Wistron Corp, Taiwan's phone assembler has announced plans to assemble PCBs or printed circuit boards at its new plant in South India.&nbsp;

Apple is pushing to increase manufacturing in India, which is the world's second-largest smartphone market.

Earlier, Wistron had assembled and manufactured Apple's middle-tier device called the ''SE'' in 2017. Currently, iPhones 6s and 7 are also assembled there.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/latest-business-news-apple-prepares-from-for-virus-fallout-samsung-says-it-will-affect-first-quarter-earnings-277547">Apple prepares for Coronavirus fallout, Samsung fears it may affect earnings</a>

This is the first assembly of PCBs by Wistron in India.

A PCB holds the key components of a phone, including processors, memory, wireless chipsets, which remain at the centre of an electronic device.

The PCBs usually account for half of the cost of a smartphone. 
Wistron is set to open another facility 65 kms out of Bengaluru, which shall become operational by April. The plant will make iPhone 7 and 8 models, with much of it being exported.

<h6><img alt="apple" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4b13f965-4a52-4e4f-a1f7-354a54d648a2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/78235-untitled-design-3_0.jpg" /> 
Apple logo | Reuters</h6>

 
Reuters reported that the facility can produce 8 million smartphones annually.&nbsp;

In 2018, Wistron had announced plans for a 30 billion rupee investment in Karnataka.

Foxconn, Wistron's rival began making iPhone XR models in India last year, with PCB assembly happening locally.

The local assembly of PCBs will help Apple save on import taxes on smartphone components, which is levied by the central government to boost local manufacturing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-to-close-all-china-mainland-stores-due-to-virus-outbreak-278041">Apple to close all China mainland stores due to virus outbreak</a>

In the yearly budget, India announced that the taxing import on PCBs will increase to 20 per cent, from an earlier ten.

Apple still makes most iPhones in China but has been scouting other locations amidst the trade war between US and China.

India boasts 1.1 billion wireless connections, with about 480 million smartphones in the country. However, Apple's share based on shipment volumes is just over one per cent. 
&nbsp;

Wistron Corp, Taiwan's phone assembler has announced plans to assemble PCBs or printed circuit boards at its new plant in South India. Apple is pushing to increase manufacturing in India, which is the world's second-largest smartphone market.

Wistron Corp, Taiwan's phone assembler has announced plans to assemble PCBs or printed circuit boards at its new plant in South India. Apple is pushing to increase manufacturing in India, which is the world's second-largest smartphone market. Earlier, Wistron had assembled and manufactured Apple's middle-tier device called the ''SE'' in 2017. Currently, iPhones 6s and 7 are also assembled there. Also read: Apple prepares for Coronavirus fallout, Samsung fears it may affect earnings This is the first assembly of PCBs by Wistron in India. A PCB holds the key components of a phone, including processors, memory, wireless chipsets, which remain at the centre of an electronic device. The PCBs usually account for half of the cost of a smartphone. Wistron is set to open another facility 65 kms out of Bengaluru, which shall become operational by April. The plant will make iPhone 7 and 8 models, with much of it being exported. Apple logo | Reuters Reuters reported that the facility can produce 8 million smartphones annually. In 2018, Wistron had announced plans for a 30 billion rupee investment in Karnataka. Foxconn, Wistron's rival began making iPhone XR models in India last year, with PCB assembly happening locally. The local assembly of PCBs will help Apple save on import taxes on smartphone components, which is levied by the central government to boost local manufacturing. Also read: Apple to close all China mainland stores due to virus outbreak In the yearly budget, India announced that the taxing import on PCBs will increase to 20 per cent, from an earlier ten. Apple still makes most iPhones in China but has been scouting other locations amidst the trade war between US and China. India boasts 1.1 billion wireless connections, with about 480 million smartphones in the country. However, Apple's share based on shipment volumes is just over one per cent.

Wistron to start assembly of key iPhone component in India soon

Ever wonder what could be the future of touchscreen smartphones? Global handset-making giants have already introduced the concept of foldable touchscreen devices and what could come next is a touchscreen material that not only gets folded but can be twisted as well.&nbsp;

Australian experts are working on devising an ultra-thin electronic material that can work as a touchscreen&nbsp;and could be printed like newspapers.

According to reports, the touch-responsive material is 100 times thinner than the traditional touchscreens.&nbsp;

The innovation led by a team at Australia's RMIT University in Melbourne uses indium tin oxide (ITO) - "a transparent conductor used in applications such as touch screens, smart windows and displays," as described by the report published online in the journal Nature Electronics.

The team used liquid metal chemistry to compress a common smartphone touchscreen film from 3D to 2D, using liquid metal chemistry.

Experts at the RMIT say that the film is flexible and can easily be bent or twisted and can be a cheaper alternative to currently manufactured touchscreens.

It is also believed that the 2D touchscreen film will be more transparent, letting through more light which will let a smartphone run on less power as compared to devices carrying conventional touchscreens. &nbsp;

RMIT geniuses believe that the novel touchscreen material can turn out to be cost effective and could be produced easily.&nbsp;

Ever wonder what could be the future of touchscreen smartphones? Global handset-making giants have already introduced the concept of foldable touchscreen devices and what could come next is a touchscreen material that not only gets folded but can be twisted as well.

Ever wonder what could be the future of touchscreen smartphones? Global handset-making giants have already introduced the concept of foldable touchscreen devices and what could come next is a touchscreen material that not only gets folded but can be twisted as well. Australian experts are working on devising an ultra-thin electronic material that can work as a touchscreen and could be printed like newspapers. According to reports, the touch-responsive material is 100 times thinner than the traditional touchscreens. The innovation led by a team at Australia's RMIT University in Melbourne uses indium tin oxide (ITO) - "a transparent conductor used in applications such as touch screens, smart windows and displays," as described by the report published online in the journal Nature Electronics. The team used liquid metal chemistry to compress a common smartphone touchscreen film from 3D to 2D, using liquid metal chemistry. Experts at the RMIT say that the film is flexible and can easily be bent or twisted and can be a cheaper alternative to currently manufactured touchscreens. It is also believed that the 2D touchscreen film will be more transparent, letting through more light which will let a smartphone run on less power as compared to devices carrying conventional touchscreens. RMIT geniuses believe that the novel touchscreen material can turn out to be cost effective and could be produced easily.

Australian experts develop ultra-thin touchscreen material that you could twist and fold

General Motors Co's self-driving car unit, Cruise, on Tuesday (January 21) unveiled a prototype electric vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals for use in its planned autonomous ride-sharing service.

GM's Cruise unit unveils driverless prototype vehicle for ride-sharing service

Telangana IT &amp; Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday took part in a panel discussion on 'Empowering AI Leadership' at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Talking about the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-aiming-at-equipping-defence-forces-with-artificial-intelligence-138463/amp">importance of Artificial Intelligence</a> in various sectors, Minister KTR said, "No business can stay untouched from the AI revolution. AI must be factored into every policy or strategy, whether government, IT, non-IT industries. We consider AI to be integral to all our work and hence in Telangana, we have dedicated 2020 to the year of AI."

During the panel discussion, he said, "AI is expected to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amazon-microsoft-putting-the-world-at-risk-of-killer-artificial-intelligence-study-244701">transform the global economy</a> and early adopters will have first-mover advantage. Therefore, the Telangana government is setting a vision to accelerate AI readiness and develop a conducive ecosystem in the state."

The minister asserted that AI will add 40% to the world's GDP by 2030. He also highlighted that Telangana has declared 2020 as the Year of AI to capture the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-believe-the-naysayers-artificial-intelligence-will-create-23-million-jobs-by-2020-30215">global AI opportunity</a> in the coming decade. "This declaration has set in motion a bunch of coordinated initiatives with key strategic partners, to achieve the state's vision to establish Hyderabad as amongst the Top 25 Global AI Innovation Hubs," he said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/artificial-intelligence-holds-tremendous-potential-to-transform-education-212578">Artificial Intelligence holds tremendous potential to transform education</a>

When asked about the state of AI deployment currently, the minister stated that Telangana Government has deployed AI-based systems for G2C Chatbots, identity authentication for citizen service delivery, commodity supply chain optimisation, crowd counting, criminal tracking, and other law enforcement applications.

The minister highlighted that Hyderabad City Police recently piloted an AI-enabled traffic management system, saving road time for citizens. "Effective use of citizen data helps us identify the key issues our citizens face, makes us design targeted programs and provide better citizen services," he added.

<img alt="Artificial Intelligence" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="19bc417a-439e-45aa-8fe0-becb6e470d21" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2849%29_1.jpg" /> 
[ Artificial Intelligence to Change the Future of Business - Representative Image (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Sharing his thoughts further, the minister said, "As an international AI community, we need to brainstorm governance models to hold AI accountable. Govt of India, in consultation with critical stakeholders, is already developing AI governance guidelines. I appreciate the WEWF C4IR network's project on Public Sector AI Procurement guidelines."

Minister S. Iswaran, Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore (MCI), Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Michael Salvino, President, and Chief Executive Officer, DXC Technology, Frans Cronje, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer, DataProphet and Genevieve Bell, Distinguished Professor; Director, 3A Institute, Australian National University were the other panellists who shared their thoughts during the panel discussion. 
On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Minister KTR held meetings with global industry leaders at the Telangana Pavilion in Davos.

Roche Chairman Christoph Franz met the minister at the Telangana Pavilion. During the meeting, the minister informed Franz that Hyderabad is renowned as the pharma and life sciences hub of the country. The minister also mentioned the investment opportunities in Hyderabad Pharma City and Medical Devices Park.

The minister also met Hewlett Packard Enterprise COO Vishal Lall, Apollo Tyres Vice Chairman &amp; MD Neeraj Kanwar, Carlsberg Group and Carlsberg Foundation Chairman, Prof. Flemming Besenbacher, and ProcterGamble CEO &amp; MD, Southeast Asia Magesvaran Suranjan and highlighted the investment opportunities in sectors like food processing, electronics, textile and life sciences in Telangana.

Telangana IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday took part in a panel discussion on 'Empowering AI Leadership' at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Talking about the importance of Artificial Intelligence in various sectors, Minister KTR said, "No business can stay untouched from the AI revolution.

Telangana IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday took part in a panel discussion on 'Empowering AI Leadership' at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Talking about the importance of Artificial Intelligence in various sectors, Minister KTR said, "No business can stay untouched from the AI revolution. AI must be factored into every policy or strategy, whether government, IT, non-IT industries. We consider AI to be integral to all our work and hence in Telangana, we have dedicated 2020 to the year of AI." During the panel discussion, he said, "AI is expected to transform the global economy and early adopters will have first-mover advantage. Therefore, the Telangana government is setting a vision to accelerate AI readiness and develop a conducive ecosystem in the state." The minister asserted that AI will add 40% to the world's GDP by 2030. He also highlighted that Telangana has declared 2020 as the Year of AI to capture the global AI opportunity in the coming decade. "This declaration has set in motion a bunch of coordinated initiatives with key strategic partners, to achieve the state's vision to establish Hyderabad as amongst the Top 25 Global AI Innovation Hubs," he said. Also Read: Artificial Intelligence holds tremendous potential to transform education When asked about the state of AI deployment currently, the minister stated that Telangana Government has deployed AI-based systems for G2C Chatbots, identity authentication for citizen service delivery, commodity supply chain optimisation, crowd counting, criminal tracking, and other law enforcement applications. The minister highlighted that Hyderabad City Police recently piloted an AI-enabled traffic management system, saving road time for citizens. "Effective use of citizen data helps us identify the key issues our citizens face, makes us design targeted programs and provide better citizen services," he added. [ Artificial Intelligence to Change the Future of Business - Representative Image (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Sharing his thoughts further, the minister said, "As an international AI community, we need to brainstorm governance models to hold AI accountable. Govt of India, in consultation with critical stakeholders, is already developing AI governance guidelines. I appreciate the WEWF C4IR network's project on Public Sector AI Procurement guidelines." Minister S. Iswaran, Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore (MCI), Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Michael Salvino, President, and Chief Executive Officer, DXC Technology, Frans Cronje, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer, DataProphet and Genevieve Bell, Distinguished Professor; Director, 3A Institute, Australian National University were the other panellists who shared their thoughts during the panel discussion. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Minister KTR held meetings with global industry leaders at the Telangana Pavilion in Davos. Roche Chairman Christoph Franz met the minister at the Telangana Pavilion. During the meeting, the minister informed Franz that Hyderabad is renowned as the pharma and life sciences hub of the country. The minister also mentioned the investment opportunities in Hyderabad Pharma City and Medical Devices Park. The minister also met Hewlett Packard Enterprise COO Vishal Lall, Apollo Tyres Vice Chairman & MD Neeraj Kanwar, Carlsberg Group and Carlsberg Foundation Chairman, Prof. Flemming Besenbacher, and ProcterGamble CEO & MD, Southeast Asia Magesvaran Suranjan and highlighted the investment opportunities in sectors like food processing, electronics, textile and life sciences in Telangana.

