DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF              

By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

CHINA'S BULLET TRAIN THAT TRAVELS OVER WATER

                                                                Source:  China Rail Service

• China has just debuted the world's 1st bullet train that travels over water.  Here's what we know:

1. China Railway's line is 172-mile route that connects Fuzhou and Zhangzhou
2. It's a first of a kind transport system
3. World's first bullet train that travels over water
4. 12-mile track system over water was built by AI intelligent robots
5. The robots are being credited with a remarkable feat of engineering
6. New line is constructed of corrosion-resistant steel
7. Rail line includes 29 tunnels and 84 bridges
8. Top speed on the line is currently 217 mph
9. China is renowned for its highly advanced high-speed rail  system which includes 25,000 miles of track
10. The new 172-mile line is notable as the first bullet train over water and the 1st built by AI robots.

KIA EV 4:  A NEW KIND OF SEDAN

                                                Source:  Kia

• Kia EV Day previewed a boldly innovative new sedan - the EV4.  Here's what we know:

1. Kia calls the EV4 its "symbol of innovation"
2. It will arrive in 2026
3. Minimalist dashboard
4. Twin, horizontal digital screens with driver information and infotainment
5. "Mind Modes" that adjust ambient lighting and animated pinhole vent patterns
6. Contains a great deal of sustainable materials
7. No powertrain or tech details have been released but very likely to use a variant of Hyundai's E-GMP platform
8. Likely capable of multiple battery sizes
9. Will likely go on sale in 2025
10. Major new EV for Kia that could give Tesla new competition.

USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH EXPANDS IN US STORES

                        

                        

                                        Source:  Stock

• In the US, many retail stores are quietly deploying facial recognition camera technologies to monitor customers without their knowledge and consent.  In most places, it's legal.  Here's what we know:

1. Big chains stores like Macy's and Walgreens, in hundreds of stores across their systems, and many more retailers are using facial recognition technologies to watch and also analyze their customers without their knowledge and consent and it is legal for them to do so
2. The cameras are being used to spot shoplifters
3. AI cameras are also being used to analyze customers' emotions, preferences and behavior
4. That data triggers personalized ads being placed on screens inside the store for the individual customers to see
5. The tech also monitors what's being bought and what's not selling
6. AI tech being deployed also can perceive age and ethnicity
7. No federal laws in the US regulate this technology's use which does raise significant privacy issues
8. Only DC, Vermont and Maine have regulations to control its use
9. Facial recognition technology is forecast to be a $7 billion market by 2024 and it is rapidly growing

• As a consumer, this is important new tech to be aware of
• The use of facial recognition technology is also being deployed in the UK with increasing frequency.

 "Daily Innovation Brief"© By Edward Kane