Building the future in Building 8
They’re working overtime at “Building 8,” Facebook’s skunkworks where they’re working on myriad new ways to get you to use Facebook, of course. One idea is a “brain-computer interface,” a technology that would let you type and post to Facebook just by thinking about it. Users would wear a cap or headband of some sort to link with the tech, so no scary implants won’t be needed. At least, not yet. Really, they’re actually working hard on this.
Building 8’s efforts are headed up by Regina Dugan, who previously worked on A.I. projects at Google and also headed up DARPA, one of the military’s top tech development programs. She says they’ve been working on the tech for six months now and that they’re going to give it a go for the next two years before reassessing the project’s viability. The goal is to be able to “think-type” at 100 words per minute.
Beyond making it easier to use Facebook, this kind of tech would be a breakthrough for people who can’t type at all, such as paraplegics, or anyone who’s lost the use of their hands. Think it’s science fiction? Facebook says one person involved in the project can already think-type at eight words per minute.
Does the noise cancellation work on lawyers?
Audio juggernaut Bose is in hot legal water after a lawsuit claims their “Bose Connect” app was doing a lot more than connecting users to their best-selling wireless headphones. According to Reuters, a Bose headphone owner claims the Bose Connect app is collecting data on what he listens to and is sending that data back to Bose, where they are selling that information without his permission.
Besides the claim Bose is selling the data, he also claims that the information could be used by nefarious entities – say, hostile governments – to build profiles about users that includes their music choices, political podcast topics and more. Scary allegations for sure, but for now, the case is just getting going, so hit this link for all the details.
It’s like St. Patricks Day, except even greener
It is indeed April 20th, and if you live in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Maine, Alaska, Massachusetts or D.C., you may smell something funny in the air. Yes, it’s 420 Day, or Weed Day, or Marijuana Freedom Day in those aforementioned states where the stinky plant is legal for recreational use, and we’ve got a whole slate of weedy tech news to share with you – DT is headquartered in Oregon, after all.
Check out guide to the latest in gettin’-high tech, and if you’re in one of the “legal” states, have a great green day.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
