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orbemnews · 3 years

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Fact, or Corporate Fiction? Facts and foolishness Announcing phony news on April Fools’ Day is one of corporate America’s favorite occasions for shameless publicity stunts. But when stonks, Dogecoin and $69 million JPG files are real things that warrant serious business coverage, the risk of jokes being taken seriously could hardly be higher. Some say that’s a good reason to skip them, not to mention the gravity that a pandemic has cast over things. With that in mind, can you spot the prank among these recent announcements? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.) A: To celebrate National Burrito Day today, Chipotle is giving away $100,000 worth of Bitcoin. B: Volkwagen’s U.S. operation is changing its name to “Voltswagen” to emphasize the company’s push into electric vehicles. C: Robinhood is nixing a confetti animation when app users make a stock trade to reduce “distraction.” D: Krispy Kreme is giving anyone who shows proof of Covid-19 vaccination one free doughnut per day for the rest of the year. E: Managers at Goldman Sachs are giving junior bankers gift baskets with fruit and snacks in response to complaints about burnout. HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING Business groups challenge President Biden’s proposed corporate tax increases. The Business Roundtable and U.S. Chamber of Commerce were among those that praised Mr. Biden’s plan to spend trillions on infrastructure. But they rejected his idea to pay for it by raising taxes, saying that doing so would endanger the economic recovery. The latest setbacks in quelling the pandemic. Johnson & Johnson said it would delay future shipments of its vaccine after a mix-up at a manufacturing plant. A top E.U. official said the bloc would allow “zero” shipments of AstraZeneca’s vaccine to Britain until the drugmaker fulfilled its commitments to Brussels. And France announced a third nationwide lockdown as its cases mount and inoculation efforts lag. A tough day for initial public offerings. As Deliveroo had “the worst I.P.O. in London’s history,” other offerings also struggled. In the U.S., the SoftBank-backed real estate brokerage Compass priced at the bottom of a reduced range, while the low-cost airline Frontier sold at the low end of expectations. And in Canada, the space tech company MDA priced below its range. Microsoft wins a huge contract to make augmented-reality headsets for the U.S. Army. The tech giant will receive up to $22 billion for equipping soldiers with sensors based on its HoloLens technology. It’s another big defense contract for Microsoft, which beat out Amazon to provide a $10 billion cloud computing system for the Pentagon. Executives get a ‘sense of urgency’ in Georgia A day after 72 Black executives signed a letter calling on companies to fight restrictive voting bills more forcefully, executives have begun speaking out more directly about laws that limit ballot access. But their statements came too late to affect a sweeping law passed last week in Georgia that added new requirements for absentee voting, limits on drop boxes and other restrictions that have an outsize impact on Black voters. Today in Business Updated April 2, 2021, 3:58 p.m. ET Delta and Coca-Cola reversed course. Ed Bastian, Delta’s C.E.O., told employees, “I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values.” James Quincey, Coca-Cola’s C.E.O., said he wanted to be “crystal clear” that “the Coca-Cola Company does not support this legislation, as it makes it harder for people to vote, not easier.” The statements by the Atlanta-based companies angered local politicians, including Gov. Brian Kemp. In the past, corporate stands on controversial issues have led to political retribution: In 2018, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle stripped a tax break proposal from a bill that would benefit Delta after the airline ended a promotional discount for N.R.A. members. The State House passed a similar measure yesterday, but the Senate didn’t take it up before the chambers adjourned for the year. Retaliation also goes the other way: In an interview with ESPN, President Biden said he would “strongly support” moving Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game from Atlanta, scheduled for July. “It is regrettable that the sense of urgency came after the legislation was passed and signed into law,” said Darren Walker, the Ford Foundation president, who is a board member at Pepsi, Ralph Lauren and Square. Others companies based in Georgia remained circumspect. A UPS spokesperson said the company stood “ready to continue to help in ensuring every Georgia voter has the ability to vote.” A spokesperson for Home Depot reiterated the company’s stance that it believes “all elections should be accessible, fair and secure.” A spokesperson for Inspire Brands, the owner of Dunkin’ Donuts and Arby’s, said that it “values inclusivity” and believes that “every American should have equal access to their right to vote.” “The argument is they are recruited, they’re used up and then they’re cast aside without even a college degree. So they say, how can this be defended in the name of amateurism?” — Justice Samuel Alito, assessing the “stark picture” painted by college athletes in an antitrust case against the N.C.A.A. that the Supreme Court heard yesterday. The Red Sox sold a stake to private equity. Now what? RedBird Capital Partners confirmed its deal to buy a stake in Red Sox parent Fenway Sports Group, a transaction that values the company at $7.35 billion. DealBook spoke with RedBird’s founder, Gerry Cardinale, and Fenway’s chair, Tom Werner, about what happens next. Buy and build. RedBird plans to acquire more teams: Mr. Cardinale noted that his company doesn’t own teams in the N.B.A., N.H.L. or M.L.S. For its part, Fenway plans to tap new opportunities in ticketing, sponsorship and media. (As part of the RedBird deal, the N.B.A. star LeBron James bought a stake in Fenway.) In media, Fenway controls NESN, and RedBird owns a stake in the YES network. “You should expect that we’re going to continue to look for ways to innovate in that area,” said Mr. Cardinale, who helped create the YES network. Deepening ties with online gambling is also on the table. “We do have an excellent relationship with DraftKings,” Mr. Werner said, “and we’ve already had some conversations with them about partnerships.” The deal was a better fit for the private market instead of a SPAC, the executives said, after talks to take Fenway public via a blank-check firm fell through. “In the middle of Covid, with the mandate to re-underwrite the next wave of growth for Fenway Sports Group, we probably would be better off doing that privately and then give ourselves the option down the road,” Mr. Cardinale said of going public. He also called the current SPAC market “very frothy.” What worked at WeWork WeWork was founded in 2008, rose spectacularly, reached a $47 billion valuation and famously crashed before a planned I.P.O. in 2019. (It announced a deal last week to go public by merging with a blank-check firm that valued it at roughly $8 billion.) A new documentary, “WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn,” tries to find lessons among the ups and downs. It streams on Hulu, starting tomorrow. Jed Rothstein, the director, told DealBook that he believes what’s most compelling about WeWork isn’t what went wrong, but how it initially succeeded by turning strangers into a kind of tribe. “We still need that,” he said. “The core idea of WeWork met a real need for community,” Mr. Rothstein said. “The voids people were trying to fill have only become more real.” After a year of social distancing, he likes the notion of curated communal spaces, which is what WeWork offered. Talking to early WeWorkers who bought the vision and later felt betrayed, he was surprised to find how much the company gave its devotees, notably a feeling that they were part of something bigger. That is worth acknowledging in a world where people will increasingly work remotely and for many different companies in their careers, Mr. Rothstein said. WeWork’s co-founders, Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, both had communal childhood experiences. Mr. Rothstein said he thought they sincerely wanted to replicate the good in group life and inspired people who hadn’t seen that before. But Mr. Neumann also focused on what he didn’t like — sharing equally — and emphasized an “eat what you kill” mentality. Ultimately, his hunger turned the community dream into a nightmare for many. After the director talked to people who followed the initial vision, his perspective changed. “People in the film experienced real growth and fulfillment mixed with their anger,” he said. “I realized the story is much more nuanced.” THE SPEED READ Deals The media conglomerate Endeavor filed to go public for a second time, while raising $1.8 billion to buy full control of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It also added Elon Musk to its board. (WSJ, CNBC) Vice Media is reportedly in talks to go public by merging with a SPAC. And the S.E.C. issued two notices for companies looking to go public via SPAC. (The Information, S.E.C.) Junior bankers aren’t the only ones feeling burned out. Young lawyers are, too. (Business Insider) Politics and policy New York became the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana. (NYT) Efforts by aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to hide New York State’s Covid-19 death toll coincided with his efforts to win a multimillion-dollar book deal. (NYT) An accidental disclosure by the I.R.S. revealed a $1 billion tax dispute with Bristol Myers Squibb. (NYT) Tech Best of the rest The ad agency Deutsch is doubling referral bonuses for Black job candidates. (Insider) Amazon wants its employees mostly back in its offices, while the Carlyle Group and IBM favor hybrid working models. (Insider, Bloomberg) Paul Simon is the latest musician to sell his entire back catalog: Sony Music Publishing will buy the collection, including classics like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” for an undisclosed amount. (NYT) Feeling burned-out? As more workers consider a return to the office, our colleague Sarah Lyall is writing about late-pandemic anxiety and exhaustion. Tell her about how you’re coping. April Fools’ Day quiz answer: B. If you were fooled by Volkswagen’s prank, you’re in good company. Volkswagen reportedly told journalists that a draft of the announcement was not a stunt. It later called the stunt just “a bit of fun.” Source link Orbem News #corporate #fact #Fiction

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magzoso-tech · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/audio-technica-ath-s200bt-review/

Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT Review

Recent years have seen a number of new manufacturers get into the headphones game, but many traditionalists prefer sticking to brands that are tried and tested. Audio-Technica is a Japanese audio manufacturer well known for its consumer and professional audio equipment. We recently reviewed the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT – a wireless version of the classic M50x headphones – and came away impressed.

Although Audio-Technica’s best products are expensive and out of reach for the average headphone buyer, the company does have a growing range of affordable products. What’s interesting is that these offerings attempt to stay true to the philosophies that make the brand so popular among enthusiasts. One such product is the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT, which is priced at Rs. 3,990. This pair of on-ear headphones promises a lot for a reasonable amount of money, but just how good is it? Find out in our review.

Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT design and specifications

Audio-Technica headphones usually follow a very specific aesthetic, and the ATH-S200BT sticks to it. The headphones have round earcups made of solid plastic with the Audio-Technica logo on the outside – instantly recognisable for anyone even somewhat familiar with the headphone industry. The size of this headset means that you get an on-ear fit, with the earcups sitting on top of your ears rather than covering them completely.

This fit style has its pros and cons, and in the case of these headphones, we found more cons. The clamping was a bit too strong for us and was uncomfortable on our ears. The round shape of the ear cups also meant that sound isolation was a bit iffy. There was a fair amount of sound leakage when the headphones were worn, and our music could be heard by other people around 3-4 feet away.

That apart, the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT is built well, and the padding is adequate considering the Rs. 3,990 price. All the controls are on the left side of the headset, including a slider switch for power and buttons for volume and playback control. There is also a small indicator light for power and Bluetooth status, and a Micro-USB port for charging the headphones. The microphone of the ATH-S200BT isn’t visible, but is present.

A significant feature missing on the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT is the ability to use it as a wired headset; it isn’t possible to use a stereo cable for connectivity when the battery runs down. The sales package is a bit bare, with just a Micro-USB cable to charge the headset included apart from the headset itself.

The Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT has 40mm dynamic drivers, with a frequency response range of 5-32,000Hz. For connectivity, the headset uses Bluetooth 4.1, and supports only the SBC Bluetooth codec. While battery life is claimed to be 40 hours per charge, we didn’t quite achieve that number in our testing. We managed to get to a respectable 28 hours on a full charge, which is far more than what we’ve seen on other headphones in this price segment, but way less than the company’s claim.

Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT performance

The Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT might not have a lot going for it when it comes to comfort and design, but it does make up for this with sound quality. It’s worth mentioning here that the sonic signature is unlike what you can expect from most other headphones in this price segment – the sound is neutral-leaning, rather than following the typical V-shaped curve where the bass and treble get a boost but not the mid range.

We used an Android smartphone as our primary source device when testing the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT. We streamed music from Spotify and YouTube Music, and listened to our collection of high-quality test tracks. We also used the headset for voice calls.

While we did mention that the sonic signature doesn’t lean any particular way, we were impressed with the low-end response of the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT. Listening to Shur-i-Kan’s progressive house track Conundrum with the volume at around the 75 percent mark, we loved the aggressive buildup and tightness in the bass. While it might come across as too punchy for some, we quite enjoyed how the low end sounded on these headphones, particularly thanks to how loud it can get without even setting it to the maximum volume.

