The spectre of superintelligent machines doing us harm is not just science fiction, technologists say – so how can we ensure AI remains ‘friendly’ to its makers? By Mara HvistendahlIt began three and a half billion years ago in a pool of muck, when a molecule made a copy of itself and so became the ultimate ancestor of all earthly life. It began four million years ago, when brain volumes began climbing rapidly in the hominid line.Fifty thousand years ago with the rise of Homo sapiens sapiens. Related: Why Silicon Valley billionaires are prepping for the apocalypse in New Zealand Continue reading
Data-collecting devices can never be trusted, as the FaceTime bug has shown. From phones to doorbells, it’s the start of a civil-liberties nightmareIt has been a terrible week for Apple. Not only did the tech company report its first decline in revenues and profits in more than a decade, but it was embroiled in an embarrassing privacy scandal. A much-discussed bug in its FaceTime app meant that, in certain circumstances, you could turn someone’s iPhone into an all-seeing, all-hearing spying device
Facebook, Google and Amazon are eager to get their new devices under your tree. But will they give away your privacy?If you’ve so far withstood the temptation to install a smart speaker in your home, worried about the potential privacy pitfalls and a bit embarrassed about the notion of chatting aimlessly to an inanimate object, brace yourselves. This Christmas, the world’s biggest tech giants, including Amazon, Google and Facebook, are making another bid for your living room, announcing a range of new devices that resemble tablets you can talk to.Facebook’s is called Portal, Google’s the Home Hub, and Amazon has unveiled the second version of its Echo Show
Heating controller cheaper than previous model and consumers will not require a boiler engineer to install itGoogle’s latest smart-home product is a cheaper smart thermostat that anyone can install themselves without the need for a boiler engineer.The new £199 Nest E learning thermostat is a two-part system consisting of a battery-powered heating controller called the Heat Link E, which replaces an existing wired thermostat or heating controller, and a smart thermostat that can be placed somewhere else in your home.Nest Learning Thermostat third-gen: the simple, effective heating gadget Continue reading
Excellent smart device comes with optional 24/7 video recording with facial recognition – and works as a doorbell too Google’s new Nest Hello is a video doorbell that aims to be smarter than the rest with constant recording, face and object recognition.The Hello is a direct replacement for a wired doorbell, working with an existing chime and requiring constant power, making it one of the high-end options for smart doorbells.The Nest app runs you through full installation instructions that you can’t skip, even if you’ve had an electrician install the doorbell for you. Tedious
