A smart trap for mosquitoes? A new high-tech version is promising to catch the bloodsuckers while letting friendlier insects escape — and even record the exact weather conditions when different species emerge to bite. Whether it really could improve public health is still to be determined. But when the robotic …

Big data is playing an increasing role in people’s lives. Loosely defined as data that is too massive to be contained or processed by any one machine or person, it includes information on individuals’ Facebook likes, supermarket loyalty cards, and other seemingly innocuous personal information that was used by both …

Many dogs and cats have it, and now a small company in Belgium says if people carried a personal identifying chip under their skin, modern life could become a lot easier. Others agree, but what if the technology changes? VOA’s George Putic reports. …

A teenager in northwestern Cameroon has become the first African to win Google’s global youth coding challenge, despite an ongoing internet blackout in his hometown. Nji Patrick Gbah’s tailor shop in Bamenda is buzzing with business and pride. His son, Collins, was recently named one of 34 grand-prize winners in …

The word “robot” was coined by Czech playwright Karel Capek almost 100 years ago. But robots have been around, in some form, for 500 years or more. London’s Science Museum has opened a “Robots” exhibit that traces the mechanical technology over the past five centuries. VOA’s Deborah Block has more. …

The Google Chromebook, a type of stripped-down laptop, isn’t a practical mobile device for many people – mostly because it basically turns into an expensive paperweight whenever it can’t find a Wi-Fi connection. Yet Chromebooks have defied expectations and made major inroads in an unexpected environment – U.S. schools.   …

Donald Trump was an avid Twitter user during his campaign for the U.S. presidency, and in his nearly three weeks in office, he hasn’t stopped. While most of Trump’s 24.4 million followers like the immediacy the commander in chief’s tweets provide, others are more critical. “I don’t think there’s any …

Twitter, Incorporated reported its fourth-quarter losses nearly doubled from the same period in 2015. The online messaging company reported a quarterly loss of $167 million at the end of 2016. In 2015, the company reported a loss of $90 million over the same period. The business said revenues in the …

Physicist Arthur Rosenfeld, who spearheaded breakthroughs in energy efficiency for lighting, refrigerators, televisions and other electronics while working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has died. He was 90.    Rosenfeld died January 27 at his home in Berkeley, said Lawrence Berkeley National Lab spokeswoman Julie Chao.   Rosenfeld was …

We know that preventive care saves lives and money. The idea is that regular doctor visits can help catch diseases early, and avoid expensive emergency room visits. Soon, new technology will allow patients to do some preventive care at home, and send the results to their doctor. VOA’s Kevin Enochs …

The college application process is complex and stressful for many students. Colleges not only look for students who do well academically, but also pursue passions and interests outside of school. A new app now allows students to present themselves to colleges in a creative and personal way. VOA’s Helena Djordjevic …

Many urban areas in the U.S. experience large traffic jams that extend well beyond the usual rush hours. While rapid mass transportation has developed considerably in other parts of the world, such as Japan, China and Western Europe, the idea has not caught on as enthusiastically among Americans. Some entrepreneurs …

Psychologist Niels Birbaumer has spent a great part of his career dealing with people whose bodies have failed them. He published a paper in 2008 about the quality of life among people who have lost the ability to control their bodies, many of whom needed a breathing tube to live. …

Alphabet’s YouTube said it was rolling out live streaming from mobile devices for users with more than 10,000 subscribers, adding a feature that will help them make money, as it takes on Facebook Live. YouTube said in a blog post Tuesday it would roll out the feature to other contributors …

Twitter says it is stepping up efforts to prevent “abuse and harassment” on its microblogging platform. On Tuesday, the company announced several steps it is taking. First, Twitter says it will identify people who have been banned for online abuse and prevent them from creating new accounts. Additionally, the company …

Uber has hired an engineer from the U.S. space agency NASA to work on its initiative to nurture a flying car industry.  Mark Moore joins the Uber Elevate project, which is aimed at supporting companies that are developing vehicles, as well as working with regulators and governments that would be …

A hospital in Tanzania is using 3-D printers to make artificial limbs, shortening a process that used to take weeks to just a few hours. Researchers want to see if this technology can be scaled up to meet the needs of the estimated 3.5 million people living with a disability …

In Kenya, most companies that offer services for the home, like nanny or cleaning services, still conduct most of their business over the phone; however, that may be changing. Two companies that ventured onto the internet are now finding most of their business online. Lenny Ruvaga reports from Nairobi. …

Silicon Valley is struggling with how to interact with the Trump administration. The past few weeks have seen industry-wide letters and court filings over the Trump administration’s executive order travel ban. But meanwhile, there’s a larger debate on social media and among industry insiders over how to influence federal policy …

Giant Internet firms Facebook and Google joined forces with news organizations on Monday to launch new fact-checking tools designed to root out “fake news” stories in France ahead of the country’s presidential election. Social networks and news aggregators came under fire during the U.S. presidential vote when it became clear …

Imagine the possibilities that could be unlocked by hooking up your brain to a computer. Science fiction has explored this idea in many films, including the upcoming movie MindGamers, in which students create a wireless neural network that can link people’s minds through a quantum computer. It allows people to …

Imagine if you could hook up your brain to a computer: What are the possibilities that could unlock? Science fiction has explored this idea in many films, including an upcoming movie called “MindGamers.” However, this type of technology, called brain-computer interface, is very real. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee explains its potential …

Among Silicon Valley’s top tech employers, Facebook could be the most vulnerable to U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected crackdown on guest-worker visas, according to a Reuters analysis of U.S. Labor Department filings. More than 15 percent of Facebook’s U.S. employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, giving the social …