Archive for the 'Rise of the Machines' Category
W. Virginia’s Decision to Allow Smartphone Voting for Midterms Raises Serious Security Concerns
September 25th, 2018Give me a fucking break. Via: PJ Media: For the first time in our nation’s history, voters in 24 counties in W. Virginia will be able to vote using their mobile phones. While some are hailing the decision because it will make voting easier for members of the military deployed overseas, experts are warning of […]
Toyota Agrees to Add Android Auto in Its Cars
September 25th, 2018Via: Bloomberg: Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to add Android Auto to its vehicles, according to a person familiar with the matter, ending years of resistance to the Google infotainment software due to safety and security concerns. For the first time, Toyota will allow Android Auto devices to connect directly to its cars, after announcing compatibility […]
Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
September 21st, 2018Via: The Intercept: Google bosses have forced employees to delete a confidential memo circulating inside the company that revealed explosive details about a plan to launch a censored search engine in China, The Intercept has learned. The memo, authored by a Google engineer who was asked to work on the project, disclosed that the search […]
China’s Chilling ‘Social Credit System’ Is Straight Out of Dystopian Sci-Fi, And It’s Already Switched On
September 20th, 2018Via: Science Alert: It’s been in the pipeline for years: a sprawling, technological mass surveillance network the likes of which the world has never seen. And it’s already been switched on. China’s “Social Credit System” – which is expected to be fully operational by 2020 – doesn’t just monitor the nation’s almost 1.4 billion citizens. […]
At This High-Tech Farm, the Boss Is an AI-Powered Algorithm
September 20th, 2018Via: Bloomberg: Each morning when she gets to work at Bowery Farming Inc., Katie Morich changes into a clean uniform, puts on a hairnet and cleans her hands with sanitizer. Then she consults a computer monitor displaying all the tasks she needs to accomplish that day. The to-do list’s author isn’t human; it’s a piece […]
Amazon Will Consider Opening Up to 3,000 Cashierless Stores by 2021
September 20th, 2018Via: Bloomberg: Amazon.com Inc. is considering a plan to open as many as 3,000 new AmazonGo cashierless stores in the next few years, according to people familiar with matter, an aggressive and costly expansion that would threaten convenience chains like 7-Eleven Inc., quick-service sandwich shops like Subway and Panera Bread, and mom-and-pop pizzerias and taco […]
U.S. Air Force Testing Reaper Drones for Air-to-Air Combat
September 20th, 2018Via: Military.com: An MQ-9 Reaper drone has bagged its first air-to-air kill of another small, aerial vehicle in a controlled simulation, an official revealed to Military.com this week. The successful test late last year showed the U.S. Air Force that an unmanned vehicle like the MQ-9 has the ability to conduct air-to-air combat, much like […]
Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Tap Google to Power In-Car Systems
September 18th, 2018What’s next? New homes with Google hardware and software embedded in the walls? Via: Engadget: This week, the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance, the world’s largest maker of cars, signed a deal with Alphabet’s Google to be able to use Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Android OS in its vehicles. The new systems will debut […]
Self-Driving Cars Can Handle Neither Rain nor Sleet nor Snow
September 18th, 2018Via: Bloomberg: As things stand today, the driverless car of the future can’t handle more than a dusting of snow. It’s a known problem in the field, and vaguely embarrassing when the end result is supposed to be robots sophisticated enough to navigate the uncertainties of traffic and improve on lackluster human perception. In Boston, […]
Volvo Unveils All-Electric and Autonomous Truck Without a Cab
September 13th, 2018Via: Electrek: If your truck is completely autonomous, why would you need a cab? Volvo Trucks believes that you don’t and that’s why they built a new all-electric and autonomous truck without a cab called Vera.
