The Biggest Online Threats; Robots Help Sick Kids Attend School

Posted February 22nd, 2017 at 12:00 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

(VOA/Mark Sandeen)

The 15 Biggest Threats Online, Ranked

A new report from the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security puts hacking for profit at the top of a list of leading online threats. The report says the trend will continue, aided by new tools and malware to boost the criminal business. Malware and unsecured Internet of Things (IoT) devices that give hackers an opportunity to control them are also high on the agency’s list.

Child Too Sick for School Long-term? Send a Robot Instead

Children with long-term illness that prevents them from attending school now have a solution from Norwegian company No Isolation. The company’s AV1 robot, a simple contraption that looks like a stylized head, is designed to help sick children stay in touch with their classmates. The robot has a loudspeaker and its eyes light up when a child is connected. An additional light goes on if the child wants to participate and raises his/her hand.

Humans Don’t Want Robots to Help Them Shop

The latest craze these days seems to be chatbots or robot assistants coming to a store near you, at least in the United States and Japan. Some robots now greet customers at the door or offer advice on what gifts and products customers should buy.  But in many cases, shoppers don’t know the technology exists or just want to pick up what they need as quickly as possible and leave. In one instance, a customer service robot asked the shopper for all kinds of personal information just to look up what kind of advice it should give.

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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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