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Tag: International Business Times

  • Apple’s Autonomous Vehicle May Be Stuck in the Slow Lane

    Apple’s Autonomous Vehicle May Be Stuck in the Slow Lane

    Apple’s autonomous vehicle, Project Titan, seems to be experiencing issues and may be stuck in the slow lane, according to a new report.

    Apple has reportedly been working on an autonomous vehicle for years, with the project changing leadership, changing direction, and struggling to gain traction. According to The Information, via International Business Times, the company’s latest efforts are not going well.

    People working on the project said Apple’s test cars are struggling with even basic tasks, hitting curbs, not staying in the correct lane, and almost hitting a jogger that was legally crossing a road.

    The sources indicated the constant turnover and leadership changes, not to mention the changing goals of the project, have contributed to the issues the team is facing. For example, reports indicate there was quite a bit of uncertainty about whether the Apple Car would be a more traditional vehicle with only modest self-driving abilities or whether it would be a fully autonomous vehicle. It appears that was only settled in late 2020, with the company opting for the latter approach.

    It’s unusual for Apple to struggle to bring a product to market, but its troubles are an indication of the inherent challenges involved in creating something as complex as an autonomous vehicle.

  • Australia Sues Meta Over Fake Celebrity Endorsement Ads

    Australia Sues Meta Over Fake Celebrity Endorsement Ads

    The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Meta over scam ads on Facebook featuring fake celebrity endorsements.

    Meta, formerly Facebook, has a complicated history with Australia, having recently engaged in a showdown over paying for news. Simultaneously, the company has struggled to keep misinformation and scammers off of its site.

    According to International Business Times, scammers used Facebook’s own algorithm to target susceptible users with fake ads feature celebrities “endorsing” various products. The ACCC believes Meta should be held responsible for not doing enough to stop the problem.

    “The essence of our case is that Meta is responsible for these ads that it publishes on its platform,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

    “In one shocking instance, we are aware of a consumer who lost more than A$650,000 (£360,000; $480,000) due to one of these scams being falsely advertised as an investment opportunity on Facebook. This is disgraceful,” Mr Sims said.

    If Meta were to lose the case, it would set a major precedent, and likely lead other jurisdictions to follow suit.

  • Facebook Will Pay For News in France

    Facebook Will Pay For News in France

    Facebook has said it will pay for news in France, a departure from the company’s previous stance.

    Facebook and Google have both received criticism for benefiting from the news industry, benefit they gain without paying. News organizations and legislators have started taking a harder stance against the practice in an effort to force Big Tech to pay for the content it uses.

    Despite previously being opposed to paying, Facebook has reached an agreement with the APIG, an alliance of French newspapers, according to International Business Times. The agreement “means that people on Facebook will be able to continue uploading and sharing news stories freely amongst their communities, whilst also ensuring that the copyright of our publishing partners is protected.”

    Pierre Louette, head of the APIG, praised the deal as one that will benefit the industry, providing “significant financing” for the individual organizations, “particularly the smallest of them.”

  • Shatner Returns to Earth After Successful Blue Origin Flight

    Shatner Returns to Earth After Successful Blue Origin Flight

    Blue Origin’s record-breaking flight was a resounding success as the crew, including William Shatner, have returned to Earth.

    William Shatner, at 90 years-old, is now officially the oldest person to go to space. Shatner is well-known for portraying Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, one of the most iconic sci-fi characters in history.

    Going to space was a dream come true for the actor, and he was visibly moved by the experience.

    “In a way, it’s indescribable,” Shatner told the Jeff Bezos, according to International Business Times.

    “Everybody in the world needs to do this. Everybody in the world needs to see it,” Shatner continued.

    “It was unbelievable. The little things – the weightless – but to see the blue color (of the sky) whip by you and now you’re staring into blackness. … And then it’s gone. It was so moving. This experience did something unbelievable.”

  • US Judge Shoots Down Patents For AI ‘Inventors’

    US Judge Shoots Down Patents For AI ‘Inventors’

    A US judge has dealt a blow to those wanting to register patents on behalf of artificial intelligence (AI).

    AI is making leaps and bounds, in terms of sophistication. Proponents in the US, as well as Australia, have even attempted to file patents on behalf of inventor AIs.

    Unlike a recent ruling in Australia, a US judge has ruled an AI doesn’t meet the criteria for holding a patent — at least not yet.

    “As technology evolves, there may come a time when artificial intelligence reaches a level of sophistication that might satisfy accepted meanings of inventorship,” District court judge Leonie Brinkema said in the ruling, according to International Business Times.

