James Farrell

James Farrell is the former editor-in-chief of Chiang Mai CityNews, where he wrote and managed daily news, features, op-eds and blogs on a diverse range of topics. Prior to this, in the same city of Northern Thailand where he lives, he was the longstanding deputy editor of the monthly magazine Citylife. He has written on culture, politics, travel, tech, business, human rights, for local, national, and international news services and magazines. He has a keen interest in the role technology is playing in the transformation of society, culture and politics, especially in developing nations. This is reflected in his not-so-successful first novel.

Latest from James Farrell

Mark Zuckerberg rebuts criticism of his dinner with conservative leaders

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has been hosting dinner parties with conservative pundits, journalists and politicians, according to a report published Monday by Politico, something that has sparked controversy. According to that report, Zuckerberg has reached out to various conservatives amid accusations that he’s biased in some way against the right. That includes President ...

Apple CEO Tim Cook lambasted for pulling Hong Kong protest app

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Apple Inc. took down a Hong Kong protest app late yesterday after pressure from China, only to prompt a torrent of criticism today from some quarters. On Wednesday, China state media criticized Apple for allowing the app in the App Store, calling the technology “poisonous.” The app in question, HKmap.live, allowed users to locate Hong ...

China unhappy with Apple, as American firms scramble to stay in the market

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Updated: China’s state media accused Apple Inc. Wednesday of being an accomplice in the ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong after giving the green light to a tracking app that tells protestors the location of police. “Protecting rioters – Has Apple thought clearly about this?” asked the Communist mouthpiece, People’s Daily. “Allowing the poisonous app to ...

Twitter mistakenly uses people’s personal information to target ads

APPS - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Twitter Inc. said it was sorry Tuesday after admitting that it used people’s phone numbers and email addresses for advertising purposes even though that information should have only been used for two-factor identification. In a blog post, the company said the data was inadvertently used in the “Tailored Audiences” and “Partner Audiences” systems. Companies can ...

California bans deep fake videos ahead of 2020 US election

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

California just became the latest state to crack down on deep fake videos, following growing concern that such technology could be used to cause mayhem on the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. Last week, California governor Gavin Newsom signed the AB 730 bill into law which will make it illegal to manipulate and distribute ...

US, UK and Australia want Facebook to build a back door into messaging apps

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

The governments of the U.S., the U.K. and Australia want Facebook Inc. to allow a back door into the company’s messaging apps citing safety concerns, it was revealed Thursday. In an open letter, U.K. home secretary Priti Patel, U.S. Attorney General William Barr, acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan and Australian Minister for Home ...

Google reportedly used questionable methods to improve facial recognition

AI - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Earlier this year Google LLC reportedly was handing out $5 gift certificates to anyone willing to give up their face so the company could improve its Pixel 4’s face unlock system. New reports suggest the company hired to do that by Google have been employing questionable tactics. According to that report by the New York Daily News ...

Leaked audio reveals Mark Zuckerberg’s feelings about potential Facebook breakup

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

More than two hours of audio was obtained Tuesday by The Verge that revealed how Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg intends to fight anyone going up against his company. Much of the conversation Zuckerberg had with his employees – confirmed as genuine – was about the potential breakup of Facebook and how he feels about ...

Tesla’s ‘Smart Summon’ gets off to a bumpy start

AI - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Tesla Inc.’s new feature in its 10.0 update, “Smart Summon,” has gone viral for all the wrong reasons as customers tested it for the first time. Last week, Tesla introduced the software stating it was the biggest update so far, with many of the new features related to entertainment. But in terms of advanced technology, ...

Tesla introduces new software update 10.0, with movies, music and more

EMERGING TECH - BY JAMES FARRELL - 7 YEARS AGO

Tesla Inc. announced Thursday its “biggest software update ever,” designed in part to make driving more entertaining. The Software Version 10.0 will roll out to Model S, Model X and Model 3 cars, although those who have the fully self-driving capability in their car will get the update first. Those updates for the most part ...