**The Great Plumber Shortage: How AI Data Centers are Putting the Squeeze on Skilled Trades** Have you ever heard the phrase “the tech industry’s insatiable appetite”? It’s a real thing, folks, and it’s causing a major headache for contractors and skilled tradespeople everywhere. Specifically, I’m talking about the plumber shortage. As data centers continue to sprout up left and right, the demand for skilled tradespeople like electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians is going through the roof. But, here’s the thing, there just aren’t enough qualified workers to keep up with the pace of construction. It’s a supply-and-demand issue, and it’s…
Author: Naveed Ahmad
Wikipedia Turns 25: The Online Encyclopedia’s Big Birthday Bash and New Partnerships with AI Tech Giants Can you believe it’s been 25 years since the internet’s most beloved hub of knowledge, Wikipedia, was born? To celebrate this milestone, the Wikimedia Foundation dropped some major news: a series of new partnerships with AI tech companies, all revolving around their industrial product, Wikimedia Enterprise. So, what is Wikimedia Enterprise, you ask? It’s a platform that allows for the large-scale reuse and distribution of Wikipedia content, as well as content from other Wikimedia projects. And the companies they’ve partnered with? We’re talking the…
Breaking News: Jen Easterly, Former CISA Director, Takes the Helm at RSAC Convention Get ready for a major shake-up in the cybersecurity world! Jen Easterly, a seasoned cybersecurity veteran with a rich background in both public and private sectors, has just been appointed CEO of RSAC Convention. This is huge news, folks, and I’m excited to dive in and share the details. For those who might not be familiar, Easterly comes from a strong background, having served as the Director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Agency (CISA) for over three years. Prior to that, she was the Global…
**Breaking News: WhatsApp Reverses Stance on Third-Party Chatbots in Brazil – But What Does it Mean for Users?** Just when we thought we knew where things were headed, WhatsApp has done a 180 with its policy on third-party chatbots in Brazil. In a surprise move, the company has announced that it will allow AI providers to continue offering their chatbots to users with Brazilian phone numbers, despite the country’s competition regulator ordering it to suspend its new policy. As of today, the 90-day grace period has begun, giving developers and AI providers the chance to stop responding to user queries…
**China’s On the Rise: Join Our Livestream Discussion on January 21** Are you tired of feeling like you’re stuck in neutral while China drives by with the latest tech innovations? You’re not alone! From renewable energy to robotics and electric cars, China’s making waves and it’s time to dive deeper into what it means for our future. Here at WIRED, we’re jumping into the China challenge and we want you to join the conversation! On January 21 at 12pm ET / 9am PT, we’re hosting a subscriber-only livestream that’ll give you the inside scoop on China’s dominance in tech. Don’t…
**Google Trends Just Got a Whole Lot Smarter: Here’s What You Need to Know** Hey there, folks! If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for ways to level up your research game. And, let’s be real, Google Trends is one of those tools that’s like having a magic crystal ball in your toolkit. But, we’re not just talking about a minor tweak here – Google’s just given Trends a serious upgrade, and it’s all thanks to their AI-powered buddy, Gemini. **What’s New and Improved** The revamped Trends Explore page is rolling out on desktop now, and trust…
**Wikipedia at 25: The Online Encyclopedia’s Existential Threats Come Home to Roost** It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since Wikipedia first burst onto the scene as the free online encyclopedia that would change the way we access information forever. But when I say “forever,” I mean it. In the age of Google and AI, the site’s relevance is being tested like never before. Let’s flash back to 2010 when the FBI sent Wikipedia a stern letter demanding they remove all references to the FBI’s branding from their entry. The wiki lawyers pushed back, and the FBI eventually backed…
Microsoft’s Big Bet on Carbon Removal: A Deal with India-Based Varaha In a move to accelerate its carbon-negative journey by 2030, Microsoft has just signed a whopping deal with Indian startup Varaha to buy over 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits over the next three years. This massive agreement is part of the tech giant’s efforts to scale up its AI and cloud operations while reducing its carbon footprint. So, what’s the deal all about? Varaha will convert cotton crop waste into biochar, a charcoal-like material that can be added to soil to store carbon for long periods while…
**Revolutionizing Language Models: Introducing Engram, a Conditional Memory Axis** In a landmark innovation, researchers at DeepSeek.ai have unveiled Engram, a game-changing technology that’s poised to transform the field of Sparse Large Language Models (LLMs). Engram is designed to revolutionize memory storage and retrieval in LLMs, unleashing new possibilities for efficient and effective language processing. **How Engram Enhances DeepSeek Transformers** Engram is built on top of the powerful DeepSeek V3 tokenizer, which has been pre-trained on an impressive 262 billion tokens. The backbone of the model is a 30-block Transformer with a hidden size of 2560 and Multi-head Latent Attention. Engram…
**Digg’s Back: The Revival of a Social Media Classic** Ah, nostalgia! Remember Digg, the pioneering social media platform that once shook up the internet with its addictive score system and community-driven news aggregation? Yeah, that Digg is back, and it’s looking to take a swing at the current king of the internet hangouts, Reddit. Under the guidance of co-founders Kevin Rose and Alexis Ohanian (yes, that Alexis Ohanian), Digg 2.0 is poised to relaunch in an open beta tomorrow, January 15th. This time around, the platform is all about fostering community and tackling the toxic elements that often plague social…