Author: iMaster

Author: iMaster

App Offering Government Services to Ukrainians Expands Reach
06/05/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

In collaboration with the Ukrainian government, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has created an app that connects Ukrainians with their government so they can access public services — and use of the app’s code has expanded to different countries. Iryna Matviichuk has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. …

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Amazon to Pay $31 Million in Privacy Violation Penalties for Alexa Voice Assistant, Ring Camera
06/01/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Amazon agreed Wednesday to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations it violated a child privacy law and deceived parents by keeping for years kids’ voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant. Separately, the company agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds for alleged privacy

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China Eyes Spain in Drive to Conquer European EV Market
06/01/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The International Energy Agency says Chinese car manufacturers are emerging as a major force in the global electric car market, with more than 50% of all electric cars on roads worldwide now produced in China. Spain is the second-largest vehicle manufacturer in Europe after Germany and its market has become a target for Chinese automakers.

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SpaceX’s Starlink Wins Pentagon Contract for Satellite Services for Ukraine
06/01/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

SpaceX’s Starlink, the satellite communications service started by billionaire Elon Musk, now has a Defense Department contract to buy those satellite services for Ukraine, the Pentagon said Thursday.   “We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a

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China’s Micron Chips Ban Is Litmus Test for South Korea
06/01/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The semiconductor trade war between Washington and Beijing may ensnare Seoul as South Korea must decide between backing its closest ally or embracing a lucrative export opportunity presented by China, its top trading partner.  The decision will reveal how closely South Korea is aligned with the U.S., its second-largest export market, experts said.  The dilemma

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Key US Official Calls for Tech Companies to ‘Do Something’ About AI
05/31/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The director of the leading U.S. cybersecurity agency has a message for scientists and top technology company officials who are warning that artificial intelligence could lead to the end of humankind: Take action. “If you actually think that these capabilities can lead to extinction of humanity, well, let’s come together and do something about it,”

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Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Starts 11-year Sentence for Blood-Testing Hoax
05/30/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is in custody at a Texas prison where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Holmes, 39, on Tuesday entered a federal women’s prison camp located in

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China’s Shenzhou-16 Mission Takes Off Bound for Space Station
05/30/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

China sent three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Tuesday, putting a civilian scientist into space for the first time as Beijing pursues plans to send a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade.    The world’s second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space program in a

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US Commerce Secretary: US ‘Won’t Tolerate’ China’s Ban on Micron Chips
05/27/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The United States “won’t tolerate” China’s effective ban on purchases of Micron Technology MU.O memory chips and is working closely with allies to address such “economic coercion,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Saturday. Raimondo told a news conference after a meeting of trade ministers in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework talks that the U.S.

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China, South Korea Agree to Strengthen Talks on Chip Industry
05/27/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

China and South Korea have agreed to strengthen dialog and cooperation on semiconductor industry supply chains, amid broader global concerns over chip supplies, sanctions and national security, China’s commerce minister said. Wang Wentao met with South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Detroit, which ended

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Regulators Take Aim at AI to Protect Consumers, Workers
05/26/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

As concerns grow over increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, the nation’s financial watchdog says it’s working to ensure that companies follow the law when they’re using AI. Already, automated systems and algorithms help determine credit ratings, loan terms, bank account fees, and other aspects of our financial lives. AI also affects hiring, housing

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Investment in Solar Will Eclipse Oil in 2023, IEA Finds
05/26/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Global investment in clean energy production in 2023 will be significantly larger than investment in fossil fuel-based energy generation, and for the first time, more money will be invested in solar energy than in the oil sector, according to a report issued by the International Energy Agency on Thursday. The report, World Energy Investment 2023,

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Analysis: China Steps Up Response to US Chip Moves but Economic Reality Limits How Far
05/25/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Beijing’s restrictions on American chipmaker Micron in retaliation to sweeping US chip curbs mark a major step up in its response to Washington’s pressure and could open the door for further measures in the geopolitical standoff, analysts say.    But they warned President Xi Jinping’s ability to raise the stakes will be limited as he battles

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U.S., Microsoft Warn Chinese Hackers Attacking ‘Critical’ Infrastructure
05/25/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

State-sponsored Chinese hackers have infiltrated critical U.S. infrastructure networks, the United States, its Western allies and Microsoft said Wednesday while warning that similar espionage attacks could be occurring globally.   Microsoft highlighted Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean with a vital military outpost, as one of the targets, but said “malicious” activity had also

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Microsoft Says China-Backed Hacker Targeted Critical Infrastructure in Guam, US
05/24/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Microsoft Corp. said on Wednesday it had uncovered malicious activity by a state-sponsored actor based in China aimed at critical infrastructure organizations in Guam and the United States.  Microsoft said it assessed with “moderate confidence” that this Volt Typhoon campaign “is pursuing development of capabilities that could disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the United States

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Apple Inks Multi-Billion-Dollar Deal With Broadcom for U.S.-Made Chips
05/24/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Apple Inc on Tuesday said it has entered a multi-billion-dollar deal with chipmaker Broadcom Inc. to use chips made in the United States.  Under the multi-year deal, Broadcom will develop 5G radio frequency components with Apple that will be designed and built in several U.S. facilities, including Fort Collins, Colorado, where Broadcom has a major

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TikTok Sues to Stop Ban in US State of Montana
05/23/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

TikTok on Monday filed suit in U.S. federal court to stop the northern state of Montana from implementing an overall ban on the video-sharing app. The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech, TikTok argued in the suit. “We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on

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Song Created with Help of AI Rattles Music Industry
05/22/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

After an anonymous TikTok user created a song using artificial intelligence that fooled many into thinking it was made by pop stars, experts say the music industry will have to decide how to handle AI music. Deana Mitchell has the story. …

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Early Warning Systems Send Disaster Deaths Plunging, UN Says
05/22/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Weather-related disasters have surged over the past 50 years, causing swelling economic damage even as early warning systems have meant dramatically fewer deaths, the United Nations said Monday.  Extreme weather, climate and water-related events caused 11,778 reported disasters between 1970 and 2021, new figures from the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) show.  Those disasters killed

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SpaceX Sends Saudi Astronauts, Including Nation’s 1st Woman in Space, to International Space Station
05/22/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight Sunday.  SpaceX launched the ticket-holding crew, led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for the company that arranged the trip from Kennedy Space Center. Also on board: a U.S. businessman who now owns a sports car racing

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SpaceX Launching Saudi Astronauts on Private Flight to Space Station
05/21/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

SpaceX’s next private flight to the International Space Station awaited takeoff Sunday, weather and rocket permitting. The passengers include Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades, as well as a Tennessee businessman who started his own sports car racing team. They’ll be led by a retired NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged

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Iraq Rebuilding Efforts Get High-Tech Boost
05/21/2023 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

It’s been more than a decade since the end of the Iraq War. Much of the country still bears the scars of the U.S.-led invasion. But Iraqis today are working to clean up their country, and some have turned to technology for help. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. …

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