Facebook to describe photographs for the blind

Facebook is training computers to become seeing-eye guides for blind and visually impaired people as they scroll through the pictures posted on the world’s largest online social network. The feature rolling out Tuesday on Facebook’s iPhone and iPad apps interprets what’s in a picture using a form of artificial intelligence that recognizes faces and objects. Until now, people relying on screen readers on Facebook would hear only that a person had shared a photo, without any elaboration.

Bank CEO downplays impact of low oil prices

The effect of falling oil prices on lenders including Bank of Montreal has been overblown, due largely to nonstop news reports and analysts’ dire warnings, CEO William Downe said. “Analysts and the financial media have been singularly focused on the impact of lower oil and gas prices,” Downe said Tuesday at the bank’s annual meeting in Toronto. “The level of apprehension about markets has been disproportionate to the evidence, largely, I think, because we’ve all become captive to the 24-hour news cycle.”

Halliburton to face lawsuit on Baker Hughes deal

U.S. antitrust officials have prepared a lawsuit to stop Halliburton Co. from taking over rival oil-services company Baker Hughes Inc., according to a person familiar with the matter. The Justice Department plans to file the lawsuit seeking to block the deal as soon as this week, claiming it violates antitrust laws by eliminating competition between the firms, said the person, who declined to be named because the investigation is confidential.