AI Boss; Apple iMessages; Amazon; McAfee for President?

Posted September 9th, 2015 at 3:39 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

Meet the New Boss: The World’s First Artificial-Intelligence Manager?

Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi recently started an experiment to determine the efficiency of Artificial Intelligence (AI). To that end, it appointed the first AI manager to run a warehouse staffed by humans. The AI chief coaxed an 8 percent increase in efficiency among its human workers.

Apple Refuses Justice Department Requests for iMessages

Microsoft is already fighting this battle. Now, Apple has refused a request from the U.S. Justice Department to hand over iMessage chats between suspects using iPhones, according to The New York Times. Apple said there is no way to comply; the Justice Department is preparing for legal action against the company.

Amid Criticism, Amazon Appoints Director of Social Responsibility

The online retail giant’s new hire, Christine Bader, who advocates that large companies can be a force for good, assumes her new position amid increasing criticism of Amazon’s business practices. The company has come under fire for its treatment of workers, and its cloud services have received low marks from environmental advocacy group Greenpeace, partly because it did not share its sustainability plans.

We Need the Right to Repair Our Gadgets

According to The Wall Street Journal, a fight is brewing between tech companies and people interested in repairing their gadgets the way they want to, rather than the way the manufacturer chooses. Many manufacturers now limit gadget owners’ ability to access parts or lock them out of the repair process altogether.

Once-Mighty PC Industry Tries to Shape-Shift Its Way Back to Health

Amid a shrinking PC market, some of the world’s largest manufacturers are scrambling to come up with the next-generation PC that does not fit the mold of the classical tower-type computer, in an effort to spur growth and revenues.

U.S. Antivirus Mogul John McAfee to Run for President

The founder of software firm McAfee, John McAfee, filed papers with the U.S. Federal Election Commission to run for president. The filing stated that McAfee is founding a new party called “Cyber Party.”

The Race to Find Meaning From All That Fitness Data

If you are using fitness wearables and trackers, then developers and manufacturers are collecting a lot of information about your fitness activities. The challenge now is for programmers and manufacturers to figure out how to make use of this data to keep users engaged.

Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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