Moving on, Mermaid of Salinas by Basement Jaxx gave us a good sense of the neutral quality of the sound. While the bass continued to hold its own, it was interesting to hear the highs and mids ringing through with equal strength. We were able to hear every individual element of the track clearly, and this gives the impression of a much more open soundstage than we’re used to on headphones in this price segment.

We then played the electro-jazz classic Strange Love by Koop, and found the mid range to be particularly well tuned on the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT. Vocals were sharp, distinct, incredibly detailed, and never overshadowed by the instruments. These headphones produced a similarly detailed sound with various other vocal-centric tracks, and we quite liked the difference this sonic signature brought.

Finally, using the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT as a hands-free headset for calls was a decent experience for us. The strong mid range and the loudness of the sound made for clear calls, and the microphone also did a decent job of picking up our voice.

Verdict

We’re usually impressed with Audio-Technica’s headphones, but the ATH-S200BT is a bit of a mixed bag for us. Sound quality is impressive for the price, offering an experience that not too many other products with this feature set and in this price range can. However, the design and comfort are simply not up to the mark – these headphones aren’t comfortable to wear, leak sound, and don’t do much for noise isolation.

If you consider the interesting sound and exceptional battery life to be deal-clinchers, that would be good enough reason to buy the Audio-Technica ATH-S200BT. While this pair of headphones is far from perfect, we did enjoy our time with it, and so will you if you prefer a neutral sonic signature and like picking up on the small details in your music.

Price: Rs. 3,990

Pros

Sturdy, plenty of padding

Excellent battery life

Interesting sonic signature, detailed sound

Strong responses across the range

Good for hands-free calls

Cons

Uncomfortable

Poor noise isolation

Too much sound leakage

No wired connectivity

Ratings (out of 5)

Design/ comfort: 3

Audio quality: 3.5

Battery life: 4.5

Value for money: 4

Overall: 3.5

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alexdesouzathings-blog · 5 years

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Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market Size, Share, Demand, Scope, Growth Drivers, Future and Forecast Between 2019 -2024

Fast Market Research has presented a detailed report on “Zinc Carbon Battery Market – By Size (9V, AA, AAA, Others), By Application (Remote Control, Consumer Electronics, Toys, Others) & Global Region – Market Size, Market Volume, Trends, Opportunity, Forecast 2018-2024” which includes the major application, advantages, and key market trends that are fostering the growth of the market during the forecasted span of 6 years. The research takes a step forward and analyzes the key competitors and global regions that are holding the market share of Zinc Carbon Battery Market in terms of revenue.

Get Sample Copy Of This Report – https://www.fastmr.com/request-s/37

The global zinc carbon battery is expected to reach USD 1,848.0 Million by the end of 2024 from USD 1,721.3 Million in 2018. Further, global zinc carbon battery market is predicted to thrive at a CAGR of 1.1% over the forecast period. In addition to this, the global zinc carbon battery market size is projected to witness a Y-O-Y growth of 0.5% in 2024 as compared to previous years.

Market Insights

Growth Drivers – Zinc Carbon Battery Market

Cost Advantages of Zinc Carbon Batteries

The battery industry has witnessed the development of numerous batteries technology over the years. Among many high-quality battery’s technologies including lead acid, alkaline, and others, zinc carbon is still surviving due to its key advantages and low cost of a zinc-carbon battery is one of them. Owing to its low cost, the zinc-carbon battery is used in most of the common consumer electronics such as flashlights, garage door openers, fluorescent lanterns, home entertainment remote controls, kerosene heater igniters, home security devices, lanterns, personal care devices, radios, stereo headsets, smoke detectors and many more. The demand for zinc carbon batteries in strong in low-income countries such as India. Consumers with low purchasing power prefer zinc carbon batteries due to their low cost. Zinc-carbon battery also finds applications in areas other than consumer electronics, such as toys, laboratory instruments marine depth finders, motor driven devices, stereo headsets, and test equipment.

Cost Advantages of Zinc Carbon Batteries

The world zinc-carbon battery market has been supported by low drain electronic devices, especially toys in the past few years. Nowadays, there are more electronic and mechanical toys have been produced for children, disposable batteries including zinc carbon have become a necessity for every household which is expected to further support the growth of the zinc-carbon battery industry in the world.

Size & Shape Flexibility of Zinc Carbon Batteries

Most consumers would still prefer disposable batteries due to its ease of use, even though rechargeable batteries have a lower total cost of use as compared to disposable batteries. Zinc-carbon batteries are available in various shapes, sizes, and capacities. These appropriate storage life and reasonable electrical parameters offer suitable utilization.

Segmentation

By Size:

– 9V

– AA

– AAA

– Others

By Application:

– Remote Control

– Consumer Electronics

– Toys

– Others

By Geography:

– North America (U.S. & Canada)

– Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe)

– Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific)

– Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America)

– Middle East & Africa (GCC, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

Competitive Landscape

The report profiles various major market players such as

– Nippo Batteries Co. Ltd.

– Eveready Industries India Ltd.

– Panasonic Corporation

– Sony

– GP Batteries International Limited

– Fujitsu

– Toshiba

– FDK Corporation

– Jiaxing Mini-Moon Battery Co., Ltd.

– Fujian Nanping Nanfu Battery Co. Ltd

– Other Major & Niche Players

Browse Full Report With TOC – https://www.fastmr.com/report/zinc-carbon-battery-market

Table of Content

Preface

1.1. Research Methodology

1.2. Geographic Scope

1.3. Years Considered

Executive Summary

Introduction

3.1. General Information

3.2. Fields of Application

3.3. Manufacturing Process

3.4. Raw Materials

Competitive Landscape

4.1. Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market, By Value

4.2. Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market, By Volume

Zinc Carbon Battery Supply, By Region

5.1. Global Zinc Carbon Battery Revenue, By Region

5.1.1. North America

5.1.2. Europe

5.1.3. Asia-Pacific

5.1.4. Latin America

5.1.5. Middle East and Africa

5.2. Global Zinc Carbon Battery Volume, By Region

5.2.1. North America

5.2.2. Europe

5.2.3. Asia-Pacific

5.2.4. Latin America

5.2.5. Middle East and Africa

Growth Drivers & Barriers in Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market

Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market Trends

Opportunities in Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market

Recent Industry Activities, 2018

Porter’s Five Forces Analysis

Market Value Chain and Supply Chain Analysis

Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market Segmentation Analysis, By Size

13.1. Introduction

13.2. Market Attractiveness, By Size

13.3. BPS Analysis, By Size

13.4. 9V Battery Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

13.5. AA Battery Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

13.6. AAA Battery Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

13.7. Other Battery Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market Segmentation Analysis, By Application

14.1. Introduction

14.2. Market Attractiveness, By Application

14.3. BPS Analysis, By Application

14.4. Remote Control Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

14.5. Consumer Electronics Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

14.6. Toys Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

14.7. Other Application Market Value (USD Million), Market Volume (Million Units), Forecast & Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, 2018-2024

Read More@

About Us:

FAST. MR is a global market research and business-consulting organization that aims to provide a deep market insight to our clients, which helps them in better decision making in the dynamic environment. We have a team of highly qualified personnel that studies the market in depth to provide our clients with better strategies to stand out in the market.

Jason Lee

150 State Street, Albany,

New York, USA 12207

+1 (518) 300-1215

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.fastmr.com

#Global Zinc Carbon Battery Market #Zinc Carbon Battery Market #Zinc Carbon Battery Market size #Zinc Carbon Battery Market share #Zinc Carbon Battery Marketa analysis #Zinc Carbon Battery Market news #Zinc Carbon Battery Market report #Zinc Carbon Battery Market research

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josephlrushing · 4 years

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Jabra Elite Active 75t Raise the Bar for True Wireless Earbuds Even Higher

Some months ago, I declared the Jabra 75t the “current champ of true wireless earphone.” I currently switch between them and the Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus as my goto daily TWEs- The M&D when I want top fidelity and the Jabra 75t for activities like walking my dog, Nava. Now we’ve got the impressive Jabra Elite Active 75t.

The Elite Active 75t is an incremental update to the Elite 75t, a truly wireless earphone that was already both comfortable and great sounding. In fact, from a distance, they look the same.

Like the 75t, the Elite Active 75t ship with a small charging case, the true wireless earbuds, a short USB-C charging cable, and a selection of EarGels so you can get the best fit possible.

And, like the 75t, the Elite Active 75t is 22% smaller than the Jabra Elite Active 65t, and they get almost twice the battery life. While the Elite Active 65t gets an impressive 15 hours of playback, this updated offering gets up to 28 hours. And while the Elite 75t TWE are now $179.99, the Elite Active 75t TWE are $20 more at $199.99. For that money, you get a few helpful updates.

Durability: Waterproof. Sweatproof. Workout-proof. Elite Active 75t have been specifically designed for an active lifestyle. An IP57-rating makes them fully waterproof and sweatproof, so there’s nothing holding you back from running through the storm or sweating out your new personal best in the gym.

In keeping with their active moniker, the new earbuds have a durable coating for dust and sweat resistance. That translates in an increase from the IP56 of the Elite 65t to an IP57 rating. That, in turn, means this new offering is waterproof.

Battery: Not bad for a little bud. Enjoy up to 7.5 hours of continuous use, or up to 28 hours with the charging case. Speaking of the case, it’s extremely compact, with powerful magnets that lock the earbuds into place, USB-C charging, including fast charge, and a handy upright design.

The earbuds themselves deliver up to seven and a half hours of playback before needing to be recharged in the included case. As noted above, with the case, you can expect to get almost thirty hours of playback! And if you do run the battery down, in fifteen minutes, you can get a fast charger that will give you up to an hour of playback.

All this is thanks to an ever-evolving intelligent power management system that, when combined with a new low-power Bluetooth 5.0 chipset, provides impressive battery life!

Sound: Real world: optional. We’d all like to hear more of what we want to hear and less of what we don’t. That’s why we created HearThrough. It’s like a volume button for the real world.

When I want the best audio experience possible, I reach for my Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus. Most of the time, however, I find myself using the Jabra Elite 75t and now the Jabra Elite Active 75t. They don’t have the audiophile quality of the MW07, but they sound damn good and, thanks to recent updates, are continually getting better.

Hear Less: When you just want to lose yourself in the music, our superior noise-isolating fit helps keep the real world at bay, leaving you free to feel the powerful bass.

The Active 75t don’t have active noise cancellation like the MW07 Plus, but the fit is so secure that they block out a significant amount of ambient sound.

Overall, when the headset is on and the music raised to just over a whisper, the Elite Active 75t TWE do an excellent job of isolating you from the world. But that, however, is not always a good thing. Thankfully, Jabra baked a solution into the Elite Active 75t.

Hear more: When you need to hear what’s going on around you, HearThrough has a handy slider, so you can decide how much of the outside world you want to let in.

At the touch of a button, you can turn on the Elite Active 75t’s HearThrough mode. This allows ambient sound in so you aren’t totally lost in your own little world. This is key for people who are wearing the headset while running on a busy street or commuting into the city and, for safety reasons, can’t afford to be cut off from the surrounding world. (This is one of the reasons Raina is so partial to her AirPods- they deliver audio without cutting her off from the world.) It gets even better when you use the Jabra sound+ app. It lets you control the amount of sound HearThrough allows in!

The Elite Active 75t have 6mm speakers, four built-in microphones, Jabra’s latest digital signal processing algorithms, and new beam forming technology, so calls sound crisp and clear. I’ve been impressed with how good these sound despite their lack of a boom that brings the microphone closer to the speaker’s mouth.

The sound gets even better when you use the Jabra Sound+ app. As the company explains:

In the Jabra Sound+ App, a call equalizer gives you complete control over how you hear other people, while Sidetone allows you to customize how much of your own voice you hear on calls, so you won’t need to speak louder to hear yourself. And with seamless switching from calls to music, you’ll never miss a beat (or a call).

The Jabra Sound+ app lets you control the amount of HearThrough sound allowed in, control the equalizer (there are presets, or you can create personalized settings) and more. To make life even easier, Jabra, “engineered a whole bunch of different sound profiles, from Smooth to Bass Boost, which you can customize even further in the Jabra Sound+ App.”

