Chinese tech giant Tencent is significantly expanding its footprint in Los Angeles, opening an office in Playa Vista that could house 300 employees.The Shenzhen, China-based maker of games such as “Honor of Kings” and “Call of Duty Mobile” previously divided its U.S. division’s L.A. employees across three offices in Santa Monica, Claremont and Century City. The more than … [Read more...] about Chinese tech giant Tencent expands footprint in Playa Vista
Technology
Column: This solar company wouldn’t let a dead woman out of her contract
Worthwhile products sell themselves. So it’s always been strange to me that some companies selling solar power systems resort to the skeeviest sales practices imaginable — telemarketing, robocalls, hyper-aggressive salespeople.Solar power is a good thing. It’s part of the solution to climate change.Yet some players in this industry go out of their way to come off as … [Read more...] about Column: This solar company wouldn’t let a dead woman out of her contract
Hashtags felt dated and cringeworthy. So why are influencers still using them?
Internet fads tend to have a distinct life cycle. First, the embrace by early adopters and tastemakers, particularly the young. Next, an explosion of popularity leading to inescapable ubiquity. Finally, death by overexposure and a wretched zombie afterlife of continued usage by parents and the terminally uncool. Not long ago, hashtags were firmly on that trajectory. Born as a … [Read more...] about Hashtags felt dated and cringeworthy. So why are influencers still using them?
Op-Ed: To keep social media from inciting violence, focus on responses to posts more than the posts themselves
When Facebook tried to get its external Oversight Board to decide whether it should ban Donald Trump permanently, the board demurred and tossed the hot potato back to Facebook, ordering the company to make the final call within six months. But one person had unwittingly offered a vital lesson in content moderation that Facebook and other tech companies have so far missed — … [Read more...] about Op-Ed: To keep social media from inciting violence, focus on responses to posts more than the posts themselves
Column: There’s a model for healthcare reform. It’s called Amazon.com
We can all probably agree that Amazon, more so than any other company, has trained us to be savvy online shoppers. It allows for effective comparison shopping and a clear sense of costs prior to making a purchase.So why don’t we make similar tools available to medical consumers?And why don’t we require healthcare providers to compete for our business the same way Amazon makes … [Read more...] about Column: There’s a model for healthcare reform. It’s called Amazon.com
Column: A government sarcasm detector is just what we need, right?
DARPA has by far the greatest mission statement of any government organization: developing gonzo technologies to prevent and create strategic surprise. And this month the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has created a strategic surprise to beat the band — the SocialSim sarcasm detector. It’s an artificial intelligence program developed at the University of Central … [Read more...] about Column: A government sarcasm detector is just what we need, right?
Por qué la compra de MGM por parte de Amazon es un momento decisivo para Hollywood y la tecnología
Tras años de especulaciones sobre la fusión de las grandes empresas tecnológicas y Hollywood, Amazon.com Inc. dijo el miércoles que va a comprar los estudios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer por 8.450 millones de dólares -adquiriendo una biblioteca de más de 4.000 películas y franquicias históricas como “James Bond”, “Rocky” y “La pantera rosa"- en un momento decisivo para la industria del … [Read more...] about Por qué la compra de MGM por parte de Amazon es un momento decisivo para Hollywood y la tecnología
Why Amazon buying MGM is a watershed moment for Hollywood and tech
After years of waiting, predictions that a tech giant would buy a legacy film and TV studio are finally coming true. Amazon said Wednesday it is acquiring Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios for $8.45 billion — snapping up a library of more than 4,000 movies and storied franchises including “James Bond,” “Rocky” and “The Pink Panther” — a watershed moment in the collision of Hollywood … [Read more...] about Why Amazon buying MGM is a watershed moment for Hollywood and tech
A startup says it helps parents pick healthier embryos. Experts say it’s not that simple
The decision of whether to have a child can be hard even under the best of circumstances. For those with a family history of debilitating disease, it’s often gut-wrenching. If only there were some way to answer the all-important question: Will my child be healthy?To those potential parents, a San Francisco startup is offering a solution: a genetic test of their embryos so they … [Read more...] about A startup says it helps parents pick healthier embryos. Experts say it’s not that simple
Column: That fraud alert on your phone? It could be part of the scam
Most con artists are just rolling the dice, laying traps they hope unwary consumers will stumble into.This one did his homework in targeting a specific victim — and made off with more than $10,000 from a Chase bank account.The episode serves as a wake-up call for all of us to be very cautious when interacting with businesses, even when everything appears to be on the up and … [Read more...] about Column: That fraud alert on your phone? It could be part of the scam