Author: openjargon

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed the Rubin platform at Computex in Taipei.
• The Rubin, named after astronomer Vera Rubin, comes just months after Nvidia unveiled Blackwell.
• Nvidia aims to expand its customer base across various industries amid rising AI demand.

Nvidia is on a roll.

CEO Jensen Huang hesitantly revealed Rubin, the company's latest AI platform, at the Computex conference in Taipei on Sunday. The announcement comes less than three months after Nvidia unveiled its predecessor, the Blackwell chip.

Huang didn't offer too many specifics. He described the Rubin as the company's "next-generation platform" and said it will rely on HBM4, the next iteration of the essential high-bandwidth memory. He also noted that Nvidia plans to develop chips on a "one-year rhythm" and that the Rubin would be followed by the Rubin Ultra. The new chip will begin shipping in 2026.

The platform was named after Vera Florence Cooper Rubin, an astronomer who established the presence of dark matter. Rubin also led studies of the structure of galaxies and their movements.

Nvidia has generated billions in revenue over the past several months as one of the biggest suppliers in the AI boom. Its processors are helping fuel an arms race between tech giants.

Now, Huang said the company is trying to broaden its customer base by supporting companies ranging from shipbuilders to drug developers to government agencies as they embrace AI, Bloomberg reported.

"We are seeing computation inflation," Huang said on Sunday.

• The New York Times removed details about union work from its staff's bios.
• Language about the union's effort to make the Times "fair and equitable" was scrubbed.
• The Times Guild said the edits to bios post-publication were 'petty.'

Some staffers at The New York Times say the company removed some mentions of their union work from their public-facing staff biographies.

It comes after the Times asked its reporters to tell the audience a little more about themselves — and then snatched the metaphorical mic away when reporters used the opportunity to detail their union work, according to reports.

"The new format, which we call enhanced bios, was designed to bolster trust with readers by letting them know who we are and how we work," read a January press release from two managing editors at the Times. "Research has shown that the more readers know about our reporters, the more likely they are to understand the rigors of our journalistic process and trust the results."

One reporter told The Washington Post that he intentionally included his membership with the Times Guild, which "advocates for members and works to ensure that The Times is a fair and equitable place to work."

After publication, his and other bios were edited last week to remove the "fair and equitable" language, the Post reported. Times Guild leaders called it "petty and absurd," according to the Post.

A spokesperson for the Times told Business Insider that of about 700 biographies, only five included the "fair and equitable" language that the Times later removed, adding that similar edits were also made to descriptions of other, non-union-related organizations.

A spokesperson for the Times Guild did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI on Sunday.

The Times Guild secured a contract last summer that raised the staff base salary to $65,000. The win came months after a daylong walkout, the first at the publication since the 1970s.

• Nvidia's Jensen Huang explained 'CEO Math' ahead of Computex in Taiwan.
• Huang said by investing in GPUs and CPUs, companies can drastically reduce time spent on AI tasks.
• "The more you buy, the more you save," he said. 

There's math, and then there's what Nvidia's Jensen Huang calls "CEO Math."

"The more you buy, the more you save," Huang said ahead of Computex, an annual technology exposition held in Taiwan. "That's called CEO math. It's not accurate, but it is correct."

Confused?

Huang explained the concept by describing why companies should invest in both graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs). The two processors can work autonomously, reducing the time it takes to carry out a task from "100 units of time down to 1," he said.

So, the more you buy, the more you save. Sounds like a good sales pitch for a CEO who sells processors.

Combining the two processors is already common practice in the personal computing industry. "We add a GPU, a $500 GPU, to a $1,000 PC, and the performance increases tremendously," he said. "We do this in a data center. A billion-dollar data center, we add $500 million worth of GPUs, and all of a sudden, it becomes an AI factory."

Huang then presented a diagram showing that when companies use both, their speed will increase by 100, at just 1.5 times the cost. 

In March, Nvidia unveiled the Blackwell B200 GPU, a $70,000 chip it claims is the "world's most powerful AI chip." It is packaging the chip into larger designs like the GB200 NVL72, which combines 72 GPUs and 36 CPUs and is intended for the "most compute-intensive workloads" and reduces cost and energy consumption by up to 25 times. 

Over the past few months, the chipmaker has shot into headlines as a critical player in the AI boom. It raked in over $22 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. Tech execs from Sam Altman to Mark Zuckerberg have become reliant on its chips to power their AI ambitions.

• Rupert Murdoch, 93, married Elena Zhukova, 67, on Saturday at his California vineyard.
• The couple announced their engagement in March.
• This is Murdoch's fifth marriage and sixth engagement.

