Today’s Tech Sightings: The finger-pointing is underway in the massive WannaCry or WannaCrypt ransomware attack that affected nearly 150 countries, with security researchers suggesting North Korean hackers might be behind it and Microsoft blaming the U.S. government. The hackers allegedly used tools leaked by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) to exploit a vulnerability in […]
‘Smart Cities’ Are Not Just About Technology
Posted May 12th, 2017 at 11:30 am (UTC-5)
‘Smart cities’ or high-tech communities are popping up in parts of the developing world to connect citizens, spur economic development, and provide better services. But some experts caution that these smart hubs are more about sustainability and quality of life than the technology that supports them. ‘Smart cities’ is hardly a term everyone agrees on […]
Keylogger Found on HP Laptops; Is Facebook Out of Touch?
Posted May 11th, 2017 at 12:43 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: ‘Keylogger’ Found on Several HP Laptops A security researcher at Swiss firm Modzero has uncovered an audio driver on HP laptops with a keylogger feature that records every keystroke. Anyone with local access to the affected computer could comprise passwords and other data. The logging activity was discovered in the Conexant HD […]
Microsoft Conference Digs Deep Into AI; Malawi First to Use OpenTrial
Posted May 10th, 2017 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Microsoft Fully Dives Into Artificial Intelligence CEO Satya Nadela kicked off Microsoft’s Build 2017 developer conference in Seattle, Washington, Wednesday, with a call for technological empowerment. The Azure cloud platform and artificial intelligence are part of the company’s push to create smarter interactions between technology and users across multiple devices. The three-day […]
Android’s App Permissions Flaw; Assistive Tech Gets Smarter
Posted May 9th, 2017 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Serious App Permissions Flaw Will Not be Fixed Until Android O Google’s Android operating system might get a lot of unwanted attention from hackers because of its popularity, but research from Check Point security firm points to deeper problems. Google Play’s app permission model grants apps downloaded from the store extensive access, […]
May 4 Is World Password Day; Malware Is Coming to a Mac Near You
Posted May 4th, 2017 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: On World Password Day, Here Are 4 Tips to Secure Online Accounts In case you didn’t now, May 4 is World Password Day. And if you’ve been recycling the same tired password for numerous accounts, stop. To mark the occasion, writer Conner Forrest has a few tips to help you secure your […]
Facebook Denies Mood-based Ad Tools; ‘Minecraft’ to Teach Coding
Posted May 2nd, 2017 at 1:09 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Facebook Denies Selling Ad-targeting Based on Users’ Emotions Facebook has denied a report from The Australian that claimed the social media giant gives advertisers tools to target users whenever they are in emotionally-vulnerable moods. The newspaper claimed that includes insecure teenagers as young as 14. A Facebook spokesman called the claims “misleading” […]
Apple Eyes Money-transfer Service; Cyber Threats Haunt US Agencies
Posted April 27th, 2017 at 12:56 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Apple in Talks to Launch Its Own Money-transfer Service Apple has been flirting with the idea of building its own money-transfer service for a while. But recent discussions with partners in the payments industry seem to put it back on this track in a market dominated by traditional players like PayPal. According […]
Ransomware Payouts on the Rise; STEM Stigmas Start as Early as Age 6
Posted April 26th, 2017 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Symantec: Cyber Extortion Demands Surge as Victims Keep Paying Hackers are getting bolder as more of their victims are willing to pay hefty sums to free their computers from malicious software, according to cybersecurity firm Symantec. The trend is encouraging cybercriminals to demand increasingly hefty sums from users. The average amount tripled […]
Emojis Tackle Language Disorders; Parsing Future Tech From Fiction
Posted April 25th, 2017 at 1:52 pm (UTC-5)
Today’s Tech Sightings: Samsung Develops Emoji-based Chat App for Language Disorders More often than not, people use emojis for fun when they chat. But for those with language disorders like aphasia, which makes reading, writing and talking difficult, emojis might be just the thing to help facilitate communication. To address the gap, Samsung’s Italian subsidiary […]