The Changing World Order
Drones are the new bombs, code the new currency, chips the new oil, and AI the new everything. Technology has reshaped geopolitics forever and a new world order is being carved in silicon
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2.6 billion people don’t use the internet. What’s stopping them?
One-third of the world still isn’t online. Here’s how the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is working to close the digital divide.
The next big tech trend will start out looking like a toy
In “Read, Write, Own: Building The Next Era of the Internet,” investor Chris Dixon explains why the biggest trends often go overlooked.
Constitutional warning shot for social media “deplatforming” laws
Can the government tell private websites what they have to publish?
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Bird and Lyft are offering free rides to the polls in 2020
The micromobility industry launched a national campaign to offer free rides to the polls on Election Day.
Barbershops unite to empower voters
One campaign is hoping to increase voter turnout by empowering barbershops as community voter engagement hubs.
How hackers could take down the election… or save it
In an attempt to prepare government officials to manage threats on Election Day, one cybersecurity company has created an immersive simulation exercise called Operation Blackout.
Voting online is here. but is it ready?
Voting online is a debate that pits accessibility against security. For some, it is the only way to participate in elections. But at what cost?
Disinfecting drones to spray stadium after NFL games
Are the disinfecting drones set to fly over Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Atlanta Falcons games useful or just another example of hygiene theater?
Predator drones are using AI to create faster fire maps
The National Guard has used drones to create forest fire maps since 2017. New AI upgrades could make the maps in minutes, not hours.
You can now track your mail-in ballot like an Amazon package
At least 46 states now offer free ballot tracking, letting voters follow their mail-in ballots from the printer to the election office.
Delivery drone breaks flight record for transporting an organ
A MissionGO delivery drone carried a human kidney a record-breaking 10 miles, demonstrating how the devices could facilitate organ transplants.
Underwater data center could lead to a more reliable internet
After spending two years on the ocean’s floor, Microsoft’s underwater data center had a much lower server failure rate than land-based data centers.
Walmart and Zipline launch a 1-hour drone delivery service that will parachute-drop your purchases
Walmart’s drone delivery service will deliver wellness products to customers within a 50-mile radius of their headquarters in Arkansas.
The most advanced digital government in the world
Estonia was the first country to hold a nationwide election online, and the first to declare internet access a human right. Will other countries follow suit?
Amazon drone delivery gets approval to launch from FAA
Prime Air, Amazon’s drone delivery service, has secured a key FAA certification, clearing it for the next phase of testing in the U.S.
Google announces cheaper alternatives to college degrees
Google’s new certificate program provides alternatives to college degrees that are cheaper to obtain, but potentially worth the same in the job market.
How thread became critical in a pandemic
Tech giants have teamed up to help innovate the PPE supply chain and lessen the risk of future shortages, starting with the world’s leading thread supplier.
Loon is beaming balloon-based internet to Kenya
The Loon balloon-based internet platform looks to bring connectivity to those without it. The first commercial deployment is taking place high above Kenya.
Starlink internet to begin beta testing
SpaceX’s Starlink internet project promises to use satellites to improve internet access. Beta testers will get the chance to try it later this summer.
With US clothing sales in a freefall, Walmart sells secondhand
Consumers can now purchase secondhand clothing from a new resale store in the largest retailer – Walmart.
Singapore to give all residents wearables for contact tracing
Singapore is testing the ability of wearables for contact tracing to prevent an increase in coronavirus infections as it lifts lockdown restrictions.
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Challengers
Healthy fast food start up takes on the McDonald’s empire
This LA-based business wants to radically alter the fast food industry by selling healthy fast food at the same low cost as competitors like McDonald’s.
Fighting child exploitation with big data
Last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 18 million reports of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Now, they’re using a new technology to confront this issue with the force necessary to eradicate it.
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