Today’s Tech Sightings:
3D Laser Scanner Makes Haunting Works of Art
Historians Charles Matz and Jonathan Michael Dillon use 3D Lidar scanning — a technology that uses pulses of light to map 3D structures — to help preserve Ethiopia’s historic sites. Inadvertently, they turned their scanning device into a tool for creating works of art.
US Raises Concerns Over ‘Made in Indonesia’ Smartphone Law
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative is concerned Indonesian regulation that will require companies selling mobile devices to manufacture 40 percent of their stock locally will handicap expansion efforts by tech giants like Apple. The U.S. is urging Indonesia to relax the rules, expected to go into effect in 2017.
Can an App Diagnose Melanoma? It’ll Need Proof, Says FTC
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement with two companies that make apps claiming to diagnose melanoma. The FTC said the companies made deceptive claims that their apps — MelApp and Mole Detective — could detect melanoma symptoms and assess risk.
Pakistanis Face Deadline: Surrender Fingerprints or Give Up Cellphone
Prompted by concerns about illegal SIM cards, the Pakistani government has ordered cellphone owners to submit their fingerprints to a national anti-terrorism database or, failing that, lose their mobile connection.
Lenovo Faces Superfish Lawsuits, Posts removal Tool
Lenovo is already facing at least two lawsuits following the recent discovery that it preloaded its devices with malicious adware that constitutes a significant security risk. Both cases are class-action lawsuits. Meanwhile, the company has provided its customers with an automatic removal tool to uninstall the unwelcome adware.
Is Fingerprint Technology a Security Hazard for Mobile Banking?
Fingerprint authentication is considered more secure than passwords, but how secure is it for mobile devices, and particularly for banking applications? Scott Nicholson, information assurance and security manager at Adapt, looks at the security implications of this type of technology.
Google to Curb Adult Content Sharing on Blogger
Beginning in March, Google will restrict public sharing of sexually-explicit adult images and videos on its Blogger platform. Blogs that do so publicly after March 23 will be turned into private blogs by invitation only.
