aamanhey/tech-in-the-news

A collection of news articles about technology and its impact on society.

tech-in-the-news

A collection of news articles about technology and its impact on society.

• How Robots Can Assist Students With Disabilities?

  Social robots are robots used to teach social and educational skills and children with disabilities respond to robots differently than puppets or pet therapy. This article the ways that social robots can be used to help these children. Two examples of these robots are Jibo and QTRobot, in-home social robots for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the form of a glowing table lamp developed as part of a research study and a small full bodied robot commercially developed by LuxAI. There is some questions around if robots are effective at mimicking the body language and social cues which are essential for the development of social skills. Lastly, Maithile Kunda created a videogame, "Film Detective", to help children with autism, many whom hace superior visual thinking, by giving them visual ways to imagine theory of mind. These developments introduce developments in interesting support technologies for the home and classroom, but are they as effective in the development of social skills as interacting with people are? It would seem intuitive that the best way for these children to develop social skills is to socialize. I liked "Film Detective" the most out of all these technologies because it seems to be the one with the least barriers. A videogame usually costs less than $50 USD, which is much more financially feasable for families than the $2000 cost of a QTRobot, not including the $129 "software subscription" cost. Will technologies that are supposed to increase accesibility to children with disabilities be financially accessible to these families?

• Why Vanderbilt baseball calls pitches on electronic wristbands and how they could improve the game

  The Vanderbilt baseball has implemented a new piece of technology this season in order to not only improve the pace of play of the game of baseball, but also to improve communication between players on their team. Basically, the players on the field all wear a wristband that has a screen that will display the pitch that the pitcher is supposed to throw. The pitcher knows what pitch he is supposed to throw instantly and so does the catcher and the rest of the fielder behind him. This means that the time it took for a catcher to relay signs from the coach to a pitcher is cut in half while also allowing for every other player on the team to know what will be thrown as well. The device works as the coach presses a button and it sends a short secure signal to each device. This device is a sign that the sports world is becoming more tech involved as for the first time we are seeing players with an electronic device on their bodies. The pitcher and catcher are able to communicate without the use of words or even hand signals. The players are able to be told what to do by their coach without the coach having to be vocal enough for the other team to hear him. These devices do not use bluetooth and have a range of about 500 feet, so even players on the opposite side of the field are able to still receive the sign from the coach.

• Nvidia Unveils Latest Chips, Technology to Speed up AI Computing

  Tech company, Nvidia Corp, has recently announced the arrival of new chips and other technology that would improve computing efficiency of more complicated artificial intelligence algorithms. The company claims that their latest GPU is capable of shortening computational time for training AI models from weeks to mere days. This GPU will be used for Nvidia's new supercomputer, which the company claims will be the fastest AI system. Nvidia also introduced The Grace CPU Superchip. Additionally, they’ve been developing their own self-driving technology.

• Doctors often turn to Google Translate to talk to patients. They want a better option

  When doctors see a patient who only speaks a less common language, Google Translate is oftentimes their best option to communicate important information like discharge instructions. However, Google Translate was not built to be used for medical translation. Medical translation is distinct from other types of translation because there are many domain-specific terms and any small mistranslation could have huge effect on the patient's health. Thus, there is a pressing need in the medical field for a real-time translation tool specifically trained on medical records, that would be used alongside human translators. This article identifies a couple of teams that are working on different approaches to this task, including independent researchers and a Microsoft subsidary.

• California creating agency to regulate tech companies to protect user privacy

  This article talks about how California is creating a government agency for regulating tech companies to try to ensure that user privacy is protected. This is a good idea, although it will be interesting to see if this will have any effect. The article discusses how there is not really much of an established precedent for how such an agency should behave and what it can really do. This makes sense, because technology has moved so rapidly that the laws have not been able to keep up, and there is no established way of enforcing or even knowing what rules to place on tech companies. This is where the main concern with such an agency might arise. I think for such an agency to be effective, it is important that the individuals involved in enforcing privacy protections have some sort of technical background to be able to have an understanding of what exactly they are trying to regulate. I think this brings up an important general point; given the slow moving nature of our legislative systems in the US, it is difficult for our laws to keep up with how quickly technology is advancing. I think this emphasizes the importance of having individuals who are well versed in technology involved in making new regulations, as opposed to people who don't have much experience in these fields.

• Ukraine Tech Startups Pivot From Software Code to Rescue Plans

  As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian tech startups used the resources they had availible to them to help defend Ukraine. Tech companies are fleixble and profitable companies, even in times of war and as a result, employees can be based in other safer countries and still complete their work. This flexibility allows them to provide relief for their employees and Ukrainians as a whole, notably in the form of assistance with logistical planning and financial aid.StarWind, a data storage company doubled the salary of employees in the army, while Lemon.io (another startup) is donating their profits to the army at the end of each month.

• Lune offers an API to calculate carbon emissions at checkout

  The company Lune claims that their newly created API is important to combat climate change. This is because companies usually only have their sustainability reports hidden somewhere in their website and very few people end up reading it. That is why Lune is offering an API that exposes CO2 emissions calculations of products at checkout so that customers are better informed of the enviomental impacts of purchasing things online. By having a CO2 emmision calculation at checkout, it will allow people to be more conscious of their enviormental impact of the good they are purchasing. Additionally, companies can let their customers donate money to finance a carbon neutralization project at checkout. It can be argued that the best way to reduce carbon emmsions is to not purchase the product in the first place. However, by providing the CO2 emmsion calulation, it is possible that people will be less inclined to purchase the good. Additionally, if they have to purchase the good, it is useful that customers can help contribute to carbon offset projects.

• Deepfake presidents used in Russia-Ukraine war

  Deepfake videos of Ukraine and Russia’s presidents have surfaced amidst the war. However, these videos were quickly debunked since they were not well made. Even if these specific instances of deepfakes weren’t convincing, it is still important to pay attention to this type of technology. Later, more time and money may go into deep fakes, making them appear closer and closer to the real people they were created to emulate. This possibility is highly dangerous, since deepfakes have the potential to incite conflict due to misinformation and harm society in that way.

• 3 Questions: Fotini Christia on racial equity and data science

  Recently, a MIT-wide effort was launched to address systemic racism with the help of social science and computation. By using lots of data, they hope to develop tools that can create "structural and normative change toward equity". As of recently, existing data has shown racial discrimination in many avenues of the job market, including education and healthcare. Data science tools "can not only identify, but also contribute to, proposing fixes on racially inequitable outcomes that result from implicit or explicit biases [from]... the use of AI and algorithmic methods in decision-making". After creating these tools, they will place them in neighborhoods where indirect systemic racism exists (e.g. neighborhoods with minorities) and test these tools for their racial equity. Computation comes into play with "causal analysis" of these racial disparities and how the several structures and institutions within society have all played a role in systemic racism (both now and overtime). As a whole, this movement (ICSR) is a part of the IDSS and Fotini Christia, who looks to research issues of conflict and cooperation in the Muslim world, but has since extended to investigating systemic racism with the help of social sciences, data science, and computation.

• 3 Questions: How the MIT mini cheetah learns to run

  Running for robots has been a huge (and very difficult) leap to accomplish; CSAIL scientists at MIT came up with a "learning pipeline" for a four-legged robot which can learn to run "entirely by trial and error in simulation." To break down why running for robots is so difficult, has to do with how humans adapt to the ground they traverse; if a robot were to only walk like it would on ice everywhere, it's not very inefficient. As well as, running everywhere not only increases the chances of falling, but pushes the hardware of the robot to its limits (such as with "near[ing] the maximum torque output of motors."). To finalize the issue, a normal approach of "programming how a robot should act in every possible situation is simply very hard [and tedious]." With the new approach by these scientists, the robot can accumulate "100 days’ worth of experience on diverse terrains in just three hours of actual time...[where] the robot's behavior improves from simulated experience." With all the environments the robot sees (while simulated), the controller will be able to identify, execute, and learn new skills to conquer these simulated environments (i.e. run and traverse without falling). While skeptics may argue the scalability of this approach, however the scientists argue that their apporach is far more scalable than the normal apporach for teaching robots. The "learning pipeline" is meant to build a diverse set of skills which the robot can utilize, rather than just having the coder hardcode every situation into the robot. With scalability in mind, the scientists continue to apply this approach on other systems, including "hands that can pick up and manipulate other objects".

• Scientists and farmers see ways to make AI useful to agriculture

  A three-day conference was held recently, from March 9-11, entitled "Envisioning 2050 in the Southeast: AI-driven Innovations in Agriculture," with a focus on seeing how artificial intelligence can help the agriculture field. At the core of the ideas shown at the conference was an emphasis on collaborating with those who already work in the field to find real ways to improve the quality of life. This is a very positive take on artificial intelligence and how it can bring about an improvement to both the lives of growers and, ideally, everyone else as access to fresh produce is increased. Far too often we discuss the negatives that come with AI; while they are certainly there, it is also nice to see how it is currently being used to solve important problems such as those found in the agricultural sector.

• Injectsense collects $1.7M grant for its eye implant smaller than a grain of rice

  Tech startup Injectsense has been developing an eye implant built to measure intraocular pressure, a significant risk factor for glaucoma. The device is injected into the eye painlessely and is capable of staying in your eye for over 80 years, charged by a pair of special glasses. Based on recent animal studies performed by the company that showed high levels of success and no major issues, the National Eye institute recently awarded Injectsense with a 1.7 million dollar grant. While eye pressure is something routinely measured by an eye doctor, the device stands out because it can transmit the eye pressure data continously, which allows for better insight into the daily fluctuations in eye pressure that most people experience. Although the device is not necessarily a "flashy" implementation of injectable technology, the possibility of continous sensing means people at risk for or living with glaucoma can gain a better picture of the progression of the condition and build better plans of care with their doctor.