Media titan Rupert Murdoch married Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist, on Saturday.

The couple exchanged vows while surrounded by loved ones and friends, News Corp. confirmed to Business Insider. The wedding took place at Murdoch's Moraga Vineyards in California.

Photos obtained by Mail Online showed guests at the ceremony, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Murdoch, 93, and Zhukova, 67, announced their engagement in March after starting a relationship last summer. The nuptials mark Murdoch's fifth marriage and sixth engagement.

Murdoch's romantic life has made headlines throughout his career, including his last engagement to Ann Lesley Smith. He announced his engagement to Smith in March 2023, but the couple called it quits by April.

Murdoch became a household name as a conservative media mogul who founded News Corp. and Fox News. He retired from his roles at News Corp and Fox Corps in September 2023, handing over the position to his son, Lachlan.

• Gigi and Bella Hadid donated $1 million to aid groups supporting Palestinians in Gaza.
• The groups included Heal Palestine, Palestine Children's Relief Fund, and World Central Kitchen.
• It comes as violence in Gaza continues and Israelis stage protests  calling for hostage releases. 

Supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid have donated a combined $1 million to aid groups supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Bella Hadid's agent has said.

A representative for Bella, 27, told the PA news agency that the money was set to be distributed between four organizations: Heal Palestine, Palestine Children's Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen, and United Nations Relief and Works Agency, per the MailOnline.

The sisters, whose father is the Palestinian real-estate developer Mohamed Anwar Hadid, have previously voiced their support for those affected by the conflict in Gaza.

The sisters are among the most high-profile celebrity supporters of the Palestinian cause.

Following Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel, Gigi, 29, posted a statement on Instagram that got millions of likes, saying: "My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict – too many of which are children."

"I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily," the statement continued.

"While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person," it added.

In May, Bella, 27, wrote on Instagram that she was "devastated at the loss of the Palestinian people and the lack of empathy coming from the government systems worldwide."

She also says in the post that she is the child of a Nakba survivor. According to the UN, Nakba means "catastrophe" in Arabic and is used to refer to "the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war."

Bella was also recently seen at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a dress resembling the Palestinian keffiyeh.

Mohamed Hadid has also used Instagram to make his position on the conflict clear.

In a post on Saturday, he called President Joe Biden "the butcher of Gaza" and claimed he would "never vote" for him again.

The donations follow a major Israeli assault on the southern Gazan city of Rafah, which led to the deaths of 45 people in a tent camp following an Israeli airstrike, prompting global outrage.

Biden has since announced a three-phase proposal to end the war in Gaza.

The plan calls for a cease-fire, an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza, among other things.

On Saturday, protesters gathered in Tel Aviv and around the world, demanding Israel's leaders accept the proposal.

Attendees of the Tel Aviv demonstration said that the protest was the largest since Hamas' October 7 attacks, per The Times of Israel. Roughly 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the attacks, and around a further 240 were taken hostage in Gaza.

More than 36,000 Palestinians have died in the following conflict in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

• Trump is poised to lose a small — but significant — share of GOP voters over his conviction.
• A Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 10% of GOP voters were now less likely to vote for Trump.
• The tiniest shift in votes could have major implications this fall.

After a jury convicted former President Donald Trump last week on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a sex scandal, Republican lawmakers overwhelmingly threw their support behind their party's 2024 standard-bearer.

Most GOP voters also backed Trump. The former president's campaign said it raised $53 million in small donations since the conviction.

But in a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey, a small but potentially significant share of Republican voters indicated they were less likely to support Trump after his conviction. Taken over two days after the guilty verdict, 10% of GOP voters said the result would give them second thoughts.

That could be significant come November. The former president has continued to shed votes to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in recent GOP primaries, especially in critical suburban areas. And in the battleground states that will be essential for Trump and President Joe Biden, any small shift could be a game changer.

The majority of Trump's staunchest supporters, meanwhile, said the conviction wouldn't impact their vote and about 35% said the verdict made them more likely to back Trump.

Among independents, 25% said Trump's conviction made them less likely to back the former president. That could also drag down the ex-president. It could also impact GOP candidates in critical Senate and House races.

Like Republicans, the majority of independents — 56% — said the conviction would have no bearing on their vote, while 18% of respondents said the conviction would make them more likely to support Trump.

The overall presidential race remains close. Over 40% of respondents said they would back Biden in November, while 39% said they would support Trump.

