Howdy. Patents awarded to Amazon-owned Ring hint at a dystopian future. Plus, Toyota just gave a sneak peek at its first electric truck.
Let's dive in.
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1. Amazon Ring patents hint at a dystopian future. According to several patents granted to the company, Amazon's Ring division could see a future where networks of its doorbell cameras identify "suspicious" people by recognizing their faces, retinas, skin texture, gait, voice, and even odor.
- Amazon has recently been granted 17 patents that mention facial recognition. You can see all of those patents, and others that refer to biometric-identification technology, here.
- The patents depict a world where all the Ring cameras in a neighborhood work together to create composite images of "suspicious" people.
- If those suspicious people appear on camera, all the doors on a house would lock, and property owners would get alerts if anyone moves a package left on the doorstep.
Here's everything we know about Ring's patents.
In other news:
2. Nike has acquired a company that makes digital sneakers. As it continues its push into the metaverse, Nike has scooped up RTFKT, an "influential" company that could accelerate the launch of CryptoKicks, or Nike's virtual sneakers. Here's what we know so far.
3. A desperate 911 call from inside the collapsed Amazon warehouse reveals chaos and confusion. The caller, sheltering in the bathroom, said workers were told to take cover in restrooms instead of the warehouse's designated tornado shelter. Everything else we learned from the call.
4. Big Tech firms could face criminal sanctions if they don't police nudity. The UK has drafted legislation that would make tech firms liable if they don't protect users against unsolicited nude photos. How the UK wants to protect users from "cyber flashing."
5. Experts warn metaverse technologies are already creating new opportunities for cybercriminals. The rapid influx of cash into the metaverse has made it a hotbed for scams and cyberattacks, according to Cisco researchers. They explained how to avoid scams.
6. Six more women have sued Tesla, claiming sexual harassment. The women allege constant harassment at the company's factories, including requests for sexual favors, inappropriate touching, and threats. Plus, a former SpaceX engineer published an essay claiming the company is "rife with sexism."
7. The most secretive people in tech share what they wish VCs knew about them. Two limited partners — the secretive people who invest in venture funds — told us that too many venture capitalists don't do enough research before asking for money, and that they never want to be surprised by bad news. Here's what else they want VCs to know.
8. Some Amazon workers say they were never offered disaster training. After a tornado tore through an Amazon warehouse, killing six workers, a dozen employees told The Intercept that they hadn't received safety training. Meanwhile, the company said most of the workers who died were not sheltering in the "designated location." Read more of Amazon's comments here.
9. The CEO of Peloton has apologized to staff after throwing a lavish party as its stock price tumbled. One employee told Insider that the party was received as being "extremely opulent and tone deaf." Read more about the party here.
10. Toyota gave us a glimpse of its first electric truck. While the company hasn't released any other details about the truck — like when it'll arrive or even its name — we just got a sneak peek of what the truck might look like. Check out the concept pickup here.
What we're watching today:
- Today is the last day of the TechCrunch Sessions: Space.
- Today is the last day of the Bloomberg Technology Summit.
- A documentary about William Shatner's flight to space premieres on Amazon Prime Video today.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Michael Cogley in London.