The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Saturday it currently had no reason to doubt statements from companies that have denied a Bloomberg report that their supply chains were compromised by malicious computer chips inserted by Chinese intelligence services. “The Department of Homeland Security is aware of the media reports …
your ad hereRobotic Farm Promises Cheap Local Produce
The U.S. farm-to-table trend is definitely one of the latest. Americans are hungry for fresh, organic produce in their homes, and in many cases they are willing to pay more for it. But in an urban setting, residents don’t have a farm next door. The company Iron Ox is looking …
your ad hereUS Plans to Rewrite Rules that Impede Self-driving Cars
The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to revise safety rules that bar fully self-driving cars from the roads without equipment such as steering wheels, pedals and mirrors, according to a document made public on Thursday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “intends to reconsider the necessity and …
your ad hereUS Warns of New Hacking From China-Linked Group
The U.S. government warned Wednesday that a hacking group widely known as cloudhopper, which Western cybersecurity firms have linked to the Chinese government, has launched attacks on technology service providers in a campaign to steal data from their clients. The Department of Homeland issued a technical alert for cloudhopper, which …
your ad hereNorth Korea Said to Have Stolen a Fortune in Online Bank Heists
North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests have stopped, but its hacking operations to gather intelligence and raise funds for the sanction-strapped government in Pyongyang may be gathering steam. U.S. security firm FireEye raised the alarm Wednesday over a North Korean group that it says has stolen hundreds of millions of …
your ad hereMeet Farmers of Future: Robot
Brandon Alexander would like to introduce you to Angus, the farmer of the future. He’s heavyset, weighing in at nearly 1,000 pounds, not to mention a bit slow. But he’s strong enough to hoist 800-pound pallets of maturing vegetables and can move them from place to place on his own. …
your ad hereIrish Regulator Opens Facebook Data Breach Investigation
Ireland’s data regulator has launched an investigation of Facebook over a recent data breach that allowed hackers access 50 million accounts which could potentially cost Facebook more than $1.6 billion in fines. The Irish Data Protection Commission said Wednesday that it will look into whether the U.S. social media company …
your ad hereChild Advocates File FTC Complaint Against Facebook Kids’ App
Children’s and public health advocacy groups say Facebook’s kid-centric messaging app violates federal law by collecting kids’ personal information without getting verifiable consent from their parents. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and other groups asked the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday to investigate Facebook’s Messenger Kids for violating the …
your ad hereSmart Mirrors May Motivate You to Get Off the Couch
Finding the motivation to get in shape can be difficult, but a new category of smart mirrors won’t let users off the hook. Tina Trinh reports. …
your ad hereTrump to Meet With Google CEO, Other Tech Heads in October
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet with Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other tech executives this month at a social media summit. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Tuesday that the administration hoped Facebook and Twitter would send representatives to the meeting. Kudlow added the event would most …
your ad hereGoogle’s First Urban Development Raises Data Concerns
Heated streets will melt ice and snow on contact. Sensors will monitor traffic and protect pedestrians. Driverless shuttles will carry people to their doors. A unit of Google’s parent company Alphabet is proposing to turn a rundown part of Toronto’s waterfront into what may be the most wired community in …
your ad hereEU Warns Facebook Not to Lose Control of Data Security
The EU’s top data privacy enforcer expressed worry Tuesday that Facebook had lost control of data security after a vast privacy breach that she said affected five million Europeans. “It is a question for the management, if they have things under control,” EU Justice and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Vera Jourova …
your ad here3D Map of Singapore Helps City Planner Prepare for Future
Imagine seeing an incredibly detailed map of your home city in three dimensions, with every citizen carrying a cell phone showing up as a dot on that map. Well, you can’t because there are security issues galore when it comes to tracking people online. But you should know it’s possible, …
your ad hereCan Wireless Challenge Cable for Home Internet Service?
Cellular companies such as Verizon are looking to challenge traditional cable companies with residential internet service that promises to be ultra-fast, affordable and wireless. Using an emerging wireless technology known as 5G, Verizon’s 5G Home service provides an alternative to cable for connecting laptops, phones, TVs and other devices over …
your ad hereNew California Internet Neutrality Law Triggers US Lawsuit
California Gov. Jerry Brown has approved the nation’s strongest net neutrality law, prompting an immediate lawsuit by the Trump administration and opening the next phase in the battle over regulating the internet. Advocates of net neutrality hope California’s law, which Brown signed Sunday to stop internet providers from favoring certain …
your ad hereA Pakistani American Startup Fighting Media Censorship
According to the latest report by the Committee to Protect Journalists in Pakistan, fatal violence against journalists has declined, but fear and self-censorship have grown. In this era, five Pakistani American students at Harvard University have created a startup that challenges censorship using the latest block-chain technology. Their mission is …
your ad hereGoogle CEO to Testify Before US House on Bias Accusations
Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee later this year over Republican concerns that the company is biased against conservatives, a senior Republican said Friday. Republicans want to question Google, the search engine of Alphabet Inc, about whether its search algorithms are …
your ad hereFacebook Says 50M User Accounts Affected by Security Breach
Facebook says it has discovered a security breach affecting about 50 million user accounts which could have allowed hackers to access those accounts. The social media giant said Friday it has taken steps to fix the security problem and alerted law enforcement. The company said hackers exploited the …
your ad hereFacebook Tightens Security After Announcing Breach
The security breach Facebook announced Friday that affected 50 million users was a setback for the social media giant, which has been working for months to regain customers’ trust over how it handles their data. In addition to the 50 million users whose log-on information could have been accessed by …
your ad hereBrad Smith on Microsoft’s $40M AI for Humanitarian Action Program
VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren talks with Brad Smith, Microsoft’s President and Chief Legal Officer about the tech giant’s new Artificial Intelligence program. …
your ad hereUber to Pay $148M for Hiding Data Breach
The ride-hailing service Uber has agreed to pay $148 million to settle claims that it concealed a massive data breach that exposed personal information of drivers and customers. In November 2016, Uber learned that hackers had accessed personal data of about 600,000 Uber drivers, including their driver’s license numbers. Hackers …
your ad hereUS Lawmakers Urged to Enact Personal Data Protections, But With Care
U.S. communications and social media titans are urging lawmakers to craft strong, uniform protections for Americans’ personal data without squashing innovation. The Senate Commerce Committee heard testimony Wednesday from Apple, Amazon.com, Google, Twitter, and AT&T executives at a time when data breaches are commonplace, many Americans are mystified or unaware …
your ad hereSenate Panel Opens Hearing on Crafting US Privacy Law
The Trump administration is hoping Congress can come up with a new set of national rules governing how companies can use consumers’ data that finds a balance between “privacy and prosperity.” But it will be tricky to reconcile the concerns of privacy advocates who want people to have more control …
your ad hereShape-Changing Materials to Enter Everyday Life
Many materials change shape when exposed to heat, electricity or some other kind of energy. That change is usually random, but scientists are now learning how to direct that energy to turn the material into a predetermined shape. VOA’s George Putic visited a lab at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh …
your ad hereJapan Preschools Use Tablets to Prep Tots for Digital Age
It’s drawing time at this suburban nursery school in Japan, but instead of crayons, tiny fingers are tapping on colors on iPad screens and taking selfies. Digital schooling has arrived in this nation long known for its zealous commitment to “three R’s” education. Coby Preschool, in a small town northeast …
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