mdbincbi

Amazon, Google, AI And Us: Are We Too Close For Comfort? | CNET

April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 mdbincbi

Beyond facial recognition, we’re giving smart devices and platforms our intimate biometric details. Iris scanning is a powerful identification tool. Computers aren’t just getting smarter, they’re studying us more closely too. Whether it’s in the name of public safety, fraud protection or simple convenience, we’re feeding AI systems details that identify us and track our comings and goings. Read full story here: Amazon, Google, AI And Us: Are We Too Close For Comfort? | CNET

Toyota Opens Patents To Help Save Hybrid Cars, But It Won’t Work | Electrek

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 mdbincbi

In an attempt to encourage the rest of the industry to make hybrid vehicles, Toyota announced that it is providing “nearly 24,000 licenses royalty-free” for its patents regarding electric components and systems to companies producing hybrid vehicles. The move to keep hybrid vehicles relevant comes as the industry is massively shifting to all-electric vehicles and Toyota is falling behind in that transition. Read full story here: Toyota Opens Patents To Help Save Hybrid Cars, But It Won’t Work | Electrek

Earth Hour: Turning Off The Lights For One Hour On Saturday, March 30, 2019 | Electrek

March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 mdbincbi

Earth Hour returns this Saturday, March 30, 2019, as organizers ask participants to turn off their lights for one hour. This year’s Earth Hour takes place at 8:30 pm, your local time, wherever you may be. The event aims to bring awareness to environmental issues, such as climate change. Earth Hour started as a lights-out event in Sydney in 2007. It has grown in stature over the years, as more than 180 countries and territories are now involved. More than 17,900 landmarks and monuments turned their lights off during last year’s…

DEA Says AT&T Still Provides Access To Billions Of Phone Records | TechCrunch

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 mdbincbi

A program that allows drug agents to obtain a pool of billions of call records from AT&T is “still active,” according to a watchdog report. The report, published Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general, confirmed the program — named in the report only as Project C — continues to provide access to “billions” of domestic and international call records to Drug Enforcement Administration agents. The program allows agents to pull information about the callers and when and where a call was made from the telecoms provider operating the program…

Gas Prices To Rise At Least 10 Cents Per Litre In 4 Provinces In April: Analyst | CTV News

March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 mdbincbi

Drivers in four provinces can expect to pay at least 10 cents more per litre of gasoline come April, according to a leading petroleum analyst. Dan McTeague of GasBuddy.com says that consumers in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick will be handing over five cents more per litre as of April 1, when the federal government’s carbon tax kicks in. That equates to $3 more to fill up a 60-litre tank. Read full story here: Gas Prices To Rise At Least 10 Cents Per Litre In 4 Provinces In April:…

Most Styrofoam Isn’t Recycled. Here’s How 3 Startups Aim To Fix That | CBC News

March 25, 2019March 25, 2019 mdbincbi

Reduce, Reuse and Rethink is a CBC News series about recycling. We’re exploring why our communities are at a turning point and exploring ways to recycle better. You can be part of the conversation by joining our Facebook group. Virginie Bussières jokingly refers to styrofoam as “public enemy No. 6.” That’s because the polystyrene takeout containers, electronics packaging, coolers and other products we discard each year are more likely to pollute waterways or get buried in landfills than they are to be recycled. (The No. 6 is a reference to the plastic’s…

Some Shoppers Drug Mart Staff Say They’re ‘Fed Up’ Over Pressure To Push Self-Checkout | CBC News

March 24, 2019March 24, 2019 mdbincbi

Several employees at Loblaws-owned stores said they’ve been pressured recently to push customers to use self-checkout, driven by a company quest to get more people using the machines. “They’re trying to get us to force [customers] to go to self-checkout,”said a cashier at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Ontario. “They’ve made cashiers feel like if they don’t do this, something bad is going to happen.” CBC News is keeping employees’ names confidential because they fear repercussions from their employer. Read full story here: Some Shoppers Drug Mart Staff Say They’re ‘Fed Up’ Over Pressure…

Canada Announces New $5,000 Incentive For Electric Cars, Tesla Vehicles Excluded | Electrek

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 mdbincbi

As part of its new budget, the Canadian federal government has announced a new $5,000 incentive for electric cars that cost less than $45,000, however, it excludes Tesla vehicles. Some Canadian provinces already have EV incentive programs but unlike the US, there has never been a federal program to reduce the cost of electric vehicles. With the launch of their latest budget, the Canadian government has now announced a new $5,000 incentive program that is not yet completed. Read full story here: Canada Announces New $5,000 Incentive For Electric Cars,…

Scientists Can Turn Regular Seawater Into Hydrogen Fuel | Engadget

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 mdbincbi

A team of scientists at Stanford have figured out a way to make hydrogen fuel out of saltwater. The discovery could open up the world’s oceans as a potential source of energy. Researchers view electrolysis, or the act of splitting water into hydrogen and gas, as a promising new source of renewable energy. But it comes with many roadblocks; a major one being that only purified water can be used in electrolysis. Seawater tends to corrode water-splitting systems. Read full story here: Scientists Can Turn Regular Seawater Into Hydrogen Fuel…