Several companies around the world continue to report outages and damage from Tuesday’s massive Petya cyberattack that hit firms in more than 60 countries. Heritage Valley Health System, a network of medical offices in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania reported Thursday it still could not provide lab or diagnostic testing …
your ad hereMyanmar Mobile Project Helps Lift Young Workers Out of Poverty
It’s six o’clock in the evening, Saw Ku Do reviews his English lessons shortly after finishing an 11-hour shift serving food and sweeping the floor at the tea shop where he works. “Dog, cat, pig,” he said while looking at his notebook. Saw Ku Do, age 15, only has a …
your ad hereAmerica’s Cup Foiling Technology Set to Fly Beyond Racing Boats
From water taxis that “fly” on hydrofoils to aircraft wings and cutting-edge car steering wheels, the America’s Cup has produced technology with potential far beyond its “foiling” catamarans. With their focus on carbon fiber and aerodynamics, the teams that fought for the America’s Cup attracted partners including planemaker Airbus and …
your ad hereA Decade Ago, Apple’s iPhone Transformed the World
In the two years leading up to June 29, 2007, when Apple’s iPhone went on sale, company co-founder Steve Jobs and a select team were hard at work secretly designing what would become a global game changer. The initiative even had a code name, “Project Purple.” By all accounts, the …
your ad here‘Petya’ Computer Virus Spreads From Ukraine to Disrupt World Business
A new cyber virus spread from Ukraine to wreak havoc around the globe on Wednesday, crippling thousands of computers, disrupting ports from Mumbai to Los Angeles and halting production at a chocolate factory in Australia. The virus is believed to have first taken hold on Tuesday in Ukraine where it …
your ad hereUN: Terrorists Using ‘Dark Web’ in Pursuit of WMDs
The U.N.’s disarmament chief warned Wednesday that terrorists and non-state actors are using the so-called dark web to seek the tools to make and deliver weapons of mass destruction. “The global reach and anonymity of the dark web provides non-state actors with new marketplaces to acquire dual-use equipment and materials,” …
your ad hereGlobal Cyberattack Hits Indian Port
A global cyberattack disrupted operations Wednesday at India’s largest container port, adding to the headaches of governments and businesses affected by so-called ransomware code that takes a user’s data hostage until the victim agrees to pay for its release. The problems at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai involved a terminal …
your ad hereTech Innovations for Developing Countries
While technological revolution is changing much of the world, there are still areas that have seen only very small benefits, or none at all. There, people still live without electricity, clean water and basic healthcare. At a competition recently held in Washington, innovators presented affordable new devices, specially designed to …
your ad hereExperts: Global Cyberattacks to Increase
International business in the United States and Europe, as well as Ukrainian state institutions, were among those affected by cyberattacks on Tuesday. The virus locked digital files and demanded payment for help to restore access to them. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports. …
your ad hereAP Explains: What is Ransomware?
