What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Amazon's Alexa Can Now Control Your Microwave - And Will Soon Expand To Conventional Ovens
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Amazon's Alexa Can Now Control Your Microwave - And Will Soon Expand To Conventional Ovens
By Cheyenne MacDonald, THE DAILY MAIL UK
January 5, 2018
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5239777/Amazons-Alexa-co…
Amazon’s smart assistant can now add ‘cooking’ to its ever-expanding set of home skills.
How to Curb Silicon Valley Power—Even With Weak Antitrust Laws
How to Curb Silicon Valley Power—Even With Weak Antitrust Laws
By Nitasha Tiku, WIRED
January 5, 2018
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-curb-silicon-valley-power-even-with-…
Technology companies with unprecedented power to sway consumers and move markets have done the unthinkable: They’ve made trust-busting sound like a good idea again.
CUE THE CRICKETS
CUE THE CRICKETS
By Tanya Snyder and Lauren Gardner, POLITICO MORNING TRANSPORTATION
January 5, 2018
How Paranoid Should You Be About Your Nosy Virtual Assistant?
How Paranoid Should You Be About Your Nosy Virtual Assistant?
By Rachael Myrow, KQED
January 4, 2018
https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2018/01/04/how-paranoid-should-you-be-about-y…
As many of us settle into the new year with virtual assistants like the Amazon Echo, Google Home or Microsoft Cortana, it’s worth asking: how much personal information are they picking up? Also, where does that information go?
UM Working To Stop Hackers Of Robot Cars
UM Working To Stop Hackers Of Robot Cars
By Keith Laing, THE DETROIT NEWS
January 4, 2018
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2018/01/04/rob…
University of Michigan researchers working with the Mcity robotic-car testing facility have developed a tool to determine how vulnerable self-driving cars are to hackers who might want to take control of a car or lock its systems for ransom.
Autonomous Car Developer Self-Assessment Fails and Is Dangerous
Autonomous Car Developer Self-Assessment Fails and Is Dangerous
By Bryan Jonston, AUTO CONNECTED CAR NEWS
January 4, 2018
http://www.autoconnectedcar.com/2018/01/autonomous-car-developer-self-a…
Jerry Brown Has Already Expanded Offshore Oil Drilling In State Waters
Jerry Brown Has Already Expanded Offshore Oil Drilling In State Waters
California, Oregon and Washington Governors blast Trump plan to expand offshore oil and gas drilling
By Dan Bacher, INDYBAY.ORG
Thursday Jan 4th, 2018
The Era of Autonomous Vehicles May Be Here Sooner Than Expected
The Era of Autonomous Vehicles May Be Here Sooner Than Expected
What Does That Mean For Detroit's Legacy Automakers?
By Paul A. Eisenstein, HOUR DETROIT
January 2, 2018
http://www.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/January-2018/The-Era-of-Autonom…
Consumer Groups Say 'NYT' Kids Supplement Should Be Ad-Free
Consumer Groups Say 'NYT' Kids Supplement Should Be Ad-Free
By Sara Guaglione, PUBLISHERS DAILY (MEDIAPOST)
December 28, 2017
https://mediapost.com/publications/article/312271/consumer-groups-say-n…
The New York Times will roll out a monthly print-only section for kids in 2018, but 10 national consumer groups say the Times should ban advertising from the section.
From AOL To Digital Assistants
From AOL To Digital Assistants
By Don Edrington, SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE
December 21, 2017
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-no-edri…
Consumer Groups Ask 'NY Times' to Stable 'Trojan Horse' Ads for Google
Consumer Groups Ask 'NY Times' to Stable 'Trojan Horse' Ads for Google
By John Eggerton, MULTI-CHANNEL NEWS
December 20, 2017
http://www.multichannel.com/news/marketing/consumer-groups-ask-ny-times…
Self-Driving Vehicle Proving Ground Opens At Willow Run Near Detroit
Self-Driving Vehicle Proving Ground Opens At Willow Run Near Detroit
By Eric D. Lawrence, DETROIT FREE PRESS
December 18, 2017
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2017/12/18/self-driving-cars-pro…
The launch of self-driving vehicle testing at the American Center for Mobility west of Detroit came with something that frequently confounds human drivers in Michigan — snow.
California Driverless Car Regulations Changed Again
California Driverless Car Regulations Changed Again
By David A. Wood, CARCOMPLAINTS.COM
December 17, 2017
Google and Amazon Really DO Want To Spy On You
Google and Amazon Really DO Want To Spy On You
By Tim Collins, THE DAILY MAIL (UK)
December 15, 2017
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5182577/How-Google-Amazo…
Patent reveals future versions of their voice assistants will record your conversations to sell you products
Kids and Smart Speakers: What Could Go Wrong?
Kids and Smart Speakers: What Could Go Wrong?
By Wendy Lee, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
December 15, 2017
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Kids-and-smart-speakers-Wha…
Driverless Cars Won’t Need Backup Drivers In California Next Year
Driverless Cars Won’t Need Backup Drivers In California Next Year
By Isha Salian, PENINSULA PRESS
December 14, 2017
Consumer Watchdog, Anti-Trust Experts Warn of Higher Prices From Disney-Fox Merger
Consumer Watchdog, Anti-Trust Experts Warn of Higher Prices From Disney-Fox Merger
By Ricardo Lopez, VARIETY
December 14, 2017
http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/consumer-impact-disney-fox-1202641240/
Consumers can expect to pay more for streaming subscriptions if regulators give the greenlight to the proposed $52.4-billion merger of Disney and Fox, a consumer advocacy group and anti-trust law experts warned Thursday.
Brown's Big Oil Legacy
Op-Ed Commentary by Jacques Leslie, LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 14, 2017
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-leslie-brown-oil-california-…
Tech Titans Ramp Up Tools To Win Over Children
By AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE (AFP)
December 9, 2017
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5163753/Tech-titans-ramp-t…
From smartphone messaging tailored for tikes to computers for classrooms, technology titans are weaving their way into childhoods to form lifelong bonds, raising hackles of advocacy groups.
La La La, I Can't Hear You: FCC Responds To Net Neut Concerns
By Kieran McCarthy, THE REGISTER UK
December 5, 2017
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/12/05/pressure_mounts_net_neutrality/
With just a week to go before the head of the FCC will put his plan for a repeal of current net neutrality rules up for a vote, Ajit Pai has come under another barrage of criticism, this time with a focus on consumer protection.
Opinion: Gov. Brown Should Stop Protecting The Oil Industry
Opinion: Gov. Brown Should Stop Protecting The Oil Industry
By Liza Tucker, CONSUMER WATCHDOG for THE MERCURY NEWS
December 3, 2017
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/03/opinion-gov-brown-should-stop-pro…
LADWP Approves Controversial $241M Transfer Which Critics Call ‘Theft From Ratepayers’
LADWP Approves Controversial $241M Transfer Which Critics Call ‘Theft From Ratepayers’
By Staff Reports, KCBS TV-2 Los Angeles, CA
November 28, 2017
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/11/28/ladwp-to-vote-on-241m-transfe…
Jerry Brown's Cap-and-Trade Program Isn't Working
Jerry Brown's Cap-and-Trade Program Isn't Working
California's greenhouse gas emissions declined last year. But it was primarily due to the rainy weather — not the governor's climate policies.
By Alastair Bland, EAST BAY EXPRESS
November 22, 2017
Is Jerry Brown Really the Climate Hero He’s Made Out To Be?
Is Jerry Brown Really the Climate Hero He’s Made Out To Be?
By Derek Seidman, EYES ON THE TIES
November 17, 2017
https://news.littlesis.org/2017/11/17/is-jerry-brown-really-the-climate…
California Governor Jerry Brown made headlines earlier this week, but for a reason he might want to forget.
