technology
Meet Artist Drue Kataoka, the First Asian American Woman to Be the Face of Clubhouse
Clubhouse, the pioneering audio-focused social networking platform, has selected acclaimed artist, technologist and activist Drue Kataoka as its newest “icon.” This marks the eighth time the San Francisco-based company has chosen a face to represent its app, which has drawn 13 million users on iOS to date.
Kataoka — a Tokyo-born, West Coast-raised artist — is the first Asian American woman and first visual artist to occupy the role, which will last for several weeks in time for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Her selection also comes at an important time of reckoning in the U.S. for the treatment of Asian Americans, who have been targets of violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital Bank Cheese Aims to Fix ‘Inequality’ Asian Americans Face, Donates $100K to Asian Communities
A digital bank aimed at serving the Asian American community recently launched on Wednesday.
Cheese provides its own debit Mastercard (issued by the Coastal Community Bank) and is available to anyone, even those without a credit history.
Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward to Give Seniors Smartphones With Free Data
Shibuya Ward officials are planning to provide 3,000 smartphones to senior residents with paid data plans as part of their initiative to teach the elderly how to use technology, especially during natural disasters.
Officials hope to finish the rollout by September, according to Mainichi Shimbun via SoraNews24.
South Korean Man Weeps After Using VR to ‘Meet’ Late Wife Again
With the help of virtual reality (VR), a South Korean man “reunites” with his wife four years after her death.
The power of VR: Last year, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) released a TV documentary entitled 너를 만났다 (“I Met You”).
Korean Scientists Invest Transparent Solar Panels to Be Used on Phones
A team of scientists led by a Korean professor invented new transparent solar panels that can eventually be used to charge smartphones.
Professor Joondong Kim and his colleagues from the Incheon National University in Korea, recently published their latest invention in the Journal of Power Sources on Jan. 1, according to Science Daily.
Japan is Now Using AI to Get People to Date and Make Babies
Japan will use artificial intelligence to match singles and bring them together, a cabinet official said on Monday.
Last year, the nation of 126 million people had a fertility rate of 1.36 — one of the world’s lowest and statistically unlikely to reverse its “demographic time bomb.”
Japanese Laptop-Sized Scooter Now Available for the Rest of the World
A four-wheeled electric scooter, labeled as a “portable car,” has now gone on sale beyond its home of Japan for the rest of the world.
Developed by Cocoa Motors, the 13-inch Walkcar weighs only 2.9 kilograms (6.4 pounds) and can be carried around like a laptop, offering convenience for short-distance trips within neighborhoods, malls and campuses.
$300 Smart Ring May Detect Coronavirus 3 Days Before Symptoms Show
A smart ring that monitors the wearer’s overall health and reportedly detects early symptoms of COVID-19 is available for $300.
Japanese Company Regrets Using ‘Animal Crossing’ For Work-At-Home Conferencing
Concerns around Zoom’s reported security issues had people seeking alternative platforms for teleconferencing.
Some companies in the United States, which have already given up on the platform, may want to take a cue from a Japanese firm that used a video game for their conferencing needs.
Indian American Tech CEO Forfeits $1 Million Salary to Avoid COVID-19 Layoffs
A CEO of a tech company in Santa Clara, California has decided to forfeit his own salary to save his employees and company during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nikesh Arora, 52, CEO of Palo Alto Networks Inc., told CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” he will maintain his staff as part of the “network security provider’s coronavirus response plan.”
Artist Creates N95 Face Masks With Your Face Printed on Them
An artist’s idea to print the bottom half of the face on surgical masks so wearers can still use Face ID has become an online hit.
San Francisco-based artist Danielle Baskin came up with the idea after a recent conversation with friends highlighted the issue of facial recognition while wearing masks, reports the Daily Dot.
Hacker Discovers New Features on Facebook, Instagram Before Some Employees Can
A hacker in Hong Kong has won thousands of followers — including tech VIPs — for publishing new features in popular apps ahead of their official announcement.
Jane Manchun Wong, who does so out of “curiosity” and “personal amusement,” has even been called “a better source” on new projects than internal communications teams.