This house was designed using algorithms and machines. They chose complex, organic-looking forms, which were stronger and more efficient than straight lines. Will all the houses of the future look like this? This is part of the BBC’s Disruptors series. You can read the full article here. Camera: Fabian Chaundy; Producer: Ben King Do you […]
Image copyright Amazon Image caption Rekognition can match photos to databases holding millions of people’s faces Opposition to Amazon’s sale of its facial recognition technology to US police forces is set to come to a head at its annual general meeting on Wednesday. Shareholders will vote twice on the matter. First, over whether the company […]
Image copyright Getty Images Hundreds of videos that promote bleach as a cure for autism have been discovered on YouTube. The substance, which is peddled as “Miracle Mineral Solution” (MMS), has reportedly caused dozens of injuries and two deaths in the US. According to an investigation by technology news site Business Insider some appeared in […]
Image caption Most smart-speaker assistants have a female voice AI-powered voice assistants with female voices are perpetuating harmful gender biases, according to a UN study. These female helpers are portrayed as “obliging and eager to please”, reinforcing the idea that women are “subservient”, it finds. Particularly worrying, it says, is how they often give “deflecting, […]
Image copyright AFP Google will require advertisers who wish to run ads about abortion to apply for approval first, according to a change in the company’s policy. Advertisers in the UK, US and Ireland will need to declare whether they do or do not provide abortions. That information will be displayed in Google search results. […]
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The alert states that the US government has “strong concerns” that drone-makers are storing data on China-based computer servers The US government has issued an alert warning that Chinese-made drones could pose a cyber-espionage risk to American businesses and other organisations that use them. The notice added that those […]
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Arlen’s son is seeking up to $4.5m in damages The estate of Harold Arlen – who wrote such American songbook classics as Over The Rainbow and Get Happy – is suing some of the world’s biggest tech firms. Arlen’s son, Sam Arlen, says he has found more than 6,000 […]
Ten years since Minecraft was first released and became a runaway success, Radio 1 Newsbeat’s Steffan Powell has been behind the scenes to find out what the next 10 years might hold. With tough competition from newer releases like Fortnite, coupled with gaming habits changing, how can Minecraft stay relevant in the years to come? […]
Image copyright Dentsu Aegis Image caption Audrey Kuah says her firm is trying to teach ad copy programs to be more creative Machines are now writing advertising copy as well as basic news reports, but are their efforts any good and can they be taught to be more inventive? “Have a suite stay” read an […]
Octopad is an eight player controller linked to an old Nintendo Entertainment System. It enables games like Tetris and Super Mario Bros to be played by eight people at once rather than just a single player. Developed by Patrick Lemieux of UC Davis, California, the Octopad single button controllers mean each player can only trigger […]
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption HoloLens allows the user to see digital images over real-world backgrounds People who use augmented reality headsets to complete complex tasks fare worse than those with no high-tech help, a small study suggests. In addition, those fitted with headsets over-estimate how well they perform. The discovery might limit the […]
Image copyright Lloyds Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has announced plans to create 500 high-skilled jobs at a new digital tech hub in Edinburgh. The bank has started recruiting software engineers and data scientists for the hub, which will be based at its Scottish Widows’ headquarters. The new roles will be phased in over the next […]