Owen Diaz's lengthy court battle against Tesla is officially over, now that both parties have agreed on a settlement. Attorney Lawrence Organ, Diaz's lawyer, told CNBC that that the "parties have reached an amicable resolution of their disputes," but that the "terms of the settlement are confidential." If you've been following this case for a while now, that means you won't get to find out how much Diaz is getting after the massive $137 million in damages he was originally awarded got dramatically lowered to $3.2 million.
The former elevator operator famously sued the automaker for enabling a racist workplace, saying that he faced discrimination "straight from the Jim Crow era" as a Black individual. He said his fellow workers left left drawings of swastika and racist graffiti, such as ones of Inki the Caveman, on his workspace and around Tesla's Fremont assembly plant. Diaz also said that he and other Black workers were subjected to racial slurs, and that the company failed to address thes behaviors despite repeated complaints.
In 2021, a San Francisco court ordered Tesla to pay $137 million in damages to its former worker, which was one of the highest amounts awarded to a plaintiff suing on the basis of discrimination. However, a judge during the appeals that followed found the amount excessive and lowered it to $15 million, even though he upheld the original jury's verdict. The parties went back into trial after Diaz refused the lowered amount, but a jury lowered the damages Tesla must pay even further to $3.2 million. At the time, Diaz's lawyer said he was wrongly attacked by the defense and that they had already requested a new trial due to misconduct. It looks like both parties have since agreed to negotiate behind closed doors.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-settles-long-running-racial-discrimination-court-battle-with-former-worker-133036456.html?src=rss
Owen Diaz's lengthy court battle against Tesla is officially over, now that both parties have agreed on a settlement. Attorney Lawrence Organ, Diaz's lawyer, told CNBC that that the "parties have reached an amicable resolution of their disputes," but that the "terms of the settlement are confidential." If you've been following this case for a while now, that means you won't get to find out how much Diaz is getting after the massive $137 million in damages he was originally awarded got dramatically lowered to $3.2 million.
The former elevator operator famously sued the automaker for enabling a racist workplace, saying that he faced discrimination "straight from the Jim Crow era" as a Black individual. He said his fellow workers left left drawings of swastika and racist graffiti, such as ones of Inki the Caveman, on his workspace and around Tesla's Fremont assembly plant. Diaz also said that he and other Black workers were subjected to racial slurs, and that the company failed to address thes behaviors despite repeated complaints.
In 2021, a San Francisco court ordered Tesla to pay $137 million in damages to its former worker, which was one of the highest amounts awarded to a plaintiff suing on the basis of discrimination. However, a judge during the appeals that followed found the amount excessive and lowered it to $15 million, even though he upheld the original jury's verdict. The parties went back into trial after Diaz refused the lowered amount, but a jury lowered the damages Tesla must pay even further to $3.2 million. At the time, Diaz's lawyer said he was wrongly attacked by the defense and that they had already requested a new trial due to misconduct. It looks like both parties have since agreed to negotiate behind closed doors.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-settles-long-running-racial-discrimination-court-battle-with-former-worker-133036456.html?src=rss
If you’re buried under a mountain of repetitive online tasks, spending countless hours navigating websites, extracting data, and dealing with complex interactions like CAPTCHAs and two-factor authentication. You are not alone, it’s a familiar scenario for many businesses, but what if there was a smarter way to handle these tasks? Enter Skyvern, the AI-powered automation […]
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), the concept of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has captured the imagination of researchers, tech enthusiasts, and the general public alike. AGI refers to the creation of an AI system that can perform any intellectual task as well as a human being. This is a significant step […]
In this article we look at the Mac and what Homebrew can offer for your Mac. Diving deep into the heart of macOS, there lies a powerhouse for enhancing productivity, streamlining tasks, and adding a sprinkle of entertainment to your digital life—Homebrew. This package manager, lauded for its simplicity and versatility, is a treasure trove […]
Good acoustics is important in any design, and it is important to plan for this right from the start of a project, from designing to building it. Note that if a building is designed well with good acoustic design, it can make people feel better mentally and physically. This is because, loud noises can make people stressed, and anxious, and raise their blood pressure, leading to health problems.