• China lockdowns create latest supply chain shock to global tech

  After the new restrictions were announced, more than 70 Taiwanese companies operating in the city and dozens of local Chinese manufacturers said they had suspended production. "China is digging itself into a deep hole with its zero Covid policy," said Olaf Schatteman, a supply chain expert at Bain, the consultancy. "As the restrictions are hurting suppliers and logistics operations, companies are moving beyond containing the current crisis and towards diversifying production locations, undermining China as the supply chain hub of the world". Analysts said the impact on Apple remained limited because the main iPhone production site at Foxconn, its largest supplier, was in Zhengzhou, a central Chinese city not affected at this time. "We think this is a manageable issue especially if it's limited to one week, the challenges could be more supply chain problems for the tech ecosystem and further pressure on supply/logistics overall," Evercore ISI said in a research note. An internal report from a technology company in Shenzhen obtained by the Financial Times called the domestic epidemic control situation "very serious" and said it had a cascading effect on shipments. Phelix Lee, a technology analyst at Morningstar in Hong Kong, said the migration of many technology manufacturing plants from Shenzhen to several other hubs in China and elsewhere meant the widespread factory closures in the city were less catastrophic than they would have been a few years ago. Luxshare, a Chinese contract electronics manufacturer with a rapidly growing share of Apple orders, makes some cables and interconnectors in its Shenzhen plants. "They are being disrupted because they could not ship to Foxconn," Lee said. "It could be quite significant".

• San Francisco International Airport to implement new landing technology

  Recently, the federal aviation administration has approved the use of new landing technology, GBAS (Ground-based Augmentation System), that would enable San Francisco Airport to reduce aircraft noise over nearby communities. This new technology corrects errors in satellite-based GPS using receivers and broadcasting antennae. It improves accuracy to about 38m to 37m from the previous 40m. This new technology will improve safety and performance (especially during bad weather). San Francisco Airport hopes to develop innovative GBAS procedures for other airline use in the next few years.

• Breastcancer.org Announces Website Launch With New Design, Technology, and Features to Empower People With Breast Cancer

  Breastcancer.org is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide support as well as reliable and relevant information about breast cancer and health. Recently, they have redesigned their website to implement experiences that reflect the various experiences and needs of people with breast cancer and encompass all aspects of the user experience. This allows site visitors to benefit from peer support through viewing articles, videos, photo galleries, checklists. The new design provides aid for patients who are newly diagnosed, in treatment, finished treatment, as well as people who are living with metastatic disease, concerned about breast cancer risk, and caring for someone with breast cancer. This digital front-end development and quality assurance implement a more user-friendly and personalized guide by incorporating the experiences of others.

• An Alternate Holographic Universe May Lead Us Into a Black Hole

  Algorithms are being developed to solve a theory in physics called “holographic duality”. Holographic duality suggests that three-dimensional space inside black holes is strung to the two-dimensional universe. In other words, the fabric of spacetime as a 3D hologram projected by 2D webs. If this is accurate, scientists could study 2D space around the black hole to extrapolate 3D space inside it without having to “go in” it. Algorithms using quantum computing help map out the strings of string theory which make up this 2D blueprint to extrapolate 3D space.

• How Crypto and NFTs Are Funding Ukraine's Resistance Against Russia

  Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine’s deputy minister of digital transformation set up a cryptocurrency relief fund which has raised over 53 million dollars. Crypto is much easier to move around taking a few minutes for transactions to clear as opposed to a wire transfer, which can take days. Bornyakov also has a vision for how the country can distribute NTFs to help raise more money. His vision includes a sort of war museum which produces daily NFTs which can be sold to supporters.

• Google Cloud gets more expensive

  Google cloud will significantly increase prices for several services beginning October 1, 2022. Specifically, multi-region Nearline storage and Coldline Storage Class A will increase by 50%. Additionally, cloud services in a region on the same continent will now be priced instead of free, as it was previously. Furthermore, load balancing will increase from $0.008 to $0.012 depending on the region. Google justifies these changes by claiming that they are providing “more flexible pricing models and options.”

• Restaurants Sue Google for Allegedly Prioritizing Delivery Apps in Search

  A restaurant group in Florida sues Google for directing users to food delivery apps instead of restaurants’ own delivery services. They claim that Google never obtained permission from restaurants to sell their food via third party delivery services and is purposely making it appear as though it has. Google defends itself by stating that restaurants can opt out of, and even choose, their preferred delivery service. Additionally, Google does not profit from prioritizing certain delivery apps so there is no reason to believe that they would be doing it on purpose.

• iOS 15.4 now live as Universal Control comes to iPads and Macs 23

  Apple’s latest version of their iPhone operating system, iOS 15.4, includes minor updates like the addition of new emojis, anti-stalking feature for AirTags, and a more gender-neutral Siri voice. The two major updates are the ability to use Face ID while wearing a mask, although less accurate, and the Universal Control feature. Universal Control lets users wirelessly control an iPad with their Mac’s keyboard and mouse. iOS 15.4 is already out and available for download.

• The US dollar could go digital. Here's what you need to know

  According to an accompanying fact sheet released by the White House, there’s an executive order "placing urgency on research and development of a potential United States CBDC, should issuance be deemed in the national interest." CBDC stands for Central Bank Digital Currency, a way to issue digital dollars backed by the federal government. Advantages of CBDC include convenience, ability to repress fraud, and efficient dispersion of taxes/government funds. Disadvantages of CBDC include privacy concerns, cybersecurity risks, policy debates, and threats to independence of the Fed.

• Didi’s 44% stock plunge leaves SoftBank and Uber with diminishing returns

  Didi shares tumbled 44% on Friday, the biggest one-day drop since the Chinese ride-hailing company went public in the U.S. in June. The stock is now 87% below its IPO price, leaving its two top shareholders — SoftBank and Uber — facing the potential for steep losses. The shares were already in freefall amid a crackdown by the Chinese government on domestic companies listed in the U.S. Didi said in December that it would delist from the New York Stock Exchange and instead list in Hong Kong. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Didi hadn’t complied with data-security requirements necessary to proceed with a share sale in Hong Kong. Uber said in its latest annual report that in 2021 it recognized an unrealized $3 billion loss on its Didi investment. Last year CNBC reported that SoftBank was selling part of its Uber position partly to cover its Didi losses. “Since we invested in Didi, we have seen a huge loss of value,” Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s CEO, said in a February call to discuss results for the nine months ended Dec. 31. Didi wasn’t the only Chinese tech stock to drop on Friday, though its decline was the heftiest.

• China’s tech platforms become propaganda tools in Putin’s war

  The Ukraine invasion is casting an unflattering light on the role of China's private technology groups, including Tencent, Sina Weibo and ByteDance, in disseminating official misinformation, posing difficult compliance issues for the companies' foreign investors. The internet platforms of tech giants in China are promoting content backing Russian president Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine while suppressing posts that are sympathetic to Kyiv, potentially conflicting with international funds' corporate and social responsibility commitments and public statements against the war. This week, Russian disinformation reports of US-run biological laboratories in Ukraine with "large quantities of dangerous viruses" were repeated by China's foreign ministry spokesperson and state media. "The Chinese market is uninvestable from an ESG perspective," said Felix Boudreault, managing director of Sustainable Market Strategies, an environmental, social and corporate governance investment research group. Many of the companies most popular with investors were subject to strict state controls, said Boudreault, adding that tech and media companies were "extremely vulnerable to the strike of a pen from a Chinese bureaucrat". Moscow's talking points are frequently adopted from Russian state media and run on China's platforms as well as being parroted by Chinese officials, state media and a chorus of nationalist influencers. Investments in Chinese platforms are becoming "problematic" from a social responsibility perspective, said one Hong Kong-based executive at an international fund whose portfolio includes Chinese internet company shares. "It is a tough market, getting tougher," said the investor, who asked not to be named citing Hong Kong's national security laws, which target criticism of China. "Investors should be able to engage with companies on these issues. The focus on China's tech giants and their investors comes as western governments push international social media companies to remove Russian state-backed media from their platforms. He added that investors had also largely ignored the sector's alleged ties to surveillance in China's western Xinjiang region where one million Muslims have been imprisoned. "One of the issues which is most concerning is the sheer level of passive investment in these companies, particularly Tencent and Alibaba.

• Russian internet users are learning how to beat Putin's internet crackdown

  Russian Internet users VPNs to view world's opion on the ukraine war while putin controls the media within russia and limit their freedom of speech using violent force and new technologies. Russian internet users are increasingly relying on virtual private networks (VPNs) and encrypted messaging applications to circumvent government restrictions. According to experts, Putin may have unintentionally triggered a significant, long-lasting shift in computer literacy that will work against him for years. Since March 1, Russian internet traffic to Signal has increased by a "substantial amount." Since the Ukraine invasion, Tor, a service that directs internet traffic through government firewalls, has witnessed a 2,000 percent surge in downloads from Russia. Telegram and Lantern, two private chat apps, are also thriving in Russia in the aftermath of the invasion. Russian internet users face grave dangers as the Kremlin cracks down on social media. For years, some Russian internet users have used secure communication programs. Kremlin supporters can still attempt to lure them into Russia's broader information war. If only a small proportion of citizens use such tools, Putin may be able to monopolize the country's information arena. The proliferation of anti-censorship technologies may herald the start of a "J-curve" in Russia, according to security expert Meinrath.

• Texas sues Meta for collecting facial recogniion data

  Texas is suing Meta over allegations that the social media giant illegally harvested the facial recognition data of tens of millions of state residents for a decade. The lawsuit argues that a now-shuttered Facebook photo-tagging feature failed to get Texans’ informed consent before gathering their facial recognition data. The feature worked by analyzing faces in photos, including those of non-Facebook users and recommending that Facebook users tag the people that the tool identified. Facebook announced it would discontinue the tool in November 2021 and that it would also delete the data it had collected from at least 600 million users who had been a part of the program.

• Zuckerberg reveals AI projects to power Metaverse

  Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled several artificial intelligence projects describing AI as “the key to unlocking the Metaverse.” In a live streamed demonstration, he created a basic brutal world with an island, trees, and a beach, using an AI feature Builder Bot. He also announced plans to build a universal speech translator. He made sure to promise the AI systems driving Meta’s virtual worlds would preserve privacy and be transparent and responsible. Facebook has been investing in AI for the past 10 years and in January, it announced that it had built a new AI supercomputer that it aims to be the fastest in the world when completed mid 2022.

• 'Full Self-Driving' Clips show owners of Teslas fighting for control, and experts see deep flaws

  Tesla has made the greatest strides of any auto manufacturer when it comes to making self-driving vehicles. However, their technology isn’t perfect, which shows how difficult it is to create an autonomous robot. Videos show Teslas driving down light-rail tracks, failing to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, and slamming into bike lane bollard at 11 mph. Each of these examples reveals a fundamental weakness in Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” technology. According to experts, these problems have no easy solution because patching one issue might introduce new complications and the nearly infinite array of possible real-life scenarios is simply too much for Tesla’s algorithm to master.

