China and Russia have begun collaborating on technology to rival the United States’ GPS and European Galileo satellite navigation systems, as the two countries pursue closer military and strategic ties. Earlier this year, China agreed to host ground monitoring stations for Russia’s GLONASS positioning system on its soil, which improves global range and accuracy but … continue reading -> “China-Russia Collaboration in Space Poses Challenge for West”
Airbus is set to deliver the final A380 superjumbo to Dubai’s Emirates on Thursday, marking the end of a 14-year run that gave Europe an instantly recognized symbol across the globe but failed to fulfil the commercial vision of its designers. Production of the world’s largest airliner — capable of seating 500 people on … continue reading -> “End of an Era: Airbus Delivers Last A380 Superjumbo to Emirates “
The Chinese telecom giant Huawei has consistently claimed it does not actively partner with the Chinese government in gathering intelligence on individuals within China, but a report by The Washington Post this week showing the company appears to have marketed surveillance technology to government customers calls the company’s assertions into question. The report comes as … continue reading -> “Report Indicates Greater Huawei Involvement in Surveillance”
The U.S. space agency NASA says its Parker Solar Probe this week became the first spacecraft to enter the Sun’s atmosphere, also known as the corona. The space agency announced the news Tuesday at a press conference during a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in New Orleans. In a statement, NASA scientists said the probe actually entered the Sun’s corona April 18, but it took until now to get the data … continue reading -> “NASA Probe Becomes First Spacecraft to Enter Sun’s Atmosphere”
China’s advances in quantum computing will give a new advantage to its armed forces, already the world’s third strongest, analysts say. Quantum refers to a type of computing that lets high-powered machines make calculations that are too complex for ordinary devices. The concept discovered by American physicist Richard Feynman in 1980 has two key military … continue reading -> “Why China’s Advancements in Quantum Technology Worry Others “
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled a White House plan to build 500,000 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, part of President Joe Biden’s goal of making the vehicles more accessible for both local and long-distance trips. Harris made the announcement during a ceremony at an EV charging facility in … continue reading -> “VP Harris Unveils Biden Administration Electric Car Charging Plan “
The United States, Australia and Japan said Sunday they will jointly fund the construction of an undersea cable to boost internet access in three tiny Pacific countries, as the Western allies seek to counter rising Chinese influence in the region. The three Western allies said they would develop the cable to provide faster internet to … continue reading -> “US, Australia and Japan to Fund Undersea Cable in the Pacific”
A self-driving flying taxi. A super-fast land-based transport vehicle. A sustainable floating city. Science fiction, or the wave of the future? The “Futures” exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, open Nov. 20, 2021, through July 6, 2022, gives visitors a peek at what may happen in the years to come. The exhibit opened as … continue reading -> “ ’Futures’ Exhibit Looks at Possibilities”
As the two-day virtual Summit for Democracy hosted by President Joe Biden wrapped up on Friday, the U.S., Australia, Denmark and Norway announced an export control program to monitor and restrict the spread of technologies used to violate human rights. The U.S. is also launching programs to support independent media and anti-corruption efforts and defend … continue reading -> “As Democracy Summit Wraps, US Restricts Exports of Repressive Cyber Tools”
A software vulnerability exploited in the online game Minecraft is rapidly emerging as a major threat to internet-connected devices around the world. “The internet’s on fire right now,” said Adam Meyers, senior vice president of intelligence at the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike. “People are scrambling to patch and there are … all kinds of people scrambling … continue reading -> “‘The Internet’s on Fire’ as Techs Race to Fix Software Flaw”
As the world races to vaccinate billions more people against COVID-19 while the virus’ new omicron variant spreads, India is testing using drones to deliver vaccines to people in mountainous Jammu and Kashmir, where more than 70% of the population lives in rural areas. It typically takes a couple hours by road to deliver vaccines … continue reading -> “India Tests Drone Deliveries for COVID-19 Vaccines in Remote Jammu”
Apple Inc. iPhones of at least nine U.S. State Department employees were hacked by an unknown assailant using sophisticated spyware developed by the Israel-based NSO Group, according to four people familiar with the matter. The hacks, which took place in the last several months, hit U.S. officials either based in Uganda or focused on matters … continue reading -> “US State Department Phones Hacked With Israeli Company Spyware, Sources Say”
