Panos Panay, Corporate Vice President for Surface Computing demonstrates the new Microsoft Surface Studio computer at a live event in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Oct. 26, 2016. (Reuters)
Microsoft’s Windows 10 event Wednesday in San Francisco officially added the Surface Studio all-in-one Desktop PC – what CEO Satya Nadella calls “a new category” – to its line of hybrids. Perfect or not, writer Tom Warren argues that Microsoft has succeeded in reinventing “the ideas of what a tablet and a laptop should be” and inspire other manufacturers with its Surface Pro line of tablet/laptop hybrids. Now, Apple is also refreshing its old line of MacBooks, with expectations high for this Thursday’s big event for some upgrades and a new MacBook.
NASA has denied the authenticity of a Facebook Live video allegedly showing a live feed of a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The fake video, which went viral, was circulated by several media outlets. NASA typically announces spacewalks in advance. In this case, the agency did not have a scheduled spacewalk.
The U.S. presidential election is getting closer, and many internet sites, services and organizations are pushing people to go out and vote on November 8. This effort has now been expanded to include users of the dating app Tinder in 15 countries. Tinder users swipe left or right to voice their opinions on a variety of issues before being matched with a suitable political candidate.
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.
Many experts believe cyberattacks that exploit Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices are just getting started. The massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that took down major websites last Friday reportedly exploited Internet-enabled webcams and digital recorders. Experts have been warning for some time that always-on, Internet connected IoT devices are not secure and can be hacked in minutes. The hackers who carried out the DDoS attack exploited manufacturer passwords on the webcams. A Chinese manufacturer who provided the exploited parts – Hangzhou Xiongmai – has issued a recall in the U.S. Beijing, however, is blaming users for not changing their passwords.
Researchers from Internet security firm Rapid7 have uncovered a slew of critical security vulnerabilities in Internet of Things devices for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android mobile operating systems. The devices include TrackR Bravo, iTrack Easy and Nut tracker. Rapid7 says some devices store passwords without encryption in their apps and allow unauthenticated access to GPS data.
A professor of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, is working on a lower-cost solution to help people with low vision. Frank Werblin’s app – IrisVision – uses Samsung’s virtual reality headset to magnify whatever wearers are looking at. The aim is to help improve the way low-vision people see the world.
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.
The winning team pitch their plugin ‘Hate Speech Blocker’ during the Peacehack 2016 hackathon in London, England. (International Alert)
Hate Speech Blocker is a new browser plugin that tackles the complex problem of online hate speech without blurring the line between freedom of speech and censorship.
Call it a spellchecker, of sorts – for hate. Typically, online hate spammers that get caught venting their anger on unsuspecting victims could end up with their social media accounts suspended or blocked. But Hate Speech Blocker doesn’t do that.
“It doesn’t prevent you posting. It just suggests that the words you’re using could be construed as hateful,” said David Marsh, Head of Technology at UK-based nonprofit, International Alert, a peace building organization.
The Chrome plugin analyzes text as it is being typed. If it recognizes a particular hate speech term, “it just flags it out to you,” explained Marsh in an interview. “It doesn’t stop you posting, but it suggests why that maybe a term that some people might not necessarily want to use online and how that could be construed as hate speech in that particular context.”
When potentially offensive words are entered into a Chrome browser with the plugin installed, Hate Speech Blocker checks the terms against Hatebase, a nonprofit online service that collects data about hate zones and derogatory terms in various parts of the world and “has the ability to reference the terms across different countries.”
“It looks across the whole gamut of hate speech – it could be religious intolerance, it could be more general online bullying,” he said.
“We all liked Hate Speech Blocker because it was so simple and direct, challenging hate speech before it is even posted. I look forward to finding out how successful it has been in practice,” said tech evangelist and digital skills expert Sue Black, who was on the panel of judges for a series of hacking competitions in London called Peacehack.
Hate Speech Blocker won the hackathons earlier this October. This year’s theme focused on hate speech and how technology and developers can help address it.
In some instances, hate groups have argued that blocking their rhetoric violates their right to free speech. But Marsh stressed that International Alert is “very careful” to avoid engaging in censorship.
“What we want to be very careful about is not closing down that space for people to debate things,” he said. “And we realize that there may be a very thin line between freedom of speech and censorship.”
Hate speech sometimes happens “on the spur of the moment,” perhaps in response to something people see online, for example. Marsh said International Alert understands that. “We just want to give people that gentle nudge to say ‘is that really what you want to say?’”
The winning team at Peacehack 2016 celebrate after their plugin ‘Hate Speech Blocker’ was announced the winner, in London, England. (International Alert)
The hackathons have produced “all sorts of interesting ideas in our peace building work,” said Marsh, “be that around hate speech, be that around countering violent extremism and beyond.” And he hopes the continuation of the event will provide a real way of “engaging two communities that don’t necessarily work together that well – the technology and peace building sectors.”
