ai ‘Black Mesa’: A painstaking recreation of ‘Half-Life’ that’s easy on the eyes By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 14:16:23 +0000 In keeping with the best video game remakes, “Black Mesa” is a perfect complement to your rose-tinted memories, with modern-day graphics and extensive level design tweaks. Full Article
ai ‘Girl With a Purell Earring’: How artists are tweaking famous paintings for our coronavirus era By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sat, 11 Apr 2020 10:00:16 +0000 Artists are creating social-distancing versions of Vermeer, da Vinci, Michelangelo and more. Full Article
ai ‘The Clone Wars’ proves yet again that Darth Maul is the most tragic Star Wars character By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:00:34 +0000 Darth Maul could have saved the galaxy in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars," and lived on in the movies. Neither happened. Full Article
ai News24.com | IMF releases $226 million to help Cameroon against virus By www.news24.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 11:20:57 +0200 The International Monetary Fund has approved a $226 million loan to help Cameroon to combat the coronavirus as it faced plunging oil revenues. Full Article
ai News24.com | Six killed as plane carrying coronavirus aid crashes in Somalia By www.news24.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 12:55:25 +0200 Former defence minister says cargo plane shot down as it tried to land in the southern town of Bardale. Full Article
ai News24.com | WATCH | Faithful undeterred at Ramadan, even as virus spreads in Somalia By www.news24.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:52:45 +0200 Adan Abdullahi knows that visiting the mosque for evening prayers is forbidden. There is a curfew in place in the Somali capital, and authorities have pleaded with worshippers to stay home as coronavirus infections rise. Full Article
ai UK to bring in two-week quarantine for air passengers By news.sky.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:40:00 +0100 Air passengers arriving in Britain will soon have to quarantine for a fortnight as part of a move to avoid a second peak of the coronavirus. Full Article
ai Google’s balloon project has a new test: Providing Internet access to ‘mountainous villagers’ in Kenya By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Fri, 05 Jul 2019 20:43:31 +0000 Loon — an Internet-providing balloon service owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company — will give “mountain villagers” in Kenya the opportunity to purchase 4G service. Full Article
ai How quickly can AI solve a Rubik’s Cube? In less time than it took you to read this headline. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 16 Jul 2019 19:20:59 +0000 The University of California announced that an artificial intelligent system has solved the puzzle in just over a second, besting the human world record by more than two seconds. Full Article
ai Ever wonder how much tech workers get paid in your town? This map might have the answer. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 11:00:09 +0000 Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business.org looked at 100 metro areas across the United States to rank average tech salaries. Full Article
ai Japanese researchers want to give granny a robotic monkey tail By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 20 Aug 2019 11:00:18 +0000 Japanese researchers at Keio University have unveiled a robotic tail that has been designed to be worn by elderly people who struggle to maintain their balance. Full Article
ai Zum, a ride-hailing company for kids, expands to six more U.S. cities, including D.C. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Fri, 30 Aug 2019 12:00:15 +0000 Zum announced that it is expanding to a half dozen other cities around the county, including San Diego, Miami, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago and the D.C. area. Full Article
ai Hyundai’s solution for navigating traffic-clogged cities: Mounting an electric scooter on your car By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2019 12:00:40 +0000 Hyundai, one of the world’s largest automakers, is exploring adding e-scooters to their vehicles. The company has released an e-scooter prototype that is charged using electricity produced while driving. Full Article
ai Istanbul’s new airport is one of the world’s largest. A fleet of humanoid robots is helping passengers find their way around. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 10:00:26 +0000 How do you help millions of passengers navigate one of the world's largest airports? In Turkey, the answer is a fleet of humanoid robots. Full Article
ai Tired of long lines? A Canadian grocery chain debuts Smart Carts with self-checkout. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 15:57:05 +0000 A Canadian grocery chain says its introducing a fleet of intelligent grocery carts that scan and weigh products as customers place them in the cart. Full Article
ai California has 33 million acres of forest. This company is training artificial intelligence to scour it all for wildfire. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 11:00:34 +0000 As fires tear across California, a Silicon Valley technology company believes artificial intelligence could be the key to preventing them in the future. Full Article
