Jury Out on Online Suicide-prevention Tools; ‘TorrentLocker’ Is Back

Posted March 2nd, 2017 at 12:31 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

FILE - Facebook's User Operations Safety Team workers look at reviews at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California. (AP)

FILE – Facebook’s User Operations Safety Team workers look at reviews at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California. (AP)

Big Questions Surround Facebook’s Suicide-Prevention Tools

Facebook has been ramping up its suicide-prevention tools to include ways to encourage users to report people whose Facebook streams contain signs of self-injury. The person with the perceived suicidal tendencies then sees a message that provides resources for help. Writer Rachel Metz says experts see this as a move in the right direction, although there is no scientific evidence that these types of tools are effective.

Inventive Dad Builds Son a Bionic Arm Using 3-D Printer

Sol Ryan’s arm was amputated when he was only 10 days old. After his Welsh father, Ben, was told there was nothing doctors could do for his son until he is three years old, he came up with the idea of developing a bionic arm for him, using 3-D printing technology. The prototype, based on a scan of the child’s arm, imitates the way spiders move, using liquid pressure, and allows the child to grab and manipulate objects.

This Old Ransomware Variant Is Back – With Sneaky New Tricks

TorrentLocker ransomware, also known as CryptoLocker, is making a comeback after two years in hibernation. The revived variant uses emails marked ‘high importance’ that include a malicious attachment. Once downloaded, the virus steals credentials and demands ransom. The previous version targeted Windows users in 2014.

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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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