User experience (UX) has already been established as a battleground for companies to distinguish themselves in the world of digital design. But panelists at the the first day of the Fortune, Time, and Wallpaper* Brainstorm Design conference in Singapore cited new technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, and “Internet of Things” devices as trends presenting new opportunities for companies to meet ever-rising customer expectations and adjust...
Nike Meshes the Physical and Digital Worlds in New Concept Store
Nike is bringing some features of its mobile app to life in a new Los Angeles concept store that can adapt to consumers’ changing tastes and demands in real time. Nike hopes this will be a string of next-generation store launches. The second one will likely launch this fall on New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
“We’re going to learn a lot from this store,” Nike Chief Digital Officer Adam Sussman said about Nike's new LA store. “We’re going to continue to learn...
Google just gave a stunning demo of Assistant making an actual phone call
Onstage at I/O 2018, Google showed off a jaw-dropping new capability of Google Assistant: in the not too distant future, it’s going to make phone calls on your behalf. CEO Sundar Pichai played back a phone call recording that he said was placed by the Assistant to a hair salon.
The voice sounded incredibly natural; the person on the other end had no idea they were talking to a...
How Telegram Is Trying to Dodge Russia’s Service Ban—And Dragging Google and Amazon Into the Drama
Russia’s attempts to ban access to the Telegram messaging service threaten to drag U.S. tech giants including Alphabet and Amazon into the war with founder Pavel Durov as he turns to proxy servers to bypass the blocking measures.
Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor has already blocked 18 Google (GOOGL, -1.40%) and Amazon (AMZN, -2.38%) sub-networks that Telegram used to avoid restrictions, the watchdog’s head Alexander Zharov told the Izvestia...
Hedge Funds That Use AI Just Had Their Worst Month Ever
Chalk one up for the humans.
Hedge funds that use artificial intelligence and machine learning in their trading process posted the worst month on record in February, according to a Eurekahedge index that’s tracked the industry from 2011. The first equity correction in two years upended their strategies as once-reliable cross-asset correlations shifted.
While computerized programs are feared for their potential to render human traders obsolete, the AI quants lagged behind their...
The Toolset of an Elite North Korean Hacker Group on the Rise
NORTH KOREA'S MOST prolific hacking group, broadly known within the security community under the name Lazarus, has over the last half-decade proven itself one of the world's most internationally aggressive teams of intruders. It has pulled off audacious attacks around the globe, from leaking and destroying Sony Pictures' data to siphoning of tens of millions of dollars from banks in Poland and Bangladesh. Now, security researchers have detailed the capabilities of...
Facebook Acquires ID Verification Startup Confirm.io
(Reuters) — Facebook Inc is buying a software firm that specializes in authenticating government-issued identification cards, the two companies said on Tuesday, a step that may help the social media company learn more about the people who buy ads on its network.
U.S. lawmakers have expressed alarm at Facebook’s limited ability to know who is buying advertisements, including election-related ads, on the world’s largest social network.
Boston-based Confirm Inc, which is...
Companies race to gather a newly prized currency: Our body measurements
The first step for a shopper buying a suit at the fast-growing menswear retailer Indochino is sharing his personal information: A salesperson armed with an iPad measures nearly everything on his body, from the distance between his belly button and rear to the circumference of his knees.
The next step is getting a customized, made-to-measure suit delivered to his home within a few weeks. But his body data lives on:...
Walmart vs Amazon vs Delivery Apps, Who Wins the Grocery Wars?
The Automated Grocery War Between Walmart, Amazon and Delivery Apps
Amazon is making big strides to compete with Walmart for the grocery market, having purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. This acquisition puts the company in direct competition with Walmart's established online business, currently offering online grocery shopping, delivery (for most), and pickup. Read More...The Brutal Fight to Mine Your Data and Sell It to Your Boss
On May 23, an email landed in the sales inbox of a San Francisco startup called HiQ Labs, politely asking the company to go out of business. HiQ is a “people analytics” firm that creates software tools for corporate human resources departments. Its Skill Mapper graphically represents the credentials and abilities of a workforce; its Keeper...