    “But that time has not yet arrived and, if it does, it will be up to Congress to decide how, if at all, it wants to expand the scope of patent law.”

    The decision was in response to an attempt by Stephen Thaler to register patents on behalf of his DABUS machine. His attorney, Ryan Abbott, said they would appeal the decision.

    “We believe that listing an AI as an inventor is consistent with both the language and purpose of the US Patent Act,” Abbott told AFP.

    “This decision would prohibit protection for AI-generated inventions and it diverges from the recent findings of the Federal Court of Australia.”

  • Facebook Joins $1 Trillion Club Following Antitrust Win

    Facebook Joins $1 Trillion Club Following Antitrust Win

    Facebook scored a major win in its antitrust case, with a federal judge dismissing attempts to roll back some of its biggest acquisitions.

    Big Tech, including Facebook, has been under increased scrutiny. In particular, regulators have expressed concern over large tech companies buying up smaller competitors in an effort to head off potential threats. 

    The Federal Trade Commission was suing to force Facebook to divest itself of two of its largest acquisitions, Instagram and WhatsApp. Both services are considered crucial to the company’s future, as its core Facebook platform is poised to see its slowest yearly growth ever in 2021.

    Judge James Boasberg, US District Court of Washington, DC, dismissed the case, saying the FTC “failed to plead enough facts to plausibly establish a necessary element… that Facebook has monopoly power in the market for personal social networking services,” according to International Business Times.

    The ruling is a big win for Facebook and its stock reflected that in the aftermath of the ruling. The company quickly joined the $1 trillion valuation club, a first for the social media platform.

  • Intel Willing to Work With Third Point Hedge Fund

    Intel Willing to Work With Third Point Hedge Fund

    Intel has signaled it is willing to work with Third Point hedge fund to improve its business.

    As we reported earlier today, Third Point’s CEO sent a letter to Intel’s chairman urging changes as the chipmaker lags behind rivals.

    “Without immediate change at Intel, we fear that America’s access to leading-edge semiconductor supply will erode, forcing the U.S. to rely more heavily on a geopolitically unstable East Asia to power everything from PCs to data centers to critical infrastructure and more,” CEO Daniel Loeb wrote.

    According to International Business Times, It appears Intel is open to discussion with Third Point in an effort to make changes.

    “Intel Corporation welcomes input from all investors regarding enhanced shareholder value,” the California tech giant said. “In that spirit, we look forward to engaging with Third Point LLC on their ideas towards that goal.”

  • Huawei Opening First Factory Outside of China

    Huawei Opening First Factory Outside of China

    Huawei is preparing to open its first network equipment factory outside of China, as the company works to address security concerns.

    Once one of the dominant network equipment providers, Huawei has been under pressure as a result of its close ties to the Chinese government. The US has led a campaign to convince countries to ban the company from participating in their networks, with many doing just that.

    The company is taking great pains to prove it can be trusted. Its latest effort is plans to open a factory in France, near the border of Germany, the first of its kind outside of China.

    “With this factory built at the crossroads of Europe, Huawei will enrich its already rich presence on the continent with 23 research and development centres, more than 100 partner universities, more than 3,100 suppliers and an effective supply chain,” the company said in a statement, according to International Business Times.

    Manufacturing key equipment outside of China may help the company dispel concerns about potential backdoors the Chinese government could exploit.

  • Oracle/Walmart/TikTok Deal May Be Headed For Another Impasse

    Oracle/Walmart/TikTok Deal May Be Headed For Another Impasse

    The deal to keep TikTok running in the US is headed for another impasse over control of the new company.

    According to TheStreet, TikTok Global will be a new company created to handle operations outside of China. Oracle, along with Walmart, will take a 20% stake in the company. This is a big win for Walmart, as they originally had tried to partner with Microsoft in their failed bid. TikTok’s CEO was insulted by Microsoft describing the social media platform as a security risk, torpedoing Microsoft’s involvement in the company’s future. Walmart, however, was able to avoid the fallout and jump onboard with Oracle’s successful bid.

    Unfortunately for the companies involved, there appears to be some disagreement about who will have majority ownership. President Trump had claimed that TikTok’s ownership would “have nothing to do with any outside land, any outside country. It will have nothing to do with China.”

    ByteDance, on the other hand, has said TikTok Global’s technology, majority ownership and the bulk of its executive board would be based in China. According to International Business Times, however, Trump has vowed to block any deal that leaves the new company under Chinese control.

