A new breed of so-called selfie drones is making its debut as more and more drones take to the skies amid increasing concerns about safety and privacy. These small, devices, some of which are wearable, make it easier to launch a drone with the flick of a wrist to take a selfie or track and […]
FINDER Saves Lives in Nepal; Tech Diversity; Brain Spying; Iran’s Bieber Headache
Posted May 7th, 2015 at 2:05 pm (UTC-4)
Today’s Tech Sightings: New Device That Detects Heartbeats Saves 4 Lives in Nepal Prototype devices provided by NASA – called FINDER or Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response, have located four people trapped under the rubble of Nepal’s devastating April 25 earthquake. Using microwave radar that specifically zeros in on human heartbeats, FINDER devices […]
UAVs Aid Nepal; ‘Renaissance’ Games; Microsoft Embraces Android, iOS
Posted April 30th, 2015 at 2:39 pm (UTC-4)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Drones Help Nepal Earthquake Relief Effort As the death toll from Nepal’s massive earthquake surpassed 5,000, experts from Ontario-based GlobalMedic are using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to map disaster areas. The survey helps provide a better picture of needs on the ground and identify flooded areas, blocked roads, damaged infrastructure and population movements. […]
Google’s New Algorithm; Robots; Drones; Apple’s ‘RootPipe’ Still Lives
Posted April 21st, 2015 at 2:39 pm (UTC-4)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Disaster Robots Slow to Gain Acceptance From Responders According to the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue, robots have been used in 43 disasters worldwide, although first responders have been slow to adopt them. But the center is working to change that. Drones, Data Fight New Battle Against Poachers South Africa’s iSimangaliso […]
Silicon Valley’s Gender Culture; GitHub vs. China; Drones on a Mission
Posted March 31st, 2015 at 2:19 pm (UTC-4)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Women in Silicon Valley Objectified, Paid Less Than Male Counterparts Technology trade shows have a name for them: so-called booth babes, meaning scantily-dressed women hired to tout tech gadgets. Now, some associations are banning this culture, saying it is demeaning to women. Adding insult to injury, a recent study from research group […]
Cuba’s Secret Internet; Wickr’s Cats; Twitter New Features
Posted January 27th, 2015 at 2:14 pm (UTC-4)
Today’s Tech Sightings: How Sensors and Drones Can Combat Global Hunger Author Shawn DuBravac argues that sensors, which have revolutionized mobile devices and are now empowering wearable technology, could potentially help alleviate world hunger. He suggests equipping food-supply wares and storehouses with sensors that raise the alarm once a shortage begins, rather than having a person […]
3-D Printing Goes Wild; Bitcoin Finds Microsoft; the Hacking Wars
Posted December 11th, 2014 at 2:44 pm (UTC-4)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Silicon Valley Summit Explores Ways to Make Tech Workforce More Diverse Leading tech companies, including Apple, Google, Facebook and many others, are participating in a California summit to look at ways to increase diversity in the tech sector, currently dominated by white and Asian men. Microsoft Begins Accepting Bitcoin Microsoft has added […]
Tech Sightings, October 30, 2014
Posted October 30th, 2014 at 2:23 pm (UTC-4)
Tim Cook Speaks Up In an article in Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly declared that he is gay. “Let me be clear,” he wrote. “I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.” Having a Heart Attack? This Drone Could Help Alec Momont, whose […]
Tech Sightings, October 15, 2014
Posted October 15th, 2014 at 1:50 pm (UTC-4)
Study Confirms First Case of Google Glass Addiction A U.S. serviceman who recently checked himself into a substance abuse rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction started displaying withdrawal behavior after he was stripped of his Google Glass. After wearing Glass for 18 hours a day for two months, withdrawal symptoms included feeling irritable and lacking focus, […]
Tech Sightings, September 24, 2014
Posted September 24th, 2014 at 2:08 pm (UTC-4)
Taiwan Probes Xiaomi on Cybersecurity Taiwanese authorities launched an investigation into whether China’s leading smartphone maker, Xiaomi, poses a cybersecurity risk. The probe started following reports that some of Xiaomi’s phones automatically send user data to its servers in mainland China. The results of the investigation will be released in three months. Facebook to Start […]