The project the 3,100 employees rallied against is known as Project Maven and is intended to help improve the precision of military drone strikes. "This plan will irreparably damage Google's brand and its ability to compete for talent… By entering into this contract, Google will join the ranks of companies like Palantir, Raytheon, and General Dynamics," it added. "Building this technology to assist the US government in military surveillance — and potentially lethal outcomes — is not acceptable." Speaking to Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear, web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa noted that the stance taken by the employees is "very unique." CC0Google Staff vs Pentagon: Without Military Spending, High Tech Wouldn’t Exist - Researcher "I think this is straight and to the point: if 3,100 employees have the courage to sign on to this I can only imagine that there … [Read more...] about If Google Drops Project Maven, ‘Pentagon Will Try to Strike Back at Them’
Google, Thiel Feature in Saudi Prince’s Silicon Valley Tour
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wrapped up a whirlwind tour of technology titans on Friday, part of a three-week U.S. visit focused on economic opportunities to diversify the oil-rich nation.The Saudi delegation visited several Silicon Valley corporate campuses, including Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc. But two industry players stood out on the schedule: Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist who advises President Donald Trump.In addition to Facebook, where Thiel sits on the board, the Saudi delegation visited data-analysis startup Palantir Technologies Inc. and a trio of investment firms created by Thiel: Clarium Capital, Valar Ventures and Founders Fund. Thiel is chairman and co-founder of Palantir."Discussions concentrated on creating an attractive environment for emerging companies with innovative products," Saudi Arabia’s embassy said in a statement. A representative for Thiel didn’t immediately respond to a request for … [Read more...] about Google, Thiel Feature in Saudi Prince’s Silicon Valley Tour
Google vs Pentagon: Without Military Spending, High Tech Wouldn’t Exist
Nevertheless, she conceded that the worldwide web and many other contemporary technologies “wouldn’t exist without military spending,” adding that there has always been some interconnection between the military and academic spheres: "Like the microchip or ARPANET (the Internet). There's a long history of cooperation between universities, companies, and the military." © AP Photo/ Google Staff Demand Closure of Joint AI Project With Pentagon The fact that Google employees now take a stand against Project Maven, aimed at devising what they have labelled as "warfare technology" is an indicator that "they don’t want this particular relationship at this point in history," she said, adding that Google notably had cooperated with governments in the past. The risks, or rather dangers that come with the project have to do with the exposure of Google’s vast expertise in IT sphere, … [Read more...] about Google vs Pentagon: Without Military Spending, High Tech Wouldn’t Exist
Icelandic Developers release ReRunners worldwide on the App Store and Google Play
Klang Games has announced the release of ReRunners, a competitive racing platformer for mobile devices. In a world of “idle” mobile games that ask players to sit back and watch a game play itself, ReRunners puts the “play” back in gameplay with fast-paced racing action requiring actual skill. Run, jump, and use devious weapons to become the fastest runner of all time! Published in partnership with Tilting Point, ReRunners is available now for free on the App Store and Google Play. Watch the launch trailer here: http://bit.ly/rerunners-launch-trailer Berlin based Klang Games is an independent developer formed by veterans of Iceland’s CCP Games (EVE Online) and unique artists, and backed by an investment from London Venture Partners (Supercell, NaturalMotion, Playfish, Unity). With ReRunners, Klang set out to create a mobile game that respects real gamers and offers a core gaming experience accessible anywhere. While the game focuses on multiplayer … [Read more...] about Icelandic Developers release ReRunners worldwide on the App Store and Google Play
Facebook’s Data Crackdown Has Two Winners: Facebook and Google
Facebook Inc. is putting tighter controls on data flowing through its giant social network in response to the worst privacy crisis in its history. Rather than hurt the company, this will ultimately give Facebook and rival Google more power over a digital advertising market they already dominate, industry executives and analysts say. The crackdown started last week after revelations a consulting firm that worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign improperly accessed information on millions of Facebook users. The first victims were data brokers like Acxiom Corp. and Oracle Corp.’s Data Cloud that sell information marketers use to target ads on the world’s largest social network. Facebook is scrapping the targeting tool and will stop sharing anonymous information the brokers use to measure ad performance. The company said this “will help improve people’s privacy on … [Read more...] about Facebook’s Data Crackdown Has Two Winners: Facebook and Google