SPOTIFY AXES 17% OF WORKFORCE IN THIRD ROUND OF LAYOFFS THIS YEAR

Spotify says it’s axing 17% of its global workforce, the music streaming service’s third round of layoffs this year as it moves to slash costs while focusing on becoming profitable.

THE BEST ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SUV ALTERNATIVES

You can find all-wheel drive on most new SUVs on sale today, and some of the most popular models even come standard with this feature. All-wheel drive can be beneficial for the additional traction it provides on slippery or icy roads, especially when you’re trying to accelerate from a stop or up a hill. But what if you want all-wheel drive without the SUV? After all, SUVs are typically less fuel-efficient and more expensive than a comparably sized sedan or hatchback. Fortunately, there are options for shoppers seeking SUV alternatives with all-wheel drive. Experts have picked five of their favorites. The following prices include destination charges.

GRAND THEFT AUTO VI LEAK FOLLOWED BY AN OFFICIAL TRAILER WITH A TWIST: A RELEASE DATE OF 2025

The highly-anticipated trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI arrived a little early after a copy was leaked online.

BITCOIN HAS SURPASSED $41,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE APRIL 2022. WHAT'S BEHIND THE PRICE SURGE?

Bitcoin is once again having a moment. This week, the world’s largest cryptocurrency soared past $41,000 for the first time in over a year and a half — and marking a 150% rise so far this year.

TESLA'S DISRUPTIVE BREAKTHROUGH PRESE FOR THE PICKUP INDUSTRY

HYPE AND COMMOTION SURROUND THE MARQUE’S POTENTIAL GAMECHANGER

GM'S CRUISE ROBOTAXI SERVICE FACES FINE IN ALLEGED COVER-UP OF SAN FRANCISCO ACCIDENT'S SEVERITY

California regulators are alleging a San Francisco robotaxi service owned by General Motors covered up the severity of an accident involving one of its driverless cars, raising the specter they may add a fine to the recent suspension of its California license.

US UNVEILS GLOBAL STRATEGY TO COMMERCIALIZE FUSION AS SOURCE OF CLEAN ENERGY DURING COP28

The United States will work with other governments to speed up efforts to make nuclear fusion a new source of carbon-free energy, U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry said this week, the latest of many U.S. announcements aimed at combatting climate change.

FACEBOOK PARENT SUED BY NEW MEXICO ALLEGING IT HAS FAILED TO SHIELD CHILDREN FROM PREDATORS

Facebook and Instagram fail to protect underage users from exposure to child sexual abuse material and let adults solicit pornographic imagery from them, New Mexico’s attorney general alleges in a lawsuit that follows an undercover online investigation.

THE WHITE HOUSE IS THREATENING THE PATENTS OF HIGH-PRICED DRUGS DEVELOPED WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS

The Biden administration is putting pharmaceutical companies on notice, warning them that if the price of certain drugs is too high, the government might cancel their patent protection and allow rivals to make their own versions.

AMAZON'S INTERNAL PLANS TO ADVANCE ITS INTERESTS IN CALIFORNIA ARE LAID BARE IN LEAKED MEMO

An internal Amazon memo has provided a stark look at the company’s carefully laid out plans to grow its influence in Southern California through a plethora of efforts that include burnishing its reputation through charity work and pushing back against “labor agitation” from the Teamsters and other groups.

GOOGLE LAUNCHES GEMINI, UPPING THE STAKES IN THE GLOBAL AI RACE

Google took its next leap in artificial intelligence Wednesday with the launch of project Gemini, an AI model trained to behave in human-like ways that’s likely to intensify the debate about the technology’s potential promise and perils.

HOW DID HUMANS GET TO THE BRINK OF CRASHING CLIMATE?

Amidst record-high temperatures, deluges, droughts and wildfires, leaders are convening for another round of United Nations climate talks later this month that seek to curb the centuries-long trend of humans spewing ever more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

NISSAN WILL INVEST $1.4 BILLION TO MAKE EV VERSIONS OF ITS BEST-SELLING CARS AT ITS UK FACTORY

Nissan will invest $1.4 billion to update its factory in northeast England to make electric versions of its two best-selling cars, a boost for the British government as it tries to revive the country’s ailing economy.

