What Really Happened When Google Ousted Timnit Gebru
She was a star engineer who warned that messy AI can spread racism. Google brought her in. Then it forced her out. Can Big Tech take criticism from within?
The Dark, Democratizing Power of the Social-Media Stock Market
In early March, about fifty investors received links to an anonymously created, password-protected Web site. On the site was a seven-page white paper, which opened with the question “What Is BitClout?” BitClout, the paper explained, is a social network that runs on blockchain technology, allowing users to “speculate on people and posts with real money.” Every user is given a public price, which is the amount of money that it costs to buy his or her “creator coin.” With the platform’s native cryptocurrency (also called bitclout), users could buy the coin of any other user on the site.
Source: The Dark, Democratizing Power of the Social-Media Stock Market
Your Echo is now sharing your internet with your neighbors. Here’s how to opt out.
Whether you want it or not, Amazon’s new Sidewalk service is here. Starting today, Amazon’s internet-sharing network has been activated on millions of Amazon Echo and Tile devices. But if you don’t want it, there is a way to opt out.
Source: Your Echo is now sharing your internet with your neighbors. Here’s how to opt out.
Italy’s failed digital democracy dream is a warning
The Five Star Movement (5SM), wanted to upend Italian politics with its revolutionary plans for digital direct democracy. Over the past few months, instead, it almost managed to upend itself, stuck in a kafkaesque drama that left its online voting platform paralysed.
Farewell, Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy
The price for Ubers, scooters and Airbnb rentals is going up as tech companies aim for profitability.
Is big tech now just too big to stomach?
The coronavirus pandemic has wrought economic disruption on a global scale, but one sector has marched on throughout the chaos: big tech. Further evidence of the industry’s relentless progress has come in recent weeks with the news that Apple and Amazon both raked in sales of $100bn (£72bn) over the past three months – 25% more than Tesco brings in over a full year.
How software got so noisy, and why it’s probably going to stay that way
- Facebook, Google Microsoft and other technology companies employ sound designers who specialize in developing distinct sounds that meet product needs and reflect well on their brands.
- During the Covid pandemic, emails and meetings have proliferated, and so their corresponding sounds have been going off more often.
- Sound designers listen extensively to sounds before deploying them in products, but they can still be jarring to some people.
Source: How software got so noisy, and why it’s probably going to stay that way
It’s time to ditch Chrome
Despite a poor reputation for privacy, Google’s Chrome browser continues to dominate. The web browser has around 65 per cent market share and two billion people are regularly using it. Its closest competitor, Apple’s Safari, lags far behind with under 20 per cent market share.
Source: It’s time to ditch Chrome
Now That You’ve Bought a Multi-Million-Dollar Music Catalog, What Are You Going to Do With It?
In recent years, as streaming has rapidly become the format of choice for much of the world — and the primary revenue source for recorded music — the value of copyrights has soared. That value climbed even higher when the pandemic flattened the financial engine of the music business — the live-entertainment industry — and copyrights proved themselves to be a remarkably durable asset.
Source: Now That You’ve Bought a Multi-Million-Dollar Music Catalog, What Are You Going to Do With It?
Netflix reportedly plans push into video games market
Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Google have all tried to create a “Netflix for games”, offering unlimited access to a library of titles for a flat monthly fee. But a growing number of reports suggest they may be about to face stiff competition from the streaming company itself.
Source: Netflix reportedly plans push into video games market
‘Nothing can be taken at face value’: should we ever trust the recorded image?
In Sundance-wowing documentary All Light, Everywhere, the biases and dangers involved with surveillance and body cams are investigated.
Source: ‘Nothing can be taken at face value’: should we ever trust the recorded image?
Social media and the neuroscience of predictive processing
Social media makes us feel terrible about who we really are. Neuroscience explains why – and empowers us to fight back.
Source: Social media and the neuroscience of predictive processing – Mark Miller & Ben White | Aeon Essays
McDonald’s is testing Siri-style AI technology at drive-thrus
The human-like interaction, voiced by an AI interface on the other end of the McDonald’s screen, might sound like something from a dystopian future.
Source: Watch: McDonald’s is testing Siri-style AI technology at drive-thrus
Apple employees push back against returning to the office
Apple employees are pushing back against a new policy that would require them to return to the office three days a week starting in early September. Staff members say they want a flexible approach where those who want to work remote can do so.
Source: Apple employees push back against returning to the office in internal letter
Welcome to Planet Egirl
The most well-known egirls are a distributed vision, an internet melt, collectively funded, in part, by fans’ thirst. They’re queens of the parasocial microcelebrity thing, charging $25 to $35 a month for OnlyFans “gamer girl” lewds or $25 for cosplay photosets. “It’s one of those fantasy things,” says Rusty Fawkes , an egirl with 1.5 million TikTok followers.
Source: Welcome to Planet Egirl
Why the ransomware crisis suddenly feels so relentless
Just weeks after a major American oil pipeline was struck by hackers , a cyberattack hit the world’s largest meat supplier. What next? Will these criminals target hospitals and schools? Will they start going after US cities, governments—and even the military?
Source: Why the ransomware crisis suddenly feels so relentless
LGBT conversion therapy: Banned on Facebook but thriving in Arabic
Arabic-language conversion content still thrives on Facebook, where practitioners post to millions of followers through verified accounts. English-language content blocked, but Arabic posts growing. LGBT+ campaigners want tougher content moderation, action.
Source: LGBT conversion therapy: Banned on Facebook but thriving in Arabic
Building the anti-Amazon: How loans and payments help Shopify compete
The pandemic supercharged Amazon’s ecommerce machine — but the same phenomenon strengthened a rising rival, Shopify, which takes a very different approach to selling online. The company positions itself as a counterpoint to Amazon by enabling smaller merchants to create their own stores and develop their own relationships with customers.
Source: Building the anti-Amazon: How loans and payments help Shopify compete
Hackers are targeting employees returning to the post-COVID office
With COVID-19 restrictions lifting and employees starting to make their way back into offices, hackers are being forced to change tack. While remote workers have been scammers’ main target for the past 18 months due to the mass shift to home working necessitated by the pandemic, a new phishing campaign is attempting to exploit those who have started to return to the physical workplace.
Source: Hackers are targeting employees returning to the post-COVID office – TechCrunch
More Content Moderation Is Not Always Better
As companies develop ever more types of technology to find and remove content in different ways, there becomes an expectation they should use it. Can moderate implies ought to moderate. After all, once a tool has been put into use, it’s hard to put it back in the box.