• The FAA conducted a three-hour meeting with Boeing leaders to address safety and quality issues.
• The FAA "doesn't have a timeframe" for when Boeing can increase production of 737 Max planes.
• An investigation into Boeing manufacturing began after an Alaska Airlines door plug detached mid-flight.

Boeing won't be expanding its fleet of its 737 Max planes anytime soon, according to the FAA.

The airplane manufacturer is still navigating the fallout from January 5, when a door plug on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane detached mid-flight, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing. Although no passengers were seriously injured, the FAA barred Boeing from expanding production on Max plane models until quality and safety issues were addressed.

The incident prompted the FAA to crack down on Boeing and implement aggressive oversight measures that the agency discussed with reporters last week. The FAA hosted a press conference after a three-hour meeting with Boeing leaders at the agency headquarters.

FAA administration Michael Whitaker answered a question from a reporter who asked when Boeing might be able to expand production of its 737 Max planes.

"We don't have a timeframe, but I don't think it will happen in the next few months," Whitaker said in a video shared by CBS News.

The FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737-9 Max planes in January before launching its investigation into Boeing's production lines and manufacturing practices. It also halted production of all Max planes that month.

"This is about systemic change, and there's a lot of work to be done. Boeing must meet milestones, and the timing of our decisions will be driven by their ability to do so," the FAA said in a statement to Business Insider.

Boeing's safety 'road map'

The FAA also published a news release on Thursday that shared details about its meeting with Boeing leaders, who presented an 11-page 'road map' for how the company will improve quality and safety.

The news release says Boeing developed the proposed Product Safety and Quality Plan over 90 days with "detailed" input from the FAA.

A Boeing representative told Business Insider that its Product Safety and Quality Plan fits into four categories of action:

• Invest in workforce training
• Simplify plans and processes
• Eliminate defects
• Elevate safety and quality culture

The plan identified "attention areas" that Boeing would prioritize, which included strengthening its Safety Management System and reducing supply chain defects.

Boeing also identified short- and long-term improvements it will prioritize going forward, like "improving employee training" and "simplifying installation and build plans."

"We listened to our employees, engaged transparently with our regulator, welcomed the findings and recommendations from the FAA's ACSAA panel review, and invited scrutiny from customers and independent experts," President and CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement.

In response to Boeing's plan, the FAA said it will continue to review progress and laid out stipulations for the company.

"Senior FAA leaders will meet with Boeing weekly to review their performance metrics, progress, and any challenges they're facing in implementing the changes," the news release said. "They also will conduct monthly reviews to gauge Boeing's progress."

Other measures included hiring more safety inspectors at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities.

The FAA said in its statement that it will ensure Boeing "implements the changes they have outlined."

"We will not approve production increases beyond the current cap until we're satisfied they've followed through on implementing corrective actions and transforming their safety culture," the statement read.

• Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart asked for a portrait of her be removed, reports said.
• Rinehart wanted Vincent Namatjira's painting of her taken down from Australia's National Gallery.
• Gallery visits have surged by 24% since the first stories on the issue emerged, its director said.

Visitors to the National Gallery of Australia have surged by 24% since reports first emerged that the country's richest person had tried to get an unflattering portrait of her taken down, the gallery's director has said.

Speaking at a Senate estimates hearing, meetings where Australian senators examine how the government is spending taxpayers' money, on Friday, gallery director Nick Mitzevich said: "We're expecting the visitor numbers to continue to be dynamic."

It comes after Gina Rinehart, 70, the billionaire mining magnate, and associates from her company, Hancock Prospecting, approached the gallery several times to try to get her portrait removed from an exhibition by the renowned Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

But their attempts to remove the painting backfired quite spectacularly, with news outlets worldwide picking up the story and sharing images of the portrait — a classic example of the "Streisand effect."

The term became popular following singer Barbra Streisand's attempt in 2003 to suppress the use of a photo showing her Malibu home.

Streisand filed a lawsuit against the photographer behind the image, which was one of around 12,000 photos he had posted on www.californiacoastline.org.

But the case was eventually dismissed, with Streisand having to pay $177,000 in legal fees and see the photo garner far more attention than it otherwise would have had she not taken legal action.

According to the National Gallery of Australia's website, Namatjira is known for "producing paintings laden with dry wit" and "has established himself in the past decade as a celebrated portraitist and a satirical chronicler of Australian identity."

In a statement shared by the gallery, Namatjira said: "People don't have to like my paintings, but I hope they take the time to look and think, 'Why has this Aboriginal bloke painted these powerful people?'" he wrote. "'What is he trying to say?'"

"Some people might not like it, other people might find it funny, but I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too," he added.

