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Google has made “substantial” contributions to some of the most notorious climate deniers in Washington despite its insistence that it supports political action on the climate crisis. Among hundreds of groups the company has listed on its website as beneficiaries of its political giving are more than a dozen organisations that have campaigned against climate legislation, questioned the need for action, or actively sought to roll back Obama-era environmental protections. The list includes the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a conservative policy group that was instrumental in convincing the Trump administration to abandon the Paris agreement and has criticised the White House for not dismantling more environmental rules. Google said it was disappointed by the US decision to abandon the global climate deal, but has continued to support CEI. Google is also listed as a sponsor for an upcoming annual meeting of the State Policy Network (SPN), an umbrella organisation … [Read more...] about Revealed: Google made large contributions to climate change deniers

Three former Google employees believe that artificial intelligence could be the secret to making you happier at work.  Their startup, called Humu, uses machine learning to parse through employee data and then 'nudges' workers to help them improve in areas that might make their work lives better, according to the New York Times.  Nudges are delivered to employees via emails or text messages and are expected to motivate employees around small tasks, with the eventual goal of improving the broader organization as a whole.  Scroll down for video  Three former Google employees believe that artificial intelligence could be the secret to making you happier at work via their startup, called Humu, that's based in California Humu was founded in 2017 and now counts 15 companies, both big and small, as its customers, according to the Times.  It's based around a 'nudge engine' that encourages people to make decisions based on what's in their best interest, instead of … [Read more...] about Can an AI keep you happy at work? Ex-Google team reveal software that ‘nudges’ workers with messages throughout the day

The UK competition watchdog has launched an investigation into the way Google and Facebook collect and exploit personal data and have used their power to dominate the £13bn UK digital advertising market. The Competition and Markets Authority’s wide-ranging investigation into online advertising will focus on the sector’s two biggest players, Google and Facebook, and look at whether “consumers are able and willing to control how data about them is used and collected”. The CMA said it planned to examine concerns about how online networks were using people’s personal data – Facebook has faced heavy criticism and scrutiny over both the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and its role in the dissemination of “fake news” – including “whether making this data available to advertisers in return for payment is producing good outcomes for consumers”. The CMA chair, Andrew Tyrie, said: “Much about these fast-changing markets … [Read more...] about Google and Facebook under scrutiny over UK ad market dominance

Donald Trump has suggested Google might be working treasonously with China and claimed he would look into the matter. In a tweet on Tuesday the US president – claiming to quote Fox News – said the tech billionaire Peter Thiel “believes Google should be investigated for treason. He accuses Google of working with the Chinese government.” He added that the PayPal co-founder – a Trump supporter – was “a great and brilliant guy who knows this subject better than anyone”, and claimed: “The Trump administration will take a look!” Riva Sciuto, a spokeswoman for Google, said: “As we have said before, we do not work with the Chinese military. We are working with the US government, including the Department of Defense, in many areas including cybersecurity, recruiting and healthcare.” Trump’s comments came as a House judiciary subcommittee prepared to hold a bipartisan investigation into the market power of Facebook, … [Read more...] about Trump claims he will investigate Google for ‘treasonous’ China ties

Google will release a brand new range of laptops with 4K screens and a unique rubber-grip design.Details about the laptop, called Pixelbook Go, leaked today ahead of Google's media briefing next week. The laptop will be 13.3 inches with a USB-C charging port, headphone jack, and 4K screen using Google's 'Molecular Display' technology. Scroll down for video According to leaked information, the Pixelbook Go (pictured above) will feature a 4K resolution display and an unusual rubber grip case.The most distinctive feature of the new laptop, which 9to5Google was given advance access to via an anonymous source, is its shell, which features a rubber grip surface to make it easier to hold and more stable on surfaces.According to the site, 'it's a ribbed texture that feels somewhat similar to a washboard or the roof of a dog's mouth.' RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Trolls for hire: Investigation finds online smear campaigns... Memes can now be described to blind people by … [Read more...] about Photos of new Google Pixel laptop leak ahead of launch next week and reveal unique rubber design and high-powered screen