Новости за 09.03.2021

Instagram‘s algorithm is recommending COVID-19 and anti-vaccination misinformation to potentially millions of users, according to new research. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) used test accounts to investigate the recommendations on Instagram’s Explore page and new Suggested Post feature. They found that the tools encourage users to view misinformation and then push those who engage with the posts towards other extremist content: If a user follows anti-vaxxers, they are fed QAnon conspiracism... Читать дальше...

It’s Chrome OS’ 10th birthday this year, and Google is introducing a bunch of new features to celebrate, set to roll out to users soon. While some of these features may have been available earlier in developer builds, they are beginning to roll out widely today. One of the most notable new features is Phone Hub, which allows for quick access to useful features on your phone. For example, you can now silence or locate your phone right from your Chromebook, as well as enable a hotspot. The latter could... Читать дальше...

What goes up must come down, but as any aerodynamics engineer will tell you: getting it up is the hard part. On Earth, where our atmosphere is rather dense compared to many planets, we’re able to send aloft objects that are massive enough to be anchored to the ground through gravity via engineering based on simple physical science principles. As MIT puts it: Heavier-than-air flight is made possible by a careful balance of four physical forces: lift, drag, weight, and thrust. For flight, an aircraft’s lift must balance its weight... Читать дальше...

Scientists have developed a new smart speaker system that could turn the Amazon Echo and Google Home into contactless heartbeat monitors. The AI-powered system sends inaudible sounds from the speakers towards a person sitting nearby. When they bounce back, algorithms analyze the sound waves to determine the heart rate. Researchers from the University of Washington tested the device on healthy people and hospitalized cardiac patients. They found that the smart speaker detected their heartbeats almost as well as medical-grade ECG monitors. Читать дальше...

Maybe it’s a power move. Maybe it’s an attempt to stay relevant. Maybe it’s being genuine. Whatever the case, BMW’s CFO Nicholas Peter seems intent on going head-to-head with the Apple Car. In an interview with Bloomberg, published yesterday, Peter made a number of attestations laying down the challenge to the Apple Car. Peter nonchalantly welcomed the potential newcomer to the market, suggesting that BMW is either totally not worried about the threat the Apple Car poses, or is putting on a brave face. Читать дальше...

If you’re making an online payment in India using a card or via net banking, you have to go through a two-factor authentication process. The 2FA is usually in form of a One Time Password (OTP), delivered through a text message. However, many Indians are facing troubles with payments since yesterday as their OTPs are not getting delivered. This is disrupting many online and offline businesses who rely on digital payments. is anyone else facing issues with receiving OTPs in India? Or is it just me... Читать дальше...

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 is an excellent laptop, but some people lamented that it was only available in an AMD configuration for the 15-inch model. Worry not, for it seems the Surface Laptop 4 may allow you more choice between Team Red or Team Blue. The rumor comes courtesy of German site WinFuture, which has an excellent track record with leaks. Based on the report, it appears Microsoft might offer a choice between Intel and AMD for both sizes of the laptop. Previously, you could only get an... Читать дальше...

According to a couple of leakers with solid track records, including Chinese leaker ‘Kang’ (via @DuanRui1205) and John Prosser, Apple may hold its next event as soon as March 23. Incidentally, that’s the same day OnePlus is set to launch its new phones. Apple is expected to announce its long-awaited AirTags — a fancy item-tracking system — as well as new iPads. There’s a chance we’ll see new, third-gen AirPods as well. AirTags are expected to be a Tile-like item tracking system, but on steroids.... Читать дальше...

Tesla’s recent decision to open its Full Self Driving (FSD) beta to new owners has created quite a splash in both the automobile and consumer tech markets. This is an exciting time to be a Tesla owner, FSD is one of the most innovative software packages we’ve seen in an automobile. But it’s also misleading. As I’ve written before, Tesla’s Full Self Driving software is not a full self driving system. It only works under certain circumstances to perform specific tasks related to driving: it cannot... Читать дальше...