Silicon Valley & Technology: Recent Episodes
Voice of America
The last VHS player was produced five years ago by Funai Electric in Japan. But for many, the era of VHS tapes never ended. Karina Bafradzhian and Angelina Bagdasaryan have the story.Camera: David Gogokhia, Vazgen Varzhabitian.
Fake videos generated by artificial intelligence — also known as deep fakes — are becoming more common and harder to detect. But some deep fakes are being used for a good cause. Karina Bafradzhian has the story.
In the future, keyboards and remote controls may be replaced with a more direct way for humans to interact with machines — hand gestures. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more. Camera: Elizabeth Lee Produced by: Elizabeth Lee
A breakthrough safety feature being developed for vehicles is designed to potentially save the 10,000 lives lost to drunk driving in the U.S. each year. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Camera: Mike Burke Footage: DADSS Program, WMUR
Amateur or “ham” radio operators sometimes take their two-way radios to remote locations and talk to people around the world using battery power and portable antennas. As Mike O’Sullivan reports, they are making friends and preparing for emergencies. Camera: Mike O’Sullivan
A robot called Robin is helping to ease kids’ anxiety in doctors’ offices and dental chairs. Deana Mitchell reports.
Home security companies often rely on cameras and motion sensors to catch trespassers, but as VOA’s Tina Trinh discovers, Wi-Fi signals can be a less intrusive way to monitor activity. Produced by: Tina Trinh
Facial recognition technology is playing an increasingly important role in helping law enforcement with criminal investigations, police say. But civil rights advocates are raising the alarm about its power and potential abuse of people’s privacy. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more
Digital images of fake people--that look real--are being sold online---by the thousands. Deana Mitchell explores the issue.Producer: Deana Mitchell
Ransomware cases are on the rise worldwide and criminal groups based in Russia are suspected of being behind some of the biggest recent attacks. Michelle Quinn reports on the changing world of ransomware.Camera: Matt DibbleProduced by: Michelle Quinn
Facebook’s recent decision to ban former president Donald Trump for two years sends a message to world leaders that Facebook is stepping up its role as sheriff on its service. Tina Trinh reports.Produced by Tina Trinh
Do you know how much data your car is collecting? VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports on how law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are among those eager to dig into the automobile data gold mines. Camera: Veronica Balderas Iglesias Producer: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
Cities around the world are installing new technology that connects to the personal devices of pedestrians, drivers, and riders on public transportation. Some cities are using these systems to make transportation easier for people with disabilities, such as those who are blind. For VOA, Jason Strother has the story from Busan, South Korea.
New clean energy technologies like solar power and electric vehicles are expected to remake the global energy industry. Trillions of dollars used to drill and ship oil and gas will instead be spent finding and processing the specialized minerals used to make high-tech gear including advanced electric generators and powerful, compact batteries.Energy analysts say this will challenge the United States, which will likely need to import vastly more minerals like cobalt, lithium and aluminum, at the same time that China has increased its control over the supply of some key resources.People cool off in the beach near the mining pipeline "Puerto Coloso" of the "Escondida" cooper mine in Antofagasta, Chile, Feb. 16, 2017.A VOA examination of U.S. government data shows how China has become the main supplier for some of the most important raw materials that Western countries import, giving Beijing leverage over the materials that go into everything from advanced fighter jets to solar panels.Not only has Beijing bought up some of the world’s biggest mines for these minerals, the country also has invested heavily in the processing facilities that refine the raw materials into industrially-useful products, strengthening Beijing’s position in global supply chains.Beijing has already given the world reason to worry about its reliability as a global supplier. In 2011, it used its position as the top global supplier of rare earth metals to cut exports, driving up prices. China’s critics say Beijing’s dominant position in so-called “critical minerals” gives them similar leverage.Aerial view of evaporation pools of the new state-owned lithium extraction complex, in the southern zone of the Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia, on July 10, 2019.35 critical mineralsThe United States has designated 35 mineral commodities that Washington says are critical to the country’s economic and national security. The “critical minerals” list includes common elements such as aluminum, tin and magnesium, as well as more specialized materials like rare earths and vanadium.Based on an analysis of statistics published by the U.S. Geological Survey, VOA determined that China holds a dominant position supplying 21 of the 35 critical minerals. For these minerals, China is the biggest source of U.S. imports, or it has the world’s biggest deposits or is the largest producer.The United States is looking at ways to boost domestic production for some of the materials, but for 14 of them, it must rely totally on foreign imports, most of which involve China.Arsenic, which is used in a ...
From earbuds that measure blood pressure to clothing that monitors your heart rate, the latest in health monitoring technology is being included in everyday items such as clothes, rings and glasses. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details. Camera: Elizabeth Lee Producer: Elizabeth Lee
A fully robotic kitchen with a robot chef that can cook thousands of dishes could be a gamechanger in homes and restaurants around the world. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.Producers: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum
Videos of kids having fun are among the most popular on YouTube. They are also a fast-growing business, one that critics say comes with little regulation and oversight to protect children on either side of the screen. Michelle Quinn reports. Producer: Michelle Quinn
The decision by global media giants to comply with demands by the Turkish government to open offices in Turkey is prompting concerns about media freedoms. Press freedom advocates say because the companies will now be subject to Turkish laws, that could mean Turkey's people will no longer have a venue to freely express their views. For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.
Predicting whether an outbreak is likely to happen is now possible with the COVID-19 Outbreak Detection Tool, a map that shows the coming hotspots for the disease, if accurate data is available. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details.Producer: Elizabeth Lee
The international Future City Competition recently announced its 2021 winners in the first ever all-virtual event. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.
Religious organizations in the U.S. are a key part of a community’s response to a disaster. As Mike O’Sullivan reports, a new smartphone app is helping coordinate that response between relief workers and faith groups while making it more effective.
A robot conceived to roll on planets is being used by firefighters in the U.S. to give them “situational awareness” before going into dangerous situations. It’s called Squishy, and Michelle Quinn found out more.Camera: Michelle Quinn Producer: Michelle Quinn
Facebook hired fact-checkers, Twitter labeled tweets and Google took down videos, but for tech companies, disinformation is the problem that won’t go away. The social media giants face intensifying pressure to curtail disinformation as lawmakers in the US talk about new regulations. Tina Trinh reports. Producer: Matt Dibble
Twitter celebrates its 15th anniversary this month (March 21). With 330 million users around the world, the company that once called itself the free speech wing of the free speech party has been forced to contend with abuses of its platform. Tina Trinh reports.
