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.

All posts by Aida Akl

Tech Sightings, March 13, 2014

Posted March 13th, 2014 at 2:52 pm (UTC-5)
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 Intel Lead on Conflict Minerals Helps, Challenges Other Firms After spending more than five years figuring out how to rid its supply chain of minerals that finance conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Intel Corp is now offering to “open source” its methods so that other companies can follow suit. Singapore Backtracks, Unveils New […]

Tech Sightings, March 12, 2014

Posted March 12th, 2014 at 2:51 pm (UTC-5)
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The $100,000 Device That Could Have Solved Missing Plane Mystery The search continues for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370; and the full story will only be known once the flight recorder is found. But a Canadian company already has the technology to fit a plane with a device that can stream crucial flight information to the […]

Tech Sightings, March 11, 2014

Posted March 11th, 2014 at 2:21 pm (UTC-5)
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Limitations of Technology in Tracking Missing Planes Technology is a wonderful thing – with apps for just about everything these days. So how then can a big Malaysian passenger jet simply disappear without any electronic way of tracking it? Crowdsourcing the Search for Malaysia Flight 370 A Colorado satellite imaging company has launched an effort […]

Youth at Forefront of Global Internet Use

Posted March 7th, 2014 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
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If you are under 30, you are probably one of the young people leading the global charge in Internet and mobile technology. Young people are “particularly likely to use the Internet. They are particularly likely to engage in social networking,” said Richard Wike, Director of Pew Research Center’s Global Attitude Research. “They are particularly likely […]

Tech Sightings, March 6, 2014

Posted March 6th, 2014 at 2:41 pm (UTC-5)
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With Move to Limit Gun Sales, Facebook Is Caught in Debate Pressured by law enforcement and advocacy groups, Facebook, one of the world’s largest marketplaces for guns, has moved to regulate gun sales on its site, as well as on its Instagram app, in an effort to shield minors from gun advertisements. The Internet is […]

Tech Sightings, March 5, 2014

Posted March 5th, 2014 at 2:41 pm (UTC-5)
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The Benefits of Connecting Kids With Autism to Social Media Autism Expressed is the first and only online learning program that teaches digital literacy to students with autism and other developmental disabilities. It was launched last summer launched by a student at Philadelphia’s University of The Arts and has already benefited thousands of students. Mobile […]

Tech Sightings, March 4, 2014

Posted March 4th, 2014 at 2:08 pm (UTC-5)
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Facebook Looks To Drone Technology To Connect The World To The Web Facebook is reportedly looking to boost its Internet.org connectivity project with a $60m purchase of Titan Aerospace in an effort to bring affordable connectivity to more of the the world’s unconnected five billion people. Titan Aerospace manufacture near-orbital, solar-powered drones which can fly […]

Technology Aids Paralympians, But Playing Field Not Level

Posted February 28th, 2014 at 7:36 pm (UTC-5)
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Technology has permeated the world of sports.  Runners’ shoes, clothing, even the tracks they run on are optimized to make them perform better. Swimmers have their suits custom-designed to help them cut through the water like a shark. Various pieces of equipment, from vault poles to bobsleds are increasingly on the cutting-edge of science and […]

Tech Sightings, February 27, 2014

Posted February 27th, 2014 at 2:06 pm (UTC-5)
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 The Biggest PC and Productivity News from Mobile World Congress Have a look at the latest buzz from the key trade show in Barcelona, where PC hardware and products remain alive and well. The Wearables of Mobile World Congress High tech meets high fashion as wearable mania continues in Barcelona, bringing a range of gadgets […]

Tech Sightings, February 26, 2014

Posted February 26th, 2014 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
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Japan Authorities Probing Closure of Mt. Gox Bitcoin Exchange A Japanese government spokesman said authorities are investigating the abrupt closure of Mt. Gox, which was the world’s biggest exchange for bitcoin virtual currency. GPS Tracking Shoes May Reduce Costs of Wandering Alzheimer’s Patients A George Mason University professor hopes a shoe with GPS tracking that […]