Chip shortage: Toyota to cut global production by 40%

Toyota is to slash worldwide vehicle production by 40% in September because of the global microchip shortage. The world's biggest carmaker had planned to make almost 900,000 cars next month, but has now reduced that to 540,000 vehicles.

The Covid pandemic boosted demand for appliances that use chips, such as phones, TVs and games consoles.

Volkswagen, the world's second-biggest car producer, has warned it may also be forced to cut output further. On Thursday, Volkswagen, which cut output earlier in the year, told Reuters: "We currently expect supply of chips in the third quarter to be very volatile and tight. "We can't rule out further changes to production."

Toyota's other rivals, including General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Daimler, BMW and Renault, have already scaled back production in the face of the global chip shortage.

www.bbc.co.uk

Windows 10 21H2 preview is now available - if you would like to play...

 

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing 21H2 Build 19044.1200 (KB5005101) to the Release Preview Channel.

This update will be offered automatically for Windows Insiders already on Windows 10, version 21H2 in the Release Preview Channel. For Insiders not yet on Windows 10, version 21H2 – this update is offered via our “seeker” experience in Windows Update and ONLY to Insiders who were moved from the Beta Channel to the Release Preview Channel because their PC did not meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11. This means these Insiders will need to go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and choose to download and install Windows 10, version 21H2.

blogs.windows.com

T-Mobile says at least 47M current and former customers affected by hack

T-Mobile has confirmed that millions of current and former customers had their information stolen in a data breach, following reports of a hack over the weekend.

In a statement, T-Mobile, which has more than 100 million customers, said its preliminary analysis shows 7.8 million current postpaid T-Mobile customers had information taken in the data breach. The carrier said that some personal data was also taken, including customer names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver’s license information for a “subset” of current and former postpay customers and prospective T-Mobile customers.

The company also said that 40 million records of former and prospective customers was taken, but that “no phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, passwords, or financial information were compromised.”

But the company warned that approximately 850,000 active T-Mobile customer names, phone numbers and account PINs were in fact compromised, and that customer names, phone numbers and account PINs were exposed. T-Mobile said it has reset those customer PINs. T-Mobile said it was “recommending all postpaid customers” to proactively change their account PIN, which protects their accounts from SIM-swapping attacks.

www.techcrunch.com

5 urgent ways you can pray for Afghanistan

 

Afghanistan is now held by the Taliban, whose fighters entered the capital city Kabul with ease, taking the reins in the Presidential Palace, and declaring an end to the 20-year war. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country over the weekend, reportedly to prevent further bloodshed.

"It’s a heartbreaking day for the citizens of Afghanistan, and an even more dangerous time to be a Christian,” says Brother Samuel, Open Doors Field Director for Asia (whose name has been changed for security reasons). “It’s an uncertain situation for the whole country, not just for secret believers. Our hearts are broken. We knew this could happen. We are not surprised but this does not make the pain any less.”

Afghan citizens are in a frenzy – lining up in banks in a last-ditch attempt to withdraw their savings and flocking the Kabul airport to flee the country. Many locals who have spent the last couple of years helping the US forces are now applying for visas to leave.

Though the Taliban promises a more modern and reformed approach to government, fears remain as to how they will impose Sharia (Islamic law) in the days to come.

Brother Samuel adds, “Secret believers in Afghanistan are especially vulnerable. Prior to Taliban rule, they already had a very difficult time living out their faith, as they had to keep it secret from their families for fear of being shunned, or worse, killed. Now that the Taliban is in power, their vulnerability increases tenfold. It would be almost impossible to be a follower of Jesus in this country. We are monitoring the situation, but this is the time for us to ask God to have mercy not only on His people, but on this country as a whole.”

Five ways to pray for Afghanistan today

* Please pray for the small group of Christians in the country. They are walking on eggshells and are uncertain who to trust. Pray that they find strength, wisdom, and supernatural peace in God’s promises.

* Pray for the displaced. A new wave of refugees is expected to come from Afghanistan to many parts of the Middle East and the rest of the world. Pray for God’s protection and provision over them in their journeys.

* Pray for the women. Many women fear that the Taliban rule would mean they would be stripped of opportunities for education. Women involved in education during the past years could also be at risk – pray for their protection.

* Pray for the sick. Though underreported in international media, Covid-19 cases are spiking in the country and hospitals are limited in what they can offer. There is no certainty as to how the healthcare system will be able to sustain itself with the new Taliban government. Pray that the healthcare system will not collapse.

