TECHNOLOGY – Page 32

This female in tech is changing the way businesses view workplace communication

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY

This female in tech is changing the way businesses view workplace communication

Females in the tech industry are still a minority, but for one woman, she is paving the way with solutions for workplace communication and standing up for women in tech. Although “females in tech” is a phrase commonly used to reference the low number of women in STEM fields, “males in tech” is rarely used as they make up the majority. Females will no longer be pushed aside in board meetings — instead they show up to have their opinions heard and valued. For Saumya Bhutnager, she’s the epitome of strong and successful females in tech. Bhutnager positions herself independently from others in career by standing out instead of blending in and holding true to her values. She doesn’t ask for praise in her work, but hopes to make a difference. Her company, InvolveSoft, is a workplace community p...

3Apr

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IN OTHER NEWS, TECHNOLOGY

Silicon Valley’s worst enemy gains even more power in Brussels

Margrethe Vestager has been accused of deliberately targeting tech firms in antitrust probes. The regulator who's made a name for herself by cracking down on tech giants is about to get even more power. Margrethe Vestager was picked Tuesday by EU Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen to be her executive vice president in charge of the bloc's digital affairs - a post that will hand the Dane broad oversight of issues relating to artificial intelligence, big data, innovation and cybersecurity. Even more concerning for those hoping to avoid a billion-dollar fine, Vestager will also keep her job as one of the most feared antitrust regulators. She squeezed huge penalties out of Apple Inc. and Google, rousing wrathful tweets from U.S. President Donald Trump...

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY

IBM: 120 million workers need retraining as robots displace jobs

Employers are now emphasising soft skills training, which take more time to develop, says IBM More than 120 million workers globally will need retraining in the next three years due to artificial intelligence’s impact on jobs, according to an IBM survey. That’s a top concern for many employers who say talent shortage is one of the greatest threats to their organizations today. And the training required these days is longer than it used to be -- workers need 36 days of training to close a skills gap versus three days in 2014, IBM notes in the survey. Soft Skills Some skills take longer to develop because they are either more behavioral in nature like teamwork and communication or highly technical, such as data science capabilities. "Reskilling for technical skil...

4Apr

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HEALTH & WELLNESS, TECHNOLOGY

Free apps to ease anxiety

Anxiety apps offer both supplemental support for individuals undergoing professional therapy as well as self-help aid While a doctor, psychologist or mental health practitioner is the best resource for major issues, anxiety apps offer both supplemental support for individuals undergoing professional therapy as well as self-help aid for anyone desiring to lessen anxious thoughts, actions and habits. Mental Health America stressed that there are several apps available, but recommends these: ‒ ReachOutBreathe (free; iOS only): Manages anxiety via controlled breathing exercises. ‒ Self-Help for Anxiety Management (free for iOS and Android): Provides users with a symptom tracker, educational articles, relaxation techniques, coping skills and advice for managing anxiety. Plus, Social Cloud is...

White Supremacy and Artificial Intelligence

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY

White Supremacy and Artificial Intelligence

Developing technology that doesn’t perpetuate racism demands putting social values before profit. In her new book Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Ruha Benjamin breaks down the “New Jim Code,” technology design that promises a utopian future but serves racial hierarchies and racial bias. When people change how they speak or act in order to conform to dominant norms, we call it “code-switching.” And, like other types of codes, the practice of code-switching is power-laden. Justine Cassell, a professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute, creates educational programs for children and found that avatars using African American Vernacular English lead Black children “to achieve better results in teaching scientific concepts than whe...

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

Are our phones eavesdropping on us?

Smart devices make life easier but security experts say there’s a darkside to the technology. Video of Are our phones eavesdropping on us? Ok Google. Hey Siri? Alexa! Voice recognition has become commonplace for millions of people around the world as consumers become more reliant on the virtual assistants that come with our smart phones and speakers. And while these AI-powered assistants quietly listen for our commands, who else is on the other end? The short answer is pretty much everyone. That’s because while your device is listening for your command, it’s also listening to your conversations and giving that information to other applications on your phone. So it might not be a coincidence that after telling your friends you need new athletic shoes, you se...

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY

Siri, Alexa ‘eavesdroppers’ leave tech giants facing probe

Amazon, Apple and Google are to be investigated over human reviewers listening in on instructions given to AI 'helpers'. Regulators and lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe are examining whether Google, Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are violating privacy by employing human reviewers to listen to voice commands recorded by digital assistants. Apple and Google, which is currently being investigated by Hamburg's data protection authority, have both suspended their programs; Amazon late Friday announced changes to its terms that let users opt out of human review of their recordings. Regulators from Ireland and the U.K. are now also looking into whether the tech giants have infringed European privacy regulations. "We are aware of privacy concerns relating to voice assi...

Privacy concerns with Echo Dot Kids Edition

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY

Privacy concerns with Echo Dot Kids Edition

Echo Dot Kids Edition has been on the market for about a year. In March, commonsensemedia.org expressed protective measures parents might consider In May, several lawmakers appealed to the Federal Trade Commission to delve into whether the Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition breaches the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, enacted in 1998, which is a law dealing with how websites, apps and other online operators collect data and personal information from users younger than 13. According to nextgov.com May 9, a group of concerned senators conveyed ”... that while COPPA requires device operators to give parents access to their kids’ personal information, enabling them to review and delete it, the privacy groups’ review of the Echo Dot for Kids revealed when parents have asked Amazon to delet...

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY

Facebook: No digital currency until regulator concerns addressed

Amid its privacy scandals, the company is drawing new criticism over its plans for a new cryptocurrency. Facebook Inc. won't launch Libra, the controversial cryptocurrency it's planning to build with dozens of partner firms, until regulators' concerns are fully addressed, according to the company's top executive on the project. David Marcus, who will appear before members of both houses of U.S. Congress to discuss the project this week, said Facebook will also get "appropriate approvals" before launching Libra. The cryptocurrency isn't intended to compete with countries' national currencies and won't interfere with central banks on monetary policy, Marcus said in testimony prepared for a July 16 hearing before the Senate Banking Committee. "The time between...

3Apr

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TECHNOLOGY

Amazon wants to send more than 3,000 satellites into space

In an effort to offer broadband, the company has requested the US government allow its Kuiper satellites into space. Amazon.com Inc. asked for U.S. permission to launch 3,236 communications satellites, joining a new space race to offer internet service from low orbits and challenge the fleet planned by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Amazon in a July 4 filing told the Federal Communications Commission its Kuiper satellites will deliver broadband to tens of millions of consumers and businesses that now lack adequate access to the internet. The agency coordinates trajectories and radio-frequency use. The FCC already has approved nearly 13,000 low-Earth orbit satellites. Those include 11,943 for Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp., which launched an initial batch ...