MySound is your sound. Everyone hears differently. Your favorite song? It sounds a little bit different to everyone who listens to it. We know it’s impossible to improve on a classic – after all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – but we realized that we could still make the music you love even better, by revolutionizing the way you hear it.

Jabra recently released an update for the Jabra Elite 75t and Active Elite 75t that adds their new My Sound functionality to the earbuds. MySound performs a hearing test with each of the listener’s ears and then takes the data it collects to customize the sound output to the specific listener. We’ve seen this technology employed by other companies in their over-the-ear headphones, but this is the first time I’ve experienced it with true wireless earbuds. I’m impressed. The process begins by asking a few questions, including gender and age. The age question seemed especially significant because we all know that those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s already have some degree of hearing degradation. This allows the earphones to compensate for that and deliver audio in the best, cleanest way possible.

I’m quite sold on this. My Elite Active 75t sounded excellent out of the box but was even a bit crisper after I took the time to make use of the MySound functionality.

The update also introduced Jabra MyControls. MyControls gives you the option to use just one earbud. This is great since the 75t line are great for calls. It also lets you map the button functionality so you can set up the controls in the manner that works best for you.

Assistance on tap. Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant – we love them all. Hit up your favorite assistant at just the touch of a button.

One final piece of technology built into both the Elite 75t and the Active Elite 75t is direct access to your choice of voice assistants. You can choose from Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant and, thanks to the recent update, control which buttons activate the service you want. I used MyControls to map the launch of my voice assistant to three presses of the button on either ear. This way, I don’t even have to think about which ear to press when I want to use the voice service.

Inside the box, you get the true wireless earbuds, a chartering case, a USB-C cable, three sets of silicon eargels, and paperwork.

Specifications:

Passive noise cancellation (PNC): Yes

Noise reduction on outgoing voice audio: Yes, 4-microphone call technology

Wind noise protection: Yes

Audio codecs supported: SBC, AAC

Speaker size: 6mm

Speaker bandwidth: 20Hz to 20kHz (music playback), 100Hz to 8kHz (calls)

Microphone type: 4 x MEMS

Microphone bandwidth: 100Hz to 10kHz

Battery:

7.5 hours for earbuds, 28 hours total with the battery case.

Auto turns off after 15 minutes without a connection and 60 minutes without activity. (This can be adjusted in the Sound+ app.

Standby time of 6 months

Charging time of 2 hours and 20 minutes

Fast charge in 15 minutes for an extra hour of playback

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.0

10 meter (33-foot range)

Pair up to eight devices

Connect two devices at once

Auto pause music when earbud removed

Auto power runs on earbuds when removed from the case and turns them off after 15 minutes of inactivity

I’ve been a fan of Jabra’s true wireless earbuds since I reviewed the Jabra Elite Sport. Jabra’s true wireless earbuds have gotten better with every incremental update. The Elite 75t were a huge step forward from the excellent 65t. As was the case with the move from the Elite 65t to the Elite Active 65t, the move from the Elite 75t to the Elite Active 75t is relatively small. Still, for a few dollars more, you get Jabra’s latest technology and an increase in durability. I’m a fan and have no doubt you will be too! The Jabra Elite Active 75t are available in Navy, Copper Black, Grey, and Titanium Black. Check them out here.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample of the Jabra Elite Active 75t

What I Like: Comfortable; Upgraded protection from the elements; Sound quite good and with recent update sound even better; Excellent battery life; All the tech you could hope for other thank ANC

What Needs Improvement: The product page indicates there is a wireless charging case coming soon. I want it NOW!; No ANC

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/06/02/jabra-elite-active-75t-raise-the-bar-for-true-wireless-earbuds-even-higher/

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williamsjoan · 6 years

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The 10 largest US venture rounds of 2018

Three U.S. companies raised more than $1 billion in just one funding round in 2018, a year in which total deal value for U.S. startups is expected to surpass $100 billion for the first time.

For the most part, it was the usual suspects, and yes, SoftBank was an accessory in many of these rounds. Here’s a look at the 10 largest venture rounds of 2018.

Epic Games: $1.25 billion

The video game Fortnite Battle Royale was the star of the year 2018; more than 200 million players worldwide are registered online. (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Given the absolute phenomenon Fortnite became in just one year from its original release, it was no surprise private investors wanted to put money into Epic Games, the company behind it. In October, Epic Games announced a whopping $1.25 billion round at $15 billion valuation from KKR, Iconiq Capital, Smash Ventures, Vulcan Capital, Kleiner Perkins and Lightspeed Venture Partners to continue growing its Fortnite empire. That game alone is expected to bring in $2 billion in revenue in 2018 and reports 200 million registered players — not too shabby.

Cary, N.C.-based Epic Games’ monstrous fundraise was a standout in a year when funding for gaming and esports startups really took off. According to Crunchbase, global venture investment in the industry increased nearly 75 percent, to $701 million in the first half of 2018. Given Epic’s round, Discord’s $150 million infusion of capital this week and several others since June, the second half of 2018 undoubtedly set major records in the space.

Uber: $1.2 billion

Travis Kalanick, co-founder and former chief executive officer of Uber Technologies Inc., speaks during the TiE Global Entrepreneurs Summit in New Delhi, India, on Friday, December 16, 2016. Kalanick said the company will introduce Uber Moto across India. Photographer: Udit Kulshrestha/Bloomberg via Getty Images

One of the largest rounds of 2018 was also one of the first big financings of the year. To be fair, the negotiations behind Uber’s $1.2 billion SoftBank investment and much of the press coverage surrounding it came in 2017, but the deal officially closed in January. This deal was monumental for many reasons. First of all, it made Uber founder and former chief executive officer Travis Kalanick a billionaire — not just on paper — and it cemented SoftBank’s position as the ride-hailing giant’s largest shareholder.

The financing brought San Francisco-based Uber’s total raised to date to just over $20 billion at a valuation said to be around $72 billion. Of course, Uber has since privately filed for an initial public offering slated for the first quarter of 2019.

