Another day, another Facebook privacy scandal

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This is just getting ridiculous. 

A day after Facebook admitted to changing 14 million users’ post settings to “public,” three days after it was revealed that the company had given an accused national security threat access to data on some users’ friends, and less than a week after the news dropped that the social media giant had special data sharing deals with 60 device manufacturers, we’re hit with yet another scandal from the bottomless pit of shamelessness. 

And — you’ll be forgiven for experiencing a bit of deja vu here — the privacy violation du jour involves Facebook providing certain companies access to data on users’ friends.  Read more…

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White House says it will release government data to fuel AI research

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President Donald Trump’s top tech advisor said on Tuesday during an MIT robotics and AI conference panel that the US government will disclose any federal data that could further AI research.

“Anything we can do to figure that out, we will work very hard on,” said Michael Kratsios, Trump’s chief technology advisor, who holds the highest-ranking tech position in the administration, because Trump has yet to appoint an Office of Science and Technology head.

SEE ALSO: Robert Downey Jr. is hosting a YouTube show about artificial intelligence because he is truly Iron Man

The announcement was surprising, mostly because AI and tech have been regarded with caution by the administration, especially with Trump’s outspoken rhetoric about the dangers of automation due to the job elimination potential. Read more…

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Waymo hits 7 million self-driving miles, eyes Europe expansion

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Waymo is still chugging along with plans to offer a truly driverless car service in the Phoenix, Arizona, area by the end of this year — but it’s also moving its self-driving sights to Europe. 

At the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin, Italy, earlier this week, Waymo CEO John Krafcik said, “There is an opportunity for us at Waymo to experiment here in Europe, with different products and maybe even with different go-to-market strategies,” as Reuters noted.

SEE ALSO: Here’s the aspect of self-driving car testing that’s not dominated by Apple or Google

Krafcik floated this idea a few days after Waymo demoed its Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities at Fiat Chrysler’s Balocco Proving Ground in northern Italy. For the first time, a car drove itself outside the U.S. with no one in the driver’s seat. Read more…

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6 people who might show up in the ‘Game of Thrones’ Age of Heroes prequel

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HBO announced today that the first Game of Thrones prequel to be picked up to pilot will take place during the Age of Heroes, a period thousands of years before the events of the current show. 

While the Age of Heroes is a very long and mysterious period of Westerosi history, and although HBO hasn’t said much more about what the story will be, it’s not too early to speculate about which legendary heroes may turn up as characters on the show. 

SEE ALSO: ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel will explore the White Walkers’ OG beef with Westeros

Bran the Builder

Bran the Builder was the founder of House Stark. He’s known as the builder because he’s the guy who managed to build the Wall that separates Westeros from the Lands of Always Winter, which went up after the first war with the White Walkers, called The Long Night. Since the prequel promises to show the origins of the White Walkers, it’s likely that Bran will be there to answer any audience questions about how the magical Wall was made in the first place.  Read more…

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How to bring hope and compassion to conversations about suicide

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This week the world lost Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade to suicide. 

As the heartbreak over their deaths has turned into wide-ranging conversations about mental health and self-harm, it’s critical to remember that such exchanges have the power to reinforce stigma or push people closer to seeking help. 

SEE ALSO: ‘You’re not alone’: Famous men are talking about mental health, and it could save lives

“These two examples [of Bourdain and Spade] are people who are so universally loved that it becomes an opportunity to have better discussions than we have in the past,” says Julie Cerel, president of the American Association of Suicidology

If you want to talk about suicide online or in-person, consider the following four strategies:  Read more…

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‘Game of Thrones’ prequel will explore the White Walkers’ OG beef with Westeros

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Game of Thrones prequel news alert! HBO announced that the network has picked up to pilot one of five potential prequel series to their hit show, and going by the description it’s going to be a packed with violent Westerosi fun. 

SEE ALSO: What the ‘Game of Thrones’ leaks tell us about Season 8

The series will take place during the “Age of Heroes,” thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. HBO stated that the show will reveal “the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to [and] the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend… it’s not the story we think we know.” Read more…

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Lizard’s bright UV tongue helps to scare off predators

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The blue-tongued skink, also known as a blue-tongued lizard, is already fascinating due to its colourful gob, but researchers have discovered its secret power.

Ordinarily when threatened, the lizard uses its tongue as a warning to predators.

SEE ALSO: Meet the tardigrade…the world’s most ‘indestructible’ animal

But it’s the final throes of the skink’s defence that has excited researchers: As a last-ditch attempt, it shows the back of its tongue, which is more UV-intense and luminous compared to the front. 

That could be a useful defence against its main predators, such as birds, snakes, and monitor lizards, who are thought to have UV vision.  Read more…

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Drop everything, Solange is collaborating with … Ikea

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Clear out your living rooms and get ready for an upgrade: Solange is collaborating with Ikea. 

Saint Heron, the art collective founded by Solange Knowles, announced the collaboration on Thursday. According to the announcement, the collection will explore “architectural and design objects with multifunctional use.” 

SEE ALSO: Hold onto your youth, Ikea sells skateboards now

The announcement didn’t include any photos or release date, but the kaleidoscopic video accompanying the tweet might hint at the aesthetic Saint Heron has in the works. 

Saint Heron is excited to announce an upcoming creative collaboration with @IKEAtoday, exploring architectural and design objects with multifunctional use. Stay tuned for more information! #saintheron pic.twitter.com/hNsWUPk28c

— SAINT HERON (@SaintHeron) June 7, 2018 Read more…

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Forget the Vegas drive-thru wedding: Get hitched inside a driverless shuttle

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Your wedding venue search is over. Who needs a wedding chapel when there’s a perfectly functional driverless shuttle bus roaming the streets of Las Vegas?

That’s the venue the American Automobile Association is offering a lucky couple looking to get hitched in Las Vegas. The regional office is holding an essay contest to find the perfect twosome to take part in the first wedding aboard a AAA autonomous vehicle. AAA has a self-driving shuttle pilot program that launched in Las Vegas at the end of last year. The all-electric, eight-seat Navya shuttles run on a .6-mile route through the city. In a few weeks, one of them will become a designated marriage mobile. Read more…

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