A growing number of companies are making products with the environment in mind. VOA’s Julie Taboh learned about an item finder made from ocean trash. Producer: Julie Taboh/Adam Greenbaum
South by Southwest, the annual event in Austin, Texas, that brings together technology, music, politics and Hollywood, is happening digitally this year after being canceled last year due to COVID-19. Michelle Quinn reports.Producer: Matt Dibble
The nightly internet shutdowns in Myanmar are part of a strategy employed by many governments worldwide in times of crisis. But they come with costs. VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.
From a smart dog collar that can tell you your pet’s emotional state to toys that automatically move, the pet tech industry is growing, especially during the pandemic when many people staying at home have been adopting dogs and cats. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more on the latest tech devices for pets.Camera: Elizabeth Lee, Sam Verma Producer: Elizabeth Lee
From a smart dog collar that can tell you your pet’s emotional state to toys that automatically move, the pet tech industry is growing, especially during the pandemic when many people staying at home have been adopting dogs and cats. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more on the latest tech devices for pets.Camera: Elizabeth Lee, Sam Verma Producer: Elizabeth Lee
There’s a new player in the social media webspace: it’s called Clubhouse. But unlike other social media platforms this one isn’t open to just anyone. Mariia Prus looked into why the platform got so popular so fast. Camera: Oleksii Osyka
U.S. lawmakers launched an investigation this week into the December 2020 SolarWinds hack that included a breach of many private and U.S. government computer systems. As VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, tech leaders are telling lawmakers the full scope of the breach is still not known. Camera: Adam Greenbaum Produced by: Katherine Gypson
U.S. technology companies, with millions of users worldwide, face renewed scrutiny and stepped-up efforts to regulate them in Washington. Michelle Quinn reports.Produced by: Matt Dibble
A slew of attractive toy robots on the market today are teaching children important language and science, technology, engineering and math skills, while keeping them entertained. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.Producer: Julie Taboh/Adam Greenbaum
Many broadcasters are using a variety of digital radio for high quality transmissions reaching faraway lands. Mike O’Sullivan reports on one format that is starting to play an important role in global communications.
A Kenyan man who was born deaf has developed a mobile learning application for sign language to help deaf children learn online during the COVID-19 pandemic.For 13-year-old deaf student Stephanie Njeri, remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic could have been quite difficult. But thanks to the Kenya Sign Language Finger Spelling application, she has been able to keep up with her studies. "It is easy for me when I am doing my homework and revision on my own, when my parent(s) forget to finger spell it helps to remind them," she said through a sign language translator.Njeri's father, Robert Mathari, helps her study, and the KSL Finger Spelling app helps them communicate. "During homework sessions you'll find that there are things she want me to assist," he said. "But if she tries to sign to me, I'm not able to comprehend exactly what she needs. So, she shall open the app and she'll start showing me — this is what I want.'' The application was developed during the pandemic by Hudson Asiema, who was born deaf, to help Kenya's 4,000 deaf schoolchildren with remote learning. "We don't have a lot of these apps that are centered for children accessible offline," he said through a sign language translator. "When you compare the same with the hearing kids now, they have a lot of apps that they can access for them to learn easy basics of language, like alphabets.'' Disability organization inABLE helped Asiema develop the app, says program manager Peter Okeyo. "Why iNABLE is coming in, is to help develop this app or help link up the designer or developer with specialists from across the world so that the app is enabled to have more features to be more friendly, even to the younger ones," Okeyo said.Deaf community leaders in Kenya say the technology has improved learning among deaf students. Chairman of Kenya's National Association for the Deaf, Nixon Kakiri, said through a sign language translator: "It will sort out the issue of children staying at home and not learning sign language and through this app ... it's something which is very technical because they'll have to use their phone and it will be very helpful to the deaf." While the app was designed for deaf students learning at home, students have found it useful even after they returned to school earlier this month.
In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinian high-tech startups are flourishing. Some are branches of international companies, others are all Palestinian. High-tech also offers new possibilities for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem. Camera: Ricki Rosen
Take a ride on a new kind of bike — one that skirts across lakes and waterways – powered by an electric engine and a battery. Michelle Quinn got a ride.Camera: Michelle Quinn Producer: Rob Raffaele
As a major showcase for the latest innovations in consumer technology, the Consumer Electronics Show typically draws over 170,000 attendees from all over the world. But this year, it's going all digital for the first time in its history. VOA's Tina Trinh reports. Produced by: Tina Trinh
With in-person coaching off the table because of the COVID pandemic, hundreds of companies nationwide are using virtual reality training to help employees master some essential skills. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.Camera: Aleksandr Bergan
People around the world turned to technology to help them get through the pandemic, but in some key ways tech fell short. Michelle Quinn reports.Videographer: Deana Mitchell, Matt Dibble
During the presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden was mostly silent about so-called Big Tech.When Biden becomes the next U.S. president on January 20, Silicon Valley will be watching to see how the new administration approaches tech issues.How might the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley unfold?Linda Moore, president and chief executive of TechNet, a bipartisan network of technology firm CEOs and executives, said that with a new administration, there is typically an opportunity to educate officials on the tech industry. But with the Biden administration, “we will have people who are very knowledgeable and have deep experience on these issues and have well-thought-out views on them,” she said.Broadband billMost likely, the first thing on Biden’s tech agenda will dovetail with his economic policy: a massive increase in federal broadband spending to get more Americans online, particularly in rural communities. The president-elect is reportedly in talks with Democratic leaders on a broadband bill.The need is urgent, said Gigi Sohn, a distinguished fellow at Georgetown Law Institute for Technology, Law & Policy and a former senior official with President Barack Obama’s Federal Communications Commission.“In rural America, there is not even a network to connect to,” Sohn said.The new administration should also address “the problem, which is frankly much bigger, of people can't afford broadband because it's too expensive,” she said.Beyond that, it is unclear which tech issues a Biden administration will focus on. The tech industry and its critics are paying close attention to whom the president-elect nominates for key roles at federal agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, all of which could have oversight over technology and telecommunications firms. FILE - A technician works on a line used to provide broadband internet service in a rural area in Stowe, Vermont, July 29, 2020.CompetitionUnder President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has sued Alphabet’s Google for allegedly violating antitrust law, focusing on its search services.In December, the Trump administration’s FTC, in concert with a coalition of 48 state attorneys general, filed suits accusing Facebook of abusing its power when it bought smaller rivals Instagram and Whatsapp. Facebook called the suit “revisionist history.”The FTC also required nine tech firms, including Amazon and Google-owned YouTube, to share information about how they collect and use data from users.Charlotte Slaiman, competition policy director at Public Knowledge, a nonprofit advocacy group, said she hopes Biden will expand scrutiny ...
