algorithms: ai, ar, vr, crypto
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.
Amazon warehouse workers suffer serious injuries at higher rates than other firms
New data that Amazon reports to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration shows injury rates that are nearly double those at warehouses run by other companies.
Source: Amazon warehouse workers suffer serious injuries at higher rates than other firms
Everything’s becoming a subscription, and the pandemic is partly to blame
Six restaurants in Washington, D.C., joined together earlier this year to sell a subscription supper club. They offered home delivery of a gourmet meal from a different chef each week for six weeks for $360. It sold out in six days.
Source: Everything’s becoming a subscription, and the pandemic is partly to blame
Buying a pink NFT cat was a crypto nightmare
Depending on how many transactions are being processed on the Ethereum blockchain, and how many miners are available, the cost of gas can rise and fall. The higher your price, the faster your transaction goes through.
Apple is a decade ahead of rivals in wearables
Last week, Apple quietly unveiled one of the more remarkable pieces of technology that has been developed in the past few years. AssistiveTouch allows one to control an Apple Watch without actually touching the device. Instead, a series of hand and finger gestures can be used to control everything from answering a call to ending a workout.
STEM’s Racial Reckoning Just Entered Its Most Crucial Phase
One year after George Floyd’s murder, science and technology institutions continue to evolve. The most radical and necessary step remains..
Source: STEM’s Racial Reckoning Just Entered Its Most Crucial Phase
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Is Robinhood safe? Experts weigh in on using the commission-free investing app
Robinhood, the app that lets users invest in stocks without paying fees, has earned both popularity and controversy. Two financial advisors told Insider that while Robinhood is safe to use, the app’s language and design can be misleading to users.
Source: Is Robinhood safe? Experts weigh in on using the commission-free investing app
A disturbing, viral Twitter thread reveals how AI-powered insurance can go wrong
Lemonade, the fast-growing, machine learning-powered insurance app, put out a real lemon of a Twitter thread on Monday with a proud declaration that its AI analyzes videos of customers when determining if their claims are fraudulent.
Source: A disturbing, viral Twitter thread reveals how AI-powered insurance can go wrong
Inside Citizen’s Dangerous Effort to Cash In On Vigilantism
Internal documents, messages, and roadmaps show how crime app Citizen is pushing the boundary of what a private, app-enabled vigilante force may be capable of.
Source: ‘Inside Citizen’s Dangerous Effort to Cash In On Vigilantism
NYC’s School Algorithms Cement Segregation. This Data Shows How
Why students end up at one school instead of another can be a bit mysterious—the product of “screening” algorithms that more than 100 high schools in the city customize and then use to decide which students to admit, often using variables like test scores, attendance, and behavioral records that disproportionately affect students of color.
Source: NYC’s School Algorithms Cement Segregation. This Data Shows How – The Markup
AI emotion-detection software tested on Uyghurs
“It is shocking material. It’s not just that people are being reduced to a pie chart, it’s people who are in highly coercive circumstances, under enormous pressure, being understandably nervous and that’s taken as an indication of guilt, and I think, that’s deeply problematic.”
The Costly Pursuit of Self-Driving Cars Continues On. And On. And On.
Many in Silicon Valley promised that self-driving cars would be a common sight by 2021. Now the industry is resetting expectations and settling in for years of more work.
Source: The Costly Pursuit of Self-Driving Cars Continues On. And On. And On.
How Hacking Became a Professional Service in Russia
The outfit behind the Colonial Pipeline attack had a blog, a user-friendly interface, and a sliding fee scale for helping hackers cash in on stolen information.
The Full Story of the Stunning RSA Hack Can Finally Be Told
In 2011, Chinese spies stole the crown jewels of cybersecurity—stripping protections from firms and government agencies worldwide. Here’s how it happened.
Source: The Full Story of the Stunning RSA Hack Can Finally Be Told
How fintechs can keep riding crypto trading hype while addressing environmental concerns
Demand for the likes of Bitcoin and Ether is unlikely to crash simply because of environmental concerns, but fintechs should add access to other cryptos with smaller carbon footprints to attract environmentally-minded customers. Cardano, for example, uses the less energy-intensive “proof of stake” verification protocol and was recently added by Revolut. In addition, firms like Tesla may one day pick Cardano or other green cryptos as more sustainable alternatives to Bitcoin, enhancing their recognition among investors.
Source: How fintechs can keep riding crypto trading hype while addressing environmental concerns
Tech for disabled people is booming. So where’s the funding?
Erick Ponce works in a government communications department in northern Ecuador. The 26-year-old happens to be deaf — a disability he has had since childhood. Communicating fluidly with his non-signing colleagues at work, and in public spaces like the supermarket, has been a lifelong challenge.
Source: Tech for disabled people is booming. So where’s the funding?
Imperfect offerings: inside the complex new world of trans tech
Apps lie at the heart of one of the most enduring conflicts in the trans community.
Source: Imperfect offerings: inside the complex new world of trans tech
Rick and Morty Creator Launches First Crypto Blockchain Series, Krapopolis
Dan Harmon, the creator behind Rick and Morty, is launching an all-new animated series for Fox titled Krapopolis , which is the first animated series curated on the blockchain.
Source: Rick and Morty Creator Launches First Crypto Blockchain Series, Krapopolis