Every day we wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for work. Following are a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into a single cup of coffee. These are the things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
So sit back, grab a cup, and start your morning off right with a few “Quick Bytes” from Innovation & Tech Today.
The Hacksmith Steps Down
Engineer and Hacksmith Industries founder James Hobson announced he will step down from making YouTube videos for the foreseeable future stating mental health concerns and burnout as the cause. In a recent video, Hobson candidly addressed the struggles associated with posting weekly content showcasing some of the most innovative technology on the planet.
Hacksmith Industries has garnered over 12 million subscribers on YouTube since the page’s inception.
His team will continue to collaborate on new projects in Hobson’s absence. Some of Hackmith’s most recent projects include an AI-powered Thor hammer and an updated plasma-powered lightsaber.
Explosions at Airbases Near Moscow
The Daily Beast confirmed two explosions at Russian airbases including the Dyagilevo base near Ryazan just 150 miles from Moscow and the Engels-2 base. The latter houses Tu-95 bombers that have been battering Ukraine’s infrastructure over the last month.
Whether the explosions were drone or missile strikes have not yet been confirmed. However, a video posted on social media suggests that the telltale whistle of a fighter jet or missile can be heard just before the explosion, according to the Guardian.
Almost immediately after reports of the explosions, Russian misiles reigned down in Ukraine, many of them targeting Zaporizhzhia. At least two people were reported to have been killed after missiles destroyed several residential blocks. Several cities reported having no electricity or water after the strikes.
Apple to Move Production Out of China
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to move part of its production out of China.
The company will focus its manufacturing in other parts of Asia including India and Vietnam to reduce its reliance on the Taiwan-based assembler FoxConn.
FoxConn’s Zengzhou factory was in the media eye last week as workers protested and clashed with police.
New Zealand Says Facebook, Online Outlets Need to Pay for Local News
New Zealand is proposing new legislation that would require online platforms including Google and Facebook to pay publishers for content.
The country’s proposal will be based on a similar law in Australia and introduced legislation in Canada and will be designed to act as an incentive for digital platforms to reach voluntary deals with local news outlets, according to a statement from New Zealand Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson.
The move is reigniting the global debate about whether tech giants unfairly benefit from news shared on their platforms.
“It’s not fair that the big digital platforms like Google and Meta get to host and share local news for free,“ Mr. Jackson said Sunday. “It costs to produce the news, and it’s only fair they pay.”
