Web Finds — January 20, 2023

A curated list of interesting links with an emphasis on news, technology, and more by ldstephens

Google parent Alphabet slashes jobs, pushing tech layoffs over 200,000

“Google’s parent company Alphabet is cutting about 12,000 jobs, CEO Sundar Pichai said Friday, making it the latest tech company to announce mass layoffs in the face of a potential economic downturn.” Another day, another mass tech layoff.

Tech Layoffs Shock Young Workers. The Older People? Not So Much.

“The industry’s recent job cuts have been an awakening for a generation of workers who have never experienced a cyclical crash.”

Inside the battle for the future of Amazon

“As Amazon faces one of the most crucial crossroads in its nearly 29-year history, it’s dogged by a pressing question: Are the recent layoffs and cost cuts simply the sign of a company entering a new, unavoidable phase of maturity, or are they a warning flare that Amazon has plateaued and will soon start experiencing an eventual and irreversible decline?”

Netflix now has two CEOs, and neither is founder Reed Hastings

“Hastings, Netflix announced Thursday afternoon, will become the company’s executive chairman. In his place will be two co-CEOs — Ted Sarandos, who has previously shared the CEO title with Hastings and is the company’s main point of contact in Hollywood, and Greg Peters, who has been the company’s head tech leader for several years. Hastings says he’ll still be working at Netflix but will now have more time for philanthropy (Hastings, a veteran of the Peace Corps, is particularly interested in education).”

After 14 rejections, a North Carolina dog found his forever home

“Of the 14 people who’d looked into adopting Ronald, three tried doing a “dress rehearsal,” taking him home for up to five days to see if he would be the right fit. But all of them brought him back.” This brings back memories of Mr Nemo. He had been returned to the shelter several times before we adopted him. He had his issues but he was wonderful loving dog. RIP Nemo

The hunt for a better weather forecast

“In late October, the weather predictions for California’s upcoming winter weren’t looking particularly wet. Then, in late December, the torrential rains arrived — and just kept coming. By mid-January, the state had received 200 to 600 times its usual rainfall for that time of year. Inaccurate weather forecasts are prompting tech start-ups to rush into an industry that is dominated by government agencies and takes time to change.”

Google Calls in Help From Larry Page and Sergey Brin for A.I. Fight

“The re-engagement of Google’s founders, at the invitation of the company’s current chief executive, Sundar Pichai, emphasized the urgency felt among many Google executives about artificial intelligence and that chatbot, ChatGPT.” ChatGPT really has Google concerned.

Originally published at https://ldstephens.substack.com on January 20, 2023.