Author: iMaster

Author: iMaster

Ethereum Blockchain Set for ‘Monumental’ Overhaul
09/11/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

An army of computer programmers scattered across the globe is set to attempt one of the biggest software upgrades the crypto sector has ever seen this week to reduce its environmentally unfriendly energy consumption. Developers have spent years working on a more energy-efficient version of the ethereum blockchain, a digital ledger that underpins a multibillion-dollar

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Small Nuclear Reactors Emerge as Energy Option, but Risks Loom
09/10/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

A global search for alternative sources to Russian energy in light of the war in Ukraine has refocused attention on smaller, easier-to-build nuclear power stations, which proponents say could provide a cheaper, more efficient alternative to older model mega-plants. U.K.-based Rolls-Royce SMR says its small modular reactors, or SMRs, are much cheaper and quicker to

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Voice-Operated Smartphones Target Africa’s Illiterate
09/10/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Voice-operated smartphones are aiming at a vast yet widely overlooked market in sub-Saharan Africa — the tens of millions of people who face huge challenges in life because they cannot read or write. In Ivory Coast, a so-called “Superphone” using a vocal assistant that responds to commands in a local language is being pitched to

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US Moves to Keep Advanced Semiconductor Technology Out of China
09/08/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Companies that accept U.S. funding under a plan to build up America’s computer chip-making capacity will be barred from establishing advanced fabrication facilities in China for 10 years, the administration of President Joe Biden announced this week. The Commerce Department rolled out its plan to distribute $50 billion provided by the CHIPS Act, which Biden

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Apple Offers Adventure Watch, Satellite SOS iPhone — and Steady Prices
09/08/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Apple on Wednesday avoided price hikes of its best-selling iPhones during its biggest product launch of the year, focusing on safety upgrades rather than flashy new technical specs, with the exception of a new adventure-focused watch.  The iPhone maker leaned into safety technologies, like the ability to detect a car accident and summon a rescue

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Judge: Musk Can Use Twitter Whistleblower But Not Delay Case
09/07/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Elon Musk will be able to include new evidence from a Twitter whistleblower as he fights to get out of his $44 billion deal to buy the social media company, but Musk won’t be able to delay a high-stakes October trial over the dispute, a judge ruled Wednesday.  Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the head

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LogOn: Augmented Reality Books Expand Storytelling
09/06/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Augmented reality books add new dimensions to storytelling by including animation and sound. VOA’s Genia Dulot reports from Los Angeles, California. …

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E-Commerce Company Jumia Launches Drone Deliveries in Ghana
09/02/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Africa’s largest e-commerce company, Jumia, launched the first commercial drone delivery service on the continent this week, offering delivery of products across Ghana. After more than three months of testing in the town of Omenaku, Jumia and California-based instant-delivery service Zipline have started delivering products to homes. The service is available nationwide in the West

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Twitter Tests Long-Awaited Edit Button, Will Roll Out to Paid Subscribers
09/01/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Twitter is internally testing a widely requested edit button, a feature that will be rolled out to paid subscribers in the coming weeks, the social media company said Thursday. For years, Twitter users have demanded the ability to edit their tweets after publishing in order to fix errors like typos. Those requests have led to

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VOA Interview NASA Astronaut Victor Glover
08/31/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

VOA’s Kane Farabaugh spoke with NASA Astronaut Victor Glover ahead of Monday’s scheduled Artemis launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. While the launch was postponed, NASA’s quest to return to the moon and eventually send humans to Mars remains a priority for the U.S. space agency. …

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Musk Cites Whistleblower as New Reason to Exit Twitter Deal
08/30/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Elon Musk and Twitter lobbed salvos at each other Tuesday in the latest round of legal filings over the billionaire Tesla CEO’s efforts to rescind his offer to buy the social media platform.  Musk filed more paperwork to terminate his agreement to buy Twitter, this time based on information in a whistleblower complaint filed by

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Excitement Over Cryptocurrency Tinged With Fear
08/30/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has fallen dramatically in recent months. Still, many investors are excited about the future of digital currencies despite the risks. VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports from San Francisco. …

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US Navy Turns to Driverless Ships for Indo-Pacific Strategy
08/29/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

As the U.S. military continues to consider China’s military strength in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Navy is turning to driverless ships to multiply its forces. VOA’s Jessica Stone takes us along for a closer look at this military innovation. Camera: Keith Lane …

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Elon Musk Subpoenas Twitter Whistleblower Ahead of Trial
08/29/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Elon Musk’s legal team is demanding to hear from Twitter’s whistleblowing former security chief, who could help bolster Musk’s case for backing out of a $44 billion deal to buy the social media company.  Former Twitter executive Peiter Zatko — also known by his hacker handle “Mudge” — received a subpoena Saturday from Musk’s team,

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NASA Moon Rocket on Track for Launch Despite Lightning Hits 
08/28/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

NASA’s new moon rocket remained on track to blast off on a crucial test flight Monday, despite a series of lightning strikes at the launch pad. The 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket is the most powerful ever built by NASA. It’s poised to send an empty crew capsule into lunar orbit, a half-century after

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Experts Worry Digital Footprints Will Incriminate US Patients Seeking Abortions
08/26/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of protections for abortion rights has intensified scrutiny of the personal data that technology firms collect. Apple, Facebook and Google typically comply with legal requests for user data. For women who live in states where most abortions are now illegal, their smartphones and devices could be used against them. Tina

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For First Time, Facebook, Twitter Take Down Pro-US Influence Operation
08/26/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

This summer, for the first time, Facebook and Twitter removed a network of fake user accounts promoting pro-Western policy positions to foreign audiences and critical of Russia, China and Iran, according to a new report. The accounts, which violated the companies’ terms of service, “used deceptive tactics to promote pro-Western narratives in the Middle East

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California Phasing Out Gas Vehicles in Climate Change Fight 
08/26/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

California set itself on a path Thursday to end the era of gas-powered cars, with air regulators adopting the world’s most stringent rules for transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. The move by the California Air Resources Board to have all new cars, pickup trucks and SUVs be electric or hydrogen by 2035 is likely to reshape

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Ukrainian Company Repairs Broken Drones to Help Military
08/23/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are playing a huge part in the war in Ukraine. But keeping them in the air can be challenging. One Ukrainian company is doing just that and more. Kateryna Markova has the story. Camera – Viktor Petrovych. …

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‘Silicon Lifeline’: Report Reveals Western Technology Guiding Russia’s Weapons in Ukraine
08/19/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Microelectronics produced in the United States and allied countries are crucial components of Russian weapons systems used in the Ukraine invasion, according to a report by Britain’s Royal United Services Institute. The RUSI report, Silicon Lifeline: Western Electronics as the Heart of Russia’s War Machine, says more than 450 foreign-made components have been found in

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US Boosting Domestic Solar Industry, Reducing Reliance on China
08/18/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

China’s global dominance in the solar industry is a supply chain and national security risk, according to some industry observers, and one of the reasons that the United States has been trying to boost domestic solar manufacturing capacity. U.S. President Joe Biden Tuesday signed into law the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, which includes tax incentives

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India’s Vast Rural Areas Plug into Digital Economy
08/17/2022 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

In India, an initiative to bring internet access across the country has helped millions plug into new digital technologies. One of them is a payments system that is transforming the way business is being done in the vast rural areas of the country. Anjana Pasricha has a report. …

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