This week we’re talking about crime-fighting AI, smartphones vs. illegal logging, credit card-free ATMs, and the first zero-emission hydrail.
CRIME .
What would Holmes and Dr. Watson think of this one? A 2013 criminal investigation has come to light that involved machine learning technology solving a case of insider trading. U.K. startup Behavox used its machine learning technology to flag poker nights between traders at separate firms as a potential conflict of interest. The true genius was indentifying the poker games through the traders’ fast food receipts, and then finding an overlap with huge spikes in the traders’ P&L statements.
With huge amounts of data it can be time consuming and beyond human capabilities to discern noteworthy patterns. Startups like Behavox sell machine learning services to financial institutions in order to help them room out bad behavior. Likewise, they reduce the billions in fines levied at them by regulators each year.
ENVIRONMENT .
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BANKING .
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TRANSPORTATION .
A train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell completed its first test run! The iLint train will begin commercial operations alter this year. It is the first zero-emission hydrogen powered train (or hydrail). By combining oxygen drawn from the local atmosphere with hydrogen, the two are combined to make electricity that is stored in lithium-ion batteries. The result is a train that is completely sustainable, with only water and steam for emissions.
Meanwhile in neighboring France, construction of the Hyperloop has just begun. If you don’t think the world is moving fast enough, Japanese bullet trains currently go up to 374 mph, and the Hyperloop is expected to reach 760 mph. Hydrogen-powered trains are currently barely breaking 100 mph. Speed aside, can we agree that zero-emission mass public transit > zero-emission ‘cheap’ electric cars?
…let’s end with some beautifully designed technology
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