U.S. glassmaker Corning has become the dominant provider of glass covers for smartphones worldwide. Deana Mitchell has the story.
With Twitter and Facebook blocking and labeling more social media posts, some American conservatives are flocking to alternatives like Parler, which says it won’t censor speech. Matt Dibble reports.
With election-related emotions running high in the U.S., Twitter, Facebook and other internet firms are trying different ways to address misinformation on their sites. Michelle Quinn reports. Producer: Matt Dibble
Social media companies have made a lot of changes ahead of the U.S. election to stop the spread of misinformation. Will it be enough? VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.Camera: Deana Mitchell, Matt Dibble Produced by: Matt Dibble
Some New Yorkers are finding unique ways to get together even when they can’t be in the same space. Evgeny Maslov has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.Camera: Michael Eckels
The CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter testified before a Senate committee hearing Wednesday, just days before the U.S. election. Tina Trinh reports. Producer: Matt Dibble
Around the world, governments are turning to technology to trace people who have been exposed to the coronavirus. There are two main approaches. Michelle Quinn has a look at how they aim to work.
Workers at Ford Motor Company may have noticed a couple of "dogs" roaming the factory floor recently. The automaker has enlisted the help of some four-legged robots to map the factory floor. Able to climb stairs, open doors and get into tight spots, these robo-dogs are ultimately saving their human colleagues time and money. Tina Trinh reports.
Even though businesses are reopening around the world, the pandemic is still a reality. Many commercial spaces and offices are taking people’s temperatures before allowing them inside. In some industries, handheld thermometers may not be efficient enough. Thermal imaging systems allow temperatures to be taken without anyone needing to be physically close to the person being evaluated. The demand for these types of devices is skyrocketing globally. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details.Videographers: Michael Eckels, Elizabeth Lee Video editor: Elizabeth Lee
With tens of thousands of new coronavirus cases daily in the U.S., states are launching digital apps that alert people if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus. Virginia recently rolled out a COVID exposure app that became instantly popular with residents. Health officials are trying to determine whether such apps will work to help slow virus transmission. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.Producers: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum. Videographers: Adam Greenbaum, VPM, Skype, VDH.
Israel is struggling against a virulent second wave of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, with thousands of new cases diagnosed every day. A key element in the fight to contain the pandemic is contact tracing. In Israel, this is conducted by the Internal Security Service, the Shin Bet, using methods originally designed for counterterrorism. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem.Camera: Ricki Rosen Produced: Barry Unger
At the University of Arizona, students and staff are using an app that lets them know if they’ve been exposed to someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. Michelle Quinn reports on how the app gives health authorities the ability to fine-tune advice to people who have been exposed. Camera: Eric Rosenwald Produced by: Matt Dibble
The 75th U.N. General Assembly is breaking new ground by going virtual this year due to the coronavirus. Along with that comes a whole new set of challenges and security risks. Aaron Fedor reports for VOA from New York City.
Across America, a new school year has begun. For many, that means remote, online instruction day after day. Deana Mitchell checks in on how students and parents are coping with education in the COVID era.
Social media companies are taking down videos and images that could be vital in prosecuting serious crimes, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are increasingly using artificial intelligence algorithms to remove material deemed offensive or illegal. Human Rights Watch says vital evidence is being missed or destroyed. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Indonesia has had more than 220,000 COVID-19 cases and the country still hasn’t reached its peak. Social distancing is an important part of controlling the virus and new technology aims to help people stay safely apart. VOA's Rendy Wicaksana reports from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Camera: Rendy Wicaksana
A teacher in Nigeria is offering free mathematics classes via Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram to help struggling students affected by the coronavirus lockdown. After almost six months, more than 1,000 students are taking her online classes, across Nigeria and even internationally. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports.
Many robots are being developed and used these days to maximize speed so factories can efficiently make more products. One robot developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology is celebrated for how slow it is. It’s called a SlothBot and visitors can see it working at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details.VIDEOGRAPHER: Carlos Andres Cuervo, Georgia Institute of Technology
Microsoft confirmed that it has held talks with Chinese technology company ByteDance to acquire its popular social app TikTok in the United States. Microsoft said it will work with the U.S. government on a deal that they hope to wrap by September 15. Matt Dibble has the story.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced small businesses around the world to come up with new ways to cope with the new reality – including using technology to stay afloat. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports.
It’s going to be a record year for voting by mail in the U.S. election and that has raised security concerns about each step of the process. But election officials say they have systems in place to make voting by mail a success even as health concerns about voting during the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing states to expand their current vote-by-mail options. “Somewhere between 90 million and 105 million ballots might come through the mail,” said Eddie Perez, global director of technology development at the OSET Institute, a nonprofit election technology organization. “If what we're seeing in other primary elections is any guide, it's probably safe to estimate that somewhere between 65% and 75% of all ballots cast in the November election might come by mail.” “That's a very, very significant volume of mail,” he added. To get an idea of how significant, the share of voters who cast ballots via mail-in methods increased nearly threefold between 1996 and 2016 – from 7.8% to nearly 21%, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the Census Bureau’s voter supplement data. Of course, the total number of voters in each election wasn’t the same, and isn’t known for 2020, so the comparison is imprecise. But the leap from nearly 21% to 75% or even 65% of all votes coming by mail is significant. Numerous logistical and security challenges must be met to make sure voting by mail goes smoothly. Of particular concern is the security of states’ voter registration databases, which could be a rich target for hackers. Still, election experts say that the mail-in voting process has checks throughout, enhanced by technology and election software, starting with the ballot sent to the voter. “Sometimes you hear talk as if blank ballots are simply being sent out into the world almost willy-nilly without control,” Perez said. “And that's simply not the case. There’s always a tight association between a voter whose eligibility has already been verified and the step of actually sending that voter a ballot.” Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline.360p | 7 MB480p | 11 MB540p | 15 MB720p | 28 MB1080p | 50 MBOriginal | 67 MB Embed" /> Download AudioRunning digital traps Once the voter mails in or drops off the ballot, the county’s voting software system goes to work. Digital scanners take images of the ballot envelope ...
