article thumbnail

Facebook Steps Toward Cryptocurrencies

Cars That Think

The company has launched its Novi digital wallet, but without the Diem cryptocurrency, which was supposed to be the cornerstone of the enterprise. The limited pilot will be restricted to 200,000 users in the US and Guatemala. The company says it still plans to transition to Diem once it receives regulatory approval.

Guatemala 117
article thumbnail

This 6-Million-Dollar AI Changes Accents as You Speak

Cars That Think

They also had an idea, sparked by a conversation with another friend, a computer science major who had gone back to his home in Guatemala, where he had gotten a job at a call center doing tech support in order to support his family. “We And they filed the paperwork to incorporate as a company— Sanas.

Venezuela 142
article thumbnail

Inventor of AT&T’s Datakit, the First Virtual Connection Switch, Dies at 85

Cars That Think

telephone companies. He began his career at Ferranti , an electrical engineering and equipment company in Manchester, England. Fraser held several leadership positions at the company during his 30 years there. In 1994 he became associate vice president for the company’s information science research department.

Connect 74
article thumbnail

Move Over, Tractor—the Farmer Wants a Crop-Spraying Drone

Cars That Think

Today, Erickson is the CEO of Houston-based Hylio , a company that builds crop-spraying drones for farmers. Launched in 2015, the company has its own factory and employs more than 40 people. They designed a spray system and made some software tweaks, and by 2018 the company began offering crop-spraying services, Erickson says.

article thumbnail

One epic giveaway: How 600 free electric bikes changed 600 lives

Baua Electric

I’ve long championed the amazing benefits of electric bicycles in providing transportation autonomy to those who can’t afford a personal car and the massive expenses that come along with car ownership. A $1,000 e-bike can be the difference between a one-hour walk to work and a seven-minute ride to work. Another Lectric XP 3.0

article thumbnail

How Duolingo’s AI Learns What You Need to Learn

Cars That Think

But as immigrants themselves (from Guatemala and Switzerland, respectively), they recognized that not everyone has access to great teachers. Around 2017, the company started to make a more focused investment in machine learning, and that’s when coauthors Brust and Bicknell joined the team.

Personal 145