Along the margins of the event, another potential “winner” emerged. While working with young people to give them the tools and confidence to combat hate speech online and offline, International Alert discovered that some of them were experiencing online abuse from offline friends who would later claim their accounts were hacked. The participants suggested developing a tool to help prove or not prove that an account was hacked at the same time online abuse was taking place.
“It was a real eye-opener,” he said. “… It gave us an inside track to fix the problems that they really face rather than the ones that we perceive that they are facing.”
Marsh hopes the Hate Speech Blocker plugin can be at least part of that conversation and a simple tool to make people stop and think before posting potentially harmful language online. And there are plans to customize it further for countries where International Alert works in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
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.
British scientist Stephen Hawking arrives to attend the launch of The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI), at the University of Cambridge, in Cambridge, eastern England, on Oct. 19, 2016. (AFP)
Renowned physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking again warned against the dangers of advancements in artificial intelligence. Speaking at the launch of The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI) in Cambridge, England, Hawking said more advanced AI could lead to “powerful autonomous weapons” or new ways “for the few to oppress the many.” Depending on how AI is managed, he said the technology could save humanity or destroy it.
A new study from the nonprofit Girls Who Code and research firm Accenture projects the number of U.S. women in computing will drop from 24 percent to 22 percent by 2025. Researchers say if steps are taken now to encourage more women to study computer science, then their number in computing could triple within the projected period to 3.9 million.
At least 3.2 million debit card details were stolen Thursday from several financial institutions in one of India’s worst data breaches. The malware that was used to compromise the country’s Hitachi Payment Services platform, which powers financial transactions, went on to infect other banks, including the State Bank of India.
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.
Social networking service Instagram is rolling out a new tool that will allow users to reach out to help people suffering from mental health issues who might be in danger of harming themselves. The new feature allows users to alert Instagram to any posts about self-harm. The service then lets the person know there are people out there who would like to help and offers a local helpline and a support page with additional resources.
“Sit With US’ is a new app designed to help ostracized or isolated kids find new people to sit with. It was created by 16-year-old Natalie Hampton, who had a tough time with isolation at school. The app includes a club feature that lets kids sign up as ambassadors and post open lunches that anyone who has the app can join and hopefully, make new friends in the process.
Facebook now lets users publicly endorse a particular candidate in this year’s U.S. presidential election, if they don’t mind declaring that to the world. All you have to do is go to the candidate’s Facebook page. Once there, Select “Endorsements” and click the blue “Endorse” button to write a few words about the reason for your support. Be prepared to see your endorsement on candidate’s timeline if you make it fully public.
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.
Britain’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal found that intelligence agencies have been running bulk data-collection programs for the last 17 years, in violation of EU privacy protections in many cases. Web traffic, location and device data, biographies, and financial activities were all collected for years without the knowledge or consent of their owners
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft’s former CEO Bill Gates, and Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, were on Hillary Clinton campaign’s shortlist for vice president. The revelation in an email from Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta, is part of a batch of documents released by WikiLeaks.
Computer scientists at the University of California-Irvine believe selfies can make people happier. A limited study documented the moods of 41 students for a week, then asked them to take pictures and record their emotions for the following three weeks. The assignment involved taking pictures, including selfies, that make the students happy. After collecting more than 2,000 mood measurements, the scientists found that all participants experienced increased positive moods.
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.
‘I.AM. Here’ is a GPS-based app that discourages texting while driving. Once downloaded, users can set up the app to automatically alert friends about their whereabouts when they are driving so they can keep their eyes on the road. (SIMpalm)
Mobile apps are weaving their way into the fabric of our lives, branching into health and fitness and social networking, to name a few. Some lend a hand in cases of emergency and could even help save your life.
Developed by mobile and web app developer SIMpalm, I.M. Here is an Android texting app that encourages safer driving. Using Google Maps and geolocation services, it tracks your location while driving and automatically alerts family and friends five minutes before you arrive at a preset location. The user can enter an address for Google Maps to find, import contact information, and populate the map as needed. Only the user needs to download the app.
Klique, part of an initiative to end sexual assault, lets people find safety in groups and matches them with friends who might share their interests. (Klique),
In the United States, several telecommunications companies have similar apps to encourage safer driving. Drivesafel.ly and Key2SafeDriving are just two of them, and there are several others here.
Part of an initiative to end sexual assault, Klique helps people make new friends in the safety of a group. The Android and iOS social networking app, launched in partnership with the nonprofit It’s On Us, can match groups of friends using a swiping interface, meaning users can accept or turn down suggested newcomers to their circle. Klique uses proximity and location services to scan for local social groups, but also includes a social rating system to help users err on the side of safety before joining any new groups.
