Tech
UPDATE 1-Google AI scientist Bengio resigns after colleagues' firings – Bloomberg – Reuters
(Reuters) – Google research manager Samy Bengio said on Tuesday he was resigning, according to an internal email seen by Reuters, in a blow to the Alphabet Inc unit after the firings of his colleagues who questioned paper review and diversity practices.
Though at least two Google engineers had earlier resigned to protest the dismissal of artificial intelligence (AI) researcher Timnit Gebru, Bengio is the highest-profile employee yet to depart.
Google confirmed Bengio’s resignation and his email. Bengio did not respond to requests for comment. Bloomberg earlier reported the news.
A distinguished scientist at Google, Bengio spent about 14 years at the company and was among its first employees involved in a decade-old project known as Google Brain that advanced algorithms crucial to the functioning of various modern AI systems.
Andrew Ng, an early Brain member who now runs software startup Landing AI, said Bengio “has been instrumental to moving forward AI technology and ethics.” Another founding member, Jeff Dean, now oversees Google’s thousands of researchers.
Google Brain researcher Sara Hooker in a tweet described Bengio’s departure as “a huge loss for Google.”
In the internal email Bengio had sent, he said he decided to leave Google to pursue “other exciting opportunities” and that his last day would be April 28.
Google fired staff scientist Margaret Mitchell in February after alleging she transferred electronic files out of the company. It fired fellow researcher Gebru in December after she threatened to quit rather than retract a paper.
Mitchell has said she tried “to raise concerns about race and gender inequity, and speak up about Google’s problematic firing of Dr. Gebru.” Gebru has said the company wanted to suppress her criticism of its products and its efforts to increase workforce diversity. Google has said it accepted her offer to resign.
Bengio had defended the pair, who co-led a team of about a dozen people researching ethical issues related to AI software. In December, Bengio wrote on Facebook that he was stunned that Gebru, whom he was managing, was removed from the company without him being consulted.
Though he did not mention the firings in his farewell note, they influenced his decision to resign, people familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bengio wrote in the email, “I learned so much with all of you, in terms of machine learning research of course, but also on how difficult yet important it is to organize a large team of researchers so as to promote long term ambitious research, exploration, rigor, diversity and inclusion.”
Nicolas Le Roux, a Google Brain researcher, told Reuters that Bengio had devoted himself to making the research organization more inclusive and “created a space where everyone felt welcome.”
Google recently moved oversight of the AI ethics team from Bengio to vice president Marian Croak. In February, Croak told staff at a town hall that Google wanted management that could focus fully on that area, saying it had just been a small part of what Bengio was supporting.
Google also pledged several changes at the town hall aiming to regain researchers’ trust, Reuters previously reported.
Reporting by Paresh Dave and Jeffrey Dastin, additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Anil D’Silva, Karishma Singh and Michael Perry
Tech
EU Commission proposes removing chargers from all smartphone boxes – GSMArena.com news – GSMArena.com
In a new press release by the European Commission, legislation is being put forth by the European Commission to standardize the charging plug across all consumer devices. It also plans to “harmonize” a fast-charging standard and “unbundle the sale of chargers from the sale of electronic devices”. This proposal will apply to “smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and handheld videogame consoles.”
The Commission officially proposes four things:
- A harmonized charging port for electronic devices: USB-C will be the common port.
- Harmonized fast-charging technology: will help prevent different producers unjustifiably limit the charging speed and will help ensure that charging speed is the same when using any compatible charger for a device.
- Unbundling the sale of a charger from the sale of the electronic device: the Commission says that EU consumers already have an average of three chargers and will only use two.
- Improved information for consumers: OEMs will need to provide information about charging speeds and whether the device supports fast charging.
According to the EU Commission, European consumers spend €2.4 billion annually on standalone chargers not included with devices. Also, an estimated 11,000 tonnes of e-waste are made up of disposed/unused chargers every year. The EU Commission hopes that the proposed legislation could potentially save consumers €250 million per year on unnecessary charger purchases.
