It’s probably safe to say that we’ve all gotten so mad we just want to smash something to bits – at least once, right? But usually a little something called restraint steps in and holds us back. That was not the case for this Frenchman who went on a tirade in an Apple store in Dijon, France, smashing just about every iPhone in the store, and taking down at least one Macbook while he was at it.
The man, who seems strangely measured as he barks out his outrage in French, is apparently upset about Apple allegedly refusing to honor a EU requirement for two year warranty coverage after a purchase. He uses a steel ball to smash iPhone after iPhone, before turning his attention on a Macbook. Security soon shows up, he puts up a little fight, and then police take him away. Nobody was injured, but tens of thousands of Euro in damage was sustained.
Feel better about the day you’re having? I certainly hope so!
Microsoft goes big on AI
Microsoft is betting big on Artificial Intelligence. It turns out the Redmond-based tech titan has created a new AI division comprising over 5,000 members dedicated to standardizing AI, led by Harry Shum, who previously served as the Executive VP of Technology and Research. This has some wondering what Cortana might look like in future iterations.
Some have suggested Cortana might pivot to become more competitive with Google’s Google Now digital assistant, which acts more and more like a chatbot to interact with users and be more helpful. However, Microsoft’s first attempt at a Chatbot was a horrible failure. You might remember Tay, which went from sweet, futuristic Twitter bot to a full on raging racist in no time at all.
So, clearly Microsoft has some work to do, but when it puts this much resource behind AI, you know it has some grand plans, and they likely extend well beyond Cortana, though we’re pretty sure we’ll be seeing Cortana reach beyond Windows 10 soon enough.
Waze carpooling expands in San Francisco
Finally, navigation app Waze has a new carpool/ride sharing service, in case you didn’t know. It’s broken past the initial pilot program stage and is now available to just about anyone in the Bay area. The project kicked off back in May by matching a beta test group to nearly ¾ million Wazers in and around San Francisco. Riders share the cost of gas for their trip – which works out to about 54 cents per mile, according to the Wall Street Journal.
It’s kind of like Uber, except these aren’t dedicated drivers, these are just normal folks on their way to work, the grocery store, or whatever. The app simply matches up people in the same location going roughly the same direction. Drivers have to be 21 and over and riders must be 18 and older.
No word on when this program might expand beyond San Fran, but it is sure to put a little more pressure on Uber and Lyft, especially on the West Coast, where ride sharing and carpooling are already popular practices.
