Today’s Tech Sightings:
FILE – Nest’s Learning Thermostat is shown at Nest Labs in Palo Alto, California, Sept. 10, 2015. The thermostat recognizes when no one is home and turns itself down. (AP)
When Is It Worth Giving Up Your Data? Americans Aren’t Quite Sure
A new report from the Pew Research Center found more than half of the 461 Americans surveyed would rather give up discounts than be tracked by gadgets wherever they go. Forty-five percent of respondents rejected energy savings and car insurance discounts contingent on being tracked all the time. Those wary of such tracking don’t trust companies to secure the data they collect.
London Startup ‘Babylon’ Thinks AI Doctor Could Predict Future Health
British digital healthcare startup Babylon has an app that offers users an Artificial Intelligence (AI) doctor in an effort to predict illness before it occurs. The app tracks users’ habits and makes its diagnosis based on collected data, health indicators and medical records. The AI doctor can warn users about increased heart rate, for example, which could be a sign of an impending cold.
New York Bill Would Ban Strong Encryption, Mandate Backdoors
The ongoing battle against encryption has taken another turn with the introduction of a formal bill in the New York State Assembly. The bill would mandate smartphone vendors Apple, Google, Microsoft and others to create backdoor mechanisms to decrypt devices.
More:
- EFF Urges Revival of China Human Rights Case Against Cisco
- Germany Creates App to Teach Migrants Critical Info, Language Skills
- 2015 PC Shipment Decline ‘Largest in History’
- Intel Is Becoming a Post-PC Company
- Silicon Valley Takes New Approach to Self-improvement
- Microsoft Neural Net Shows Deep Learning Can Get Way Deeper
- This Room Service Robot Is Gaining Ground in Posh Hotels
- Skype’s Real-time Language Translator Tool Goes Live for All Windows Users
