Meta is expanding Facebook Marketplace to include eBay listings. A test will launch in the US, France and Germany, allowing users to browse eBay offerings on Marketplace. Sellers on eBay can list products as usual and "as long as your account is in good standing, your listings could appear on any of these partners, including Facebook Marketplace, based on user interest, shopping trends, and listing quality," eBay states. The company will continue to handle all product inquiries and transactions.The decision by Meta comes as an attempt to placate the European Union, which fined the tech company 797.12 million ($821 million) last November. The European Commission charged Meta with violating antitrust regulations as "Meta tied its online classified ads service Facebook Marketplace to its personal social network Facebook and imposed unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads service providers," Margrethe Vestager, then European Commission's executive vice-president in charge of competition policy, said at the time. "It did so to benefit its own service Facebook Marketplace, thereby giving it advantages that other online classified ads service providers could not match."Meta's decision to showcase eBay listings on Facebook Marketplace is far from an admission of guilt. "While we disagree with and continue to appeal the European Commissions decision on Facebook Marketplace, we are working quickly and constructively to build a solution which addresses the points raised," Meta stated in its announcement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-test-will-bring-ebay-listings-to-facebook-marketplace-153958205.html?src=rss

T-Mobile is once again being sued by Washington state over the 2021 data breach which exposed sensitive information for over 79 million people, The Verge reports. The lawsuit filed on Monday alleges that T-Mobile had been aware of various security loopholes in its systems for years but didnt take any action. As a result, a hacker managed to breach T-Mobile in March 2021 and was undetected until August of the same year when an anonymous cybersecurity threat intelligence firm told T-Mobile what was happening.Beyond alleging that T-Mobile knew about these flaws and took inadequate action to fix them, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson also claims T-Mobiles notifications to customers affected by the breach were inadequate and misleading. The text messages were brief and didnt reveal the full scope of the breach, only telling customers that debit and credit card information wasnt exposed while failing to mention their social security numbers and other personally identifiable information were compromised.The breach's victims included two million Washington residents. Information from T-Mobile's databases was later on the dark web for sale to the highest bidder. T-Mobile even supposedly hired a third party to buy exclusive access to the data.In more than one sense, this isnt T-Mobiles first rodeo. The company was already sued by AG Ferguson over a decade ago over "deceptive" ads. It has also been the target of a breach since 2021 specifically 2024 Salt Typhoon attacks on commercial telecommunications companies. T-Mobile claims that its systems and data werent impacted significantly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/t-mobile-is-under-fire-again-over-its-2021-data-breach-143007400.html?src=rss

NASA will analyze and explore two different landing options for its Mars Sample Return program, though it will take almost two years to do so and is expected to announce its decision in late 2026. The agency had to temporarily hit pause on the program after an independent review found that it could cost between $8 billion and $11 billion, which is way above budget.The first method NASA is evaluating is called the "sky crane," in which a vehicle will head to Mars, get close to the surface with the help of a parachute, pick up the samples the Perseverance rover had collected using cables or other mechanisms and then fly away. NASA previously used this method to place the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the planet.Meanwhile, the second option requires the help of commercial space companies. Last year, the agency asked SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and other companies to submit proposals on how to get the collected Martian samples back to Earth. Whichever option the agency chooses will carry a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle than originally planned. The Mars Ascent Vehicle is a lightweight rocket that will take the samples from the planet's surface into Martian orbit. It will also have to be capable of transporting a container that can fit 30 sample tubes. Once the sample container is in orbit, a European Space Agency orbiter will capture it and bring it back home.Early last year, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory had to lay off 530 employees and cut off 100 contract workers mainly due to budget issues related to this mission. NASA requested $950 million for the program, but only $300 million was allocated for it. The independent review that found that the mission would cost above budget also found that it might not be able to bring the samples back to Earth by 2040. According to a previous report by The Washington Post, the US government found the return date "unacceptable."In a teleconference, NASA administrator Bill Nelson revealed either of the two methods the agency is now considering would cost a lot less than what it would originally spend. The sky crane would reportedly cost NASA between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion, while working with a private space company would cost between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion. Either option would also be able to retrieve the samples and bring them back sometime between 2035 and 2039. Scientists believe the samples Perseverance has been collecting could help us determine whether there was life on Mars and whether its soil contains chemicals and substances that could be harmful to future human spacefarers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-will-decide-how-to-bring-soil-samples-back-from-mars-in-2026-141519710.html?src=rss