* Pray that the country will not be a haven for extremists. The Taliban government of 20 years ago are known enablers of extremist Islamic organisations. With their newfound control over Afghanistan, the country could be host to a new generation of terror groups.

www.opendoorsuk.org

The Social Dilemma is currently available on YouTube for free

The Social Dilemma is free on YouTube until Sept 30! The film has already helped an estimated 100 million people globally understand the harms and misaligned incentives of persuasive technology. Imagine what’s possible now that 2.3 billion people have access to the film.

The film’s impact is significant: It has shaped congressional hearings and legislation worldwide, helped concerned technologists take action within companies, and sparked action at schools everywhere. Millions are waking up to the harms of the technology they use every day — and they are taking action.

www.youtube.com

Don rides: The Honda Africa Twin CRF1100D2-L DCT Adventure Sport.

 

I rode Ariel up to Doble Honda (Coulsden) today for her first annual service. Seems like every time I go to Doble it rains! Fortunately, it was only light drizzle today. That notwithstanding: an absolutely cracking ~150 miles of wonderful riding was had :0).

While at Doble I had a chat to Paul & Mike bemoaning my lack of a touring bike. I really miss Holly the Crosstourer - we had some fab trips on that bike. As incredible as Ariel is - she just isn't a bike one would want to tour on. OK, technically it's possible to tour on anything (Matt and Reece circumnavigated the globe on a scooter with a sidecar back in 2015 - God Bless 'em!). But for me, taking a light & dynamic sportbike & lathering her in luggage seems like heresy! Never mind two up!

So, today I took out Doble's demonstrator Honda Africa Twin CRF1100D2-L DCT Adventure Sport. Its for sale, and very tempting too...

Mike wheeled it out front of their showroom, The CRF is a sizeable beast, but that said, legover was easy, and both feet flat on the ground (seat turned out to be in the low position). The engine note is quite soft (for a parallel twin 1100), and the bike has a Dual-clutch transmission (automatic in layman's terms). I have actually ridden this bike's predecessor for a couple of days back in 2016 and enjoyed it. In all honesty I wasn't expecting the new CRF to be as good as the Crosstourer - I was wrong: it's a fantastic bike! From walking speed to motorway - comfortable & really easy to ride. Looks like a big bike, rides like a small bike. Lots of power with plenty of rapid pickup. Great wind & elements protection. Comes complete with superb luggage & bike protection. Proper abilities in the mud. Yup this would absolutely work as a Crosstourer replacement! 

Wouldn't ever want to say goodbye to Ariel the CB though. I found that Holly was a bit too big for a quick run out & scratching about - but perfect for touring / holidays. Need one bike for  everyday & one for special occasions. So what's needed is one CB & one CRF - sorted!

www.doble.co.uk

Sonos gets early patent victory against Google smart speakers

Sonos scored an early victory in its case against Google Friday, when the US International Trade Commission ruled that Google infringed five of Sonos' smart speaker patents. The ruling is preliminary and subject to a full ITC review, but it could lead to a ban on Google smart speakers.

In January 2020, Sonos brought a patent infringement case against Google targeting Google's smart speakers, the Google Home, and later the Nest Audio line. Sonos is the originator of Internet-connected speakers that easily hook up to streaming services, while Google speakers combine a similar feature set with voice-activated Google Assistant commands. To hear Sonos tell the story, Google got a behind-the-scenes look at Sonos' hardware in 2013, when Google agreed to build Google Play Music support for Sonos speakers. Sonos claims Google used that access to "blatantly and knowingly" copy Sonos' audio features for the Google Home speaker, which launched in 2016.

However you want to measure it, Sonos is a tiny company compared to the tech giants it regularly battles. The 19-year-old company only has products in the connected speaker market, and it has a $5 billion market cap. Its competitors—Google, Amazon, and Apple—are some of the world's biggest companies, each with a market cap above $1.5 trillion. To make matters more complicated for Sonos, the company relies on both Google and Amazon to do business in search, advertising, and retail sales, and it worried about retaliation from the two giants. Plus, once Amazon and Google entered the market, Sonos was forced to adopt support for both voice assistants in order to compete. Back in 2020, Sonos said Amazon also seemed to be using its technology, but it would focus its legal efforts on Google.

www.arstechnica.com