Apple reportedly acquired an AI startup focused on 'dark data' for $200 millionApple has acquired artificial intelligence startup Lattice Data for $200 million, according to a report in TechCrunch. The deal closed a few weeks ago and roughly 20 engineers from Lattice have joined Apple, according to the report, which cited an anonymous source. Lattice's technology focuses on "dark data," the mass of unorganized information stored in computer networks that is not in a proper format for companies to analyze or tap into. Lattice uses AI to make sense of all that data. [ Business Insider ] Sheryl Sandberg Calls for U.S. Policy Changes to Aid Working Mothers
Sheryl Sandberg used a Mother's Day post on Facebook to advocate for a higher minimum wage, paid family leave and other policies she said would benefit American women. The Facebook Inc. chief operating officer said companies can't resolve social issues on their own and that the government needs to step in. In addition to higher wages and paid time off for parents, she said the U.S. must ensure child care is more affordable. She said 40 percent of American households with children rely on a woman as the primary breadwinner. [ Bloomberg ] Design’s exclusion problemYou’ve probably seen one or a few public relations disasters pop up in the tech industry. Usually, a well-meaning, well-funded, and far-reaching tech company lands itself in the hot seat after rolling out a product and then discovering that it has excluded some group of people in a grand, disruptive way. [ Tech Crunch ] E732: “The Syndicate”: 7 top startups across 7 verticals pitch to 20 world-class investorsCapitalists are destroying capitalism. They must be stopped For two centuries, there has been a power struggle over which force should drive economies—governments or free markets. Although markets reign today, Paul de Grauwe says that the forces of government control are strengthening. De Grauwe is one of Europe’s leading economists, now at the London School of Economics, and his book The Limits of the Markets (Oxford University Press) was recently translated into English from Dutch. In the book, de Grauwe warns that the nature of swings in “the pendulum between government and market” can be dangerously disruptive. [ QZ ] 11 PIOs in Forbes list of best venture capitalistsEleven Indian-American investors feature in Forbes magazine's annual list of the 100 best venture capitalists who are behind some of the highest-returning investments in the technology sphere. 'Midas 2017' comprises the 100 best venture capitalists in the world, taking into account a five-year look-back at a partner's portfolio, with exits by IPO or Silicon Valley Could Measure Up To Silicon Valley And China's Own DragonIn visits with various venture capitalists around town in NY, it has struck me that the city has a more congenial environment for startups and their investors than hotspots such as Silicon Valley and Beijing. That could be because there’s simply less competition for deals in New York than with these two other tech locations. [ Forbes ] Trump’s cybersecurity executive order is a good first stepA significant piece of cybersecurity news erupted last week, although it was nearly drowned out by the growing flap over President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. There are two overriding points regarding President Trump’s executive order (EO) outlining plans to improve data security for federal agencies and to better protect critical U.S. [ Tech Crunch ] This Temasek-backed startup builder tackles cyber security with army experienceCyber security has always been one of the more obscure topics of the tech industry, deemed the inscrutable domain of hacking gurus. Now it’s coming to the mainstream as cyber security means more to the layperson than just protecting a computer from viruses. Hacking stories are in the forefront, from compromised election campaigns to companies and governments losing tons of money and credibility because of security risks. [ Tech In Asia ] Xiaomi puts the focus on India with plans to open 100 retail storesXiaomi is increasing its office retail presence in China as bids to gain ground stolen by rivals in its homeland, and now it is making that very same push in its second largest market, India. The Chinese company, which is valued at $45 billion, suffered a tough time last year as sales growth slowed — Xiaomi, notably, didn’t go public with sales figures for 2016 — but India has been a bright spot. It passed $1 billion in revenue for the first time in the country last year, and it ended 2016 as India’s second highest selling smartphone maker behind only Samsung, according to analyst firm Canalys. [ Tech Crunch ] How Google Took Over the ClassroomThe sixth graders at Newton Bateman, a public elementary school here with a classic red brick facade, know the Google drill. In a social-science class last year, the students each grabbed a Google-powered laptop. They opened Google Classroom, an app where teachers make assignments. Then they clicked on Google Docs, a writing program, and began composing essays. [ NY Times ] Magic Leap Could Be Looking at an $8 Billion ValuationHi Backchannel readers. It’s Jessi. Magic Leap quietly settled a gender discrimination lawsuit this week. I reached out, both to the company and to the former employee, to see if there was more story to share and—no surprise—there wasn’t. But there’s one interesting question to ask when such a document drops: Why would Magic Leap settle this now? The timing isn’t that unusual — the suit was filed in February and the settlement suggests the company addressed it promptly. But I asked a few folks, and discovered that the company is raising funds again. [ Medium ] Hillary Rodham Clinton is coming to CodeLet’s not bury the lede: Hillary Rodham Clinton is coming to the 2017 Code conference and it is likely to be an epic interview. Fake news? Check! Email problems? Check! FBI controversy? Check! Russian hackers? Check! The impact of tech on jobs? Check! The state of our very divided union? Double check!! [ Re/Code ] 15 renovation apps to know for your next projectEmbarking on a home renovation project is no easy feat, but thanks to today's advances in internet technology, there is probably a stellar app out there ready to assist with every part of the process. Below, we rounded up 15 standouts across three categories—plan, design, and expert help—available on iOS and/or Android, many of which are free to download. [ Curbed ] Uber Has a Union of Sorts, but Faces Doubts on Its AutonomyUber was a pioneer in seamlessly connecting passengers and drivers through an app. Now a union-led group meant to represent its drivers is also taking an unorthodox approach — as well as Uber’s money. The group, the Independent Drivers Guild, was formed roughly one year ago as part of an agreement for the New York City area between Uber and a regional branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Guild officials say the unusual deal was simply the most practical way to improve the lot of drivers, whom the union has a proud history of organizing. [ NY Times ] SoFi is One Quirky Lender, But It’s Working"Fintech" companies have been in the dumps lately, as Mike Cagney, CEO of a lender called Social Finance, or SoFi, is the first to tell you. Cagney is quick to add that his company is the king of these midgets, an innovative operator in a staid industry that is a making a go of things. I spent two weeks delivering for Uber Eats and made $4.4 per hourThe hail bounces on my face when I pedal my bike up the seemingly never ending hill Götgatspuckeln in Södermalm, Stockholm. It is cold, wet and payday for Swedes. On my back is the big square-boxed bag from Uber Eats. I am on my way to yet another day at work as a bike courier in my quest to find answers to how the conditions really are for those who work for the new and popular food delivery companies; Uber Eats and Foodora. [ Break It ] Silicon Valley is passe. Indian startups turn to China for inspiration.Two busloads of Indian founders and investors went around China’s major tech hubs recently. In the first part of this series, we explored the potential they saw for Chinese investments to rise in India – as well as challenges. Today, we look at some of their takeaways from the trip: an environment in which businesses scale at breakneck speed; pragmatic governance that enables it; and risk-taking entrepreneurs who innovate with local business models. [ Tech In Asia ] |