No business can stay untouched from the Artificial Intelligence revolution: Telangana Minister KTR

Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to destroy one of its own rockets today in a bid to test an emergency abort system on an unmanned capsule. This test will the company's last milestone before carrying NASA astronauts from US soil.&nbsp;

As Reuters reported, two minutes after the rocket takes off from a launchpad in Florida, the ''Crew Dragon'' capsule will eject itself from the rocket mid-air, which would replicate an emergency abort scenario. In essence, this is SpaceX's proof of their ability to return astronauts back to earth in case of emergencies.&nbsp;

"I will tell you tomorrow will be an exciting day," Kathy Lueders, NASA's commercial crew programme manager, said on Friday.

<h6><img alt="SpaceX" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0f81be7c-a692-485e-be3a-fdb45fc49084" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%287%29_13.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;The SpaceX Crew Dragon sits atop a Falcon 9 booster rocket on Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center before a scheduled in-flight abort test at Cape Canaveral, Florida January 17, 2020 | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

SpaceX has been trying to fly humans for a long time. If all goes well, they may be able to fly humans to the International Space Station soon. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this could happen as soon as mid-2020.&nbsp;

After human spaceflight programmes faced setbacks, the US decided to partner with private companies like SpaceX to accelerate the pace of development.&nbsp;

Following this, NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX $4.2 billion and $2.5 billion in 2014 respectively. NASA expects them to make capsules capable of carrying humans. NASA's space shuttle programme ended in 2011, after which, if achieved, this will usher in the first take-off with humans since then. To access the space station, NASA now relies on Russia.

<img alt="sapce" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="85b84207-1dae-40f9-9ae8-b2086579b575" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%286%29_15.jpg" />

<h6>Image: The SpaceX Crew Dragon sits atop a Falcon 9 booster rocket on Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center before a scheduled in-flight abort test at Cape Canaveral, Florida January 17, 2020 | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

The ''mock failure'' will involve considerable steps: The Falcon 9 rocket's boosters will shut down roughly 19 km above the ocean. This will trigger Crew Dragon's so-called SuperDraco thrusters to jet itself away at supersonic speeds of up to 2,400 kph.

As it nears water, the capsule would deploy three parachutes for a slow descent. In fact, two human-shaped test dummies laden in motion censors will be on-board. The data will then be used to understand the impact of G-force imposed during the abortion of the mission.

The test was originally scheduled for mid-2019 but faced delays&nbsp;after one of the capsules exploded in April before launch. After this, an investigation was launched and the organisation found an explosive reaction between a titanium valve and the capsule's rocket fuel.

SpaceX's Crew Mission Management director Benji Reed had said, "At some point, we expect that the Falcon will start to break up."

"Our Falcon 9 recovery forces will be standing by ready to go and recover as much of the Falcon as we can as safely as possible," Reed said.&nbsp;

<h6><img alt="spacex" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9f6a919-00e2-457f-9827-52f0d8d6153a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%288%29_12.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;Remote cameras line a field near Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center where the SpaceX Crew Dragon sits atop a Falcon 9 booster rocket the evening before a scheduled in-flight abort test at Cape Canaveral, Florida January 17, 2020 | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-launches-third-batch-of-mini-satellites-into-orbit-272623">SpaceX launches third batch of mini-satellites into orbit</a>

&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to destroy one of its own rockets today in a bid to test an emergency abort system on an unmanned capsule. This test will the company's last milestone before carrying NASA astronauts from US soil.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to destroy one of its own rockets today in a bid to test an emergency abort system on an unmanned capsule. This test will the company's last milestone before carrying NASA astronauts from US soil. As Reuters reported, two minutes after the rocket takes off from a launchpad in Florida, the ''Crew Dragon'' capsule will eject itself from the rocket mid-air, which would replicate an emergency abort scenario. In essence, this is SpaceX's proof of their ability to return astronauts back to earth in case of emergencies. "I will tell you tomorrow will be an exciting day," Kathy Lueders, NASA's commercial crew programme manager, said on Friday. Image: The SpaceX Crew Dragon sits atop a Falcon 9 booster rocket on Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center before a scheduled in-flight abort test at Cape Canaveral, Florida January 17, 2020 | AFP SpaceX has been trying to fly humans for a long time. If all goes well, they may be able to fly humans to the International Space Station soon. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this could happen as soon as mid-2020. After human spaceflight programmes faced setbacks, the US decided to partner with private companies like SpaceX to accelerate the pace of development. Following this, NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX $4.2 billion and $2.5 billion in 2014 respectively. NASA expects them to make capsules capable of carrying humans. NASA's space shuttle programme ended in 2011, after which, if achieved, this will usher in the first take-off with humans since then. To access the space station, NASA now relies on Russia. Image: The SpaceX Crew Dragon sits atop a Falcon 9 booster rocket on Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center before a scheduled in-flight abort test at Cape Canaveral, Florida January 17, 2020 | Reuters The ''mock failure'' will involve considerable steps: The Falcon 9 rocket's boosters will shut down roughly 19 km above the ocean. This will trigger Crew Dragon's so-called SuperDraco thrusters to jet itself away at supersonic speeds of up to 2,400 kph. As it nears water, the capsule would deploy three parachutes for a slow descent. In fact, two human-shaped test dummies laden in motion censors will be on-board. The data will then be used to understand the impact of G-force imposed during the abortion of the mission. The test was originally scheduled for mid-2019 but faced delays after one of the capsules exploded in April before launch. After this, an investigation was launched and the organisation found an explosive reaction between a titanium valve and the capsule's rocket fuel. SpaceX's Crew Mission Management director Benji Reed had said, "At some point, we expect that the Falcon will start to break up." "Our Falcon 9 recovery forces will be standing by ready to go and recover as much of the Falcon as we can as safely as possible," Reed said. Image: Remote cameras line a field near Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center where the SpaceX Crew Dragon sits atop a Falcon 9 booster rocket the evening before a scheduled in-flight abort test at Cape Canaveral, Florida January 17, 2020 | Reuters Also read: SpaceX launches third batch of mini-satellites into orbit (With inputs from Reuters)

SpaceX to destroy rocket in 'mock-failure' before manned missions with NASA

The European Commission has announced plans to ban the use of facial recognition in public areas for at least five years.

According to the officials, regulators want to stop the technology from being misused, BBC reported.

The facial recognition technology is mostly used by police forces around the world to curate watch lists, based on the CCTV footage.

According to BBC, exceptions will be made in this regard for reasons pertaining to security, research, and development.

In an 18-page document, the European Commission suggested new rules within existing regulations about privacy and data rights.

The Commission has suggested the creation of an authority to monitor new rules. Within the dictate of the proposal, rules will be imposed on both the developers and users of artificial intelligence.&nbsp;

<h6><img alt="facial" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0b3d592e-fe32-4ee1-be8d-f782f20c5f0d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_32.jpg" /> 
Image: AI (artificial intelligence) security cameras with facial recognition technology are seen at the 14th China International Exhibition on Public Safety and Security at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing on October 24, 2019 | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

The ban is expected to last between three and five years, and as BBC reported is "a sound methodology for assessing the impacts of this technology and possible risk management measures could be identified and developed".

There has major global outcry over the use of artificial intelligence and the role played by facial recognition and the data it gathers. Campaigners in the UK want the police to stop using facial recognition for public surveillance.

Recently, King’s Cross, a major rail hub, was at the centre of controversy when it was found that the owners were employing recognition technology without the informed consent of the public.&nbsp;

Many activists and campaigners feel that the facial technology, as it exists presently, is only partially accurate, highly intrusive and circumvents many fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens across democracies, like the right to privacy. &nbsp;

BBC reported that a recent study found facial recognition algorithms are racially incongruent. For clarity, the technology less accurate at identifying black and Asian faces compared with white faces.

<h6><img alt="facial" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="45bebe0b-f01d-45c0-8812-ca57de10478a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_19.jpg" /> 
Image: A construction worker walks past facial recognition screens at the entrance to the terminal building of the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, in Beijing on March 1, 2019 | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

China has been stepping up its public surveillance programmes with the help of facial recognition technologies. For instance, recently, the government had been tracking certain people in Shanghai's pharmacies for buying certain drugs.

As part of this scheme, people who intend to buy certain medicines, such as ones with psychotropic substances, will be forced to verify their identity using facial recognition technology.&nbsp;

China has been clamping down on drugs and this is the latest move in its aspiration to halt the production of illegal drugs.&nbsp;

And even though the West has shown reservations with facial recognition technology, China has embraced it with open arms.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/racial-bias-found-in-facial-recognition-tools-us-government-study-269383">Racial bias found in facial recognition tools: US government study</a>

The European Commission has announced plans to ban the use of facial recognition in public areas for at least five years. According to the officials, regulators want to stop the technology from being misused, BBC reported.

The European Commission has announced plans to ban the use of facial recognition in public areas for at least five years. According to the officials, regulators want to stop the technology from being misused, BBC reported. The facial recognition technology is mostly used by police forces around the world to curate watch lists, based on the CCTV footage. According to BBC, exceptions will be made in this regard for reasons pertaining to security, research, and development. In an 18-page document, the European Commission suggested new rules within existing regulations about privacy and data rights. The Commission has suggested the creation of an authority to monitor new rules. Within the dictate of the proposal, rules will be imposed on both the developers and users of artificial intelligence. Image: AI (artificial intelligence) security cameras with facial recognition technology are seen at the 14th China International Exhibition on Public Safety and Security at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing on October 24, 2019 | AFP The ban is expected to last between three and five years, and as BBC reported is "a sound methodology for assessing the impacts of this technology and possible risk management measures could be identified and developed". There has major global outcry over the use of artificial intelligence and the role played by facial recognition and the data it gathers. Campaigners in the UK want the police to stop using facial recognition for public surveillance. Recently, King’s Cross, a major rail hub, was at the centre of controversy when it was found that the owners were employing recognition technology without the informed consent of the public. Many activists and campaigners feel that the facial technology, as it exists presently, is only partially accurate, highly intrusive and circumvents many fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens across democracies, like the right to privacy. BBC reported that a recent study found facial recognition algorithms are racially incongruent. For clarity, the technology less accurate at identifying black and Asian faces compared with white faces. Image: A construction worker walks past facial recognition screens at the entrance to the terminal building of the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, in Beijing on March 1, 2019 | AFP China has been stepping up its public surveillance programmes with the help of facial recognition technologies. For instance, recently, the government had been tracking certain people in Shanghai's pharmacies for buying certain drugs. As part of this scheme, people who intend to buy certain medicines, such as ones with psychotropic substances, will be forced to verify their identity using facial recognition technology. China has been clamping down on drugs and this is the latest move in its aspiration to halt the production of illegal drugs. And even though the West has shown reservations with facial recognition technology, China has embraced it with open arms. Also read: Racial bias found in facial recognition tools: US government study

European Union considering five-year ban on facial recognition technology at public places

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing.

Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity.

Businesses track their customers using these cookies, and that's what <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/study-finds-google-system-could-improve-breast-cancer-detection-271720">Google</a> is trying to stop over the next two years. If successful, the move could re-define the consumption of user date online.

According to an official statement, Google is planning to prevent advertising software companies and other organisations from linking their browser cookies with websites they have no jurisdiction over.

<h6><img alt="Cookie" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="399d2829-57fb-4640-b56b-f39330ea8632" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_34.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity | Twitter user @rustybrick&nbsp;</h6>

&nbsp;

Google's rival Apple underwent a similar change in 2017 with its browser Safari by limiting access and the use of cookies.

Currently, Google Chrome has a clear market monopoly with over 64 per cent of global users preferring the browser over others. This is almost thrice as greater as Safari's share, as reported by tracking company Statcounter.

The announcement was expected by industry insiders for months. However, the two-year goal is a fresh addition that was unheard of, until now.

After the announcement of ''cookie'' removal, shares of many advertising software companies fell. These include Criteo, which witnessed an 8 per cent decline, and Trade Desk Inc, which dropped by 1.4 per cent.

Until now, cookies were not regulated which allowed virtually any company to improve and target specific advertisements on the internet.

With cookies and the user data, it ushered in, users were kept logged into a website for multiple days. Specific target advertisements that are user-oriented are also enabled by cookies. Software vendors provide the information to advertisers who then target and sell.