The estimates hearing was called to discuss Rinehart's donation of an approved portrait of herself to Australia's National Portrait Gallery.

The Portrait Gallery's director, Bree Pickering, told the hearing that the portrait was not hanging in the gallery because Rinehart had attached conditions relating to how it should be displayed, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

When asked whether Australia's richest woman was happy with this portrait, Pickering added, "The gift came from her, so she's quite happy with it."

She did not disclose the nature of the conditions laid out by Rinehart.

Rinehart is the daughter of iron ore magnate Lang Hancock. Following his death in 1992, Rinehart became the executive chairwoman of Hancock Prospecting.

She has a net worth of $20.2 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and is in 87th place.

One of the company's main assets is the Roy Hill iron ore mining project.

The project is located in Western Australia's Pilbara region and currently delivers "60 million tonnes per annum of iron ore to international markets," according to the official website.

• Facebook is targeting young adults to boost usage, and the company says it's working.
• In the US and Canada, there are 40 million daily active users aged 18-29, Facebook said.
• Still, Facebook's young adult usage trails behind most other social media apps, data shows.

Facebook is targeting its young adult audience to increase usage, and the social media giant says it's succeeding.

More than 40 million people ages 18 to 29 in the US and Canada are "daily active users" on Facebook, the company said in a press release.

That's the highest usage for the young adult group Facebook has seen in the last three years, the company said, noting that comes after "five quarters of healthy growth in young adult app usage."

The company said part of its strategy to attract these young adult users is honing in on ways for creators to monetize their content and broadening the services it provides, such as Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Dating.

"Young Adults are making big transitions — moving, going to college, getting their first job or apartment. And Facebook can help with all of this, whether it's finding great deals on furniture on Marketplace, exploring their interests with Reels and in Groups, connecting with their local communities and small businesses, or finding someone they like on Facebook Dating," the company said.

However, when it comes to adults ages 18-29, Facebook still has ground to make up to catch up to other social media apps.

According to a Statista survey of 60,115 respondents from 2022 to 2023, Snapchat, TikTok, and BeReal are the leading apps for that age group. Instagram, Reddit, X, and Pinterest followed close behind. Of the nine social media platforms the respondents were asked about, Facebook ranked second to last, only higher than LinkedIn.

"While we don't have internal data to share that ranks individual apps against one another, among surveyed apps, Facebook is the preferred social media app for communities among US adults," a spokesperson told Business Insider.

• Video appears to show a MaxxPro armored vehicle resisting Russian attacks in Ukraine.
• The MaxxPro is part of the US Mine Resistant Ambush Protected program.
• The US supplied 200 MaxxPros to Ukraine last year.

A Ukraine battlefield video appears to show a US-made MaxxPro armored vehicle resisting a series of direct Russian blasts.

Despite experiencing at least three powerful explosions, the MaxxPro can be seen successfully weaving its way along a dirt track. The episode occurred in Chasiv Yar area in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, reports said, where fighting between Russia and Ukraine has been intense in recent months.

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said on X that the robust MaxxPro was being attacked with mortar and drone strikes.

Business Insider could not independently verify where or when the footage was taken.

The MaxxPro, designed by Navistar Defense and the Israeli company Plasan Sasa, is part of the US Military's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program.

Ex-Design Director for Plasan Nir Kahn wrote on X, alongside the footage of the vehicle under fire, "I'm very proud of my involvement in the design of the Navistar MaxxPro MRAP. It's saved thousands of lives, now in Ukraine too."

The MaxxPro was built to help protect soldiers in Iraq from improvised explosive devices, according to Navistar Defense's website.

It has a "V-shaped" hull that deflects blasts away from the crew and is designed "to withstand ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IEDs, and other emerging threats."

The vehicle has a seating capacity for 12 personnel. Its single turret houses a 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine gun and space for one gunner, Navistar says.

Last year, the US announced that it would send 200 vehicles to Ukraine as part of a military aid package. The vehicles have since proved crucial to Ukraine's war effort.

In June last year, soldiers from Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade became stranded as they tried to advance in the village of Blahodatne in Ukraine's southern Kherson region.

While some were killed as they attempted to flee, others managed to escape in a MaxxPro despite facing heavy artillery fire.

"The MaxxPros are like a red rag to the Russians. They target it with everything they have," Stepan, a Ukrainian fighter, told The Times. "But they are almost indestructible."

One of the vehicles was hit by shelling and another by mortars, but "everyone inside survived. They truly saved our soldiers' lives," Stepan said. 

Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx puts visually confirmed Ukrainian M1224 MaxxPro losses at 90.