Feb 17, 2019 | Amazon, Echo, Google, Google Home, home assistants, news, Politics, science, security
I’m trying to get my thoughts in order for a couple of long articles about how to think about privacy in our world of surveillance by giant tech companies. That’s not quite ready yet. Now, now, don’t be disappointed, get a grip on yourself – it...
Jan 9, 2019 | Amazon, Apple, business, news, Politics
The Chinese government has put secret spy chips on US government servers. They’re stealing secrets from Apple and Amazon. And the US government is engaged in a massive effort to prevent us from learning anything about it, for unknown reasons. Maybe. How about this:...
Dec 16, 2018 | Facebook, Google, news, Politics
A famous thought experiment shows how an AI could be designed with good intentions and without malice, and still wind up destroying humanity. Imagine that an artificial intelligence is told to maximize production of paperclips. Through an oversight it is not...
Jul 29, 2018 | news, Politics, security
There is a difference between Russian hacking, on the one hand; and Russian meddling in American society and interfering with our election, on the other hand. The terms are used interchangeably and imprecisely in news coverage. Let’s try for clarity. Knowing the...
Mar 18, 2018 | Amazon, Apple, business, Facebook, Google, Internet, Microsoft, Politics
Five companies – Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft – dominate everything that happens in technology. They arguably wield more power than many governments and they have an outsized influence on the global economy. These dominant platforms have created...
Mar 26, 2017 | broadband, Facebook, Google, news, Politics, security
When you think about the future, you may start to suffer from “abyss gaze,” the depression that settles in when you realize that we’re all doomed. Warren Ellis coined the term in a novella named “Normal,” which tells the story of futurists who suffer nervous...