ai NFL Week 4 ATS picks: The Patriots are no sure thing against the Dolphins By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Sep 2018 13:39:46 +0000 New England has a negative point differential heading into Week 4 for the first time since 2008. Full Article
ai Rams QB Jared Goff is your top waiver wire priority for Week 5 By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 30 Sep 2018 23:54:20 +0000 Goff started the season with 941 yards and six touchdowns over his first three games then completed 26 of his 33 passes against the Minnesota Vikings for 465 yards and five touchdowns in Week 4. Full Article
ai Fantasy Football start/sit tips for Week 5: Start Redskins QB Alex Smith against the Saints By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Wed, 03 Oct 2018 14:20:12 +0000 Smith has lived up to expectations in 2018, completing 66 of 96 passes (career-high 69 percent) for 767 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Full Article
ai NFL Week 5 ATS picks: Packers prevail with Aaron Jones over Lions By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Thu, 04 Oct 2018 15:24:38 +0000 Contrarian bettors are off to their best start through the first four weeks of the season since 2003. Full Article
ai Jets WR Robby Anderson is your top waiver wire priority for Week 6 By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 07 Oct 2018 23:44:21 +0000 Anderson has had to face Darius Slay, Xavien Howard, Denzel Ward and Jalen Ramsey in coverage during the first four weeks of the season. Better days should be ahead, starting next week against the Colts. Full Article
ai Waiver wire targets: Add Ito Smith immediately By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:20:55 +0000 Ito Smith is a solid addition for teams seeking backfield depth. Full Article
ai Under Jon Gruden, the Raiders are disappearing into a statistical black hole By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 16 Oct 2018 15:22:00 +0000 A sputtering offense and a bad defense is causing the Raiders to be outscored by nearly eight points per game after adjusting for strength of schedule. Full Article
ai Fantasy Football start/sit tips for Week 7: Patriots' Sony Michel a smart play against the Bears By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Wed, 17 Oct 2018 14:14:46 +0000 Michel will face a Chicago Bears defense that stops opposing rushers a league-low 13 percent of the time. Full Article
ai Colts RB Marlon Mack is your top waiver wire priority for Week 8 By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 21 Oct 2018 20:52:36 +0000 Mack carried the ball 19 times for 126 yards and a touchdown and added two catches for 33 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the Bills. Full Article
ai Fantasy Football start/sit tips for Week 8: Expect a slow week from the Saints' Michael Thomas By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:09:08 +0000 Thomas and the Saints will have to contend with a Vikings defense that has limited No. 1 receivers to an average of 53 yards per game. Full Article
ai Week 9 fantasy football waiver wire is all about the passing game By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 28 Oct 2018 20:29:32 +0000 A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals) plus Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants) are among the top fantasy receivers off next week. Full Article
ai Fantasy Football start/sit tips Week 9: Adrian Peterson won’t slow down against the Falcons By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Wed, 31 Oct 2018 14:24:19 +0000 Six teams are on a bye this week, giving stars like Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Andrew Luck, Zach Ertz and A.J. Green the week off. Here are three players that could have big games in their stead. Full Article
ai NFL Week 9 ATS picks: Redskins and Rams will win again By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Nov 2018 13:01:17 +0000 According to Football Outsiders, Atlanta has the second-worst defense this season after adjusting its performance for strength of schedule. Full Article
ai Week 10 waiver wire: A reborn running back and a magical QB highlight top options By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 04 Nov 2018 21:39:17 +0000 The dismissal of coach Hue Jackson seems to have given Duke Johnson Jr. new life with the Browns. Full Article
ai Week 10 NFL betting tips: Saints trending up after big win over Rams By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 06 Nov 2018 14:56:33 +0000 The Saints' defense has some work to do — it is allowing 2.5 points per drive, fourth-most in the NFL — but New Orleans compensates for that by scoring 3.3 points per drive on offense, second-most after the Kansas City Chiefs. Full Article
ai Week 11 waiver wire moves: With six teams on a bye, here’s whom to add By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 11 Nov 2018 21:21:43 +0000 The Bills, Browns, Patriots, Jets and 49ers all have byes. That leaves a number of holes to plug in your fantasy lineup. Full Article
