Technology readings

Relevant technology-related news, curated daily by Enrique Dans (https://enriquedans.com)

By Enrique Dans

U.S. Politics
Mueller Delivers Report on Trump-Russia Investigation to Attorney General
The New York Times - By SHARON LaFRANIERE and KATIE BENNER
WASHINGTON — The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, on Friday delivered a report on his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election to Attorney General William P. Barr, bringing to a close
Social Media
A Data Scientist Designed A Social Media Influencer Account That's 100% Automated
buzzfeednews.com - Katie Notopoulos
A data engineer who created a 100% automated Instagram account to earn free meals at restaurants looking for promotion is offering his services to …
Kasparov
AIs are better gamers than us, but that’s OK
Engadget - Jamie Rigg
We're only just beginning to scratch the surface of what artificial intelligence is capable of, from medical advancements to movie recommendations. Despite AI being a potential goldmine of help to humanity,
Business
US allies defy Trump administration's plea to ban Huawei from 5G networks
CNBC - Arjun Kharpal
Europe and the U.S. are clashing over Huawei's role in the future of 5G. While Donald Trump's administration has tried to pressure allied countries, …
Long-form Journalism
Inside Airbnb’s ‘Guerrilla War’ Against Local Governments
WIRED - Paris Martineau
"Read my lips: We want to pay taxes,” Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s global head of public policy, told the nation’s mayors in 2016. In the years since, the …
Technology
Uber Freight is expanding into Europe
TechCrunch - Kirsten Korosec
Uber Freight, the newly spun out Uber business unit that helps truck drivers connect with shipping companies, is kicking off its global expansion plans. The company said Wednesday it is launching the in
Business
Ford to build new factory in Michigan for autonomous vehicles
CNBC - Phil LeBeau
Ford is building a new plant in Michigan for autonomous vehicles as the company realigns some factories to focus on its future lineup of self-driving …
Technology
Facebook Lost a Major Housing-Discrimination Case
The Atlantic - Alexis C. Madrigal
Activists just won a landmark case against the social network. For most of Facebook’s existence, a prospective advertiser listing a job or a home or a loan could have kept the ad from reaching women or
News
England could run short of water within 25 years
The Guardian - Damian Carrington Environment editor
England is set to run short of water within 25 years, the chief executive of the Environment Agency has warned. The country is facing the ‘‘jaws of death”, Sir James Bevan said, at the point where water
Cambridge Analytica
Cambridge Analytica a year on: ‘a lesson in institutional failure’
The Guardian - Carole Cadwalladr
It’s a measure of how much has changed in a year that, last month the UK, parliament published an official report that called Facebook “digital gangsters” and said that Britain’s electoral laws no longer
LGBTQI
The Rapid Decline Of The Natural World Is A Crisis Even Bigger Than Climate Change
huffpost.com - John Vidal
Nature is in freefall and the planet’s support systems are so stretched that we face widespread species extinctions and mass human migration unless …
Cambridge Analytica
How Cambridge Analytica Sparked the Great Privacy Awakening
WIRED - Issie Lapowsky
On October 27, 2012, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote an email to his then-director of product development. For years, Facebook had allowed …
Sweden
Greta Thunberg, schoolgirl climate change warrior: ‘Some people can let things go. I can’t’
The Guardian - Jonathan Watts
No, I am not more hopeful than when I started. The emissions are increasing Greta Thunberg cut a frail and lonely figure when she started a school strike for the climate outside the Swedish parliament
Technology
The Cambridge Analytica scandal changed the world – but it didn't change Facebook
The Guardian - Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco
While it appears that Facebook is suddenly ‘woke’ to privacy issues, it’s safe to assume it’s business as usual there Ashkan Soltani, formerly of the FTC It can be hard to remember from down here, beneath
Technology
Waymo is gearing up to put a lot more self-driving cars on the road
TechCrunch - Kirsten Korosec
Waymo is opening another technical service center in the Phoenix area, an expansion that will allow the autonomous-vehicle technology startup to double its capacity in the area as it prepares to grow commercial
Technology
Google could conquer gaming by having nothing to lose
Fast Company - Jared Newman
Every other gaming company is too scared to disrupt consoles and PCs. On Tuesday, after months of buildup, Google announced an ambitious plan to take on Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo with its own gaming
Fake News
Apple backing three media literacy programs to combat fake news in the US and Europe
9to5Mac - Zac Hall
Just days before Apple’s big March 25th event where it will unveil a new subscription news service, the company has revealed plans to support three media literacy programs in the United States and across
Facebook
Facebook Halts Ad Targeting Cited in Bias Complaints
The New York Times - By NOAM SCHEIBER and MIKE ISAAC
After years of criticism, Facebook announced on Tuesday that it would stop allowing advertisers in key categories to show their messages only to people of a certain race, gender or age group. The company
Facebook Is a Problem. The System It Feeds Is a Bigger One.
medium.com - Damon Beres
It’s easy, at this point, to see any Facebook scandal as more white noise; a few million people betrayed by the social network, an egregious …
Tech Industry
Canada is becoming a tech hub. Thanks, Donald Trump!
Recode - Rani Molla
US companies are moving tech jobs to Canada rather than deal with Trump’s immigration policies. US companies are going to keep hiring foreign tech workers, even as the Trump administration makes doing
Technology
Instagram Wants to Be Your Mall
The New York Times - By MATTHEW SCHNEIER
Instagram has introduced a tool designed to shore up its hold on shopping. The company announced today that it will be rolling out an in-app checkout function to users in the United States, a secure and,
U.S. Politics
Trump's campaign secret weapon: Facebook
Axios - Sara Fischer
While Democrats' campaign launches have sucked up national attention, President Trump's re-election campaign has quietly spent nearly twice as much …
eCommerce
Most Amazon-owned brands aren’t that popular yet
Quartz - Alison Griswold
Retailers’ worst Amazon fear hasn’t yet come to pass. Amazon is developing a collection of brands it owns for everything from clothing to electronics to pet food. At last count, Amazon had more than 130
Technology
Facebook agrees to ban discriminatory ads in civil rights settlement
The Guardian - Sam Levin in Oakland
Facebook is taking steps to block discriminatory ads for housing, employment and credit by preventing advertisers from targeting users based on race, gender, age and zip code. The American Civil Liberties
Technology Policy
Vladimir Putin signs sweeping Internet-censorship bills
Ars Technica - Timothy B. Lee
Publishing "unreliable socially significant information" can lead to big fines. President Vladimir Putin has tightened his grip on the Russian …
Google
Stadia: a new way to play
blog.google - Phil Harrison
For 20 years, Google has worked to put the world’s information at your fingertips. Instant delivery of that information is made possible through our …
Technology
Ola bags $300 million from Hyundai and Kia for mobility solutions and electric vehicles
VentureBeat - Manish Singh
Indian ride-hailing company Ola, which made its international debut last year, is getting more serious about its smart mobility solutions and electric vehicle efforts. The company has secured a $300 million
Technology
You’re teaching Alexa to be an asshole
TNW - Tara Kelly
“Shut up, Siri!” “Screw off, Alexa!” We’ve all heard people berating their voice assistants, often in colorful terms. You’ve probably done it yourself, and so what? It’s not like our voice assistant has
Facebook
Facebook's local news project frustrated – by lack of local newspapers
The Guardian - Associated Press in New York
Facebook’s effort to establish a service that provides users with local news and information is being hindered by the lack of outlets where the company’s technicians can find original reporting. Some newspapers