Kevin Mayer, a former executive at Disney, recently started his new role as TikTok’s new CEO. He must prove to American lawmakers, regulators and consumers that they can trust the Chinese-owned app with their data, which analysts say won’t be easy. VOA’s Adrianna Zhang has more. Camera: Yiyi Yang
Companies such as Coca-Cola, Adidas, Ford and Lego are boycotting Facebook this month, pulling ads that appear on the social network in the United States. Some advertisers are part of an organized boycott demanding the company do more to crack down on hate speech, conspiracies and misinformation on its site on topics such as voting. Facebook has responded with some changes but will it be enough? Michelle Quinn reports
People who get most of their news from social media sites like Facebook and YouTube are much more likely to believe conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic – and are more likely to break lockdown rules, according to new research. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.Camera: Henry Ridgwell Producer: Henry Hernandez
Twitter has been important in burnishing the image President Donald Trump wants to portray of a brash straight-talking politician, but the social media company has recently begun to flag Trump's tweets when they are deemed misleading. Other online platforms like Facebook and Snap are making their own decisions about content. Tina Trinh reports.Produced by: Tina Trinh
Activists want to ban police from using facial recognition — and now some big tech companies are scaling back cooperation with law enforcement. Deana Mitchell reports.Camera: Deana Mitchell Produced by: Deana Mitchell
Engineers at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, are developing new technology for health care workers on the front lines of fighting the spread of COVID-19. As VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports from Chicago, an unexpected benefit of the current pandemic is technological innovation that could have a lasting impact.Camera: Kane Farabaugh Produced by: Rob Raffaele
A Virginia NGO called Computer CORE helps low-income immigrants master using computers in order to help them find jobs. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made life hard for the organization because so few of the students have computers or an internet connection at home. VOA’s Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Camera: Sergey Sokolov
A Virginia NGO called Computer CORE helps low-income immigrants master using computers in order to help them find jobs. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made life hard for the organization because so few of the students have computers or an internet connection at home. VOA’s Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Camera: Sergey Sokolov
A group of young professionals in California’s Silicon Valley has created a non-profit organization called “Code for Venezuela,” dedicated to bringing together tech innovators to solve the most pressing needs of the South American nation. The group’s latest initiative aims to help residents in Venezuela find information about COVID-19. Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story
Cyberattacks have been flying fast and furious around the world during these days of global uncertainty because of the coronavirus. Countries accuse each other of engaging in cyber warfare, and each of the accused also claims to be a cyber victim. International organizations dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have also been targeted. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Tel Aviv, Israel. Camera: Ricki Rosen Video editor: Marcus Harton
A New England teenager is collecting old devices to connect loved ones to patients quarantined in hospital rooms. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us this good news story from New England.
Adjusting to online education could be tough. For deaf and hard of hearing students and educators, it’s probably more so. Now teachers are creating their own online resources in American Sign Language to overcome this difficult time. VOA’s Calla Yu has more.Camera: Austin Ao
Retailers are turning to robots to perform essential tasks that employees are no longer able to do because of social distancing regulations. The robots are cutting costs and helping to reduce the spread of infections. But as VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo reports, some fear the growing use of automation threatens jobs just as unemployment soars.
As governments and communities around the world respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Google and other tech giants have been tracking the dramatic changes in the mobility of people as they cope with lockdown measures. Reporter Veronica Balderas Iglesias talked to residents in and around Washington, D.C., to find out where people are going these days, and why.
Fiumicino International Airport in Rome is the first one in Europe to use "smart helmets" to check the temperature of travelers from a safe distance. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo explains how the helmets are helping fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Communities in the United States and around the world are talking about when and how to ease lockdown measures as they grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. This disease and how it spreads presents some unique challenges. People without symptoms can infect others, and for some, it can be deadly. What if a smartphone app could let you know if you have been exposed? Michelle Quinn reports.
Outside of rural areas and some medical practices, telemedicine in the U.S. has been slow to catch on. But the pandemic’s social-distancing requirement has accelerated the use of telemedicine worldwide, particularly primary care visits over video chat. Doctor and patient alike are learning that a lot can be accomplished remotely. Michelle Quinn takes a look.
For people around the world who are living under stay-at-home mandates during the pandemic, the internet has created a sense of normalcy during extraordinary times. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows us creative ways people are entertaining, sharing and connecting online.
A mobile alert created in South Africa is putting information about coronavirus into the hands of millions. Praekelt.org has gone global ... raising awareness about COVID-19. VOA's Salem Solomon has the story.
At a time when human contact is considered a health hazard, robots may be more useful than ever. From helping with the shopping to keeping healthcare workers safe, the COVID-19 pandemic could be the moment for robots to shine. VOA's Steve Baragona has more.
In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, one sign that social distancing measures may be working is that people's temperatures — a symptom of the virus — are dropping in some cities in the U.S., according to a smart thermometer company. The data could give health officials an early look into how the virus is progressing. Michelle Quinn takes a look.
With “Social Distancing” now the mantra to keep the coronavirus from spreading further, more American consumers are turning to online delivery apps to get their food and household products. Yet as VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports, not everyone can avoid going to stores and if you must go, experts advise people to observe some basic precautions.
In Madrid only a few weeks ago, thousands of demonstrators took part in a women’s march, defiant or unaware of calls for social distancing to stop what then appeared to be the distant threat of coronavirus. Now, Spain is one of the biggest battlegrounds in the global war against the pandemic.Spain’s health system is stressed to the breaking point. Coronavirus information hotlines have been jammed by frightened people desperate for information.Madrid city leaders launched a web and mobile service modeled after ones that South Korea successfully used to track those infected. "Our sole objective at this time is to save lives," explains Isabel Diaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid.The CoronaMadrid website and the App – is a public-private initiative that involves giving citizens’ personal information to the government and to various companies whose names are not disclosed. In these times of fear, few ask questions. "We are immersed in a state of extreme urgency or extreme need, that is when at least we begin to understand these rather awkward actions of various public administrations when developing technological solutions," says Enric Lujan, a politics professor at the Universitat de Barcelona. "The application of the Community of Madrid does not specify data protection clauses, of transfers to third parties and, it seems, these data can be transferred to companies."South Korea’s tracking measures helped the government there flatten the contagion curve – and other countries have followed. Israel has approved the use of counterterrorism technology to track the virus, and Iran’s official coronavirus app was recently pulled by Google from its Play Store, amid privacy concerns. "Medical data is classified as highly sensitive," Lujan says. "The transfer to third parties of medical data is being left in the background when what is prioritized is the fact of having a lower number of deaths."The coronavirus pandemic has made many people across the world feel afraid, helpless, and desperate for solutions. It has also raised new questions about how much of their personal freedom and privacy they are willing to sacrifice.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, a Beijing technology company was already working to integrate autonomous vehicles into daily life in China. They produced pint-sized sidewalk sweepers and delivery robots, but there is now a demand to repurpose the technology to take the place of workers who are staying home in the hopes of containing the virus. Matt Dibble reports.
