Today’s Tech Sightings:
Technology in 2015 – New Gadgets Coming Your Way
Watch for improved mobile payments, connected cars, smarter everyday devices and better 3-D printing, among other technological wonders this coming year.
The Halting Progress of Mind-Controlled Robot Tech
It’s a work in progress, although some quadriplegics have already used their thoughts to operate experimental mind-controlled robotic arms. But the hurdles the technology faces – from complexity to cost to specialized training – make mass production impossible for the time being.
Study: Technology Has Made Us More Productive, but We Work Longer Hours
In a new Pew Research Center study, 92 percent of people polled say the Internet has not hurt their productivity, but 35 percent of online workers are putting in longer hours.
North Korea Launches Its Own OS
Also known as Red Star 3.0, North Korea’s new operating system is available for download for the Desktop. Pyongyang’s state-run Korea Computer Center designed a server version earlier in the year. Curiously, the new version bears an uncanny resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X, in contrast with earlier versions that looked like Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
FBI Warns Sony Hackers Are Back and Could Hack More Companies
An FBI bulletin says the group that hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment, called the Guardians of Peace, is back and reportedly threatening an unnamed news organization. But journalist Mathew Keys found a Pastebin archive that reveals a threat against CNN.
Fake Android ‘The Interview’ App Steals Bank Account Details
The interest in Sony’s controversial movie, The Interview, following a devastating hack attack against the entertainment company, has given birth to a fake Android app bearing the movie’s title. The app, which is making the rounds in South Korea, promises users a downloaded copy of the movie while stealing their bank account information instead.
Russians Are Organizing Against Putin Using FireChat
San Francisco startup, Open Garden, which makes a free app called FireChat, says Russian activity has soared Tuesday after opposition leader Alexey Navalny urged his followers to download the app. Russian activists are now using FireChat to organize and exchange unfiltered communications.
India blocks 32 Websites, including GitHub, Internet Archive, Pastebin, Vimeo
India’s Internet users are losing access to a number of websites that include GitHub, Internet Archive, Pastebin, and Vimeo, following an order from the country’s Department of Telecom. According to the national head of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the action was based on anti-terrorism advisories.
