Meta signs agreement with Qualcomm to produce custom chipsets for VR devices

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September 7, 2022

Meta signs agreement with Qualcomm to produce custom chipsets for VR devices

Meta Platforms signed an agreement to have chip-maker Qualcomm produce custom chipsets for its Quest virtual reality (VR) devices, the companies announced at a consumer electronics conference in Berlin on Friday.

They said that both companies’ engineering and product teams would work together to produce the chips powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms. The agreement shows the dependency of Meta until last year on Qualcomm’s technology, even as it tries to develop custom silicon of its own for its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality devices.

Meta is still in the early stages of the metaverse, and this sort of deep technical integration will help VR move towards being a multifunctional computing platform. Meta has been investing heavily in technologies like pass-through goggles and augmented reality glasses as it tries to bring to life Zuckerberg’s vision for the metaverse, a concept involving an immersive set of digital worlds.

It has relied on Qualcomm’s chips for its VR devices for years, including its latest Quest2 headset. The chipsets produced through the collaboration will not be exclusive to Meta, but will be optimized specifically for Quest’s system specifications, told Meta spokesperson Tyler Yee.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The agreement covers only VR devices, Yee said, and Meta will continue working to develop some of its silicon solutions.

There could be situations where we use off-the-shelf silicon or work with industry partners on customizations while exploring our novel silicon solutions. There could also be scenarios where we use partner and custom solutions in the same product, said Yee.

Instagram Fined €405 million for misusing teens’ data and abusing EU Privacy law

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Preetipadma K

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September 7, 2022

Instagram fined €405 million for mishandling Teenagers’ data

After reviewing how Instagram handled the data of teenagers, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined Meta €405 million (about $402 million). Meta Platforms Inc. is planning to appeal the case in the meantime to garner some relief.

The inquiry, which was launched over two years ago, concentrated on two potential GDPR violations by the corporation. The first was when Instagram started enabling users between the ages of 13 and 17 to create business profiles, making their contact details available to the public. Users occasionally switch to business accounts because they get access to greater engagement statistics when they do so. Additionally, it has been reported that Instagram by default, made some underage users’ profiles public.

Instagram said that the investigation and the verdict centered on “old settings” that had been modified more than a year prior. Since then, the social media platform has unveiled new teen-friendly privacy features, including the option to set accounts to private status upon registration.

The penalties, which were finalized last Friday, are the third and highest the DPC has levied on Meta, far surpassing the €225 million ($267 million) fine the business received after the DPC discovered that WhatsApp had not adequately informed EU residents about how it acquired and handled personal data, notably about how it shared that data back with Meta.

The fine is the second-largest imposed under the strict privacy regulations of the European Union, after the €746 million fine that Luxembourg’s regulators imposed on Amazon in the past year.

The decision’s emphasis on youngsters touches a delicate yet often overlooked subject for social media companies – how they handle minors using their services. Legislators in California last week approved a measure requiring social media app developers to take minors’ physical and mental health into account when creating new products, such as Instagram and TikTok. The legislation was based on a U.K. regulation that mandates social media companies develop their products with children’s interests in mind. This year, European lawmakers established new laws concerning minors. Companies are barred from accessing specific data to personalize advertising directed at individuals under the age of 18 under a new regulation called the Digital Services Act.

Ireland is embroiled in a slew of legal fights over Meta’s data-collection practices. One of them is whether Meta has the authority to require users to provide specific types of information to use the service and another concerns whether some of the fundamental components of digital ad auctions comply with EU law. Ireland is responsible for monitoring Meta’s compliance with G.D.P.R, a law passed in 2018 to restrict how businesses could gather and use people’s data. This is because Meta has Ireland as its European headquarters as well as the allegations that the nation has been lenient with data protection laws. In a separate lawsuit, the country has threatened to prohibit Meta from transmitting data from European consumers to the company’s U.S. data centers.