• TikTok limits services as Netflix pulls out of Russia

  The article focuses on how certain platforms, specifically Netflix and Tik Tok, have cut off their services in Russia amidst the invasion of Ukraine. Tik Tok has suspended live streaming and new content as the company tries to slow the spread of “fake news” regarding Russian armed forces. Tik tok explains this as a safety measure to ensure the protection of its staff and its users. According to the article, anyone reported writing “fake news” about the military can have upto 15 years in prison. There are approximately 36 million Russian Tik Tok-users, making it one of the company’s largest territories. Russian users can currently only view content; the restrictions on producing content is to protect people from being charged with “fake news”. Tik Tok has only recently released a statement regarding the invasion of Ukraine saying it was “devastating” and that it brought “pain to our community and our people”. Netflix has, since last week, halted all projects in Russia and stopped streaming services. Other companies have suspended operations: Burberry, H&M, Jaguar Land Rover, Apple. Visa, Mastercard and American Express have also suspended operations.

• Apple, Microsoft and Other Tech Companies Stop Sales in Russia

  Many tech companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung, are either limiting or completely stopping sales of their products in Russia. This is largely due to the political tensions between Ukraine that have taken root there. Additionally, companies have also ceased advertisements on social media sites, and streaming services are holding off on releasing movies and tv shows. This will overall make it difficult to purchase phones, games, and more in Russia, perhaps leading to inflated prices of these products in the market.

• Google Suspends Advertising in Russia

  In response to calls by the Russian government on Google to take down ads that "spread disinformation about the situation in Ukraine", Google has taken the rare step of suspending all ad services in the country. Although they have not confirmed anything, it is speculated that this is because they have several hundred employees in the country. Additionally, this is one of a few different steps that Google has had to take in response to the ongoing conflict. This is only one example of the broader way that tech now plays a large role in conflict.

• '50% of transactions were fraudulent' when Steam accepted Bitcoin for payments, says Gabe Newell

  Recently, Steam has banned blockchain and NFT games, to the annoyance of gamers who are fans of crypto. The decision is precedented by Steam's short-lived experiment with accepting Bitcoin as payment, which started in Apr 2016 and ended Dec 2017. Steam's reasoning for dropping support for Bitcoin was the extreme fluctuation it caused in the price of a game by the day, and the high amount of fraud that came with the crypto scene. Gabe Newell, president of Steam's parent company Valve, comments, "There's a lot of really interesting technology in blockchains... but I think that people haven't figured out why you actually need a distributed ledger." Newell's comment reflects rising concerns around the "overhype" of blockchain technology, and critiques on appropriate use and limitations of crypto.

• What You Need to Know About Facial Recognition at Airports

  The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is aiming to incorporate biometric facial recognition with its new identification system. The technology they use (Simple Arrival) uses facial recognition which compares a current photo of the person being identified and their passport photo using a computer algorithm. There are a few concerns regarding this automated method of identification, the first one having to do with privacy. Some privacy advocates have voiced their skepticism regarding this process, demanding insurance that "flagged individuals are treated in a safe, fair and noninvasive manner given the imperfection of facial recognition software.” Another worry that surfaced was regarding bias in the programming that could lead to higher rates of errors for some groups, including people of color. The article claims that the C.B.P. has partnered up with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the algorithm shows “virtually no demonstrable difference when it comes to demographics.”

• Chip sanctions aim for Russia’s military and its tech industry hopes

  This article discusses US sanctions against Russia's tech-economy to disrupt its military capabilities. The sanctions include the ban of exporting chip technology to Russia by US based companies, such as Intel and Nvidia. The sanction is specifically targeted for chip technology meant for military purposes and would not stop Russian citizens from buying normal technology goods, such as mobile phones. This move mirrors that of US sanctions against Huawei a couple years before due to security concerns, but use of the same sanctions today brings concern of Chinese companies moving in to supply Russia the chip technology instead. However, a senior Biden official remarks "China alone can't supply all of Russia's critical needs" and this seems reasonable given that China accounts for only 16 percent of global semiconductor prodcution, so such an outcome is unlikely. Nonetheless, the tech sanctions reflect a US response in limiting Russia's military aggression with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

• Ukraine invasion: Russia restricts social media access

  This article is discussing the news restriction sanctions being put in place by the Russian government as the invasion of Ukraine is currently happening. The article explains how these policies have severely limited the flow of information in a state of national crisis. The websites which have been most restricted for many Russian citizens are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fact checking by Meta— who owns media platforms like Facebook and Instagram— and the allowance of views that stand in opposition to Russian media outlets to persevere. Meta has restricted certain Russian officials on some platforms resulting in the state demanding these sanctions be lifted. Meta refused arguing that their apps are allowing many users to spread information and mobilize. Meta is currently trying to make their apps accessible and partnered with an outside organization , Reuters, to fact-check and stop the spread of disinformation. There is limited information still concerning how Russian will continue to limit other Meta apps, like WhatsApp.

• Russia and Social Media Services Clash

  Russia is fighting with several social media platforms (such as Meta and Twitter), because they are trying to restrict Russia's ability to spread false information about their recent invasion of Ukraine. Social Media platforms have been facing pressure to crack down on Russia, and many individuals are calling for platforms to straight out prohibit Russians from using these services. Interestingly, Russia is also starting to restrict the ability for its citizens to use services like Facebook and Twitter, probably to make it more difficult for its citizens to see outside information about the conflict with Ukraine. The question of whether companies like Facebook and Twitter should ban Russian users brings up interesting ethical discussion, and the leaders of these companies are having to grapple with what to do in this situation. Meta's global affairs department determined that it would cause more detriment to ban Russians from using Facebook. This could be the case because much of the Russian media is spreading lots of propaganda. However, this is definitely an interesting issue because it shows how decisions by these tech companies have serious implications for real world issues.

• Strong Compute wants to speed up your ML model training

  Strong Compute is an Australia-based startup focused on optimizing the training of ML models by removing inefficiencies in the training process. They compliment the beauty of ML libraries such as PyTorch and TensorFlow, but argue these come at the cost of inefficiency. Many customer anecdotes second their claims that the training process can be sped up by 10x. This company promises a bright future for training ML models, a current problem many companies face when calculating the cost and training time for these core algorithms.

• Google is leading a vast, covert human experiment. You may be one of the guinea pigs

  Google is performing A/B testing on its user base without express user consent, leading to the questioning of Google's - and other tech giants' - ethics. In this specific example, Google displayed alternative news sources to approximately 1% of its Australia-based users to test "the impacts of new businesses and Google Search on each other". These differing results have led those selected users to alternative, often unreliable, news sources over trusted sites. Google has either failed to fully realize the ethical implications of their testing or operates with dubious ethics. The article questions Google's intent to manipulate its user base, referencing a more serious case when Facebook tested on its users by boosted either positive or negative news in their feed to see the effect on their peers, a study widely condemned, for comparison. We conclude noting the importance of disclosure when testing on users.

• Using artificial intelligence to find anomalies hiding in massive datasets

  Some MIT researchers have created a method that is able to point out anomalies in real time from data streams in an efficient way. This model does not need to be trained on annotated data on power grid anomalies, which makes it suitable for real life situations that don’t have cleaned up data of good quality. One possible use of the model includes monitoring traffic and water systems. Although other models do exist, the researchers conclude that their model performs better when it comes to pointing out anomalies. This is because their model was able to detect a higher percent of the true anomalies that existed in the datasets that were tested.

• Valve has no plans for a 'Steam Pass,' but would help Microsoft put Game Pass on Steam

  With the highly anticipated launch of the Steam Deck this taking place this week, Valve has responded to speculations that they might release a competitor to Xbox Game Pass. Although they shut down the rumors, they opened the door for Microsoft to put their subscription service on the Steam platform, an anomaly in the console space. Although Game Pass games are theoretically playable already by installing Windows, putting Game Pass on Steam would open up a large library to casual gamers. Despite claims that this would not make sense from Microsoft's viewpoint, the same was said about Xbox games coming to Steam, which recently took place.

• Toward a stronger defense of personal data

  Researchers at MIT have developed an "application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip", with the power to defend against "side-channel" attacks, or attacks that seek to gather secret information via an exploitation of a system and/or its hardware. An example of a side attack is the exploitation of the hardware on a smartwatch by inspecting the device's power consumption to get private health data about the individual. The ASIC chip answers this issue by using "threshold computing", which splits the data into "unique, random components" which are then operated on in a random order as well before getting the final result. Their chip was a success as with the default implementation "they were able to recover hidden information... in about 1000 power waveforms (representations of power usage over time)". Whereas, with the new hardware, "even after collecting 2 million waveforms, they still could not recover the data". However, now the main issue that has come up is the design: while it provides significant security against these attacks, "the chip requires 5.5 times more power and 1.6 times more silicon area than a baseline insecure implementation." The researchers, however, argue that "[We're willing to trading] off some amount of energy consumption to make a more secure computation", arguing that it can be utilized while more energy-sustainable models are created in the future.

• Using artificial intelligence to find anomalies hiding in massive datasets

  In complex grid data such as power grid or water grid data, determining the probabilities of anomalies (such as a spike in voltage) is very difficult, as power grid data consists of many incoming data points very second from different sensors across the grid. At IBM-Watson's MIT AI Lab, researchers have devised an efficient method for determining these malfunctions in data streams in real time, and turning these complex probabilities into more managable ones. They argue that their artifical intelligence method is much better at detecting them than other popular techniques. Deriving this method involved using concepts in Baynesian networks, individual probabilities, probability density, and even techniques in deep learning like "normalizing form" which allow an artifical intelligence to see a complicated network of multidimensional data points as an interconnected Baynesian network or interconnected grid. As the AI learns the causal structure of the data it receives, it can begin to construct causal structures between sensors and convert otherwise complex probabilities into more managable ones for researchers to investigate. In preparing and testing this method, they used previous data of grid networks such as power grid data, water grid data, and traffic data which contains anomalies that'd been previously identified and solved by humans. What they found was that their model "outperformed all the baselines by detecting a higher percentage of true anomalies in each dataset". To go further, their model involved no supervision, as the AI learns on its own this causal grid structure; the researchers hope that this solution can be mapped to other datasets and complex forms of data.

