📚 Internet Archive's Return, Apple’s Home Push, Coal vs Data Centers
Good morning. It’s Monday, October 14. Today we are covering:
The Internet Archive is back as a read-only service after cyberattacks
Apple Has a New Smart Home Strategy: Screens Everywhere
A utility promised to stop burning coal. Then Google and Meta came to town.
In latest move against WP Engine, WordPress takes control of ACF plugin
Microsoft UK chief to head government's industrial strategy council
Let’s dive in
The Internet Archive is back as a read-only service after cyberattacks
By Tom Warren via The Verge
The Internet Archive is back online in a read-only state after a cyberattack on October 9th that included a data breach and DDoS attack, stealing 31 million unique user records.
Brewster Kahle, the founder, confirmed that while services like the Wayback Machine are available, users cannot currently capture new pages, and further maintenance may be needed.
The attack occurred just weeks after Google began adding Wayback Machine links to its search results, following the removal of Google's own cached page links earlier this year.
𝕏: The Internet Archive is back as a read-only service after cyberattacks. The Wayback Machine is back online after a data breach and DDoS attacks - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Apple Has a New Smart Home Strategy: Screens Everywhere
By Mark Gurman via Bloomberg
Apple is developing a new smart home strategy focused on integrating smart displays throughout the home, aiming to compete with Amazon and Google.
The company is moving away from its traditional annual release cycle and exploring innovations like Apple Intelligence and Vision Pro integration for future products.
Additionally, the upcoming MacBook Pro surfaced early in Russia, and two key Apple executives are set to retire soon.
𝕏: Apple’s new MacBook Pro indeed shows up in Russia weeks before announcement. The packaging has the same wallpaper as last year’s M3 MacBook Pro — an odd and rare choice — but I am certain these machines are the real deal. - Mark Gurman (@markgurman)
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A utility promised to stop burning coal. Then Google and Meta came to town.
By Evan Halper via Washington Post
Residents of North Omaha were promised the closure of a 1950s-era coal plant to reduce air pollution, but the utility extended its use due to the energy demands of Google and Meta data centers.
The rapid growth of data centers, driven by AI computing, has caused a surge in electricity demand, delaying the shift to clean energy and keeping coal plants operational until at least 2026.
Critics argue that the tech companies' claim of net-zero emissions through distant renewable energy purchases does little to address the local pollution affecting Omaha's low-income, predominantly minority community.
𝕏: Data centers are consuming so much energy that a coal-fired power plant in Omaha that has long been polluting a low-income community is going to be kept open longer than planned. - Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis)
In latest move against WP Engine, WordPress takes control of ACF plugin
By Anthony Ha via TechCrunch
WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg announced the "forking" of Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) from WP Engine, rebranding it as Secure Custom Fields to address security concerns and remove commercial upsells.
WP Engine criticized the move as a violation of the WordPress community's ethics, claiming the plugin was forcibly taken without consent, marking a significant dispute in the platform's 21-year history.
This action is part of an ongoing conflict between WordPress and WP Engine, which includes legal battles over branding and accusations of unsustainable business practices by both sides.
𝕏: Matt Mullenweg saw how Sam Altman turned OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit and decided he was not being paid enough - Jordan O'Connor (@jdnoc)
Microsoft UK chief to head government's industrial strategy council
By Jim Pickard via Financial Times
Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK, has been appointed chair of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, which will advise the UK government on its industrial strategy in collaboration with businesses and unions.
The strategy, announced ahead of a major investment summit, will focus on eight key sectors, including tech, clean energy, and financial services, aiming to boost Britain's global competitiveness and attract investment.
Barclay's appointment reflects improving relations between Microsoft and the UK government, following a dispute over the Competition and Markets Authority's initial block of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition.
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