sexism
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Google Assistant is gender-neutral(ish), but it's not feminist
In a world occupied by Siri, Cortana and Alexa, Google Assistant is a bit of an anomaly. It's the first widely used voice assistant to eschew a female name, which the company reportedly did to avoid giving it a personality. The company would rather you imagined yourself talking directly to "Google the search engine" than a go-between. Avoiding a gendered name just happened to be a happy coincidence, it seems.
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 4: All Eyez On Me
Editors Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about Intel's latest CPUs, Dead or Alive's controversial VR feature and Lenovo's "innovative" take on the keyboard. Then the panel takes a look at Chris Brown's standoff and how Instagram videos and Facebook Live fit into our modern media landscape.
'Dead or Alive' VR is basically sexual assault, the game
PlayStation VR is going to launch with a game that allows players to sexually assault a woman who is actively asking them to stop. Yes, that's exactly as gross as it sounds and yes, of course the game is Dead or Alive Xtreme 3. The game's virtual reality update is slated to launch on the same day as PlayStation VR, and features a handful of experiences designed to let players ogle the female body. A video from Gamer.ne.jp shows that one of these game modes features active harassment -- allowing a player to continually touch a woman who is verbally protesting.
How we trained AI to be sexist
You'd never know from Jacqueline Feldman's background that she'd become a passionate proponent of gender equality for artificial intelligence. She went the dreamer's route at college, attending Yale for English literature and writing. She prefers casual dresses and writing from the comfort of her Brooklyn apartment surrounded by books, where she has the option of climbing to the roof for cool air on sweltering nights.
Crappy smartphone 'for women' does everything wrong
What's small, cute, fashion-focused and pink? The Keecoo K1 -- a smartphone 'designed for women,' of course. No, we're not kidding. The K1 is destined for the Chinese market, and is being marketed with a veritable check-list of gender stereotypes. It comes in an array of fashionable colors, features a hexagonal design to fit the "small hands of women" and boasts a front-facing selfie camera that "automatically makes your skin look delicate and smooth." That's not condescending at all.
ACLU sues US over law limiting data discrimination studies
It's no secret that algorithms can be biased against certain demographics, but the American Civil Liberties Union wants more proof -- and it's willing to go to court to get it. The organization has sued the US in the belief that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act prevents studies on algorithm-powered discrimination, allegedly violating free speech rights. As the Act makes it a crime to violate a website's terms of service, the ACLU claims, it's frequently impossible to comb through publicly available site data that would reveal racism, sexism or other biases in the code. That, in turn, hampers researchers and journalists (the ACLU is representing The Intercept's publisher in this case) who want to expose illegal behavior.
Intel execs received threats over the company's diversity push
Intel's bid to promote company diversity is running into opposition... and some of it is particularly vicious. CEO Brian Krzanich told guests at a technology conference that it has received some hostility, including a "bit of a backlash" from within the company. There have even been threats against executives -- yes, the company that's trying to fight harassment is enduring some harassment of its own. It's not certain how serious those threats are, but it's safe to say that these weren't polite complaints.
Microsoft grounds its AI chat bot after it learns racism
Microsoft's Tay AI is youthful beyond just its vaguely hip-sounding dialogue -- it's overly impressionable, too. The company has grounded its Twitter chat bot (that is, temporarily shutting it down) after people taught it to repeat conspiracy theories, racist views and sexist remarks. We won't echo them here, but they involved 9/11, GamerGate, Hitler, Jews, Trump and less-than-respectful portrayals of President Obama. Yeah, it was that bad. The account is visible as we write this, but the offending tweets are gone; Tay has gone to "sleep" for now.
'Tropes vs. Women in Video Games' is changing a bit
Culture critic Anita Sarkeesian has made some significant waves since launching her wildly successful Tropes vs. Women in Video Games Kickstarter over three years ago. But it wasn't without a heavy cost. In an update to the backers of her crowdfunding campaign, Sarkeesian reveals that she was dealing with a very serious case of burnout that was affecting both her physical and mental health last year after the scope of the project ballooned unexpectedly. Sarkeesian says she's been coping with depression her entire life, but the online harassment at her expense since launching Tropes, combined with the decline in her physical health, amplified it.
'Dead or Alive' maker denies restricting game launch due to sexism
You know that Koei Tecmo staffer who claimed that Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 wasn't shipping to Europe or the US due to concerns about sexism? Apparently, he was speaking out of line. The developer has posted a statement saying that the rep doesn't reflect its "opinion or business strategy." In other words, it wants you to take those sexism claims with a grain of salt.
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is too sexist for Europe and US
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, the game where you play volleyball as scantily clad women, won't be making its way to the US or Europe. Apparently, the game's publisher is worried about how Western audiences will react to the way the franchise depicts women. The latest installment features a sun-tanning system (whatever the hell that means), butt fights (as seen in the gameplay trailer below) and the ability to dress the characters in a wide variety of costumes.
UK lads mags FHM and Zoo to disappear from shelves
For many young men growing up in the nineties and early noughties, FHM and Zoo were the very definition of "lad culture." Bedroom walls across Britain used to be filled with blu-tacked pages of scantily-clad models, but with sales dwindling, the time of the lads magazine is coming to an end. Bauer Media, owner of both brands, said today that the two men's properties will cease publication at the end of the year.