According to studies, noise pollution presents a significant risk to people’s health, especially for those living and working in urban settings. While controlling noise at its origin isn’t always feasible, effective soundproofing of buildings can provide a valuable solution. Installing soundproofing materials in the roof or building exterior can greatly reduce external noise from sources like traffic or airplanes. Within buildings, insulation can improve privacy and mitigate disturbance from neighboring properties, such as music or footsteps from upstairs apartments. This is particularly advantageous when applied to partitions between different spaces in residential or office buildings. Utilizing sound insulation boards can help minimize noise intrusion in both living and working environments.
What are the various forms of sound propagation?
Image courtesy of: photovs
Building acoustics studies how sound travels through walls, ceilings, and roofs, with insulation needs determined by factors such as area size and the types of sound transmission, whether direct or through walls.
• Direct sound transmission involves sound passing directly through a wall, ceiling, or floor.
• Flanking noise is the noise that reaches a room through an indirect path. For example, it could be noise from a neighboring apartment reaching your bedroom through a route other than through the shared wall, or noise from a hallway reaching your office through a route other than through the door.
• Other forms of sound transmission include leakage through inadequately sealed doors and windows, brickwork, and uninsulated pipelines.
Image courtesy of: bilanol
What are the best materials for acoustic insulation?
Discover the top materials that are suitable for acoustic insulation.
Acoustic Panels and Treatments
Soundproofing involves the use of acoustic panels and treatments to absorb and minimize sound waves, reducing resonance and unwanted noise. It’s crucial in places like recording studios, theaters, and restaurants. Different styles, like foam panels and diffusers, cater to various acoustic needs.
Alberto Sánchez and Mut Design Studio innovate with Beetle Acoustic Panels, drawing from the insect world for design inspiration. These panels, shaped like beetle exoskeletons, offer a range of colors and sizes, transforming utilitarian sound absorption into artistic accents. Despite lacking spines like beetles, a central spine connects the panels, emphasizing symmetry. This experiment showcases creativity’s boundless nature and encourages finding inspiration in unexpected places, sparking joy with quirky shapes and vibrant colors.
Working from home has introduced a whole new routine, but one annoyance is listening to my husband’s constant office meetings. The noise is distracting, even with closed doors. Tempo offers a solution—a modular wall and ceiling baffle system that doubles as art. With 12 customizable modules, it absorbs sound and adds visual flair to any room. Easy to install with a CNC dowel system and cork plugs, Tempo’s various colors and patterns allow for endless combinations. It’s like acoustic eye candy, perfect for home offices, conference rooms, or bedrooms, transforming spaces both visually and acoustically with the ease of IKEA’s modularity and the trendy Japandi aesthetic.
Echo panels are gaining significance in room acoustics, now integral to interior design. Kirei introduces its sustainable Kirei Air Baffle, drawing inspiration from Nike Air Max, to enhance sound in high-ceiling spaces. Utilizing recycled PET EchoPanel material filled with Nike Grind fluff, these baffles come in various models and sizes, improving acoustic performance and adding aesthetic value. With customization options in 33 colors and easy installation, they contribute to a softer room ambiance and sound, elevating the functionality and aesthetics of any space with Kirei’s architectural design elements.
The Kirei Air Baffle, an overhead acoustic panel, enhances sound quality in high-ceilinged spaces. What sets it apart, beyond its superior sound performance, is its sustainability. Even in the realm of acoustics, sustainability is achievable with the use of environmentally conscious materials.
Acoustic Foam
Acoustic foam panels, renowned for their porous and lightweight design, excel at absorbing sound waves. They’re particularly favored for reducing reverberation and controlling noise levels in settings like media rooms, music studios, and home offices.
Double Glass
Double-glazed windows with acoustic laminated glass are highly effective in reducing external noise, including car and street noise, making them perfect for urban environments. They offer a great alternative for soundproofing both homes and offices. Note that Double-glazed windows are made out of two glass panes separated by Argon gas. This specific gas is a poor thermal conductor. As a result, the sound or heat does not pass through the second glass pane and into the other side of the window.
Mineral Wool
Image courtesy of: bilanol
Made from mineral wool extracted from minerals, this material provides powerful sound insulation. It’s not only a thermal insulator but also commonly utilized in wall cavities, ceilings, and other spaces to minimize noise transfer between rooms.
Glass Wool
Glass wool, also called fiberglass insulation, serves as a popular choice for thermal insulation. Its effective sound absorption properties also make it cost-effective for soundproofing purposes. It’s commonly applied to walls and ceilings to provide dual insulation services.
