3 weeks ago
When to tip and when not to tip
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Why this is a golden age for life to thrive across the universe
-
Business3 weeks ago
DoJ accuses Donald Trump of ‘private criminal effort’ to overturn 2020 election
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Gmail gets redesigned summary cards with more data & features
-
Sport3 weeks ago
Aaron Ramsdale: Southampton goalkeeper left Arsenal for more game time
-
Sport3 weeks ago
Wales fall to second loss of WXV against Italy
-
Sport3 weeks ago
Man City ask for Premier League season to be DELAYED as Pep Guardiola escalates fixture pile-up row
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Microphone made of atom-thick graphene could be used in smartphones
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Musk faces SEC questions over X takeover
-
MMA3 weeks ago
Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison pick, start time, odds: UFC 307
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Quantum forces used to automatically assemble tiny device
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
ITER: Is the world’s biggest fusion experiment dead after new delay to 2035?
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
A slight curve helps rocks make the biggest splash
-
News1 month ago
▶️ Hamas in the West Bank: Rising Support and Deadly Attacks You Might Not Know About
-
Technology1 month ago
Meta has a major opportunity to win the AI hardware race
-
Technology1 month ago
Why Machines Learn: A clever primer makes sense of what makes AI possible
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Russia is building ground-based kamikaze robots out of old hoverboards
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Nerve fibres in the brain could generate quantum entanglement
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Nuclear fusion experiment overcomes two key operating hurdles
-
Technology3 weeks ago
This AI video generator can melt, crush, blow up, or turn anything into cake
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Microsoft just dropped Drasi, and it could change how we handle big data
-
Entertainment3 weeks ago
New documentary explores actor Christopher Reeve’s life and legacy
-
MMA3 weeks ago
Julianna Peña trashes Raquel Pennington’s behavior as champ
-
News3 weeks ago
Woman who died of cancer ‘was misdiagnosed on phone call with GP’
-
News3 weeks ago
Family plans to honor hurricane victim using logs from fallen tree that killed him
-
Sport3 weeks ago
2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney renews blast at ‘gatekeeper’ platform owners
-
Sport4 weeks ago
China Open: Carlos Alcaraz recovers to beat Jannik Sinner in dramatic final
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Sturm Graz: How Austrians ended Red Bull’s title dominance
-
Money3 weeks ago
Wetherspoons issues update on closures – see the full list of five still at risk and 26 gone for good
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
How to wrap your mind around the real multiverse
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Time travel sci-fi novel is a rip-roaringly good thought experiment
-
News1 month ago
▶️ Media Bias: How They Spin Attack on Hezbollah and Ignore the Reality
-
Business4 weeks ago
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she needs to raise £20bn. How might she do it?
-
Business3 weeks ago
Sterling slides after Bailey says BoE could be ‘a bit more aggressive’ on rates
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Texas is suing TikTok for allegedly violating its new child privacy law
-
Business3 weeks ago
The search for Japan’s ‘lost’ art
-
MMA3 weeks ago
‘I was fighting on automatic pilot’ at UFC 306
-
Sport3 weeks ago
Coco Gauff stages superb comeback to reach China Open final
-
Business4 weeks ago
Bank of England warns of ‘future stress’ from hedge fund bets against US Treasuries
-
News3 weeks ago
German Car Company Declares Bankruptcy – 200 Employees Lose Their Jobs
-
MMA3 weeks ago
Kayla Harrison gets involved in nasty war of words with Julianna Pena and Ketlen Vieira
-
MMA3 weeks ago
UFC 307 preview show: Will Alex Pereira’s wild ride continue, or does Khalil Rountree shock the world?
-
Business3 weeks ago
Head of UK Competition Appeal Tribunal to step down after rebuke for serious misconduct
-
Technology3 weeks ago
The best budget robot vacuums for 2024
-
MMA3 weeks ago
Pereira vs. Rountree preview show live stream
-
Technology3 weeks ago
The best shows on Max (formerly HBO Max) right now
-
Sport4 weeks ago
World’s sexiest referee Claudia Romani shows off incredible figure in animal print bikini on South Beach
-
Science & Environment4 weeks ago
Markets watch for dangers of further escalation
-
Technology3 weeks ago
J.B. Hunt and UP.Labs launch venture lab to build logistics startups
-
Technology3 weeks ago
OpenAI secured more billions, but there’s still capital left for other startups
-
Business3 weeks ago
Stark difference in UK and Ireland’s budgets
-
Technology3 weeks ago
If you’ve ever considered smart glasses, this Amazon deal is for you
-
Business4 weeks ago
Stocks Tumble in Japan After Party’s Election of New Prime Minister
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Alex Pereira faces ‘trap game’ vs. Khalil Rountree
-
News3 weeks ago
Hull KR 10-8 Warrington Wolves – Robins reach first Super League Grand Final
-
Health & fitness3 weeks ago
NHS surgeon who couldn’t find his scalpel cut patient’s chest open with the penknife he used to slice up his lunch
-
Money3 weeks ago
Pub selling Britain’s ‘CHEAPEST’ pints for just £2.60 – but you’ll have to follow super-strict rules to get in
-
TV3 weeks ago
Love Island star sparks feud rumours as one Islander is missing from glam girls’ night
-
Football4 weeks ago
Simo Valakari: New St Johnstone boss says Scotland special in his heart
-
News3 weeks ago
Cornell is about to deport a student over Palestine activism
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24+
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Check, Remote, and Gusto discuss the future of work at Disrupt 2024
-
Politics3 weeks ago
Rosie Duffield’s savage departure raises difficult questions for Keir Starmer. He’d be foolish to ignore them | Gaby Hinsliff
-
News3 weeks ago
Balancing India and China Is the Challenge for Sri Lanka’s Dissanayake
-
News1 month ago
the pick of new debut fiction
-
News1 month ago
Our millionaire neighbour blocks us from using public footpath & screams at us in street.. it’s like living in a WARZONE – WordupNews
-
MMA4 weeks ago
How to watch Salt Lake City title fights, lineup, odds, more
-
Business4 weeks ago
how UniCredit built its Commerzbank stake
-
News3 weeks ago
Liverpool secure win over Bologna on a night that shows this format might work
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Popular financial newsletter claims Roblox enables child sexual abuse
-
Sport3 weeks ago
Premiership Women’s Rugby: Exeter Chiefs boss unhappy with WXV clash
-
News3 weeks ago
Heavy strikes shake Beirut as Israel expands Lebanon campaign
You must be logged in to post a comment Login