Ever since the ''cookie'' came into being, and especially in contemporary times where data-breach and data privacy are becoming pertinent discourses, users and regulators have questioned the usage of this data by businesses.

Over the last three years, new privacy laws in California and Europe have triggered changes in the modus operandi of internet businesses.

<h6><img alt="Google" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e800b09f-f7f5-4fc2-8c6a-1fc14c5c404d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_45.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;The Google logo is seen January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas | AFP</h6>

&nbsp;

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London (UCL) and Aarhus University conducted a joint study into the use of cookies. They analysed five companies that offer consent management platforms (CMPs) for cookies used in the UK.

European Union laws demand that consent for cookies should be informed and explicit, however only 11.8 per cent of the sites met the minimal requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-fines-google-167-million-over-search-engine-ads-269344">France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads</a>

However, Google added that this cookie-blocker would not be enforced until more user-oriented privacy-focused alternatives are available.&nbsp;

If this cookie-elimination becomes a template pan-industry, it would require investment from website operators.

According to financial analysts, this move would have negligible to no effect on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-settles-longstanding-tax-dispute-with-australia-268943">Google's</a> self-operated advertisement business, for the technology giant has multiple others inlays into user data.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing.

Google has started phasing out 'cookies' on its Google Chrome browser. Cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by their web browser while browsing. Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity. Businesses track their customers using these cookies, and that's what Google is trying to stop over the next two years. If successful, the move could re-define the consumption of user date online. According to an official statement, Google is planning to prevent advertising software companies and other organisations from linking their browser cookies with websites they have no jurisdiction over. Image: Cookies were designed to facilitate websites to remember relevant information or to record the user's browsing activity | Twitter user @rustybrick Google's rival Apple underwent a similar change in 2017 with its browser Safari by limiting access and the use of cookies. Currently, Google Chrome has a clear market monopoly with over 64 per cent of global users preferring the browser over others. This is almost thrice as greater as Safari's share, as reported by tracking company Statcounter. The announcement was expected by industry insiders for months. However, the two-year goal is a fresh addition that was unheard of, until now. After the announcement of ''cookie'' removal, shares of many advertising software companies fell. These include Criteo, which witnessed an 8 per cent decline, and Trade Desk Inc, which dropped by 1.4 per cent. Until now, cookies were not regulated which allowed virtually any company to improve and target specific advertisements on the internet. With cookies and the user data, it ushered in, users were kept logged into a website for multiple days. Specific target advertisements that are user-oriented are also enabled by cookies. Software vendors provide the information to advertisers who then target and sell. Ever since the ''cookie'' came into being, and especially in contemporary times where data-breach and data privacy are becoming pertinent discourses, users and regulators have questioned the usage of this data by businesses. Over the last three years, new privacy laws in California and Europe have triggered changes in the modus operandi of internet businesses. Image: The Google logo is seen January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas | AFP Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London (UCL) and Aarhus University conducted a joint study into the use of cookies. They analysed five companies that offer consent management platforms (CMPs) for cookies used in the UK. European Union laws demand that consent for cookies should be informed and explicit, however only 11.8 per cent of the sites met the minimal requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law. Also read: France fines Google $167 million over search engine ads However, Google added that this cookie-blocker would not be enforced until more user-oriented privacy-focused alternatives are available. If this cookie-elimination becomes a template pan-industry, it would require investment from website operators. According to financial analysts, this move would have negligible to no effect on Google's self-operated advertisement business, for the technology giant has multiple others inlays into user data. (With inputs from Reuters)

Third-party cookies on Google Chrome all set to crumble

Imagine how wonderful it would be to have fresh air around you even when you are at your workstation. It’s now possible with a quirky desk device. Designed by an Indian company, the Xech Growstation appears to be interesting, but do we really need this? Let’s find out.

Xech Growstation: Hit or miss? | Tech It Out

If you are unsure about which app to use for editing your beautifully-captured moments, check out our list of top 3 video-editing apps and pick any of them.

Coming soon: Gadgets of 2020 | Tech It Out

CES, the annual technology industry show in Las Vegas, opened its doors on Tuesday (January 7). The annual convention brings thousands of technology enthusiasts to Las Vegas to get a peek at the latest innovations.

Underwater scooter and fish drone among items on show at CES tech show opening

The 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's premier tech show, was officially launched on Tuesday in Las Vegas, the United States.

Consumer Electronics Show 2020 kicks off in Las Vegas

A recently conducted study on mobile phone usage reveals that Indians, on an average, spend more than 1,800 hours on their smartphones in a year.&nbsp;

Global smartphone giant VIVO carried out the study titled ‘Smartphone and their impact on human relationships’ in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR).&nbsp;

The study looked at uninhibited smartphone usage as well as factors that influence smartphone users, their actions, moods and preferences.

Some of the key features that the study highlighted about an average Indian smartphone user included the fact that around 75 per cent of the people surveyed agreed to own a smartphone in their teens of them 41 per cent were hooked to the device even before graduating from high school.

Here's looking at some of the top findings from the study.&nbsp;

- An average Indian spends one-third of their waking hours on their phone - roughly 1800 hours annually.&nbsp;

- 1 in 3 people feels that they can’t even have a 5-minute conversation without checking their phones.

- Over 70 per cent felt that the growing influence of smartphones is likely to impact mental and physical health.

- 3 out of 5 people believe in technology detox and say that it’s important to have a life separate from mobile phones.

The study was conducted based on an online survey with people, ageing 18 to 45 years - from across the top 8 cities in India.

As many as 2,000 Indians were surveyed for the study of which 36 per cent were females and 64 per cent were men.

A recently conducted study on mobile phone usage reveals that Indians, on an average, spend more than 1,800 hours on their smartphones in a year. Global smartphone giant VIVO carried out the study titled ‘Smartphone and their impact on human relationships’ in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR).

A recently conducted study on mobile phone usage reveals that Indians, on an average, spend more than 1,800 hours on their smartphones in a year. Global smartphone giant VIVO carried out the study titled ‘Smartphone and their impact on human relationships’ in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR). The study looked at uninhibited smartphone usage as well as factors that influence smartphone users, their actions, moods and preferences. Some of the key features that the study highlighted about an average Indian smartphone user included the fact that around 75 per cent of the people surveyed agreed to own a smartphone in their teens of them 41 per cent were hooked to the device even before graduating from high school. Here's looking at some of the top findings from the study. - An average Indian spends one-third of their waking hours on their phone - roughly 1800 hours annually. - 1 in 3 people feels that they can’t even have a 5-minute conversation without checking their phones. - Over 70 per cent felt that the growing influence of smartphones is likely to impact mental and physical health. - 3 out of 5 people believe in technology detox and say that it’s important to have a life separate from mobile phones. The study was conducted based on an online survey with people, ageing 18 to 45 years - from across the top 8 cities in India. As many as 2,000 Indians were surveyed for the study of which 36 per cent were females and 64 per cent were men.

Study reveals Indians spend over 1,800 hours glued to their smartphones annually 

Today one of the loudest talking points globally is around privacy of data, rather around lack of it. On a daily basis, roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data gets generated by the Internet users collectively. Is all of this data private? Where is it stored? And ultimately, who owns this data?  &nbsp;

These are questions that the world is waking up to. And the slow realisation that almost all this digital data generated by private internet users around the world is owned by just 4 to 5 large companies is startling everyone

This is the result of all the technology innovations that happened in the first decade of this millennium, that is, between 2000 and 2009. There were big technology&nbsp;innovations in the world in this period and a lot of innovative organisations were born, such as Google, Amazon, Airbnb, Facebook, Twitter, etc. These companies provided effective and instant solutions such as easy access to information, ability to socially networking online and instant communication at large, and as a result, they are being used by a few billion people around the world.&nbsp;

However, the construct of these innovations is such that the ownership of digital data being generated by these billions of people gets consolidated on the platforms provided by these few large companies. In consolidation lay the dangers of data misuse, breach and theft which increasingly became commonplace in the subsequent decade – from 2010 to 2019.&nbsp;

That current decade which is now coming to an end in 2019 has also seen the world waking up to the fact that the ability of these large corporations to store, access and analyse private digital data of the masses has reached dangerous proportions. Their understanding of billions of people’s preferences, relationships, likes, dislikes, prejudices and leanings, etc has evolved them from mere digital platforms into a powerful position of shaping social perspectives and influencing national events of humanity at large. A cyber-attack on the security systems of these companies also jeopardises the data of millions of private individuals in one go.&nbsp;

There are attempts being made towards creating privacy of personal data – such as GDPR of Europe, CCPA of California, PDPA of Singapore, etc. But these solutions lie within the current ownership structure of the internet where the access and control of the large volume of data continue to remain in the hands of a few large corporations, resulting in these solutions being ineffective or sub-par. Ownership and access continue to remain massively consolidated.&nbsp;

As Marx had espoused the redistribution of the ownership of means of production in the 19th century, we now need a new Marx to propagate the idea of redistribution of the ownership of digital data in this 21st century. Only this will create an effective solution to the critical issue of privacy of data.&nbsp;

In the next decade beginning in 2020, there will come a real technology&nbsp;innovation that will lead to private and individual ownership of space and data on the internet – an innovative concept that doesn’t exist today.&nbsp;

As is the case in the physical world where a person who owns a house or a car or even a mobile phone has complete ownership and access rights over it, technology&nbsp;innovation is due to bringing in a similar concept in the digital world. Such a tech revolution in the online world will enable people to do away with dependence on large organisations for storing their data.&nbsp;

The issue of digital privacy will be solved by solving the issue of data ownership on the internet.&nbsp;

(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Today one of the loudest talking points globally is around privacy of data, rather around lack of it. On a daily basis, roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data gets generated by the Internet users collectively.

Today one of the loudest talking points globally is around privacy of data, rather around lack of it. On a daily basis, roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data gets generated by the Internet users collectively. Is all of this data private? Where is it stored? And ultimately, who owns this data?   These are questions that the world is waking up to. And the slow realisation that almost all this digital data generated by private internet users around the world is owned by just 4 to 5 large companies is startling everyone This is the result of all the technology innovations that happened in the first decade of this millennium, that is, between 2000 and 2009. There were big technology innovations in the world in this period and a lot of innovative organisations were born, such as Google, Amazon, Airbnb, Facebook, Twitter, etc. These companies provided effective and instant solutions such as easy access to information, ability to socially networking online and instant communication at large, and as a result, they are being used by a few billion people around the world. However, the construct of these innovations is such that the ownership of digital data being generated by these billions of people gets consolidated on the platforms provided by these few large companies. In consolidation lay the dangers of data misuse, breach and theft which increasingly became commonplace in the subsequent decade – from 2010 to 2019. That current decade which is now coming to an end in 2019 has also seen the world waking up to the fact that the ability of these large corporations to store, access and analyse private digital data of the masses has reached dangerous proportions. Their understanding of billions of people’s preferences, relationships, likes, dislikes, prejudices and leanings, etc has evolved them from mere digital platforms into a powerful position of shaping social perspectives and influencing national events of humanity at large. A cyber-attack on the security systems of these companies also jeopardises the data of millions of private individuals in one go. There are attempts being made towards creating privacy of personal data – such as GDPR of Europe, CCPA of California, PDPA of Singapore, etc. But these solutions lie within the current ownership structure of the internet where the access and control of the large volume of data continue to remain in the hands of a few large corporations, resulting in these solutions being ineffective or sub-par. Ownership and access continue to remain massively consolidated. As Marx had espoused the redistribution of the ownership of means of production in the 19th century, we now need a new Marx to propagate the idea of redistribution of the ownership of digital data in this 21st century. Only this will create an effective solution to the critical issue of privacy of data. In the next decade beginning in 2020, there will come a real technology innovation that will lead to private and individual ownership of space and data on the internet – an innovative concept that doesn’t exist today. As is the case in the physical world where a person who owns a house or a car or even a mobile phone has complete ownership and access rights over it, technology innovation is due to bringing in a similar concept in the digital world. Such a tech revolution in the online world will enable people to do away with dependence on large organisations for storing their data. The issue of digital privacy will be solved by solving the issue of data ownership on the internet. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

2020 technology innovations likely to solve data privacy issue

As per a survey, 56% Indians were victim of online scams by clicking on malicious links. Cybersecurity firm warns Indians from becoming a victim of online shopping discounts during the holiday season. Watch to know more

Increasing number of Indians falling prey to online scams

Technology has changed our lives but not all these changes are positive. Know Is technology in modern lives Boon or Bane?

Technology in modern lives Boon or Bane?

