Israel, one of the pioneers of drone warfare, is now on the front lines of an arms race to protect against attacks by the unmanned aircraft.A host of Israeli companies have developed defense systems they say can detect or destroy incoming drones. But obstacles remain, particularly when operating in crowded …

The U.S. Justice Department will open an antitrust investigation of Facebook Inc., a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday.It will mark the fourth recent investigation of the social media company, which also faces probes by the Federal Trade Commission, a group of state attorneys general led by New York …

Amazon on Wednesday unveiled a cornucopia of new gadgets as it extended the reach of Alexa from automobiles and homes essentially into people’s heads.    Amazon digital aide Alexa vies with Google Assistant software to be at the heart of smart homes where lights, security systems, televisions and more are …

A tech company is offering literature and short films created specifically for mobile devices. They already have 50 million monthly subscribers. Deana Mitchell tunes in. …

A tech company is offering literature and short films created specifically for mobile devices. They already have 50 million monthly subscribers. Deana Mitchell tunes in. …

The growing use of artificial intelligence and automation in work places is creating challenges as well as benefits for businesses, institutions and the government.  A congressional panel on Tuesday discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on American workers and the future of their jobs. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports. …

Amazon.com has launched an initiative that would allow users to access its Alexa, Microsoft Corp’s Cortana and multiple other voice-controlled virtual assistant services from a single device.The move comes as competition has intensified among global technology companies to dominate the market for voice assistants, which are commonly housed in smart …

The European Union’s top court ruled Tuesday Google is not required to remove worldwide links to sensitive personal information.  Observers say the case highlights the need to balance data privacy concerns against the public’s right to information.The EU proposed in 2012 that people deserve the “right to be forgotten” on …

Honda said on Monday it would phase out all diesel cars by 2021 in favor of models with electric propulsion systems, as the Japanese automaker moves to electrify all of its European cars by 2025.Honda is the latest automaker cutting production of diesel cars to meet stringent global emissions regulations. …

A global working group set up by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Microsoft to remove extremist content will become an independent watchdog working “to respond quicker and work more collaboratively to prevent” attacks like Christchurch, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.Ardern has pushed for stronger action since New …

Apple said Monday it would keep making its Mac Pro in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers.The California tech giant said it would keep production of the Mac Pro — a computer costing some $6,000 — in Austin, Texas, following reports it …

Buses may not be the most glamorous mode of transport but at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, they will represent Toyota’s best bet for wider acceptance of hydrogen power – technology so far eclipsed by electric vehicles.Japan’s biggest automaker plans to roll out 100 hydrogen fuel cell buses to shuttle …

The Vietnamese comedy channel FAP TV has become the first YouTube account to hit the 10 million subscribers mark in the Southeast Asian country of nearly 100 million people, according to an announcement on Thursday from the Asia Pacific office of Google, which owns YouTube.Vietnam has been one of the …

Smartphones have quickly evolved from being a way to make an untethered phone call to service as portable hand-held personal computers. Yet these pros bring along many cons, as conditions like Internet addiction disorder become more widespread. To help people overcome these disorders, special rehab centers are opening around the …

With online shopping becoming more and more popular, traditional retail stores are doing everything they can to get shoppers to visit real stores. They are hoping one new piece of tech might do the trick.  Anna Rice narrates this report by VOA’s Julia Vassey in San Francisco, California.  …

Google is planning to invest 3 billion euros to expand its data centers across Europe in the next two years.The tech giant’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, says it will bring the company’s total investments in the continent’s internet infrastructure to 15 billion euros since 2007.Pichai met with Finnish Prime Minister Antii …

As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met Thursday with President Donald Trump and other critics of the tech industry, the Senate’s most vocal detractor offered a challenge: Sell your WhatsApp and Instagram properties to prove you’re serious about protecting data privacy.It may have been more than Zuckerberg expected from his private …

Chinese tech giant Huawei launched its latest high-end smartphone in Munich on Thursday, the first of its mobile devices not to carry popular Google apps because of U.S. sanctions.”Today because of the U.S. ban … we cannot pre-install” Google’s applications, said Richard Yu, who heads Huawei’s consumer business group, as …

The city of Huntington Park in the state of California has hired a new police office to patrol local parks. It’s always on duty and monitors the park 24 hours a day to make sure things are in order. Khrystyna Shevchenko met with this supercop and watched him work. Anna …

A growing number of countries are following China’s lead in deploying artificial intelligence to track citizens, according to a research group’s report published Tuesday.The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says at least 75 countries are actively using AI tools such as facial recognition for surveillance.   The index of countries …

In the face of criticism that Facebook is not doing enough to combat extremist messaging, the company likes to say that its automated systems remove the vast majority of prohibited content glorifying the Islamic State group and al-Qaida before it’s reported.But a whistleblower’s complaint shows that Facebook itself has inadvertently …

A Parisian startup enterprise looks to ease congestion in one of the world’s densest urban transportation networks.  Entrepreneurs created a green machine unlike any you have ever seen outside of Hollywood films. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi dredges this story from the river Seine. …

Facebook said Tuesday that it expects to name the first members of a new quasi-independent oversight board by year-end.The oversight panel is intended to rule on thorny content issues, such as when Facebook or Instagram posts constitute hate speech. It will be empowered to make binding rulings on whether posts …

The Air Force and the Navy bought Chinese-manufactured drones for elite forces months after the Pentagon prohibited their use due to cybersecurity concerns, according to government documents.In each case, the services used special exemptions granted by the Pentagon’s acquisition and sustainment office “on a case by case basis, to support …

An innovative boat that saves energy by rising out of the water on hydrofoil wings underwent testing on the Seine river in Paris on Monday as its backers seek to obtain a license to operate a taxi service on the river.The SeaBubbles craft is powered by electric motors and its …