Uber is pausing autonomous car tests after a fatal crash in Arizona, EU officials want to investigate Facebook after last week’s Cambridge Analytica reveal, and Apple may finally be manufacturing its own screens.
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From Twitter – Incredibly sad news out of Arizona yesterday. Uber has paused autonomous vehicle tests after one of its test vehicles struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona who was crossing the road outside of the crosswalk. This is most likely the first pedestrian fatality involved autonomous vehicle technology. Yesterday morning, Uber announced that it would be suspending public road testing in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto, and the greater Phoenix area. How this will impact customer confidence in the safety of autonomous vehicles is yet to be determined. Our hearts here at IT World Canada go out to the victim’s family.
From Linkedin – The Wall Street Journal is reporting that European Union officials intend to probe Facebook over the handling of user data. This investigation comes after Facebook said it is investigating whether a firm linked with the 2016 Trump campaign, called Cambridge Analytica, kept the personal data of nearly 50 million users. This personal data was then supposedly used for political purposes. The EU’s justice chief described the reports of personal data being misused for political purposes as ‘horrifying, if confirmed,’ and said that ‘companies [need] to take more responsibility when handling our personal data’. Facebook insists that it is ‘moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims’ as it comes under fire for taking too much information about users, especially as new evidence emerges suggesting that politicians and Russian hackers attempt to manipulate Facebook in order to influence elections in places such as the U.S. and U.K.
And from Linkedin once more – It looks like Apple is finally developing its own screens. According to Bloomberg, Apple is designing and producing its own device displays using a secret manufacturing facility near its California headquarter. The report says that Apple is currently making a significant investment in development its next-generation MicroLED screens for devices like the Apple Watch. This is the latest undertaking by Apple to bring product production in-house, as it started making its own chips for its devices a few years ago. While it may be years until consumers see these new MicroLED screens, global screen suppliers such as Samsung and LG could feel the sting of Apple developing its own screens in-house. For example, the iPhone X uses Samsung’s OLED displays.
That’s what’s trending this week. Hashtag Trending is produced by IT World Canada. Today’s episode is sponsored by Cogeco Peer 1, the company that enables businesses to unlock their IT potential. Learn more at CP1.com.