US Congress has no plan to ban cryptocurrency, says Congressman

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Sahil Pawar

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September 7, 2022

US congress has no plan to ban cryptocurrency

US Congressman Brad Sherman said cryptocurrency has too much money and power and can not be banned. Sherman has further criticized cryptocurrencies and believed that crypto poses a technological threat to US national security. Sherman said he does not think cryptocurrency will get a ban soon.

He further added that Congress did not ban it at the beginning because they did not realize it was necessary, and they did not ban it now because there is too much money and power behind it. He views the cryptocurrency market as a systemic threat to the dollar’s dominance, the American economy, and national security. Additionally, Sherman is primarily concerned with techniques such as Tornado Cash, he said.

Although Congress is currently divided on whether cryptocurrency is beneficial or destructive, almost all its members are concerned about safeguarding investors, mainly through regulation and legislation.

Congressman Tom Emmer voiced displeasure over the sanctions when the US Treasury outlawed Tornado Cash. He questioned what aspect of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies was subject to penalties and requested clarification from the Treasury on the extent of those sanctions.

On the other hand, Congress has given cryptocurrency more attention this year than ever before. Congress reached a record amount of bills on cryptocurrency by presenting 80 proposals between January 2022 and March 2022. The legislation focuses on six key areas, including Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and crypto clarification over the regulatory status of digital sanctions, ransomware, assets, and the effects of Russia or China’s usage of cryptocurrencies.

Meta helps universities to get their own virtual reality campuses, invests $150 million

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Sahil Pawar

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September 7, 2022

Meta helps universities to get their own virtual reality campuses

Meta is helping universities get their virtual reality campuses online. The company will open ten virtual campuses as part of its Immersive Learning project. The project aims to take education to virtual reality environments. In partnership with an Iowa-based virtual reality education startup, Victoryxr, Meta will invest $150 million in this initiative.

Meta is executing this idea by helping ten universities to launch their metaverse-based campuses. One of them is an online university, the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). More than 45,000 students will now meet in the metaverse online to convene and share their experiences.

The university will offer five courses through the metaverse campus as part of this plan. These courses will come at no additional cost compared to non-immersive courses. The university, however, is limited by the number of headsets required for the courses it can loan students.

Other universities will also be part of this project, including New Mexico State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Kansas School of Nursing, Southwestern Oregon Community College, California State University, Florida A&M University, West Virginia University, Dominguez Hills, and Alabama A&M University.

Meta is donating its Meta Quest headsets to these institutions for students. One of the main objectives of Meta’s Immersive Learning project is to increase students’ access to these technologies by partnering with universities and organizations.

Part of Meta’s $150 million investment is to deliver headsets in partnership with Victoryxr, the company that is designing the metaverse campuses. Meta has also helped universities pay for the design and construction of these spaces, which can cost $50k for a five to seven-building campus.

Apple cars more popular than Tesla even before production, says survey

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Sahil Pawar

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September 7, 2022

Apple cars more popular than Tesla even before production

Apple cars are already a more popular alternative than Tesla, even though the iPhone manufacturer never confirmed plans to produce one.

A survey of 200,000 new vehicle owners by Strategic Vision placed Apple third on a list for brand consideration, with 26% saying they love the Apple brand and would buy a car if it made one. The company was ranked behind Toyota and Honda and ahead of Tesla, Lexus, and BMW in a survey of more than 45 brands.

According to the survey, almost half of Tesla owners would consider buying an Apple car in the future. Apple also had the highest quality impression of 24% compared to 15% for Toyota and 11% for Tesla. But 34% said they didn’t know enough about the car to make a judgment given the lack of information.

Strategic Vision’s Alexander Edwards said that what Apple ultimately presents in terms of styling, powertrain, product, and other vital features will determine the level of interest generated among car shoppers. However, he added that their brand awareness and reputation provide a formidable platform that automotive manufacturers should brace themselves for.

Apple has not made any announcement about producing a car but has long hinted about building one under the codename ‘Project Titan.’ CEO Tim Cook first mooted the idea in 2017 that it was shelving plans to focus on driving technology for other car makers.

