DTNS Tech News: CES Goes Virtual, AI & Face Masks Insights

Stay up-to-date on the latest tech news with Daily Tech News Show (DTNS). In today's episode, we'll explore the cancellation of CES in-person event, the groundbreaking AI projects, and the impact of face masks on facial recognition technology. Additionally, we delve into Google's transatlantic cable project, and also look to a new submarine cable connecting Europe, the Middle East and Australia. Tune in to learn about the latest in Spotify's group listening feature and the departure of Intel’s hardware chief.

CES 2021 Goes Entirely Virtual

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has officially announced that CES 2021 will be an all-digital event. After initially planning a hybrid in-person and virtual show, the organization decided it was in the best interest of public health to cancel the physical component due to COVID-19 concerns. The Consumer Technology Association staged the biggest technology trade show of the year, drawing around 180,000 people to Las Vegas each January, but there will be no classical event in 2021.

This means that the show, which typically sees a huge influx of attendees, will be online-only, allowing exhibitors and attendees to engage through online Talks and meetings. Is the industry sad to not meet in person? Well, we may miss the convention floor, but this will keep everyone safe!

AI Conversations with Ada Lovelace & The Hulk

Exciting advancements are happening in the world of AI. A new project leveraging OpenAI’s GPT-3 model enables users to have simulated conversations with historical and fictional figures. The project allows us to talk with any person. It could be useful for a lot of research. How is this being used? Author Andrew Mayne is at the forefront of this groundbreaking technology, working with OpenAI to bring historical and fictional figures to life. Imagine having a conversation with Ada Lovelace, the pioneering computer programmer, or even the Incredible Hulk! This could revolutionize how we engage with history, literature, and even entertainment. It will be really interesting to see it continue to change and develop.

What does this mean for storytelling? What does this mean for connecting with historical figures in a Novel way? The possibilities are endless!

Face Masks Impact Facial Recognition

A recent study by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reveals that face masks significantly impact the accuracy of facial recognition algorithms. Wearing a mask that covers the mouth and nose can increase the error rate by 5% to 50%. However, algorithms are now being re-written and optimized to recognize people while wearing masks, though this might be dependent on mask color. In their tests, algorithms struggled more with dark/black masks than blue. As face masks become more common in daily life, these findings highlight the challenges and necessary adaptations for facial recognition technology. To get around the mask recognition problem, it is easy for 1 to 1 identification where they know the identity of the person. Just remove the face mask. FaceID and more may be changing soon and using the eyes and eye measurements for identification.

Google's Underwater Transatlantic Data Cable

Google announced plans to build a new undersea network cable connecting the US, UK, and Spain. This is a significant upgrade to older existing lines. Fiber is being put in the water! This is Google’s fourth privately owned undersea cable project, aimed at saving money and increasing network capacity. However, an industry insider told DTNS that the average user won’t see any noticeable improvements from this new cable. What could matter to users more is an underwater cable that is being completed in December 2021. This undersea cable will connect Oman to Perth, connecting Europe, Middle East, and Africa to Australia. This will avoid traffic through the South China Sea.

Spotify Expands Group Listening Parties

Spotify is expanding its group Sessions feature. Five premium members can listen to music and podcasts together at once. All party members can control playback, skip, and add to a queue. This can be done even if listeners are far apart from each other. Spotify first launched this in May. Listening to music with a group is now easier than ever. This feature could be great for connecting with friends during lock-down or when social distancing. Get connected and start listening to Music together.

Intel's Hardware Chief Leaves

Intel’s Chief Engineering Officer Dr. Venkata (Murthy) Renduchintala is leaving the company, August 3rd. The Technology System Architecture and Client Group will be split up into 5 teams. Those teams will report to Intel CEO Bob Swan. Is Intel restructuring after not being able to get smaller semiconductors out to market? I think Intel is getting serious and trying to solve some of the major problems it has been experiencing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. This may be a big change for the company in terms of how it operates.

Netflix Emmy Nominations

Netflix received the most Emmy nominations of any Studio. This includes digital studios as well. Netflix received 160 Emmy nominations, with Ozark leading the way with 18 nominations. Hulu, Apple TV+, and Disney+ also received nominations, but were far behind Netflix. Even Quibi earned 10 nominations! Amazon pulled in 31 nominations. It is nice to see Netflix doing so well, but it is not enough. It will continue to need more viewers. Netflix is leading streaming with subscribers.

Impact of Remote Work

Remote work is changing how many industries work. A main problem now being addressed and what technologies are being developed. Remote work is here to stay. And the companies that figure it out first will have a major advantage. But companies are also still working out how to integrate it properly.

AI Writer: Ethics of Impersonating People

As AI becomes more Adept at simulating human voices and styles, there are ethical considerations to examine. AI will try to produce the outcome that you want but also should not be considered a reliable source. We are seeing how powerful it can be. We may reach a point when we have to put a seal of authenticity, to state whether it was actually produced by an AI program.

Web Apps Limitations

Web apps are amazing but have their limitations. They are not on Apple’s Safari Browser. So PWA functions are not working on IOS. That's why we should keep a close eye and figure out why some programs are restricting web capabilities. One must think about this and what it is doing to the space.