DIGIT’s Top-trending

Facebook to pay $5bn over privacy violations

#Facebook will pay a record-breaking $5 billion fine for “deceiving” users about their ability to keep their personal information private. #FTC #dataprivacy #Cambridgeanalytica https://t.co/SRiNcRNoRx

— DIGIT (@digitfyi) July 25, 2019

Facebook will be forced to pay a fine of $5 billion following a year-long investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC ruled that the social media giant actively deceived users about their ability to keep their personal information private. The fine marks one of the largest ever imposed by the regulator.

In addition to the fine, Facebook must also establish an independent privacy committee – which CEO Mark Zuckerberg will have no control over.

“Despite repeated promises to its billions of users worldwide that they could control how their personal information is shared, Facebook undermined consumers’ choices,” FTC chairman Joe Simons said this week.

“The magnitude of the $5 billion penalty and sweeping conduct relief are unprecedented in the history of the FTC,” he added.

The settlement will see Facebook also put forward changes to how the company operates, and it will be required to submit a modified corporate structure designed to make its executive more accountable for user privacy.

Want to find out more? Check out the original article here.

Aberdeen hospital unveils ‘cutting-edge’ surgical robot

The surgical robot has been described as the “most important development” in joint replacement surgery for the past 20-30 years. https://t.co/auSISxyyLj

— DIGIT (@digitfyi) July 24, 2019

Aberdeen’s Albyn Hospital will become the first facility in Scotland to offer hip, knee, and partial knee replacement surgery using a robot.

Costing more than £1 million, the robotic-assisted equipment will place the privately-run north-east hospital at “the cutting edge” of surgery technology. The Stryker Mako system has been described as the “most important step” in joint replacement surgery over the past 30 years.

The first of its kind in Scotland, the hospital hopes that the new surgical robot will attract patients to the area from across the country, thereby establishing Aberdeen as a centre of excellence.

The technology will be used to help surgeons perform joint replacement procedures faster and more accurately. It is hoped this will result in better outcomes and reduced patient time in hospital.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Martin Mitchell said: “This is a major advance forward in joint replacement surgery – in my opinion, the most important step forward for the last 20-30 years.”

Want to find out more? Check out the original article here.

O2 confirms October launch for 5G services

O2 said it plans to roll out 5G services to 20 towns and cities by the end of this year, with a total of 50 by summer 2020. https://t.co/s2SnLrW22z

— DIGIT (@digitfyi) July 25, 2019

O2 plans to roll-out its 5G service across the UK in October, with customers in Edinburgh, Cardiff, London and Belfast set to benefit initially.

The 5G switch-on will also see faster speeds and “new opportunities” reaching customers in around 20 towns and cities by the end of the year, the company confirmed. By summer 2020, this number is expected to rise to 50 locations.

“Radical” improvements are expected due to the next-generation network rollout, boosting capacity and reliability in key locations and allowing customers to access superfast speeds, even during peak times.

Commenting on the launch announcement, Mark Evans, CEO of Telefonica UK, said: “5G is going to be a game-changer for our country. Whether it’s for people or businesses, the power of this next-generation network is going to unlock a world of possibilities for our economy and society.

“As we switch on our network across the country, our intelligence-led rollout prioritises the key areas in towns and cities first – the places where our customers need, and will use, 5G the most.”

Want to find out more? Check out the original article here.

Vibrating dog vest used to teach non-verbal commands

New #haptic high tech vest helps train #dogs to obey silent commands. https://t.co/rKmzqZiDVd

— DIGIT (@digitfyi) July 24, 2019

Six-year-old Labrador retriever/German shepherd crossbreed Tai has been helping to test a new vibrating dog vest that is meant to train dogs to respond to commands sent via vibrations, providing another way for humans and dogs to communicate.

Originally, Tai was raised to be a guide dog for a blind person; however, he failed to qualify because he was too easily distracted and very much led by his nose – he enjoyed sniffing things too much. In his new career, Tai has been retrained as a ‘remote-controlled dog’, with the aid of the vest he has learned to respond to haptic feedback through the vest.

Developed by Israeli researchers at Ben-Gurion University’ Robotics Lab, the vest has great potential to be useful in situations where the dog is not in its handler/owners line of sight or when they are unable to issue voice commands.

Want to find out more? Check out the original article here.

In Case You Missed It..

Boris Johnson’s campaign team posts hundreds of Facebook ads

Hundreds of Facebook ads outlining Boris Johnson’s campaign promises have been posted to Facebook in the days since he became Prime Minister.

Facebook’s ad library, which is a repository of political ads posted to Facebook and Instagram, show that the Conservative Party posted 280 adverts on Johnson’s first day as Prime Minister. Many of the ads are identical and contain the same general content, with slight variations here and there.

Two ads, in particular, issued a call for Facebook users to “join now and build the movement” as Johnson prepares to take on the European Union in Brexit negotiations.

Want to find out more? Check out the original article here.

Apple pays $1bn for Intel modem business

Apple is expected to pay around $1 billion (£800m) for Intel’s smartphone modem business amid ongoing plans to increase the firm’s control over microchips used in iPhone devices.

The technology giant will also take on more than 2,200 Intel employees as part of the deal, along with thousands of patents related to wireless technology.

Currently, Apple relies heavily on Intel’s wireless chips to allow its iPhone devices to connect to 4G networks. However, Intel has encountered difficulties in keeping pace with Qualcomm’s wireless development. This year’s iPhone will come without 5G technology that is rapidly making its way into rival smartphones and products.

Want to find out more? Check out the original article here.