Files from Tom Li
Microsoft is contemplating on adding ads into Windows 11’s File Explorer, Arm lays off employees amid talks of IPO, and the Israeli government becomes the target of a denial of service attack.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Wednesday, March 16th, and I’m your host, Samira Balsara.
Reports have been surfacing that Microsoft is planning to add ads into the File Explorer in Windows 11. Twitter user Florian B, who’s also a Windows Insider tester, found an ad message for the Microsoft Editor placed under the File Explorer’s search bar in the latest test build. This raised waves of questions on how Microsoft plans on implementing ads in other components in Windows. Microsoft eventually responded to the speculations after waves of media coverage, saying that the banner is experimental and wasn’t intended to be published externally. Still, even this small test still means Microsoft has at least some interest in placing ads in File Explorer.
After Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition of Arm went bust due to regulatory opposition, Softbank, Arm’s owner, is looking to file an initial public offering for the company, but not before a major layoff. According to Both the Telegraph and Bloomberg, the company CEO has allegedly told staff in a memo that it’s cutting between 12 to 15 per cent of its workforce, tallying to around 1,000 employees. The memo said that the company wants to ensure the “right balance between opportunities and cost.” Bloomberg says that most of the job cuts won’t affect the company’s engineers.
The Israeli government experienced a major distributed denial of service attack earlier this week, briefly knocking out several government websites. Several Israeli media reported that the affected sites included ministries of health, interior, justice and welfare, and the Prime Minister’s Office. Official sources have not revealed the identity of the attacker, saying only that it’s either a state actor or a large organization. Some have even speculated that the cyber attack was in retaliation for an alleged Israeli operation against an Iranian nuclear facility. The Israeli government is now investigating if any data has been stolen.
Now for something a bit different. Kawasaki showcased a robot goat that people can actually ride on. The goat, called Bex, can either walk on its hooves, or “sit” on the wheels on its knees and roll to get to places faster. The robot debuted at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo last week, coming with a steering bar and a 220 pound carrying capacity. In addition to being a hauler, Kawasaki also wants to use Bex as a remote inspection robot. Also, Engadget reports that the top half of the robot is modular, so fans of other animals may be able to customize their goat or switch it out for another animal entirely.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Samira Balsara.