Signature Solution?

Mastercard and Discover customers will not have to sign their John Hancock when making purchases beginning in 2018. The companies believe technology has advanced to where customers will remain safe enough to use even without the implementation of a signature at checkout. Among these security techniques are dual-authentication, biometrics, and the chip that is present on all newly issued cards. In addition to these measures being taken, some argue this decision should have occurred awhile ago either because of negligence by cashiers not comparing signatures as they are supposed to do and/or how prevalent online shopping has become and that it does not require a signature. The elimination of this process will speed up the check out process and make customers more happy in doing so.

Gartenberg, C. (2017, December 07). Discover is the latest major credit card company to do away with signatures. Retrieved December 10, 2017, from https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/7/16747876/discover-credit-card-no-signature-april-2018

No more signing on the dotted line. (2017, October 19). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from https://newsroom.mastercard.com/2017/10/19/no-more-signing-on-the-dotted-line/

Quantum Leap

Mozilla recently revamped their Firefox browser after a large revenue increase from last year. Mozilla, a nonprofit company, earns money through advertising on popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo. These ads allow the company to provide a quality open source program to the world. This particular iteration of the web browser, Firefox Quantum, is guaranteeing better performance than its predecessors and set to compete with primary competitors Chrome and Safari. Even with claims of better processing speed, this new version of Firefox will still have to fight for dominance of the computing world, especially in mobile markets. Many websites optimize their layout for Chrome and Safari in that they are the two most popular browsers on Android and Apple devices respectively. Through rising in popularity, Firefox would carve its own path for better GUI on certain sites. In addition to this development, Mozilla is using its newly acquired monetary assets to emphasize protection for net neutrality and encryption to ensure its users continue to have access to private and low-cost Internet usage.

Shankland, S. (2017, December 01). Mozilla plows its new revenue into making Firefox faster for us all. Retrieved December 03, 2017, from https://www.cnet.com/news/mozilla-revenue-jump-fuels-its-firefox-overhaul-plan/

AI: Friend or Foe?

Computers are created to help us and not hurt us, right?

Automated Intelligence helps us in a variety of tasks everyday whether we notice or not. It simplifies complex tasks such as computing a formula or acts as an virtual assistant like Apple’s Siri. AI has the ability to learn the user’s specific preferences for something very quickly in order to more readily help us in the future. In the end, it helps us and their is seemingly no downside to this technology.

Recently, concern over the use of AI has been elevated, especially in the sense that it can be used as a virtually unstoppable tool to carry out mass murders. Many scientists and technologists are uniting to warn legislators about the possible danger of so-called Slaughterbots. These experts are seeking to convene and amend the Convention of Conventional Weapons (CCW), which establishes standards (based on ethical reasoning) for the type of forces that countries can use in war. The video below is a depiction of what these experts believe can happen and how AI advances can allow for such devices to cause widespread destruction as a result unregulated control. With the many sensors around us from the Internet of Things and the great improvement of facial recognition, we should be fearful that such a catastrophe can occur if proper measures are not taken.

Ban lethal autonomous weapons. (2017, November 12). Retrieved November 19, 2017, from http://autonomousweapons.org/

Decreasing the Digital Divide

Project Loon is pairing with wireless carrier companies AT&T and T-Mobile to bring basic calling capabilities to residents after Hurricane Maria wiped out a massive quantity of infrastructure across Puerto Rico earlier this year. The storm made a direct hit on the United States territory and most are without shelter, power, water, and sources of communication. Project Loon, a subsidiary of Alphabet which is the same company that owns Google, seeks to help in the revitalization efforts.

Project Loon is sending its high-tech balloons and equipment to provide people a way to contact family and loved ones after the storm. Due to lack of space for construction of cell phone towers, the balloon becomes the perfect solution. It would hover above populated areas throughout the country and allow people use of their mobile devices. This accessibility would come at no additional cost to the users in this time of need after natural catastrophe.

In addition to aiding in efforts such as this case, Project Loon would be useful in many other situations as well. The system could be used to bring undeveloped or underdeveloped countries into the technological age with implementation. People can go online and enjoy all the benefits that come with it, thus attempting to decrease the digital divide between those who have had access for long periods and those just coming online for the first time. The downside is that these developing countries would require devices to most likely to be supplied to them in order to institute change

B. (2017, November 9). Google: Project Loon has provided internet access to 100,000 people in Puerto Rico. Retrieved November 12, 2017.

Device Defying Death’s Demise

Technological devices permeate our ever lives everyday, whether its our laptops and cell phones to watches and fitness trackers to various Internet of Things hardware such as smart thermostats. Some of these devices are deemed “life-savers” in that they save us time and money. Although, what if a device could actually save us from mortality?

The Butterfly IQ

Such is the case for Dr. John Martin. Dr. Martin works for Butterfly Network, a medical startup. The company has recently developed the unreleased Butterfly IQ. The device is capable of performing ultrasounds and displaying the graphical results on a smartphone. One day, Dr. Martin felt a bump on his neck and decided that he’d use the Butterfly IQ to attempt making a diagnosis for himself. Upon using the device, he had discovered that he had a tumor and later found out it was a result of squamous-cell cancer. He was able to subsequently receive proper treatment. The Butterfly IQ is currently set to ship out in the spring of 2018 at a cost of $1999 per unit.

The device is cheaper and definitely more portable than other ultrasound machines currently on the market. However, the price may still be too steep for consumers. As of now they most likely will still have to see a doctor for causation of their bumps and blemishes. The cost, though, may be feasible for Emergency Medical Service providers to supply their EMTs and paramedics. Until further research is performed, allowing new methods of production to be made available and cheaper, the Butterfly IQ will remain a “life-saver” only for those who can afford to carry their personal ultrasound with them.

Regalado, A. (2017, November 03). This doctor diagnosed his own cancer with an iPhone ultrasound. Retrieved November 05, 2017, from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/609195/this-doctor-diagnosed-his-own-cancer-with-an-iphone-ultrasound/