Tech News to Know This Week: May 9 – 15 – Innovation & Tech Today
Every day we wake up, drink some coffee, get ready for work and check on the latest tech. So here’s a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into that first cup. These are things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
IBM’s new AI services set to revolutionize the tech industry
IBM has announced the release of several new artificial intelligence (AI) services, including generative models, which can produce new images, sounds, and text from existing data. These models can be trained on a range of inputs, such as images of faces or natural language text, to create new content that resembles the original data.
The new services also include AI-powered anomaly detection, which uses machine learning algorithms to
identify unusual patterns in data, and automated language translation, which can translate text between multiple languages. In addition, IBM has released a new version of its Watson Assistant service, which can now analyze customer conversations to identify patterns and provide personalized recommendations.
The new services are part of IBM’s broader push into the AI market, which the company believes will be a major growth area in the coming years. With these new tools, IBM hopes to help businesses of all sizes leverage AI to improve their operations and gain a competitive edge.
Twitter’s massive purge: Will the loss of inactive accounts erase the platform’s history
Twitter has begun the process of purging inactive accounts from its platform after making a quiet policy
change earlier this year. The social media giant updated its policy in December 2022, stating that accounts that have been inactive for six months or more may be permanently removed. The company has now started to enforce this policy and has begun sending out notifications to users whose accounts are at risk of being deleted.
While the move is aimed at freeing up usernames and making Twitter a more active and engaging platform, it has also raised concerns about the preservation of historical content. Some users worry that the removal of inactive accounts could lead to the loss of important tweets and conversations, particularly from deceased individuals or inactive organizations.
We’re purging accounts that have had no activity at all for several years, so you will probably see follower count drop
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
Twitter has said that it will work to preserve accounts that have a significant public interest, such as those of public figures or accounts that have been involved in major news events. However, it remains to be seen how effective this preservation effort will be and whether it will satisfy those concerned about the loss of historical content.
Western Digital hacked: Data breach puts customers’ personal and financial information at risk
Western Digital has notified some of its customers that their data has been stolen by hackers. The data
breach is said to have occurred in March 2023, and the company has stated that only a small number of customers were affected. The stolen data reportedly includes names, addresses, and phone numbers, as well as some credit card details.
Western Digital has not yet disclosed how the breach occurred or who was responsible. The company has stated that it is investigating the incident and is working with law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators. In the meantime, the company has advised affected customers to monitor their financial accounts for any suspicious activity and to change their passwords.
This data breach is the latest in a string of cyber attacks targeting large corporations and highlights the ongoing need for companies to take steps to protect their customers’ data. Western Digital has stated that it will be implementing additional security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Microsoft and AMD unite to take on Nvidia’s AI dominance: A game-changing partnership
Microsoft and AMD are reportedly teaming up to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) market. According to anonymous sources, the two companies are working on a new
project that will combine AMD’s graphics processing units (GPUs) with Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to create a powerful AI system.
The partnership is said to be motivated by concerns that Nvidia’s dominance in the AI market could lead to a lack of competition and potentially higher prices for customers. Microsoft and AMD believe that by working together, they can offer a more affordable and accessible alternative to Nvidia’s products.
The new system is expected to be targeted at a range of industries, including healthcare, finance, and manufacturing, where AI is becoming increasingly important for optimizing operations and improving outcomes. However, there are no details yet on when the project will be completed or how it will be marketed.
Secret oceans hidden beneath Uranus’ moons: Potential targets for future exploration
A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters suggests that up to four of Uranus’
Four of Uranus’ largest moons—Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon—may have oceans beneath their icy crusts, according to a re-analysis of Voyager 2 data. https://t.co/LyivnJCThe pic.twitter.com/WvDf2uVLvF
— NASA (@NASA)
moons may have oceans beneath their surfaces. The research, based on computer simulations of the moons’ interiors, found that the moons could contain oceans of liquid water, which would make them potential targets for future exploration.
The study focused on four of Uranus’ largest moons: Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, and Ariel. The researchers used data from previous spacecraft missions to Uranus to create computer models of the moons’ interiors and simulate how they might behave under different conditions.
The presence of liquid water on these moons would make them potentially habitable environments, although the researchers caution that the conditions necessary for life are still unknown. Further exploration of these moons would require new spacecraft missions, which are currently being planned by various space agencies, including NASA and the European Space Agency.