ai Week 12 waiver wire moves: A dual-threat QB and pass-catching RB are quite enticing By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 18 Nov 2018 21:26:30 +0000 Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and first round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, produced 117 rushing yards against the Bengals. Fantasy owners should take notice. Full Article
ai Week 13 waiver wire tips: A newly minted starting RB is available. Snag him. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Mon, 26 Nov 2018 00:43:59 +0000 The running back situation in Philadelphia is gaining clarity, and the starter is available in more than a third of fantasy leagues. Full Article
ai Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are going to get PAID. Machado should get paid more. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 27 Nov 2018 14:14:11 +0000 Harper has had one spectacular season — earning him a unanimous MVP award in 2015 — surrounded by some very good but not great years. Machado, on the other hand, projects more favorably and doesn't carry a significant liability. Full Article
ai Week 14 waiver wire tips: Pass-catching back, defense with weak schedule are available By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Mon, 03 Dec 2018 01:39:59 +0000 The Ravens' Ty Montgomery figures to take on a larger share of the workload in Baltimore over the remainder of the season. Full Article
ai Week 15 waiver wire tips: Two helpful defenses available for the fantasy football playoffs By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 09 Dec 2018 21:33:03 +0000 The fantasy football regular season has come to an end but that doesn’t make the waiver wire any less important, especially if you have been streaming quarterbacks and defenses to make it this far. Full Article
ai Harold Baines does not deserve a spot in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Period. By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 15:58:15 +0000 Baines, a six-time all-star, led the league in a batting category just once over a 22-year career. If that' the new bar for the Hall, it's time to talk about Freddy Garcia and Placido Polanco, too. (Note: It should never be time to talk about Freddy Garcia and Placido Polanco.) Full Article
ai Week 16 waiver wire tips: Surprisingly solid options to win your fantasy football league By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:20:33 +0000 Sleep easy knowing that no matter what next week’s injury report reveals, you will have the players you need to secure a year’s worth of bragging rights. Full Article
ai Week 16 NFL betting tips: Chargers and Bears are peaking while Saints and Rams fade By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:42:20 +0000 The Chargers have clinched a playoff spot yet they could start the postseason in two very different ways. Full Article
ai COVID-19 has ravaged ride-hailing companies, but an industry watcher says the crisis could make Uber stronger (UBER) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:32:00 -0400 While ride-hailing has suffered from the impact of COVID-19, Uber is in a good position to survive the crisis, three analysts who cover the company told Business Insider. Uber is in no danger of running of out money anytime soon, said Mark Mahaney, a managing director at RBC Capital Markets. And a series of cost-cutting moves should make the company profitable by next year, said Dan Ives, a managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities. Uber's food-delivery service, Uber Eats, gives the company an advantage over ride-hailing competitors, since it allows homebound consumers to keep using its app, said Tom White, a senior research analyst at DA Davidson. Are you a current or former Uber employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The ride-hailing industry has taken a major hit from COVID-19 as potential customers remain confined to their homes, but Uber is in a good position to survive the crisis, three analysts who cover the company said. "Their business model will be intact on the other side of this," said Dan Ives, a managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities. A strong cash reserve will help. After ending the first quarter with $9 billion in cash and short-term investments, Uber has the resources to survive a scenario in which the prevalence of COVID-19 and its effect on consumer behavior last for the next two years, said Mark Mahaney, a managing director at RBC Capital Markets. On Thursday, Uber disclosed its first-quarter financial results, reporting an adjusted loss of $2.9 billion on revenue of $3.5 billion during the first three months of this year. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on a call with analysts that the ride-hailing company would cut $1 billion in fixed costs. The company has recently removed its food-delivery service — Uber Eats — from eight unprofitable markets, folded its electric bike and scooter business into Lime (Uber recently led a $170 million investment round in the company), and announced it will lay off about 14% of its workforce. Those moves should help Uber become profitable in 2021 (the company predicted in February that it would turn a profit by the end of this year), Ives said. Uber's management, which had struggled in the wake of the company's 2019 IPO, has performed well in the current crisis by being transparent with investors and quickly moving to reduce expenses, Ives said. Investors signaled their approval of the company's strategy by sending shares up as much as 8% in after-hours trading on Thursday. Uber Eats was one of the highlights of the company's first-quarter results, said Tom White, a senior research analyst at DA Davidson, as gross bookings grew 52% from the first quarter of 2019 to $4.7 billion. Eats gives Uber an advantage over ride-hailing competitors that don't have a similar service, as it allows the company to keep homebound consumers using its app, White said. Even after the toll of COVID-19 begins to subside, demand for online food delivery could see continued growth, he added. But there are still challenges ahead for Uber. The company said rides fell by as much as 80% in April, and Ives projects that 30% of the customers for gig-economy companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Lyft won't use a ride-hailing service until there's a vaccine for COVID-19. Yet the pandemic could leave Uber better off in the long run, White said. "I saw and heard enough [during Uber's first-quarter earnings call] that makes it harder and harder for me to think that these guys don't emerge from this pandemic probably in a stronger competitive position and a healthier and leaner operating position," he said. Are you a current or former Uber employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com. Read more: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says drivers should receive tiered healthcare benefits based on how many hours they work, and that the company would pay for it SoftBank-backed companies laid off more than 3,700 people in 2020 and more than 7,000 in the past year Uber reveals first-quarter losses of $2.9 billion because of the coronavirus — but says business is starting to pick up again Lyft surges 17% after posting a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss as coronavirus hit the ride-hailing industry SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's theater of the absurd is a sign of the times for tech Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America Full Article
ai Facebook's fight against coronavirus misinformation could boost pressure on the company to get more aggressive in removing other falsehoods spreading across the social network (FB) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 09:12:00 -0400 Facebook is taking a harder line on misinformation related to coronavirus than it has on other health topics in the past. This decision may increase the pressure on the company to act more decisively against other forms of harmful falsehoods that spread on its social networks. Facebook is banning events that promote flouting lockdown protests, and is removing the conspiracy theory video "Plandemic." But false claims that vaccines are dangerous still proliferate on Facebook — even though they contribute to the deaths of children. Amid the pandemic, Facebook is taking a harder line on misinformation than it has in the past. That decision may come back to haunt it. As coronavirus has wreaked havoc across the globe, forcing lockdowns and disrupting economies, false information and hoaxes have spread like wildfire on social media. Miracle cures, intentional disinformation about government policies, and wild claims that Bill Gates orchestrated the entire health crisis abound. In the past, Facebook has been heavily criticised for failing to take action to stop its platform being used to facilitate the spread of misinformation. To be sure, coronavirus falsehoods are still easily found on Facebook — but the company has taken more decisive action than in previous years: For starters, Facebook is now displaying warning messages to people who have shared false information about COVID-19. They're imperfect — Stat reported that they may be too vague in their wording to have a major impact — but it's a step further than Facebook has taken on misinformation in the past. The company is also taking down event pages for events that reject mainstream science on coronavirus by calling on people to flout lockdown rules. And it is banning "Plandemic," a conspiratorial video about coronavirus that has been going viral on social media and contains numerous falsehoods. But Facebook's actions to combat COVID-19 misinformation may backfire — in the sense that it has the potential to dramatically increase pressure on the company to take stronger action against other forms of misinformation. The company has long struggled with how to handle fake news and hoaxes; historically, its approach is not to delete them, but to try to artificially stifle their reach via algorithmic tweaks. Despite this, pseudoscience, anti-government conspiracy theories, and other falsehoods still abound on the social network. Facebook has now demonstrated that it is willing to take more decisive action on misinformation, when the stakes are high enough. Its critics may subsequently ask why it is so reticent to combat the issue when it causes harm in other areas — particularly around other medical misinformation. One expected defence for Facebook? That it is focused on taking down content