Nearly two years after first demonstrating it onstage at Google I/O 2018, Google has quietly rolled out haircut appointment booking for Google Duplex, its AI chat agent. Now, VentureBeat has discovered that users with supported devices can have Google Assistant call barbershops, hairstylists, and salons to reserve appointments on their behalf without having to place calls themselves.
Booking a…
When AI hurts people, who is held responsible?
October 13, 2020
Following a Maricopa County Grand Jury decision, last month the woman behind the wheel of a semi-autonomous Uber vehicle was charged with negligent homicide for the 2018 killing of Elaine Herzberg. The backup driver being charged following the first autonomous vehicle…
OnePlus knows how to crank up the fan hype right ahead of launch, but even they can’t prevent leaks. The latest is a couple of real-life images of the OnePlus 8T laid bare, which actually show us very little we didn’t already know.
There are few smartphones that manage…
Tesla and Elon Musk are targets of new TikTok smear campaign paid by mysterious company
October 12, 2020
Tesla and Elon Musk are targeted in a new paid TikTok smear campaign over claims that they participated in “employee health negligence and union busting.”
MSCHF, a somewhat mysterious company that has done strange product drops and stunt marketing campaigns, is behind the new project.
It was described as a “collective” in a New York Times profile earlier this year:
It rarely even…
Google has released an update to Android Studio version 4.1, bringing a new Database Inspector tool, some improvements to Material Design, and a more deeply integrated Android Emulator.
Android Studio 4.1 is the first update to the software suite since Android 11 was…
3 questions with Bruce Jette, the US Army’s acquisition chief
October 12, 2020
WASHINGTON — Bruce Jette’s time serving as the U.S. Army’s acquisition chief has aligned almost entirely with the service’s ambitious effort to transition between its current fleet and a fully modernized force by 2030. The wheels have been quickly turning to field…
Electric cars will triple market share in Europe in 2020
October 12, 2020
Electric cars will triple their market share in Europe this year as a result of EU car emissions targets, according to a new report released today from Transport & Environment (T&E), a European umbrella group for non-governmental organizations that work in transport and the environment, and promote sustainable transport in Europe.
T&E analyzed sales and carmakers’ compliance…
British Army admits more delays in fielding enough combat forces
October 12, 2020
LONDON — The limitations of the British Army’s ability to field modernized armored fighting forces in the 2020s have been laid bare in evidence submitted by the military to the parliamentary Defence Committee.
The Army admitted that by 2025 it would only be able to…
Samsung smartphones and tablets are the only places where you can officially get Fortnite right now, and now the company’s new tablets are getting a boost for the game. The new Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+ can now play Fortnite at 90fps.
Fortnite on Android has had the…
US Army hones in on solution for new mid-range missile pursuit
October 12, 2020
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s new pursuit for a mid-range missile will be finalized by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office by the end of the year, the office’s director told Defense News in an interview ahead of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference.
The service has set a goal to field the chosen missile in less than three years — by the fourth…