To make Black history more accessible, an Oakland, California man designed his own augmented reality app. Matt Dibble has the story. …
Newly named Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has emerged from behind the scenes to take over one of Silicon Valley’s highest-profile and politically volatile jobs. But his prior lack of name recognition, coupled with a solid technical background, appears to be what some big company backers were looking for to lead Twitter out of its current … continue reading -> “New Twitter CEO Steps From Behind the Scenes to High Profile “
Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey is stepping down as the company’s leader. In a news release, Twitter said Dorsey would be replaced by Parag Agrawal, who has been the company’s chief technology officer since 2017. The move is effective immediately. “I’ve decided to leave Twitter because I believe the company is ready … continue reading -> “Twitter Founder and CEO Jack Dorsey Steps Down”
Australia’s government said Sunday it will introduce legislation to unmask online trolls and hold social media giants like Facebook and Twitter responsible for identifying them. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose conservative coalition government faces an election in the first half of 2022, said the law would protect Australians from online abuse and harassment. “The online … continue reading -> “Australian Government Vows to Unmask Online Trolls”
China was behind one of the biggest hacks of all time, quietly stealing email and data from organizations, according to the U.S. and other nations’ governments. Experts say China-orchestrated attacks on strategic targets have increased in recent years. Michelle Quinn reports. Producer: Michelle Quinn. Camera: Michael Burke. …
Apple says it is suing Israeli NSO Group, maker of the controversial Pegasus spyware. Apple will be the second company to sue NSO after Facebook, now Meta, sued over similar concerns that Pegasus was targeting WhatsApp users. Meta owns WhatsApp. The case is still working its way through the courts. Apple says the spyware specifically … continue reading -> “Apple Sues Israeli Spyware Company NSO Group “
The shutdown of internet access via mobile phone networks that began Saturday dragged on for a fourth day Tuesday. The government said in a statement the shutdown is in the interest of national defense and public security and will last until around 10 p.m. tonight. VOA talked to some Burkinabes on the streets of Ouagadougou to ask how the shutdown was affecting them and what they thought of … continue reading -> “Burkina Faso Internet Shutdown Continues into Fourth Day”
A Sydney restaurant is using a Chinese-made, multi-lingual hospitality robot to address chronic staff shortages as Australia’s economy begins to recover from COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures. The robot waiter is programmed to know the layout of the tables and delivers food from the kitchen. It is also multi-lingual, programmed to communicate in English and Mandarin. The … continue reading -> “Robot Waiter Eases Labor Shortages in Australia’s Hospitality Industry”
Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s philanthropic organization will help 18 small news publishers in the country to negotiate collectively with Google and Facebook to secure licensing deals for the supply of news content. Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation on Monday said it would submit an application with the country’s competition regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission … continue reading -> “Australian Mining Magnate to Help Publishers Strike Content Deal With Google, Facebook”
Frustrated with slow or no action, some Americans are using Bluetooth trackers to retrieve stolen items themselves. It’s a risky strategy that isn’t endorsed by police and could put users in harm’s way, as VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports. …
As researchers at U.S space agency NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory prepare for the 16th flight of Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter, the team has used recently downloaded data from the Mars mission to create the best video yet of one of Ingenuity’s previous flights. The 1.8-kilogram aircraft arrived on the planet packed away on NASA’s Perseverance … continue reading -> “NASA’s Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Still in Action “
After making a promise on Twitter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold about 900,000 shares of the electric car maker’s stock, netting over $1.1 billion that will go toward paying tax obligations for stock options. The sales, disclosed in two regulatory filings late Wednesday, will cover tax obligations for stock options granted to Musk in … continue reading -> “After Promise, Musk Sells $1.1 Billion in Tesla Shares to Pay Taxes”
The United States and China surprised the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Wednesday with a joint declaration to take action to limit global warming over the next decade. The declaration came as delegates entered the final hours of negotiations to agree on a final text at the conference that will outline how the world … continue reading -> “US, China Surprise Climate Summit With Joint Declaration”