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-cook-meeting-culminates-with-visit-to-apple-factory-263332">President Donald Trump toured Apple's Texas</a> manufacturing plant Wednesday in a visit marking a brief truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

"He is a very special person as far as this country is concerned," Trump said of Cook as they stood side-by-side, adding that he's done a "great job."

The visit gave Trump a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms, including Apple, which he criticizes for manufacturing its products abroad.

Trump praised what he said was an "incredible product that is made right here."

"When you build in the United States you don't have to worry about tariffs," he said, referring to those waged by China.

Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers.

The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants.

"On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector.

Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said.

"He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay.

"He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it."

Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children.

While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction.

Watch: Donald Trump calls Apple CEO Tim Cook as Tim Apple

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-calls-apple-ceo-tim-cooks-as-tim-apple-201910/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Sidestepping Trump tirades

Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos,&nbsp;accusing him of using his personal investment in The Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO.

"Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple"</a>, appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism.

In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button.

"To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president.

Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung.

"Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research.

Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said.

"Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on."

Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 percent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers.

O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular.

"I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said.

Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry.

"Maybe Tim can create&nbsp;a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said.

"If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

President Donald Trump toured Apple's Texas manufacturing plant Wednesday in a visit marking a brief truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

President Donald Trump toured Apple's Texas manufacturing plant Wednesday in a visit marking a brief truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook. "He is a very special person as far as this country is concerned," Trump said of Cook as they stood side-by-side, adding that he's done a "great job." The visit gave Trump a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms, including Apple, which he criticizes for manufacturing its products abroad. Trump praised what he said was an "incredible product that is made right here." "When you build in the United States you don't have to worry about tariffs," he said, referring to those waged by China. Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers. The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants. "On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector. Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said. "He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay. "He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it." Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children. While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction. Watch: Donald Trump calls Apple CEO Tim Cook as Tim Apple Sidestepping Trump tirades Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing him of using his personal investment in The Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO. "Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem." Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple", appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism. In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button. "To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote. According to The Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president. Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung. "Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research. Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said. "Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on." Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 percent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers. O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular. "I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said. Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry. "Maybe Tim can create a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said. "If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

US President Donald Trump praises Apple chief Tim Cook for 'great job' in Austin after tirade against technology firms

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/now-have-a-news-host-in-your-devices-google-assistant-263271">online platforms</a> remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.

The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from lying in ads. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video.

"It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim,&nbsp;whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post.

Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections.

"Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, and no one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation," Spencer said.

"So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited - but we will continue to do so for clear violations."

Google's main formats for political advertising are ads posted along with search query results, those shown at video viewing service YouTube, and display ads that appear on websites.

Google will also limit the targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location.

"Political advertisers can, of course, continue to do contextual targeting, such as serving ads to people reading or watching a story about, say, the economy," Spencer said/.

"This will align our approach to election ads with long-established practices in media such as TV, radio, and print, and result in election ads being more widely seen and available for public discussion."

Google will begin enforcing the changes in Britain within a week and throughout the EU by the end of the year, then in the rest of the world starting January 6, according to Spencer.

Watch: Google claims quantum supremacy

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/google-claims-quantum-supremacy-257905/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Speech vs Truth

Snap this week confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material.

The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether.

Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules.

Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "cause-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues.

The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting Friday, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes.

"Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy.

"However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content."

Twitter said the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians.

The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-begins-rolling-out-rich-communication-services-to-do-more-with-messages-262225">Social media platforms</a> have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters.

Google on Wednesday updated how it handles political ads as online platforms remain under pressure to avoid being used to spread misleading information intended to influence voters. The internet company said its rules already ban any advertiser, including those with political messages, from lying in ads. But it is making its policy more clear and adding examples of how that prohibits content such as doctored or manipulated images or video. "It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim, whether it's a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has died," Google ads product management vice president Scott Spencer said in an online post. Examples of banned ad material included ads or links to information making demonstrably false claims that could undermine voter trust or participation in elections. "Of course, we recognize that robust political dialogue is an important part of democracy, and no one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation," Spencer said. "So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited - but we will continue to do so for clear violations." Google's main formats for political advertising are ads posted along with search query results, those shown at video viewing service YouTube, and display ads that appear on websites. Google will also limit the targeting of political ads to general categories such as age, gender, or postal code level location. "Political advertisers can, of course, continue to do contextual targeting, such as serving ads to people reading or watching a story about, say, the economy," Spencer said/. "This will align our approach to election ads with long-established practices in media such as TV, radio, and print, and result in election ads being more widely seen and available for public discussion." Google will begin enforcing the changes in Britain within a week and throughout the EU by the end of the year, then in the rest of the world starting January 6, according to Spencer. Watch: Google claims quantum supremacy Speech vs Truth Snap this week confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material. The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether. Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules. Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "cause-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues. The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting Friday, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes. "Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy. "However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content." Twitter said the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians. The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce. Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Google to make stricter regulatory policy for political ads to curb abuse

China's strategy is clear. It enters every country, every market, every sector where it can get even a toehold.

But it doesn't allow entry to others. China keeps itself insulated, pulls 'an iron curtain' on technology.&nbsp;

On WION Edit, we'll discuss this skewed free market formula that china uses and how it impacts India. China, under MAO, had a closed market, but now America is becoming protectionist.

And communist China is trying to sell itself as the torchbearer of globalisation. This is just propaganda, the reality is very different.

China's free market formula is simple, it wants free access to other markets, but blocks access to its own market.&nbsp;

Look at the offerings: 
Apps 
Cab Aggregators 
Search Engines 
Social Media 
Health &amp; Education Platforms 
Even Online Retailers and Payments platforms - the long arm of China extends everywhere and India is a major target. How can India beat this model? 
 
Forget about gaining soft power, at least to protect self-interests, India must find a way.

Why are Chinese payment Apps promoted and used when India has its own UPI Bhim App? Why have we allowed Chinese Apps in the education sector in India?

Why are cheap Chinese smartphones ruling the Indian markets? Why can't India produce its own smartphones? It's bewildering because India has skilled labour and raw material.

But here's what's happening. Ignorant consumerism is exposing Indian markets to Chinese Apps.

This is not anti-China rhetoric. Let me ask this question, would China allow digital products like smartphones and apps of foreign origin at home?

The answer is no.&nbsp;

China's leverage is growing like a juggernaut in India. And the primary reason is the lack of entrepreneurship and investment in building domestic products.&nbsp;

The government must make it easy for young entrepreneurs of India to innovate and evolve domestic tech products. This will serve three purposes - Young Indians will find employment, the economy will get a boost, and India will be able to weather the Chinese tech storm.&nbsp;

Indian internet space cannot be a battleground for China and the US. It's time to make our own Apps and prevent the preventable.

The other way to protect self-interest is to go for data localisation. This was flagged by none other than the Reserve Bank of India last year.

Data breaches are a big worry, they can be prevented but for that, payments Apps must store data locally.

There is an important Bill before Parliament too - the Personal Data Bill. This Bill seeks to punish apps that violate privacy.

In a nutshell, empower Indian innovators, crackdown on privacy violation, punish the firms that flout rules and ensure that Indian data is stored in India.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world) 
&nbsp;

China's strategy is clear. It enters every country, every market, every sector where it can get even a toehold. But it doesn't allow entry to others. China keeps itself insulated, pulls 'an iron curtain' on technology.

China's strategy is clear. It enters every country, every market, every sector where it can get even a toehold. But it doesn't allow entry to others. China keeps itself insulated, pulls 'an iron curtain' on technology. On WION Edit, we'll discuss this skewed free market formula that china uses and how it impacts India. China, under MAO, had a closed market, but now America is becoming protectionist. And communist China is trying to sell itself as the torchbearer of globalisation. This is just propaganda, the reality is very different. China's free market formula is simple, it wants free access to other markets, but blocks access to its own market. Look at the offerings: Apps Cab Aggregators Search Engines Social Media Health & Education Platforms Even Online Retailers and Payments platforms - the long arm of China extends everywhere and India is a major target. How can India beat this model? Forget about gaining soft power, at least to protect self-interests, India must find a way. Why are Chinese payment Apps promoted and used when India has its own UPI Bhim App? Why have we allowed Chinese Apps in the education sector in India? Why are cheap Chinese smartphones ruling the Indian markets? Why can't India produce its own smartphones? It's bewildering because India has skilled labour and raw material. But here's what's happening. Ignorant consumerism is exposing Indian markets to Chinese Apps. This is not anti-China rhetoric. Let me ask this question, would China allow digital products like smartphones and apps of foreign origin at home? The answer is no. China's leverage is growing like a juggernaut in India. And the primary reason is the lack of entrepreneurship and investment in building domestic products. The government must make it easy for young entrepreneurs of India to innovate and evolve domestic tech products. This will serve three purposes - Young Indians will find employment, the economy will get a boost, and India will be able to weather the Chinese tech storm. Indian internet space cannot be a battleground for China and the US. It's time to make our own Apps and prevent the preventable. The other way to protect self-interest is to go for data localisation. This was flagged by none other than the Reserve Bank of India last year. Data breaches are a big worry, they can be prevented but for that, payments Apps must store data locally. There is an important Bill before Parliament too - the Personal Data Bill. This Bill seeks to punish apps that violate privacy. In a nutshell, empower Indian innovators, crackdown on privacy violation, punish the firms that flout rules and ensure that Indian data is stored in India. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: How can India prevent China's app invasion?

Snap on Monday confirmed that it checks political ads at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-servers-cause-problems-for-youtube-snapchat-in-us-223726">Snapchat</a> to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material.

The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether.

"We subject all advertising to review, including political advertising," Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel said in a story published by CNBC.

"And I think what we try to do is create a place for political ads on our platform, especially because we reach so many young people and first-time voters we want them to be able to engage with the political conversation, but we don't allow things like misinformation to appear in that advertising."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/snap-adds-games-to-snapchat-app-to-hold-on-to-young-users-208064">Snap policies</a> prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules.

Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "caused-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues.

The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting November 22, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes.

"Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy.

"However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-tightens-bans-on-political-ads-and-causes-ahead-of-2020-us-election-262497">Twitter announced the political ad ban</a> on October 30, saying the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians.

The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce.

Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers.

Some analysts point out that the ban will not affect "organic" content or messages from politicians that are shared or retweeted by supporters, and that it could encourage the use of "bots" or paid users to amplify the tweets.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Snap on Monday confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material. The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether.

Snap on Monday confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material. The strategy seems to be a middle ground between Facebook's controversial tolerance of proven lies in political ads and Twitter's decision to ban them altogether. "We subject all advertising to review, including political advertising," Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel said in a story published by CNBC. "And I think what we try to do is create a place for political ads on our platform, especially because we reach so many young people and first-time voters we want them to be able to engage with the political conversation, but we don't allow things like misinformation to appear in that advertising." Snap policies prohibit political ads that are deceptive or misleading, with an in-house team reviewing such paid messages to make sure they don't break the rules. Twitter last week said its ban on political ads will exempt "caused-based" messages on topics related to social or environmental issues. The San Francisco-based messaging platform plans to bar all paid political messages starting November 22, while addressing concerns expressed by activists for social causes. "Ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes are allowed," Twitter said in its new policy. "However, they may not reference prohibited political advertisers or political content." Twitter announced the political ad ban on October 30, saying the move was aimed at countering the spread of misinformation by politicians. The political ban has drawn mixed reactions: some argue it puts pressure on Facebook to follow suit or take other steps to curb the spread of misinformation from politicians; others say a ban will be difficult to enforce. Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims which critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers. Some analysts point out that the ban will not affect "organic" content or messages from politicians that are shared or retweeted by supporters, and that it could encourage the use of "bots" or paid users to amplify the tweets. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Snapchat checks for misleading political advertisements to enforce ban

The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology.

The deployment of the cutting-edge technology at one of the British capital's busiest transport hubs, which was first revealed in the Financial Times, has fuelled controversy in Britain where its use does not yet have a legal framework.

The company in charge of the project argued it has acted "only to help the police... prevent and detect crimes in the area", and that it had no commercial use.

But data watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) seized on the case.

It opened an investigation and expressed concern about the increasing use of facial recognition, which allows for faces captured on camera to be compared with images stored to databases.

The Kings Cross case is not isolated, with shopping centres in Manchester and Sheffield, and a museum in Liverpool, also reportedly trialling the technology.

Privacy group Big Brother Watch has denounced the trend as an "epidemic", with other critics warning it risks undermining fundamental rights.

Police surveillance?