• Tesla’s reverse on battery cells signals shift for electric vehicles

  This article by June Yoon delves into Tesla’s recent decision for its cars to start using lithium iron phosphate batteries. This is caused by the recent surge in prices for raw materials in the world of batteries for electric cars. The article points out how this type of battery is widely used for less sophisticated devices such as golf carts and residential back-up power systems. But iron-based batteries are a much less efficient option for electric cars as they have a lower energy density than the nickel, cobalt, and manganese batteries, which are currently used in most electric cars. Being iron-based, these batteries will in turn offers less driving distance on a single charge. The main advantage in switching towards iron-based batteries is the price: they cost about 30 per cent per battery cell than their nickel-rich counterparts. Another advantage is that they are thermally more stable, meaning a lower risk of fires. Battery-caused car fires have costed companies such as General Motors upwards of $2 billion and Supplier LG Energy solution an estimated $1.2 billion. Tesla’s decision to switch to iron-based batteries has inspired other carmakers such as Volkswagen to plan to use them as well. However, a switch to iron-based batteries would mean a powershift for China, as the country produces more than 95% of iron-based battery cells and controls more than 80% of the world’s refining and mining aof electric car battery raw materials.

• NASA Offers Up to $200 Million to Help Push New Technologies to Market

  Through Tipping Point, NASA seeks to support space technologies that can foster the growth of commercial space capabilities and benefit future agency missions. “Public-private partnerships established through these opportunities will combine agency resources with industry contributions, a benefit that will unlock new ideas to advance how we live and work in space while providing greater value to the American people.” These opportunities focus on technology development for space infrastructure and capabilities for the Moon and near-Earth space. "Forging strong partnerships with the commercial space economy is critical for driving our nation’s space exploration further and faster," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, which manages the new opportunities. More than half a billion dollars have been awarded to 50 projects since NASA announced the first Tipping Point opportunity in 2015. Space x technologies advanced through this funding are now part of current and future mission plans.

• China Is About to Regulate AI—and the World Is Watching

  Chinese government is on the move to regulate corperates' AI algorithm uses that set prices, control search results, recommend videos, and filter content. Some car hailing apps in china uses AI algorithm to provide different prices for different users. For instence, the platform may offer a lower price for the same ride based on users usage and price of the phone they use. In one of Prsident Xi jinping's speech in Octorber, he said there are "unhealthy and disorderly signals and trendds" regarding china's digital economy development. Based on the new 'INternet information Service Algorithmic Recommendatio Management Provisions' will enforce corperates and individual use Ai in unlawful and unhealfy ways online. Certain provisions of the new regulations may prove challenging or impossible to enforce. Controlling the behavior of an algorithm that is constantly changing due to new input, for example, might be technically tough.

• Why SNK shifted to Unreal Engine for its latest fighting games

  SNK decided to use the unreal engine for their latest game, The King of Fighters XV, which helped the development and quality of the final product. The unreal engine provided benefits to development such as easier time porting and enhanced shader capabilities. SNK used unreal engine for their previous title Samurai Shodown, which was a success and they are developing a future game with unreal engine. The King of Fighters XIV did not use unreal engine, but SNK was experimenting with unreal engine during that game's development, so the transition was easy.

• Tesla wants its cars to be Steam compatible

  In a tweet, Elon Musk reveals that Tesla is working towards making their cars Steam compatible. New Tesla models currently have an AMD GPU that is able to run demanding games on the dashboard. The dashboard makes use of a Linux operating system, which Steam currently is optimizing for things like the Steam Deck. The only confirmation of this happening is Elon Musk’s tweet. Also Tesla is currently being investigated by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for some games being playable while driving, which has been disabled since last December.

• Google lowered its salaries in North Carolina. Now workers are protesting.

  Google has lowered its employees salaries and stock benefits below national level for some of its North Carolina offices. Representatives from Google claim this change was to readjust to offer competitive pay relative to the local market. However, affected workers view the adjustment as problematic. This is partly because many employees moved to the area before the salary cut for the lower cost of living, and Google had "record-breaking performance in the stock market, in spite of Covid-19," and so should be rewarding its workers rather than cutting salaries. A larger reason for upset is also the cut happening simultaneously with Google's plans to make the company more diverse by hiring black engineers in areas like Durnham, North Carolina. Thus, critics raise the question of if Google is exploiting the very hires that will make their company more diverse.

• Ransomware-Related Data Leaks Jump 82% in 2021

  This article goes over the alarming 2021 cyber security report about the prevalence and danger of ransomware attacks. The report states that there were 2,686 attacks in 2021 compared to 1,474 attacks in 2020, which is an 82% increase. Perpetrators are evolving their approaches with ransomware, such as accessing legitamite login credentials to takeover system functions, as a way to bypass antivirus products. The report also notes that almost 49% of the attacks are financially motivated, and a prime example was the "lock and leak" attacks observed where the data is not only encrypted for ransom but also stolen to sell online. Such attacks are growing in popularity because of the many vulnerabilites in a company's cloud and server infrastructure that can be exploited by these attackers. It's with a warning that "adversaries continue to adapt to security environments" and this will only continue in 2022.

• Losing Tech War To China? After Hypersonic Missiles, Ex-Google CEO Says US Far Behind In Another Critical Technology

  The article argues that China is rapidly overtaking the United States in the competition to develop and produce what the former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, refers to as “strategically important technology”. One of these crucial advancements is in hypersonic technology. In July of last year China conducted a hypersonic weapon test that launched a missile around the world at a speed 5x faster than the speed of sound. China has also recently expanded greatly in its investment of 5G services. China has invested approximately 50x as much in 5G technology as the United States, with a total of $50 billion investment in the country. Schmidt goes on to criticize the United State’s failure to not only effectively allocate resources to hypersonic and 5G technology, but also to high tech manufacturing, green energy and AI. The primary concern is the security threat that technological stagnation poses to the United States. In recent news, Chinese researchers claim to have successfully reached a wireless transmission speed of 206.25 gigabits per second, suggesting 6G technology may be 100x faster than 5G. This combined with hypersonic missiles highlights the growing disparity in tech design as the United States struggles to rollout 5G across the country. The only solution provided is an increased amount of funding into research to continue securing the United States position as a global leader in technological advancement.

• Google moves to make Android apps more private

  Google plans to increase privacy on android apps alongside the Chrome browser. By 2023 the use of third party cookies is supposedly planned to be removed from Chrome. Overall, the sharing of user data will be more limited so that advertisers will not be able to gain much access to it. However, in the past, the article highlights that Google’s attempts to make up for third party cookies have been unsuccessful, such as in the case of Floc (Federated Learning of Cohorts). Additionally, details on specific implementation methods have not yet been provided.

• Texas Sues Meta's Facebook Over Facial-Recognition Practices

  According to U.S. News, the state of Texas plans to sue Meta over the use of Texans' biometric data without their consent. The lawsuit claims that Meta has allegedly used biometric data of the 20.5 million Texans who use Meta "billions of times." A Meta spokesperson has since denied these allegations saying that these claims are "without merit" and that they will fight to defend themselves. In November 2021, Meta said that they were stopping their facial recognition system, and that the data collected was being deleted; however, this data is supposedly being distributed to others without their consent, and was failed in being deleted.

• What is Edge AI and How Does It Work?

  This NVIDIA article explains new developments made in the area of Edge AI. It goes on to say that Edge AI is where AI applications in devices are sent out into the physical world. The word “edge" is used because the AI computations are done at the edge of the network, rather than centrally in something like a cloud computing facility. These AI applications are learning to perform tasks in the midst of the "infinite circumstances" that humans are faced with in everyday life. These AI have many uses, and it is claimed that they provide a "robust infrastructure" for general AI.

• Kanye West’s $200 Stem Player will be the only way to get his next album, Donda 2

  Kanye West announced this week that his upcoming album, Donda 2, would only be available on his "stem Player" platform, and would not be coming to normal streaming platforms. He claims that this is in response to the fact that artists only get 12% of the money that the industry makes, with streaming platforms taking large percentages. Launched with his previous album, the Stem Player is an interesting device that allows for the onboard music to be manipulated, although it was nowhere near as functional as a proper mixing device, nor is it as convenient to use as streaming platforms. Notably, this is not the first time Kanye has attempted to avoid mainstream streaming platforms, since he tried something similar several years ago. However, it seems less likely he will backtrack this time, unlike the last, given the current state of the music industry and criticism of platforms such as Spotify.

• GitHub launches code scanning scheme to hunt down vulnerabilities

  This TechRadar article discusses a new experimental feature that GitHub has released, which will automatically scan code to see if it has vulnerabilities that could enable SQL injection, cross-site scripting, or other exploits. The scanner is powered by machine learning and currently only processes JavaScript and TypeScript code. If a vulnerability is found, the user will be notified in the security tab of their repository. The article then goes on to contextualize how this feature is another way in which GitHub seeks to implement automation in its service, following the development of GitHub Copilot.

• We tested Apple's new option to unlock an iPhone while wearing a mask

  This article discusses Apple's new software update, which includes a new feature that enables users to unlock their phone with face id even while wearing a mask. There has been a loss of one Apple's most convenient features over the last couple years as face id does not work when people wear a mask. Apple also has stated that this update should allow for better results when wearing sunglasses and/or a hat and trying to unlock your phone. This upcoming update is big news, as it means we won't have the annoying issue of typing in our passcode or pulling off our mask in public to unlock our phones. The convenience of face id is a big feature that was revolutionary when it was first released, and these new updates should improve it more. It will be interesting to see how effective the new changes are. An initial test with the beta revealed that while it was able to unlock the device with a mask on, there were still some inconsistencies. There were times that they were prompted to input their passcode to unlock the phone, but Apple will likely address this issue before releasing fully in the next update.

