‘Drunk’ robot vacuums spark complaints from owners
Owners of Roomba robot vacuums have complained the devices appear “drunk” following a software update.
Why the future of work will look like a video game
Work should be about the human experience of information. You’ll hardly find a better place where this occurs than in a video game.
Google Fires 2nd AI Ethics Leader as Dispute Over Research, Diversity Grows
Alphabet Inc.’s Google fired staff scientist Margaret Mitchell on Friday, they both said, a move that fanned company divisions on academic freedom and diversity that were on display since its December dismissal of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru.
Source: Google Fires 2nd AI Ethics Leader as Dispute Over Research, Diversity Grows
From the election lie to GameStop: How to stop social media algorithms from hurting us
Some fresh ideas for how to stop social media algorithms from damaging society by amplifying lies and fringe ideas.
Source: From the election lie to GameStop: How to stop social media algorithms from hurting us
The Chrome Update Is Bad for Advertisers but Good for Google
Google Chrome is ditching third-party cookies for good. If all goes according to plan, then future updates to the world’s most popular web browser will rewrite the rules of online advertising and make it far harder to track the web activity of billions of people.
Source: The Chrome Update Is Bad for Advertisers but Good for Google
On iPhones, Facebook and Apple begin a war of pop-up messages
Some Facebook and Instagram users who open up the social media apps on their iPhones will get a new message on Monday about targeted advertising: Namely, targeting advertising is not as bad as Apple makes it out to be. Support our journalism.
Source: On iPhones, Facebook and Apple begin a war of pop-up messages
Here’s a Way to Learn if Facial Recognition Systems Used Your Photos
An online tool targets only a small slice of what’s out there, but may open some eyes to how widely artificial intelligence research fed on personal images.
Source: Here’s a Way to Learn if Facial Recognition Systems Used Your Photos
New A.I. can identify the song you’re listening to by reading your brain waves
Krishna P. Miyapuram From Journey’s “ Don’t Stop Believin’ ” to Queen’s “ Bohemian Rhapsody ” to Kylie Minogue’s “ Can’t Get You Out Of My Head ,” there are some songs that manage to successfully worm their way down our ear canals and take up residence in our brains.
Source: New A.I. can identify the song you’re listening to by reading your brain waves
How bad software helped slow coronavirus vaccine distribution
It’s no secret that the US is struggling to distribute coronavirus vaccines; some states haven’t received enough doses, and finding an appointment on sign-up websites has been a chaotic experience.
Source: Go read this story about how bad software helped slow coronavirus vaccine distribution
The Misfits Shaking Wall Street
They are part of a legion of young people — primarily male — pouring into digital trading floors in recent years, raised on social media and eager to teach themselves about stocks and trade quickly using an array of apps catered to Generation Z. In just a few short weeks, this new cohort of retail investors has completely upended some of the most professional traders by coordinating over social media, forums and chat rooms to trade shares of GameStop, sending the stock price for the video game company skyrocketing while leaving a number of sophisticated short-sellers holding the bag.
Source: The Misfits Shaking Wall Street
Dogecoin soars another 600% as Reddit frenzy pushes the token into the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap
Dogecoin’s rise extended Friday as the crypto-themed subreddit SatoshiStreetBets fueled a further rally. Bitcoin too climbed 15% on the same day after Elon Musk changed his Twitter bio to include it. Robinhood temporarily restricted crypto trading on its platform due to “extraordinary market conditions.”
wow
such hiding
much profit
Apple says App Tracking Transparency feature will launch in ‘early spring’ with iOS 14 update
In honor of Data Privacy Day on January 28, Apple has announced that its App Tracking Transparency feature will launch to users “in early spring.” The company has also launched a new easy-to-understand report dubbed “A Day in the Life of Your Data,” which illustrates “how companies track user data across websites and apps.” In a new press release, Apple’s software engineering VP Craig Federighi explained that Apple’s goal is to “create technology that keeps people’s information safe and protected.” “Privacy means peace of mind, it means security, and it means you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to your own data,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Our goal is to create technology that keeps people’s information safe and protected.
Why Your TV Spies on You
Selling consumer electronics is hard, forcing companies to resort to shady tactics to make money.
Source: Why Your TV Spies on You
How Streaming Bots Are Wrecking Independent Musicians’ Careers
Unsurprisingly, artists’ desperate quest to gain as many Spotify streams as possible has led to the rise of streaming bots, and their manipulation of the streaming numbers has resulted in some serious damage to independent musicians’ careers.
Source: How Streaming Bots Are Wrecking Independent Musicians’ Careers
Huawei, 5G, and the Man Who Conquered Noise
How an obscure Turkish scientist’s obscure theoretical breakthrough helped the Chinese tech giant gain control of the future. US telecoms never had a chance.
Crypto industry has ‘wind in its sails’, 8 companies eye public offerings
Bitcoin has come off its highs after it crossed $40,000 this month, but is still up about 16% this year.
Source: Crypto industry has ‘wind in its sails’, 8 companies eye public offerings
Is 2021 finally the year for smart glasses? Here’s why some experts still say no
Tech companies including Facebook, Google and Lenovo are designing smart glasses consumers will buy, but experts say this isn’t the year of mass adoption.
Source: Is 2021 finally the year for smart glasses? Here’s why some experts still say no
Google will disable Search in Australia if government insists that it pays publishers
“We don’t respond to threats,” says the Prime Minister With great power comes great responsibility, and also great scrutiny — just ask Google. The world’s leading search engine may have to pay publishers in Australia if new legislation is passed by the government.
Source: Google will disable Search in Australia if government insists that it pays publishers
Pinterest Adds New AR ‘Try-On’ Tools for Eyeshadow, Expands Product Tagging Within Pins
Pinterest is expanding its AR tools with new eyeshadow Try-On Pins, while it’s also looking to expand its shopping tags.
Source: Pinterest Adds New AR ‘Try-On’ Tools for Eyeshadow, Expands Product Tagging Within Pins
Democrats ask Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to rework their suggestion algorithms
A group of more than 30 democratic lawmakers led by Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) are calling on Facebook , Twitter and YouTube to make substantive changes to their recommendation algorithms. In three separate letters addressed to the CEOs of those companies, the group makes a direct link to the January 6th US Capitol attack and the part those platforms played in radicalizing the individuals who took part in the uprising. “On Wednesday, January 6th the United States Capitol was attacked by a violent, insurrectionist mob radicalized in part in a digital echo chamber that your company designed, built and maintained,” the letter addressed to Google and YouTube CEOs Sundar Pichai and Susan Wojcicki says.
Source: Democrats ask Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to rework their suggestion algorithms