Archive for August, 2014
Starwood Hotels Trials Robots That Make Deliveries to Guests
August 12th, 2014Via: CNBC: Look out Rosie the Robot, Starwood Hotels’ Aloft brand has a taskmaster of its own. His (or her?) name; A.L.O. pronounced “el-oh”, the hotels’ first Botlr (short of robotic butler.) Standing just under 3 feet tall, A.L.O. comes dressed in a vinyl-collared butler uniform and will soon be on call all day and […]
Wages in U.S. Down 23 Percent Since 2008
August 12th, 2014Via: Plain Dealer: While 8.7 million jobs have been regained since the 2008 recession, they are paying much less, by an average of 23 percent, according to a report released Monday by the United States Conference of Mayors. The report comes as debate continues about income inequality in the United States. “While the economy is […]
U.S. Navy Bombing American-Made Equipment in Iraq
August 12th, 2014Via: Defense News: When the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Division broke and fled ahead of the advancing columns of ISIL fighters near Mosul earlier this summer, they left behind a treasure trove of US supplied military equipment that the jihadists have since turned on the civilian population. Among the spoils were hundreds of Humvees, small arms […]
Colgate Total Ingredient Linked to Hormones, Cancer Spotlights FDA Process
August 12th, 2014Via: Bloomberg: The chemical triclosan has been linked to cancer-cell growth and disrupted development in animals. Regulators are reviewing whether it’s safe to put in soap, cutting boards and toys. Consumer companies are phasing it out. Minnesota voted in May to ban it in many products. At the same time, millions of Americans are putting […]
Second Night of Rioting After Killing of Black Missouri Teen
August 12th, 2014Via: Reuters: Police fired tear gas after rioting broke out for a second night in Ferguson, Missouri, despite calls on Monday for calm from the mother of a black teenager who was shot to death by police at the weekend. Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson said officers were focused on dispersing the crowd, which was […]
“Ample Evidence” Silicon Valley Firms Engaged in “An Overarching Conspiracy” Against Their Own Employees
August 11th, 2014Via: New York Times: There is “ample evidence” that Silicon Valley was engaged in “an overarching conspiracy” against its own employees, a federal judge said on Friday, and it should either pay dearly or have its secrets exposed at trial. Judge Lucy H. Koh of the United States District Court in San Jose rejected as […]
The Music Industry Is Brainwashing People to Like Bad Pop Songs
August 11th, 2014Via: mic.com: After a couple dozen unintentional listens, many of us may find ourselves changing our initial opinions about a song — eventually admitting that, really, Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” isn’t as awful as it sounds. PBS’ Idea Channel’s Mike Rugnetta explains, it’s akin to a musical “Stockholm syndrome,” a term used originally by criminologist […]
The New NSA-Funded Code Rolls All Programming Languages Into One
August 11th, 2014Ah yes, NSA as computer security philanthropist… Via: Vice: Hey, web developer dudes and dudettes: What’s your favorite programming language? Is it CSS? Is it JavaScript? Is it PHP, HTML5, or something else? Why choose? A new programming language developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University is all of those and more—one of the world’s […]
Missouri: Unarmed Man Had His Hands in the Air When He Was Shot and Killed by Police
August 11th, 2014Via: KMOV: Tensions are high in Ferguson, Missouri and a large police presence is on hand after a teenager was shot to death by a police officer. The St. Louis County Police Department held a press conference Sunday morning where they stated Brown was shot “more than just a couple of times” by a 6-year […]
Robots Will Create ‘Permanently Unemployable Underclass’
August 9th, 2014Via: International Business Times: The advancement of robots that can do our jobs for us will create a class-divide not seen since the 19th century, a report by the Pew Research Centre in America has found. As machines have continued to displace factory workers, personal assistants and receptionists over the last decade, advanced countries must […]
