Ransomware attacks are becoming more frequent, more sophisticated and harder to detect. And unprepared victims are often all too willing to pay the ransom to expedite the return of their hijacked files, effectively extending an invitation to future extortionists. Earlier this month, two German hospitals were targeted with ransomware attacks. That was around the same […]
Five App Makes Messaging Accessible to Deaf Users
Posted February 19th, 2016 at 11:03 am (UTC-5)
A mobile app developed by an 18-year-old high school entrepreneur in Poland is set to become a major missing link in communication for deaf people. The app, called Five, allows deaf users to create a sign language for chatting and messaging on their smartphone or iWatch. While there are largely universal sign language standards for […]
Worldreader Pushes Digital Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Posted February 12th, 2016 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
Mobile technology has put digital books in the hands of people in developing regions who otherwise have limited reading resources. But millions of schoolchildren in places like Africa still have few or no books to help them develop reading and writing skills. Worldreader aims to change that. Focusing mainly on Sub-Saharan Africa, Worldreader is a non-profit […]
Tor Project Builds on Support After First Crowdfunding Campaign
Posted February 5th, 2016 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
Wrapping up its first ever crowdfunding campaign, the Tor Project is now looking to fine-tune its anonymizing network and spread the word about its popular Internet browser. The $200,000 raised during the non-profit’s crowdfunding effort came as a bit of a surprise. The Tor Project is a non-profit research and education organization that runs the […]
Guyana, Haiti, the Philippines Look to Drones for Medical Deliveries
Posted January 29th, 2016 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
A Knoxville, Tennessee organization that helped test the first medical drone delivery approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in Virginia last year, is now looking to deploy medical delivery drones in remote areas of Haiti, the Philippines, and Guyana, South America. “The Guyana government is very interested in this possibility. I think what […]
‘That Dragon, Cancer’: Q&A With Developer Ryan Green
Posted January 22nd, 2016 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
Let’s face it. Most video games involve some sort of stabbing, shooting or otherwise killing of an enemy. Few are the games that go off the beaten path to explore different themes, let alone gut-wrenching emotions such as hope, faith or grief. That Dragon, Cancer is one of them. The idea started in 2012, born […]
Roominate, LEGO Education Bring Kids Closer to Science
Posted January 15th, 2016 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
A world filled with robots powered by artificial intelligence will need skilled workers who can create, program and maintain tomorrow’s smart machines. That’s a whole generation of kids that needs to be minted into a scientifically-minded workforce. A couple of U.S. toymakers are doing just that. LEGO Education and Roominate, distinctly different toymakers, are both […]
Greece Tests Rescue Robots at Sea; Apple Pushes Board Diversity
Posted January 12th, 2016 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Robot Life Preserver Goes to Work in the Mediterranean Refugee Crisis In Mediterranean waters off Greece, rescuing African and Middle Eastern migrants trying to make the perilous voyage to Europe is a daily affair. Looking for help, the Greek Coast Guard invited Texas A&M University’s Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue to […]