AI researchers often say good machine learning is really more art than science. The same could be said for effective public relations. Selecting the right words to strike a positive tone or reframe the conversation about AI is a delicate task: done well, it can strengthen one’s brand image, but done poorly, it can trigger […]
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Can Microsoft tame the Dragon with Nuance acquisition?
Microsoft’s flurry of acquisitions continues this week with the US$19.7 billion purchase of natural language and AI speech leader Nuance. In the legal and medical professions, Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking software has become the go-to package for busy people keen to get accurate notes and documents together without being tied to the keyboard. Nuance’s voice […]
Microsoft acquires Nuance—makers of Dragon speech rec—for $16 billion
Enlarge / In this 2011 photo, Dr. Michael A. Lee uses Dragon Medical voice-recognition software to enter his notes after seeing a patient. (credit: David Ryan via Getty Images) Earlier today, Microsoft announced its plans to purchase Nuance for $56 per share—23 percent above Nuance’s closing price last Friday. The deal adds up to a […]
Industry convergence to drive cybersecurity spending: Report
Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis finds that the cybersecurity industry for global commercial and public sectors is estimated to reach $US68.01 billion by 2030 from $US46.8 billion in 2020, driven by the ongoing threat of cyberattacks and government rules concerning privacy policies and data protection. The surge in digital infrastructures, mobile users, and wireless […]
No password required: Mobile carrier exposes data for millions of accounts
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Q Link Wireless, a provider of low-cost mobile phone and data services to 2 million US-based customers, has been making sensitive account data available to anyone who knows a valid phone number on the carrier’s network, an analysis of the company’s account management app shows. Dania, Florida-based Q Link Wireless is […]
US adds Chinese supercomputing companies to export blacklist
Enlarge (credit: China News Service | Getty Images) The US has placed Chinese groups accused of building supercomputers to help the Chinese military on an export blacklist, the first such move by the Biden administration to make it harder for China to obtain US technology. Three companies and four branches of China’s National Supercomputing Center […]
Comcast nightmare: Six months without Internet despite $5,000 payment
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) When Edward Koll and his girlfriend, Jo Narkon, bought and moved into a new house in Draper, Virginia, in late September 2020, they had every reason to think that Comcast Internet would be readily available. They had done their due diligence before buying the house, plugging the address […]
Windows and Linux devices are under attack by a new cryptomining worm
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) A newly discovered cryptomining worm is stepping up its targeting of Windows and Linux devices with a batch of new exploits and capabilities, a researcher said. Research company Juniper started monitoring what it’s calling the Sysrv botnet in December. One of the botnet’s malware components was a worm that spread from […]
Brislen on Tech: The main trunk line
It’s been 25 years since I moved to Auckland and for the first year I commuted back and forth from Hamilton each week, via train. I love trains. They speak of adventure and mystery in ways that buses simply do not. Where buses are terrible for long distance use, combining all the negative aspects of […]
ITx Innovation Days – CFP and Sponsorship Opportunities
Have you heard? The ITx conference is coming to you this year, with ITx Innovation Day conferences all around New Zealand in July. Here’s a quick update: The CFP is now open – come and speak at your local ITx Innovation Day! More > Sponsorship options are now available too! Get in quick for the […]