Ed Bridges, 36, has sued Welsh police for targeting him with this technology while he was Christmas shopping in 2017 and at a protest in 2018, with his case working its way through the High Court in Cardiff.

This is the first time that such action has been brought in British courts.

Although the police use was authorised and advertised, the Cardiff University employee told AFP it felt like "being robbed".

"This is not something I had consented to," Bridges said.&nbsp;

"People have a reasonable expectation of privacy and the state should be supporting the right... not undermining it."

Megan Goulding, his lawyer from the human rights organisation Liberty, said facial recognition creates concerns about "self-censorship and free expression".

"We think it's wrong that people are made to change how they live to try to protect themselves from unwarranted police surveillance," she added.

However, according to a survey commissioned by ICO earlier this year, facial recognition enjoys widespread public support, with more than 80 per cent of respondents apparently backing its use by the police.

'Slow down'

When using facial recognition police utilise a "watch list" of wanted suspects.&nbsp;

The surveillance cameras translate the facial features of passers-by into a digital version, which is compared to the data on the list.&nbsp;

If the "similarity score" is high enough, police perform a check.

In Bridges' case, the Cardiff court dismissed his complaint, finding the watchlist was "clearly targeted" on people "suspected of involvement in crimes".

He is appealing the decision and UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has warned it should not justify indiscriminate use of the technology.

She has called on the authorities to "slow down" its development pending the rollout of a clear framework for its use.

London is a potential hotspot for the deployment of facial recognition, with its 420,000 surveillance cameras, according to a 2017 study by the Brookings Institution think-tank.

That places the British capital just behind the 470,000 cameras found in China's capital, Beijing.

London's Metropolitan Police has carried out a number of trials of the technology.

"Anyone can refuse to be scanned," the force states in its guidance posted online.&nbsp;

"It's not an offence or considered 'obstruction' to actively avoid being scanned."&nbsp;

But Daragh Murray, a human rights specialist at the University of Essex, is sceptical.

"People who refused consent, who covered their face to (avoid) the camera's system, their behaviour was treated as suspicious and they were engaged by the police," he told AFP.&nbsp;

Murray called the technology "a fundamental shift in the balance of power between the state and the citizen".

Echoing ICO, he is pressing for a legal framework, including an oversight agency.

"We have seen the first generation of facial recognition technology when you're using it to identify people who already know," Murray said.

"The next generation, you'll be able to use it to identify people who you don't know."

The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology.

The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology. The deployment of the cutting-edge technology at one of the British capital's busiest transport hubs, which was first revealed in the Financial Times, has fuelled controversy in Britain where its use does not yet have a legal framework. The company in charge of the project argued it has acted "only to help the police... prevent and detect crimes in the area", and that it had no commercial use. But data watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) seized on the case. It opened an investigation and expressed concern about the increasing use of facial recognition, which allows for faces captured on camera to be compared with images stored to databases. The Kings Cross case is not isolated, with shopping centres in Manchester and Sheffield, and a museum in Liverpool, also reportedly trialling the technology. Privacy group Big Brother Watch has denounced the trend as an "epidemic", with other critics warning it risks undermining fundamental rights. Police surveillance? Ed Bridges, 36, has sued Welsh police for targeting him with this technology while he was Christmas shopping in 2017 and at a protest in 2018, with his case working its way through the High Court in Cardiff. This is the first time that such action has been brought in British courts. Although the police use was authorised and advertised, the Cardiff University employee told AFP it felt like "being robbed". "This is not something I had consented to," Bridges said. "People have a reasonable expectation of privacy and the state should be supporting the right... not undermining it." Megan Goulding, his lawyer from the human rights organisation Liberty, said facial recognition creates concerns about "self-censorship and free expression". "We think it's wrong that people are made to change how they live to try to protect themselves from unwarranted police surveillance," she added. However, according to a survey commissioned by ICO earlier this year, facial recognition enjoys widespread public support, with more than 80 per cent of respondents apparently backing its use by the police. 'Slow down' When using facial recognition police utilise a "watch list" of wanted suspects. The surveillance cameras translate the facial features of passers-by into a digital version, which is compared to the data on the list. If the "similarity score" is high enough, police perform a check. In Bridges' case, the Cardiff court dismissed his complaint, finding the watchlist was "clearly targeted" on people "suspected of involvement in crimes". He is appealing the decision and UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has warned it should not justify indiscriminate use of the technology. She has called on the authorities to "slow down" its development pending the rollout of a clear framework for its use. London is a potential hotspot for the deployment of facial recognition, with its 420,000 surveillance cameras, according to a 2017 study by the Brookings Institution think-tank. That places the British capital just behind the 470,000 cameras found in China's capital, Beijing. London's Metropolitan Police has carried out a number of trials of the technology. "Anyone can refuse to be scanned," the force states in its guidance posted online. "It's not an offence or considered 'obstruction' to actively avoid being scanned." But Daragh Murray, a human rights specialist at the University of Essex, is sceptical. "People who refused consent, who covered their face to (avoid) the camera's system, their behaviour was treated as suspicious and they were engaged by the police," he told AFP. Murray called the technology "a fundamental shift in the balance of power between the state and the citizen". Echoing ICO, he is pressing for a legal framework, including an oversight agency. "We have seen the first generation of facial recognition technology when you're using it to identify people who already know," Murray said. "The next generation, you'll be able to use it to identify people who you don't know."

Britain: Facial recognition makes subtle advance

The allegations of spying by former Twitter employees for Saudi Arabia underscore the risks for Silicon Valley firms holding sensitive data which make the platforms ripe for espionage.

The two Saudis and one US citizen allegedly worked together to unmask the ownership details behind dissident Twitter accounts on behalf of the Riyadh government and royal family, according to a federal indictment.

Analysts say the incident shows how massive databases held by Silicon Valley giants can be juicy targets for intelligence agencies, which can often apply pressure to company insiders.

"The Twitter case shows how data is not only an asset but a liability for companies," said Adrian Shahbaz, research director for technology and democracy at the human rights group Freedom House.

"For companies collecting massive amounts of data, the challenge is how to keep it secure not only from hackers, but from rogue employees."

Shahbaz said platforms such as Twitter and Facebook remain important tools for human rights activists, but that users should be aware of potential for data leaks, both in their countries, and from insiders.

"It's been alarming to see how governments using tactics to exploit the inherent weaknesses of the internet... go after people expressing dissent," he said.

"It's a constant cat-and-mouse game between users and very well-resourced governments."

Bruce Schneier, a security researcher and fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society, said it is not surprising to see governments targeting databases of tech platforms.

"We all assume it happens a lot. But this (prosecution) rarely comes up," Schneier said.

No match for Russia

Schneier said there have long been fears about Chinese or Russian insiders pressured to introduce vulnerabilities in major software platforms, and that companies may be ill-equipped to thwart those efforts.

"The government of Russia versus Twitter is not a fair fight," he said. "It's hard to blame tech companies."

Because major tech firms have engineers from all over the world, Schneier said it enables intelligence services to seek out and pressure their ex-pats for espionage purposes.

The case highlights the potential for insider threats, said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"Insider threats go back to biblical times," he said, noting that the suspects were probably caught because they "did a terrible job of covering their tracks."

Background checks enough?

According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, US citizen Ahmad Abouammo and Saudi national Ali Alzabarah were recruited in 2014-2015 to use their positions in Twitter to gain access to private information related to accounts of critics of Riyadh.

Ahmed Almutairi, a marketing official with ties to the royal family, was a critical go-between who arranged contacts, prosecutors said.

Twitter said in a statement it restricts access to sensitive account information "to a limited group of trained and vetted employees."

But John Dickson, a former US air force information warfare officer who is now with the security consultancy Denim Group, said private companies, even in Silicon Valley, are not equipped to for background checks needed to find potential spies.

"Most employers do cursory background checks for the most obvious stuff such as criminal records or bankruptcy," he said.

"None of them does any semblance of a background check on nation-state threats."

Dickson said it remains unclear if the tech platforms are cognizant of the sensitivity of the data they hold, and the draw of that information for intelligence services.

"They are still acting as social media companies," he said.

"Their default is to get as many connections as possible, and the network effect enhances the platform."

Shahbaz said the latest case illustrates a need for regulations to require tech platforms to limit how much data they collect and maintain.

"There might be a role for government to play in terms of data privacy legislation," he said.

"There's a case for collecting the bare minimum of data from users and allowing users to opt out" of certain kinds of data collection.

He said companies should also be required to inform victims if their data has been compromised "so they can take measures to protect themselves."

The allegations of spying by former Twitter employees for Saudi Arabia underscore the risks for Silicon Valley firms holding sensitive data which make the platforms ripe for espionage.

The allegations of spying by former Twitter employees for Saudi Arabia underscore the risks for Silicon Valley firms holding sensitive data which make the platforms ripe for espionage. The two Saudis and one US citizen allegedly worked together to unmask the ownership details behind dissident Twitter accounts on behalf of the Riyadh government and royal family, according to a federal indictment. Analysts say the incident shows how massive databases held by Silicon Valley giants can be juicy targets for intelligence agencies, which can often apply pressure to company insiders. "The Twitter case shows how data is not only an asset but a liability for companies," said Adrian Shahbaz, research director for technology and democracy at the human rights group Freedom House. "For companies collecting massive amounts of data, the challenge is how to keep it secure not only from hackers, but from rogue employees." Shahbaz said platforms such as Twitter and Facebook remain important tools for human rights activists, but that users should be aware of potential for data leaks, both in their countries, and from insiders. "It's been alarming to see how governments using tactics to exploit the inherent weaknesses of the internet... go after people expressing dissent," he said. "It's a constant cat-and-mouse game between users and very well-resourced governments." Bruce Schneier, a security researcher and fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, said it is not surprising to see governments targeting databases of tech platforms. "We all assume it happens a lot. But this (prosecution) rarely comes up," Schneier said. No match for Russia Schneier said there have long been fears about Chinese or Russian insiders pressured to introduce vulnerabilities in major software platforms, and that companies may be ill-equipped to thwart those efforts. "The government of Russia versus Twitter is not a fair fight," he said. "It's hard to blame tech companies." Because major tech firms have engineers from all over the world, Schneier said it enables intelligence services to seek out and pressure their ex-pats for espionage purposes. The case highlights the potential for insider threats, said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "Insider threats go back to biblical times," he said, noting that the suspects were probably caught because they "did a terrible job of covering their tracks." Background checks enough? According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, US citizen Ahmad Abouammo and Saudi national Ali Alzabarah were recruited in 2014-2015 to use their positions in Twitter to gain access to private information related to accounts of critics of Riyadh. Ahmed Almutairi, a marketing official with ties to the royal family, was a critical go-between who arranged contacts, prosecutors said. Twitter said in a statement it restricts access to sensitive account information "to a limited group of trained and vetted employees." But John Dickson, a former US air force information warfare officer who is now with the security consultancy Denim Group, said private companies, even in Silicon Valley, are not equipped to for background checks needed to find potential spies. "Most employers do cursory background checks for the most obvious stuff such as criminal records or bankruptcy," he said. "None of them does any semblance of a background check on nation-state threats." Dickson said it remains unclear if the tech platforms are cognizant of the sensitivity of the data they hold, and the draw of that information for intelligence services. "They are still acting as social media companies," he said. "Their default is to get as many connections as possible, and the network effect enhances the platform." Shahbaz said the latest case illustrates a need for regulations to require tech platforms to limit how much data they collect and maintain. "There might be a role for government to play in terms of data privacy legislation," he said. "There's a case for collecting the bare minimum of data from users and allowing users to opt out" of certain kinds of data collection. He said companies should also be required to inform victims if their data has been compromised "so they can take measures to protect themselves."

