Australia’s competition regulator has accused Google of misleading consumers to get permission for use of their personal data for targeted advertising. The move, which is seeking a fine “in the millions” and aims to establish a precedent, comes as scrutiny grows worldwide over data privacy, with US and European lawmakers currently investigating how tech companies treat user … Read more
Australian researchers have developed a new microchip capable of continuously monitoring pH and chlorine levels that they say should make swimming pools safer. The device is the work of a team at the University of South Australia, who say their new ‘lab-on-a-chip’ technology makes monitoring swimming pools more affordable, more reliable, and is easy to … Read more
An AI company, Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology, has filed a lawsuit against Apple in a Shanghai court, accusing Apple of infringing on its patent for a virtual assistant. This could potentially force Apple to temporarily halt the sale of products featuring Siri. Shanghai Zhizhen is demanding ¥10bn (£1.1bn) in damages over Apple’s alleged use of … Read more
Microsoft has said its game streaming service xCloud will arrive for Xbox users on 15 September. The xCloud service will be available to anyone who has purchased Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and will allow them to stream console quality games on their Android phone or tablet. Over 100 games will be playable directly from the … Read more
Microsoft has pledged to bring its direct waste footprint to zero within a decade, as part of a new resources strategy which will boost the recyclability of its devices and see plastic packaging phased out entirely. The company said its goal of achieving zero waste by 2030 covers its direct operations, products and packaging. It added … Read more
Samsung has reportedly landed orders from Google to make at least two types of bespoke chips, including a new body motion tracker. Google has ordered multiple chips from Samsung, although they may not be for existing device categories. The industry sources said that one of the devices would be a body motion sensor while another … Read more
A cheap and cheerful device that wins on price but lacks some of the kid-friendly features that appeal to young users. The Mini 2 fitness-tracking watch from FourFit is marketed at children aged 10+ and its strap does go down small enough for younger ones. But it’s also large enough for an adult to wear … Read more
According to Bloomberg, a lawsuit has been filed in California accusing Facebook of “collecting, storing, and profiting” from the biometric data of more than 100 million users of its subsidiary Instagram. Facebook rejects the accusation. The complaint was filed this week in state court in Redwood City, in California’s Bay Area. The complaint claims that … Read more
The Government has launched a consultation that could pave the way to driverless cars being introduced on British roads as early as next year. The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued a call for evidence for the ‘Automated Lane Keeping System’ (ALKS) – an automated system that can take over control of a vehicle at … Read more
The mainstream acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) could help unlock societal benefits in India. Seen from the Indian perspective, AI needs to be inclusive in nature. This is essential as India has a population of 1.3 billion and needs to use AI for mass scale services. For instance, tons of data comes out of agriculture … Read more