Tech
Time-honored sake brewers looking to AI for future
Some of the world's most famous sake breweries are looking to artificial intelligence to enshrine their time-honored techniques, and in the process are future-proofing their businesses as Japan contends with major demographic challenges. Since April 2018, Asahi Shuzo Co in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, has been working on a trial using… Read
Facebook cancels developer conference as tech companies respond to virus
Facebook Inc will cancel its annual developer conference due to fears over the coronavirus over growing concerns about the economic impact of the global outbreak. Facebook's F8 conference, which attracted 5,000 people from around the world last year, was scheduled to be held May 5 and 6 in San Jose,… Read
Riken, Kanagawa Pref create test to detect coronavirus in 30 minutes
Kanagawa Prefecture and government-backed research institute Riken said Thursday they have developed a testing method that can detect the new coronavirus in 30 minutes, far shorter than the six hours required with current tests. The Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Riken created the new diagnostic test in their… Read
Coronavirus clouds Apple's timeline for new iPhones
Travel restrictions to China because of the coronavirus have come just as Apple Inc's engineers usually jet off to Asia to perfect the production of this fall's new iPhones, former employees and supply chain experts told Reuters. High-volume manufacturing is not scheduled until summer, but the first months of the… Read
Panasonic, Tesla to scrap solar panels partnership
Panasonic is pulling out of its partnership with Tesla to produce solar panels at a factory in New York state, the Japanese electronics maker said Wednesday. Panasonic's production at the factory in Buffalo will end by May, with an exit by September, it said in a statement. The decision is… Read
Internet giants fight spread of coronavirus untruths
As the new coronavirus spreads globally, the online battle to keep misinformation about the disease is also stepping up. Google, Facebook and other platforms are struggling to keep ahead of scammers, trolls, and others with ill intent who routinely use major tragedies or disasters as opportunities to swindle or manipulate… Read
Apple, J&J to study if Apple Watch app leads to lower stroke risk
Johnson & Johnson will partner with Apple Inc on a study to use an iPhone app and the Apple Watch to study how earlier detection of atrial fibrillation impacts stroke in people aged 65 or older. Last year, Apple's Heart Study found that the watch could accurately detect atrial fibrillation,… Read
Microsoft expects financial hit from coronavirus spread
Microsoft on Wednesday lowered its revenue estimates for the current quarter, saying it will feel the impact of the coronavirus epidemic with lower sales of Windows software and Surface devices. The U.S. tech giant became the latest global firm to warn of a financial hit from the global outbreak of… Read
No checkout needed: Amazon opens cashier-less grocery store in Seattle
Amazon wants to kill the supermarket checkout line. The online retailing giant is opening its first cashier-less supermarket, where shoppers can grab milk or eggs and walk out without waiting in line or ever opening their wallets. It's the latest sign that Amazon is serious about shaking up the $800… Read
Pentagon adopts new ethical principles for using AI in war
The Pentagon is adopting new ethical principles as it prepares to accelerate its use of artificial intelligence technology on the battlefield. The new principles call for people to "exercise appropriate levels of judgment and care" when deploying and using AI systems, such as those that scan aerial imagery to look… Read
