Huawei CFO Meng WanZhou arrested in Vancouver; Walmart to employ cleaning robots; Google is shutting down Allo messenger.
Today, Huawei CFO Meng WanZhou will appear in Vancouver court for the first time since her arrest on Saturday by Canadian officials. The Globe and Mail originally reported the story yesterday, revealing the arrest was made for extradition to the U.S. for alleged violation of trade sanctions against Iran. Since Meng has been granted a publication ban that prevents details from being released, we’re unlikely to get more info until it lifts. World markets took a hit yesterday as investors speculated the arrest could make it hard for the U.S. and China to negotiate a trade deal.
Trending on Reddit, Walmart is looking to hire 360 robots to help scrub its floors in stores across America. The robots will be supplied by Brain Corp, an AI company that started in 2009 and raised over 125 million dollars in funding. The robots, called Auto-C, use multiple sensors to scan its surroundings and dodge obstacles like people and shelves. Employees will be able to map out cleaning routes, or have the built-in AI learn on its own. Walmart claims that the robots are not here to replace human workers, but rather help them in their daily duties.
Trending on Google, Google will be dropping the curtains on its Allo messenger in March 2019. In 2016, Allo launched with the Google Assistant built-in. Back then, having a conversation with your AI assistant was still new, and Allo gained momentary fame by being able to suggest restaurants and answer questions within the app. But with messaging apps being a dime a dozen, people soon recoiled back to apps that they were familiar with, leaving Allo cold in the corner. Google has since then more or less used it to test new functions, and will be applying them to the Android Messages app once Allo shuts down.