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Doppler Labs, a startup that aimed to turn earbuds into computing devices, shut down in 2017 before bringing its vision to market. Many of the features it pioneered, such as audio augmentation and smart in-ear controls, later appeared in Apple's AirPods and competing products from other companies.
Billionaire investor Vinod Khosla is recruiting a new chief of staff, posting the opening on X to nearly two million views. The role requires in-person work in Menlo Park, California, availability from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. including nights and weekends, and a three-year commitment. Khosla's post did not list a salary, though Indeed data shows Bay Area chiefs of staff typically earn a median of $175,000.
Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak criticized the most ambitious players in the AI race, labeling them the 'lunatic fringe' of Silicon Valley. He argued Apple's slower, privacy-focused approach to AI features is deliberate, prioritizing useful tasks for everyday users over rapid, unconstrained advancement.
A former WIRED editor recounts how Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos secured favorable coverage across major outlets, starting with a 2013 Wall Street Journal opinion piece and followed by WIRED's own 2014 Q&A profile, plus features in Fortune, The New Yorker, and Inc. The piece traces how Holmes was repeatedly framed as the 'next Steve Jobs' before Theranos was later exposed as fraudulent.
A new documentary focused on Elizabeth Holmes, the convicted founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, is set to be released, prompting discussion over how it portrays her. Details of the film's content and distribution have not been fully disclosed in available reporting.
Local authorities in Milpitas, California have ordered operators of the 342-acre Newby Island landfill to deploy drones and install monitors to track chemicals causing persistent bad smells, and to automate collection of landfill gases. Residents, including engineer Chia-Ling Kong who has campaigned against the odours, say smells have lasted hours daily despite recent improvements. The landfill's operators say they are committed to safe operation and protecting air quality.
A new wave of films and documentaries, including 'The Social Reckoning' and a Musk documentary by Alex Gibney, dramatize and investigate the personal conduct of major tech executives. These productions draw on existing investigative journalism, such as Frances Haugen's whistleblower allegations against Meta, to portray figures like Mark Zuckerberg in a far less flattering light than earlier works like 'The Social Network'.
Fast Company reports that tech-industry-backed super PACs are spending tens of millions of dollars to influence midterm elections, yet their political advertisements largely avoid discussing artificial intelligence. The PACs are funded by donors with a stake in favorable AI policy, but their messaging focuses elsewhere.
Reports indicate that technology companies in Silicon Valley had already been increasing security measures against foreign spying before an arrest linked to OpenAI came to light. Separately, questions are being raised about restrictions placed on Ukraine's access to Starlink, and UBS is reportedly preparing for a significant strategic shift.
Federal authorities have accused Abdulrahman Alfozan, an engineer who worked at OpenAI, of concealing an audio recorder behind a television in a conference room used for sensitive meetings. Alfozan reportedly maintained connections in Saudi Arabia throughout his career in Silicon Valley, a detail investigators have highlighted in the case against him.
The FBI has arrested an OpenAI employee in connection with an espionage-related case, according to reporting on the matter. The arrest comes as AI companies in Silicon Valley have already been tightening security measures against spying, including the use of 'honey pots' and monitoring for insider threats.
Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar claimed on CBS's Face the Nation that some AI researchers have taken up smoking to signal their belief that AI will eventually cure cancer. He described this as a kind of 'mass psychosis' or social delusion within Silicon Valley's AI community, comparing faith in AGI to a substitute for religious belief.