that causes "imminent harm," and while COVID-19 misinformation falls into that category, lots of other sorts of falsehoods don't. However, using "imminence" as the barometer of acceptability is dubious: Vaccine denialism directly results in the deaths of babies and children. That this harm isn't "imminent" doesn't make it any less dangerous — but, for now, such material is freely posted on Facebook. Far-right conspiracy theories like Pizzagate, and more recent, Qanon, have also spread on Facebook — stoking baseless fears of shadowy cabals secretly controlling the government. These theories don't intrinsically incite harm, but have been linked to multiple acts of violence, from a Pizzagate believer firing his weapon in a pizza parlour to the Qanon-linked killing of a Gambino crime boss. (Earlier this week, Facebook did take down some popular QAnon pages — but for breaking its rules on fake profiles, rather than disinformation.) And Facebook is still full of groups rallying against 5G technology, making evidence-free claims about its health effects (and now, sometimes linking it to coronavirus in a messy web). These posts exist on a continuum, with believers at the extreme end attempting to burn down radio towers and assault technicians; Facebook does take down such incitements to violence, but the more general fearmongering that can act as a gateway to more extreme action remains. This week, Facebook announced the first 20 members of its Oversight Board — a "Supreme Court"-style entity that will review reports from users make rulings as to what objectionable content is and isn't allowed on Facebook and Instagram, with — in theory — the power to overrule the company. It remains to be seen whether its decisions may affect the company's approach for misinformation, and it still needs to appoint the rest of its members and get up and running. For now, limits remain in place as to what Facebook will countenance in its fight against coronavirus-specific misinformation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would immediately take down posts advertising dangerous false cures to COVID-19, like drinking bleach. It is "obviously going to create imminent harm," he said in March. "That is just in a completely different class of content than the back-and-forth accusations a candidate might make in an election." But in April, President Donald Trump suggested that people might try injecting a "disinfectant" as a cure, which both has the potential to be extremely harmful, and will not cure coronavirus. Facebook is not taking down video of his comments. Do you work at Facebook? Contact Business Insider reporter Rob Price via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 650-636-6268), encrypted email (robaeprice@protonmail.com), standard email (rprice@businessinsider.com), Telegram/Wickr/WeChat (robaeprice), or Twitter DM (@robaeprice). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by standard email only, please.SEE ALSO: Facebook announced the first 20 members of its oversight board that will decide what controversial content is allowed on Facebook and Instagram Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: A cleaning expert reveals her 3-step method for cleaning your entire home quickly Full Article
ai Meet the 10 Oracle execs backing CEO Safra Catz and founder Larry Ellison in the tech giant's cloud offensive against Amazon, Microsoft, and Google (ORCL) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 09:30:00 -0400 Oracle's bid to become a bigger player in the cloud has become more aggressive in the COVID-19 crisis, highlighted by a new partnership with Zoom. The tech giant is up against stronger rivals led by Amazon, Microsoft and Google, but the need for more cloud capacity sparked by the sudden pivot to remote work has created opportunities for the Silicon Valley behemoth. Here are the 10 Oracle executives who are playing key roles in CEO Safra Catz and founder Larry Ellison bold cloud offensive. Click here for more BI Prime stories. Oracle has been through some jarring changes in the last seven months. The tech giant lost a well-regarded and experienced co-CEO when Mark Hurd died in October after taking leave for health reasons, leaving Safra Catz as the solo CEO. Now, like other major tech companies, Oracle is grappling with the impact of the coronavirus crisis. But Oracle has been through tough times in its 43-year history. In fact, the Silicon Valley giant has been known to seize opportunities during rough spots. It's already seen some success during this crisis, too: Oracle just scored a big win when videoconferencing company Zoom — suddenly facing a surge in demand — chose to expand on Oracle Cloud, instead of other platforms like top cloud provider Amazon. Oracle is generally considered a smaller player in the cloud wars, behind giants Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba. Yes, Oracle still has a long way to go to match its rivals' reach, but its strategy of expanding its capacity by building more data centers seems to be paying off, IDC President Crawford Del Prete told Business Insider. That increased capacity and Oracle's "world class" applications are key in the cloud words, Del Prete said: "Oracle is one of the few companies able to deliver