Google Wanted to Change China, but is China Changing Google?
In the early days of Google, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin probably didn’t ever imagine that their main motto, “Don’t be evil,” would be the center of controversy 20 years later. In 2004, the founders told investors at Google’s initial public offering (IPO), “Google is not a conventional company,” and added that they planned to […]
Can Machine Learning Keep Facebook’s User Data Safe?
After Facebook’s unforgettable data scandal involving a rogue app developer, Cambridge Analytica, and the 2016 Presidential election, the social media company has allegedly been focusing on improving security, user permissions surrounding privacy, and limiting developer freedoms. Located just outside of San Francisco, Facebook recently opened up user data to researchers interested in voters and elections. The company […]
Verizon Throttled Firefighter Data during California Wildfire
Verizon recently throttled the data connection that firefighters were relying on during an emergency fire response effort in Santa Clara, about an hour outside of San Francisco. Anthony Bowden, the Santa Clara County Fire Chief, expressed his disappointment in Verizon in an official statement: “This throttling has had a significant impact on our ability to […]
A Small Team of Students Have Beaten Google’s Machine Learning
Fast.ai is a small company dedicated to bringing artificial intelligence (AI) education to anyone who’s interested in learning more about AI, machine learning, and deep learning. It doesn’t matter what operating system you use, the education you’ve received, or however old or new your preferred programming language may be. Making AI more accessible to those […]
China Is Building AI-Powered Submarines
Who said all the hot artificial intelligence (AI) innovation is being developed in San Francisco and other U.S. tech hubs? China has built AI-powered submarines — and plans to launch them in hotly-contested surrounding seas by 2020. Many Questions, Few Answers Many of the details surrounding these submarines are shrouded in secrecy. Per the South […]
The FDA Approves a Contraceptive App for the First Time
Many women around the world lack access to affordable, accurate contraception. To address this, Elina and Raoul Berglund created an app called “Natural Cycles.” The app augments our perspective of fertility by tracking cycles and body temperature in women. When a woman is fertile, the couple can avoid having sex, and when a woman is out of […]
Is Google Still Tracking You After You Opted Out?
Have you opted out of Google’s location tracking? An investigation by the Associated Press (AP) has revealed that the tech titan may take this option as more of a preference than a stern command — many of the services it offers don’t stop recording your location, even after you’ve told them to. The Benefit of […]
The FCC Admits Last Year’s Infamous Hack Never Actually Happened
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported that the comments section of its website was hacked. Recently, the agency confirmed what many had already suspected — the hack never actually happened. Smoke and Mirrors Back in May 2017, the idea of the FCC repealing net neutrality was starting to become more of a real […]
Facebook and Instagram Now Let You See How Many Minutes You Use Them
Facebook and Instagram are giving users an idea of how much time they’re spending on the platform. The data shown details how many minutes users spend per day on the apps and gives a weekly average as well. But, while this is a noble quest to help us become more aware of how we spend […]
DARPA Is Funding Research to Find out Exactly What AI Is Thinking
When you were in high school, did you have to show your work in math class to get credit? The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants artificial intelligence (AI) to do the same. Recently, it announced the Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) program, an initiative focused on fostering AI development that can understand and explain how it […]