U.S. congressmen have approved a bill to deploy self-driving cars and prevent states from blocking them. The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday passed the bill that would allow automakers to obtain exemptions to deploy up to 25,000 vehicles without meeting auto safety standards in the first year. That number would …
your ad hereWaste Not: Belgian Startup to Print 3-D Recycled Sunglasses
A Belgium-based start-up is on its way to making the world a bit sunnier, by printing the first 3-D sunglasses out of recycled plastic. The Antwerp-based company w.r.yuma – pronounced “We are Yuma” and named after one of the sunniest places on earth – began a month-long online crowd-sourcing campaign …
your ad hereTech Leaders Prepare to Fight DACA Decision
They took to Twitter, Facebook and their corporate blog posts. They called their congressional representatives, signed letters and pledged to fight. This week, many tech industry leaders geared up for battle after the Trump administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows people …
your ad hereFacebook: Likely Russia-based Operation Bought Ads During 2016 US Election
Facebook Inc. said on Wednesday it had found that an influence operation likely based in Russia spent $100,000 on ads promoting divisive social and political messages in a two-year-period through May. Facebook, the dominant social media network, said that many of the ads promoted 470 “inauthentic” accounts and pages that …
your ad hereTrump Administration Looking to ‘Real World’ Measures Against Cyber Enemies
Whether it be meddling in a U.S. presidential election or accessing the fingerprints of some 6 million federal workers, American officials are warning a cyberattack on the United States may be met with more than a retaliatory cyberstrike. Instead, nation states, terrorists and other adversaries attacking the U.S. though cyberspace …
your ad hereNew Rockets Could Inspire Next Generation
Rockets that will take Americans back to space from U.S. soil for the first time since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 could also launch new careers in space science. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad here40 Years After Launch Voyager 1 Still Sending Data
Forty years ago, as President Carter was spending his first year in office, NASA launched two spacecraft hoping to learn about Jupiter, Saturn and Saturn’s moon Titan. But beyond all expectations, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are still communicating. VOA’s George Putic reports. …
your ad hereFacebook’s Pricey Cricket Bid Shows Appetite for Big Sports Events
Facebook’s $600 million losing bid to buy the streaming rights to a hugely popular cricket tournament in India shows the social network is willing to spend big bucks for high-profile sporting events to keep users engaged on its platform. Facebook on Monday emerged as the highest bidder for the rights …
your ad hereGrowing US Dilemma: Automated Jobs Meet Social Consciousness
Security guard Eric Leon watches the Knightscope K5 security robot as it glides through the mall, charming shoppers with its blinking blue and white lights. The brawny automaton records video and sounds alerts. According to its maker, it deters mischief just by making the rounds. Leon, the all-too-human guard, feels …
your ad hereCreator of Food Sharing App Wants to Feed the World
Here’s a statistic for you to consider: the U.N. estimates that over 30 percent of the food that is produced every year never gets eaten. Now one enterprising Nigerian entrepreneur has built an app to help get some of that food to those who need it. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereInternet of Things Relying on Personal Assistants
The world of smart appliances capable of communicating with humans is slowly taking shape, thanks to the increasing popularity and ubiquity of so-called personal assistants. At the International Consumer Electronics Trade Show now being held in Berlin, manufacturers are promoting a new generation of gadgets from smart refrigerators to window …
your ad hereMesh Networks Can Keep People Connected During Natural Disasters
Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey pose a threat not only to human lives but also to telecommunication systems. When they go down, entire cities and communities are cut off from each other. But mesh networks can get people connected again and, during emergencies, be a crucial link to information. VOA’s …
your ad hereRussia Sees Artificial Intelligence as Key to World Domination
The digital arms race between the United States and Russia appears to be accelerating, fueled in part by new comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin, speaking to a group of Russian students Friday, called artificial intelligence “not only Russia’s future” but “the future of the whole of mankind.” “The …
your ad hereNew Uber CEO Highlights Iranians in Tech
In Silicon Valley, all eyes are on Dara Khosrowshahi, the new CEO of Uber, who starts his turnaround of the ride-hailing firm on Tuesday. But for Iranian Americans working in tech, Khosrowshahi’s appointment is not just about who will guide Uber, a nearly $70 billion company that has searched since …
your ad hereDesalination Promises Ample Supply of Fresh Water
Although 75 percent of our planet is covered with water, many countries around the world suffer from a low supply of fresh water. There is plenty of water in the ocean, but removing the salt is very expensive, and only coastal nations with an ample supply of power, such as …
your ad hereOld Tires and Congealed Fat Generate Interest and Energy
Some energy, like solar and wind, is renewable. Other sources of power are recyclable. Faith Lapidus tells us how old tires and congealed fat are generating interest and energy. …
your ad hereTesla Starts Production of Solar Cells in Buffalo, New York
Tesla Inc. is starting production of the cells for its solar roof tiles at its factory in Buffalo, New York. The company has already begun installing its solar roofs, which look like regular roofs but are made of glass tiles. But until now, it has been making them on …
your ad hereAlexa, Cortana Talk to Each Other in Amazon-Microsoft Deal
Microsoft and Amazon are pairing their voice assistants together in a collaboration announced Wednesday. Both companies say later this fall, users will be able to access Alexa using Cortana on Windows 10 computers and on Android and Apple devices. They’ll also be able to access Cortana on Alexa-enabled devices such …
your ad hereWorld’s Biggest Drone Drug Deliveries Take Off in Tanzania
Tanzania is set to launch the world’s largest drone delivery network in January, with drones parachuting blood and medicines out of the skies to save lives. California’s Zipline will make 2,000 deliveries a day to more than 1,000 health facilities across the east African country, including blood, vaccines and malaria …
your ad hereAre Consumers Ready to Give Augmented Reality a Try?
You might have gotten a taste of “augmented reality,” the blending of the virtual and physical worlds, as you chased on-screen monsters at real-world landmarks in last year’s gaming sensation, “Pokemon Go.” Upcoming augmented reality apps will follow that same principle of superimposing virtual images over real-life settings. That could …
your ad hereUS Gearing Up for Digital Arms Race
In the straight-laced world of the U.S. military, the big room with glossy white paint stands out. Beyond the desks lined with computer screens, the overhead projectors or the digital clock displaying the time in various world cities, the walls demand your attention. They are covered from floor …
your ad herePizza Delivery Without Drivers: Domino’s, Ford Team Up for Test
No ring of the doorbell, just a text. No tip for the driver? No problem in this test, where Domino’s and Ford are teaming up to see if customers will warm to the idea of pizza delivered by driverless cars. Starting Wednesday, some pizzas in Domino’s hometown of Ann …
your ad hereSky High Lifeguard Soon to be Monitoring Australian Beaches
It is still true that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark; but, that does not matter much to the 150 or so people who experienced what the International Shark Attack File calls “shark-human interaction in 2016. Still, some Australian eyes in …
your ad hereLifeguard in the Sky Soon to Be Monitoring Australian Beaches
It is still true that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark; but, that does not matter much to the 150 or so people who experienced what the International Shark Attack File calls “shark-human interaction in 2016. Still, some Australian eyes in …
your ad here‘Need Help’: Harvey Victims Use Social Media When 911 Fails
Desperate for help and unsure whether traditional rescue efforts will come through, Harvey victims are using social media to share maps of their location and photos of themselves trapped on rooftops and inside buildings. “Need help in NE Houston! Baby here and sick elderly!” one user posted on Twitter along …
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