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2 | I'm Rich Stroffolino and these are the tech headlines for the week that was | |||||
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5 | Headlines | |||||
6 | Google published a paper in the journal Nature claiming the company's 54-qubit Sycamore quantum computer has achieved quantum supremacy. It can perform a calculation-- in this case a technique for determining random numbers-- in 200 seconds, that would take the world's most powerful classical computer 10,000 years to perform. This is the paper was inadvertently published on NASA's website a month ago. However IBM researchers have proposed a method in which a classical computer could achieve that calculation in a practical amount of time. IBM's method would require using hard drive space in addition to RAM and other optimizations to perform the calculation in 2.5 days, rather than 10,000 years. | |||||
7 | Google announced its AI chatbot Google Duplex will launch in New Zealand as part of a limited test to confirm holiday hours for a handful of local businesses, making this the first time Duplex has expanded outside of the U.S., Google says businesses participating in the test will receive an automated call from Google asking to confirm their hours for the upcoming Labor Day public holiday on October 28. Those times will then be automatically be updated on Maps and Search. | |||||
8 | Google announced that it can't fulfill all preorders for its Google Stadia streaming service in time for its November 19 launch date. Stadia's Founder's Edition customers are the only customers that are being "promised" delivery. A Google representative told Ars Technica that Founder's Edition shipping "starts the 19th and will be fulfilled in order received," with Premiere Edition shipments shipping "in order after Founders." Google told the Verge that it expects all Founders and Premiere Edition preorders to be shipped within the first two weeks of launch, | https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/10/google-cant-fulfill-all-stadia-pre-orders-for-nov-19-launch/ | ||||
9 | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told the US House Financial Services Committee Wednesday that the Libra cryptocurrency “will extend America’s financial leadership as well as our democratic values and oversight around the world.” Zuckerberg claims China is preparing similar ideas. He also said that Libra would not launch anywhere in the world until US regulators approve and added this is not an attempt to create a sovereign currency. Like existing online payment systems, it’s a way for people to transfer money.” He also emphasized that the system is in the hands of the Libra Association now, not Facebook. | |||||
10 | New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced 47 U.S. attorneys general plan to join a New York-led antitrust probe into Facebook. The investigation was first announced in September and will focus on Facebook’s industy dominance and whether anticompetitive conduct resulted from that. | |||||
11 | Facebook announced it began rolling out tests of Facebook News to some US users. The dedicated Facebook News page will offer Top Stories currated by a team of journalists, be personalized based on what you read, offer verticals for business, entertainment, health, science & tech, and sports, and allow you to link paid news subscriptions with Facebook. The News page organizes sources into four categories: general, topical, diverse and local news. In this test, local stories will surface from publications in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Houston, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta and Boston. | https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2019/10/introducing-facebook-news/ | ||||
12 | AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint announced the “Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative”, a joint venture with plans to bring Rich Communications Service (RCS) to customers by 2020. The CCMI plans to release an Android messaging app with RCS support next year with support for typing indicators, higher-resolution attachments, better group chat, and potentially the global “Universal Profile” standard. The organization also pledged to work with other clients to ensure RCS compatibiity. Speaking to The Verge, CCMI general manager Doug Garland wouldn't commit if the new app will offer encryption, stating that it intends to make sure chats are "private" and an experience customers can trust. | |||||
13 | A Huawei executive told Reuters Friday that the company is in early-stage talks with US telecoms about licensing Huawei's 5G technology. Huawei senior vice president Vincent Pang said telcos had expressed interest in both a long-term deal or one-off transfer. | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-huawei-tech-licensing-exclusive/exclusive-huawei-in-early-talks-with-u-s-firms-to-license-5g-platform-huawei-executive-idUSKBN1WY010?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews | ||||
14 | Emarketer reports that Apple Pay has passed Starbucks mobile payment as the most popular mobile payment app in the US, the first time a generic mobile payment app has led the category. Emarketer estimates 30.3 million Apple pay users in 2019 to Starbuck's 25.2 million, followed by Google Pay with 12.1 million and Samsung Pay with 10.8 million. Apple Pay is expected to be available in 70% of US retailers by the end of 2019. US users are estimated to spend $1,545 per year per person using proximity mobile payments this year, up 24% over last year. | |||||
15 | Image-sharing site Imgur wrote in a blog post that it will no longer display content from Reddit’s NSFW communities on its site, saying"over the years, these pages have put Imgur’s user growth, mission, and business at risk.”NSFW images previously uploaded to Reddit and hosted on Imgur are keeping their original URLs. NSFW images can still be uploaded to Imgur if they're marked “hidden.” Imgur said it wants, “to be a fun and entertaining place that brings happiness to the Internet for many, many years to come.” Reddit introduced its own native image hosting three years ago. | https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/18/20920977/imgur-reddit-nsfw-images-support-business-at-risk | ||||
16 | The Information reports that Sony began talks with banks several months ago to explore the sale of its Playstation Vue streaming service, according to sources. The service reportedly has a subscriber base around 500,000 households, and any potential deal would be valued in the tens of millions of dollars. Despite raising prices three times since launching in 2015, Playstation Vue reportedly remains unprofitable for Sony. | https://www.theinformation.com/articles/sony-explores-sale-of-vue-signaling-shift-on-streaming | ||||
17 | For more discussion of the tech news of the day subscribe to DailyTechNewsShow.com, [1] you can find show notes and links to all headlines there as well, [2] and remember to rate and review Daily Tech Headlines where ever you get your podcasts. | http://dailytechnewsshow.reddit.com | ||||
18 | Thanks for listening, we'll talk to you next time. | |||||
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22 | END OF SHOW |