Binance to auto convert customers’ USDC into its own stablecoin

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Preetipadma K

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September 6, 2022

Binance to auto convert customers’ USDC into its own stablecoin — Image Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

With its announcement that it will automatically transfer users’ funds from alternatives like USD Coin (USDC) to its Binance USD (BUSD) token, Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, has upended the stablecoin market into mayhem.

On Monday, Binance announced that starting on September 29, it will automatically convert all investments in USDC, Pax Dollar (USDP), and TrueUSD (TUSD) into BUSD.

Customers transferring these tokens to the exchange will have their funds instantly converted on that day into Binance’s stablecoin. However, while taking money out of Binance, users will be able to do it in USDC, USDP, or TUSD at a 1:1 ratio to their BUSD-denominated account balance.

According to the exchange, the step is meant to “improve users’ access to money and liquidity.” In actuality, the move essentially subdues USDC, the second-largest stablecoin, from one of the most prominent positions in cryptocurrency, creating a barrier to it overtaking Tether (USDT) as the largest one. The impacted USDC products will be terminated and liquidated on September 23 and include savings accounts, DeFi staking subscriptions, and crypto loans.

According to estimates, USDC, issued by Circle Internet Financial, is the second-ranked stablecoin behind Tether, with a market value of close to US$52 billion. BUSD, a stablecoin from Binance, comes in third place with over US$19.3 billion. The leading stablecoin, USDT, has a market value of US$68 billion.

The unexpected decision comes as Binance undercuts Coinbase, a competitor exchange, in order to compete with it on pricing.

Tesla steps up recruitment in Thailand as demand for EVs picks up

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Sahil Pawar

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September 6, 2022

Tesla steps up recruitment in Thailand as demand for EVs picks up

Tesla is stepping up recruitment in Thailand, a Southeast Asia automotive hub, with the US electric vehicle (EV) maker looking to hire a business development manager and recruiters, its website shows.

The job announcements come as demand and interest for EVs in Thailand pick up due to concerns over high energy prices and government consumer incentives.

Nearly 20 Bangkok-based jobs, including a home charging developer, were advertised on its website, and the position of a charging infrastructure lead was posted on LinkedIn on Monday.

Other vacancies were for vehicle technicians, customer service, and a parts adviser. For now, Thailand is not expected to be a production site for Tesla, though the government has been promoting EV sales, and there is speculation the company might set up official showrooms.

Thailand is Asia’s fourth-largest auto assembly and export hub for companies like Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor. It produces about 1.5 million to 2 million vehicles annually, of which about half are exported.

Domestic demand for EVs is a crucial part of a Thai government strategy to preserve its status as a top regional automaker. The government of Thailand is targeting the production of 725,000 EVs a year, or 30% of total vehicle output, by 2030.

Chinese automakers have begun selling EVs in Thailand at what customers say are affordable prices. Great Wall Motors launched its ORA Good Cat model at the annual motor show for 828,500 baht ($22,600). Great Wall Motors plans to produce the model in Thailand in 2024.

Iranian Government Admits using Facial Recognition to Identify Women Violating Hijab Rule

By

Preetipadma K

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September 6, 2022

iran facial recognition women hijab — Image Credit: Sky News

The Iranian government is planning to use face recognition technology to spot women who are not abiding by the country’s strict new regulation mandating wearing hijabs in public. According to Mohammad Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani, secretary of Iran’s Headquarters for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice revealed, facial recognition will play a key role in identifying and penalizing women who violate the law approved by President Ebrahim Raisi.

It is the first time in Iranian history that a governmental official has acknowledged the use of face recognition technology in surveillance systems. Golpayegani has previously stated that women who post images of themselves online without wearing a hijab can lose some social privileges for six months to a year.

A month after the national “Hijab and Chastity Day” on July 12, which provoked nationwide demonstrations by women who uploaded videos of themselves on social media with their heads uncovered on the streets, in buses, and in trains, the new law was signed on August 15. Amid the draconian laws, the Iranian government has responded in recent weeks with a wave of arrests, detentions, and forced confessions on television.

