New Advances in Technology Help Close Out 2020

Emerging Tech Roundup — January 01, 2021

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: Surgeons perform AR eye socket surgery, Amazon considers an acquisition, Ticketmaster hacks a competitor, Facebook’s tax strategy is scrutinized, VR is used to test drive trains, AI is introduced to warfare.

Israel Performs First-Ever Augmented Reality, 3D Eye Socket Surgery

(Jerusalem Post, January 1)

A patient fractured his left eye socket and was experiencing double vision. Using 3D printing and augmented reality, surgeons were able to accurately reproduce the shape of the patient’s eye socket floor. Titanium was used to make the eye’s plate and AR was used by doctors to carefully place the plate under the patient’s eye. The surgery was successful and only took an hour and a half.

Amazon Acquires Podcast Network Wondery

(TechCrunch, December 30)

Amazon is looking to acquire Wondery, an independent podcast network. The acquisition will make Wondery a part of Amazon Music, which launched its podcast support in September 2020. The amount of the acquisition is still unknown, but Wondery is valued at a minimum of $300 million according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. Having Wondery as a part of Amazon’s conglomerate would allow them to better compete against Spotify, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and other competitors.

Ticketmaster Will Pay $10 Million for Hacking Rival Ticket Seller

(The Verge, December 30)

Ticketmaster had developed a habit of breaking into their competitors’ network systems to collect information that helped them be more competitive in their market. The company has agreed to pay $10 million to rival ticket selling company, CrowdSurge, after hiring and encouraging one of their former employees to leak internal information. Allegations against Ticketmaster’s practices began in 2017 and now the company is being prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Facebook to Shut Down Irish Holding Companies Amid Disputes Over Tax Payments in Europe

(Business Insider, December 29)

Facebook is looking to close down its Irish holding company due to tax issues with the European Union. The European Union was not happy with how Facebook went about paying their taxes, but the social media giant claimed their decisions were based on recent tax law changes recommended by policy makers. The company also believes that their adopted strategy is best for their operating structure.

Tyne and Wear Metro Drivers Use Virtual Reality to Test Trains

(BBC, December 29)

Tyne and Wear Metro drivers are using virtual reality to test drive a new fleet of trains. Metro operator, Nexus, organized virtual tours of the controls and layout of the carts. This was done by giving the test drivers computer generated images of the controls. After their test driving session, drivers are able to provide Nexus with feedback so that the company can make adjustments to the new fleet before it is completely built.

AI Flies Military Plane for First Time as Us Air Force Declares ‘algorithmic Warfare Has Begun’

(Independent, December 17)

For the first time ever, the US Air Force has used artificial intelligence to fly a military plane. During a training mission, the µZero AI algorithm successfully flew a U-2 spy plane in California. This is the first step towards AI being used in warfare. Although the idea and technology can be very useful, others have many concerns. For instance, concerns were raised about the the AI technology making life or death decisions on the battlefield, and others would like to know how the military plans to govern and trace the technology,