Amazon Names New HQ Cities
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| Amazon Names New HQ Cities | |
| Number | 672 |
| Broadcast Date | NOVEMBER 13, 2018 |
| Episode Length | 4:58 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Pandora launches Podcast Genome Project, Intel readies 5G modem ahead of schedule, Waymo to launch self-driving fleet under new name.
Headlines
- Amazon announced its second US headquarters will actually be in two cities, with offices in Long Island City in New York, and the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia. Amazon said that 50,000 jobs and $5 billion of capital spending will be split equally between the new HQs. It's worth noting that Amazon has more staff already in both areas than anywhere outside of its Seattle HQ and the Bay Area. The company announced back in September 2017 it would choose a second North American headquarters and earlier this year announced 20 finalist cities across the US and Canada.
- A source tells Bloomberg that Waymo is planning to launch the world’s-first, commercial driverless car service in early December under a new brand name. Waymo reportedly isn’t planning a media event around the launch, choosing instead to start small—perhaps dozens or hundreds of authorized riders around the Phoenix suburbs, covering about 100 square miles. Waymo’s Early Rider Program already has 400 volunteer families who have been testing Waymo's service for more than a year under non-disclosure agreements. Alphabet removed the Google branding from its cars and created the Waymo subsidiary in December 2016.
- Pandora launched the Podcast Genome Project, a new recommendation system paired with human editorial input to offer podcast suggestions for Pandora users. Pandora says the Podcast Genome Project uses 1,500 attributes such as MPAA ratings, production style, content type, host profiles, and how others are listening on Pandora through machine learning algorithms, natural language processing and collaborative filtering methods.
- Apple’s new security-focused T2 chip will only allow select replacement parts into the machine when they’ve come from an authorized source, which the T2 will check for after a repair reboot. Apple acknowledges newer Macs use the same protocol for other components like the logic board and Touch ID sensor, but the company doesn't offer a list of repairs that requires this. In theory, a T2 chip could brick a computer if the logic board is replaced, unless the chip recognizes a certain type of diagnostic software has been run, meaning repair options would be limited to Apple stores or Authorized Service Providers.
- Intel announced the XMM 8160 5G multimode modem, 6 months ahead of schedule, in order to support deployments of 5G mobile networks around the world. The modem will provide 5G connectivity to phones, PCs, and broadband access gateways. Intel says peak speeds will reach 6Gbps. The modem is expected to launch in the second half of 2019 and will support standalone and non-standalone 5G NR deployments, plus 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G. The XMM 8160 will support millimetre-wave (mmWave) spectrum as well as frequencies between 600MHz and 6GHz to support carriers worldwide.
- The EU’s proposed Article 13, which covers copyright for publishers, is being criticized by YouTube. In a blog post, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said proposed European copyright legislation changes "present a major problem for YouTube, as the company would be liable to determine who the original right holders are and then pay each accordingly." The solution, according to Wojcicki, is to block videos in EU member states that have complicated enough copyright restrictions and spare the company liability.
- Two Arizona residents have been ordered to pay Nintendo $12.23MM in damages for running two pirated ROM sites. The husband and wife admitted copyright and trademark infringement for operating LoveROMS.com and LoveRetro.co until back in July when Nintendo stepped in. Both websites went offline when Nintendo threatened legal action, with an explanation that the sites were undergoing maintenance.
- Google’s Project Fi wireless service, rolling out this week, introduces an always-on VPN option that switches between Wi-Fi and cell service. The default setting lets Fi users use a VPN service, but Google's now expanding this to cell connectivity as well. Google says the VPN also hides all of your traffic from Google itself and your info isn’t tied to your Google account or phone number.The new features are off by default, but users can visit the Fi Network Tools in the Project Fi app and turn them on. Google notes that data usage may increase by about 10 percent by using the VPN.
Links
| Preceded by: "Lime Recalls Scooters" |
Amazon Names New HQ Cities |
Followed by: "Google Accused of Trust Demolition" |