Juul Labs: $1.2 billion

Juul Labs, the maker of the popular e-cigarette brand that has recently come under fire from health officials over its popularity with young adults, plans to introduce a line of lower-nicotine pods. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Juul, one of the buzziest companies of 2018, raised $1.2 billion from private investors Tiger Global, Fidelity and more in mid-2018. Then, this month, the developer of e-cigarettes popular among teenagers accepted a $12.8 billion investment from the makers of Marlboro that valued it at $38 billion. Not only has Juul created significant controversy surrounding the ethics, or lack thereof, of its core product and its marketing to the younger generation in a short time, but it has also accumulated value at a clip rarely seen before. Juul, for context, surpassed a $10 billion valuation just seven months after its first round of VC backing — that’s four times faster than Facebook.

2019 is poised to be an interesting year for San Francisco-based Juul as it navigates public scrutiny, regulations and the completion of its partnership with Altria Group, which, according to Juul’s CEO Kevin Burns, will “help accelerate [Juul’s] success switching adult smokers.”

Magic Leap: $963M

Magic Leap’s flagship product, the Magic Leap One AR headset, began shipping to consumers this year.

It wouldn’t be an end of the year round-up of the largest VC deals without any mention of Magic Leap, the extremely well-funded virtual reality company. Tucked away in Plantation, Fla., 8-year-old Magic Leap has closed round after round, raising more than $2 billion to develop its hardware and software. The key investors in this year’s big round, which valued the company at $6.3 billion, were Temasek and AT&T, which announced it would become the exclusive “wireless distributor” of Magic Leap products in the U.S. starting this summer. Magic Leap is also backed by Google, Alibaba and Axel Springer.

Magic Leap is real and it’s a janky marvel

Not only did Magic Leap land one of the largest VC deals this year, but it also finally began shipping to consumers its flagship product, the Magic Leap One AR headset. That was a long time coming — years, in fact. So long, many doubted whether the buzzy headsets would ever see the light of day. Now, the headsets are available to buyers in 48 states, though it’s worth mentioning they cost more than two grand.

Instacart: $600M

Founder and CEO of Instacart Apoorva Mehta and moderator Megan Rose Dickey speak onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016 at Pier 48 on September 14, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch)

Instacart has a lofty goal of delivering groceries to every household in the U.S., and it needs a lot of cash to get there. The company has raised VC every year since it completed the Y Combinator startup accelerator in 2012, and 2018 was no different. In October, the service brought in $600 million at a $7.6 billion valuation in a round led by D1 Capital Partners. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company has raised $1.6 billion to date from Coatue Management, Thrive Capital, Canaan Partners, Andreessen Horowitz and several others.

Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta told TechCrunch at the time that the startup didn’t really need the capital and that this was more of an “opportunistic” battle. The market is hot, after all, and Instacart has ambitious plans to scale and it has a fierce competitor in Amazon to take on. As for an IPO, Mehta said “it will be on the horizon.”

Katerra: $865M

SoftBank-backed Katerra says it’s brought in more than $1.3 billion in bookings for new construction ranging from residential to hospitality and student housing.

One of SoftBank’s first major bets of 2018 was on construction technology, with an $865 million investment in Katerra at a $3 billion valuation out of its Vision Fund. Katerra, a tech startup based out of Menlo Park, develops, designs and constructs buildings. At the time of its January fundraise, Katerra told TechCrunch it had brought in more than $1.3 billion in bookings for new construction ranging from residential to hospitality and student housing. Founded in 2015 by three former private equity barons, the company has raised a total of $1.1 billion to date from SoftBank, Foxconn, Greenoaks Capital and others.

In June, Katerra announced it would merge with KEF Infra, an offsite manufacturing technology specialist, and would begin operating in India and the Middle East markets.

Opendoor: $725M

Yet another SoftBank investment, San Francisco-based Opendoor is also backed by Fifth Wall Ventures, GV, Andreessen Horowitz and more.

Opendoor’s two big SoftBank-backed investments this year totaled $725 million, valuing the company at $2.5 billion. The deal gave SoftBank a minority stake in Opendoor, an online real estate marketplace, and put one of its five managing directors, Jeff Housenbold, on the company’s board of directors. The round brought Opendoor’s total funding to slightly more than $1 billion — most of which it acquired in 2018, a major year for the company. Founded in 2014, the San Francisco-based startup is also backed by Fifth Wall Ventures, GV, Andreessen Horowitz and more.

According to TechCrunch’s Connie Loizos, Housenbold had hoped to work with Opendoor co-founder and CEO Eric Wu for some time. “The minute he joined [SoftBank] he reached out to me and let me know … saying if there was an opportunity to work together, to reach out to him,” Wu said.

Lyft: $600M

Uber competitor Lyft expanded aggressively in 2018, raised hundreds of millions in additional venture capital funding, and filed confidentially to go public.

Lyft managed to stay quite busy this year. Not only did the ridesharing company raise a $600 million round at a $15.1 billion valuation, it also acquired bike-share operator Motivate and filed confidentially to go public. Founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer, the company has long competed with Uber, and will continue to do so as the pair race to the public markets in early-2019. Lyft, much smaller than Uber and only active in the U.S. and Canada, has raised nearly $5 billion in venture backing from KKR, Mayfield, Didi Chuxing, Floodgate and others.

San Francisco-based Lyft has spent much of the last two years expanding rapidly across the U.S. market, as well as pursuing its autonomous vehicle ambitions.

Automation Anywhere: $550M

Automation Anywhere raised a monstrous $550 million Series A in 2018, with support from the SoftBank Vision Fund.

The only surprise to make this list is Automation Anywhere, a 15-year-old provider of robotic process automation. The company raised a total of $550 million in Series A funding, a large chunk of which came from the SoftBank Vision Fund, as well as NEA, General Atlantic and Goldman Sachs. The round valued Automation Anywhere at $2.6 billion. According to PitchBook, this was the first round of institutional backing for the San Jose, Calif.-based company.

In a conversation with TechCrunch, Automation Anywhere CEO Mihir Shukla said they were attracted to SoftBank because of Masayoshi So — the CEO and founder of SoftBank: “[He} has a vision and he is investing in foundational platforms that will change how we work and travel. We share that vision.”

