May, 2019

• 7 May

  Google’s AI chips now can work together for faster learning

  

  If you’re feeling like Google’s data centers are holding back your AI abilities, the company now lets you gang together lots of its tensor processing unit (TPU) chips for better performance. The Google Cloud service now offers TPUs linked together into “pods,” the company announced at its Google I/O conference Tuesday. The resulting speedup is …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  Samsung will cancel Galaxy Fold preorders unless customers confirm

  

  Samsung’s troubles with its beleaguered Galaxy Fold appear to be further delaying when buyers can expect the phone to land in their hands. Samsung originally planned to launch the Galaxy Fold on April 26. But a few days before, the Korean electronics giant officially delayed the debut of its $2,000 foldable phone after reports of broken Galaxy Fold review units. Early …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  Lyft posts big loss in first quarter as a publicly traded company

  

  Lyft’s first quarter on the stock market has been a bumpy ride. Everything looked good when the ride-hailing service’s co-founders, Logan Green and John Zimmer, rang the opening bell on the Nasdaq exchange on March 29 to celebrate Lyft’s first day as a publicly traded company. Shares rose 8.7% to close at $78.29. Shareholders rejoiced. Lyft was seen as the …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  The DJI Mavic Air drone Dad wants is on sale for $695

  

  I know it’s not even Mother’s Day yet, but it’s not too early to start thinking about Dad — especially when there’s a deal to be had. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Cheapskate readers can get the DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter with Remote in onyx black for $694.99. That’s after applying promo code CNETMAVIC at checkout. The …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  Android Q’s speech recognition aims to protect your privacy too

  

  Google unveiled new Android Q features Tuesday that it says can caption home videos in real time, with no internet connection needed. It’s possible because Google’s speech recognition software requires less processing power, so it can run on your phone or tablet, Google said. That comes with an added privacy benefit. Instead of streaming audio from your device to Google’s …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  Sprint posts another loss as T

  

  As Sprint’s pending $26 billion merger with T-Mobile continues to face regulatory scrutiny, the nation’s smallest nationwide carrier continues to chug along. Just how much longer it’ll be able to do so independently remains a growing concern.  Sprint’s fiscal fourth-quarter results aren’t going to quell those questions. On Tuesday, the company reported a loss of $2.2 billion. Total subscribers fell …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  Google Maps turns on Incognito Mode to stop tracking you

  

  You’ll soon be able to stop Google Maps from tracking you.  The tech giant announced Tuesday that it’s introducing a new privacy feature to its mapping app, called Incognito Mode. When this feature is switched on, people can hide their activity within Google Maps. That means places they’ve searched for or gotten directions to won’t be saved to their Google …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  Google working to fix AI bias problems

  

  Google is trying to keep AI bias at bay. At the company’s Google I/O conference Tuesday, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai described research to gain insight into how Google’s artificial intelligence algorithms work and make sure they don’t “reinforce bias that exists in the world.” Specifically, he described a technology called TCAV (testing with concept activation vectors) that’s designed to do …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  The adorable Dancebot dancing Bluetooth speaker is $32.49

  

  Today’s deal is a rerun, but with a pretty hefty discount compared to last time. This might make for a cute Mother’s Day gift? Read more: Awesome affordable gifts for Mother’s Day 2019 I thought I’d seen every kind of Bluetooth speaker. One that looks like a little TV. One that doubles as a light bulb. One that freakin’ levitates. …

  Read More »
• 7 May

  At Google I/O, Sundar Pichai to talk Assistant, Android Q amid scandals

  

  Google will host thousands of developers in its hometown of Mountain View, California, for I/O, its biggest event of the year. The annual conference, which kicks off later today, is Google’s opportunity to tout its newest creations for its Android operating system, Assistant software and other popular services. But this year there’s even more at stake. It’s a chance for …

  Read More »