The Age of Smartphone Fondling; Beware: New, Lying Ransomware

Posted July 13th, 2016 at 1:35 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

Middle school students use their smartphones in Seoul, South Korea, July 7, 2016. (AP)

Middle school students use their smartphones in Seoul, South Korea, July 7, 2016. (AP)

Research Shows We Touch Our Cell Phones 2,617 Times Per Day

How many times do you admire and fondle your phone every day? Well, a new study from research firm dscout found that the top 10 percent of extreme cell phone users touch their phones more than 5,400 times daily. The average user spends 145 minutes, while iPhone owners unlocked their phones about 80 times every day, or 6-7 times per hour.

No Honor Among Thieves: New Ransomware Takes Your Money, Deletes Files Anyway

Security researchers at Cisco Talos have discovered a new ransomware variety that claims to encrypt victims’ files, demands ransom, and then purports that any further clicks not related to payment will delete files. But experts say the ransom note posted by the malware, named “Ranscam” is a complete lie. It simply deletes files to pressure victims to pay up, but even if they pay, the files are gone and cannot be restored.

Tech and Brexit: Three-quarters of Startups See Tough Times Ahead

A survey of more than 1,000 people in tech startups in Britain found that three-quarters of respondents fear the business environment may get worse after Brexit, making it harder to attract and retain the best non-UK talent. A third said they will slow down hiring and a little under a quarter will scale back growth ambitions. About half plan to raise funds outside Britain in the next year.

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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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