NEW INCENTIVES COULD BOOST SATISFACTION WITH IN-PERSON WORK, BUT FEW EMPLOYERS ARE MAKING CHANGES

Justin Ryan Horton has two jobs. When he’s not putting in 24-hour shifts as a firefighter, the 22-year-old is working as an administrative assistant for a local community college from his home in Colorado Springs.

DISNEY'S MUSICAL FAIRY TALE 'WISH' IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT LACKING MAGIC

Walt Disney Animation’s “Wish” is stunning to look at with textured and rich watercolor-inspired animation and easter egg treasures for audiences nostalgic for the classics.

AMAZON LAUNCHES Q, A BUSINESS CHATBOT POWERED BY GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Amazon finally has its answer to ChatGPT.

THE BEST AUTOMOTIVE HANDS-FREE DRIVING SYSTEMS

While fully automated vehicles are still a ways off, the stepping stone of hands-free driving technology has become prevalent in the past few years.

CONNECTICUT LAWMAKERS SEEK COMPROMISE ON SWITCH TO ALL-ELECTRIC CARS, AFTER AMBITIOUS PLAN SCRAPPED

A compromise plan to eventually end the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in Connecticut could be worked out as early as next year’s legislative session, state lawmakers said.

FAKE AI-GENERATED WOMAN ON TECH CONFERENCE AGENDA LEADS MICROSOFT AND AMAZON EXECS TO DROP OUT

Tech executives at Microsoft and Amazon have dropped out of an upcoming software conference after at least one of the women on the agenda turned out to be fake.

COURT DOCUMENT CLAIMS META KNOWINGLY DESIGNED ITS PLATFORMS TO HOOK KIDS, REPORTS SAY

Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

GOOGLE WILL START DELETING 'INACTIVE' ACCOUNTS IN DECEMBER. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Have a Google account you haven’t used in a while? If you want to keep it from disappearing, you should sign in before the end of the week.

APPLE TO END CREDIT CARD PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDMAN SACHS

Apple is pulling the plug on its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Christmas Gifts

THE PERFECT PRESENT IDEAS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY & FRIENDS

Q&A: PENTAGON AI CHIEF ON NETWORK-CENTRIC WARFARE, GENERATIVE AI CHALLENGES

The Pentagon’s chief digital and artificial intelligence offer, Craig Martell, is alarmed by the potential for generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT to deceive and sow disinformation. His talk on the technology at the DefCon hacker convention in August was a huge hit. But he’s anything but sour on reliable AI.

PENTAGON'S AI INITIATIVES ACCELERATE HARD DECISIONS ON LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS

Artificial intelligence employed by the U.S. military has piloted pint-sized surveillance drones in special operations forces’ missions and helped Ukraine in its war against Russia. It tracks soldiers’ fitness, predicts when Air Force planes need maintenance and helps keep tabs on rivals in space.

NASCAR TO INCLUDE STREAMING IN NEW 7-YEAR MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL THAT WELCOMES AMAZON, TNT, AND MAX

NASCAR has added two new partners and streaming elements to a seven-year media rights deal announced Wednesday that will run from 2025 through the 2031 season.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS THE LATEST MEDIA COMPANY DAMAGED BY AN AI EXPERIMENT GONE WRONG

Computer-generated writers ... writing computer-generated stories?

THOUSANDS OF FAKE FACEBOOK ACCOUNTS SHUT DOWN BY META WERE PRIMED TO POLARIZE VOTERS AHEAD OF 2024

Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the U.S. ahead of next year’s elections, Meta said Thursday.

NEW TECHNOLOGY INSTALLED BENEATH DETROIT STREET CAN CHARGE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS THEY DRIVE

Crews have installed what’s billed as the nation’s first wireless-charging public roadway for electric vehicles beneath a street just west of downtown Detroit.

WHAT DOES SAM ALTMAN'S FIRING (AND QUICK REINSTATEMENT) MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF AI?

It’s been quite a week for ChatGPT-maker OpenAI — and co-founder Sam Altman.