Meta is going to be given a record-breaking $1.3 billion fine today by the EU, reports The Wall Street Journal. The fine has been expected, and is a consequence of EU data being exposed to US government surveillance when transferred to the United States. The WSJ has the scoop on the headline figure, but it’s the orders about data transfers that will make all the difference for Meta. More coming soon.
Bloomberg reports that the UK is committing £1 billion ($1.24 billion) to “bolstering its domestic semiconductor industry over the next decade.” And, sure, a billion sounds like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the $50 billion and €43 billion the US and EU have committed to the same cause respectively. Bloomberg notes that the sum, which will be spread over 10 years, is less than what chip maker TSMC spends in a fortnight. Ouch.
You may not be aware, but Quakers knew how to give someone a hell of a good name. Textile historian Isabella Rosner has been collecting examples over the past few years and shared them on Twitter. They’re just... incredible. Charity Nutt, Experience Cuppage, Rich Whale — we salute you. (Though the list does miss my favorite Quaker of all time: Public Universal Friend.)
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has a fantastic and comprehensive report detailing Apple’s work on its mixed-reality headset. The details are familiar, but Gurman’s narrative emphasizes how Apple has had to repeatedly bow to technological constraints:
During the planning stages, [Apple] had high hopes for a self-contained, comfortable wearable device that would feel more like a fashion accessory than a computer strapped to your face. [...] As the project progressed, though, the solutions to key issues never emerged, and the need to ship a product drove engineers to find the best compromises they could.
Apple is set to unveil the headset on June 5th at WWDC. We’ll see if its vision holds.
