Researchers have recently found that voice assistant technology is vulnerable to hijacking by cheap lasers. Researchers from Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications and the University of Michigan have almost bested inbuilt security mechanism in voice-controlled devices, including popular smartphones. A mere shining of a bright laser at the devices’ microphone is interpreted as a sound by […]
US and China Avert Tariff Hikes in Partial Trade Agreement
After negotiations, Washington is geared towards reaching a subsequent agreement with Beijing ahead of re-escalating tariffs on Chinese products. The Trump administration and Chinese officials have reinitiated talks to resolve a long-standing feud. With the recent development, the tech giants discussed reaching a limited trade agreement to hold off raising tariffs as high as 30% […]
Inside Social Commerce – the New Breed of Influencer Marketing in China
What would Kim Kardashian have to do with mahjong on the most active e-commerce platforms in China? Some theorize that the celebrity’s selling-power, with 150M followers on Instagram, boded well on a livestream channel run by popular Chinese celebrity, Viya, on Taobao, China’s e-commerce platform. Indeed, Viya’s influence on China’s consumer is well-studied – at […]
The Big Tech Way of Dealing with Harassment
David Drummond is the chief legal officer and senior vice president of corporate development for Google’s parent company, Alphabet. But rather than being known for these powerful titles, Drummond has been in the news for cheating on his wife with a former Google employee, Jennifer Blakely. Blakely published a post on Medium in which she […]
Apple Commits $2.5 Billion to California Housing Initiatives
Apple recently declared its intent to contribute $2.5 billon towards housing initiatives in Northern California, a region heavily scrutinized for its unaffordability and homelessness. This move by the largest public U.S. company follows the roadmap put forth by Microsoft, Facebook, and Google. Earlier this year, these tech giants pledged grant and loan packages focused on […]
Board Diversity: How Much Progress Have We Really Made?
Women now hold more than 25% of S&P 500 board seats. This represents a modest increase from a mere 16% recorded in 2009, with notable improvements occurring over the last two years as gender diversity continues to garner attention. In the past year alone, 46% of new directors appointed to S&P 500 boards were women […]
A New Decade and a New Age of Privacy
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) takes effect on New Year’s Day, 2020. It will impact everyone from the most established businesses to startup app developers. Under the CCPA, consumers have a right to know and a right to delete their information, and the companies need to make this possible. It applies to for-profit companies […]
Trade Deficit Continues to Grow Under Trump’s Watch
The trade war initiated by President Trump is yet to yield positive results for the American economy. The United States’ trade deficit increased by about five percent through the first three quarters of 2019 as compared to the same period last year. This is despite promises from the Trump administration that hiking tariffs on Chinese […]
Vitamin E Acetate Could be the Vaping Illness Culprit
The CDC has announced a potential link between the various vaping-related illnesses that have recently occurred and the additive vitamin E acetate. As of November 5, 2019, there have been 2,051 of these illnesses reported since the outbreak began in mid-August. Upon testing samples from the lungs of a group of infected people, the compound […]
Lawsuit Alleges Man Died in a Burning Tesla Because its Futuristic Doors Wouldn’t Open
Elon Musk founded Tesla Motors in 2003 and oversees all product development, engineering, and design of the world-renowned company. In August of 2008, Tesla announced its first electric sedan called the Model S. Elon Musk is known for having a brilliant mind and was quoted saying, “If things are not failing, you are not innovating […]