Posts by Nathan Pine
Amazon pressured Levi’s, other retailers to hike prices, California A.G. says
Amazon wanted to sell Levi’s Easy Khaki Classic pants for $29.99, but Walmart had lowered the price, and the giant online retailer had matched it at $25.47 to $26.99. But Amazon wasn’t happy. It subsequently contacted Levi Strauss, asking the San Francisco apparel company to convince Walmart to raise its price, according to a document…
Read MoreCalifornia’s gas prices push Uber and Lyft drivers off the road
The highest gas prices in the country are making it tougher for some gig drivers to make a living. Gas prices have shot up amid the war in the Middle East. On average, California gas prices are the most expensive in the United States, according to data from the American Automobile Assn. The average price…
Read MoreThis Long Beach startup says it has a patch for California’s power problems
Many companies in California struggle to get enough electricity to power their growing businesses. One Long Beach startup just raised $26 million for what it says is a quick fix for that problem. There are limits on how much power each company can draw from the public power grid so fast-growing industries can’t just crank…
Read MoreHow Waymo and Waze are pitching in to help solve L.A.’s pothole problem
Waze and Waymo are teaming up to help combat Los Angeles’ growing pothole problem. The companies announced a program that will use Waymo’s self-driving cars to better detect potholes in the city. The data will be available to city officials through Waze’s traffic data-sharing platform, according to a news release last week. The number of…
Read MoreCommentary: Wipe out a ‘civilization’? Minor stuff compared with what just happened in AI
While many of us were worried in recent days about our president ending a “whole civilization,” one Silicon Valley tech company was warning, without much notice, it might accidentally disrupt all civilization as we know it. The San Francisco technology company Anthrophic announced Tuesday that it wasn’t releasing a new version of its Claude AI…
Read MoreMeta, Oracle and Qualcomm share details on layoffs across California
Tech behemoths, including Oracle and Meta Platforms, are laying off hundreds of California workers as they invest heavily in artificial intelligence. Some of the top companies in tech that already had announced big plans to lay off thousands have revealed more details about where they are cutting in recent government filings. Software giant Oracle has…
Read MoreIran attempting cyberattacks against critical U.S. infrastructure, officials say
WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence agencies are “urgently warning” private-sector companies nationwide that Iranian actors are conducting cyber operations targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, a campaign that has already caused disruptions, according to a government notice. The activity comes as President Trump threatened Iran’s infrastructure, particularly its bridges and power plants. Iran’s attack targeted products by Rockwell Automation’s Allen-Bradley,…
Read MoreContributor: Investigate the AI campaigns flooding public agencies with fake comments
California built its tradition of open government — including for citizen boards that set the rules for such functions as automotive repair and security guard licensing — precisely to keep well-funded corporate interests in check. Lobbyists and special interests are constantly scheming to defeat the will of the majority. Now they are able to do…
Read MoreA $17-million bet brought ChatGPT to CSU campuses. A year later, AI distrust leaves many divided
California State University’s controversial $17-million deal to provide ChatGPT to every one of its campuses has been met with mixed results, with wide but uneven use across the system, high distrust of AI-generated content and broad fears that the technology could imperil job security — even as people say they want more training in systems…
Read MoreHow the landmark verdict against Meta and YouTube could hit their businesses
A Los Angeles jury dealt a blow to social media giants Meta and YouTube this week when it found that the platforms were negligent for designing addictive features that harmed the mental health of a California woman. Both companies plan to appeal, but the ruling has ignited uncertainty around the tech companies’ future and sparked…
Read MoreCalifornia bill would require parent bloggers to delete content of minors on social media
As the daughter of a social media influencer, Caymi Barrett said she navigates life within a digital footprint she wished never existed. “Everything my mom posted is still on social media,” she said. “Photos I wish never saw the light of day, private details about my health, even when I started my first menstrual cycle.”…
Read MoreSony and Honda pull plug on the $100,000 EV that was set to debut in California
As major automakers pare back their EV offerings, Sony and Honda are scrapping their plans to launch a gadget-packed electric vehicle. The move by Sony Honda Mobility comes weeks after Honda announced a $15.7-billion write-down of its EV business and said it would cancel planned production for three of its own electric models. Sony Honda…
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