California Fines Anthem $5 Million For Failing To Address Consumer Grievances
California Fines Anthem $5 Million For Failing To Address Consumer Grievances
By Chad Terhune, LOS ANGELES TIMES
November 15, 2017
http://beta.latimes.com/business/la-fi-anthem-fined-20171115-story.html
California's managed-care regulator has fined insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross $5 million for repeatedly failing to resolve consumer grievances in a timely manner.
California May Limit Liability Of Self-Driving Carmakers
California May Limit Liability Of Self-Driving Carmakers
By Michael Liedtke, ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 15, 2017
https://apnews.com/39a98dfb5bd442698de0c31126db5ae0
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California regulators are embracing a General Motors recommendation that would help makers of self-driving cars avoid paying for accidents and other trouble, raising concerns that the proposal will put an unfair burden on vehicle owners.
Emissions Drop Not Due To Cap And Trade — Study
Emissions Drop Not Due To Cap And Trade — Study
November 15, 2017
By Debra Kahn, CLIMATE WIRE
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060066583
As California Gov. Jerry Brown touts his state's economy-wide carbon cap-and-trade program at U.N. talks in Bonn, Germany, critics of the policy are taking the opportunity to launch jabs back at home.
Google's Missouri Problem Mirrors Woes In EU
Google's Missouri Problem Mirrors Woes In EU
By Julie Charpentrat, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE (AFP)
November 15, 2017
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/googles-missouri-problem-mirrors-woes-eu-0352…
New Reports Expose Racial and Economic Injustice, Ineffectiveness of Pollution Trading
New Reports Expose Racial and Economic Injustice, Ineffectiveness of Pollution Trading
by Dan Bacher, INDYBAY MEDIA
Tuesday Nov 14th, 2017
Is Your Vehicle Under A Recall? Some Ideas For Getting The Word Out To Millions Of Owners
Is Your Vehicle Under A Recall? Some Ideas For Getting The Word Out To Millions Of Owners
11/13/2017
By Eric D. Lawrence, THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/chrysler/2017/11/13/checking-vehicle-recalls/802376001/
Jerry Brown Tells Indigenous Protesters In Bonn, 'Let's Put You In The Ground'
Jerry Brown Tells Indigenous Protesters In Bonn, 'Let's Put You In The Ground'
11/13/2017
By Dan Bacher, INTERCONTINENTAL CRY BLOG
https://intercontinentalcry.org/jerry-brown-tells-indigenous-protesters-bonn-lets-put-ground/
Chart of the Day: California’s Mysteriously High Gasoline Prices
Chart of the Day: California’s Mysteriously High Gasoline Prices
11/12/2017
By Kevin Drum, MOTHER JONES
This chart illustrates a mystery:
Waymo Trials Take Humans Out Of The Driver's Seat
Waymo Trials Take Humans Out Of The Driver's Seat
11/10/2017
By Hailey Desormeaux, AMERICAN SHIPPER
Waymo to Give Phoenix Riders a Lift in Driverless Minivans
Waymo to Give Phoenix Riders a Lift in Driverless Minivans
11/8/2017
By Paul A. Eisenstein, THE DETROIT BUREAU
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2017/11/waymo-to-give-phoenix-riders-a-lift-in-driverless-minivans/
Pilot program just getting underway, but critics question safety.
Waymo’s Autonomous Cars Cut Out Human Drivers In Road Tests
Waymo’s Autonomous Cars Cut Out Human Drivers In Road Tests
By Daisuke Wakabayashi, THE NEW YORK TIMES
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/technology/waymo-autonomous-cars.html
SAN FRANCISCO — The self-driving car is edging closer to becoming driverless.
Look, Ma, No Driver! Waymo Robot Cars In Arizona Go Fully Autonomous
Look, Ma, No Driver! Waymo Robot Cars In Arizona Go Fully Autonomous
By Carolyn Said, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
November 7, 2017
http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Look-ma-No-driver-Waymo-robot-cars-in-Arizona-12339152.php
