This week saw the creation of the Automotive Edge Computing Consortium, a new initiative with the mission of building an ecosystem for connected car data. An overhaul of existing infrastructures will be necessary to bring millions of cars online, in addition to new networking standards and data hubs. This consortium wants to create the architecture on which the estimated 1 billion gigabytes of monthly data will run.
Camera quality has long been an important factor in the release of new smartphones, pretty much ever since we collectively decided to ditch digital cameras and mp3 players and use one central device instead. After the success of the iPhone 7’s Portrait Mode, Nokia is countering with a phone which can take a “bothie,” i.e. a simultaneous photo through the main camera and the front-facing selfie lens.
Nielsen announces new division to measure e-sports sponsorships
If you still need convincing that e-sports are a big business, Nielsen is launching a dedicated research and consulting unit in this fast-growing space. Measuring the value of e-sports sponsorships is a special priority, says VP of Gaming, Nicole Pike: “It’s clear that there is a gap in the e-sports industry, there’s a huge opportunity for there to be some solid metrics.”
Google is testing a ‘Search Lite’ app
In an effort to make its services both more useful and more accessible in developing countries, Google is working on a version of its Search app which would be able to function in areas with slow internet connections. It’s currently in beta mode in Indonesia.
End of the checkout line: the looming crisis for American cashiers
While the closure of physical stores across the United States has got some commentators predicting a “retail apocalypse,” the truth is online retail is thriving. But we may be seeing the end of the traditional checkout, as The Guardian’s Julia Carrie Wong explores here.
Obama’s anti-racism tweet is the most liked ever on Twitter
In the aftermath of the events in Charlottesville this weekend, which saw anti-fascism protestor Heather Heyer lose her life, former POTUS Barack Obama tweeted a quote from Martin Luther King: “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion.” It has been liked by over three million people so far.
