James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Google engineer sets off a firestorm with a challenge to diversity initiatives
A Google Inc. software engineer has created a furor after disseminating an antidiversity manifesto, in which he criticizes the company for being an “ideological echo-chamber.” The memo accuses Google of discrimination for its attempt to level the playing field and assert gender and race equality within the company. The employee writes that Google embraces biases regarding ...
Report: Uber knowingly leased defective cars to drivers in Singapore, and it didn’t end well
Uber Technologies Inc. knowingly leased hundreds of defective cars to drivers in Singapore, and at least one of those cars caught fire, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal Thursday. The car in question was a Honda Vezel sport utility vehicle driven by Singaporean Uber driver Koh Seng Tian. The driver rented the vehicle ...
Brave New America: In a controversial first in U.S., scientists edit genes in an embryo
In a first for the U.S., researchers in Oregon have successfully modified genes in human embryos to prevent disease, recent reports have revealed. Prior to what has been called a “milestone” in the U.S., the only country to edit embryos successfully was China. The embryos involved in the U.S., as well as China, were not ...
Hands-free selfies: Snap is looking at buying drone maker Zero Zero Robotics
Snap Inc. is taking steps to buy Beijing-based Zero Zero Robotics Inc., according to a report by the Information published Tuesday. The Chinese startup, established in 2014, created a stir last year after launching its Hover Camera Passport drone. The drone users artificial intelligence and facial recognition so it can be set to track a ...
Tech CEOs brush back invitation to meet with Congress on net neutrality
Chief executives from some of the world’s leading tech companies have rebuffed an invitation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee to meet with Congress in September to discuss net neutrality. Last week Republican Greg Walden sent a letter to Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet Inc. CEO Larry Page, Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos ...
AnchorFree says it’s saving net neutrality by helping apps circumvent ISPs
Silicon Valley software company AnchorFree Inc. has come up with a solution to the possibility of Internet service providers throttling certain content on the Internet: a way to get around those providers. AnchorFree, which claims to be the “world’s largest Internet Freedom and Privacy Platform,” has developed a free Software Development Kit that will protect ...
Tech CEOs slam Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military
Following President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday to ban transgender people from entering the military, many leaders of the tech industry have voiced their criticism. Trump’s rationale for the move was that allowing transgender people to serve would burden the military with “tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender people would entail.” Since the announcement, ...
Republicans ask tech and telecom CEOs to weigh in on net neutrality
House Republicans are hoping to solve the ongoing net neutrality issue by inviting leading tech and telecom chief executives to testify in front of Congress in September. The tech execs will include Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet Inc. CEO Larry Page, Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos and Netflix Inc. CEO Reed Hastings. Executives from Internet ...
UK police chief says smart household appliances need to be given a security rating
A U.K. police chief has called for a security rating for household appliances that connect to the Internet amid growing concerns that the expanding Internet of Things will fall prey to hackers. Chief constable Mike Barton, who also heads the U.K.’s National Police Chiefs Council, said smart TVs, refrigerators and the like should be given ...
After users complain, Verizon admits to throttling YouTube and Netflix speeds
Verizon Communications Inc. has admitted to throttling video streaming speeds after its customers complained that speed tests on Netflix seemed to indicate a cap at 10 megabits per second. At a time when net neutrality rules, the idea that Internet service providers shouldn’t limit delivery of content, could be kicked to the curb, throttling speeds ...