Thailands’ Internet; Freevolt; Skype; Android Blues

Posted October 1st, 2015 at 2:12 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

Thai Government Faces Opposition in Bid to Build Single Internet Gateway

Thailand’s plan to route all Internet traffic through one gateway is under fire. Former minister of information and communication technology, Anudith Nakornthap, a member of Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party, said the plan would slow down online services and could bring down the whole system if a glitch hits the single gateway in operation.

British Lord creates Device That Runs on Free Electricity From the Air

Freevolt is the brain child of British businessman and former science minister, Lord Drayson. His invention uses radio frequency energy from digital devices to provide electricity to low-energy devices or to recharge batteries.

Skype for Windows Now Supports Native Real-time Translation

The Skype Translator Tools, a built-in feature, is now available for Windows users in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish. Users who were unable to chat directly due to language barriers can now use a new translator button to carry on a conversation.

Nerves Rattled by Highly Suspicious Windows Update Delivered Worldwide

A test that was incorrectly implemented delivered a suspicious Windows update to users worldwide, raising concerns that Microsoft’s patching system was down or compromised. But Microsoft acknowledged it “incorrectly published a test update.” The company is removing the update.

Shifu Banking Trojan Spreads to the UK

A new malicious banking Trojan called Shifu has been spotted in the wild in Britain. IBM security researchers who identified Shifu, which was previously detected in Japan, said the Trojan uses spam to lead its victims to infected websites loaded with the Angler exploit kit – a popular hacking tool that exploits a wide range of vulnerabilities.

New Android Vulnerabilities Endanger Up to 1 Billion Devices

Researchers from security firm Zimperium have uncovered new vulnerabilities in Google’s Android mobile operating system that can lure users to bogus websites. A flaw in the way Android handles media files allows hackers to execute code remotely on devices running Android versions 1.0 to 5.1.1.

Facebook Tests New Mobile Timeline Features

Facebook product managers Aigerim Shorman and Tony Hsieh announced new features which will be tested initially with iPhone users. New services allow mobile users to center their profile pictures and replace them with looping videos, among other improvements.

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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