Tech Sightings, May 22, 2014

Posted May 22nd, 2014 at 2:00 pm (UTC-4)
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Bitcoin Shows Signs of Stability as It Reaches $500

Passing the symbolic $500 mark for the first time in a month, Bitcoin seems to be stabilizing after months of turmoil. But the jump looks like it was spurred by a significant transaction from wealthy individuals tied to the system..

Do Mobile Heart Rate Monitors Actually Work?

CNET reports fitness trackers could be misreporting pulse rates, although it would probably take a cardiologist to find out.

As Tech Millionaires Multiply, Wealth Advisers Struggle to Connect

New, young tech millionaires are challenging Silicon Valley and San Francisco financial advisers trying to offer their services only to find out that the new breed of wealthy techies are often not interested in the old-school model of financial planning.

The Startup That’s Bringing Coding to the World’s Classrooms

This fall, Britain’s school system will become the first among G8 countries to include computer science education in its national curriculum. The model might serve as a pilot for other nations, although for children to learn coding, teachers have to learn it too. That’s where New York’s Codecademy comes in.

How Bickering, Greed Neutered ‘Do Not Track’ Privacy Initiative

In 2009, several Internet privacy advocates came up with a way to allow people to tell websites not to track them as they surf the Internet. Five years later, their initiative and the state of privacy are in shambles.

Facebook Offers Privacy Checkup to All 1.28 Billion Users

In response to long-standing concerns about its convoluted privacy settings, Facebook said it will give all of its 1.28 billion users a privacy checkup and allow them to make their posts initially visible only to their friends.

Facebook Can Now Spy on Your Surroundings Via Your Phone’s Microphone

A new addition to Facebook’s mobile app can automatically identify music and TV shows playing in the background. When activated, the opt-in feature uses the smartphone’s microphone to scan the user’s  surroundings and makes any discovered match available for sharing.

Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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