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Job search platform LinkedIn recently released its annual Jobs on the Rise report, including a list of the top 25 fastest-growing jobs in the United States. To create the list, LinkedIns researchers analyzed millions of jobs started by members of the platform between January 2022 to January 2024, calculating the growth rate for each job. They excluded internships, volunteer positions, and interim roles.According to LinkedIns analysis, unsurprisingly, AI roles top the chart as the artificial intelligence market grew by $50 billion since 2023. In addition, the post-pandemic surge in travel may have spurred an increased call for employees in the entertainment and travel industries, while police force reductions have driven higher demand for security guards. Fifteen jobs, or 60%, are new to the list and are marked with an asterisk.Below is the list of 25 jobs with descriptions of what they do, provided by LinkedIn.Artificial Intelligence Engineer: Artificial intelligence engineers design, develop, and implement AI models and algorithms to optimize processes and solve complex problems.Artificial Intelligence Consultant: Artificial intelligence consultants assist organizations with the adoption and integration of AI technologies to meet business goals and improve operations.Physical Therapist: Physical therapists assess and treat patients to help relieve pain, improve mobility and prevent or recover from injuries.Workforce Development Manager: Workforce development managers design and implement training programs that allow employees to upskill in new or existing areas and align workforce capabilities with organizational needs.Travel Advisor*: Travel advisors help plan and book travel arrangementsincluding transportation, accommodations and activitiesbased on clients preferences and budgets.Event Coordinator*: Event coordinators manage the planning and execution of social, corporate or non-profit events, typically involving logistics like scheduling, vendor management and budget allocation.Director of Development: Directors of development oversee an organizations fundraising strategyfrom donor relations to portfolio managementin order to secure financial support for business projects or nonprofit activities.Outside Sales Representative*: Outside sales representatives sell products or services to prospective and existing clients through face-to-face interactions, building customer relationships and helping businesses achieve sales targets.Sustainability Specialist: Sustainability specialists analyze organizations existing environmental and social impactsand design strategies that mitigate potential harm and promote resource efficiency.Security Guard*: Security guards monitor and protect property, people and assets, responding to potential threats and ensuring overall safety.Community Planner*: Community planners develop plans for land use, particularly public land, and design programs for infrastructure and community development that align with community values and support sustainable growth.Artificial Intelligence Researcher*: Artificial intelligence researchers advance AI technologies and solutions or develop new ones through advanced research, experimentation and the development of algorithms or techniques.Treasury Manager*: Treasury managers oversee an organizations financial assets by identifying and mitigating risks, managing cash flow and developing long-term financial strategies.Land Agent*: Land agents negotiate and manage agreements related to the sale and acquisition of land, including property transactions, land usage and resource access.Grants Consultant: Grants consultants help organizations with grants processes through identifying funding opportunities, preparing grant applications and ensuring compliance with grant requirements.Director of Employer Relations*: Directors of employer relations build and maintain partnerships with employers to enhance recruitment initiatives and create internship or job opportunities for students and jobseekers, typically at educational institutions.Chief Growth Officer Chief growth officers develop and execute organizational strategies to drive revenue, expand market presence and promote long-term business growth.Bridge Engineer*: Bridge engineers design and oversee the construction and maintenance of bridges to ensure safety, functionality and regulatory compliance.Private Equity Analyst*: Private equity analysts help businesses identify and evaluate investment opportunities, analyzing financial data and market trends to make recommendations.Research Librarian*: Research librarians work at educational or research institutions, helping scholars and researchers find and evaluate information sources, navigate databases and develop research strategies for their topic.Nuclear Engineer*: Nuclear engineers design and maintain systems that utilize nuclear energy for a wide variety of applications ranging from power generation to defense manufacturing.Advanced Practice Provider: Advanced practice providers deliver healthcare services to patients, including conducting medical assessments, diagnosing conditions and prescribing treatments.Chief Revenue Officer: Chief revenue officers oversee an organizations revenue generation processes, working closely with sales and marketing teams to maximize business growth and optimize operating efficiency.Instrumentation and Control Engineer*: Instrumentation and control (I&C) engineers design, maintain and test equipment that monitors industrial machinery and processes, typically in manufacturing facilities.Commissioning Manager*: Commissioning managers oversee and coordinate large-scale projects, including construction and engineering projects, verifying systems and equipment for compliance with budget, project goals and regulatory standards.You can check out the full list and job descriptions here.

