In Washington state, governor Jay Inslee just signed a law regulating facial recognition backed by Microsoft that could potentially be a model for other U.S. states. The law allows government agencies to use facial recognition but restricts it from using it for broad surveillance or tracking innocent people. It is more permissive than at least seven U.S. cities that have blocked government use of facial recognition technology due to fears of privacy violations and bias but stricter than states without such laws. Continue reading Washington Inks Facial Recognition Law Backed by Microsoft

TheWaveVR, which raised $4 million this year, has offices in Austin and Los Angeles. The company creates VR concerts that marry music and visuals by partnering with musicians. The results, similar to real-world raves, have garnered a lot of buzz for pushing the limits of virtual reality. Its newest virtual world, created in collaboration with producer/DJ TOKiMONSTA (aka Jennifer Lee), features about 50 minutes of the dance/electronica album Lune Rouge, and is TheNextWave’s fifth flagship show. Continue reading TheWaveVR Introduces Another Immersive Concert on Steam