The 2020 Consumer Electronic Show kicks off Tuesday in Las Vegas. People flock to CES to see the latest technologies from big and small companies – robotics, drones, artificial intelligence, virtual reality – and how things we use every day are changing thanks to technology. Michelle Quinn reports. …

The co-creator of a video and voice calling app suspected of being a spying tool of the United Arab Emirates defended his work in an  interview with The Associated Press  and denied knowing that people and companies linked to the project had ties to the country’s intelligence apparatus.Millions downloaded the ToTok app during the several … continue reading -> “Co-creator Defends Suspected UAE Spying App Called ToTok”

The surge in Africa innovation is expected in 2020 with all sorts of solutions to the continent’s problems. One example is an innovation created by a Malian in 2019. It’s a voice-controlled app that entrepreneurs are using to market their goods and services to customers who can’t read. VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo reports  …

The surge in Africa innovation is expected in 2020 with all sorts of solutions to the continent’s problems. One example is an innovation created by a Malian in 2019. It’s a voice-controlled app that entrepreneurs are using to market their goods and services to customers who can’t read. VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo reports  …

A California startup called OFFWORLD has ambitious plans that are out of this world. They are working on developing autonomous robots that would be able to mine the Moon and Mars. Alexey Gorbachev has the story narrated by Anna Rice. …

India plans to make a fresh attempt to land an unmanned mission on the moon in 2020 after a failed bid last year, the head of the country’s space program said Wednesday.Work is going “smoothly” on the Chandrayaan-3 mission to put a rover probe on the moon’s surface, Indian Space Research Organization chairman K. Sivan … continue reading -> “India Targets New Moon Mission in 2020”

What would it be like to attend a concert with thousands of other people without leaving your home? Matt Dibble dons a VR headset to find out …

A pro-independence group in Spain’s Catalonia region is using a smartphone app to outwit authorities, as it steps up demonstrations following the jailing of several of the movement’s leaders.   The group Democratic Tsunami released the app to coordinate demonstrations across the region.The latest target was the world-famous El Clasico soccer match between Barcelona and … continue reading -> “The Future of Protest? Catalans Outwit Spanish Authorities With Phone App”

Ride-share company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates sued Monday to block a broad new California law aimed at giving wage and benefit protections to people who work as independent contractors.The lawsuit filed in U.S. court in Los Angeles argues that the law set to take effect Wednesday violates federal and state constitutional guarantees … continue reading -> “Uber, Postmates Sue to Challenge California’s New Labor Law”

China’s Huawei Technologies said Tuesday that its sales rose a lower-than-projected 18% in 2019 and predicted tough times ahead as the U.S. moves to restrict its business.The flash sales estimate came in an annual New Year’s message to employees. Chairman Eric Xu warned that mediocre managers would face demotion as the telecom giant and leader … continue reading -> “Huawei Sales Up 18% but US Pressure Means Tough Times Ahead”

Brazil’s Ministry of Justice said on Monday it has fined U.S. tech giant Facebook Inc 6.6 million reais ($1.6 million) for improperly sharing user data.The ministry’s department of consumer protection said it had found that data from 443,000 Facebook users was made improperly available to developers of an app called ‘thisisyourdigitallife.’ The data was being … continue reading -> “Brazil Fines Facebook $1.6M for Improper Sharing of User Data”

Spotify Technology SA said on Friday it would pause selling political advertisements on its music streaming platform in early 2020.The world’s most popular paid music streaming service, with nearly 141 million users tuning into its ad-supported platform in October, said the pause would extend to Spotify original and exclusive podcasts as well.The move, which was … continue reading -> “Spotify to Suspend Political Advertising in 2020”

A recent trade fair in Tokyo showcased the robots of 2019.  Engineers created some that play games and others that could save lives.  As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, these robots exist to make the world a little better. …

