Tech Digest daily roundup: Extinction Rebellion target Amazon UK depots
Protests are being staged at Amazon buildings in the UK, US, and Europe – on Black Friday. The shopping sales day is among Amazon’s busiest all year. An international coalition of unions, equality and environmental groups called “Make Amazon Pay” is staging a day of action, demanding concessions. Meanwhile, the Extinction Rebellion environmental group has targeted Amazon depots in the UK, blocking entrances and access roads. The group has blocked Amazon centres in Tilbury, Essex, and at Avonmouth near Bristol, according to reporters on the scene. It says it is also staging action in Manchester, Newcastle, and abroad in Germany and Netherlands. In all, it says it has blockaded 15 centres – 13 of which are in the UK. BBC
Finding a route across the channel is as easy as typing “smuggler” into Facebook. Far from being a hidden world, Sky News has found that a network of smugglers is operating openly on the social media platform. Routes into Europe and the UK are regularly highlighted, with posts featuring images of the Union Jack and Big Ben. One smuggler even claimed he would be able to make customers a British passport. It comes as 27 people died while attempting to cross the Channel, one of the worst death tolls in recent years. Sky News
Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset will be powered by two processors, according to renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In Kuo’s latest research report seen by MacRumors and 9to5Mac, the analyst said that the device will have a main processor with the same computing power as the M1 chip and a secondary processor to handle all sensor-related computing. With both processors in place, the headset won’t need to be tethered to an iPhone or a Mac. The device will be able to provide not just augmented, but also virtual reality experiences, Kuo said, thanks to a pair of 4K Micro OLED displays from Sony. Engadget
Search engine giant Google has offered new proposals on the way it uses customer data following an intervention by the competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it has laid out a series of commitments from Google over its Privacy Sandbox plans that risked squeezing competition by removing third-party cookies and other functionalities from its Chrome browser. Investigators raised concerns that plans by Google to hide data – in the name of privacy – would impede competition in digital advertising markets. This could have caused advertising spending to become even more concentrated on Google, harming consumers who ultimately pay for the cost of advertising, the CMA said. Yahoo!
Samsung said it plans to build a $17 billion semiconductor factory outside of Austin, Texas, amid a global shortage of chips used in phones, cars and other electronic devices. “This is the largest foreign direct investment in the state of Texas, ever,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in announcing the project Tuesday. Samsung said it will start building the Texas plant next year and hopes to begin operations in the second half of 2024. The South Korean electronics giant chose the site based on a number of factors, including government incentives and the “readiness and stability” of local infrastructure, said Samsung Vice Chairman Kinam Kim, speaking alongside the Republican governor. AP News