Web tool measures your Reddit friends' bigotry
Let's face it: while Reddit is a great overall place to visit, some of its users are nicer than others. But how do you discover this without creeping histories or lurking in unsavory subreddits? An unofficial web tool, Free Reddit Check, might just help. The website attempts to quantify the homophobia, racism and sexism of Reddit users based on both what they say as well as the subreddits they frequent. Want to find out if a friend's off-color remark is just an isolated incident or a part of a larger pattern? This might help.
ICYMI: 3D-printed meds, old-man exoskeleton and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: An exoskeleton to mimic the effects of aging is teaching empathy and also, helping engineers develop technology to help older people. 3D-printed medication is officially happening, now that the U.S. FDA has given its approval to a drug manufacturer. And the world's biggest plane is being built which is intended to launch satellites into orbit.
Alibaba posts job for 'open minded Lolita' encouragement specialist
Sometimes companies post stuff then react to the backlash with a "just kidding." Chinese internet company Alibaba says it was just kidding after it posted, then pulled an incredibly sexist job opportunity for a "Programmer Encouragement Specialist." The ideal candidate (translated from Chinese by Quartz) would, "effectively encourage teams of developers, bring them closer together, inspire excellent and lasting work." Then it gets bad: "recognizably good looks," and being "an open-minded Lolita like Sora Aoi" are requirements. Aoi is a Japanese porn star. After experiencing backlash from the Chinese media, Alibaba pulled the more salacious aspects of the posting and issued an apology. The new ad -- which has also been pulled -- stated that the job is now open to both men and women.
Offensive tweets from Jeb Bush's CTO remind us the internet is forever (update)
This is Ethan Czahor. Ethan is the new chief technology officer at Right to Rise, a political action committee formed by former Florida governor and presidential hopeful Jeb Bush. He also happens to have a track record of saying some pretty shameful shit on Twitter and no amount of digital spring cleaning will be able to cover his virtual tracks. Czahor, a co-founder of Hipster.com (which was eventually purchased by Engadget parent company AOL) never seemed to realize that what you say online can and will haunt you for the rest of your life. Like those times he referred to women as sluts... repeatedly. Update: According to CNBC political columnist John Harwood, the Right to Rise PAC has accepted Czahor's resignation due to the "regrettable/insensitive comments." Mr. Czahor confirmed the move in a tweet, saying "I only hope that my recent news won't dissuade future techies from entering politics, regardless of political affiliations/backgrounds..and I've resigned my role at Right to Rise. Best of luck to everyone there, and I apologize in advance to whoever fills my position.
Swedish trade group proposes sexism ratings for games
Sweden-based industry trade group Dataspelsbranchen is researching a new content rating system for video games based on promotion of gender equality. The proposed ratings system, inspired by the Bechdel test, will examine how in-game female characters are portrayed with regard to equality and diversity. The group recently received a 272,000 kronor (nearly $37,000) grant from Sweden's government-funded Vinnova agency to further its research. "I do not know of any other project in the world asking this question and of course we want Sweden to be a beacon in this area," project manager Anton Albiin told Swedish publication The Local. "Of course games can be about fantasy but they can be so much more than this. They can also be a form of cultural expression - reflecting society or the society we are hoping for. Games can help us to create more diverse workplaces and can even change the way we think about things." The group's research follows up on recent concerns raised by Anita Sarkeesian and other media critics, who highlight the one-dimensional treatment women characters often receive in video games. [Image: 2K]
Sweden considers adding 'sexism' ratings to video games
In a world where 52 percent of gamers are female, it seems odd that women get such a rough treatment in so many games. That's what prompted Dataspelsbranchen, Sweden's game industry trade group, to ponder adding a sexism rating next to age and content ratings on newly-released titles. According to The Local, the organization has received a grant from the country's government to work out the idea. So far, the plan is to take an approach similar to the Bechdel Test to examine if women are given fair treatment in video games, but also to look at how publishers deal with the issue of gender equality given that Sweden's game industry only employs a female workforce of 16 percent. If you were wondering, there's no word on if the ratings would apply to all games or just those made in Sweden, but given that the country is the home of Minecraft, Just Cause, Hotline Miami, the Battlefield series and Goat Simulator, you can be sure that it'll be pretty visible.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's gender divide
When I sit down to write an installment of this column that is strongly critical of Guild Wars 2 -- a game I love, in case that was ever in doubt -- I try to follow a simple format in order to keep my criticism from turning into a venting session. That format is to establish that there is a problem, explain why it's a problem requiring a solution, and finally to offer any ideas or suggestions I think might be useful to that end. I do this because I want my articles to be helpful on some level to both ArenaNet and other fans, and while blowing off steam is excellent for the bilious humors, it's not so great for creating actual change. Sometimes, though, the only suggestion I can offer is to please stop doing something because the fact that it's a problem is reason enough for it to require that solution. This is especially important when the issue isn't gameplay or monetization but rather something that personally affects me and the people I play with. As a warning, several of the source links in this article lead to discussions of graphic and disturbing language and events.
Casio's newest selfie camera wants to blend into your purse
In the same way that Lizzie Grant and Katheryn Hudson screwed up their first shot at greatness and changed their name, Casio's trying to do the same with its old Tryx point-and-shoot. The fourth-generation of the digital camera has been re-invented as a selfie snapper that's designed to -- wait for it -- "bring out feminine beauty." Built to look like a purse mirror, the EX-TR50 retains the same flip-out handle, but gains a fashionable paint job and a deeply questionable attitude towards women.