• Google also enforcing rules to honor user privacy to detriment of advertisers

  Google has also announced that they will enforce policies that limit advertisers' ability to track users' activity. Currently, Google/Android users each have a unique ID that advertisers can use to track their activity. However, Google plans to revise this in the future. However, there is an important difference between Google's approach and that of Apple (who also recently announced changing to protect users' privacy from advertisers); Apple released their changes immediately, allowing users to block advertisers from tracking their activity, while Google has announced that their changes will not fully take effect for about two more years (they will continue supporting the user ID's for at least two years). This gives advertisers/social media companies who rely on them time to adjust and come up with new approaches. I think it is interesting that Apple and Google approached this differently, and I wonder whether Google's softer approach was influenced by the fact that Apple's privacy changes were met with strong backlash/criticism because of how abrupt their changes were.

• Maybe Green Energy Needs 'Information Batteries' Too

  To save on the large amount of energy used for computing, researchers suggest pre commuting information necessary and storing it away in "information batteries", during times when clean power is available and saving it for when it is not. Companies like Google and Facebook that use up alot of energy for pre computable things like search results or friend suggestions and by doing that work asynchronously and storing it, they reduce their consumption. Similar strategies are used by others who do their heavy processing at night when there is less usage by others. However, pre computing for information batteries would not be able to predict the future of what will be needed but only parts of it.

• Bionic eyes: Obsolete tech leaves patients in the dark

  People who used retinal implants (Argus II) from Second Sight are being left figuratively and literally in the dark. Second sight almost went out of business and so they discontinued Argus II. This meant that people who currently have it have no one to go to for support or repairs of the retinal implant. The Argus is an implanted electrode array that stimulates the eye according to the video being recorded by the glasses of users. This showcases our vulnerability to tech and the continuance of it.

• Crypto money laundering rises 30%, report finds

  In thie article, the author claims that more criminals chooses to use crypto currency to laundering money due to low transaction fees with while decentralisation offers criminals greater anonymity and security protection from the authorities. Chainalysis says that after tracking cryto currency wallets controleed by criminals they found that they have laundered over $8.6 billions of cryptocurrency in 2021, "up by 30%" since 2020. According to the research, cryptocurrency laundering accounts for 17% of all monies sent from unlawful wallets, up from 2% in 2016. Money from offline crime, such as drug trafficking funds converted to cryptocurrencies to be laundered, is not covered, and the report warns that this could be a growing area. The paper claims that this is low in comparison to more traditional ways of money laundering, "suggesting that Bitcoin-based laundering could become increasingly attractive to traditional criminals."

• Silicon Valley is no longer the edgy tech frontier as workers flee Google and Amazon for crypto and Web3 startups, recruiters say

  Katie Canales’ Business Insider article details how recently there has been a trend of high-profile executives and developers leaving established firms to find jobs in crypto and other decentralized tech ventures. A leading example of this is how the former CMO of Meta’s digital wallet project, Novi, has left the company to pursue a position at the blockchain-focused payments company Circle. This effect is similar to that of the wave of job switching in the early 2010s that saw the arrival of companies such as Uber and Lyft. Whether or not this is just a trend in Silicon Valley or a lasting impact, only the future will know what is in store for the workers who leave for crypto and Web3 startups.

• Watching Me, Watching You: How Eye Tracking Is Coming to VR and Beyond

  Experts at Tobii, an eye tracking tech company, believe that eye tracking is the next big leap in VR and AR technology. By integrating eye tracking into AR and VR, software engineers can redistribute graphics processing power, allow avatars to make eye contact, and integrate new eye controls. However, there is a big security concern regarding the data that will be collected from users' eye movements. Fortunately, software companies like Tobii, are brainstorming user agreements that will explain what data is being collected to better inform users before they allow thier data to be tracked.

• Cryptocurrency is akin to 'Ponzi scheme' and banning it is 'perhaps the most advisable choice', says India's Central Bank

  This TechCrunch article is about a high up official of India's central bank calling cryptocurrencies akin to ponzi schemes just after the Indian government began legalizing cryptocurrencies through its aim to tax them. He advocates for banning cryptocurrencies, saying, "They threaten the financial sovereignty of a country and make it susceptible to strategic manipulation by private corporates creating these currencies or governments that control them". This article highlights the acceptance and rejection of cryptocurrencies worldwide, specifically in India.

• Reface, a viral face-swap app from Ukraine, adds anti-war push notifications

  Reface, a Ukrainian face-swap app, is sending push notifications to its user base of approximately 200 million asking them to stand with the Ukraine against Russian invasion with the hashtag #StandWithUkraine and by watermarking videos made on their app with a Ukrainian flag. Moreover, an image of sheltering civilians in Kyiv has replaced the home page and displays messages for Russia to be excluded from a banking system in addition to info on how to help Ukrainians during this time. In light of Russia's invasion, this app is trying to highlight these wrongdoings and bring attention and help to the situation in Ukraine.

• Alex Frangi created an AI to predict heart attack risk fromo a retina scan

  A professor at the University of Leeds in England and his research assistants have been conducting research on pre-heart-attack symptoms, and how to notify the patient that they are at risk. Data was collected from tens of thousands of individuals who had gotten recent retina scans, as well as over 5,000 cases of people who had both a retina and cardiac magnetic resnoance scan. The data was split into 10 parts for training, and by the end the AI was able to correctly predict a heart attack 70-80% of the time. This is a major upgrade from a doctors diagnosis for a few reasons. First, it is much quicker. Current methods for determining heart attack risk required blood samples as well as use of an electrocardiogram, while yhe AI only needs a retina scan, which is much faster and more patient friendly. This is also a much cheaper option since the technology required for a retina scan is much simpler than that of CMR scans. Retina scans will also be much more available to the general public through the use of phones. Eventually each phone will be capable of performing a retina scan, which when mixed with this AI will give everyone the ability to test their own risk of a heart attack without requiring a doctors involvement. Finally in testing, the AI performed 10% better than any previous methods did, suggesting that this AI is capable of determining risk of a heart attack quicker, cheaper, more conveniently, and more accurately than current methods.

• Microsoft purchasing Activision

  This is an article about Microsoft recently purchasing the game developing company Activision Blizzard. They are responsible for many popular games such as Overwatch, Call of Duty World of Warcraft, the Diablo franchise, and many others. In recent years the company has seen its profits dropping as their games fall out of relevancy, with no new releases gaining widespread popularity. On January 18th, Microsoft that they would purchase Blizzard for an estimated $70 billion which is now the largest video game purchase of all time. After this sale, Microsoft will become the third biggest game developing company in the world, behind Tencent and Sony. Currently the videogame market is extremely profitable, with an estimated 3 billion people actively engaged in at least one game. While this new ownership would likely reignight Blizzards popularity, it is concerning how Microsoft is slowly purchasing all smaller game dev comapines. Continuing this could make it much more difficult for future game dev companies to enter the market, and further strengthen the oligopoly that top companies share today.

• Synthetic Data Usage in AI

  This segment from IEEE talks about a company called Omniverse which is pushing for the usage of synthetic data in training AI. Omniverse is meant to be a simulated version of reality with the minimum amount of important physics aspects implemented in order to simulate a real world setting in VR. This would allow the user to create environments to perform tests, such as on the top of a frozen mountain or middle of a desert without actually having to go to that location to gather data. While creating "fake data" may seem like it would not be as impactful as data recorded in the real world, it would allow AI training in areas where data cannot be gathered morally or easily. For example, Omniverse simulated a series of dangerous environments to gather data for self-driving cars. Data was gathered on icy roads, sudden sharp turns, when animals/people run into the road, broken brakes, etc. Most of this data would be very dangerous and immoral to gather legitimately, but training for these situations allows the self-driving cars to react approopriately to emergencies. As the VR simulation of reality becomes more accurate data can be gathered easier and more efficiently, which could pave the way for widespread synthetic data usage in future AI.

• To protect consumers, Congress should secure the app store supply chain

  Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Open App Market Act, a bill mandating that smartphone makers allow users to install unvetted applications on their devices. This bill is a big change from the "walled garden" distribution model of today that only allows app installation from official app stores. The "walled garden" model ensures higher levels of safety through basic safety screening, but cuts down on the amount of available free apps for users. Allowing users to install unvetted apps poses bigger security risks especially for individuals and smaller businesses that do not have the necessary security features to monitor software. With that said, Congress has the ability to enforce regulations that mitigate those risks, including requiring all app stores to have base levels of security, moving away from unrestricted "side-loading", and educating users on good device hygiene.

• White Castle to hire 100 robots to flip burgers

  Having first experimented with 'Flippy 1' robotic cooks back in September 2020, White Castle has plans to roll out the upgraded 'Flippy 2' at over 100 locations. The robots, made and manufactured by Miso Robotics, have the capability to take over the entire fry station, allowing employees to focus on customer-facing duties. The combination of fast food and AI is not novel to White Castle, as other popular chains like McDonald's, Sonic, and Checkers have been working to streamline their drive-thru operations with AI tools. Nonetheless, White Castle's program is being phased in by region, with hopes to be in over a third of the 350 locations they have across the Midwest, Southwest, and New York area.

• AI could be the perfect tool for exploring the universe

  Astronomers have begun using AI to detect gravitational lenses in images. Gravitational lenses occur when a massive object like a galaxy or a black hole comes between an observer on Earth and a light source, which bends space and light allowing astronomers to see parts of the universe they normally would be unable to see. Finding these lenses among massive amounts of data is very time consuming to do by hand, but by using machine learning, they’ve gotten a detection rate of roughly one per minute as opposed to five or six lenses found for a week of work by hand. This data sorting has the potential to extract more information from data we already have, and collect significantly more information quicker, and more accurately.

• Record-high seizure of $4bn in stolen Bitcoin

  The US Department of Justice confiscated a record high amount of Bitcoin last week. Two people were caught attempting to launder the stolen money from a hack in 2016 that resulted in around 120,000 Bitcoin being stolen from the crypto exchange Bitfinex. Around 94,000 Bitcoin have been recovered and the pair could serve up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.

• How Misleading Videos About Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Spread on Twitter

  A video posted on Twitter as news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine circulated the internet shows buildings being lit up by a bright flash followed by a loud boom. “Mariupol”, a city in south eastern Ukraine and the misleading caption of the video, implies a relation to the invasion, but the actual video shows lightning striking buildings in January. Twitter says it’s trying to combat this type of misleading content by monitoring and removing videos of this nature, but this goes to show how not everything we see on the internet can be trusted.

