3-D Printing Goes Wild; Bitcoin Finds Microsoft; the Hacking Wars

Posted December 11th, 2014 at 2:44 pm (UTC-4)
Leave a comment

Today’s Tech Sightings:

Silicon Valley Summit Explores Ways to Make Tech Workforce More Diverse

Leading tech companies, including Apple, Google, Facebook and many others, are participating in a California summit to look at ways to increase diversity in the tech sector, currently dominated by white and Asian men.

Microsoft Begins Accepting Bitcoin

Microsoft has added Bitcoin as a payment option for apps, Xbox games and other digital purchases across its various Windows platforms. The move was not officially announced but surfaced during online discussions.

3D-Printed Drones May Help Save Endangered Wildlife

The Wildlife Conservation Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Challenge hopes to save the world’s remaining rhinoceros species from extinction due to relentless poaching. Up to 139 teams from more than 29 countries on six continents are tasked with developing open-source, anti-poaching drones equipped with sensors to monitor poaching activities. The 3-D-printed drones are expected to launch next spring in South Africa.

Uber Offers Woman Credit in Response to Sexual Harassment Allegation

According to Newsweek, Uber offered to pay about $31 to a woman who reported that she was sexually harassed by a London driver. After several email exchanges between the woman and Uber executives, the ride-sharing company refunded the price of the trip, saying steps will be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Analysts: Alibaba Security Flaws Exposed Data on Millions of Users

Israeli cybersecurity analysts say two separate vulnerabilities on websites run by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba have exposed the names and addresses of millions of users and left  merchants’ accounts vulnerable to hackers.

Now at the Sands Casino: An Iranian Hacker in Every Server

Bloomberg reports that in February, Iranian hackers broke into the computer systems of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the biggest gaming company in the world, wiping hard drives clean as employees scrambled to unplug their computers. The hackers did not steal cash or credit card information and reportedly wanted to punish the company’s CEO.

Sony Pictures Tries to Disrupt Downloads of its Stolen Files

After suffering one of the most devastating hack attacks in recent memory, Sony Pictures has gone on the offensive to stop the pilfering of its data. Using Amazon’s cloud services in Asia, Sony started a denial of service counterattack, commonly used to fight piracy.

How Facebook Knows When Its Ads Influence Your Offline Purchases

Atlas, an online advertising tool recently deployed on Facebook, is part of the social media giant’s attempt to show advertisers a link between their online ads and offline purchases. So if you provide a merchant with your email or phone number, expect that Facebook will match them with online owners. You might want to read between the privacy policy lines.

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *