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Google ad confirms the Pixel 4’s face unlock and handwave-y gestures

Jul29
by on July 29, 2019 at 7:39 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Plugged


If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Google seems to be following this old adage of late, showing off the Pixel 4’s design early to one-up the usual influx of leaks. Now it’s responding to leakers again, this time with a video confirming early rumors that the device would feature Apple-like facial recognition and touchless gesture controls. You can check out the ad for yourself below: “Look ma, no hands!” The video shows a facial recognition system that seems to work as quickly as Apple’s Face ID (though it’s an ad, so of course it does). In a related blog…

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Hype is killing AI – here’s how we can stop it

Jul29
by on July 29, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, artificial intelligence, syndication


Mystified and vilified at the same time. That’s how I would currently describe “artificial intelligence,” one of the most feared, revered and hated buzzwords of the tech industry. I was reminded of this fact earlier this week, when I stumbled on an interesting Medium post by Mike Mallazzo. Titled “The BS-Industrial Complex of Phony A.I.,” the article shed light on how product vendors rebrand rudimentary technologies as artificial intelligence to cause hype and excitement—and attract more capital. (Unfortunately, the post was removed from Medium, but a cached version still exists if you Google it.) “For the last few years, startups…

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TikTok’s parent company is reportedly working on a smartphone

Jul29
by on July 29, 2019 at 2:34 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Plugged


ByteDance, the company behind the fast-growing teen sensation TikTok, is getting into the smartphone business, according to a report from Reuters. The project, which Chinese financial news site Caijing says has been in development for seven months, is the continuation of a separate deal with niche handset manufacturer Smartisan. If realized, the handset would allow the company to diversify beyond the entertainment app market. Reuters states that ByteDance has acquired several patents from Smartisan, as well as several key employees, including former executive Wu Dezhou. Smartisan is one of the smaller players in China’s chaotic and competitive handset industry. The…

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Bitcoin whale moves $468 million crypto-fortune for less than $400

Jul29
by on July 29, 2019 at 2:33 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


A cryptocurrency whale has moved a groin-thumping Bitcoin fortune worth $468.5 million — and they paid just a few hundred bucks for the pleasure. 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 49,756 #BTC (468,491,827 USD) transferred from unknown wallet to unknown wallet Tx: https://t.co/Y0Ia5t2rEA — Whale Alert (@whale_alert) July 29, 2019 Earlier today, this unknown Bitcoin holder shifted 49,755.64 BTC ($468.5 million) in a single transaction, which was included in block #587601. The Bitcoin network charged just $374.98 to facilitate the transfer, demanded no identity documentation or permission, and asked minimal trust. Four hundred dollars is certainly higher…

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Oppo’s ‘Waterfall’ display is cool, but I have questions about durability and repairs

Jul29
by on July 29, 2019 at 1:28 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Plugged


OPPO’s announcement of its new full-body “Waterfall” display technology was yet another reminder that we’re in a new era of smartphones: the interesting era. After a decade of nearly identical glass rectangles, display technologies have caught up with the ambitions of phone companies, eager to differentiate themselves from their competitors by packing more screen than ever into their devices – and they’re are using increasingly imaginative tactics to accomplish this. First, Apple adopted the notched display, which was immediately appropriated by its myriad of Android-touting rivals. These gradually shrunk the notch until it measured just a few millimeters across. Shortly…

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