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Google Image Search's Creepy Sexism Problem

Charlotte Henry ·

Google Image’s search algorithm is fantastically useful a lot of the time. Other times, it is kind of creepy, especially if you’re searching for female stars. Wired looked at the different results the service produced when users searched for pictures of men and women.

If you’re searching for a man, Google’s image-hunting algorithm will mostly focus on his career. If you’re searching for a woman, Google’s algorithm will focus on her body. Do a Google Images search for Robert Downey, Jr., for example, and only four out of the 30 algorithmically-generated related search terms relate to his physical appearance: workout, body, handsome, cute. The vast majority focus on films he has starred in and actors he has appeared alongside. Do the same for Avengers co-star Scarlett Johansson and Google will recommend no fewer than 14 related visual searches based on her physical appearance, from “stomach” to “figure” and “big” to “rack”. It’s the male gaze, algorithm style.

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Colorado Students Secretly Photographed for Military Research

Andrew Orr ·

From 2012 to 2013, students at the University of Colorado’s Colorado Springs campus were secretly photographed as part of a research project. The U.S. Navy wanted to improve its facial recognition algorithms.

To conduct the study, [professor] Boult set up a long-range surveillance camera in an office window about 150 meters away from the West Lawn of the Colorado Springs campus, a public area where passers-by would not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The camera surreptitiously photographed people walking in the area of the West Lawn on certain days during the spring semesters of 2012 and 2013.

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First T-Mobile 5G Test Reaches 493 Mbps in New York

Andrew Orr ·

During the first T-Mobile 5G test in New York City, the service scored 493 Mbps using a Verizon phone.

T-Mobile’s feat becomes greater when you understand that the carrier is using much less spectrum than Verizon is. Allnet Insights says T-Mobile is using 80MHz of spectrum in New York, which would make its theoretical maximum speed 500Mbps, but I’ve also heard that T-Mobile is using 100MHz, which would make the theoretical maximum 625Mbps.

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Teen Who Hacked Apple Wanted Job There

Charlotte Henry ·

A teenager from Adelaide, Australia who hacked Apple in 2015 and 2017 did so because he wanted a job there. The first hack happened when the accused was just 13. He was looking to impress Apple with his skills, according to Australian outlet ABC.

The court heard he and another teenager from Melbourne hacked into the technology giant’s mainframe in December 2015 and then again in early 2017 and downloaded internal documents and data. It heard he used his “high level of expertise” in information technology to create false digital credentials which tricked Apple’s server into thinking he was a company employee. His actions were reported to the FBI who contacted the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

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Pegatron Looking to Assemble iPhone Chips in Indonesia

Charlotte Henry ·

Shortly after Pegatron reportedly decided to expand Mac and iPad chip production in Indonesia, the firm looks set to make another major investment there. It is thought to be preparing to build iPhone chips in the country too. Reuters reported comments from Indonesia’s  Deputy Industry Minister, who expects a $1 billion investment.

Pegatron plans to assemble the phone chips in partnership with Indonesian electronics company PT Sat Nusapersada at a factory on the island of Batam, Deputy Minister Warsito Ignatius told Reuters. He had earlier said it would produce chips but later clarified by text message that the factory would “assemble the chips for Apple smartphones, while the raw components would be imported.” “The factory might also be used to produce MacBook components as well, but it would not be in the short term,” Ignatius said.