Computers around the world were locked up and users’ files held for ransom in a cyberattack Tuesday that paralyzed some hospitals, government offices and major multinational corporations. Here’s a look at how malware and ransomware work and what people can do if they fall victim to attacks. What is malware …
your ad hereNot Just for Gamers and Techies, HoloLens Gets Down to Business
Tech enthusiasts may be drawn to HoloLens, the head-mounted holographic computer from Microsoft, but company executives say businesses also should consider how it can help improve their bottom line. The wearable device allows users to interact with holograms using their gaze and simple hand gestures. Virtual interfaces are superimposed onto …
your ad hereFacebook Announces It Now Has 2 Billion Users
Facebook announced Tuesday that it now has more than 2 billion users. Facebook, which was a social website available only to Harvard University students when it was launched in 2004, has recently been criticized for giving extremist groups an easy way to disseminate content over the internet. CEO and founder …
your ad hereIsrael’s Mossad Sets Up Fund to Acquire New Spy Techniques
Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency has set up an investment fund to help development of new cloak-and-dagger know-how and is offering grants of up to 2 million shekels (about $570,000) per project to bring in new ideas. A government statement on Tuesday said Mossad was seeking technologies in various fields, including …
your ad hereSmall Farm, Meet Big Data
It’s one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century: how to feed a growing population without ruining the environment. Farmers may get some help from artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. As VOA’s Steve Baragona reports, falling costs and advancing technology may put precision agriculture in reach for …
your ad hereEU Fines Google $2.7 Billion
EU antitrust regulators fined Google $2.7 billion Tuesday for unfairly boosting search results for its online shopping service. The European Union said Google began efforts in 2008 to boost the service now known as Google Shopping by making its results show up higher in search results, while demoting the search …
your ad herePakistani Farmers Get Tips via Text
The latest farm tools on the job in Pakistan are cell phones and satellites. A new program is using satellite data to estimate how much water a field needs, and then texting this information to farmers. The hope is to prevent overwatering. A 2013 report from the Asian Development Bank …
your ad hereSocial Media Giants Join Together to Fight Terrorist Content
Social media giants Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft say they are forming a working group to remove terrorist content from their platforms. The global technology companies announced Monday they are creating the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism which will help them share technical solutions to remove terrorist and extremist …
your ad hereSpaceX Launches 10 Satellites
A SpaceX rocket carried 10 communications satellites into orbit from California on Sunday, two days after the company successfully launched a satellite from Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off through low-lying fog at 1:25 p.m. PDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base northwest of Los Angeles. It carried a second …
your ad hereSpyware to Tap Into Smartphones Puts Users’ Rights at Risk
Governments around the world are using surveillance software that taps into individual smartphones, taking screenshots, reading email and tracking users’ movements, according to security experts and civil liberties groups. The rise of so-called spyware comes as electronic communications have become more encrypted, frustrating law enforcement and governments’ surveillance efforts. Over …
your ad here‘Digital Democracy’ Turns Average Citizens into Influencers in Africa
From cashless payments to smartphone apps offering everything from taxis to take-out food – Africa’s digital revolution is gathering pace as average citizens take an active role in public discourse. “You’re seeing a lot of the people changing the way they live their lives,” says Maria Sarungi, founder of the …
your ad hereDrones, 5G Internet Dominate Talks as Tech Execs Visit White House
Ubiquitous drones and a faster Internet are coming sooner than you might think, and governments are staring into the unknown as they face the prospect of regulating the coming technological revolution in a way that fosters innovation, while at the same time protecting the often conflicting interests of consumers, entrepreneurs …
your ad hereUS Official: Russians Targeted 21 State Election Systems
Federal officials say Russian cyber-operatives targeted voting systems in 21 U.S. states last year and had varying degrees of success in penetrating them. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports, that testimony before House and Senate panels Wednesday revealed significant tensions between state election officials and federal agencies whose cooperation is deemed essential …
your ad hereIndia Robotics Industry’s Growth Spurt Puts Millions of Jobs at Risk
A rapidly-growing robotics industry in India is helping usher in automation technology in companies. But at a time when the country is struggling to create jobs for millions of young people, the World Bank has warned that automation could put 70 percent of India’s jobs at risk. Anjana Pasricha has …
your ad hereNew Girl Scout Badges Focus on Cybercrime, Not Cookie Sales
Cookie sales may take a back seat to fighting identity theft and other computer crime now that Girl Scouts as young as 5 are to be offered the chance to earn their first-ever cyber security badges. Armed with a needle and thread, U.S. Girl Scouts who master the required skills …
your ad hereIntel Becomes Olympics Sponsor, Will Bring Tech to the Games
Intel said Wednesday it would become a major sponsor of the International Olympic Committee, making the computer chipmaker the latest technology company to put marketing dollars behind the global sporting event. The new deal, which goes until 2024, comes a week after longtime Olympics sponsor McDonald’s Corp bowed out of …
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