Silicon Valley: How Stanford, science, and war made tech history
The history of Silicon Valley: The rise of a technological unicorn.
22 July, 2019
- In the first part of the 20th century, Silicon Valley wasn't known as the "Silicon Valley." It was the "Santa Clara Valley." It was a agricultural region, best known for being the "Prune Capital of America.
- In terms of getting its start, Sherman Fairchild created Fairchild Semiconductor in the area because he had inherited a lot of money from IBM stock. In this way, IBM is sort of granddaddy of all computer companies because of this.
- Remaking another Silicon Valley in the world would be tough — but not impossible. The region has become what it is today because it succeeded in a certain kind of time.
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AI is turning thoughts into speech. Should we be concerned?
A new study highlights a fascinating application of AI, though other uses are more troubling.
29 April, 2019
Epileptology unit, Nice, France Long-term EEG, 3 days, for a check-up of partial epilepsy. (Photo by: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)
- Recent research in epilepsy patients has provided a breakthrough in AI-enabled speech recognition technology.
- Soon researchers believe such an application will translate brain waves into speech.
- The moral dangers of AI, especially concerning privacy, continue to be an issue.
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Privacy is a human right, we need a GDPR for the world: Microsoft CEO
Half of Americans do not trust the federal government or social media sites to protect their data.
27 February, 2019
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella answers a shareholders question during the Microsoft Annual Shareholders Meeting at the Meydenbauer Center on November 28, 2018 in Bellevue, Washington. Microsoft recently surpassed Apple, Inc. to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
Against the backdrop of a "techlash", the CEO of Microsoft called for new global norms on privacy, data and Artificial Intelligence.
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Most Americans don’t realize what companies can predict from their data
What does your phone know about you?
25 February, 2019
A woman looks at her phone as she walks inside an exhibition centre in Shanghai on September 8, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / CHANDAN KHANNA
Sixty-seven percent of smartphone users rely on Google Maps to help them get to where they are going quickly and efficiently.
A major of feature of Google Maps is its ability to predict how long different navigation routes will take. That's possible because the mobile phone of each person using Google Maps sends data about its location and speed back to Google's servers, where it is analyzed to generate new data about traffic conditions.
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This Elon Musk interview from 1999 explains his success
When he first became a multi-millionaire, Elon Musk shared how his vision led to success.
28 January, 2019
- Elon Musk saw that you could make money on the internet back in 1995, when most people didn't.
- He explains that he's not interested in money as much as in starting companies.
- Musk likes to pursue new ideas like a "new game."
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