Can algorithms identify unusual medication orders or profiles more accurately than humans? Not necessarily. From a report: A study coauthored by researchers at the Universite Laval and CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal found that one model physicians used to screen patients performed poorly on some orders. The study offers a reminder that unvetted AI and machine learning may negatively impact outcomes in…
Tag: lists
New Python 3.9 ‘Brings Significant Changes’ To Language Features
This week’s release of Python 3.9 “brings forward significant changes to both the features of the language and to how the language is developed,” writes InfoWorld — starting with a new yearly release schedule and performance-boosting parser improvements:
– Python makes it easy to manipulate common data types, and Python 3.9 extends this ease with new features for strings and dictionaries. For…
Twitter Is Building ‘Birdwatch,’ a System To Fight Misinformation By Adding More Context To Tweets
Twitter is developing a new product called “Birdwatch,” which the company confirms is an attempt at addressing misinformation across its platform by providing more context for tweets, in the form of notes. TechCrunch reports: Tweets can be added to “Birdwatch” — meaning flagged for moderation — from the tweet’s drop-down menu, where other blocking and reporting tools are found today. A…
Publishers Worry As Ebooks Fly Off Libraries’ Virtual Shelves
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: After the pandemic closed many libraries’ physical branches this spring, checkouts of ebooks are up 52 percent from the same period last year, according to OverDrive, which partners with 50,000 libraries worldwide. Hoopla, another service that connects libraries to publishers, says 439 library systems in the US and Canada have joined since March,…
Which insects have the worst stings?
Some of the most painful stings come from tarantula hawk wasps, warrior wasps, and bullet ants. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/which-insects-have-worst-painful-stings…
Amsterdam and Helsinki Launch Algorithm Registries To Bring Transparency To Public Deployments of AI
Amsterdam and Helsinki this week launched AI registries to detail how each city government uses algorithms to deliver services, some of the first major cities in the world to do so. From a report: An AI Register for each city was introduced in beta today as part of the Next Generation Internet Policy Summit, organized in part by the European Commission…
Google Removes 17 Android Apps Caught Engaging In WAP Billing Fraud
Google has recently removed 17 Android applications from the official Play Store because they were infected with the Joker (aka Bread) malware. ZDNet reports: “This spyware is designed to steal SMS messages, contact lists, and device information, along with silently signing up the victim for premium wireless application protocol (WAP) services,” Zscaler security researcher Viral Gandhi said this week. The 17…
The Best Chrome Extensions To Prevent Creepy Web Tracking
Wired has highlighted several browser extensions that “are a simple first step in improving your online privacy.” Other steps to take include adding a privacy-first browser and VPN to further mask your web activity. An anonymous reader shares the report: Privacy Badger is one of the best options for blocking online tracking in your current browser. For a start, it’s created…
Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs: the Books They Recommended
Slashdot has featured “the 61 books Elon Musk has recommended on Twitter” as well as the 41 books Mark Zuckerberg recommended on Facebook. Both lists were compiled by a slick web site (with Amazon referrer codes) called “Most Recommended Books.” But they’ve also created pages showing books recommended by over 400 other public figures — incuding Bill Gates and the late…
Lord of the Rings Special Effects Company ‘Weta Digital’ Launches Inquiry Into Toxic Workplace Claims
AmiMoJo shares a report from The Guardian: Weta Digital, the special effects company behind the orcs, dragons and battle scenes of the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, has launched an independent investigation into allegations of a toxic work culture including sexism, bullying and pornography being shared on its intranet. The investigation was ordered by the company’s majority owners, who include…