Twitter spy case highlights risks for big tech platforms

I wish I had a more eloquent story to talk about the events leading to my mini-epiphany that eventually translated into this blog post. Imagine something along the lines of — it was a warm afternoon in Vizag. The rain had just restored the green in the leaves and rendered the sky into a radiant shade of blue.&nbsp;

Nope. This was how reality went: At around 3 pm on a hot and humid day, during a conversation about the organisation’s latest course on Mobile Technology, which teaches visually impaired students how to use smartphones, Mr. Raju, the President of Vision Aid, remarked that by not introducing such technologies to these students, we were leaving them behind, in a world that was slowly growing archaic, especially when compared to the one inhabited by their sighted peers. In that moment, I felt like the central character in any quintessential detective/crime TV show, where a casual remark sets the prelude to a dramatic epiphany. Although slightly less dramatic, this remark prompted me to think more critically about the questions that I started my blog post with, the implications behind asking them, what they might reveal about our presumptions, especially my own, and how these presumptions have and continue to colour our understanding of inclusion and inclusive design.&nbsp;

In an attempt to bridge the accessibility gap between the worlds inhabited by the visually impaired and sighted folk, Vision Aid has pioneered computer training programs, namely their Certificate in Computer Application (CCA) and Diploma in Computer Application (DCA) programs, whose aim is to empower the visually impaired students by providing intensive one-on-one training on computer use, from learning how to type all the way to coding in Python![1]It was these courses that elicited the infamous ‘wait what?!’ question.&nbsp;

Genuine curiosity aside, that it was so hard for me to fathom a visually impaired student mastering the computer started to chip away at some of the ingrained assumptions and judgements I made about the ability of the visually impaired. It was disconcerting, yet crucial, to confront these assumptions and assessments that I, unknowingly or knowingly, had made about what the visually impaired can and can’t do and what they might feel most comfortable doing. Worse still is that these conclusions often form the basis of justifications about why the visually impaired may not be able to fit into our world.&nbsp;

For me, this confrontation explicitly underscored a saviour complex, unwittingly or wittingly, built into our interactions with the community. More subtly, it also revealed an insidious power imbalance where those holding economic and social power, mostly the sighted folk, convince themselves of a reality (in this context, that a visually impaired student can’t type and hence, can’t perform a job requiring the use of a computer) that is not only untrue, but also is one that tangibly harms the livelihoods of the visually impaired. Simply put, being aware of our positionality and biases, acquired or inherent, can help better see the assumptions that colour our interactions with the visually impaired and how they potentially strip the community of their agency and ability to invest in skill sets that move beyond just tactile skills.&nbsp;

These questions also made me acutely aware of another implication of my assumptions — I was reinforcing education and employment models that have little to no place in today’s competitive world. In my conversations with trainers and teachers who work with the visually impaired community, the key idea that was repeatedly highlighted was this lack of investment in developing ability, as opposed to catering to emotions. They argued that even today, a big part of society uses the “charity model”[2] when talking about disability i.e, viewing the visually impaired as a people to be sympathised with and towards whom to be charitable. Not only does this model reinforce dangerous assumptions, but also creates an environment in which society views the visually impaired community as less than, specifically in the context of education and careers, and pushes investment away from finding meaningful ways to include them in our technology-driven world. Maybe it is time we start to internalise the visually impaired as doctors, photographers[3], engineers, or anything they want to be, as opposed to only in some finite set of jobs we might impose on them. This is also why I think Vision Aid’s CCA and DCA programmes are so powerful — they take a step towards investing in the visually impaired students’ ability, not the stereotype.&nbsp;

Over the past weeks, my time as an AIF Clinton Fellow with Vision Aid has taught me that investing in ability and skills gives the visually impaired a chance to define their own career paths and identity. For me, it has been a step forward in truly including them in our professional and social spaces. In the specific context of computer-use, with tools like Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) and Job Access with Speech (JAWS), there is barely any difference between computer usability, sight or no sight. Just try having a typing contest with Krishna, a student at Vision Aid.

Members from the board of Vision Aid also emphasised that their CCA and DCA programs were a huge step in pushing the envelope on empowerment. They say that these programmes not only educate but also help the visually impaired by helping them translate this human capital into economic and social capital. This brings me to the last part of my epiphany: employability. Time to do a full circle and come back to the questions about not learning Braille. Among the students at Vision Aid, although several know Braille, almost no one uses it today. Another important (and for some, surprising) fact is that there is no one type of braille: braille is not universal and there are different braille systems for both, within the same language and across different languages.[4] Think about this within the Indian context and the complexity it adds to the accessibility discourse! More so, in my interviews with the students at Vision Aid, all the students pointed to recorders, phones, and laptops as their go-to means of note-taking. So why then, was I still doggedly stuck in the Braille age? To be clear, Braille is an extremely helpful tool for millions.&nbsp;

However, boxing the visually impaired as a community whose best, or ideal, the option is Braille perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Learning and using Braille is a choice that should be left to the visually impaired, not to the sighted. At Vision Aid, technology has immensely helped people see the independence of the visually impaired instead of their need for dependence. This focus on their skillset has largely laid the foundation to view these students as competitive applicants in the job market. Ask any of the students at Vision Aid what they hope to achieve at the end of their training and you’ll hear one resounding answer — a job. So maybe it is time we start to invest in a model that in turn invests in ability and skill-building to help the visually impaired have their shot in our hyper-competitive job market, not simply create a separate one. Isn’t this separate world, by definition, accommodation, and not true inclusion?&nbsp;

Based on my time working at Vision Aid, the key question I had hoped to analyse was whether we were creating different worlds, moving at different paces from each other, instead of trying to create one world where we were all on the same page, tackling its incredulous pace together. Although I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the issue and am left with more questions than answers, I’m glad that my past few weeks have given me the exposure and experiences to start asking such questions, be more aware of my own biases, and push the envelope when thinking about inclusion and access for the visually impaired.&nbsp;

(A previous version of this article was <a href="https://aif.org/clearing-the-fence-inclusion-not-just-accommodation/">originally published </a>by the American India Foundation)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

I wish I had a more eloquent story to talk about the events leading to my mini-epiphany that eventually translated into this blog post. Imagine something along the lines of — it was a warm afternoon in Vizag.

I wish I had a more eloquent story to talk about the events leading to my mini-epiphany that eventually translated into this blog post. Imagine something along the lines of — it was a warm afternoon in Vizag. The rain had just restored the green in the leaves and rendered the sky into a radiant shade of blue. Nope. This was how reality went: At around 3 pm on a hot and humid day, during a conversation about the organisation’s latest course on Mobile Technology, which teaches visually impaired students how to use smartphones, Mr. Raju, the President of Vision Aid, remarked that by not introducing such technologies to these students, we were leaving them behind, in a world that was slowly growing archaic, especially when compared to the one inhabited by their sighted peers. In that moment, I felt like the central character in any quintessential detective/crime TV show, where a casual remark sets the prelude to a dramatic epiphany. Although slightly less dramatic, this remark prompted me to think more critically about the questions that I started my blog post with, the implications behind asking them, what they might reveal about our presumptions, especially my own, and how these presumptions have and continue to colour our understanding of inclusion and inclusive design. In an attempt to bridge the accessibility gap between the worlds inhabited by the visually impaired and sighted folk, Vision Aid has pioneered computer training programs, namely their Certificate in Computer Application (CCA) and Diploma in Computer Application (DCA) programs, whose aim is to empower the visually impaired students by providing intensive one-on-one training on computer use, from learning how to type all the way to coding in Python![1]It was these courses that elicited the infamous ‘wait what?!’ question. Genuine curiosity aside, that it was so hard for me to fathom a visually impaired student mastering the computer started to chip away at some of the ingrained assumptions and judgements I made about the ability of the visually impaired. It was disconcerting, yet crucial, to confront these assumptions and assessments that I, unknowingly or knowingly, had made about what the visually impaired can and can’t do and what they might feel most comfortable doing. Worse still is that these conclusions often form the basis of justifications about why the visually impaired may not be able to fit into our world. For me, this confrontation explicitly underscored a saviour complex, unwittingly or wittingly, built into our interactions with the community. More subtly, it also revealed an insidious power imbalance where those holding economic and social power, mostly the sighted folk, convince themselves of a reality (in this context, that a visually impaired student can’t type and hence, can’t perform a job requiring the use of a computer) that is not only untrue, but also is one that tangibly harms the livelihoods of the visually impaired. Simply put, being aware of our positionality and biases, acquired or inherent, can help better see the assumptions that colour our interactions with the visually impaired and how they potentially strip the community of their agency and ability to invest in skill sets that move beyond just tactile skills. These questions also made me acutely aware of another implication of my assumptions — I was reinforcing education and employment models that have little to no place in today’s competitive world. In my conversations with trainers and teachers who work with the visually impaired community, the key idea that was repeatedly highlighted was this lack of investment in developing ability, as opposed to catering to emotions. They argued that even today, a big part of society uses the “charity model”[2] when talking about disability i.e, viewing the visually impaired as a people to be sympathised with and towards whom to be charitable. Not only does this model reinforce dangerous assumptions, but also creates an environment in which society views the visually impaired community as less than, specifically in the context of education and careers, and pushes investment away from finding meaningful ways to include them in our technology-driven world. Maybe it is time we start to internalise the visually impaired as doctors, photographers[3], engineers, or anything they want to be, as opposed to only in some finite set of jobs we might impose on them. This is also why I think Vision Aid’s CCA and DCA programmes are so powerful — they take a step towards investing in the visually impaired students’ ability, not the stereotype. Over the past weeks, my time as an AIF Clinton Fellow with Vision Aid has taught me that investing in ability and skills gives the visually impaired a chance to define their own career paths and identity. For me, it has been a step forward in truly including them in our professional and social spaces. In the specific context of computer-use, with tools like Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) and Job Access with Speech (JAWS), there is barely any difference between computer usability, sight or no sight. Just try having a typing contest with Krishna, a student at Vision Aid. Members from the board of Vision Aid also emphasised that their CCA and DCA programs were a huge step in pushing the envelope on empowerment. They say that these programmes not only educate but also help the visually impaired by helping them translate this human capital into economic and social capital. This brings me to the last part of my epiphany: employability. Time to do a full circle and come back to the questions about not learning Braille. Among the students at Vision Aid, although several know Braille, almost no one uses it today. Another important (and for some, surprising) fact is that there is no one type of braille: braille is not universal and there are different braille systems for both, within the same language and across different languages.[4] Think about this within the Indian context and the complexity it adds to the accessibility discourse! More so, in my interviews with the students at Vision Aid, all the students pointed to recorders, phones, and laptops as their go-to means of note-taking. So why then, was I still doggedly stuck in the Braille age? To be clear, Braille is an extremely helpful tool for millions. However, boxing the visually impaired as a community whose best, or ideal, the option is Braille perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Learning and using Braille is a choice that should be left to the visually impaired, not to the sighted. At Vision Aid, technology has immensely helped people see the independence of the visually impaired instead of their need for dependence. This focus on their skillset has largely laid the foundation to view these students as competitive applicants in the job market. Ask any of the students at Vision Aid what they hope to achieve at the end of their training and you’ll hear one resounding answer — a job. So maybe it is time we start to invest in a model that in turn invests in ability and skill-building to help the visually impaired have their shot in our hyper-competitive job market, not simply create a separate one. Isn’t this separate world, by definition, accommodation, and not true inclusion? Based on my time working at Vision Aid, the key question I had hoped to analyse was whether we were creating different worlds, moving at different paces from each other, instead of trying to create one world where we were all on the same page, tackling its incredulous pace together. Although I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the issue and am left with more questions than answers, I’m glad that my past few weeks have given me the exposure and experiences to start asking such questions, be more aware of my own biases, and push the envelope when thinking about inclusion and access for the visually impaired. (A previous version of this article was originally published by the American India Foundation) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Blog: Making a place for visually impaired in today’s technology-driven world

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said her government was stepping up efforts to roll out a vast network of electric car charging points in a bid to encourage drivers to make the switch and help the country meet its climate targets.

In her weekly podcast, Merkel said the rapid expansion of reliable, easy-to-use charging stations across Germany was necessary to give drivers "the confidence to buy an e-car".

"That's why we want to create one million charging points by 2030, and the industry will participate in this too," she said.

The comments came on the eve of a major meeting between car industry bosses and government ministries in Berlin.

In September, Merkel's government set itself the ambitious goal of increasing the number of charging stations to a million as part of a package of measures to reduce Germany's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030.

The country currently has just 21,000 public car charging points.

The government's "climate package" also wants to see seven to 10 million zero-emission electric cars on the roads by 2030, up from around 220,000 last August.

But to achieve that, the transport ministry says drivers first need to overcome "range anxiety" -- the fear of running out of juice in between charging points.

According to documents seen by AFP, the ministry will at Monday's meeting lay out a plan that prioritises installing battery-charging stations at supermarkets and petrol stations and making it easier for building owners to set up charging points in underground parks.

Job fears

The pivot to cleaner cars has been given fresh urgency as automakers face tough new EU limits on carbon dioxide emissions, while Berlin has come under pressure to take stronger climate action after falling short of its own 2020 targets for curbing greenhouse gases.

The government has insisted that automakers have to play their part in shifting to the greener cars of tomorrow, by offering discounts to buyers or by filling in gaps in the charging network.

But Merkel, once dubbed the "car chancellor" for her cosy ties with auto bosses, has also stressed that the crucial industry's 800,000 employees will not be left behind.