When he was still a boy making long, tedious trips between his school and his woodsy home in the mountains during the 1980s, JoeBen Bevirt began fantasizing about flying cars that could whisk him to his destination in a matter of minutes.As CEO of Joby Aviation, Bevirt is getting closer to turning his boyhood flights of fancy into a dream come true as he and latter-day versions of the Wright Brothers launch a new class of electric-powered aircraft vying to become taxis in the sky.The aircraftknown as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, or eVTOLlift off the ground like a helicopter before flying at speeds up to 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour) with a range of about 100 miles (161 kilometers). And these craft do it without filling the air with excessive noise caused by fuel-powered helicopters and small airplanes.We are just a few steps from the finish line. We want to turn what are now one- and two-hour trips into five-minute trips, Bevirt, 51, told the Associated Press before a Joby air taxi took off on a test flight in Marina, Californialocated about 40 miles south from where he grew up in the mountains.Archer Aviation, a Silicon Valley company backed by automaker Stellantis and United Airlines, has been testing its own eTVOLs over farmland in Salinas, California, where a prototype called Midnight could be seen gliding above a tractor plowing fields last November.The tests are part of the journey that Joby Aviation and other ambitious companies that collectively have raised billions of dollars are taking to turn flying cars into more than just pie-in-the-sky concepts popularized in 1960s-era cartoon series, The Jetsons, and the 1982 science fiction film, Blade Runner.Archer Aviation and nearby Wisk Aero, with ties to aerospace giant Boeing Co. and Google cofounder Larry Page, are also at the forefront in the race to bring air taxis to market in the United States. Joby has already formed a partnership to connect its air taxis with Delta Air Lines passengers while Archer Aviation has lined up a deal to sell up to 200 of its aircraft to United Airlines.Flying taxis have made enough regulatory inroads with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to result in the recent creation of a new aircraft category called powered lift, a step that the agency hadnt taken since helicopters were introduced for civilian use in the 1940s.But there are more regulatory hurdles to be cleared before air taxis will be allowed to carry passengers in the U.S., making Dubai the most likely place where eVTOLs will take commercial flightperhaps by the end of this year.Its a tricky business to develop a whole new class of vehicles, said Adam Lim, director of Alton Aviation Consultancy, a firm tracking the industrys evolution. It is going to be like a crawl, walk, run situation. Right now, I think we are still crawling. We are not going to have the Jetsons-type reality where everyone will be flying around everywhere in the next two to three years.China is also vying to make flying cars a reality, a quest that has piqued President-elect Donald Trumps interest in making the vehicles a priority for his incoming administration during the next four years.If the ambitions of eVTOL pioneers are realized in the U.S., people will be able to hop in an air taxi to get to and from airports serving New York and Los Angeles within the next few years.Because its electric taxis can fly unimpeded at high speeds, Joby envisions transporting up to four Delta Air Lines passengers at a time from New York area airports to Manhattan in about 10 minutes or less. To start, air taxi prices almost certainly will be significantly more that the cost of taking a cab or Uber ride from JFK airport to Manhattan, but the difference could narrow over time because eVTOLs should be able to transport a higher volume of passengers than ground vehicles stuck in traffic going each way.You will see highways in the sky, Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein predicted during an interview at the companys San Jose, California, headquarters. There will be hundreds, maybe thousands of these aircraft flying in these individual cities and it will truly change the way cities are being built.Investors are betting Goldstein is right, helping Archer raise an additional $430 million late last year from a group that included Stellantis and United Airlines. The infusion came shortly after a Japanese automaker poured another $500 million into Joby to bring its total investment in that company to nearly $900 million.Those investments were part of the $13 billion that eTVOL companies have raised during the past five years, according to Alton Aviation.Both Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation went public in 2021 through reverse mergers, opening up another fundraising avenue and making it easier to recruit engineers with the allure of stock options. Both companies have been able to attract workers away from electric automaker Tesla and rocket maker SpaceX and, in Archers instance, raiding the ranks of Wisk Aero.The Wisk defections triggered a lawsuit accusing Archer of intellectual property theft in a dispute that was resolved with a 2023 settlement that included an agreement for the two sides to collaborate on some facets of eTVOL technology.Before going public, Joby also acquired eTVOL technology developed by ride-hailing service Uber in an $83 million deal that also brought those two companies together as partners.But none of the deals or technological advances have stopped the losses from piling up at the companies building flying cars. Joby, whose roots date back to 2009 when Bevirt founded the company, has sustained $1.6 billion in losses since its inception while Archer has amassed nearly $1.5 billion in losses since its founding in 2018.While they moved to commercial air taxi services, both Joby and Archer are trying to bring in revenue by negotiating contracts to use their eTVOLs in the U.S. military for deliveries and other other short-range missions. Archer has forged a partnership with Anduril Industries, a military defense technology specialist founded by Oculus headset inventor Palmer Luckey, to help it win deals.The uncertain prospects have left both companies with relatively low market values by tech industry standards, with Jobys hovering around $7 billion and Archers $6 billion.But Bevirt sees blue skies ahead. eVTOLs are going to transform the way we move, he said. Its a dramatically better way to get around. Seeing the world from the air is better than being stuck in the traffic on the interstate.Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer