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In recent years, the advancement of AI technology has somewhat revolutionized how people work with the internet. In this wave, text-to-speech softwares are assisting professionals from diverse backgrounds. Developing an AI produced speech out of written text, these apps and software are saving time and effort. Here’s a list of some efficient text-to-speech software. Let’s explore their features, pros, cons, and prices.  7 Popular Text-to-Speech Software and Apps in 2024  Listening If you’re looking to convert natural-sounding, high-quality academic texts to speech, then Listening might be the perfect solution for you. The platform specializes in natural-sounding speeches that mimic human emotions.  Currently Listening can convert to speech from direct docs, journal articles, and even PDFs. There’s a large pool of AI voices to choose from as well as extensive language support. The pricing plan for Listening is $19.99/month or $125/year with three days of trial period.  Read more: Top Job Searching apps in Bangladesh Pros:  - Easy-to-navigate interface - Realistic voice - Extensive selection of languages - Customizable voices Cons:  - The free version offers limited features  Software link: https://www.listening.com/ Read more: Top 5 Mobile Apps for Farmers in Bangladesh Balabolka Balabolka is one of the best free text-to-speech software out there. It can be used in several ways. Firstly, users can directly input the text into the platform. Concurrently, any Word doc, PDF, or HTML file can also be uploaded to the platform.  On the output end, the platform supports SAPI 4 with eight different voices, SAPI 5 with two voices as well as Microsoft’s native speech platform. The outputs can be time-stamped for ease of navigation.  Pros:  - It's completely free - Wide range of voice options - Wide range of text options.  Read more: Top 7 Truck Rental Apps in Bangladesh Cons:  - Dated interface  Software Link: https://balabolka.en.softonic.com/ Natural Reader Natural Reader is another freemium text-to-speech software geared for those looking for a host of customization and editing options. The software has two versions, a desktop one and a cloud-based one.  The desktop version offers a host of customizability with a standard working mechanism. You upload a text file and convert it into a speech file. But things get interesting with their cloud platform.  Read more: 7 Food Delivery Apps for Dhaka Here users can make use of the floating bar. You can highlight any text on any platform and use the floating bar to customize the speech output. It's pretty neat in terms of easing the workload.  Pros: - OCR compatible - Interface choices - Can be added as a browser extension. Cons:   - Cloud-based - The free plan has limited voice options.  Software Link: https://www.naturalreaders.com/online/ Read more: Find Bus Routes in Dhaka with 6 Android Apps Cloud Google Text-to-Speech As one of the leading companies working with speech recognition AI, it's no surprise that Google has a text-to-speech feature under their Cloud service. And it's one of the best in business. The feature uses Google’s state-of-the-art AI integration to detect and use hyper-realistic speech voices to create output.  The feature is available as an API that can be integrated into any project. There is a monthly cap on the free version. However, the pay-as-you-go plan would work best for anyone looking for a human-like speech for their texts.  Pros:  - Wide range of language support - Options for pitch, speaking rate, and volume gain- Easy-to-use API.  Read more: Best Ridesharing Apps in Bangladesh Cons: - Not a standalone software - Requires Google Cloud account.  Software Link: https://cloud.google.com/text-to-speech Panopreter Basic Panopreter basic works best for those who are new to the world of text-to-speech conversion. The interface of the software is designed in a way that is easy to navigate and quick to learn. The text input supports a host of options including direct web pages.  The output however is limited to either MP3 or WAV formats. There’s a premium plan that brings additional customizability.  Read more: Best Online Book Selling Websites in Bangladesh Pros:  - Ability to integrate web pages - Supports speech dictionary - Easy to navigate.  Cons: Only available for the Windows platform.  Software Link: https://www.panopreter.com/en/products/pb/index.php Read more: Free Online AI Courses by Harvard University from Basic to Advanced Levels WordTalk WordTalk is designed for those who exclusively work in the Microsoft Word platform. The software is developed by the University of Edinburgh as an extension of Microsoft Word. The extension interface is fairly simple and basic. However, the converter does support SAPI 4 and 5 voices with limited customizations.  The use of narration and keyboard shortcuts are also nice additions to this simple converter.  Pros:  - Can be used as an extension - SAPI 4 and 5 supported - Speech dictionary.  Read more: Humane’s Ai Pin: Incredible Features of the ‘Smartphone Killer’ Cons:  Only works with Microsoft Word.  Software Link: https://www.wordtalk.org.uk/ ReadAloud ReadAloud is designed as a text-to-speech converter on the go. It can be primarily used as a browser extension for real-time text-to-speech conversions. ReadAloud has been tested to work perfectly with web pages, PDFs, and Google Docs among others.  For real-time conversions, ReadAloud highlights the part of the texts being read for ease of following along.  Read more: Does Everyone Need to Learn Programming? The Truth About Coding in The Age of AI The free version has limited features. Users can choose a lifetime licensing for a one-time payment of $99.99 or subscribe to their monthly plan for $4.99.  Pros:  - Easy to use - Supports up to 55 languages - Text highlighting feature - Integrates seamlessly with any browser. Cons:  - Downloads are available only with the premium plan - Currently, it only works with Chrome and Firefox browsers. Read more: Can AI Replace Artists? Software Link: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/read-aloud-a-text-to-spee/hdhinadidafjejdhmfkjgnolgimiaplp?hl=en&pli=1

Toyota has come out with an all-new 2024 Land Cruiser. This latest model of this long-running SUV is smaller and less expensive than before and comes with a hybrid powertrain that gets better fuel economy than the previous V8. Yet, true to tradition, the Land Cruiser comes standard with four-wheel drive and ample ground clearance for help over rugged terrain. It should be a no-brainer for anyone shopping for an outdoorsy SUV. There’s just one thing: You might want to get a 2024 Lexus GX instead. It’s rare when you have an intra-family rivalry that is as compelling as these two models. The 2024 Lexus GX is similarly new and based on the same platform underpinning the Land Cruiser. It costs more than the Land Cruiser to start but is equally off-road capable, has a more powerful engine, and comes with a third row of seating. Edmunds’ auto experts put these two SUVs in a head-to-head comparison to see which is the better buy. Engines and Fuel Economy The Land Cruiser comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that produces 326 horsepower. That robust torque figure helps the Land Cruiser feel responsive at low speeds, though getting up to speed on the highway takes a while. During testing, Edmunds found it needed 8.2 seconds to get to 60 mph. That’s fine for routine driving needs, though some shoppers might long for more highway passing power. On the plus side, the 2024 Land Cruiser gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The GX goes its own way in terms of its powertrain. Four-wheel drive is similarly standard, yet tucked under the hood is a turbocharged V6 that delivers 349 horsepower that helps the GX zip from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. The trade-off is fuel efficiency. Lacking a hybrid setup like the Land Cruiser, the GX gets an EPA-estimated 17 mpg combined. Efficiency-minded shoppers might prefer the Land Cruiser but in day-to-day driving the GX’s quicker acceleration is more appealing. Winner: Lexus GX Features and Value                The five-passenger Land Cruiser lineup kicks off with the entry-level 1958 trim level that starts at $57,345, including destination. It’s a bit of a stripped-down trim level, however. The more compelling buy is the midrange trim level known simply as Land Cruiser. Starting at $63,695, it’s equipped with more desirable features such as ventilated front seats with synthetic leather upholstery, an upgraded 12.3-inch touchscreen and power liftgate. To get the GX 550, you’ll only need to pay about the same amount as for that midrange Land Cruiser: $64,250. This base Premium trim comes with a comparable amount of standard features as the midrange Land Cruiser. As a luxury model, the GX also offers a lot more high-end features than the Land Cruiser, including an available premium Mark Levinson sound system and massaging front seats. Of course, these features come at a price; the top GX trims are close to $80,000. Ultimately, the price gap between these two SUVs is closer than you might think, and both offer solid value. Winner: tie Driving and Comfort Having body-on-frame construction makes the Land Cruiser and GX highly capable when paved roads end. Thankfully, on-pavement driving manners are commendable too. Their upright designs and large windows provide excellent outward visibility. The front seats are supportive in both, though Edmunds found their second rows have less legroom than expected in vehicles this size. When driven at a more sedate pace, body control is good and a step above similarly outdoorsy rivals like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Compared to the Land Cruiser, the GX does hold key advantages in terms of speedier acceleration and greater stability during hard braking. And while neither feels particularly nimble during spirited cornering, the Lexus’ suspension feels a little more refined. Winner: Lexus GX Cargo Space and Towing The GX is the only one of the two SUVs with a third row of seating. One hitch is that they’re very small and really only suitable for small kids. When occupied, cargo room shrinks to only 10.3 cubic feet, though this expands to a more usable 40.2 cubic feet in capacity with the third row folded. Open up the back of the Land Cruiser and you’ll have 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Towing is where the Lexus GX has an advantage. It is rated to pull up to 9,096 pounds when properly equipped. The Land Cruiser tops out at 6,000 pounds. Winner: Lexus GX Edmunds Says Both of these SUVs impress with their above-average off-road capability. The Land Cruiser has appeal because of its heritage-based styling and lower starting price. But compare it to the GX and you’ll find that paying just a bit more gets you a notably better SUV.

Three years ago, Google set an ambitious plan to address climate change by going “net zero,” meaning it would release no more climate-changing gases into the air than it removes, by 2030. But a report from the company Tuesday shows it is nowhere near meeting that goal. Rather than declining, its emissions grew 13% in 2023 over the year before. Compared to its baseline year of 2019, emissions have soared 48%. Google cited artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity, for last year’s growth. Making that electricity by burning coal or natural gas emits greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane, which warm the planet, bringing more extreme weather. The company has one of the most significant climate commitments in industry and has been seen as a leader. Lisa Sachs, director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, said Google should be doing more to partner with cleaner companies and invest in the electrical grid. “The reality is that we are far behind what we could already be doing now with the technology that we have, with the resources that we have, in terms of advancing the transition,” she said. Google Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt told The Associated Press, “Reaching this net zero goal by 2030, this is an extremely ambitious goal. What Is Google Gemini AI? How to Use the New Chatbot Model “We know this is not going to be easy and that our approach will need to continue to evolve,” Brandt added, “and it will require us to navigate a lot of uncertainty, including this uncertainty around the future of AI’s environmental impacts.” Some experts say the rapidly expanding data centers needed to power AI threaten the entire transition to clean electricity, an important part of addressing climate change. That’s because a new data center can delay the closure of a power plant that burns fossil fuel or prompt a new one to be built. Data centers are not only energy-intensive, they require high voltage transmission lines and need significant amounts of water to stay cool. They are also noisy. They often are built where electricity is cheapest, not where renewables, such as wind and solar, are a key source of energy. Global data center and AI electricity demand could double by 2026, according to the International Energy Agency. Can a bot be ‘too woke’? Google to fix Gemini’s AI image generation after criticism Other major tech company sustainability plans are also challenged by the proliferation of data centers. They caused Microsoft’s emissions to grow 29% above its 2020 baseline, the company said in an environmental sustainability report in May. Tech companies make the case that AI, including tools such as ChatGPT, is not only partially causing climate change, it’s also helping to address it. In the case of Google, that could mean using data to predict future flooding, or making traffic flow more efficiently, to save gasoline. Amanda Smith, senior scientist at the climate nonprofit Project Drawdown, said those who use AI — both large companies and individuals just making memes — need to do so responsibly, meaning using the energy only when it benefits society. “It’s up to us as humans to watch what we’re doing with it and to question why we’re doing that,” Smith added. “When it’s worth it, we can make sure that those demands are going to be met by clean sources of power.” Haier launches new 4K Google TV, opens new outlet in Dhaka’s Bashabo Google’s emissions grew last year in part because the company used more energy; 25,910 gigawatt-hours more, an increase from the year before and more than double the hours of energy consumed just four years earlier. A gigawatt-hour is roughly the energy that a power plant serving several hundred thousand households puts out in one hour. On the positive side, as Google’s consumption grows, so has its use of renewable power. The company said in 2020 it would meet its massive need for electricity using only clean energy every hour of every day by 2030, all over the world. Last year, Google says, it saw an average of 64% carbon-free energy for its data centers and offices around the globe. The company says its data centers are, on average, 1.8 times as energy efficient as others in the industry. Sachs, at Columbia University, credited Google for its ambition and honesty, but said she hopes “that Google would join us in a more rigorous conversation about how to accelerate” clean energy amid the climate crisis, “so that it doesn’t get much worse before it starts getting better.”

Japan deployed an upgraded Earth observation satellite for disaster response and security after it was launched on a new flagship H3 rocket Monday. The H3 No. 3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island and released its payload about 16 minutes later as planned, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said during a livestream. North Korea will try again to launch a military spy satellite in the coming days The Advanced Land Observation Satellite, or ALOS-4, is tasked primarily with Earth observation and data collection for disaster response and mapmaking. It's also capable of monitoring military activity, such as missile launches, with an infrared sensor developed by the Defense Ministry. The rocket appeared to fly as planned, and JAXA is expected to give further details at a news conference later Monday. The launch was initially planned for Sunday but was delayed due to bad weather at the launch site. The ALOS-4 is a successor to the current ALOS-2 and can observe a much wider area. Japan will operate both for the time being. Iran launches 3 satellites into space that are part of a Western-criticized program as tensions rise The launch was the third of the H3 system, after the successful one on Feb 17. and the shocking failed debut flight a year earlier when the rocket had to be destroyed with its payload — a satellite that was supposed to be the ALOS-3. Japan sees a stable, commercially competitive space transport capability as key to its space program and national security. North Korea's Kim says he'll launch 3 more spy satellites and build more nuclear weapons in 2024 JAXA and its main contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been developing the H3 launch system as a successor to its current mainstay, H-2A, which is set to retire after two more flights. MHI will eventually take over H3 production and launches from JAXA and hopes to make it commercially viable by cutting the launch cost to about half of the H-2A.

The government will implement stricter measures to ensure telecom operators compensate for call drops, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, said today. “Mobile network operators must compensate their clients financially if they do not deliver the promised services,” said Palak, adding that regular monitoring and audits will be conducted to enforce this. State Minister Palak highlights enduring Bangladesh-France partnership in satellite technology during meeting with Ambassador Palak made these remarks during a meeting at BTRC Bhaban in Agargaon, focusing on the service quality of mobile operators. “Clients are often dissatisfied with the services. Call drops have become a regular issue, making our consumers unhappy. According to the BTRC report, the quality of services is not satisfactory,” he noted. The government is committed to ensuring international standard mobile services. “We are working to guarantee that mobile operators provide the promised services and offer affordable internet to clients,” Palak added. 42% of SIMs inactive: Palak Emphasizing the development of a smart telecom ecosystem in Bangladesh, Palak said the government will not be satisfied until clients express positive reactions about call drops, regardless of the statistics provided by mobile operators over the next six months. Palak also mentioned that the government will take client feedback into account regarding internet speed. A technical inspection team has been formed for this purpose. Regarding the 5G network, Palak said that there is a specific target for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and four mobile operators for the 5G rollout. He highlighted a directive from the Prime Minister to introduce 5G in airports, seaports, and key commercial and industrial areas, with a gradual rollout to other areas. 50 lakh people involved in online gambling: Palak He cited the anticipated opening of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in October and directed mobile operators to ensure 5G network availability there by October 30. The meeting was presided over by BTRC Chairman Engineer Md Mohiuddin Ahmed and attended by top officials from mobile operators, including Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) President and Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman, as stated in a PID handout.

Experts at a workshop on Sunday urged all ministries and agencies to integrate their services with the National e-Service Bus for enhanced interoperability and availability of government online services. They highlighted that 30 already-integrated services, such as the NID system, birth and death registration system, pay fixation system, e-primary system, and data analytics platforms, have significantly enhanced end-users' access and reduced database development costs. The workshop on Bangladesh National Digital Architecture (BNDA) was organised by the World Bank-financed Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project of BCC at a city hotel. Chaired by ICT Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin, the programme was addressed, among others, by Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Ranajit Kumar, EDGE Project Director Md Shakhawat Hossain and BCC Senior Technical Specialist Farhad Hossain. General Manager of The Open Group India and President of Association of Enterprise Architect Dr Pallab Saha presented the keynote at the function participated by officials of different ministries and organisations of the government. Addressing the programme, Arefin said the verification of NID has been conducted 17.5 crore times using the National e-Service Bus, demonstrating the platform's efficacy in ensuring interoperability and availability of government services. He pointed out that certain government organisations have to spend a substantial amount of money for significant gathering information and developing separate databases for various tasks. “By establishing a connection with the National e-Service Bus, they could avoid redundant efforts and expenses involved in developing databases already available on the platform.” Arefin urged government agencies to align their software services with the guidelines and standards of the Bangladesh National Digital Enterprise Architecture (BNDA) and integrate them with the National e-Service Bus. This integration, he said would streamline operations, enhance data sharing, and promote a cohesive digital ecosystem throughout the government. With the objective of developing a whole-of-government approach, the BNDA platform aims to bring uniformity to software currently separately developed by different government agencies, enabling interoperability, he added.

After impressing with the advanced imaging capabilities of the CAMON 30 series, innovative smartphone brand TECNO has now introduced the 'Shot On CAMON Contest', marking its inaugural global photography competition. Anyone worldwide can participate in this contest, showcasing their creativity for a chance to win attractive prizes. The contest has secured Amateur Photographer, the UK's top-selling photography magazine, as its exclusive official media partner. To participate in the contest TECNO users must capture life's beautiful moments using TECNO phones. They should then share their images or videos (Instagram Reels) on Instagram, using the hashtags #ShotOnCAMON and #TECNOCAMON30Series. Top Home Skincare Devices in Bangladesh: Transform Your Beauty Routine Participants are also required to submit a high-quality version of their entries to the official competition via email at '[email protected]', according to a press release issued on Thursday. The organizers emphasized that the photography contest provides TECNO users with an opportunity to showcase their photographic talents. There are five categories in the contest for smartphone users interested in participating: Colorful Discovery, Super Night, Poetic Portrait, Creative Perspective, and Life in Motion (for short video works). Participants can select any of these categories, capture life's rich artistry through the innovative lens of the CAMON 30 series, and have the chance to win attractive prizes, including cash awards. Awards will be distributed across various categories, including TECNO Photography Master, Gold Prize, Silver Prize, Bronze Prize, TECNO Friend, and the London Photography Tour Award. A standout opportunity includes a cash prize of US$5,000 for the global winner of the TECNO Photography Master category. realme GT 6 5G Review: Is It a Flagship Killer? Besides, other winners will receive cash prizes, in addition to the opportunity for a photography tour in London. The winners of the Gold Prize, Silver Prize and Bronze Prize will be rewarded with attractive cash prizes of US$3,000, US$2,000 and US$1,000 respectively. Also, the top entries under the ‘London Photography Tour Award’ will win a chance to embark on a 3-day photography tour in London to explore London’s beauty. The competition also offers non-TECNO users a chance to win a new CAMON 30 Series smartphone and become a 'TECNO Friend'.

Ilya Sutskever, one of the founders of OpenAI who was involved in a failed effort to push out CEO Sam Altman, said he’s starting a safety-focused artificial intelligence company. Sutskever, a respected AI researcher who left the ChatGPT maker last month, said in a social media post Wednesday that he’s created Safe Superintelligence Inc. with two co-founders. The company’s only goal and focus is safely developing “superintelligence” - a reference to AI systems that are smarter than humans. The company vowed not to be distracted by “management overhead or product cycles,” and under its business model, work on safety and security would be “insulated from short-term commercial pressures,” Sutskever and his co-founders Daniel Gross and Daniel Levy said in a prepared statement. The three said Safe Superintelligence is an American company with roots in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, “where we have deep roots and the ability to recruit top technical talent.” Sutskever was part of a group that made an unsuccessful attempt last year to oust Altman. The boardroom shakeup, which Sutskever later said he regretted, also led to a period of internal turmoil centered on whether leaders at OpenAI were prioritizing business opportunities over AI safety. At OpenAI, Sutskever jointly led a team focused on safely developing better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI. When he left OpenAI, he said that he had plans for a “very personally meaningful” project, but offered no details. Sutskever said that it was his choice to leave OpenAI. Days after his departure, his team co-leader Jan Leike also resigned and leveled criticism at OpenAI for letting safety “take a backseat to shiny products.” OpenAI later announced the formation of a safety and security committee, but it’s been filled mainly with company insiders.

If Tesla shareholders approve an all-stock compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that was thrown out this year by a Delaware judge, it would almost guarantee he would remain at the company he grew to be the world leader in electric vehicles, shifting to AI and robotics including autonomous vehicles, which Musk says is Tesla's future. If Tesla shareholders vote against restoring Elon Musk’s $44.9 billion pay package Thursday, the CEO could deliver on threats to take artificial intelligence research to one of his other companies. Or he could even walk away. Late Wednesday, Musk said on his social media platform X that early voting results indicated shareholders back his pay package and other company initiatives like re-incorporating Tesla in Texas by “wide margins.” Musk has run into trouble with statements about Tesla that he's made on X before he owned it and on Thursday, the company filed Musk's comments on preliminary results with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Shares of Tesla Inc., down 30% this year, rose sharply before the opening bell. Even if shareholders do officially approve his compensation package at Tesla's annual shareholders' meeting Thursday, which many analysts have said is likely, there would be uncertainty. Musk has threatened on X, his social media platform, to develop AI elsewhere if he doesn't get a 25% stake in Tesla (He owns about 13% now). Musk's xAI recently received $6 billion in funding to develop artificial intelligence. Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives said he expects the package to be overwhelmingly reapproved, ending a lot of uncertainty with Musk. “This issue has been an overhang on Tesla’s stock, and this will be important to move this distraction in the rearview mirror,” Ives wrote in a note to investors. Shares of Tesla Inc. have slumped this year with the company warning of “notably lower” sales growth in 2024. According to Musk, early indications suggest that shareholders also back the relocation of Tesla's legal home to Texas, and out of Delaware. The move is designed to escape from the Delaware court's oversight and possibly a ruling from Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick that invalidated Musk's pay package. In a January opinion on a shareholder lawsuit, the judge determined that Musk controlled the Tesla board and is not entitled to the landmark package once worth nearly $56 billion. Multiple institutional investors have come out against that sizeable payout, some citing falling vehicle sales, price cuts and the tumbling Tesla stock price. But Tesla's top five institutional shareholders, Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street, Geode Capital, and Capital Research either said they don't announce their votes or wouldn't comment. They control about 17% of the votes. Erik Gordon, a business and law professor at the University of Michigan, said individual shareholders are likely to vote for the package, and they own more than half of Tesla's shares. One institutional investor who came out against the package is California's State Teachers Retirement System. The large pension fund said Tuesday that it would vote against Musk's pay "based on its sheer magnitude, and because the award would be extremely dilutive to shareholders. We also have concerns with the lack of focus on profitability for the company.” In May, two big shareholder advisory firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, recommended voting against the package. But Tesla and Musk have unleashed a furious lobbying effort to get the package approved, in posts on X, television appearances and in proxy filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “Only 2 days left to protect & help grow the value of your investment in $TSLA by voting FOR ratification of the 2018 CEO Performance Award,” Tesla posted on X early Tuesday. Tesla Chairwoman Robyn Denholm, in a letter to shareholders, wrote that the package was approved by 73% of the vote six years ago. “Because the Delaware Court second-guessed your decision, Elon has not been paid for any of his work for Tesla for the past six years that has helped to generate significant growth and stockholder value. That strikes us — and the many stockholders from whom we already have heard — as fundamentally unfair, and inconsistent with the will of the stockholders who voted for it,” she wrote. Tesla has said the 2018 award incentivized Musk to create over $735 billion in value for shareholders in the six years since it was approved. If Tesla finalizes the vote on moving the company's legal home to Texas before the vote on Musk’s pay package, and it manages to file the paperwork in Austin and get approval of the move, then the effect of the Delaware court ruling could be in doubt. Reapproval of the pay package would then be done as a Texas corporation and could fall under the purview of Texas courts. Anticipating a quick move by Tesla, lawyers for the shareholder who filed the lawsuit seeking to block Musk’s pay deal, Richard Tornetta, filed motions in Delaware last month seeking an order stopping Tesla from trying to move the case. Tesla responded in letters to the judge that there is no cause for such concerns because they won’t seek a move. Besides, Tesla would still be a Delaware corporation at the time of this week's shareholder vote, they wrote. In an order denying Tornetta’s motions, Chancellor McCormick wrote that she interprets Tesla’s letters to mean it has no intention of relocating the case to Texas. “The defendants’ statements give me great comfort,” she wrote. Eric Talley, a Columbia University law professor, said the lawyers are unlikely to try to move the case because their livelihood is handling business cases in Delaware courts. But it’s also possible that the unpredictable Musk could change lawyers. McCormick, Talley said, is telling the lawyers “OK, I’m going to believe you, but I’m going to be really irritated if this is a big send up for these things that you said you’re not going to do.” Talley, who also is a Tesla shareholder and said at present he plans to vote against Musk’s pay, expects Tesla to follow through with appealing McCormick’s ruling to the Delaware Supreme Court.

Eight former employees sued SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, alleging that Musk ordered them fired after they challenged what they called rampant sexual harassment and a hostile “Animal House”-style work environment at the company. The employees, who filed suit in a California state court, detailed their complaints in a 2022 open letter to management they shared via a company intranet. The next day, four of the plaintiffs were fired, they alleged; others were terminated later after an internal investigation. In January, the federal National Labor Relations Board filed its own complaint against SpaceX based on issues raised by nine fired employees. Among other workplace concerns, the open letter called on executives to condemn Musk’s public behavior on X — the platform then known as Twitter — and to hold all employees accountable for unacceptable conduct. Musk’s actions included making light of sexual harassment allegations against him — charges that the billionaire denied. “As our CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX — every tweet that Elon sends is a de facto public statement by the company,” the open letter said at the time. The letter also referred to Musk’s actions as a ”frequent source of distraction and embarrassment.” The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages. The complaint drew connections between Musk’s behavior — in particular, his often lewd posts on Twitter — and the working environment at SpaceX. It states that one of the plaintiffs, Yaman Abdulhak, noted that many of the inappropriate examples cited in a 2021 “appropriate behavior” employee training “closely resembled the contents of Musk’s tweets.” Abdulhak sent examples of those tweets to the SpaceX human resources director, who took no action, the complaint stated. SpaceX did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.