A new bill making its way through the U.S. Congress proposes to arm consumers with information about the privacy and security risks of connected devices. The move comes as some industry experts and privacy advocates are raising concerns about a flood of everyday items on the market that are connected to the internet. The bipartisan […]
IoT Future Needs Privacy, Security by Design
Posted December 19th, 2017 at 1:59 pm (UTC-5)
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Voice Technologies Not Yet Ready to Push Literacy
Posted October 27th, 2017 at 9:11 am (UTC-5)
Voice-enabled devices have the potential to unlock a world of information for illiterate populations around the world. But certain needs have to be met before voice recognition can significantly impact literacy, says a leading education technology expert. “There is so much going on where you need to be literate,” said Michael Trucano, the World Bank’s […]
Virtual Reality Helps Seniors With Dementia Get Back on Track
Posted October 6th, 2017 at 11:56 am (UTC-5)
Virtual reality (VR) is helping seniors with cognitive and physical impairments express themselves and experience the outside world. But its use in therapy is far outpacing research, which has yet to determine how VR affects the brain in the long-term. Residents at Maplewood Senior Living, assisted-living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Ohio, are typically in […]
Temporary Email Gives Users Edge on Spammers
Posted September 8th, 2017 at 8:40 am (UTC-5)
Spammers around the world send out millions of emails every day, in some cases laced with malware or ransomware. To escape the inbox clutter, some users are resorting to disposable email addresses. That might curb spam, some security experts say, but it won’t stop targeted attacks. There is a range of free services that offer […]
For Low Vision, Diabetes, These Apps Can help
Posted September 1st, 2017 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
Data-driven apps often are criticized for sacrificing privacy in the interest of providing personalized services. But they can also help guide people with low vision or track diabetes and scoliosis. Here are a few of them: Seeing AI Microsoft’s intelligent camera app, Seeing AI, is a research project that uses artificial intelligence to analyze pictures […]
‘Michka’ App Fights Child Sex Abuse in Iran
Posted August 25th, 2017 at 10:10 am (UTC-5)
California nonprofit United for Iran is on a mission to build technologies to help Iranian society tackle sexual violence, women’s rights, and other challenges. Its latest app – Michka – takes on child sexual abuse. Michka is an insect. Her little wings are her private parts. And when someone touches them, Michka becomes confused and […]
Mobile Broadband Puts More Youth, Women Online
Posted August 11th, 2017 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
A new generation of young people is dominating internet use around the world, thanks to the increased availability of mobile broadband. And their sheer numbers are helping close digital gender gaps along the way. Global youth “are embracing the emerging technologies, they are using social media, and that is a game-changer in itself,” said Cosmas […]
Can We Control Our Intelligent Machines?
Posted August 4th, 2017 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
Hardly a day goes by without news about a breakthrough in machine intelligence or some debate about its pros and cons, more recently between Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk. Adding his voice to the mix, author and IT specialist Peter Scott warns that rapid AI growth comes with serious risks that, if […]