• Ukraine Tech Minister Begs Tim Cook to Cut Off App Store Access in Russia

  The Ukrainian technology minister has requested that Apple CEO Tim Cook block Russian citizens from accessing the App Store and stop supplying them Apple services and products. If this goes through, Russian citizens could be blocked from ways they use to coordinate resistance. Mykhalio Fedorov posted his official letter to Cook on Twitter Feb 25.

• Google Drive’s new filters that make search easier are rolling out to everyone

  Chips is a feature that makes searching in Google Drive easier and it is being made available to all Workspace users. Chips were introduced to Gmail in 2020 and is now being applied to Google Drive. Chips allows you to filter search results by location, file type, date modified, people, tasks, and shared label. To use it, type a keywork into the search bar as usual and you will see the chips right above the search results.

• Syncing Alexa, Google Nest and Apple smart home tech is about to get easier with Matter

  This article discusses the prevalence of smart home tech as we progress into a digital age. The issue with smart home devices and appliances becoming more popular is beginning to become their lack of compatability with one another. This issue is soon going to be resolved with the release of matter, a language/protocol that allows different brands of smart home technology to communicate. Notable companies that are going to implement matter include Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, Dyson, GE, and Sonos. One issue with the release of matter is mass adoption is going to take some time due to the fact that not all current smart home devices are going to be matter compatible. Some companies have said that they may release "bridge" devices that will make old devices compatible with matter. Amazon has said that some Echo devices will simply need a firmware update but this is not necessarily the case across companies. Overall, this is an interesting step forward in tech as it shows that sometimes it is in big tech's best interest to work together.

• The US is unmasking Russian hackers faster than ever

  As tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, the world watches and waits for information about the conflict. On Feburary 15th and 16th, banks and government websites in Ukraine crashed after a DDos cyber attack. Less than 48 hours later, the United States government was able to point their fingers at Russian spies. This quick response is partially due to the pressing nature of the situation, as the world braces for what could be the largest land conflict in Eurpoe since WWII. Increasingly advanced technology and information also plays a role in the increased response time to the identification of cyber attackers. The article also cites politics as a reason that the identification has lagged in the past. Beyond this current event, the article also discusses some background of cyber security in the era of the internet.

• Tech Companies’ Super Bowl Ads Leaned Into Dystopia

  This article discusses the dystopian nature of some tech Super Bowl commercials, specifically Meta's ad for a Quest 2 game. Meta's Quest 2 ad depicted an animatronic dog that gets thrown out after the arcade he was a part of shut down. The dog is taken from a trash compactor and brought to a facility where it is given Meta's VR headset, the Quest 2. The dog then virtually returns to the arcade that he came from and digitally reunited with his old friends. This story, while uplifting, has some darker undertones because not everybody has access to VR to escape tough living conditions. The ad reminds us that as reality becomes bleak, the virtual world may soon be the only place for people to escape and feel joy. The article is not all grim as it goes on to present a few weaker dystopian examples, and counter examples of other tech companies airing more uplifting ads.

• Artificial intelligence and big data can help preserve wildlife

  AI and animal ecology experts have proposed a cross-disciplinary approach to better research wildlife species in the context of preservation. AI experts can work specifically on creating new models. On the other hand, ecologists can provide AI experts with knowledge on what attributes these said models should contain and how they relate to each other. Although a large amount of data has been collected on wildlife in the past, the models are not ideal for ecological understanding. This is because these models are not customizable, have bad quality control, and have ethical issues.

• Data breaches break record in 2021

  The Identity Theft Resource Center has reported that 2021 saw the highest amount of data breaches to date. The record indicates a 68% increase from 2020’s total and a 23% increase from the previous all-time high. This is a crucial topic to address, as there is no indication that data breaches will slow down in the coming years. There is a general trend in which cybercriminals are shifting towards more focused attacks instead of massive data breaches. Following 2021’s trend, it is expected that ransomware will surpass phishing as the most likely data breach in 2022. It is encouraged that all individuals practice safe cyber practices to reduce their own risk of becoming the victim of these attacks. Interestingly, the military had no data breaches in 2021, despite an increase across all other sectors.

• Forget Zoom school. For some students, class is in session in VR

  Virtual Reality classes are more engaging and effective at teaching than Zoom or other video based remote learning platforms. The article first starts by describing how a professor at Stanford University used VR to teach his class and how it helped his students remain more engaged with the content. VR learning is also being implemented in Longview School for gym classes and to help students learn about war and trade through the use of games like Civilization V. Even though headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 are becoming more affordable they are still too expensive to buy a set for a whole class in many schools. Still, students who took VR classes say they remember more from the class than video based remote classes.

• Disney+ Just Ran its First Test of Live Streaming in the US

  Just recently Disney+ made its attempt at live streaming to the U.S, to perform this innovation on a smaller scale they chose to live stream the Oscar nominations for this year. Despite Disney already possessing live streaming services like Hulu or ESPN, this has yet to be applied to Disney+. For this event, Disney+ chose to also stream on their other streaming platforms they own such as ABC News Live, and Hulu, this helped increase the spread of viewers and lessen the burden on Disney+ for this text.

• Texas Sues Meta Over Facebook's Facial-Recognition Practices

  Facebook's facial recognition technology was found to violate state's privacy protections for personal biometric data and now is discontinued. Facebook was said to be harvesting Texan's personal information witch is strictly against the laws seeing as there was not informed consent. However Meta has come forward to say the claims are without merit and they will work to fight for themselves, they argued that before the facial recognition was shut down that users were informed when those services were used.

• Apple broke Facebook's ad Machine. Who's going to fix it?

  Apple has updated the ads work onios apps, by doing this it is harder for facebook to track user data for personalized ads. This change is said to cost ten billion in revenue. Facebook is estimated to still generate $129 billion from ads however the ad buisness will only grow 12% as opposed to its prevous years growth of 36%. The issues with ads comes about with apples update to let users choose if they want app-folowers tracking them.

• Mozilla and Meta working to provide info to advertisers in non-invasive ways

  This blog article from Mozilla talks about how they have been working with Meta to create new ways for advertisers to get information about users in ways that still preserve the user's privacy. They are calling it 'Privacy Preserving Attribution' and it is supposedly a method through which advertisers can still access metrics about how effective their campaigns are working without getting information about specific users. This new strategy is still being worked on but has been submitted for approval to the various groups that govern privacy in relation to advertising. I thought this was particularly interesting in light of the article that I found last week, which talked about how recent privacy policies from Apple (allowing users to have more power over how much advertisers can learn about their behaviour) have had an impact on various companies' (including Meta's) profits. This seems like a possible reaction to that or at least related, in that companies are trying to come up with compromises that still allow advertisers to get information about users, but in ways that still promote privacy for the users.

• Fusion race kicked into high gear by smart tech

  An American company is striving to make fusion economically viable with the help of Google's machine learning "expertise". What once used to take two months, with the help of machine learning, takes a fraction of an afternoon. The article states that Google's contribution has could accelerate from the company's long-term schedule, which could potentially lead to a commercial fusion test by 2030. Along with this, TAE is launching technology with the intention of advancing cancer treatment.

• Computer Scientists Prove Why Bigger Neural Networks Do Better

  A paper presented last December as a leading conference provides a new mathematical explanation for why overparameterization unexpectedly improves the performance of neural networks. Overparameterization is when the number of parameters is greater than the number of training samples. Traditionally, it was thought that one would only ever need n parameters to fit n data points (think of the number of parameters as the number of inflections in the regression). However, modern neural networks are routinely scaled up far beyond that predicted requirement. The paper shows that overparameterization is necessary for a network to be able to generalize because smoothly fitting high-dimensional data points needs n × d parameters, where d is the dimension of the input. Thus, this paper brings an interesting perspective to Bender and Gebru et. al.'s work questioning the "inevitability of larger LMs." If it is true that models being larger is necissary for their performance as this paper suggests, the social and environmental consequences of these larger models must be weighed appropriately.

• Intel says its new crypto chip is designed to be energy-efficient

  Intel has designed a new chip that is much more energy efficient for cryptocurrency mining as it was designed specifically to aid and accelerate the types of functions that blockchain technology runs on while requiring less energy. This comes at a time when the concern over the amount of energy that is required to mine cryptocurrency is being realized. People and givernemnts now know the huge enviomental impact that cryptocurreny mining has so companies are trying to come up with solutions for this. This is where intel claims that they have mage huge advances by desining a chip that does one thing really well, mine crypotcurrency. According to their reporting, their chip chieved "1000x better performance per watt than mainstream GPUs" for mining. Intel will release more information on February 23rd at the International Solid State Circuits Conference.

• Intel tries cashing in on cryptocurrency mining despite environmental problems

  Intel Corporation, plans on designing a new chip that its function is solely on bitcoin mining and other cryptocurrency operations. The company expressed that later 2022 will begin selling these kinds of chips other cryptocurrencies. Even-though the decision on manufacturing these chips will be a high financial risk for the company. With cryptocurrency NFTs booming, it alters how people own and manage their digital assets. There lie fraud and theft problems, and Intel hopes to address these drawback, and extraordinarily large energy consumption behind these operation. Mining is a computationally taxing process that records transactions onto a widely shared database called the blockchain. The first miner to solve a complex computing problem is rewarded with newly minted cryptocurrency. That means there's a strong incentive to have the most powerful, the most efficient machine Evidently, Intel hopes its chip will help with the energy consumption problem which will be a huge marketing element for the consumers and environment. Because an efficiency boost may help miners cut costs and reduce power consumption that worsens global climate crisis problems and deprives others of affordable power. However, an radical improvement in the environmental impact of mining will not be expected.

• SingularityDAO’s AI-powered ‘DynaSets’ outperform the crypto market

  SingularityDAO recently created an AI that determined Dynasets, or selections of specific amounts of cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin or Ethereum), which performed well regardless of the instability of the crypto market. Creating this AI involved combining AI algorithms with professional hedge fund traders to maximize profits and minimize losses. Despite the market being incredibly volatile with "Bitcoin crashing around 50 percent between November 2021 and the end of January 2022", the BitCoin DynaSet (or DynaSet with BitCoin as one of the cryptocurrencies) had "10.3% better performance over just 'hodling" (holding and buying) Bitcoin". As well as, after their collaboration with Cardano to fix issues with Ethereum trading, the Ethereum DynaSet had a "12.59% better performance over just hodling Ethereum". While the project is still in beta, it's clear that with more tweaks, that the AI may be utilized for crypto asset protection in the future.