Fast-charging standardization is an interesting one. Many Chinese phone makers all use different fast-charging standards to compete with each other, but most will support some form of USB-C Power Delivery fast-charging. So OEMs would need to provide fast-charging information so that they are informed about what charging speeds they may expect from the charger they already have at home.
iPhone 12 Pro with included Lightning to USB-C cable
The proposed legislation will affect Apple the most. They’d need to make the switch from Lightning to USB-C. It’s been rumored for years that Apple would make this switch, and even though Apple’s MacBook and iPad have already switched to USB-C, its two most popular product lines: the iPhone and AirPods, continue to use the Lightning cable. This would hurt Apple’s sales of chargers and cables, so Apple isn’t giving in without a fight.
Even so, the proposed legislation still needs to be approved by the ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision): It needs to be adopted by the EU Parliament and Council. Once (and if) the legislation is approved, a transition period of 24-months will be given to OEMs to transition to the new EU laws.
Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup launched Friday, and one of the key features of the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are their ProMotion displays with variable refresh rates that can top out at 120Hz. But as spotted by 9to5Mac, some app animations in third-party apps are currently only running at 60Hz. That might be frustrating if you were expecting to see buttery-smooth animations across all of your apps with the new phones, but when we asked Apple what was going on, the company shared two reasons why this might be happening.
One reason is that developers will need to update their apps to declare that they use the higher refresh rate. This can be done by adding an entry to the app’s plist, Apple tells The Verge, and the company says it plans to share documentation about the entry you need to add soon. But in some cases, animations built with the company’s Core Animation technology are also affected by an issue that will be fixed in an upcoming software update, Apple says.
Variable refresh rate screens offer a lot of benefits, including smoother animations and scrolling when you’re using the device and battery savings the screen runs at lower refresh rates. We were impressed with the screens on the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max in our review, and it’s good to hear that third party apps will be able to take full advantage of what they have to offer — though some may have to wait until after that software update.
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Credit: Ed Harvey via Pexels
Modern technology can be jaw-dropping at times, but it must be installed correctly and safely. There’s nothing worse than getting ready to show off one of the latest gadgets, only to see that it doesn’t work!
Professional electricians have the experience and knowledge necessary to ensure that the wiring tucked out of view works as it should, so what is visible performs the way it’s expected to. Let’s check out the different services electricians provide for your home.
Safely, Efficiently Wire Smart Homes
The idea of a Smart Home where people can control a room’s temperature from their phone did not exist when many homes were built. Whether your home is from a previous generation or you’re building a new one from scratch, professional electricians can ensure the wiring will safely and sufficiently power all your devices if you want Smart appliances in it.
The electrical requirements are not the same in a house designed to power the lights versus one that can charge a car in the garage. Even though some aspects of a Smart Home can be self-installed, if you’re confident enough, most laypeople don’t know how to install it optimally.
If you have multiple smart devices, it’s better to have them streamlined, so they can talk to each other and be interconnected. You want your speakers, thermostat, locks, and more to work effortlessly, and professional electricians make it easy.
If you’re going to be charging an electric vehicle at home, ensure your EV Charger is hardwired to the electrical panel. A certified, licensed, and insured electrician needs to confirm the installation meets certification requirements.
If you need an electrician in Pickering or anywhere in the Durham region to wire your home for modern technology, look for a family-owned business that can get the job done quickly and with excellent customer service. Family-owned businesses specialize in customer satisfaction.
Safety Matters Above All
It’s hard for laypeople to identify faulty or dangerous wiring when they see it, and it’s hard to see behind those walls. Professional electricians have the equipment to measure the rate at which electricity is conducted, so they can safely install your home’s lighting.
Whether you’re moving into an old home that may have outdated systems or building a brand-new house, hiring a professional electrician to inspect and install the wiring is essential. Confirm first whether they’re an apprentice, journeyman, or a master electrician, and double-check that the business is bonded, licensed, and insured.
The safety of you, your family, and your home may be at risk unless a professional electrician has inspected your home’s wiring and deemed it safe. You can’t get this peace of mind any other way.
A home ought to have lights that turn on brightly and safely, but it’s common to expect a lot more from our gadgets, given today’s incredible consumer technology. Make sure you have a professional electrician inspect and wire the home, so you can feel confident that everything will work smoothly and safely.
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