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Killing the immortal: Why scientists are debating the life span of robots

February 1, 2017March 3, 2017

Artificial intelligence and smart robots are on a course to transform industries and replace human contact. However, what happens when they fail? Smart robots may malfunction, or a self-driving car could lock its passenger inside. Hollywood has already made predictions for robot relationships with Her — but what if we developed an emotional attachment to an AI and then it went rogue? Philosophers, engineers and computer scientists wrestle with similar questions. Since robots can, by design, live forever, what are the ethics involved in designing a kill switch? For this…

Uber ordered to stop service in Argentina

February 1, 2017March 3, 2017

A judge in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has ordered Uber to be blocked. The ride-hailing company however told CNNTech that the app continues to operate normally and an appeals court will consider a nationwide ban. The ride-hailing company was told to stop business in Buenos Aires in April. Local credit card and telecommunications companies were ordered to block Uber but the ride-sharing service continued to operate in the city. Taxi drivers in Argentina have been vocal opponents of the app-based car service, and a local taxi labor organization filed a lawsuit…

Use of Ad-Blocking Software Rises by 30% Worldwide

February 1, 2017March 3, 2017

People are increasingly using the technology on their mobile devices and computers to block intrusive advertisements while surfing the web. Facebook has tried to ban it. Google has attempted to outsmart it. But no matter what these tech giants do, people’s use of software to block digital advertising — often the lifeblood of companies’ online business models — keeps gaining traction worldwide. According to New York Times, roughly 11 percent of internet users globally relied on ad blockers to avoid some form of digital advertising last year when surfing the…

BlackBerry, Microsoft and the Ever-Smarter Connected Car

January 31, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

BlackBerry announced that its turnaround was finished, and Microsoft finally provided some information on its new connected car deliverables. CEO John Chen excitedly pointed out that BlackBerry had displaced Microsoft in Ford and announced a strategic initiative to work more closely with Microsoft’s Azure platform on BlackBerry’s own market-leading QNX car operating system. That showcased not only the massive changes in both companies, but also the really strange way this market is evolving. With all the focus on the coming autonomous car and on BlackBerry’s old phone business, most don’t…

Big data can drive the future of cyber security

January 27, 2017January 27, 2017

Data science experts and big data enthusiasts are excited and prepared for a future that’s becoming increasingly connected to the web. Some techniques used to harness this raw information, such as data mining, help give us an insight into the future of cybersecurity and what areas may pique interest moving forward. A major benefit that big data provides in the realm of cybersecurity is the ability to monitor and track systems, usually contained within the cloud, for irregularities and potential breaches. Cloud Security Information and Event Management (CSIEM) allows users…

SAP aims to pull Europe out of ‘digital recession

January 27, 2017January 27, 2017

SAP, which recently raised its 2020 revenue goal aims to attain that objective partially by pulling Europe out of a “digital recession” — a time period coined by the Harvard Business Review to describe how, since 2008, the continent’s charge of change in digital evolution has stalled and even receded. Bill McDermott, SAP CEO, provides that convincing European corporations to spend money on software program expertise may very well be a serious boon, each to SAP and to the continent. “There is $2.5tn in financial alternative throughout the EU between…

Google is bringing AI to your Raspberry Pi

January 26, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Google is working to bring a wide range of tools for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other developer tools to the Raspberry Pi Fossbytes reports. The tech titan has exciting plans for the maker community,” the website says. The company intends to make the start by releasing the first set of tools this year. With these tools, the users will be able to create powerful projects. Raspberry Pi boards have earned the honor of being one of most impressive success stories of recent times. Having sold 10 million single board computers, Raspberry…

The Growth of Artificial Intelligence in eCommerce

January 24, 2017October 6, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is improving the online shopping experience for consumers and retailers. From creating personalized shopping experiences to offering virtual buying assistants. Whether it is something you have come across or have been monitoring for a while, there’s no denying that AI has alot of influence in many industries. Shoppers will be able to easily find the best price for an item and communicate with chatbots for quick customer service. For retailers, they’ll be able to better analyze consumer data to predict future buying patterns, create autonomous replenishing systems and also save money…

Microsoft Expands Artificial Intelligence Footprint in Montreal

January 19, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Microsoft has plans to double the size of its local AI research group and aswell give the University of Montreal $6 million and McGill University $1 million over the next five years to help spur artificial-intelligence research. The moves were announced Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos by Microsoft president Brad Smith; Navdeep Bain, Canada’s minister of innovation, science, and economic Development; and other officials. The news also comes just days after Microsoft announced its acquisition of Maluuba, an AI startup founded by University of Waterloo grads. That business was founded…