both at scale in order to compete." While Catz and founder, executive chairman, and chief technology officer Larry Ellison the lead company, they're also relying on key top executives, including cloud veterans from rival Amazon, to advance Oracle's cloud strategy. Nearly all are white men, something Oracle has criticized for in the past: Over 30 members of Congress slammed the company late last year about the lack of diversity in its leadership team and on its board. Meet the 10 top executives playing important roles in Oracle's cloud offensive:SEE ALSO: Oracle is known for making bold M&A moves in a recession and it's sitting on a fresh $20 billion. Here are the 7 companies experts think it could acquire as the coronavirus crisis drives down valuations SEE ALSO: Experts lay out five moves that Oracle founder Larry Ellison, one of tech's best tacticians, might take in a coronavirus-driven downturn Don Johnson left Amazon to focus on Oracle's cloud infrastructure. Title: Executive vice president, cloud infrastructure Reports to: Larry Ellison Johnson played a key role in Amazon's dramatic expansion in the cloud before joining Oracle in 2014. He was instrumental in setting up Oracle's cloud engineering development center in Seattle and in the tech giant's expanding data center footprint. Johnson has also led another major Oracle initiative: forming a cloud partnership with Microsoft. Oracle's chief corporate architect Edward Screven has been with the company since 1986. Title: Chief corporate architect Reports to: Larry Ellison Screven is an Oracle veteran who helped lead the company through all of the major industry changes of the past 30 years. He admits that cloud market-leader Amazon had a head start, but says that there are benefits to following it. "We definitely started after Amazon: The bad news is they have market share, the good news is we get to learn a lot," he told Business Insider in an interview in May 2019. "Mindshare, that may be their biggest asset. But there is no technology they have that is concerning to me at all." As one of Oracle's top technologists, he's focused on making Oracle's cloud infrastructure more secure, with more sophisticated and efficient ways to manage data. "We have hundreds of thousands of customers that store their most important data in Oracle databases," Screven said. "We could do a far better job for them than any other cloud provider. We are doing a far better job for them." Clay Magouyrk leads cloud infrastructure engineering and played a key role in forging Oracle's new alliance with Zoom. Title: Executive vice president, cloud infrastructure engineering Reports to: Don Johnson Magouyrk is another veteran of Amazon Web Services who joined the Oracle team in Seattle in 2014. He was Oracle's point-man in forging its new partnership with Zoom, which was seen as a major victory for Oracle. "They needed capacity," Magouyrk told Business Insider last month "They reached out to us and we were like, 'Awesome, we can work with you.' Within a day, we had their application up and running." Magouyrk was a founding team member of Oracle's cloud engineering development center in Seattle, which is spearheading the company's cloud infrastructure efforts. Ariel Kelman left Amazon Web Services to become Oracle's chief marketing officer. Title: Chief Marketing Officer Reports to: Safra Catz One of the biggest hurdles for Oracle is the public perception that it's a minor player in the cloud. In other words, it's a marketing problem. This is where Kelman comes in. Before Oracle brought him on board in January 2020, Kelman led rival Amazon's cloud marketing efforts, and served as a marketing executive at Salesforce for six years before that. "Ariel is a super smart hire for Oracle," analyst Ray Wang of Constellation Research told Business Insider. "He brings the cred in the market and understands how to counter all of Amazon's tactics and long-term strategy. He has the ear of Larry and Safra and is making progress with some great hires on his team." Juergen Lindner left SAP to lead Oracle's software-as-a-service marketing strategy. Title: Senior vice president, software-as-a-service marketing Reports to: Ariel Kelman, chief marketing officer Lindner spent most of his career helping SAP outsell Oracle in the traditional business software market: both dominated teh market for software installed in private data centers. He switched sides and roles four years ago to support Oracle's bid to become a stronger player in cloud software, also referred to as software-as-a-service, where businesses access applications through cloud platforms and pay via a subscription, usually based on the number of users granted access. Lindner has said it became clear to him that Oracle had a better strategy for the cloud-software era. "Oracle has architected a very sustainable cloud infrastructure and applications strategy," he told Business Insider last year. Steve Daheb left Citrix to lead Oracle's cloud marketing strategy. Title: Senior vice president, cloud go-to-market Reports to: Ashley Hart, senior vice president, global marketing cloud platform and database Daheb joined Oracle in 2015 after serving as the chief marketing officer of Citrix, a cloud pioneer that first let businesses set