Monday's meeting was also about protecting jobs in the fast-changing sector, she said, adding that retraining schemes could help bring workers "along on the road to a modern, climate-friendly future".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said her government was stepping up efforts to roll out a vast network of electric car charging points in a bid to encourage drivers to make the switch and help the country meet its climate targets.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said her government was stepping up efforts to roll out a vast network of electric car charging points in a bid to encourage drivers to make the switch and help the country meet its climate targets. In her weekly podcast, Merkel said the rapid expansion of reliable, easy-to-use charging stations across Germany was necessary to give drivers "the confidence to buy an e-car". "That's why we want to create one million charging points by 2030, and the industry will participate in this too," she said. The comments came on the eve of a major meeting between car industry bosses and government ministries in Berlin. In September, Merkel's government set itself the ambitious goal of increasing the number of charging stations to a million as part of a package of measures to reduce Germany's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030. The country currently has just 21,000 public car charging points. The government's "climate package" also wants to see seven to 10 million zero-emission electric cars on the roads by 2030, up from around 220,000 last August. But to achieve that, the transport ministry says drivers first need to overcome "range anxiety" -- the fear of running out of juice in between charging points. According to documents seen by AFP, the ministry will at Monday's meeting lay out a plan that prioritises installing battery-charging stations at supermarkets and petrol stations and making it easier for building owners to set up charging points in underground parks. Job fears The pivot to cleaner cars has been given fresh urgency as automakers face tough new EU limits on carbon dioxide emissions, while Berlin has come under pressure to take stronger climate action after falling short of its own 2020 targets for curbing greenhouse gases. The government has insisted that automakers have to play their part in shifting to the greener cars of tomorrow, by offering discounts to buyers or by filling in gaps in the charging network. But Merkel, once dubbed the "car chancellor" for her cosy ties with auto bosses, has also stressed that the crucial industry's 800,000 employees will not be left behind. Monday's meeting was also about protecting jobs in the fast-changing sector, she said, adding that retraining schemes could help bring workers "along on the road to a modern, climate-friendly future".

Germany's Merkel in fresh push for nationwide e-car charging network

The founder of China's smartphone maker Smartisan Technology has been barred from taking flights and high-speed railway trains due to the company's failure to comply with court rulings from a contractual dispute, a local court document showed.

Smartisan is a niche player in China's smartphone sector and is best known for its flamboyant founder Luo Yonghao, who made headlines in recent years with bold statements including a claim that he was planning to acquire Apple.

Luo is also barred from spending at higher quality hotels, night clubs and golf clubs, buying properties and high-premium insurance and sending his children to expensive private schools, according to an order issued by the court of Danyang in eastern China.

The order was issued after the court found the company failed to comply with previous court rulings from a contractual dispute with a local electronics firm, the document said.

Smartisan's smartphone sales in China lag behind players like Huawei, Xiaomi&nbsp;and Oppo. Chinese social media firm ByteDance earlier this year said it was developing a phone with Smartisan after acquiring a set of patents from it.

Smartisan launched a new phone on Thursday. In a video posted on its official Weibo account, Smartisan Chief Operating Officer Wu Dezhou said that most of the Smartisan team had moved to ByteDance following the deal to work on smartphones and education hardware, but that Luo had left the team due to personal reasons.

The founder of China's smartphone maker Smartisan Technology has been barred from taking flights and high-speed railway trains due to the company's failure to comply with court rulings from a contractual dispute, a local court document showed.

The founder of China's smartphone maker Smartisan Technology has been barred from taking flights and high-speed railway trains due to the company's failure to comply with court rulings from a contractual dispute, a local court document showed. Smartisan is a niche player in China's smartphone sector and is best known for its flamboyant founder Luo Yonghao, who made headlines in recent years with bold statements including a claim that he was planning to acquire Apple. Luo is also barred from spending at higher quality hotels, night clubs and golf clubs, buying properties and high-premium insurance and sending his children to expensive private schools, according to an order issued by the court of Danyang in eastern China. The order was issued after the court found the company failed to comply with previous court rulings from a contractual dispute with a local electronics firm, the document said. Smartisan's smartphone sales in China lag behind players like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo. Chinese social media firm ByteDance earlier this year said it was developing a phone with Smartisan after acquiring a set of patents from it. Smartisan launched a new phone on Thursday. In a video posted on its official Weibo account, Smartisan Chief Operating Officer Wu Dezhou said that most of the Smartisan team had moved to ByteDance following the deal to work on smartphones and education hardware, but that Luo had left the team due to personal reasons.

Founder of China's smartphone maker Smartisan barred from planes, trains

Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik said the self-driving vehicle company is now offering limited "rider-only" trips in Phoenix, Arizona, as it looks beyond the robo-taxis&nbsp;business&nbsp;to generate future revenue.

Waymo, a unit of Alphabet Inc, has begun offering fully automated rides, without attendants in the vehicle, to a few hundred early users of its robo-taxi service in Phoenix, Krafcik confirmed on Sunday at a dinner with journalists ahead of a conference in Detroit.

He did not say when or how quickly Waymo would expand "rider-only" services. Riders signed up for the fully automated service have signed non-disclosure agreements, he said.

Waymo continues to look for new ways to sell its technology, beyond robo-taxi services, Krafcik said.

The company is testing its so-called automated driver on Peterbilt trucks and plans to expand trucking and commercial delivery applications of its technology as part of a project known internally as "Husky," Krafcik said. Waymo has said it is testing its system on trucks in Michigan, Arizona, and Georgia.

"We think trucking is a really interesting application of the Waymo driver," Krafcik said.

Waymo would consider selling its driver technology to a carmaker that wants to offer automated driving as a feature either branded as Waymo or using the vehicle maker's brand. "Both would be interesting," Krafcik said.

One idea Waymo could consider is supplying its automated driver to a new vehicle, then having the vehicle move later in its life to a ride-sharing fleet, he said.

Waymo has announced agreements to develop self-driving vehicles and services with Renault SA&nbsp;and its Japanese partner Nissan Motor Co, and has deals to use minivans made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV&nbsp;and Jaguar iPace sport utility vehicles in its robo-taxi fleets.

Waymo's careful rollout of self-driving vehicle services comes as many automakers and rival self-driving vehicle companies are scaling back or consolidating their efforts. The high costs and technical challenges of developing a safe, reliable automated driving system coupled with uncertainty about regulation have put a chill on the automated driving industry's previous exuberance.

Backed by Google's capital and computing power, Waymo has continued to grow. The company operates a facility in Detroit to retrofit Chrysler minvans and Jaguar iPace SUVs.

One problem the automated vehicle industry faces is confusion about the terms used to describe the technology, Krafcik said. Tesla Inc&nbsp;markets a system called "Autopilot" that is supposed to require a driver to remain ready to take control of the car. Federal safety regulators are investigating recent fatal crashes involving vehicles on Autopilot.

Other carmakers offer systems that partially automate a vehicle during highway driving or in stop-and-go traffic, and describe them in a variety of terms.

“If you need a driver's license, it’s not self-driving,” Krafcik said.

Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik said the self-driving vehicle company is now offering limited "rider-only" trips in Phoenix, Arizona, as it looks beyond the robo-taxis business to generate future revenue.

Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik said the self-driving vehicle company is now offering limited "rider-only" trips in Phoenix, Arizona, as it looks beyond the robo-taxis business to generate future revenue. Waymo, a unit of Alphabet Inc, has begun offering fully automated rides, without attendants in the vehicle, to a few hundred early users of its robo-taxi service in Phoenix, Krafcik confirmed on Sunday at a dinner with journalists ahead of a conference in Detroit. He did not say when or how quickly Waymo would expand "rider-only" services. Riders signed up for the fully automated service have signed non-disclosure agreements, he said. Waymo continues to look for new ways to sell its technology, beyond robo-taxi services, Krafcik said. The company is testing its so-called automated driver on Peterbilt trucks and plans to expand trucking and commercial delivery applications of its technology as part of a project known internally as "Husky," Krafcik said. Waymo has said it is testing its system on trucks in Michigan, Arizona, and Georgia. "We think trucking is a really interesting application of the Waymo driver," Krafcik said. Waymo would consider selling its driver technology to a carmaker that wants to offer automated driving as a feature either branded as Waymo or using the vehicle maker's brand. "Both would be interesting," Krafcik said. One idea Waymo could consider is supplying its automated driver to a new vehicle, then having the vehicle move later in its life to a ride-sharing fleet, he said. Waymo has announced agreements to develop self-driving vehicles and services with Renault SA and its Japanese partner Nissan Motor Co, and has deals to use minivans made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Jaguar iPace sport utility vehicles in its robo-taxi fleets. Waymo's careful rollout of self-driving vehicle services comes as many automakers and rival self-driving vehicle companies are scaling back or consolidating their efforts. The high costs and technical challenges of developing a safe, reliable automated driving system coupled with uncertainty about regulation have put a chill on the automated driving industry's previous exuberance. Backed by Google's capital and computing power, Waymo has continued to grow. The company operates a facility in Detroit to retrofit Chrysler minvans and Jaguar iPace SUVs. One problem the automated vehicle industry faces is confusion about the terms used to describe the technology, Krafcik said. Tesla Inc markets a system called "Autopilot" that is supposed to require a driver to remain ready to take control of the car. Federal safety regulators are investigating recent fatal crashes involving vehicles on Autopilot. Other carmakers offer systems that partially automate a vehicle during highway driving or in stop-and-go traffic, and describe them in a variety of terms. “If you need a driver's license, it’s not self-driving,” Krafcik said.

Waymo tests 'rider only' service and looks beyond robo-taxis

With everything available just a click away on our smartphones and with an ever-increasing dependence on mobile phone applications, what if these apps may be giving you wrong analysis of your health?

Health apps may not provide accurate data; Here's the report

How NSO secretly transmitted malicious code to infect phones with spyware

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/huawei-in-early-talks-with-united-states-firms-to-licence-5g-platform-256876">Huawei Technologies</a>&nbsp;captured a record 42 per cent&nbsp;of China's smartphone market in the third quarter as local consumers rallied behind it after United States&nbsp;sanctions, leaving Apple to languish towards the bottom of the pile, market data showed.

Apple's market share in China slipped to 5 per cent&nbsp;from 7 per cent&nbsp;in the year-ago quarter, according to a report that market research firm Canalys released on Wednesday, hours before the Cupertino, California-based company was to report quarterly results.

The July-September quarter marked the iPhone's weakest sales in China in five years, said Nicole Peng, vice president of mobility at Canalys, with shipments likely down more than a quarter.

Concerns about slowing iPhone sales in China have dogged Apple for many quarters even as the global smartphone market has slowed and a resurgent Huawei has hit record sales in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/nine-month-revenue-up-despite-us-pressure-huawei-256217">Huawei</a>, the world's Number 2 maker of smartphones, was all but banned by the United States in May from doing business with American companies, significantly disrupting its ability to source key parts.

The company was then granted a reprieve until November but the blacklisting pushed up patriotic purchases of its smartphones in China, helping it more than offset a shipments slump in the global market.

With the expected rollout of the super-fast 5G network in China in the coming months, Huawei's advantage is expected to grow further.

"Huawei is in a strong position to consolidate its dominance further amid 5G network rollout, given its tight operator relationships in 5G network deployment, and control over key components such as local network-compatible 5G chipsets," Peng said.

"This puts significant pressure on Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, which find it very hard to make any breakthrough."

Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and Apple together accounted for 50 per cent&nbsp;of the market in the third quarter, down from 64 per cent&nbsp;a year earlier.

Huawei said last week it had sold more than 200 million phones globally in 2019, 64 days earlier than in 2018. The company's profits have remained resilient and revenue jumped 27 per cent&nbsp;in the third quarter.

The Chinese smartphone market contracted by 3 per cent in the third quarter, and Huawei smartphones made up 41.5 million of the 97.8 million shipped in the period, Canalys said.

Apple and Xiaomi did not have an immediate comment on the Canalys data. Huawei and Oppo declined to comment, while Vivo said it does not comment on third-party reports. 
 
iPhone 11 hopes

Apple launched its latest iPhone 11 range in China in September to tepid responses on social media, but shoppers have warmed to the model's additional cameras and cheaper pricing.

"Apple is more prepared than previous years to face strong headwinds in China," said Canalys analyst Louis Liu, noting the iPhone 11's camera improvements and lower launch price "were critical market stimuli".

The company's quarterly results likely received a boost from the launch and accounted for 40 per cent&nbsp;of its shipments, with customers willing to wait two to three weeks to receive shipments of the newer models, Peng said.

