One of the world’s largest investment companies is working on software to make day to day management decisions: not on the investments but rather the operation of the company itself. The idea appears to be to automate Bridgewater Associates to the point that founder Ray Dalio can take a back seat while still being confident […]
An unconvincing Tom Cruise scream has become something of a meme that’s now even available as a ringtone. The clip went public after a blunder by Universal Pictures. The movie studio produced a trailer for the upcoming The Mummy remake but a production error meant some of the audio tracks were missing. That meant key […]
Swiss researchers have taken inspiration from nature by designing a drone whose wings have artificial feathers. The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne’s drone mirrors the way a bird not only has feathers but can fold its wings. The idea is to make the drone more versatile and increase overall performance. The big difference is that […]
A South Carolina politician wants new computers sold in the state to block online porn by default. Bill Chumley’s proposed bill would require buyers or manufacturers to pay a $20 fee to remove the block. The money raised from the Human Trafficking Prevention Act would go towards a state task force to tackle the trafficking […]
Street Fighter V online players who rage quit look set to be highlighted with a special profile icon. It’s likely to upset those with unreliable internet connections. The news stems from a post on the NeoGAF forum that claims to show screenshots from an upcoming update. While not yet confirmed as legitimate, they are certainly […]
Apple has finally started selling its wireless AirPod earphones. They cost $159, though there’ll be a very small ‘discount’ if you need to replace a lost one. Unlike most earphones, it’s possible (and some would say probable) to lose one Airpod rather than the pair. In that case, you’ll have to pay Apple $69 for […]
Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler has confirmed he’ll leave the commission on January 20. It guarantees a Republican-leaning majority on the commission and could spell doom for net neutrality rules. The political make-up of the FCC’s board of commissioners has been a significant issue during Wheeler’s time in office, with many votes being a […]
A government agency wants all new cars made from 2021 to be able to talk to one another. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plan is designed to improve road safety. After two years of consultation, the agency has now issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, the last step before introducing a new rule. The […]
A translation company is advertising for an emoji translator. The ad, which gives the impression of being legitimate, is seeking somebody to provide “the human touch where translation software is inadequate.” Today Translations says it has a network of 3,000 linguists covering more than 200 languages, but doesn’t yet have a dedicated expert for what […]
Skype can now let you talk to people who speak another language, even if you call them on their telephone. Its automated voice translation will, from an upcoming edition of Windows 10, work even if one party isn’t using the Skype software. The voice translation works on nine languages: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, English, French, German, […]