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Tech Hangover: Putting your face on a robot will you get paid these days
I’m too pretty to be put on a robot.
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We get it, you have a life. There’s no way you can read all of the day’s news in one single shot, let alone visit every web page, which is why we’re here to help. Well, sort of.
There’s a ton of tech news we weren’t able to cover throughout the day (hey, give us a break, we’re a small independent outfit), so to help you stay up to speed with everything we didn’t get to, we rounded up some of the biggest stories, which should help you keep up to date. Hence the tech hangover.
Here’s some tech news you probably missed out on today (and when we say you, we mean us, but also…you).
Google Claims a Quantum Breakthrough That Could Change Computing
Shot:
Google said on Wednesday that it had achieved a long-sought breakthrough called “quantum supremacy,” which could allow new kinds of computers to do calculations at speeds that are inconceivable with today’s technology. – New York Times
Chaser:
Japanese hotel chain sorry that hackers may have watched guests through bedside robots
Image: KnowTechie
Here’s the actual apology from the hotel chain: “We apologize for any uneasiness caused.” That’s it. This is like them saying, “sorry about this, but we’re totally not doing anything about it.”
Japanese hotel chain HIS Group has apologized for ignoring warnings that its in-room robots were hackable to allow pervs to remotely view video footage from the devices. The Henn na Hotel is staffed by robots: guests can be checked in by humanoid or dinosaur reception bots before proceeding to their room. – The Register
Would You Like Fries With That? McDonald’s Already Knows the Answer
Image: Bloomberg
TIL: McDonald’s has a tech lab and it’s called…… McD Tech Labs. That’s all I got.
McDonald’s has a new plan to sell more Big Macs: act like Big Tech. Over the last seven months, McDonald’s has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire technology companies that specialize in artificial intelligence and machine learning. And the fast-food chain has even established a new tech hub in the heart of Silicon Valley — the McD Tech Labs — where a team of engineers and data scientists is working on voice-recognition software. – New York Times
Amazon Sells Clothes From Factories Other Retailers Shun as Dangerous
Image: Medium
As one Techmeme editor writes, “Amazon sells cheap clothes made in dozens of Bangladeshi factories, most of which are deemed too dangerous for workers by other big retailers.” Is Amazon slowly turning into the company everyone hates?
After a 2013 factory collapse killed more than 1,100 people in Bangladesh, most of the biggest U.S. apparel retailers joined safety-monitoring groups that required them to stop selling clothing from factories that violated certain safety standards. Amazon didn’t join. – WSJ
Comcast Is Lobbying Against Encryption That Could Prevent it From Learning Your Browsing History
Image: The Daily Conversation
These motherfuckers: Motherboard obtained a leaked presentation internet service providers are pushing to try and lobby lawmakers against a form of encrypted browsing data.
Internet giant Comcast is lobbying U.S. lawmakers against plans to encrypt web traffic that would make it harder for internet service providers (ISPs) to determine your browsing history, according to a lobbying presentation obtained by Motherboard. – Motherboard
Watch a real-life invisibility cloak designed for military use
Ok, this is pretty cool. Like, seeing this done on a small scale is amazing in itself, but could you imagine seeing something like this being used on a tank? Unreal!
Canada’s Hyperstealth Biotechnology already manufactures camouflage uniforms for militaries across the globe. But now, the company has patented a new “Quantum Stealth” material that disguises a military’s soldiers — or even its tanks, aircraft, and ships — by making anything behind it seem invisible.
Apple Pay Overtakes Starbucks as Top Mobile Payment App in the US
Image: Apple
This is a big deal for Apple.
For the first time, a generic mobile payment app is more popular than the Starbucks mobile app, which had long led the category despite being specific to one retailer. Apple Pay became the market leader last year, when 27.7 million Americans used the app to make a purchase.
And in just case you missed some of our stuff earlier, here’s the news we covered:
- WWE’s 2K20 launch is a complete disaster – Look what fans have to say about it
- Review: Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Makers
- This company wants to put your face on a robot and they’ll pay you $130K for it
- RAVPower has this portable charger down to just for KnowTechie readers
- For some reason, Bethesda is releasing a premium membership for Fallout 76
- The FTC is finally doing something about ‘stalking’ apps
- Umm, so Google Stadia pre-orders don’t guarantee day one access
Notable Mentions for Tech Hangover
U.S. senators want social media users to be able to take their data with them
Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games?
Maker of keyboard app Fleksy: Google upped age rating over middle finger emoji
Alphabet exec blames media for overhyping self-driving cars, even though Google drove the hype
Previous Hangovers…
- This is Facebook’s America now
- The Monday Edition
- Mark Zuckerberg can’t stop, won’t stop
- Zuckerberg and Musk are wild, and not in a good way
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