Trexo Robotics is the invention of two passionate robotics engineers who decided they wanted to help those who cannot walk or otherwise move independently. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story narrated by Anna Rice.
A father in quarantine on a Marine base in California was able to attend his daughter’s wedding hundreds of kilometers away in Arizona. He did so through a “telepresence robot,” directing its movements, mingling with guests and watching from the sidelines as his daughter danced at the wedding party. With more people worldwide severely curtailing their movements to fight the coronavirus, they are also getting creative about how to still be part of big moments in their lives. Michelle Quinn reports.
School closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic mean many parents are trying to come up with ways to educate and entertain their children at home. While there are many online options, some parents worry about too much screen time. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details on a couple of applications that combine the physical and digital so students learning at home get the best of both worlds.
Technology and spirituality normally don’t go together. But at a recent conference in San Francisco there were tips on how to use technology to achieve more inner peace. Deana Mitchell went to see if it was possible.
Motion capture technology is no longer just available for filmmakers and video game makers to transform human actors into other creatures. With the smartphone and other technologies, anyone can have their movements captured and analyzed to learn about how the body is moving for better physical performance and to avoid injuries. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details.
Firefighters who run into burning buildings or attack wildfires face considerable risks despite their protective gear. Until recent trials in Spain, central command centers had no way to monitor the health of their teams. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports that recently changed because of one inventive firefighter and a large cash prize.
In the near future, farmers in Africa could boldly go where no farmers have gone before. Major manufacturers look to launch the industry into the 21st Century by tying tractors to cell phones. With a high-tech device, can follow a tractor's movement and productivity. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi ploughs through this story.
Imagine how life would change for so many people who need a replacement organ if scientists could just print a new one that works. That's exactly one of the projects scientists at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine are working on - 3D bio printed human organs. They're also working to develop artificial blood vessels and miniature models of a human body using 3d bio printing. Lesia Bakalets has the story from Winston-Salem, North Carolina in this report narrated by Anna Rice
Technology is finally able to make food appear. With help from a local NGO, hungry kids in Kenya can now get a hot lunch for a few pennies with just a tap of their wrists. It happens using short-range Wi-Fi, as VOA's Arash Arabasadi reports.
As some of the negative effects of life lived online become more apparent, “digital wellness” groups are promoting ways to maintain healthy lifestyles. Deana Mitchell reports
Women and minorities pursuing computer science degrees often feel alone and isolated, since the field is overwhelmingly dominated by men. While about 60 percent of all 2017 bachelor’s degree recipients in the U.S. were women, only about 20 percent of Computer and Information Science bachelor’s degree recipients went to women, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). But an innovative program initiated by a global non-profit in partnership with universities across the U.S. has already made impressive gains in helping to boost those numbers. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.
It seems inevitable that in this era of smart technology people would begin to think of ways to make their tech part of their body. Today, people have the ability to change themselves in new and unprecedented ways – and a 19-year-old Kai Landre is living proof. Anna Nelson has the story, narrated by Anna Rice
Have you ever stored something on the cloud and wondered where that data goes? You might be surprised to learn it's in a quiet residential community located about 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The majority of the world's internet traffic passes through the town of Ashburn in Loudoun County, Virginia — home to one of the world's largest internet exchanges. VOA's Dora Mekouar reports.
Have you ever stored something in the cloud and wondered where that data goes? You might be surprised to learn it's in a quiet residential community about 30 miles outside the capital city of Washington, where people jog or walk their dogs around human-made lakes, children's teams practice on soccer fields, and teens play pick-up basketball on community courts. The majority of the world's internet traffic passes through the town of Ashburn in Loudoun County, Virginia, home to one of the world's major internet exchanges. "It's amazing when you think about the amount of fiber that's in the ground," says Buddy Rizer, executive director of economic development for Loudoun County. "Both sides of the road pretty much have fiber troughs in them. And now we're putting some fiber in the middle of the roads as well. We want to continue to build on that fiber network."Seventy percent of the world's internet traffic passes through all of that fiber. That's why Ashburn is known as Data Center Alley. The Silicon Valley of the east. The cloud capital of the world. Pretty much any email sent or received anywhere around the globe passes through this town. If you've got something stored in the cloud, it's probably in one of the 100-plus data centers located in Loudoun County."A lot of people, they think about the cloud and their eyes go up. Well, it's not really up," Rizer says. "The cloud is based somewhere and, by and large, the cloud has been based here in Loudoun County, Virginia, in the data centers, the 18-million-square-feet of data centers that we have on the ground here."It all started when America Online moved to Ashburn back in the 1990s. AOL brought fiber and power infrastructure with it. MAE-East, one of the world's first internet exchanges, moved to Loudoun in the late '90s after first forming in 1992."It was a couple guys who got together over some beers and decided that they were going to allow one another to pass traffic back and forth across the different networks that they'd been creating," says John Day, vice president of sales and leasing for Sabey Data Centers. Other companies followed, each new addition contributing to the creation of the most dense fiber network anywhere in the world. Tech titans like Amazon and Google now have a presence in Loudoun. Northern Virginia's appeal includes reasonably priced land, low-cost-but-dependable electricity, access ...
Images of a reborn Princess Leia, or a youthful Robert DeNiro are bewitching illusions for movie-goers. But concern that the same technology could be weaponized to incite chaos in an election is leading to “deepfake” bans on social media, and a race to develop detection tools. Matt Dibble reports.
Virtual Reality, which immerses viewers in three-dimensional computer-generated worlds, is transforming many fields, from entertainment to education. Mike O'Sullivan reports from a California college, where students are exploring some new applications for so-called VR technology.