• UK’s CMA accepts Google’s post-cookie pledges, will ‘closely monitor’ Privacy Sandbox plan

  This article from Techcrunch discusses how Google's new post-cookies approach to advertising has been approved by the UK's competition regulator. Google plans to deprecate tracking cookies for Chrome and develop a new approach to online targeted advertising; however, this move could potentially be anti-competitive as it grants Google even more dominance over online advertising, allowing them to favor their own advertisements. This approval legally binds Google into a commitment to promote competition, and the regulatory agency will be monitoring them as they propose new ad-tracking technologies.

• CIA is secretly collecting bulk data pertaining to Americans, senators say

  This CNBC article goes over the reveal of the CIA having a data repository, which contains information collected on Americans. Investigation of this data collection was started by a letter sent by Senators Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich to top CIA officials in April 2021. Documents revealed on limited information on a CIA program that collections financial information against CIA target list groups, which also snared some American citizen records. However, a CIA spokesperson has responded saying the CIA "recognizes and takes seriously" the protection and privacy of American's lives and their data in their pursuit of national security. While national security is a government duty, an ACLU lawyer reminds us that the "CIA conducts...these sweeping surveillance actitivites", which can go unnoticed by Congress and legislation. Such intelligence activities may require safeguards if they go unchecked.

• Neuralink Killing Primate Test Subjects

  Neuralink, Elon Musk's company trying to develop implantable brain–machine interfaces, has begun testing its devices on animals, specifically monkeys. So far only 8 of the 23 monkeys have survived their expiraments, dying of brain hemmorages and needing to be euthanized after experiencing self-mutilation, skin lesions, and other debilatating health effects. Many animal rights activist groups have been critical of this news and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a regulatory complaint against University of California, Davis, where the expiraments were being held. This forces one to consider the future of technological implants on animals, and even people, since Neuralink has begun hiring human test subjects, despite being unable to begin expiraments until the FDA gives them approval.

• Intel launches blockchain chip to tap crypto boom

  Intel announced on February 11 that it would be launching a new chip targeted at blockchain applications, including cryptocurrency mining and the minting of NFTs. This is similar to a recent move made by Nvidia, who released a GPU specifically targeted at Ethereum mining. They have also formed a new group within its Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics unit to further their involvement in the crypto space. Many have used environmental implications as an argument for why companies should not support crypto mining and similar activities; however, Intel has claimed that this new chip is more energy-efficient, and a result will consume significantly less power than alternative chips.

• Apple Plane AirTag updates to curb unwanted tracking

  In this article posted to CNN, it is announced that Apple is planning to make changes to their AirTag devices to improve the safety of people. With AirTags, there has been reports of people being tracked and stalked with the assistance of the Apple AirTags. Apple has been working with safety groups and some law enforcement agencies to improve the safety of people. One such way that they already improved safety protocols is an alert sent to people when it seems as if they are being tracked by an AirTag. This, however, isn't enough to prevent tracking, so Apple is implementing new changes to the AirTag systems this year including a louder tone sequence so that the device is easier to locate. Another change being added is a warning to users when setting up a new AirTag device that tracking others without their consent is a crime. Another workaround that Apple has to think about is the issue of Android users. Android users are now able to install an app that shows them any potential AirTags tracking them.

• Scientists develop insect-sized flying robots with flapping wings

  A university in Bristol has developed a new drive system for flapping wing autonomous robots, using a new method of electromechanical zipping that does away with the need for conventional motors and gears. This new advance could pave the way for smaller, lighter, and more effective micro flying robots for environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and deployment in hazardous environments. This takes inspiration from bees and other flying insects and successfully demonstrates a direct-drive artificial muscle system, called the Liquid-amplified Zipping Actuator (LAZA), that achieves wing motion using no rotating parts or gears. The LAZA system greatl simplifies the flapping mechanism enabling miniaturization of flapping robots down to teh size of insects.

• Apple moves to stop AirTag tracking misuse

  Apple plans to introduce updates to their AirTag product to make it harder to misuse them to track people. The devices have been used to track people and when when they launched, Apple, introduced a siftare feature that would notify people with iPhones if a suspicious AirTag that doesn't belong to themm, was tracking them. Now Apple is working even harder on preventing misuse. When users open up their AirTags for the first time, they will get a message that using AirTags to track people is illegal. Apple also claims that now people will be alerted earlier if a suspicious AirTag is tracking them. Additionally, users with an iPhone 11 or newer will be able to use "percision finding" to locate the AirTag. They can also activate the AirTag to ring to help them find it.

• Meta Adds New Feature for Avatars

  Meta recently announced that they are creating a new feature for Avatars called Personal Boundary. It was created after reports of creepy behavior and triggering experiences resembling SA. It allows avatars to create a set distance of space around them in which other avatars cannot cross. This creates more personal space for people using meta and limits unwanted interactions. Meta claims it stops others "invading your avatar's personal space"..."If someone tries to enter your Personal Boundary, the system will halt their forward movement as they reach the boundary."

• Zoox robotaxis are already mingling with the public on semi-private test courses

  Amazon subsidiary, Zoox has begun testing out dozens of custom-built robotaxis on various campus-like environments across California. The cube-shaped robotaxis, unveiled in December 2020, can drive bidirectionally, with four-wheel steering, and are capable of transporting four people at up to 75 mph. While the company has no planned date for public release, a spokesperson for the company believes its "really not that far away." Concurrently, Zoox has also equipped several Toyota Highlanders with their autonomous driving system, testing them out in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Foster City with human safety drivers behind the wheel monitoring the vehicles.

• Silicon Valley is no longer the edgy tech frontier as workers flee Google and Amazon for crypto and Web3 startups, recruiters say

  Katie Canales’ Business Insider article details how recently there has been a trend of high-profile executives and developers leaving established firms to find jobs in crypto and other decentralized tech ventures. A leading example of this is how the former CMO of Meta’s digital wallet project, Novi, has left the company to pursue a position at the blockchain-focused payments company Circle. This effect is similar to that of the wave of job switching in the early 2010s that saw the arrival of companies such as Uber and Lyft. Whether or not this is just a trend in Silicon Valley or a lasting impact, only the future will know what is in store for the workers who leave for crypto and Web3 startups.

• Facebook market cap falls below $600 billion — which could actually help it dodge new antitrust scrutiny

  Lauren Feiner's article touches on the recent events regarding the renamed company Meta and a newly released package of competition bills designed specifically to target big tech companies. These bills call for large tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft to stay below a market cap of $600 billion. Though these bills have not yet been passed into law, they could significantly impact Meta on top of the antitrust lawsuit under an already existing law from the Federal Trade Commission regarding the company’s alleged goal of maintain monopoly power through its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp. This call of a market cap by the senate is an attempt to control and stifle rapidly growing big tech companies.

• Alexa tells 10-year-old girl to touch live plug with penny

  According to a BBC article, Amazon's Alexa told a 10-year-old girl to plug a charger into an outlet halfway, and then touch a penny to the exposed prongs. This incident occured while the girl and her family were asking Alexa for some challenges to do. The first few challenges were fun and lighthearted, but then Alexa said she found a challenge on the web and suggested the dangerous stunt. This apparently comes from a TikTok challenge, where kids would record themselves in school touching a penny to exposed prongs – often resulting in dangerous sparks of electricity that officials have deemed as fire hazards. The girl did not perform the challenge, and the mother screamed in disapproval when hearing Alexa recommend that challenge. Amazon has since said that they have fixed the bug.

• After face-recognition backlash, ID.me says government agencies will get more verification options

  The IRS stopped their plan of letting users get verified by facial-recognition through ID.me because of the frustration of being verified through ID.me software. The facial-recognition software of video selfies with a photo ID would fail more often than succeed and users would now be able to verify their identity by talking to a real person instead. There was pushback for the long waits it took for the facial-recognition technology to work and how privacy advocates were against the use of facial-recognition because of how biometric data is kept in ID.me's database. Some federal agencies are questioning if their websites will continue to use ID.me for security reasons in the future because of privacy concerns.

• AI Can Write Code Like Humans—Bugs and All

  In this artical the central argument is that some software developers are using AI to help them writing code. They're discovering that AI produced codes are just as imperfect as man-made code. Reasearchers at NYU recently found that "for certain tasks where security is crucial, the code contains security flaws around 40 percent of the time." Alex Naka, a data scientist find evnethough AI may help to produce certain level of code, but it still needs human to scan through the code and fix the problem. On the other hand Hammaond Pearce, apostdocoral researcher at NYU says that "Vulnerabilities are often caused by a lack of context that a developer needs to know.” meaning that its not the AI's fault in terms of producing mistakes, it is the lack of skills of those software developers.

• Walmart is quietly preparing to enter the metaverse

  Walmart appears to be planning its own collection of NFTs and cryptocurrency. Recently, they have been filing trademarks which lead people to speculate that they will enter the market of virtual products. A separate filing specified that Walmart will be presenting customers with the NFTs and virtual currency. This news puts Walmart among a slew of other big companies that have declared their entrance into the Metaverse. Companies such as Nike, Gap, Under Armour, Adidas, and Urban Outfitters have already filed trademark applications or made NFT debuts within the last couple of months.

• Your iPhone may soon be able accept contactless payments directly

  Apple is looking into making the iPhone a point of sale system by adding Square like payments into the iPhone. Apple paid the Canadian company Mobeewave, a company known for working on technology to accept payment via smartphones, roughly 100 million dollars. It is likely that the iPhones pre-existing near field communication (NFC) tech that is already used for apple pay will be used to make these payments possible. There already are companies like Square, recently renamed to Block, that offer a card reader attachment for the iPhone but Apple will be negating the need to have any device other than the iPhone itself. The article discusses whether or not Apple would allow other companies such as Square to use the new tech and as of now it is unknown. The feature could be released as soon as a couple of months from now as part of iOS 15.3.