"But it faces a looming challenge, as Chinese vendors and operators are set to drive heavy marketing and promotions around 5G in the next two quarters," Liu added. "This could steal its thunder."

The US tech giant is expected to report flat revenue and a dip in earnings in the September quarter, based on Refinitiv data.

Huawei Technologies captured a record 42 per cent of China's smartphone market in the third quarter as local consumers rallied behind it after United States sanctions, leaving Apple to languish towards the bottom of the pile, market data showed.

Huawei Technologies captured a record 42 per cent of China's smartphone market in the third quarter as local consumers rallied behind it after United States sanctions, leaving Apple to languish towards the bottom of the pile, market data showed. Apple's market share in China slipped to 5 per cent from 7 per cent in the year-ago quarter, according to a report that market research firm Canalys released on Wednesday, hours before the Cupertino, California-based company was to report quarterly results. The July-September quarter marked the iPhone's weakest sales in China in five years, said Nicole Peng, vice president of mobility at Canalys, with shipments likely down more than a quarter. Concerns about slowing iPhone sales in China have dogged Apple for many quarters even as the global smartphone market has slowed and a resurgent Huawei has hit record sales in the country. Huawei, the world's Number 2 maker of smartphones, was all but banned by the United States in May from doing business with American companies, significantly disrupting its ability to source key parts. The company was then granted a reprieve until November but the blacklisting pushed up patriotic purchases of its smartphones in China, helping it more than offset a shipments slump in the global market. With the expected rollout of the super-fast 5G network in China in the coming months, Huawei's advantage is expected to grow further. "Huawei is in a strong position to consolidate its dominance further amid 5G network rollout, given its tight operator relationships in 5G network deployment, and control over key components such as local network-compatible 5G chipsets," Peng said. "This puts significant pressure on Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, which find it very hard to make any breakthrough." Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and Apple together accounted for 50 per cent of the market in the third quarter, down from 64 per cent a year earlier. Huawei said last week it had sold more than 200 million phones globally in 2019, 64 days earlier than in 2018. The company's profits have remained resilient and revenue jumped 27 per cent in the third quarter. The Chinese smartphone market contracted by 3 per cent in the third quarter, and Huawei smartphones made up 41.5 million of the 97.8 million shipped in the period, Canalys said. Apple and Xiaomi did not have an immediate comment on the Canalys data. Huawei and Oppo declined to comment, while Vivo said it does not comment on third-party reports. iPhone 11 hopes Apple launched its latest iPhone 11 range in China in September to tepid responses on social media, but shoppers have warmed to the model's additional cameras and cheaper pricing. "Apple is more prepared than previous years to face strong headwinds in China," said Canalys analyst Louis Liu, noting the iPhone 11's camera improvements and lower launch price "were critical market stimuli". The company's quarterly results likely received a boost from the launch and accounted for 40 per cent of its shipments, with customers willing to wait two to three weeks to receive shipments of the newer models, Peng said. "But it faces a looming challenge, as Chinese vendors and operators are set to drive heavy marketing and promotions around 5G in the next two quarters," Liu added. "This could steal its thunder." The US tech giant is expected to report flat revenue and a dip in earnings in the September quarter, based on Refinitiv data.

Huawei tightens China market hold with 42% share at expense of iPhones: Report

With everything available just a click away on our smartphones and with an ever-increasing dependence on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-suspends-tens-of-thousands-of-apps-in-privacy-review-251009">mobile phone applications</a>, what if these apps may be giving you wrong analysis of your health?&nbsp;

Thanks to technology, there is now an application available for almost every health condition - from PTSD to anxiety to even hormonal imbalance but how accurate are these health apps and should you be trusting the data that throw at you completely?

Faulty screening methods and thin science are leading many customers in a trap of misinformation about their health conditions. Users end up seeking medical treatment from doctors based on the apps' contorted analysis.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/health-apps-may-not-provide-accurate-data-heres-the-report-258749/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Sample this, in September alone, more than 636,000 women completed health assessments on a couple of leading period-tracking apps that introduced health tools to evaluate a woman’s risk for a hormonal imbalance known as polycystic ovary syndrome. The app then recommended 240,000 of those women to ask their doctors about the hormonal disorder and get tested. All this while, users were unaware that the apps did not conduct high-level clinical studies to determine the accuracy and were gradually pushing them towards over-diagnosis.

There is an increasing problem with digital health tracking because the apps that merely make suggestions for diagnosis are able to escape the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) extensive scrutiny.

For years, health-tracking applications have helped people collect and chart data on their heart rates, moods, sleep patterns, fitness and menstrual cycles but now, some of these apps are going further by using that data to predict an individual’s risk for ailments like heart conditions. In other words, these apps are moving from simply quantifying consumers’ health data to medicalising it.

 
&nbsp;

With everything available just a click away on our smartphones and with an ever-increasing dependence on mobile phone applications, what if these apps may be giving you wrong analysis of your health? Thanks to technology, there is now an application available for almost every health condition - from PTSD to anxiety to even hormonal imbalance but how accurate are these health apps and should you be trusting the data that throw at you completely? Faulty screening methods and thin science are leading many customers in a trap of misinformation about their health conditions. Users end up seeking medical treatment from doctors based on the apps' contorted analysis. Watch Video: Sample this, in September alone, more than 636,000 women completed health assessments on a couple of leading period-tracking apps that introduced health tools to evaluate a woman’s risk for a hormonal imbalance known as polycystic ovary syndrome. The app then recommended 240,000 of those women to ask their doctors about the hormonal disorder and get tested. All this while, users were unaware that the apps did not conduct high-level clinical studies to determine the accuracy and were gradually pushing them towards over-diagnosis. There is an increasing problem with digital health tracking because the apps that merely make suggestions for diagnosis are able to escape the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) extensive scrutiny. For years, health-tracking applications have helped people collect and chart data on their heart rates, moods, sleep patterns, fitness and menstrual cycles but now, some of these apps are going further by using that data to predict an individual’s risk for ailments like heart conditions. In other words, these apps are moving from simply quantifying consumers’ health data to medicalising it.

Health-tracking apps: How accurate is the data? 

Twitter shares plunged Thursday after reporting glitches that impacted its ad-targeting ability, pulling down revenue growth in the past quarter.

Profit for the third quarter was $37 million, a sharp drop from last year when the online messaging platform was helped by a large tax benefit.

Revenue rose nine per cent from a year earlier to $824 million, well below analyst forecasts, impacted by what the company called "revenue product issues."

Shares in Twitter slid as much as 20 per cent in pre-market trade on the disappointing results.

Twitter said revenue was hit by "bugs" which made it harder to deliver targeted advertising, as well as some seasonal factors.

"Unfortunately we had some missteps and bugs," chief executive Jack Dorsey told a conference call.

"These are issues we identified quickly and are working quickly to fix."&nbsp;

Twitter's investor relations team said the issue affected the ability to deliver ads, which make up the bulk of revenue.

"In Q3, we discovered and took steps to remediate, bugs that primarily affected our legacy Mobile Application Promotion product, impacting our ability to target ads and share data with measurement and ad partners," Twitter's investor relations team tweeted.

"We also discovered that certain personalisation and data settings were not operating as expected. We believe that, in aggregate, these issues reduced year-over-year revenue growth by 3 or more points in Q3."

Chief financial officer Ned Segal said Twitter is working on a fix but that the glitch is expected to have a negative impact in the fourth quarter.

The bugs mainly affected Twitter operations outside the United States, where ad revenue was up just five per cent compared with 11 per cent for the US.

Overall, advertising revenue totalled&nbsp;$702 million, up eight per cent from last year.

Challenges ahead

The results highlight challenges for Twitter, which has struggled to keep pace with rival social platforms as it seeks to remove fake accounts, abusive content and manipulation efforts.

"The miss (on revenue) wasn't just because of tough comparisons, which were expected to dampen their revenue growth, but issues with their ad product. That could impact their performance in the all-important Q4," analyst Jasmine Enberg of eMarketer said.

Twitter boosted the number of "monetisable" daily active users, the new measurement used by the platform, by six million from the past quarter to 145 million.

Twitter has stopped using a count of "monthly active users," which was 330 million earlier this year, in favour of the new measure of daily users on the mobile app or website who see ads in their feeds.

Dorsey said the growth in users represents a "steady refinement of Twitter" as it works to improve the platform and weed out inappropriate content.

"This is an incredibly strong foundation to build upon," he said.

Dorsey said Twitter has improved its automated systems to remove unwanted content, and now takes down more than 50 per cent "proactively" and "without a bystander or first-person report."

Twitter shares plunged Thursday after reporting glitches that impacted its ad-targeting ability, pulling down revenue growth in the past quarter. Profit for the third quarter was $37 million, a sharp drop from last year when the online messaging platform was helped by a large tax benefit.

Twitter shares plunged Thursday after reporting glitches that impacted its ad-targeting ability, pulling down revenue growth in the past quarter. Profit for the third quarter was $37 million, a sharp drop from last year when the online messaging platform was helped by a large tax benefit. Revenue rose nine per cent from a year earlier to $824 million, well below analyst forecasts, impacted by what the company called "revenue product issues." Shares in Twitter slid as much as 20 per cent in pre-market trade on the disappointing results. Twitter said revenue was hit by "bugs" which made it harder to deliver targeted advertising, as well as some seasonal factors. "Unfortunately we had some missteps and bugs," chief executive Jack Dorsey told a conference call. "These are issues we identified quickly and are working quickly to fix." Twitter's investor relations team said the issue affected the ability to deliver ads, which make up the bulk of revenue. "In Q3, we discovered and took steps to remediate, bugs that primarily affected our legacy Mobile Application Promotion product, impacting our ability to target ads and share data with measurement and ad partners," Twitter's investor relations team tweeted. "We also discovered that certain personalisation and data settings were not operating as expected. We believe that, in aggregate, these issues reduced year-over-year revenue growth by 3 or more points in Q3." Chief financial officer Ned Segal said Twitter is working on a fix but that the glitch is expected to have a negative impact in the fourth quarter. The bugs mainly affected Twitter operations outside the United States, where ad revenue was up just five per cent compared with 11 per cent for the US. Overall, advertising revenue totalled $702 million, up eight per cent from last year. Challenges ahead The results highlight challenges for Twitter, which has struggled to keep pace with rival social platforms as it seeks to remove fake accounts, abusive content and manipulation efforts. "The miss (on revenue) wasn't just because of tough comparisons, which were expected to dampen their revenue growth, but issues with their ad product. That could impact their performance in the all-important Q4," analyst Jasmine Enberg of eMarketer said. Twitter boosted the number of "monetisable" daily active users, the new measurement used by the platform, by six million from the past quarter to 145 million. Twitter has stopped using a count of "monthly active users," which was 330 million earlier this year, in favour of the new measure of daily users on the mobile app or website who see ads in their feeds. Dorsey said the growth in users represents a "steady refinement of Twitter" as it works to improve the platform and weed out inappropriate content. "This is an incredibly strong foundation to build upon," he said. Dorsey said Twitter has improved its automated systems to remove unwanted content, and now takes down more than 50 per cent "proactively" and "without a bystander or first-person report."

Twitter tumbles as 'bugs' hit revenue growth

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Wistron to start assembly of key iPhone component in India soon

Australian experts develop ultra-thin touchscreen material that you could twist and fold

GM's Cruise unit unveils driverless prototype vehicle for ride-sharing service

No business can stay untouched from the Artificial Intelligence revolution: Telangana Minister KTR

SpaceX to destroy rocket in 'mock-failure' before manned missions with NASA

European Union considering five-year ban on facial recognition technology at public places

Third-party cookies on Google Chrome all set to crumble

Xech Growstation: Hit or miss? | Tech It Out

Top 3 video-editing apps: What's your pick? | Tech It Out

Coming soon: Gadgets of 2020 | Tech It Out

Underwater scooter and fish drone among items on show at CES tech show opening

Consumer Electronics Show 2020 kicks off in Las Vegas

Study reveals Indians spend over 1,800 hours glued to their smartphones annually

Study reveals Indians spend over 1,800 hours glued to their smartphones annually

2020 technology innovations likely to solve data privacy issue

Increasing number of Indians falling prey to online scams

Technology in modern lives Boon or Bane?

US President Donald Trump praises Apple chief Tim Cook for 'great job' in Austin after tirade against technology firms

Google to make stricter regulatory policy for political ads to curb abuse

WION Edit: How can India prevent China's app invasion?

Snapchat checks for misleading political advertisements to enforce ban

Britain: Facial recognition makes subtle advance

Twitter spy case highlights risks for big tech platforms

Blog: Making a place for visually impaired in today’s technology-driven world