Barbara Birungi Mutabazi has a vision: Train Ugandan women to code and do other technology work."The beauty of this is that even if there are not enough jobs in Uganda, if you have the right skills, you can work for any organization around the world,” said Mutabazi, who runs Women in Technology, a skills-training organization in Uganda.Mutabazi recently attended the African Diaspora Investment Symposium to find investors and possible employers for the young women she trains. The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors and businesses to talk about the future of Africa business."The African Diaspora Network is trying to bring Africans and friends of Africa together to collaborate, create and to imagine possibilities for the continent,” said Almaz Negash, the founder and executive director of the African Diaspora Network and the event’s organizer.One theme of the symposium was money — how to tap into the African diaspora to fund small, medium and large companies on the continent.'Scaling’ remittancesRemittances — money sent by people living in the U.S. to family in Africa — has long been a key way to support people. More than $40 billion in remittances goes to sub-Sahara Africa, mostly to Nigeria, Negash said. This is a powerful source of support for families, but some speakers wondered if there are other ways to help spur growth."How do we scale remittances so that it can also be invested in other people than our family,” Negash said. “Supporting startups.”Another area of support could be to create a fund to help African entrepreneurs and businesses protect their intellectual property, said Joseph Mucheru, Google’s first sub-Sahara Africa lead and now a minister in the Kenyan government.An IP fundAfrican leaders need to find ways to attract investors and businesses “to invest and come in and work with our startups, protect our startups, ensure that the intellectual property that they build can be retained in the continent,” he said. For the roughly 50 African entrepreneurs attending the event, this was an opportunity to pitch their businesses. The kinds of businesses varied widely.Aboubacar Komara, an architect from Guinea, is working on a housing startup. "We're implicating people in the process of actually building their homes. You know, we want to change the concept of what is architecture, because architecture has a lot to do with your identity,” he said. Neile Nkholise is the chief executive of 3DIMO, a sports technology company in South Africa. Sensors are sewn into sports garments, which ...
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission estimates that about 19 million Americans still don’t have access to broadband internet. Most of those people live in rural parts of the country. But little by little, individuals, companies and the government are changing that. VOA’s Calla Yu reports.
An immersive art installation in New York City has visitors captivated. The team behind the popular attraction? It’s part human and part machine-learning algorithms. VOA’s Tina Trinh looks at what happens when artificial intelligence becomes part of the creative process
The new U.S.-China trade agreement includes provisions that are aimed at curbing forced technology transfers, in which companies hand over technical know-how to foreign partners. For many high-tech businesses, the intellectual property behind their products represents the bulk of their companies' value. To learn more about the risks of IP theft, Elizabeth Lee recently visited the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where companies talked about the risks to their technology secrets.
It sounds like science fiction, but a number of tech wearables are letting users control devices with their thoughts. The implications for consumers and businesses are significant. But to start out, the goal of two developers is to simply enable more productivity. Tina Trinh meets the Brooklyn team behind a thought-powered headset.
Building a tech startup is not easy, especially in countries with less-established tech industries. Nevertheless, many global entrepreneurs are determined to succeed, and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is their chance to prove themselves to the rest of the industry. VOA's Tina Trinh met with startup founders from Senegal, Ukraine and Thailand.
Building a tech startup is not easy, especially in countries with less-established tech industries. Nevertheless, many global entrepreneurs are determined to succeed, and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is their chance to prove themselves to the rest of the industry. VOA's Tina Trinh met with startup founders from Senegal, Ukraine and Thailand.
A new cellular network just for kids? The company behind it, GabbWireless, promises their phones help protect kids from the dangers of smartphones. Deana Mitchell dials in.
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.
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 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.
It's been a rocky year for the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley, and next year could be worse. Lawmakers and regulators in the nation's capital are scrutinizing technology firms over a host of issues -- competition, online privacy, encryption, bias — and they are promising action. Michelle Quinn reports on how the frustrations could lead to new regulations that could have a global impact on how people communicate online.
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.
Imagine if your car can sense your emotions and play happy music when you are sad. That’s what a team of researchers at Texas A&M University is working on -- to look at brain waves that correlate to different human emotions and ultimately teach that to an autonomous vehicle. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details from College Station, Texas.
Mobile device makers are constantly reinventing their products to keep consumers coming back, and paying, for more. The race to outdo each other has resulted in new form factors like foldable and dual screens. Not to be left out, Microsoft recently unveiled its take on the trend. VOA's Tina Trinh examines whether the new look prizes form over function?
President Trump's Thursday visit to a manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas, where Apple makes a line of computers, highlighted the iPhone maker's delicate dance with the Trump administration over China, tariffs and U.S. manufacturing. Michelle Quinn takes a look at the relationship.
DARPA, the main research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, is funding researchers to develop wearable devices that would have military applications such as using the mind to control unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, commonly known as drones. Instead of using brain implants to achieve this, DARPA is looking for non-invasive to minutely invasive ways of interfacing with the machine. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee got a close-up look at one team’s work at Rice University
Ghana is regarded as a West African hub of invention, with growing numbers of young people looking at local solutions to local problems. In December, Ghana is hosting two conferences on innovation and technology.Alhassan Baba Muniru, co-founder of the Recycle Up company, wants to clean up the natural environment in Ghana.But he also wants to educate, empower and support young people to pursue conservation - and to make money while doing it.At the December Innovation Africa summit in Accra, he plans to advocate for more support for young inventors, especially those looking to do green business.“Even while we are in school we are already entrepreneurial so, for me, I can be able to do a formal job but the freedom of being able to bring my own ideas into action and really take charge of doing something practical and something which also makes society better - it's much more fulfilling,” said Muniru.Part of Recycle Up's work includes collecting plastic from schools to sell to people like Nelson Boateng, whose company mixes it with sand to create bricks. Muniru and Boateng walk through the factory in the outskirts of Accra, where plastic from across the city is shredded, melted, mixed and then molded into bricks to be used for roads, pavements and buildings.Boateng, who also manufactures plastic bags, said the bricks are his way of helping to clean up the environment and to provide jobs.But while Ghana is seeing a spurt in innovation, he said the country needs a lot more infrastructure to support environmentally-friendly business.“For innovations in Ghana, it’s very, very difficult if you don’t really have the heart. You will lose hope because honestly speaking when I was doing my polybag that is polluting the environment, I was having a lot of money. I have money, there wasn’t any problem. When I started this, when you go to the bank they don’t know this, they want something that the money will be flowing, not something you people don’t know - and not something you say you are trying to save the environment, nobody will mind you on that,” he said.Supporting local technology startups is expected to be discussed at another December conference in Accra - the second annual Ghana Tech Summit.Ghanaian inventor Andrew Quao is working to ease the burden on hospitals with technology that allows pharmacies to diagnosis and monitor chronic and tropical diseases.He said African healthcare sectors ...