• Chip giants are ramping up spending by the billions as semiconductor demand booms

  This CNBC article is goes over many chip maker company's plans to increase capital spending in chip production. Big name companies such as TSMC and Intel have announced plans to spend $100 billion on production of its silicon wafers over 3 years, which mimics that of Intel's last year announcment in spending $20 billion on new factory plants in Arizona over 2 years. Analysts cite because of increased in demand in technological goods and complexity in new technology, chipmakers will increase capital expenditure to catch up to these new challenges. Despite these announcements, analysts cite that because of society's gluttony in technology goods these plans may only fullfill the "chip glut" seen once these plants and production plans are finished. However, with some capital response by chip makers we can hope to see the chip shortage ease, even if the road to get there is "choppy".

• DeepMind says its new AI coding engine is as good as an average human programmer

  The company DeepMind created an AI system named AlphaCode that can autonomously solve coding problems at the same level as humans. It was tested on Codeforces, a platform that provides coding problems and ranks its users, and was ranked top 28% of users in the past 6 months. However, these AI coding systems will not replace human programmers anytime soon due to their inherit bugs and security issues. For now, they'll simply be used a tool by human programmers.

• Apple fined again over Dutch dating app payments order

  This TechCrunch article is about Apple's "antitrust standoff in the Netherlands". Apple has an outstanding 15M euros from this impasse over Apple's disallowing local dating apps to use third party payment providers, instead requiring such apps to use Apple's own payment infrastructure which Apple gets commissions from. Apple has been fighting the order, but just last month agreed to let apps use other payment providers. However, the Dutch government is still fined Apple over frustration with their general failure to comply.

• Coinbase and Crypto Taxes

  Coinbase haș added onto their service so that users can have an easier time filing their taxes on their cryptocurrency. Taxpayers in the U.S. can see a personalized summary of their taxable activity: sales, conversions, payments, and income. They are even offering tax services for those who perform transactions without the service via CoinTracker. Furthermore, customers can now get their tax return deposited directly into their Coinbase account, as long as the customer has filed with TurboTax. This article makes readers think about how cryptocurrency continues to permeate society - normalizing the practice of owning and trading cryptocurrency and increasing the accessibility of each. It is also interesting to think about how a digital, decentralized medium of exchange exists in conjunction to something as essential to our centralized government as taxes.

• New super-conductors could take data beyond zeroes and ones

  There is potential for encoding data in new ways due to recent research in the field of spintronics. This research, conducted by a team at Duke University and Weizmann Institute resulted in the development of a conductor system that does not require cold temperatures in order to control the spinning of electrons and sending them over long distances. This development can potentially allow large magnitude spin currents to be created at room temperature, which may change how our current devices, such as smartphones, look.

• Meta threatens to pull Facebook and Instagram from Europe if it can't target ads

  In July 2020, the crucial decision from the European Union Court of Justice, Schrems II, ruled the Privacy Shield as null. The Privacy Sheild is a US law that allowed free transfer of personal data from EU to US companies. There are still other legal ways to send data EU-US, but the Schrems II ruling will have large ramifications on all American companies with users in the EU in the coming years. Meta is retaliating by threatening to pull its products from Europe if it is not allowed to share data with its US operations, saying stopping trans-atlantic data transfers will have devastating effects on its targeted ads. With Meta owning apps that have billions of users, this case will be an important precedent in the ongoing clash between big tech and governments.

• Canada’s privacy watchdog probing health officials’ use of cellphone location data

  The Public Health Agency of Canada, or PHAC, has recently come under fire after it was revealed the government agency had been buying cellphone data from telecom companies in order to track its citizens. The Global News article elaborates that the Canadian cellphone provider, Telus, provided the PHAC location and movement data to give government officials in order to gain a greater understanding of the efficacy of their COVID-19 policy. The PHAC has also stated its planning on utilizing the information it purchased outside of solely COVID-19 research. While the data itself was scrubbed in order to prevent the identification of individuals, many are still asking the question as if current data and privacy laws are strong enough and if there needs to be a policy precedent set for government bodies buying or utilizing data from private entities.

• The IRS Should Stop Using Facial Recognition

  ID.me's propietary facial recognition technology is not immune to bias despite their efforts to market it as such. The company specifically defines their services as outside the realm of "facial recognition" through a narrow definition in a 2022 white paper. They explicitly define two types of facial recognition: one-to-one, and one-to-many facial recognition and the company asserts that there are "significant benefits" to using 'one-to-one' facial recognition. However, the company fails to mention the racial biases of one-to-one technology that cause both false positives and false negatives. Despite these overwhelming issues, "27 states, multiple federal agencies, and over 500 name brand retailers" continue to use ID.me's techology further supporting the company's false claims.

• What Is 5G? An Electrical Engineer Explains the Technology

  The 5th generation of cellular networks technology is 5G and offers 10 times more bandwidth than 4G. The speeds of 5G can deliver from 50 megabits up to 1 GB per second which can download large files and stream movies very fast and easily. There are different band frequencies 5G can use, being that lower-frequency waves can extend further out, but have slower speeds and higher-frequency waves have the fastest speeds, but do not travel as far and cost more money which is why it is used in high concentration areas like stadiums and airports. Even though 5G speeds can be extremely fast, the more people in the area that are using 5G can carry more traffic for the bandwidth and cause slower connection speeds. Even though there are minor problems with 5G, it is still improving and has to potential to be the best cellular network technology yet.

• Blizzard is planning a new Warcraft mobile game

  is the news Blizzard is working on a new Warcraft mobile title slated for a 2022 release. According to the press release, “Blizzard is planning substantial new content for the Warcraft franchise in 2022, including [...] getting all-new mobile Warcraft content into players’ hands for the first time". The news was delivered as a press release and not a traditional call ostensibly because of its pending acquisition by Microsoft. However, I do question if the warcraft mobile is going to be elease at 2022 due to the fact that other mobile games, such as Diablo immortal and Overwatch 2 was annoced to be developed much more earlier than Warcraft Mobile. Regardless, between this sudden news of a Warcraft mobile game and the announcement of a wholly new Blizzard-developed survival game, the company is putting its best foot forward to its (pending) Microsoft overlords.

• Nvidia ready to abandon Arm acquisition, report says

  Ars Technica's article discusses how Nvidia's planned acquisition of the CPU-design company Arm is likely to be abandoned, since Nvidia has had trouble convincing regulators the move would not pose a risk to competition and national security. The article also states that Arm's parent company seems to be moving towards taking Arm public, seemingly implying there is not much confidence in the approval of the acquisition. Since ARM chip designs have become increasingly popular due to their power efficiency, competitors to Nvidia are concerned that their access to these designs would be limited. In addition, nation-states such as China are concerned with a key technology falling under a US company.

• A 1-mile stretch of road is being built in Detroit that can charge electric cars as they drive -- if owners install a special receiver

  Tech startup Electreon Wireless is working with Ford and DTE to build an electrified road that charges cars through inductive charging. Through a special receiver that costs about $3,000 to $4,000 to install, cars can be charged while driving or stopped. The hope is that wireless charging will aid in mass EV adoption by easing concerns related to driving range. Similarly, researchers at Cornell have been working on wireless charging using electric fields instead of the magnetic ones that Electreon uses, a change that might make the process cheaper and more efficient.

• Sony is buying Bungie, the developer of Destiny and original creator of Halo

  This article is about the recent aquisition of games developer Bungie by Sony Interactive Entertainment for 3.6 billon dollars. This seems problematic for the playerbase of Bungies current game "Destiny 2" because Sony owning Bungie may make Destiny 2 a PlayStation exclusive game. However, Bungie says that they have an agreement to remain independant and that the game will remain multi-platform and crossplay and will not feature PlayStation exlusive content, something that has existed in Destiny 2 before. This is similar to Microsoft's aqusition of Activision Blizzard, a sign of console companies buying developers around them to support their respective platforms.

• Sunroom is an alternative creator platform empowering women to cash in

  This TechCrunch article is about Sunroom, a new social media app aiming to address the heavy content moderation many women and non-binary content creators face on popular social media apps, such as Instagram by building a more open-minded platform where creators, only women and non-binary creators as of now, can profit off their work. As the article notes, Sunroom “isn’t trying to make another OnlyFans”. Instead, they hope to make a social media platform with limited censorship, where women and non-binary people can break down stigmas to profit off their creative work. The app has only 100 content creators as of its launch, and hopes to scale slowly to keep hands-on moderation and censorship low.

• 6 Reasons Meta Is in Trouble

  NY Times's article discusses possibilities to explain and foreshadow Meta's current and future troubles regarding the Metaverse, Facebook, and Instagram after their stock "plunged by more than 230 billion dollars". The current issues Meta faces includes hitting their user growth ceiling, changes in the data privacy from companies like Apple, and how new apps such as TikTok and Reels have affected their ways of making money off of their users. To begin with, Apple introduced an App Tracking Transparency update to its operating system, "giving users the choice to ... let apps like Facebook monitor their online activities", disallowing them useful marketing data to make money off of ads, their most successful platform. Furthermore, apps such as Tiktok "present [Facebook with] a conundrum" due to the fact that to compete with Tiktok they have to focus on Reels, however while they have been very successful for bringing viewership to Instagram, they make the least amount of money per ad as users "tend to skip right past them". These newfound opponents of ad-space, users, and data privacy, along with Facebook's questionable funding of the Metaverse, have placed a dark cloud over Meta, scaring potential investors away leading to their stock plummet.

• Apple Privacy Update Impact on Profits of other Companies

  This article talks about the effect that Apple's new privacy policies have had on the profits of various social media companies. The new policies regard user's abilities to choose the extent to which advertisers can track them, and services such as Meta, Snap, Twitter, and others have expressed displeasure with these policies and have since experienced lower stock prices as a result. This is an interesting article because it emphasizes the conflict between ethics and profits in the technology industry. It also shows that Apple has an incredible amount of power over many other big technological services.

• Sony Buys Bungie for $3.6 Billion

  Sony recently announced that it would be acquiring Bungie, the original developers of Halo and current developers of Destiny 2, for 3.6 billion dollars, with 1.2 billion being paid to the studio's employees. It is theorized that this 1.2 billion is intended to keep developers from leaving at this time. Some also have speculated that this is in response to Microsoft's recent announcement that they intend to acquire Activision Blizzard. However, that would not necessarily make sense, as the purchase of such a large game studio as Bungie would take more than a couple of weeks, and there is certainly more incentive for Sony to purchase a multi-platform game studio. Nevertheless, it could also be in response to other huge acquisitions by Microsoft, including that of Zenimax Media Inc., the parent company of Bethesda.