We spend way too much time talking about digital currencies and not nearly enough time on digital cats. “I’ve spent a few days this week dropping in and out of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, and I’m struck by how quickly the video game business has been taken over by virtual goods. I spoke to… Read more »
Monthly Archives: March 2018
Why Spotify Can’t Scale Like Netflix
Spotify Technology SA wants to be the next Netflix Inc. Both are pioneers in getting people to pay for a digital entertainment buffet—Spotify’s chief financial officer even had the same job at Netflix. But the economics of music streaming are very different from video. Source: Bloomberg Date: March 27th, 2018 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-23/why-spotify-can-t-scale-like-netflix Discussion 1) “Spotify’s product—35 million songs—costs the company more… Read more »
The life of an Uber test driver
A test driver was behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber vehicle when it struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday night. Autonomous car companies have test drivers on board so they can take over in case of emergencies. But that safeguard wasn’t enough to prevent the death 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg. Tempe police say… Read more »
DeepMind explores inner workings of AI
As with the human brain, the neural networks that power artificial intelligence systems are not easy to understand. DeepMind, the Alphabet-owned AI firm famous for teaching an AI system to play Go, is attempting to work out how such systems make decisions. By knowing how AI works, it hopes to build smarter systems. But researchers acknowledged that… Read more »
Breaking up is hard to do: Why leaving Facebook is more difficult than it looks
Facebook’s latest privacy scandal, involving Trump campaign consultants who allegedly stole data on tens of millions of users in order to influence elections, has some people reconsidering their relationship status with the social network. There’s just one problem: There isn’t much of anywhere else to go. Source: CBC News Date: March 22nd, 2018 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/breaking-up-facebook-1.4586508 Discussion 1) “For… Read more »
How to protect your personal info on Facebook
Facebook users who are worried about protecting their personal information in the wake of the alleged privacy breach by Cambridge Analytica have a few options at their disposal. The U.K. data firm has denied any wrongdoing and Facebook has said that, while none of the information leaked was the result of a data breach, it… Read more »
Wanted: Robot wrangler. No experience required.
How about this for a future job advert? “Wranglers wanted for growing fleets of robots. Your responsibilities will include evaluating robot performance, providing real-time analysis and support for problems. “You must be analytical, detail-oriented, friendly – and ready to walk. No advanced degree required.” Even if this particular advert has not yet appeared, some are already carrying… Read more »
‘Child porn links could make Bitcoin blockchain illegal’
Researchers in Germany have found hundreds of links to child sexual abuse imagery on Bitcoin’s blockchain. This could make using the blockchain, a digital ledger of crypto-currency transactions, illegal. The study, from RWTH Aachen University, also said other files on the blockchain may violate copyright and privacy laws. Researchers said they had found eight files with sexual content…. Read more »
Maybe Nobody Wants Your Space Internet
the question is whether enough of the world’s unconnected people want all this internet, from all of these companies, and whether these companies are fully considering the financial and social constraints of the developing world. “It’s still very early to say, from a demand perspective, whether there’s enough market to fulfill all of these mega constellations,” says… Read more »
Reddit holds the secret to fixing Facebook
South by Southwest Interactive is a festival that used to have a reputation as the place to create a buzz for a new social network or product. Yet these days, SXSW’s focus is less about developing apps, and more about developing society. A society that, thanks to technology which some of these attendees created, feels… Read more »
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