Google said Thursday it will start giving European Union smartphone users a choice of browsers and search apps on its Android operating system, in changes designed to comply with an EU antitrust ruling. Following an Android update, users will be shown two new screens giving them the new options, Google product management director Paul Gennai … continue reading -> “Google: Android Users Get Browser, Search Options in EU Case”

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said it has received a few reports of damage to the main display of samples of its upcoming foldable smartphone and that it will investigate. Some tech reviewers of the Galaxy Fold, a splashy $1,980 phone that opens into a tablet and that goes on sale in the United … continue reading -> “Samsung to Investigate Reports of Galaxy Fold Screen Problems”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first guidelines on digital health intervention. The U.N. agency said governments can improve the health of their citizens by using digital technology to make health systems more efficient and responsive to their patients. The United Nations said 51 percent of the world’s population has access to broadband … continue reading -> “UN: Smartphones, Digital Technology Can Improve Health Care”

Scientists in Israel have revealed what they say is the world’s first 3D-printed heart using human tissue. It’s hoped the small heart will pave the way for transplants without donors, when every hospital might have access to 3D organ printers. Faith Lapidus reports. …

Tech toys used to be their own category at the toy store, but just as technology has become unavoidable in day-to-day life, so too has it become more integrated into toys for children. Tina Trinh reports. …

Google has blocked access to the hugely popular video app TikTok in India to comply with a state court’s directive to prohibit its downloads, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The move comes hours after a court in southern Tamil Nadu state refused a request by China’s Bytedance Technology … continue reading -> “Google Blocks Chinese App TikTok in India After Court Order”

Automakers are showcasing electric SUVs and sedans with more driving range and luxury features at the Shanghai auto show, trying to appeal to Chinese buyers in their biggest market as Beijing slashes subsidies that have propelled demand.  Communist leaders wanting China to lead in electric vehicles have imposed sales targets. That requires brands to pour … continue reading -> “Electric Car Makers Woo Chinese Buyers with Range, Features”

The vibrant colors and hues that make up Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings soon will be on full display for color blind visitors The vibrant colors and hues in Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings soon will be on full display for color blind visitors. The Santa Fe museum announced Monday it’s teaming up with California-based EnChroma to expand the … continue reading -> “Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Tackles Visitors’ Color Blindness”

The Israeli start-up behind last week’s failed lunar landing has vowed to create a second mission to steer a privately funded spacecraft onto the moon. Morris Kahn, Israeli billionaire and chairman of SpaceIL, the nonprofit that undertook the botched lunar mission, says he’s already formed a task force of engineers and donors that will build … continue reading -> “Israeli Nonprofit Vows New Moon Mission After 1st Crashes”

Women are woefully underrepresented in technology, science, engineering and mathematics jobs in South Africa. But for the last decade, a homegrown, UNICEF-supported program has worked to bring 11,000 lower-income high school girls into these industries. Among those students was Raquel Sorota. Sorota has come a long way from her humble upbringing in Johannesburg’s Tembisa township. … continue reading -> “Tech Program Turns Low Income S. Africa Girls Into High Achievers”

Women are woefully underrepresented in technology, science, engineering and mathematics jobs in South Africa. But for the last decade, a homegrown, UNICEF-supported program has worked to bring 11,000 lower-income high school girls into these industries. VOA’s Anita Powell catches up with a few such “TechnoGirls” in Johannesburg and brings us their stories. …

The world’s largest aircraft took off over the Mojave Desert in California Saturday, the first flight for the carbon-composite plane built by Stratolaunch Systems Corp., started by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, as the company enters the lucrative private space market. The white airplane called Roc, which has a wingspan the length of an American … continue reading -> “World’s Largest Plane Makes First Flight Over California”

Even though the U.S. first landed on the moon 50 years ago this year, it’s never been — nor will it ever be — an easy thing to accomplish. The Israelis learned just how difficult it is. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …

In the race to beat China in the fifth generation of wireless technology, known as 5G, U.S. President Donald Trump is announcing the largest-ever auction of radio frequencies and a $20 billion fund to build a rural fiber-optics backbone. “We cannot allow any other country to outcompete the United States in this powerful industry of … continue reading -> “Trump Vows to Win 5G Race”

Facebook Inc. more than doubled the money it spent on Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg’s security in 2018 to $22.6 million, a regulatory filing showed Friday. Zuckerberg has drawn a base salary of $1 for the past three years, and his “other” compensation was listed at $22.6 million, most of which was for his personal … continue reading -> “Facebook Spends $22.6 Million on Security for Zuckerberg”

SpaceX launched its second supersized rocket and for the first time landed all three boosters Thursday, a year after sending up a sports car on the initial test flight. The new and improved Falcon Heavy thundered into the early evening sky with a communication satellite called Arabsat, the rocket’s first paying customer. The Falcon Heavy … continue reading -> “SpaceX Launches Falcon Heavy Rocket, Lands All 3 Boosters”

Lin Feng contributed to this report WASHINGTON — A senior official in the U.S. Department of State said Wednesday the security concerns the government has raised related to Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE extend to all companies headquartered in China, saying they are effectively “under direction” of the Chinese Communist Party. “It’s very important to … continue reading -> “US Official Voices Broad Concerns Over China-Based Companies”

The arched stone-built hall in Jerusalem venerated by Christians as the site of Jesus’ Last Supper has been digitally recreated by archaeologists using laser scanners and advanced photography. The Cenacle, a popular site for pilgrims near Jerusalem’s walled Old City, has ancient, worn surfaces and poor illumination, hampering a study of its history. So researchers … continue reading -> “3D Laser Imaging Shines New Light on ‘Last Supper’ Site”

Dutch ASML said on Thursday it had been the victim of corporate espionage in 2015 involving employees from countries including China but said it had not been the target of any “national conspiracy.” ASML said the perpetrators took “large files” on memory sticks from its Silicon Valley software subsidiary that develops software for machine optimization. … continue reading -> “Dutch Firm ASML Says It Suffered IP Theft, Rejects ‘Chinese’ Link”

Amazon challenged its retail rivals to raise their wages and improve benefits, saying the competition will help everyone. CEO and founder Jeff Bezos said in a letter to shareholders Thursday that as Amazon grows, so does the size of its “failed experiments.” He said Amazon is willing to continue to take risks and learn from … continue reading -> “Bezos: Amazon Will Take Risks, Learn From Failures”

Facebook says it is rolling out a wide range of updates aimed at combatting the spread of false and harmful information on the social media site. The updates will limit the visibility of links found to be significantly more prominent on Facebook than across the web as a whole. The company is also expanding its … continue reading -> “Facebook Cracks Down on Groups Spreading Harmful Information”

The top U.S. diplomat for cybersecurity policy has praised Germany’s draft security standards for next generation mobile networks, which he said could effectively shut out China’s Huawei. Rob Strayer said Wednesday the standards published last month were a “positive step.” They call for mobile providers to use “trustworthy” telecom equipment suppliers that comply with national … continue reading -> “US Praises German 5G Standards as Huawei Battle Simmers”

The live-streamed video of the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shooting last month highlighted the continuing struggle by social media companies to police extremist content on their platforms. Facebook and Google representatives told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday the effort to balance free speech with oversight of white supremacist content is ongoing. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has … continue reading -> “White Supremacist Content Challenges Social Media Companies”

Futuristic electric flying taxis like those seen in the movie “Blade Runner” could offer a more sustainable – and much faster – way to travel long distances than traditional car journeys, academics at the University of Michigan said on Tuesday. Several firms are working to develop car-sized vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOLs) that can … continue reading -> “Green Machines? Flying Taxis Could Slash Emissions for Long Journeys”

Facebook says it will use artificial intelligence to help find profiles of people who have died so their friends and family members won’t get, for instance, painful reminders about their birthdays.   The social network said Tuesday that it is also adding a “tributes” section to accounts that have been memorialized, that is, designated as … continue reading -> “Facebook Tweaks Tools for Remembering Dead Friends”