Textile
Textile-based sound-absorbing materials like heavy curtains, carpets, and fabric-wrapped panels are commonly found in quiet-seeking homes and offices. Beyond their noise-reducing function, they also contribute to the visual appeal of their surroundings.
In modern office settings, privacy remains vital despite open layouts. Milan-based Claudio Bellini design studio addresses this with FP7, acoustic panels serving as both dividers and noise absorbers. Specifically for open offices, FP7 visually delineates private areas while absorbing sound. Available in various colors, these panels create a cohesive look. Made from embedded cushioning and soft fabric, they offer flexibility in arrangement to suit different privacy needs. A finalist at the 2021 iF Design Awards, FP7 seamlessly integrates with contemporary office culture, providing private spaces for discussions and collaboration.
In sustainable design, Jonas Edvard is known for his innovative use of organic materials to create functional and attractive objects. His latest creation, the Myx Sail / Floor panel, showcased at the 2023 Mindcraft Project, is made from mushroom mycelium, hemp, and willow. This 1m x 1m panel not only shows the strength of composite biomaterials but also reflects Edvard’s commitment to responsible design.
Consider acoustic panels for your office or co-working space when soundproofing isn’t an option. They reduce noise and can serve as room dividers. Baux, a Swedish brand, prioritizes sustainability by using recycled PET plastic and virgin plastic for binding. The panels, with a felt-like texture, undergo a process of chipping, melting, and binding for effective sound absorption. Available in various sizes and colors, they offer both functionality and minimalistic design.
Mycelium, nature’s hidden strength, finds diverse applications from cooking to construction. Italy-based Mogu’s Foresta System ingeniously combines mycelium with upcycled textiles to create modular acoustic panels, perfect for home building and furnishing. These panels easily attach to a timber frame, featuring integrated magnets for effortless assembly and disassembly. Foresta’s innovative use of mycelium earned it the 2022 German Design Award for its eco-conscious and circular design, highlighting Mogu’s dedication to sustainability.
In this guide, we look at how you can draft emails in Gmail with the help of Google Gemini. Are you looking to streamline your email management process while elevating the quality of your communications? Google Gemini, a cutting-edge AI tool integrated within Gmail, is designed to revolutionize the way you compose emails. This innovative […]
In today’s digital age, signing documents electronically has become increasingly common. Many people find themselves in situations where they need to sign a PDF document but don’t have access to expensive software or subscription-based services. Fortunately, if you own an Apple Mac computer, you can easily add a signature to a PDF file using a […]
In the rapidly evolving field of natural language processing, a novel method has emerged to improve local AI performance, intelligence and response accuracy of large language models (LLMs). By integrating code analysis and execution into their response systems, LLMs can now provide more precise and contextually relevant answers to user queries. This groundbreaking approach has […]
Confession time: I already have a copy of Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for the PS5 even though I still don't have a PlayStation 5 console. I never get consoles the moment they come out and usually wait a few years for their next version. In the PlayStation 5's case, I thought it was going to be the PS5 Slim, but it looks like I could have another option by the end of the year: The PlayStation 5 Pro. Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming says the PS5 Pro details leaked by the Moore’s Law is Dead YouTube channel came from documentation Sony itself recently sent to third-party developers.
Take the website's confirmation with a grain of salt, of course, but Henderson has a pretty good track record when it comes to leaks. In 2022, he reported that Sony was working a "genuine professional controller" for the PS5, two months before the DualSense Edge was officially announced. He also revealed that the company was set to release a version of the console with a detachable disc drive a full year before Sony introduced the smaller and lighter PS5 model.
Based on leaked information on the PS5 Pro so far, it will offer improved and consistent frame rate (FPS) at 4K, as well as a "performance mode" for 8K resolution. It's also expected to be able to render games up to 45 percent quicker and to have ray tracing capabilities that are two to three times faster than its non-pro counterpart. Plus, the documentation Moore’s Law is Dead featured in its video shows that it will have a GPU with 67 Teraflops FP16 (33.5 Teraflops FP32) performance, which indicates faster speeds and better graphics overall.
Henderson says Sony is targeting a holiday release for the PS5 Pro, most likely to take advantage of heightened sales for the season. However, that could still change, depending on whether the company feels there haven't been enough first-party title releases this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ps5-pro-is-reportedly-coming-this-holiday-season-084404542.html?src=rss