A few Pakistani women friends, working for big tech companies in the U.S., decided they wanted to create the mentoring and professional network they wished they'd had when coming up in the business. The result is the Seattle based Pakistani Women in Computing or PWIC. VOA's Nadeem Yaqub recently visited the Seattle chapter of PWIC and filed this report.
Microsoft is bringing holograms to the office. The company recently started shipping its 2nd version of HoloLens, a headset that allows users to touch and interact with 3D holograms in everyday settings. Various industries have begun experimenting with the new computing device and VOA's Tina Trinh had a chance to check it out.
As the world becomes more connected people are vulnerable of being victims of cybercriminals. Police departments, hospitals, universities and businesses everywhere are also at risk. VOA's Elizabeth Lee shows how the city of Los Angeles is fighting this problem, by sharing and pooling critical information about cyberattacks.
It has captured the attention of teenagers, celebrities and global brands.And now U.S. lawmakers and regulators are interested in TikTok, the video app downloaded by 1 billion people.According to Reuters, the U.S. government is launching a national security review into the Chinese company ByteDance’s 2017 acquisition of U.S. app Musical.ly. ByteDance is the parent of TikTok, which makes it easy for users to make videos 15 to 60 seconds long. National security concernsThe move comes at a time when lawmakers have called for increasing scrutiny of Chinese companies and their investments in the United States. Some lawmakers question whether TikTok censors users and how safe U.S. user data is if it is held in the hands of a Chinese company.ByteDance has repeatedly defended itself. In a recent blog post, it said that U.S. user data is stored in the United States. As for content moderation, the company said its “U.S. moderation team, which is led out of California, reviews content for adherence to our U.S. policies—just like other U.S. companies in our space.”In China, ByteDance owns Douyin, a Chinese version of TikTok.Making a viral videoFor users of TikTok, the app is a way to make a short vertical video, similar to Vine, which Twitter shut down in 2017. Video editing tools are built into the TikTok app, with a music library to choose from, so that a video can be made and posted in a school hallway between classes.Scrolling through TikTok videos is a window into pranks played on parents and friends, dance routines in school bathrooms or in backyards. Users say that watching the videos are addictive and a quick check of TikTok can lead to hours spent watching video after video.Silicon Valley takes noteCompetitors such as Facebook and Snap, the parent of Snapchat, have not missed TikTok’s rise. They are either imitating the company or looking to acquire a similar one. Facebook has its own service called Lasso. Google, which owns YouTube, has had talks about buying a TikTok competitor, The New York Times reported.Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, recently said that “China is building its own internet focused on very different values, and is now exporting their vision of the internet to other countries.”This isn’t TikTok’s first run in with U.S. regulators. Earlier this year, it paid a $5.7 million fine to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over how it had illegally collected information about children under 13.
After falling in love with flying her drone, a young videographer searched for a community of other female drone flyers—but couldn’t find one. So, she started her own. Deana Mitchell reports.
While the internet has definitely made our lives easier, it has come at a cost. Studies show that internet addiction is on the rise, specifically among young people. In Turkey, a recent study shows that internet addiction has risen over the last two decades. For VOA, Yildiz Yazicioglu and Murat Karabulut report from Ankara, Turkey, in this story narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.
The future of green energy just finished a 25-country tour. It moves as quietly as a whisper, uses the sun, wind and hydrogen for fuel, and emits zero greenhouse gases. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi sails us through this story.
The future was here at a recent marquee tech show in Japan. The Consumer Exhibition of Advanced Technology, or CEATEC, showcased technologies that may simplify our lives … or rapidly bring them to an end. VOA's Arash Arabasadi takes us back to the future!
With Hong Kong anti-government protests ongoing, tech companies in the U.S. are being drawn into the crisis. The standoff between China and protesters has led some U.S. tech firms to curtail services. Michelle Quinn reports
A high-tech hotel in Japan is science fiction come to life, with virtual ninjas staffing the front desk, facial recognition software that detects customers' moods, and dinosaur footprints leading to the elevator. VOA's Arash Arabasadi takes us back to the future.
According to the United Nations, a third of the world's food is either lost or wasted every year. Two startups are tackling food waste at the local level, allowing businesses to sell their leftovers at a discount instead of throwing everything away. Tina Trinh reports.
A tech company is offering literature and short films created specifically for mobile devices. They already have 50 million monthly subscribers. Deana Mitchell tunes in.
The growing use of artificial intelligence and automation in work places is creating challenges as well as benefits for businesses, institutions and the government. A congressional panel on Tuesday discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on American workers and the future of their jobs. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.
Smartphones have quickly evolved from being a way to make an untethered phone call to service as portable hand-held personal computers. Yet these pros bring along many cons, as conditions like Internet addiction disorder become more widespread. To help people overcome these disorders, special rehab centers are opening around the world. Iurii Mamon visited one such center in Seattle.
With online shopping becoming more and more popular, traditional retail stores are doing everything they can to get shoppers to visit real stores. They are hoping one new piece of tech might do the trick. Anna Rice narrates this report by VOA's Julia Vassey in San Francisco, California.
The city of Huntington Park in the state of California has hired a new police office to patrol local parks. It’s always on duty and monitors the park 24 hours a day to make sure things are in order. Khrystyna Shevchenko met with this supercop and watched him work. Anna Rice narrates her story.
