Tech Creator’s Remorse

Tech Creator’s Remorse
Number	3213
Broadcast Date	FEBRUARY 5, 2018
Episode Length	31:11
Hosts	Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane
Guests	Roger Chang

A group of former Google and Facebook employees have banded together to fight what they see are the ill effects of technology on the human condition. Will this put them at odds with their former employers and industry they helped build? Plus Apple, Cisco and Allianz are teaming up to offer cyber insurance to business that use equipment from both companies and Google will 3rd party developers access the Visual Core processor in the Pixel 2 smartphone.

Guest

• Roger Chang

Quick Hits

• At car secrets trial, Uber decries 'conspiracy theory', Waymo says Uber cheats

Opening statements in the trial between Uber and Waymo began Monday. Testimony in the trial is expected to last two weeks. Waymo accuses Uber of benefiting from autonomous car trade secrets taken by former employee Anthony Levandowski. Waymo lawyer Charles Verhoeven said, “We’re bringing this case because Uber is cheating. They took our technology ... to win this race at all costs.”

• Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong released from prison on appeal

Samsung Electronics chairman Jay Y. Lee has been released from prison after an appeal. Lee was sentenced to five years for perjury, embezzlement, and bribery in relation to the Presidential scandal in South Korea last year. Lee's prison term was reduced to two and a half years and given four years probation and a suspended sentence.

• Former Intel president launches new chip company with backing from Carlyle Group

Chip company Ampere, run by former Intel president Renee James, is out of stealth and introduced its first chip, a custom core Armv8-A 64-bit server operating at up to 3.3 GHz with 1TB of memory at a power envelope of 125 watts. No pricing info yet, but Ampere says its chip will offer unsurpassed price/performance exceeding all high performance competition.

Top Stories

• Broadcom unveils $121 billion 'best and final' offer for Qualcomm

Broadcom has increased the amount of stock it will offer per share of Qualcomm in what it calls its "best and final offer." Qualcomm rejected a previous bid, indicating it does not wish to sell to Broadcom but the board must now consider this new offer. If Qualcomm were to accept the offer, Broadcom might have to drop its acquisition of NXP as shareholders are beginning to complain that offer undervalues NXP.

• INTEL MADE SMART GLASSES THAT LOOK NORMAL

Intel showed its new AR glasses to the Verge's Dieter Bohn. The glasses, called Vaunt, look just like normal eyeglasses. The electronics are contained in two modules built into the stems of the glasses. It displays information in your peripheral vision using Bluetooth to connect to a phone. Vaunt works by reflecting the image from a low-powered laser off the lens onto the retina. Wearers interact with voice or head tilt gestures.

• Apple, Cisco team up with insurance companies to offer cyber policy discounts
• This Insurance Giant Just Added Coverage for Cybersecurity Breaches

Apple and Cisco are partnering with Aliianz to offer cyber insurance to businesses that use Cisco Ransomware Defense and certain Apple devices. Customers could get lower or no deductibles with support services in case of attack. Aon will provide security evaluation and support.

• The Pixel 2’s Visual Core photo processor now works with Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat

Pixel Visual Core, Google's first custom imaging chip that allows for HDR+ quality pictures, has been enabled for more than just the camera app, and will now be available in third-party apps starting with WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat. The update that will switch on Pixel Visual Core is rolling out over the next few days.

• Apple Music is set to surpass Spotify in paid US subscribers this summer

The Wall Street Journal noted that Apple is reporting a faster music subscriber growth rate in the US than Spotify. If the current rates continued Apple Music would pass Spotify in the US sometime this summer.

Discussion

• Early Facebook and Google Employees Form Coalition to Fight What They Built
• Center for Humane Technology

Pick of the Day

• Tech's Message

Let's check in with Nate Lanxon from the UK's Tech's Message podcast to find out what animals he's covering... yes... animals.

Submitted by Nate Lanxon

Mailbag

Tom, Sarah, et al,

One point you didn't bring up regarding eBay's move to Adyen for processing payments is the fact that Adyen (from looking at their web site) prides themselves in being able to integrate with the most popular local payment methods world-wide, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay in China and Pay-by-links in Poland, to pick just 2 countries they list on their site. These sorts of integrations might be more difficult with PayPal (just Google "can PayPal accept WeChat Pay" and you'll see what I mean). Having better local payment options would make it easier for eBay to enter these markets by making it easier for customers there to make purchases.

Sent by Frederik (the eBay engineer)

Links

• This episode on dailytechnewsshow.com
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• DTNS subreddit
• DTNS Facebook Group

Preceded by: "Don’t Put Mouth On My Words"

Tech Creator’s Remorse

Followed by: "Google Promises a Chicken in Every Phone"