up computing networks on web-based platforms instead of on-premise data centers, leading to dramatic IT cost savings. Daheb witnessed the unexpected rise of Amazon in cloud computing, which began in the early : 2000s when the online retail giant realized it could make some extra money by giving businesses access to its massive but underutilized computing infrastructure, hosted from its data centers. "Amazon had spare computing resources to rent out," he told Business Insider last year. "It's like, 'Hey, man, I got an extra room in the house during the summer when it's not spike retail time. There's nobody in there, so why don't I put this thing on Airbnb and see if anybody wants it?'" Amazon Web Services has led the industry ever since. Like others on the Oracle team, Daheb thinks the software giant's technology and track record of working with major players across industries will eventually propel it to the front of the cloud pack. "There's a level of understanding we have and a level of empathy we have for enterprise users: We serve the major banks, we serve transportation, we serve healthcare," he said. "We brought this enterprise mentality to it." Juan Loaiza, who has been with Oracle since 1988, is in charge of mission-critical database technologies. Title: Executive vice president, mission-critical database technologies Reports to: Larry Ellison Loaiza is another Oracle veteran who has been with the company for more than 30 years and is currently focused on its bid to expand the reach of its flagship database product. The tech giant's cloud-based automated data-management platform Autonomous Database uses machine learning to quickly repair and update itself.Loaiza has compared the status of this fairly new initiative to the development of the self-driving car: "It took a long time to get to a point where we are now and say, 'The next step is a self-driving car,'" he told Business Insider last year. "It's got to be safe. It has to have seatbelts and airbags and a navigation system. All that stuff was necessary before you take it to the next stage." The database is ready for that next stage. Jason Williamson left Amazon to lead Oracle's outreach to startups. Title: Vice president, Oracle for Startups Reports to: Mamei Sun, Ellison's chief of staff Startups have played an important role in the growth of cloud computing and Oracle has launched a big push to establish closer ties with these smaller companies, given that they could eventually become the biggest power players. Williamson has been the company's point-man in this effort, as he develops ways to make Oracle's products and services more accessible to startups. Williamson is another veteran of Amazon Web Services where he led the cloud giant's private-equity team before joining Oracle in 2017. Evan Goldberg cofounded NetSuite, which is now part of Oracle. Title: Executive vice president, NetSuite Reports to: Safra Catz Goldberg is part of the elite club of Oracle alums who went on to launch successful enterprise-software companies. (Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is perhaps the best-known.) Goldberg left a long career at Oracle in the late 1990s to launch NetSuite, a cloud-based provider of financial- and accounting-management services. He was the chief technology officer alongside CEO Zach Nelson, another Oracle alum, and Ellison was actually one of their early backers. Oracle acquired the company in 2016 and it now has more than 18,000 customers. Steve Miranda has been with Oracle since 1992 and leads cloud-applications development. Title: Executive vice president, applications product development Reports to: Ellison Miranda is an Oracle veteran in charge of different aspects of the company's cloud-software business, including product development and strategy. This covers applications used for major business operations, like supply-chain management, human resources, and enterprise performance management. Full Article
ai Elon Musk says Tesla will 'immediately' leave California after coronavirus shutdowns forced the company to close its main car factory (TSLA) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 13:34:00 -0400 Elon Musk says Tesla may leave its Palo Alto headquarters and Fremont, California factory. In a tweet Saturday morning, the chief executive continued his outrage against shelter-in-place orders that have forced most non-essential businesses to close. Last week, Musk likened the rules to fascism, and urged leaders to "give people their goddamn freedom back." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. After a week of decrying coronavirus shelter-in-place orders that have left Tesla's main factory shuttered and unable to produce vehicles, Elon Musk says the company may move its factory out of the state. "Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately," the chief executive said on Twitter Saturday morning. "The unelected & ignorant 'Interim Health Officer' of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!" That was followed up with a threat to move Tesla's headquarters outside the state. "Frankly, this is the final straw," he replied. "Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA." Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependen on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2020 It wasn't immediately clear if a suit had yet been filed, or in which court Tesla will file the lawsuit. Most state and federal courts are closed on weekends and do not allow filing. In a subsequent Tweet, Musk alsourged shareholders to file a class action suit for damages caused by shutdown. Tesla's press relations department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alameda County did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alameda County — the East Bay locale which includes Fremont, California, and Tesla's gigafactory about 30 miles southeast of San Francisco — extended its shelter-in-place order on April 29 "until further notice." Local authorities have not allowed Tesla to reopen the factory, and all manufacturing remains prohibited under the order. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Tesla was planning to resume some manufacturing operations at the factory as soon as last Wednesday, May 6. Local officials said it did not have permission to do so. "Right now, the same health order is in place so nothing has changed," Fremont Police Department spokeswoman Geneva Bosques told Business Insider at the time. "Operating the assembly line was determined early on to be a violation." Last week, following Tesla's first-quarter earnings announcement, Musk decried the shutdowns as a substantial risk to the company's financials. "Frankly, I would call it forcible imprisoning of people in their homes against all of, their constitutional rights, in my opinion," he said on a conference call. "It's breaking people's freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong and not why they came to America or built this country. What the f---. Excuse me. Outrage. Outrage." "If somebody wants to stay in their house, that's great and they should be able to," he continued. "But to say they cannot leave their house and that they will be arrested if they do, that's fascist. That is not democratic — this is not freedom. Give people back their goddamn freedom." Some states, including Texas, Georgia, and others, have begun to slowly allow certain businesses to re-open in recent weeks. Musk praised counties neighboring Alameda, like San Joaquin for what he said were more "reasonable" responses. In a podcast released May 7, he told Joe Rogan that the company had learned from the coronavirus in China, where it briefly forced Tesla to close its Shanghai factory — a claim he repeated on Twitter Saturday. "Our castings foundry and other faculties in San Joaquin have been working 24/7 this entire time with no ill effects. Same with Giga Nevada," Musk said. "Tesla knows far more about what needs to be done to be safe through our Tesla China factory experience than an (unelected) interim junior official in Alameda County." As Musk began to complain about factory shutdowns in April, workers at Tesla's Fremont factory told Business Insider that the comments made them anxious. "I'm for going back to work, but only if it is safe for me, my family, coworkers," said one production employee. "I don't feel like I'm being forced to stay home or that my freedom has been taken away. It's for the good of California."Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: A cleaning expert reveals her 3-step method for cleaning your entire home quickly Full Article
ai Former Superman and 'FBI Lovebirds’ star Dean Cain explains where he falls politically By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Fri, 14 Jun 2019 21:36:07 +0000 Dean Cain is one of the rare Hollywood stars that doesn’t fall into the category of liberal. But don’t call him a conservative either. Full Article
ai Presidential hopefuls swap the campaign trail for the field at Congressional Women’s Softball Game By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Thu, 20 Jun 2019 20:25:45 +0000 The Members team ultimately fell 10-4 to the press team, despite valiant efforts from players such as 2020 presidential hopeful and team pitcher Kirsten Gillibrand. Full Article
ai Sarah Sanders may be joining an exclusive group of ex-Trump aides By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Mon, 01 Jul 2019 18:40:57 +0000 The former press secretary is reportedly writing a book about her tenure — adding to a growing list of White House advisers with stories to sell. Full Article
ai The Scene: D.C. restaurant workers let down their hair and celebrate at the 2019 RAMMY Awards By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 02 Jul 2019 17:57:00 +0000 Washington's service industry professionals left their bars and restaurants on Sunday to celebrate the 37th annual event. Full Article
ai Cory Booker and his ‘boo,’ Rosario Dawson, take their relationship on the campaign trail By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Sun, 07 Jul 2019 16:51:34 +0000 Low-key no longer: The presidential candidate and his actress girlfriend appeared together at public events over the holiday weekend. Full Article
ai Pete Buttigieg may have stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Aniston to thank for his fundraising haul By www.washingtonpost.com Published On :: Tue, 16 Jul 2019 17:51:58 +0000 The small town mayor is raking in some cash from A-list donors. Full Article