Mamadou Wade Diop has been working with drones both in the photography and health sectors for years. But recently, he decided to work with local blacksmiths and construct a drone made entirely in Senegal.Mamadou Wade Diop, who calls himself Dr. Drone on social media, is one of the few people, if not the only person in the Dakar area who can fix broken drones.But recently, he’s taken his knowledge a step further, consulting with drone makers across the world on how to construct one of his own.Diop says that through the internet, he’s been able to communicate with other drone makers in France and China to chat about their experiences. Though he does a lot of work in the audio-visual sector, renting his services out to news and documentary crews as well as collecting drone footage of various places in Senegal to sell, the purpose of his first Made-In-Senegal drone will be in the health sector - a drone that can spread chemicals to prevent mosquito breeding in stagnant water.Not all materials necessary to make the drone are available in Senegal, but Diop says he wants to prove that it’s possible to make this technology right here in his home country.Diop says that carbon fiber isn’t available in Senegal. Though he ordered it from China, he worked with local blacksmiths to shape pieces for his drone. And as for local materials, he was able to recycle a piece of aluminum from a broken refrigerator to form part of the body of his drone.Mamadou Diallo is an owner of a photography shop who often collaborates with Diop.Diallo says that the demand for drones in Senegal is not high but is increasing, though there is not yet enough of a market.But he supports Diop, who says that if they don’t start making their own drones now, foreign companies will come in and begin to sell them at much higher prices.
Democratic presidential candidates are flocking to Silicon Valley but this time it's different. Once candidates wooed wealthy tech executives at Facebook, Google and other mega companies. Some now attack companies over issues such as data privacy, antitrust and worker rights. Michelle Quinn looked at how this election season reflects the changing views of tech across the United States.
Online cooking videos are an indispensable tool for at-home chefs, but using a mobile device in the kitchen can get messy. A New York University student has solved the problem by turning the traditional apron into a remote control for devices. Tina Trinh reports.
Self-driving cars may be years from becoming reality on the road, but some of the technology going into autonomous vehicles is being used to make driving safer today. Michelle Quinn visited one company that is using computer vision and artificial intelligence to help solve one of the biggest problems for motorists -- distracted driving
To get medical supplies or food, people in some places around the world are showing not a government ID but the iris in their eyes or their thumbprint. Deana Mitchell talked to one Silicon Valley company that is providing the new tech tools of identity.
Every day, cutting-edge research is being performed in government and university labs across the country. Tech transfer is the process of taking that research out of the lab and transforming it into a business. One company jump-starts the process by introducing entrepreneurs to that research. Tina Trinh explains.
As back to back mass shootings in the U.S. prompt more difficult debates on gun laws, researchers at University of Southern California (USC) are working on a different, perhaps less controversial method of keeping people inside buildings safe and deterring people who want to commit acts of mass violence. Design and BehaviorEngineers and computer scientists are exploring building design and technology seeking ways to protect people. Recent innovations offer many possibilities, from placement of exits to the number of hiding spots and even walls that move. But before designs can be put in place, researchers must first observe the behavior of the building's occupants.How do the people inside a building respond when an active shooter is present? Will their behavior change if the building is designed in a different way? Virtual reality (VR) is the first step to answering these questions and helping engineers create a safer building according to USC assistant professor Gale Lucas, who conducts research in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Computer Science Department and Institute for Creative Technologies. “We're interested in looking at how different building attributes affect responses to incidents of extreme violence, and that's something that we can't manipulate easily in the real world, but in virtual reality all of that is possible and it's possible safe and ethically,” Lucas said. Building design features that could make a building safer in mass shooting incidents include the number of exits and hiding places in a building or even whether glass windows are clear or frosted. Many of the features are based on recommendations from government agencies and security experts.“There are so many recommendations out there and there's so much money being invested on these recommendations but they're not well tested in the real world in terms of how they play out,” said Burcin Becerik-Gerber, professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC. She and Lucas co-direct USC's CENTIENTS, the Center for Intelligent Environments. Virtual reality can safely and cheaply simulate real world situations. Virtual building designs can also easily be changed and adapted for different types of buildings said Becerik-Gerber. Later this year, various building designs in a school and an office setting will be tested out in the virtual world with more than 200 real world teachers and office workers on treadmills, using VR so they can run away from the shooter in the virtual world. Building features however may not be one size fits all. For example, ...
Lawmakers in the United States have long been wary of Chinese telecom giant Huawei. They say the corporation is unlike most tech companies because it effectively acts as a spying tool for Beijing. Recently, Huawei installed security cameras around Uganda's capital, Kampala. VOA's Arash Arabasadi has more in this report narrated by Jeff Custer.
Marieme Jamme, once a child prostitute, has made it her mission to teach one million women and girls — including refugees — how to program computers by 2030."At 13 years old I was taken away from my country Senegal to France," Jamme tells students at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. "So, I really suffered as a young girl growing up in the streets of France as a young prostitute. At the age of 16, I was picked from the street by the French police ... and sent to a refugee center where I grew up and I ended up in the U.K. when I was 18."In Britain, Jamme, driven by a love for math and science, taught herself computer programming. She became the CEO of a business consultancy firm and has advised organizations such as Google, Ernst and Young, Microsoft, and U.N. Women, in addition to many African governments. FILE - An aerial view shows houses at the Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana District, northwest of Kenya's capital Nairobi, June 20, 2015.Now, she wants to help other female refugees learn 21st-century skills and escape lives of poverty. Through "iamtheCODE," she aims to teach one million women and girls how to program computers by 2030."I really understand what the refugee girls are going through," Jamme said. "Dreaming, not having enough, suffering from loss and pain and difficulties. I understand where they are coming from. ... I have been there as a child like them."Elisabeth Adith, a refugee from South Sudan, is benefiting from the program. "'iamtheCODE' will really help me because it equips me with skills that will help me to compete with other communities and other counties. Because it will give me skills in technology. So that is really helpful," she said.There is a long way to go to reach Jamme's goal to teach one million students. But since 2011, "iamtheCode" has trained thousands of women and girls — and that's something to celebrate, especially in a refugee camp.
Getting around in a wheelchair takes some maneuvering, but Wheelie makes it as easy as raising your eyebrows. Tina Trinh reports.
Japan is facing a crisis. Its population is aging and birthrates are dropping. With a declining workforce, businesses are looking to automate jobs in the service industry, and a robotics manufacturer has created a coffee-slinging machine. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brews-up this story.
In a laboratory in California, engineers are working on pushing the boundaries of how robots move, imitating the ways some animals jump, fly or crawl. Michelle Quinn met Salto, a one-legged jumping robot to see the future of robots.
Nigerian technologist Chinenye Udeh wants to ensure schoolgirls learn Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for summer. Udeh says she is trying to boost gender parity in technology in Africa's most populous nation, where less than 20 percent of women are involved in the industry. Timothy Obiezu reports for VOA from Abuja.