When the release of a new blockbuster title is imminent, most gamers will want to play the game as soon as possible--and now two men from Japan became criminals in the process. This is what happened when they couldn't wait for the release date of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The case became public through a report by the Japanese website Shūkan Bunshun. The two men, aged 21 and 24, whose cases took place independently but at the same company, devised a plan to get their hands on the new video game before its official launch. They successfully applied as subcontractors at an Amazon subcontractor, and started work a few months before the release of the Zelda game.

The defence industry technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are changing the industry and enable intelligent warfare in the decades to come. These emerging technologies will have a significant impact on defence contractors. Integrating AI into the design of traditional battle networks will immensely improve the performance of current platforms and forces soon. Prime contractors will maintain an advantage during this phase. However, as robotics and AI's capabilities arrive at an inflection point, the U.S Department of Defence will switch to smaller AI-and robotics-based systems.

The field of construction is well placed to benefit from the advent of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). As part of the BIM 360 Project IQ Team at Autodesk, I've had the privilege to participate in Autodesk's foray into machine learning for construction. This article summarizes developments in this space, and covers some ways in which one can prepare to maximize value from this technology, including a broad survey of some of the applications of AI and machine learning in construction, and the potential impact. These processes are making changes across various areas, including risk management, schedule management, subcontractor management, construction site environment monitoring, and safety, to name a few. The public perception of artificial intelligence usually ranges between the two extremes of having it rule the world to it being dismissed as fantasy with no place in a serious conversation.

The construction industry is massive. People all around the world need buildings to live in, work in and relax in. As more people join the population, more buildings will be needed. With 8.6 billion people estimated to inhabit this planet by 2030, we'll need to build an average of 13,000 buildings every single day to accommodate everybody. Last week, Autodesk held its annual Connect and Construct Summit in London to discuss how the industry can tackle the growing demand.

Not all voice assistants can handle the same requests. We put Siri, Alexa and Google to the test. As privacy concerns loom large over smart speakers, a new investigation has found that Google's smart speakers might infringe on individual privacy more than buyers realize. Even when Google Home smart speakers aren't activated, the speakers are eavesdropping closely, often to private, intimate conversations, a report by Dutch broadcaster VRT has uncovered. Recordings found by VRT contain startling content: Couples' quarrels that may have potentially resulted in domestic violence, explicit conversations in the bedroom, men searching for pornography, confidential business calls, and talks with children.

Three applications illustrate how companies are beginning to embrace data-driven solutions while establishing a foundation for future initiatives. The construction business faces a major productivity challenge. While labor productivity in the global economy has increased by an average of 2.8 percent a year over the past two decades, and in manufacturing by an impressive 3.6 percent, the construction sector has registered a mere 1 percent annual improvement. As the capital-project partners responsible for execution, engineering and construction (E&C) firms are well positioned to drive changes that can help close this troubling gap. To do so, some are turning to data-driven solutions that have already revolutionized many other corners of the economy.

Since the first list went into effect on July 6, 2018, tariffs on goods imported to the U.S. from China have been a significant source of pain, particularly for those in the high-tech industry. As reported by SourceToday, the 818 categories of products listed are valued at $34 billion, with electronic components making up 58 of the categories, accounting for 15 percent of the value of targeted goods. A second list may soon be on the way and promises to hit electronic components even harder, with 27 percent of the value of goods, totaling $4.3 billion of the $16 billion, in this second wave of tariffs. Bracing for the impact of existing and future tariffs, some distributors are trying to clear the way by rolling tariffs into their prices, while others are depending on manufacturers to account for the cost after the buy. These policies continue to be in flux as the industry comes to terms with the issue, making it almost impossible to determine total expenditures.

Tesla Inc has flown six planes full of robots and equipment from Europe to California in an unusual, high-stakes effort to speed up battery production for its Model 3 electric sedan, people familiar with the matter told Reuters this week. Transporting equipment for a production line by air is costly and hardly ever done in the automotive industry, and the move underscores Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk's urgency to get a grip on manufacturing problems that have hobbled the launch of the high-volume Model 3 and pushed Tesla's finances deep into the red. 'As usual with Tesla, everything is being done in a massive hurry and money seems to be no obstacle,' said one of the two sources. Tesla on Friday declined to comment on whether it has shipped in any new production equipment from Europe. Transporting equipment for a production line by air is costly and hardly ever done in the automotive industry, and the move underscores Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk's urgency to get a grip on manufacturing problems Investors are closely watching Tesla and its high-profile, often brash CEO to see if the upstart electric vehicle maker can pull off high-volume production of the Model 3, a car with the potential to catapult the niche automaker to a mass producer and assure its financial stability.

And back to our emerging coverage of Asia/Pacific… where people tend to focus on China, India and Australia. However, the Japanese IT services market is larger than these three markets combined – and is growing. So, let's have our Asia/Pacific research lead, Andrew Milroy, discuss some of the important – and unique – aspects of this lucrative market. Japan's ageing and shrinking population creates real skills shortages and very high labor costs Japan is currently the only major developed country that is experiencing a population decline. Unlike other developed economies, it is not offsetting population decline with immigration.