James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Microsoft’s A.I teen-bot goes from sex-slave to white supremacist to conspiracy theorist after interacting with the populace
We learned recently how Microsoft’s new artificial intelligence (A.I.) bot for teens, named Tay, could be outspoken when it comes to flirtation, but now the bot has gone one step too far. So far, in fact, that Microsoft has now muzzled its new bot and is currently “making adjustments”. What did Tay do to provoke ...
Microsoft’s new A.I. teen-bot is a young man’s wet dream, seriously
Microsoft’s new chatbot, Tay, available for talks on Twitter, Kik, and GroupMe, is said to be suited to 19-24 year olds; that’s probably meant to be a warning. Over time she’ll get to know you, and the more she knows you, the better she becomes. Microsoft says, “Tay is designed to engage and entertain people where they ...
Glad to be back: Mark Zuckerberg takes heaps of abuse for his trip to China
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg might feel glad he’s home, if indeed he’s been reading what thousands of netizens have been saying about his trip to the East. Zuckerberg was there, mainly it’s reported, as an act of diplomacy and to attend an economic forum. He also visited the Great Wall of China and took a short ...
Should Microsoft and Xbox have had to apologize for hiring Go Go dancers following public outcry?
Microsoft issued a formal letter of apology (presently down) following widespread criticism of its Xbox team dancing alongside half-naked women at a party hosted for guests at Microsoft’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week. The appearance of dancing girls didn’t go down well with some of the guests. One such guest, Kamina Vincent, ...
Zen and the art of making an iPhone
“He did everything he wanted, and all on his own terms,” said a teary eyed Bob Belleville, a former colleague of Steve Jobs and head of engineering at Apple when the Macintosh 128k was created. Belleville pays much respect to his former boss while being interviewed in the Alex Gibney (Going Clear, Taxi to the ...
Microsoft’s Edge browser finally gets long-awaited extensions
It’s been sometime coming, but extensions for Microsoft’s Edge browser are finally here – for Windows Insiders in the Fast ring at least. Microsoft just announced that Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14291 will include some, “very cool new things” including Edge extensions. In a separate blog post Microsoft listed the extensions which will include ...
Microsoft announces timeframe for Windows 10 apps coming to Xbox One
Microsoft’s Jason Ronald revealed at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco that this summer Windows 10 apps will be coming to Xbox One, according to reports. The Xbox Store and Windows Store for apps will also be merged. No exact date was given as to how this will unfold, although Business Insider states ...
We know your Android phone isn’t encrypted, so here’s how you encrypt it in a few easy steps
Over the last few weeks due to the Apple vs. FBI case, pervasive media coverage of that case, and consequently a growing concern throughout the world regarding our digital privacy, the word encryption seems to be on many people’s minds. Of course that doesn’t mean that many people have actually encrypted their device(s). Statistically speaking ...
John Oliver on why Apple’s products aren’t really safe, but why the tech giant has every right to protect our privacy
In an ongoing case that is surely going to become a landmark issue concerning how we live today, satirist and comedian John Oliver laid down his views concerning Apple vs. FBI. If you don’t know what this is referring to, in short, a demand by the FBI that Apple hacks one of its own iPhones to ...
True Skin picked up by Amazon, must avoid cliches for sci-fi fans
True Skin, a 2012 short film that looks something like tech on steroids amidst a futuristic depiction of Bangkok’s red light district, has now been optioned by Amazon Studios to be made into a series. Written and directed by Stephan Zlotescu, the short was previously picked up by Warner Brothers less than a week after it ...