The federal government should create national artificial intelligence “testbeds” to secure industry investment and expand research, members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recommended, per an Office of Science and Technology Policy announcement Wednesday. A PCAST industries of the future subcommittee submitted recommendations Tuesday to be approved by the full council. It recommended federal partnerships with industry to “deploy AI applications at scale, novel academia-industry AI partnership models, and ‘AI Fellow-in-Residence’ positions in Federal agencies.”
Denon is pitching its new AVR-S960H audiovisual receiver as 8K-ready and built for gamers. The 4K/120Hz pass-through and variable refresh rate are said to reduce frame tearing and improve precision in game play. Direct Stream Digital 2.8 MHz and 5.6 MHz tracks through front-panel USB or network connected devices. The receiver works with voice control, said the company. It supports Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2.
RagingWire Data Centers' EU-U.S. Privacy Shield certification lapsed and the company misled consumers about participation and failed program requirements, the FTC alleged in a 3-1-1 settlement Tuesday. Now known as NTT Global Data Centers, the company allegedly violated the program January 2017-October 2018. The company is prohibited from misrepresenting itself again and could face civil penalties up to $43,280 for each future violation. Commissioner Rohit Chopra voted no, and Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter didn’t participate. The settlement wasn’t appropriate, Chopra said, calling for “redress for customers, forfeiture of the company’s gains from any deceptive sales practices, or a specific admission of liability that would allow its customers to pursue claims in private litigation.” Chairman Joe Simons and Commissioners Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson rejected Chopra’s call for litigation: “There is no need and doing so would unnecessarily divert resources from other important matters.” An attorney for the company didn’t comment.
NTIA's Minority Broadband Initiative plans a July 15 webinar about cyberinfrastructure at historically Black and tribal colleges and universities, it said Monday. In earlier outreach, the "schools’ leaders identified an ongoing need for targeted federal funding for broadband access, digital literacy training, and continued close engagement with government at all levels to expand the relationship with the HBCU community and ensure the distinct needs of their institutions are well understood by decision makers," NTIA said.
About 15 million to 16 million public school students, or 30%, live in households either without adequate internet connections or a device for distance-learning at home, and about 9 million students have neither, reported Common Sense and Boston Consulting. They also estimated Monday that 300,000 to 400,000 K-12 teachers live in households without adequate internet connectivity, about 10 percent. The study said it would cost $7 billion-$12 billion to close these groups' digital divide. "The #homeworkgap is the cruelest part of our digital divide," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel tweeted, regarding the report.
Amazon agreed to buy self-driving vehicle company Zoox to bring “autonomous ride-hailing to reality,” it blogged Friday. Amazon’s financial muscle will “markedly accelerate” Zoox’s path to market with “safe, clean and enjoyable” autonomous vehicles that deliver a "revolutionary passenger experience," said Chief Technology Officer Jesse Levinson. Zoox CEO Aicha Evans and Levinson continue in their roles. This follows Amazon’s autonomous vehicle investments in Aurora and Rivian, with Amazon saying it would order 100,000 Rivian delivery vans for rollout next year, Cowen's John Blackledge wrote investors. Though Zoox is focused on ride-hailing, “the technology could ostensibly be repurposed for Last Mile package delivery,” said the analyst. He cited a big area of Amazon investment “as it scales over time and focuses on 1-Day delivery for Prime members.”
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology meets Tuesday virtually starting at 11 a.m. EDT to discuss industries of the future and other topics, the Office of Science and Technology Policy announced Friday. OSTP Director Kelvin Droegemeier and Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios will speak, along with representatives from the private sector, including IBM.
With broadband growth flat, the next ISP revenue growth opportunity is value-added services, blogged Parks Associates' David Drury Thursday. Adoption rate for stand-alone internet service grew from 34% in 2017 to 42% in Q1, said the analyst. Average service rates grew 36% from Q1 2012 to Q3 2019 to $60 monthly. That compares with average monthly rate growth from $107 to $127 for TV and internet service. “Providers have generally used [value-added services] VAS as a marketing tool to attract and retain subscribers," said Drury, so for them to successfully make the transition to a revenue-producing source, "companies need a clear understanding of the gaps in consumer satisfaction and demand for strategic and successful VAS deployments." VAS has little impact on ISPs’ average revenue per user because speed is the primary driver of ARPU, said Drury.
Antitrust enforcers should investigate whether Google is violating antitrust law through exclusive contracts making the platform the default search engine for cellphone manufacturers and online content providers, Public Knowledge wrote DOJ and state attorneys general Thursday. “Lack of competition in search harms consumers and advertisers, as well as other search providers and potential entrants,” PK wrote. “Years of stagnation caused by a lack of competition have likely had harmful effects that are broad and difficult to quantify.” DOJ, Google and the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) didn’t comment. Paxton, who PK addressed in the letter, is helping lead an antitrust investigation of Google (see 2004220067).
Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia partnered for an in-vehicle computing system and artificial intelligence computing infrastructure, they said. The upgradeable systems will be standard in Mercedes vehicles in 2024. The Nvidia Drive platform includes a system software stack designed for automated driving AI applications, which the companies will jointly develop, they said Tuesday.