A Moroccan YouTuber was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for “insulting the king” in a video broadcast on social networks, his lawyer said.In a separate case, a Moroccan journalist and activist was charged and detained over a tweet that had criticized a court decision, his defense council told AFP.The cases come after the … continue reading -> “Morocco Jails YouTuber, Detains Journalist”

The era of Silicon Valley operating largely free from government regulation may be coming to an end.In 2019, lawmakers grilled tech executives at multiple hearings in Washington and federal regulators slapped record fines on tech firms. They promise action in the coming year on a host of issues: competition, online privacy, encryption and bias.U.S. tech … continue reading -> “No Longer Enamored, Washington Looks Critically at Silicon Valley”

One California-based rocket company is 3D-printing engines that can be quickly made in high volumes. Rocket Lab says these high-performing rockets are reliable and are regularly used to launch satellites to low-Earth orbit each month. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details from Huntington Beach, California  …

The Church of England has launched a study into an existential question: do its investments in big-tech giants contradict the Christian faith?The Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) will determine whether some of the new technologies undermine “the very idea of God”, a spokesman for the Church told AFP on Monday.The year-long review was first … continue reading -> “Church of England Questions Ethics of Investment in AI”

Boeing Co’s Starliner astronaut spacecraft landed in the New Mexico desert on Sunday, the company said, after faulty software forced officials to cut short an unmanned mission aimed at taking it to the International Space Station.The landing at 7:58 a.m. ET (1258 GMT) in the White Sands desert capped a turbulent 48 hours for Boeing’s … continue reading -> “‘Bull’s-Eye’ Landing in New Mexico for Boeing’s Starliner Astronaut Capsule”

Facebook Inc has taken down a well-financed campaign that used dozens of artificially generated faces to spread pro-Trump and anti-Chinese government messages, the company and outside researchers said on Friday.Researchers from New York-based Graphika and the Digitial Forensics Research Lab, an arm of the Washington-based Atlantic Council, said it was the first time they had … continue reading -> “Facebook Says Group Used Computer-generated Faces to Push Pro-Trump Message”

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is holding talks with General Motors Co. on the automaker’s petition to deploy a limited number of self-driving vehicles on American roads without  steering wheels or other human controls, the head of the agency  said Friday. Acting NHTSA Administrator James Owens said his agency aims to decide soon on GM’s January 2018 petition as well as on a … continue reading -> “US Agency, GM Discuss Deployment of Self-Driving Cars”

Twitter says it has removed nearly 6,000 accounts it has deemed tied to a state-backed information operation in Saudi Arabia.Twitter says the accounts violated its “platform manipulation policies” and targeted discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing its geopolitical interests.The 5,929 accounts removed are part of a larger group of 88,000 accounts engaged in “spammy … continue reading -> “Twitter Removes 5,929 Saudi Accounts it Deems State-Backed”

The Senate approved a bill Thursday to crack down on robocalls, sending to President Donald Trump a measure meant to combat a persistent and costly problem for Americans.The bill, which Trump is expected to sign, would stiffen enforcement and require that phone companies offer free consumer tools to identify and block scam calls. It also … continue reading -> “Senate Passes Anti-robocalls Bill, Sending it to Trump”

A study by a U.S. agency has found that facial recognition technology often performs unevenly based on a person’s race, gender or age.But the nuanced report published Thursday is unlikely to allay the concerns of critics who worry about bias in face-scanning applications that are increasingly being adopted by law enforcement, airports and a variety … continue reading -> “Federal Study Finds Race, Gender Affect Face-Scanning Tech”

The boards of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot on Wednesday signed a binding merger deal creating the world’s fourth-largest auto company with the scale to confront the challenges of stricter emissions regulations and the transition to new driving technologies.The companies said in a joint statement the new group will be led by PSA’s cost-cutting … continue reading -> “Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot Sign Deal for 50-50 Merger”

According to a United Nations study, the world produces enough food waste to feed as many as 2 billion people each year. A tech startup has a goal to get that food to those who need it. Matt Dibble reports. …