Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Twitter Launches Birdwatch to Let Users Fact Check Misinformation

Twitter said it launched a pilot programme that lets users flag tweets that they believe are misleading and write notes to provide context. https://ift.tt/3pirx02

Sony announces Xperia Pro 5G, which has an HDMI input for enabling content creators to turn the smartphone into an external monitor, shipping now for $2,499.99 (Jay Bonggolto/Neowin)

Jay Bonggolto / Neowin:
Sony announces Xperia Pro 5G, which has an HDMI input for enabling content creators to turn the smartphone into an external monitor, shipping now for $2,499.99  —  Sony announced today its newest 5G smartphone with an HDMI input, the first of its kind to include that feature.



Sources reveal that sidelining of Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, from management responsibilities in 2019 was because he bullied staff (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal:
Sources reveal that sidelining of Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, from management responsibilities in 2019 was because he bullied staff  —  Google's parent, Alphabet, has waded through one controversy after another involving its top researchers and executives in the field



Flipkart quiz January 27, 2021: Get answers to these five questions to win gifts, discount coupons and Flipkart Super coins

Only the first 50,000 participants will be eligible for the quiz prize. https://ift.tt/3aaGU4r

8 WhatsApp-like features that Signal may roll out to users

https://ift.tt/2YhpVYD

Albert, which helps people automate their finances and connect subscribers to financial advisers, raises $100M Series C led by General Atlantic (PYMNTS.com)

PYMNTS.com:
Albert, which helps people automate their finances and connect subscribers to financial advisers, raises $100M Series C led by General Atlantic  —  Financial services startup Albert has raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by General Atlantic, the company announced on Tuesday (Jan. 26).



Pilot, an automated accounting service for SMBs and startups, raises $60M Series C led by Sequoia, bringing its total funding to $120M (PYMNTS.com)

PYMNTS.com:
Pilot, an automated accounting service for SMBs and startups, raises $60M Series C led by Sequoia, bringing its total funding to $120M  —  Pilot, which provides back-office services for startups, has raised $60 million through a new Series C funding round, according to a press release.



House Energy and Commerce Committee head details the GOP Big Tech Accountability Platform to address issues like Section 230, deplatforming, app stores, more (Rebecca Klar/The Hill)

Rebecca Klar / The Hill:
House Energy and Commerce Committee head details the GOP Big Tech Accountability Platform to address issues like Section 230, deplatforming, app stores, more  —  Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Tuesday said Republicans …



Plex is launching game subscription service Plex Arcade, starting at $3 per month, which features classic Atari games and requires users run a Plex media server (Mitchell Clark/The Verge)

Mitchell Clark / The Verge:
Plex is launching game subscription service Plex Arcade, starting at $3 per month, which features classic Atari games and requires users run a Plex media server  —  Games: the final frontier  —  Plex, well known as a service for streaming movies, music, and TV shows from your own computer …



Sources: Ant Group plans to sell its Missouri-based biometric security firm EyeVerify ahead of potential fines and restructuring costs following its aborted IPO (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
Sources: Ant Group plans to sell its Missouri-based biometric security firm EyeVerify ahead of potential fines and restructuring costs following its aborted IPO  —  Biometric security firm EyeVerify ‘targeted’ as Trump administration turned spotlight on Chinese companies



At the World Economic Forum, 13 tech companies, including Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, join coalition to improve racial and ethnic justice in the workplace (Penelope Blackwell/Protocol)

Penelope Blackwell / Protocol:
At the World Economic Forum, 13 tech companies, including Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, join coalition to improve racial and ethnic justice in the workplace  —  The World Economic Forum, or “digital Davos” since moving its convention online, announced that 48 companies joined a coalition committed …



Monday, January 25, 2021

Xiaomi Mi 10T receives price cut of Rs 3,000 in India

Xiaomi launched its mid-range smartphone Mi 10T in India last year in October. The premium smartphone has now received a price cut in India. The smartphone has now got a price cut in India. The Xiaomi Mi 10T comes in two variants and both the variants have received a price drop of Rs 3,000. https://ift.tt/3qX27Wl

Twitter and Facebook have done little to stop the spread of anti-Muslim messages from Indian politicians, amplifying incendiary voices in pursuit of profit (Alaphia Zoyab/Rest of World)

Alaphia Zoyab / Rest of World:
Twitter and Facebook have done little to stop the spread of anti-Muslim messages from Indian politicians, amplifying incendiary voices in pursuit of profit  —  If Twitter and Facebook are willing to deplatform a sitting U.S. president, why haven't Indian politicians faced any consequences?



Makers of Sophia the robot plan mass rollout amid pandemic

“Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly,” Sophia says as she conducts a tour of her lab in Hong Kong. “I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations.” https://ift.tt/3qQ8OJF

Need a lift? SpaceX launches record spacecraft in cosmic rideshare program

A veteran rocket from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace company launched 143 spacecraft into space on Sunday, a new record for the most spaceships deployed on a single mission, according to the company. https://ift.tt/3iOaK2z

The US OMB releases new guidance on AI, requiring all federal agencies to have a senior leader overseeing all AI systems they use and submit an annual AI report (Emilia David/The Verge)

Emilia David / The Verge : The US OMB releases new guidance on AI, requiring all federal agencies to have a senior leader overseeing all ...