Peloton: $500M

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 06: Peloton Co-Founder/CEO John Foley speaks onstage during Day 2 of TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018 at Moscone Center on September 6, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunch)

Peloton’s growth exploded in 2018 as it launched its $4,000 treadmill, doubled down on original fitness streaming content and raised an additional $500 million in equity funding at a $5 billion valuation. The New York-based startup, often referred to as the “Netflix of fitness,” has raised nearly $1 billion in venture capital funding in the six years since it was founded by John Foley. It’s backed by L Catterton, True Ventures, Tiger Global and others.

It’s likely Peloton will take the public markets plunge in 2019 much like Uber and Lyft. Foley earlier this year told The Wall Street Journal that though he doesn’t have any concrete plans, 2019 “makes a lot of sense” for its stock market debut.

5 unicorns that will probably go public in 2019 (besides Uber and Lyft)

The 10 largest US venture rounds of 2018 published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

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theinvinciblenoob · 6 years

Link

Three U.S. companies raised more than $1 billion in just one funding round in 2018, a year in which total deal value for U.S. startups is expected to surpass $100 billion for the first time.

For the most part, it was the usual suspects, and yes, SoftBank was an accessory in many of these rounds. Here’s a look at the 10 largest venture rounds of 2018.

Epic Games: $1.25 billion

The video game Fortnite Battle Royale was the star of the year 2018; more than 200 million players worldwide are registered online. (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Uber: $1.2 billion

Juul Labs: $1.2 billion

Magic Leap: $963M

Magic Leap’s flagship product, the Magic Leap One AR headset, began shipping to consumers this year.

Magic Leap is real and it’s a janky marvel

Instacart: $600M

Katerra: $865M

SoftBank-backed Katerra says it’s brought in more than $1.3 billion in bookings for new construction ranging from residential to hospitality and student housing.

In June, Katerra announced it would merge with KEF Infra, an offsite manufacturing technology specialist, and would begin operating in India and the Middle East markets.

Opendoor: $725M

Yet another SoftBank investment, San Francisco-based Opendoor is also backed by Fifth Wall Ventures, GV, Andreessen Horowitz and more.

Lyft: $600M

Uber competitor Lyft expanded aggressively in 2018, raised hundreds of millions in additional venture capital funding, and filed confidentially to go public.

San Francisco-based Lyft has spent much of the last two years expanding rapidly across the U.S. market, as well as pursuing its autonomous vehicle ambitions.

Automation Anywhere: $550M

Automation Anywhere raised a monstrous $550 million Series A in 2018, with support from the SoftBank Vision Fund.

Peloton: $500M

5 unicorns that will probably go public in 2019 (besides Uber and Lyft)

via TechCrunch

#IFTTT #TechCrunch

0 notes

fmservers · 6 years

Text

The 10 largest US venture rounds of 2018

Three U.S. companies raised more than $1 billion in just one funding round in 2018, a year in which total deal value for U.S. startups is expected to surpass $100 billion for the first time.

For the most part, it was the usual suspects, and yes, SoftBank was an accessory in many of these rounds. Here’s a look at the 10 largest venture rounds of 2018.

Epic Games: $1.25 billion

The video game Fortnite Battle Royale was the star of the year 2018; more than 200 million players worldwide are registered online. (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Uber: $1.2 billion

Juul Labs: $1.2 billion

Magic Leap: $963M

Magic Leap’s flagship product, the Magic Leap One AR headset, began shipping to consumers this year.

Magic Leap is real and it’s a janky marvel

Instacart: $600M

Katerra: $865M

SoftBank-backed Katerra says it’s brought in more than $1.3 billion in bookings for new construction ranging from residential to hospitality and student housing.

In June, Katerra announced it would merge with KEF Infra, an offsite manufacturing technology specialist, and would begin operating in India and the Middle East markets.

Opendoor: $725M

Yet another SoftBank investment, San Francisco-based Opendoor is also backed by Fifth Wall Ventures, GV, Andreessen Horowitz and more.

Lyft: $600M

Uber competitor Lyft expanded aggressively in 2018, raised hundreds of millions in additional venture capital funding, and filed confidentially to go public.

San Francisco-based Lyft has spent much of the last two years expanding rapidly across the U.S. market, as well as pursuing its autonomous vehicle ambitions.

Automation Anywhere: $550M

Automation Anywhere raised a monstrous $550 million Series A in 2018, with support from the SoftBank Vision Fund.

Peloton: $500M

5 unicorns that will probably go public in 2019 (besides Uber and Lyft)

Via Kate Clark https://techcrunch.com

#TechCrunch

0 notes

foursproutwealth-blog · 6 years

Text

Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, and Other Influencers Tense Over A.I. and the Right Way Forward

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/elon-musk-eric-schmidt-and-other-influencers-tense-over-a-i-and-the-right-way-forward/

Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, and Other Influencers Tense Over A.I. and the Right Way Forward

youtube

In an amiable spar, I was going back and forth with an AI/VR thought influencer friend on Instagram through direct messages.

In his Instagram Story, he said he was grateful for “artificial intelligence.”

I asked why.

“[It’s the] New era of the human condition,” he replied. “Where we can play, imagine and create without the mundane trivial tasks that take up people’s lives.”

“But if all ‘jobs’ are taken by AI, how will we earn a living?” I asked.

“By the time AI is fully conscious and replaces the human workload, it will come up with solutions to problems we can’t even fathom.”

For me, this was a bit abstract. If machines will solve problems and do most, if not all, of the work for us, what will happen to human careers?

“I guess I’m wondering what our day to day will be like,” I asked. “Will we–or many of us–just not (have to) work one day?”

“Yep,” he said. “Just like we view agriculture and hunting for food today.”

He finished with a joke, “We’ll be living in dream virtual reality worlds haha.”

“That’s interesting,” I said. “Then it becomes an ethical question of if that is a ‘better’ world to live in or not… personally, I don’t know.”

He responded affirmatively with the red ink “100” emoji.

Glimpses into the Future

Have you seen the apocalyptic movie Blade Runner 2049?

My wife and I disagreed sharply on whether that film truly depicted the future accurately or not.

Or Spielberg‘s recent release of Ready Player One?

In the film, people escape the decaying and depressing real world and find purpose and relationships — the stuff that makes us happy — in the virtual world of “the Oasis.”

These movies make a guess at what the future is going to be like, similar to how Elon Musk tweets.

What A.I. experts say

Musk, one of the leading minds in this space and the CEO of Open AI, a “non-profit artificial intelligence research company that aims to promote and develop friendly AI in such a way as to benefit humanity as a whole,” is a persistent harbinger of the dangers of artificial intelligence. His tweets ring ever more ominous.

In contrast, the “Head of A.I. at Google slam[med] the kind of ‘A.I. apocalypse’ fear-mongering Elon Musk has been doing” according to a CNBC headline.

I attended the conference at which the aforementioned former senior vice president of engineering at Google, John Giannandrea, spoke. From the stage, he said that everyone needed to calm down. “I just object to the hype and the sort of sound bites that some people have been making,” he said. “I am definitely not worried about the AI apocalypse.”

Earlier this year, Giannandrea left his position at Google and took a seat on Tim Cook‘s bench of executives as Apple’s head of “machine learning and A.I. strategy.”

Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor at WIRED, believes the fearful notion of a “superhuman A.I.” is an urban legend. A myth. And he’s developed five reasons to defend his thesis.

Still, it doesn’t take much of an imagination to run ahead on the rapidly developing path we’re on.

We’re heading towards a world where we can experience things without needing to physically be there, whether it’s a classroom, work office, historical site, sporting event, or natural panorama. “Physical liberty” is how the writer of the Futurism essay, “What Will Life Look Like in 2030 Thanks to Artificial Intelligence?”, calls it. This virtual reality is setting in, The Shorthorn writes, “although the technology may have a long way to go before reaching the fictional standards set in Ready Player One.”

Machines are replacing humans’ most mundane, unsafe, and undesirable jobs, as my friend alluded to above. Examples of jobs expected to be taken over by robots include sewer scraping, firefighting, receptionist positions, and law enforcement. One startup, Gecko Robotics, uses intelligent rovers to inspect essentially inaccessible industrial equipment, such as boilers, tanks, and scrubbers and ensure safety standards — a historically dangerous and expensive task for humans.

If you’re worried about robots taking your job, check out the website willrobotstakemyjob.com.

What’s an automated, virtual world look like?

The benefit of an automated, virtual world is, in theory, the freedom to do more of what we want and to live our most unrestrained lives while maintaining full safety. The more artificial intelligence in our day, the more free time we’ll have and the more activities we’ll be able to experience, many of which we can’t experience now (i.e., walk through Middle Eastern ancient ruins). But soon, with a comfortable headset equipped with cinematic optics and immersive audiologics, Microsoft AI is already recreating dilapidated historical sites with its partner Iconem, a startup that specializes in the 3D digitization of endangered cultural heritage sites.

If humans shift to more and more digital experiences and therefore more controlled and monitored experiences (e.g., sitting in a VR chair in the comfort of your living room), then the world should soon become a safer and safer place, right?

The theory would say yes, but when thinking through vexingly complicated issues such as artificial intelligence and futurism, black and white answers tend to be elusive, and we’re left with only speculation.

This is why an automated, virtual world is difficult to imagine with any degree of confidence, especially when it’s been so heavily colored by drama-motivated Hollywood scriptwriters and fiction novelists. It all tends to end poorly: Obese sickos in basements. Dominating cybercorporations. Self-identity confusion. Unshakeable distrust of reality. Robot love.

More experts weigh in…

But experts — those working closest to the technology — are bastions of optimism and hope. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google and Alphabet, Inc., told TechCrunch, that the Elon Musk’s foreboding view of artificial intelligence is “exactly wrong,” reports Anthony Ha.

“He doesn’t understand the benefits that this technology will provide to making every human being smarter,” Schmidt said. “The fact of the matter is that AI and machine learning are so fundamentally good for humanity.”

Sebastion Thrun, futurist and co-founder of Udacity, co-wrote with Schmidt in a Fortune Magazine column:

“We believe AI has the potential not only to free us from the negative, but to enhance what’s most positive about us as human beings. In playing with AlphaGo, grandmaster Sedol gained a much deeper understanding of the game and has since dramatically improved his level of play. We could all be like Sedol, harnessing AI to improve the things we do every day.

Imagine a world where clever apps and devices could help us recognize every person we’ve ever met, recall anything we’ve ever said, and experience any moment we’ve ever missed. A world where we could in effect speak every language. (We already see glimmers of this today with Google Translate.)”

Sounds peachy, no?

The “right” way forward

Ethics + artificial intelligence is, and will continue to be, a hot topic. But in spite of the warnings or bad possibilities, the good seems to outweigh the concern. Man and woman’s thirst for innovation and ease continues to make the world a better place, but at what cost?

Do we miss the agricultural lifestyle?

Do we long to return to the days when we hunted wild game in the woods for survival?

No, for the most part. We don’t. Perhaps, we miss the idea of these simple pursuits, which is why they still exist as hobbies (gardening, hunting, etc.), but any reasonable, capitalistic farmer is leveraging pieces of machinery and digital technology to run his or her farm most efficiently. And God knows how we use machinery and robots to manufacture our meat at scale.

Technology has always been a morally neutral thing until it’s applied. It’s neither good nor bad in itself, like an airplane, dollar bill, or laptop. It depends, one hundred percent, on how the user uses it.

For this reason, I believe philosophy and religion — the studies of what is objectively right and wrong — should never be divorced from technology decision-making, especially in this explosive age of artificial intelligence. The last word in the cliche adage “With great power comes great responsibility” doesn’t work anymore. Responsibility assumes a knowledge of what needs to be done, hence its etymological root word “response.” Responsibility means doing the right thing. But in an unprecedented world of rapidly developing artificial intelligence, what is the right thing to do?

Fortunately, it’s too early for you or me to need to know at this point. But it seems the prosperity of human existence will unfortunately and heavily depend on the moral compasses of the leaders of the world’s biggest tech companies, who are faced with making and influencing these decisions every day.

American AI researcher and writer for the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, Eliezer Yudkowsky, sums up a diligent approach to thinking about this subject going forward: “By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.”

#Wealth

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foursprout-blog · 6 years