    It remains to be seen if the involved parties will be able to work out a resolution.

  • PayPal Looking To Enter Cryptocurrency Space

    PayPal Looking To Enter Cryptocurrency Space

    PayPal is looking to get into cryptocurrency, opening the door for its 365 million customers.

    Cryptocurrency is one of the hottest trends in the tech and financial industries, with Bitcoin’s value soaring and companies of all sizes looking to cash in. Facebook’s Libra is one of the biggest efforts at widespread cryptocurrency adoption. PayPal had initially joined the Libra Association, before withdrawing last year to pursue its own goals.

    It seems that PayPal’s efforts may be close to fruition. It was previously reported by the International Business Times that PayPal is planning on allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies via PayPal and Venmo. Now the IBT is reporting that, in a letter to the European Commission, PayPal has confirmed “that in addition to monitoring cryptocurrency’s evolution, it is also developing cryptocurrency capabilities in its products. The company, however, did not specify what these initiatives are.”

    PayPal’s involvement in the cryptocurrency space could be a big boon to the industry, especially if it is able to lower the barrier-to-entry for non-tech users.

  • Morocco Using Drones to Tackle Coronavirus Pandemic

    Morocco Using Drones to Tackle Coronavirus Pandemic

    In one of the more unusual use cases, Morocco is the latest country to turn to arial drones to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

    One of the biggest challenges many governments face is trying to enforce social distancing and self-isolation. Together, the two measures have proven to be the most important factor in fighting the spread of the virus but, as the pandemic drags on, people inevitably grow weary of isolation and often start drifting back toward “normal.”

    According to the International Business Times, (IBT) Morocco is using drones to monitor citizens, making sure individuals are practicing social distancing. This includes being used to break up rooftop gatherings and other events that are currently illegal. Drones are even being used to spray disinfectant in an effort to sanitize public areas.

    “There is real demand,” said Abderrahmane Krioual, the head of Farasha, a startup that IBT reports has secured funding for drones that will specialize in arial disinfectant spraying, as well as thermal surveillance.

    This is just the latest example of how technology is being used and repurposed in innovative ways to combat the global pandemic.

  • China Using Big Data and AI to Fight Coronavirus

    China Using Big Data and AI to Fight Coronavirus

    In an effort to get ahead of the corona virus, China is turning to big data and artificial intelligence to help identify those infected.

    According to the International Business Times (IBT), “several Chinese tech firms have developed apps to help people check if they have taken the same flight or train as confirmed virus patients, scraping data from lists published by state media.” The data is also giving officials the ability to track down individuals who may have been exposed, screen them and forecast how the disease will spread.

    Baidu developed a system that uses infrared and AI-powered facial recognition to screen people at the railway station for a possible fever. Anyone with a temperature 99 degrees Fahrenheit or above is flagged for further checks. IBT reports that the “system can check more than 200 people a minute, far faster than the thermal scanners used at airports.”

    Companies are also developing ways to both prevent the spread of the disease, as well as help those already infected. Some cities are using robots to scold people who are not wearing masks in public, while other companies are working on using drones to deliver medical supplies to the sick.

    As China continues to struggle with the deadly outbreak, technology may well be the key to turning the tide.

  • AG Barr: U.S. and Allies Should Buy Nokia and Ericsson

    AG Barr: U.S. and Allies Should Buy Nokia and Ericsson

    The International Business Times (IBT) is reporting that Attorney General William Barr has floated the possibility of the U.S. and allies buying a controlling interest in Nokia and Ericsson to help combat Huawei.

    According to IBT, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, addressing the Chinese economic threat, Barr said:

    “There are only two companies that can compete with Huawei right now: Nokia and Ericsson.

    “The main concern about these suppliers is that they have neither Huawei’s scale nor the backing of a powerful country with a large embedded market like China,” he continued.

    “Putting our large market and financial muscle behind one or both of these firms would make it a far more formidable competitor and eliminate concerns over its staying power.”

    Barr’s comments come after carriers around the world have warned that excluding Huawei from 5G rollouts will significantly increase cost and deployment time. Meanwhile, Ericsson has been trying to shake the perception it is behind Huawei, in terms of either technology or scale. Even so, despite pressure from the U.S., the UK recently agreed to let Huawei participate in its 5G network, and all indications are that the EU will also stop short of banning the Chinese firm.

    Given the threat to privacy and security the U.S. accuses Huawei of posing, backing its competitors may be the only viable way to overcome the Chinese company’s dominance in the field.