Tech Sightings, July 17, 2014

Posted July 17th, 2014 at 2:03 pm (UTC-4)
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Africa’s Inventors Struggle to Protect Patents

Hampered by Africa’s long, expensive patent registration process and weak court system, many  inventors are working covertly to protect their ideas from copycats.

Some Universities Crack Code in Drawing Women to Computer Science

U.S. universities that have seen women making a comeback in the fields of science and technology are providing a roadmap for other schools on how to diversify their computer science graduates.

The Moral Hazards and Legal Conundrums of Our Robot-Filled Future

Increasingly smarter robots are slowly but surely becoming a part of our lives. And that raises a lot of questions for what the future may hold. A recent panel discussion at the University of California, Berkeley law school looked at the various dilemmas a future full of robots might precipitate.

Android Sets iPhone Cloning Factory in Motion

There have been reports claiming that Chinese company Wico has cloned Apple’s iPhone 6, which has not yet been released. The Chinese clone is very similar to the original, with slight differences, and runs Google’s Android KitKat operating system. Most Chinese cannot afford Apple’s expensive iPhone and iPad devices.

A Graphene Chip That Would Run Your Phone for a Week?

With a $ 3 billion investment in chip technology, IBM is looking to replace silicon in mobile devices with a one-atom-thick graphene chip that could make cell phones run faster and longer.

Almost a Million Fake Apps Are Targeting Your Phone

After reviewing the top 50 free apps in mobile stores, Trend Micro found fake versions for 77 percent of the apps often masquerading as real ones with similar functions and dangerous payloads.

The Last Dragon: Why One Ecologist Struggles with Video Games and Extinction

Looking at animal hunting in open world video games, an ecologist suggests game developers sometimes miss the opportunity to illustrate the ecological impact of the extinction of animal species as they allow players to hunt to their heart’s content.

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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