Today’s Tech Sightings: Twitter Opens Up Account Verification Twitter used to award its “verified account” blue badge to celebrities who might contend with fake accounts using their names. Now, any public Twitter account can apply to get the verification, provided users fill up a form with information about their influence level and various personal data. […]
Twitter Account Verification Now Open; Indian Teen Wins Google Award
Chinese Malware Hits Android Devices; the New Face of Cybercrime
Today’s Tech Sightings: Android Malware Infects Millions of Devices, Earns Its Creators $300,000 a Month HummingBad is a malicious piece of software that has infected millions of Android devices around the world. The malware earns the hackers who created it around $300,000 a month as a result of false advertisements and fake apps that end […]
India Rebuffs Apple; Scientists Seek Gamers to Battle Dementia
Today’s Tech Sightings: Apple Rebuffed as New Delhi Pushes ‘Make in India’ Initiative Indian government officials have rejected Apple’s plan to import refurbished iPhones at a discount, citing rules against importing used electronics. A government spokesman said India “does not encourage dumping or recycling of hazardous materials.” But the development also coincides with New Delhi’s […]
US Teens Addicted to Smartphones; 50 Life-changing Gadgets
Today’s Tech Sightings: Half of US Teens Think They’re Addicted to Smartphones Fifty percent of U.S. teens aged 12-18 feel they are addicted to their smartphones, according to a new poll conducted for Common Sense media, a non-profit organization that helps negotiate media and technology. Up to 59 percent of parents said their teens were […]
Google Joins UNICEF Against Zika; African Tech Goes Global
Today’s Tech Sightings: Google Combats Zika Virus With Expanded Search Results, Mapping Tool Partnering with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Google Thursday announced a grant of $1 million to help the agency fight the Zika virus in Brazil. Google is also launching new initiatives to enhance Zika search results and maps to provide more […]
Virtual Reality: the ‘Drug’ of the Future; Data Privacy Extinction
Today’s Tech Sightings: Game Devs on VR Future: ‘People Will Fall for It Like a Drug’ Virtual Reality continues its advance amid considerable hype, with promising applications in gaming and perhaps even therapy. Game developers project the technology will become mainstream in gaming. But one developer warns that it will be so immersive that “people […]
Star Wars Technologies Almost Real; Can the Internet Be Shut Down?
Today’s Tech Sightings: 10 Star Wars Technologies That Are About to Become Reality The latest long-awaited installment in the Star Wars science fiction saga hits U.S. theaters December 18. The movie – Star Wars: The Force Awakens – comes with an array of futuristic technologies that have their origins in existing technologies or have equivalents […]
Wireless-tracking Chip; Kids, Parents’ Info Hacked in VTech Products
Today’s Tech Sightings: Former BlackBerry Execs Create Wireless-Tracking Chip Developed by Cognitive Systems Corp., the chip, called R10, can pick up and analyze wireless radio signals from various devices, including routers and television remote controls. Built on top of that is Amera, a wireless tracking technology that can sense motion by detecting changes in wireless […]
Tech Sightings, October 14, 2014
Mark Zuckerberg, Wife Priscilla Donate $25M to Fight Ebola Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have announced that they have made a donation of $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control Foundation to help fight Ebola, the deadly virus that has claimed more than 4,000 lives and continues to spread. While […]
Tech Sightings, July 2, 2014
The Line Between Wearable Technology and Prosthetics is Blurring Wearable technology is increasingly augmenting the human senses through hearing, sight and smell aids. But how far will technology go before the lines are blurred? 3-D Printed Fabric Made of Yarn Can Stop a Knife A student at London’s Royal College of Art has developed a […]