WiFox is a global map of airport WI-Fi and lounge passwords. It is updated in real time and now has four times as many hot spots as when the screenshot was taken. (Anil Polat)
If you are a frequent traveler, navigating your way around airport Wi-Fi networks can be tricky. To help smooth the process, blogger and computer security engineer Anil Polat came up with WiFox, a current global map of free wireless access points for up to 80 airports. The map, updated in real-time, provides airport and lounge passwords and helps users work around time-limited access points. Users can submit information they find out about airport networks as they travel. Once verified, the information is added to the map and updated on a regular basis. The app is available for both iOS and Android mobile operating systems.
One X tracks users’ health by keeping an eye on stress, nutrition and various habits to give them more control over their health. (One X)
One X, the latest in the crowded health tracking market, combines a smartphone app with a real-time biosensor that measures skin antioxidant levels and how they affect the user’s habits and lifestyle.
The app helps users keep a watchful eye on nutritional balance as it monitors sleep patterns, exercise, stress, alcohol consumption, pollution and sun exposure, and other indicators. If you have no qualms about parting with your privacy, the data collection allows the app to provide personalized recommendations about your health.
This Android app alerts close friends if the user is involved in an accident or is in danger. Ryan’s Angels uses sensors and a smart algorithm to constantly monitor the user’s location, movement speed, surroundings, and other data. The information is then used to determine if the tracked individual has been in an accident. In such an event, the user’s last known location and vital information are automatically transmitted to five “guardian angels” designated as contacts when the app is set up. These friends then attempt to contact the individual. If there is no response, they then alert first responders to the situation. In the case of a false alarm, the user has the option of tapping a button labeled “I am OK.”
A word of caution: All of the apps featured here rely on geolocation and tracking technologies to do their job. So be prepared to swap privacy for functionality if you want to use them.
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.
The clock is ticking ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, and Google is offering to point you in the direction of the nearest polling station. Starting Thursday, searching in English or Spanish for “where to vote” will yield the location of a polling station and the identification voters need to display before voting. A search for “who’s on the ballot” will provide information about the candidates and issues that need voter approval.
GVA Dictator Alert (#GVA) tracks all planes registered to authoritarian governments and posts their arrival and departure times to Twitter. The bot was created by a Swiss journalist as part of a crowdsourcing effort to uncover potential shady dealings Since its launch in April, the bot has kept track of more than 60 arrivals and departures, and is now monitoring 80 different planes registered to authoritarian regimes.
Symantec security researchers warn that cybercriminals have been exploiting Windows Script Files (WSF) to spread ransomeware via email. Files with the .wsf extension are designed to merge scripting languages into one file and are not blocked by email clients. Moreover, they can be launched like any executable file.
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.
Belgian Ian Frejean, 11, walks with “Zora” the robot, a humanoid robot designed to entertain patients and to support care providers, at AZ Damiaan hospital in Ostend, Belgium June 16, 2016. (Reuters)
A study commissioned by the White House earlier this year to look into the potential impact of artificial intelligence has concluded the technology holds much promise. But the writers also caution that strong vigilance is needed, saying the Obama administration believes “it is critical that industry, civil society and government work together to develop the positive aspects of the technology, manage its risks and challenges and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to help in building an A.I.-enhanced society and to participate in its benefits.” President Obama also talked about AI and robots with MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito and Wired’s Scott Dadich.
A report out of the British Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee has determined the government has no strategy to develop the skilled workforce needed for automation and artificial intelligence. The report also warns that more should be done to address the social and ethical problems related to the use of robots.
The International Federation of Robotics expects demand for service robots already working in hospitals, farms and warehouses to rise within the next three years. The personal and domestic robot market is growing the fastest, with demand increasing for robotic vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and window cleaners.
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.
Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, speaks during a launching ceremony for Galaxy Note 7 new smartphones in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 11, 2016. (Reuters)
Samsung on Tuesday killed its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, weeks after reports started coming in that the phones were exploding or going up in smoke. Even after a global recall of 2.5 million devices, so-called “safe” replacement smartphones also ran into trouble. The Note 7 fiasco could be one of the costliest product safety failures in tech history, leaving a $17 billion hole in Samsung’s account and a huge stain on its reputation and outlook.
Cryptographic keys protect websites, internet servers and virtual private networks from hackers. But researchers have found a way to load the keys with undetectable backdoors. This means hackers can decrypt communications and impersonate key owners who might not notice the difference. But hackers do. And if this were to become a mainstream application, government snoopers would be able to eavesdrop on millions or billions of encrypted communications.
China’s Huawei has partnered with the University of California, Berkeley to develop artificial intelligence applications for everyday use. Researchers from Huawei and UC Berkeley’s Artificial intelligence Research lab will work on natural language processing, computer vision and reinforcement learning. If successful, the results could find their way into Huawei’s smartphones and tablets.
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.