The Iranian government has been issuing biometric identity cards since 2015. These cards have a chip that records information, including iris scans, fingerprints, and face photographs. Researchers are concerned that this data will be used with face recognition technology to identify those who disobey the dress code offline and online.

After Iran’s revolution in 1979, Iranian women and girls over the age of 9 were required to wear the hijab. In the years followed, women have increasingly challenged the confines of the stipulated dress code.

However, the enhanced legislation has begun a new age of punishment and public monitoring. 28-year-old Sepideh Rashno was detained after a fellow passenger released a video of her wearing “improper clothing” as evidence of her breaking the law.

Bystanders physically escorted the passenger who was filming her from the bus, but local rights advocates claim that Rashno was subsequently taken into custody, assaulted, and made to make a public apology to the offending passenger on state television.

As Tehran turns to monitor people using facial recognition technologies, there is a looming concern that other women might meet a fate like Rashno’s after Iran starts using facial recognition. Meanwhile, the dreaded Morality Police, also known as Guidance Patrols, have ramped up their activity and violence. On social media, videos have surfaced that show authority detaining women before shoving them into vans and escorting them away.

Intel to launch initiatives to build skill-ready workforce in India

By

Sahil Pawar

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September 6, 2022

Intel to launch AI initiatives to build skill-ready workforce in India

Intel plans to launch several initiatives such as ‘AI for current workforce’ and ‘AI for future workforce’ by the end of this year to build a skill-ready workforce, told Shweta Khurana, senior director, Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) for government partnerships, initiatives, and global government affairs, Intel.

Khurana said that the AI for the future workforce would cater to 18 years and above. AI for the current workforce is for professionals primarily focused on women-driven small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The program will be delivered virtually by an Intel-certified coach.

The company’s curriculum designed for AI for the future workforce is technical. However, students do not require any prior domain knowledge. Furthermore, projects under the program are focussed on industrial impacts such as insurance fraud protection, predictive maintenance, viral post protection, and common trade application, among others.

Through virtual training in a real-world environment for three months, learners will be exposed to the challenges and how to build solutions. Earlier initiatives from Intel included Building AI Readiness, Intel AI for youth, and Responsible AI for Youth among young innovators. Under these three initiatives, over 3,50,000 students have been trained with AI skills since 2019.

Under Intel AI for youth programs, the learners acquire technical skills in data science, computer vision, natural language processes, and social skills, focused on AI ethics, biases, and AI solutions-building. For this, Intel has collaborated with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to create AI readiness by skilling facilitators in CBSE schools, AI curricula for students, and setting up focused AI skill labs.

Saudi Arabia banking regulator appoints Mohsen AlZahrani to lead the digital currency program

By

Sahil Pawar

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September 6, 2022

Saudi Arabia banking regulator appoints Mohsen AlZahrani

Saudi Arabia’s banking regulator has appointed Mohsen AlZahrani to lead their virtual assets and central bank digital currency program to sign the Gulf state’s potential crypto ambitions.

People familiar with the matter told that while the kingdom has taken cautious steps to approach virtual assets, the emergence of a global crypto hub in the UAE has led to some urgency in Riyadh to draft more formal rules for the asset class,

AlZahrani, a former managing director at Accenture, reported to Ziad Al Yousef, the Central Bank’s deputy governor for development and technology, as per reports. The talks involved the digital economy, cryptocurrency, digital banks, and smart cities.

AlZahrani is a part of a team in Riyadh that’s engaging with some of the world’s biggest crypto firms on future regulations.” UAE has been pushing firms to increase their presence in the capital city as part of Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to turn Riyadh into a global hub.

This posed a direct challenge to the Gulf’s business hub, Dubai. The Saudi government has been collaborating with the UAE on a potential joint digital currency for several years.

In 2018, Riyadh banned banks from processing cryptocurrency transactions, though workarounds exist to trade. However, in recent months, local financial firms reiterated the restrictions in correspondence with customers. Binance Holdings have staffed its Saudi teams, identifying the kingdom as a largely untapped market if the current restrictions loosen.