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Tech News Today for September 19, 2016

Tech News for September 19, 2016

Google is taking up the challenge with Conversation AI, tools that are designed to use the power of machine learning to locate trollish and abusive language so it can be acted on. Basically, it's using AI to make people be nice. Read more at wired.com.

The verdict is in, according to Tom's Guide. The Galaxy S7 takes slightly better photos than the new iPhone 7 Plus. While it's very difficult to tell with the naked eye, some of the iPhone 7 photos had a slight haze and some graininess. Read more at tomsguide.com.

Lyft is placing its bets that the year 2025 will be the time that most citizens will rely entirely on self driving taxis to get around, comparing car ownership to the DVD. Of course, Lyft has some skin in that game, but the co-founder of Lyft John Zimmer said in five years most Lyft rides will be provided to riders by its autonomous fleet. He went one step further, saying that current ride-share drivers need not fear our autonomous car future, at least not in the short term, claiming that as riders open up to the idea of ride share, more drivers will be needed during the transition. Not to mention, human drivers can traverse difficult terrain that may be difficult for autonomus vehicles. Read more at pcmag.com.

Last week Samsung officially recalled the Note 7 and now we're hearing a little bit more about how this dangerous disaster could have happened to the electronics company. Bloomberg reports that in a rush to compete with the rumored lackluster iPhone 7, Samsung rushed the production and testing process on the Galaxy Note 7 and that some of the problems with batteries catching fire could have been avoided had they not sped up the production timeline to get phones into the hands of consumers before they could order an iPhone 7. Sources tell Bloomberg that the fiasco is also a problem of a lack of leadership at Samsung. Lee Kun-hee, chairman of the electronics unit had a heart attack in 2014 and has yet to have been replaced and those filling his spot overlooked the fact that the Galaxy Note 7 was simply not ready to go to market. Read more at bloomberg.com.

In a related story, The Wall Street Journal says Samsung is denying claims that Galaxy Note 7s exploded in China because of battery issues. China has not been included in the recall and Samsung says the fires claiming to be caused by faulty batteries in China are due to "outside factors and the that the heat comes from outside of the battery." The devices that exploded were purchased after Samsung’s official launch in China on Sept. 1. Read more at wsj.com.

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