For the last few weeks, users have noticed that particular Chinese expressions have been automatically removed from YouTube comments. After rampant speculation about why Google would want these phrases — both of which are critical of the Chinese government — to be banned, it now claims it was an error by its machine learning software.…
Coronavirus in Context is a weekly newsletter where we bring you facts that matter about the COVID-19 pandemic and the technology trying to stop its spread. You can subscribe here. Hola Earthlings, A few months back, when our beards were shorter and our fuses were longer, we collectively took solace in Netflix‘s “Tiger King” and Nintendo’s Animal Crossings: New…
Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand is synonymous with affordable hardware — primarily smartphones. Today, Redmi launched its first audio product, the Redmi Earbuds S, at ₹1,799 ($23). While these truly wireless buds aren’t a carbon copy of the Airpods,they do have a few drawbacks (which should be expected at this price point). I’ve been using the Earbuds…
In 2012, I was working in some of the most remote areas of Pakistan, aiming to empower local farmers’ waste energy projects and advance sustainability in the region. I was traveling hundreds of kilometers to carry out face-to-face negotiations, racking my brain thinking about ways to guarantee transparency in an environment where cash payments weren’t…
As dull as I find the current flat design trend, I’ve come to expect developers will stick to it when sketching icons for their apps. It’s tough to admit it, but it’s certainly an improvement over the 3D aesthetic that used to dominate the scene — with some exceptions. But if you’re still struggling to let…
Stock markets are floundering in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and while many are stuck assessing its long-term effects — loads of tech executives have dumped their shares for major profit. In fact, insiders at US tech companies — from fintech to cloud services — collectively unloaded at least $3.6 billion worth of company shares in May, with…
The global COVID-19 quarantine has meant less air pollution in cities and clearer skies. Animals are strolling through public spaces, and sound pollution has diminished, allowing us to hear the birds sing. But these relatively small and temporary changes should not be mistaken for the COVID-19 pandemic actually helping to fix climate change. Quite the…
Subscribe to this bi-weekly newsletter here! Welcome to the latest edition of Pardon The Intrusion, TNW’s bi-weekly newsletter in which we explore the wild world of security. Two contrasting developments unfolded in the US and Germany last week. While the US Senate voted to reauthorize the USA Freedom Act, allowing law enforcement to collect Americans’…
‘Phrenology’ has an old-fashioned ring to it. It sounds like it belongs in a history book, filed somewhere between bloodletting and velocipedes. We’d like to think that judging people’s worth based on the size and shape of their skull is a practice that’s well behind us. However, phrenology is once again rearing its lumpy head.…
Whether you’re a conservative or a liberal, you have most likely come across a political hashtag in an article, a tweet or a personal story shared on Facebook. A hashtag is a functional tag widely used in search engines and social networking services that allow people to search for content that falls under the word…
