Voltec Tech Talk

This episode is regarding the recent news and developments surrounding various cryptocurrencies, as well as crypto features which should be of interest to those engaged in De-Fi (decentralized finance)

We also discuss recent news regarding the social media platform Parler.

https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/news/xrp-finds-strong-support-in-japan-amid-cryptocurrency-delisting/

Forbes: As Bitcoin Surges 15%, Here's What Wall Street's Saying About The Cryptocurrency's Meteoric Resurgence

https://cointelegraph.com/news/why-institutions-suddenly-give-a-damn-about-bitcoin

https://www.9news.com.au/technology/us-man-has-just-2-password-attempts-left-or-will-lose-300-million-bitcoin-fortune/fa9c5c1b-23bc-4107-a6f1-a3e288747027

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerhuang/2021/12/29/the-chinese-mining-centralization-of-bitcoin-and-ethereum/?sh=548d913c2f66

This episode is about some of the ways in which big Tech are overreaching and inviting themselves into your mobile devices, learning about who you are, (as a potential consumer) knowing what you are doing, or perhaps scariest, where you are.

Referenced information is as follows:

• https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/11/22169905/google-apple-removing-location-tracking-data-sale-government-advertisers

• https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/13/mobile-location-data-and-covid-19-qa

• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/26/microsoft-productivity-score-feature-criticised-workplace-surveillance

• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/02/microsoft-apologises-productivity-score-critics-derided-workplace-surveillance

• https://www.wired.com/story/google-fitbit-project-nightingale-antitrust/

• https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/3/21312383/google-fibit-acquisition-antitrust-data-regulatory-eu-scrutiny

• https://www.wired.com/story/the-best-privacy-app-alternatives/

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2020/10/27/heres-how-2020-created-a-tipping-point-in-trust-and-digital-privacy/?sh=5a7fd9ff4fc5

• https://cointelegraph.com/news/ciphertrace-develops-monero-tracing-tool-to-aid-us-dhs-investigations

This episode pertains to various instances of misdirection on the behalf of companies such as Apple and Samsung over the years, the ramifications for such behaviors, and whether this may be a changing phenomenon.

Referenced items include:

-https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/30/italy-fines-apple-12m-iphone-water-resistance/?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4&fbclid=IwAR0vwu6yF9VHG9VWMzcUoLkvLMmO-F9jnuEyjqCMA3hPx3ep6MTrmC7cuC4

-https://www.channelnews.com.au/apple-sued-for-misleading-notch-advertising/?fbclid=IwAR1vmPuiju1RFMlOlFhPlgro_iCsCPcHK7bzw3HsPajg3x-bQPt1zYsZIIs

-https://www.businessinsider.com/false-advertising-scandals-2016-3?r=AU&IR=T&fbclid=IwAR2LoHet7AOrLWTE9pHl66mmXobon1vWB-6MdnxItCWTh3wW6S1YENjcunA

-https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/07/12/samsung-australia-sued-consumer-watchdog-misleading-advertising

-https://www.smh.com.au/technology/accc-takes-google-to-court-for-misleading-consumers-on-targeted-ads-20200727-p55fra.html

-https://theconversation.com/the-accc-is-suing-google-for-misleading-millions-but-calling-it-out-is-easier-than-fixing-it-143447

A broad discussion with no lack of segues, surrounding the state of AI technology in our time as well as how we see it continue to unfold.

Resources discussed in the video:

Multimodal Sarcasm Detection: (https://venturebeat.com/2020/11/18/ai-researchers-made-a-sarcasm-detection-model-and-itse-soo-impressive/?fbclid=IwAR0itpBdF3f-EWNfU__8zRdYYewXwidWBmpyEcJkPqEmvd4daHMb0KJqxes)

The 2020s will be about major advances in language-based AI tasks: (https://hbr.org/2020/09/the-next-big-breakthrough-in-ai-will-be-around-language)

GPT-3 BBC article: (https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53530454)

GPT-3 Patient Chatbot tests: (https://artificialintelligence-news.com/2020/10/28/medical-chatbot-openai-gpt3-patient-kill-themselves/)

IBM's AI Alzheimer's tests: (https://artificialintelligence-news.com/2020/10/23/ibm-ai-predicts-alzheimers-better-standard-tests/)

New light-powered AI chip: (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201118080758.htm)

Intuitive AI design TED talk: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR5N2Jl8k14&ab_channel=TED)

SCI-FI (but not really) Dron TED talk: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughterbots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlO2gcs1YvM&ab_channel=CSConsulting)

OpenAI Projects (Check these out for an awesome understanding of how AI is being used in wide ranging activities, particularly Multi-Agent Interaction): (https://openai.com/projects/)

Chaser the genius Border-Collie: (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/remembering-chaser-the-smartest-dog-in-the-world/)

Censorship

This week we take a historical tour of past empires' censorship of discussion, and consider the learnings we can take away from them, whilst contemplating the best way forward in terms of censoring internet-based discussion.

Resources referenced:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/instagram-negative-comments-hidden/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBDFowUx668&ab_channel=BigThink

https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/empire-of-illusions-film-censorship-eugenics-and-aboriginal-spect

http://forgetoday.com/2020/03/24/social-media-censorship-a-safety-measure-or-a-threat-to-free-speech/

https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/15/21518097/fcc-social-media-censorship-moderation-ajit-pai-section-230-nypost-biden

There is an upcoming congressional hearing involving the CEOs of the large social Media companies, Facebook, Twitter, and Google.

This a politicized issue, but in this podcast we discuss the reasons for calling for such a hearing, drawing examples from both sides of the political spectrum whilst trying our best to maintain objectivity.

References used:

-https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/02/senate-panel-secures-top-tech-ceo-testimony-for-oct-28-425597

-https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-media-misinformation-social-media-elections-f11df03622f7d272faeccddeb95a641d

-https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/ceos-social-media-giants-testify-senate-hearing-73433414

-https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/mcs/article/view/5655/6273

-https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/downloads/Nazis%20v.%20ISIS.pdf

-https://snap.stanford.edu/mis2/files/MIS2_paper_23.pdf

-https://cyber.harvard.edu/publication/2020/Mail-in-Voter-Fraud-Disinformation-2020

-https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/race-society/white-supremacy-research-cyber-racism/

-https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/463453-former-white-supremacist-kicking-extremists-off-social-media-plays-into

This episode we discuss the behind the scenes happenings of Alibaba, Chinese e-commerce giant, with a new portable cloud computing device, the extreme economic power wielded by corporations such as Alibaba, and more.

Links used to research this topic are provided below:

-https://www.alibabacloud.com/solutions/intelligence-brain/industrial

-https://hbr.org/2018/09/alibaba-and-the-future-of-business

-https://www.alibabacloud.com/customers/cainiao-logistics

-https://www.zdnet.com/article/alibaba-unveils-cloud-2-0-wuying-cloud-computer-and-xiaomanlv-logistics-robot/

-https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/26/in-land-of-big-data-china-sets-individual-privacy-rights

Today we go deep into discussion regarding historical instances of intentional obsolescence as well as making some accusations of modern day companies who may (or may not) be guilty of similar misdeeds.

A discussion about Neuralink, the exciting technology which aims to put a chip in your head to revolutionize the ways in which we interact with machines.

The various projects of Google Deepmind, including AlphaGo, AlphaFold, and Alphastar