Author: iMaster

Author: iMaster

Microsoft to Shut Down LinkedIn in China Over Censorship Concerns
10/14/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Microsoft will close LinkedIn in China later this year, the company announced Thursday. The professional networking site, which started operating in China in 2014, faces a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements” in the country, it said in a blog post. “We recognized that operating a localized version of LinkedIn in China

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US Staging Global Conference to Combat Ransomware Attacks
10/13/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The White House is holding a two-day international conference starting Wednesday to combat ransomware computer attacks on business operations across the globe that cost companies, schools and health services an estimated $74 billion in damages last year. U.S. officials are meeting on Zoom calls with their counterparts from at least 30 countries to discuss ways

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Forum Urges Social Networks to Act Against Antisemitism
10/13/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Social media giants were urged to act Wednesday to stem online antisemitism during an international conference in Sweden focused on the growing amount of hatred published on many platforms.  The Swedish government invited social media giants TikTok, Google and Facebook along with representatives from 40 countries, the United Nations and Jewish organizations to the event

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Computers and Brains: Sensors Implanted in the Brain Help Paralyzed Man Write
10/12/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Brain computer interfaces, where computers analyze brain signals and help paralyzed people to write and carry out other actions, is a burgeoning area of research. VOA’s Deana Mitchell has the story of one breakthrough. …

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Facebook Unveils New Controls for Kids Using Its Platforms
10/11/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook, in the aftermath of damning testimony that its platforms harm children, will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo sharing app Instagram, and “nudging” teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that’s not conducive to their well-being.   The Menlo Park, California-based Facebook is also

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Facebook-backed Group Launches Misinformation Adjudication Panel in Australia
10/11/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said on Monday it has set up an industry panel to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts.  Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week labeled social media “a coward’s palace,” while

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Infrastructure Successes Have Transformed America, Can Biden’s Plan do the Same?
10/10/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Congress appears poised to pass a bipartisan, $1 trillion plan that would be the largest federal investment in infrastructure in more than a decade. History shows that investing in infrastructure can transform the United States, changing how Americans move, bolstering economic prosperity, and significantly improving the health and quality of life for many.    “When the transcontinental railroad

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Is Steve Jobs’ Legacy at Apple Wearing Thin?
10/09/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Ten years ago, Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer at 56. He played a huge role in making Apple one of the most successful companies in the world. But what does Apple’s future look like? Karina Bafradzhian has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. …

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Chinese Cyber Operations Scoop Up Data for Political, Economic Aims 
10/09/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Mustang Panda is a Chinese hacking group that is suspected of attempting to infiltrate the Indonesian government last month. The reported breach, which the Indonesians denied, fits the pattern of China’s recent cyberespionage campaigns. These attacks have been increasing over the past year, experts say, in search of social, economic and political intelligence from Asian

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Facebook Messenger, Instagram Service Disrupted for Second Time in a Week
10/08/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook confirmed on Friday that some users were having trouble accessing its apps and services, days after the social media giant suffered a six-hour outage triggered by an error during routine maintenance on its network of data centers.  Some users were unable to load their Instagram feeds, while others were not able to send messages

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Americans Agree Misinformation Is a Problem, Poll Shows
10/08/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Nearly all Americans agree that the rampant spread of misinformation is a problem. Most also think social media companies, and the people that use them, bear a good deal of blame for the situation. But few are very concerned that they themselves might be responsible, according to a new poll from The Pearson Institute and

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Microsoft: Russia Cyberattacks Targeting More Governments, Agencies
10/07/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Russia appears to be getting more aggressive and more successful as the nation’s hackers launch a growing number of cyberattacks against the United States and other nations, according to a new report by Microsoft.  Microsoft’s 2021 Digital Defense Report warns that what it labels as “Russian nation-state actors” are responsible for 58% of all nation-state cyberattacks,

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Google to Invest $1 Billion in Africa Over Five Years
10/07/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Google plans to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to ensure access to fast and cheaper internet and will back startups to support the continent’s digital transformation, it said on Wednesday. The unit of U.S. tech company Alphabet Inc made the announcement at a virtual event where it launched an Africa

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Amazon’s Twitch Hit by Data Breach
10/06/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Amazon.com Inc.’s livestreaming e-sports platform Twitch said Wednesday that it had been hit by a data breach. It gave no details. An anonymous hacker claimed to have leaked Twitch data, including information related to the company’s source code, clients and unreleased games, according to Video Games Chronicle, which first reported the news of the hack.

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US Rolls Out New Cybersecurity Requirements for Rail, Air 
10/06/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The United States is taking new steps to make sure the country’s air and surface transportation sectors will not be crippled by ransomware or cyberattacks. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the measures Tuesday at a virtual cybersecurity conference, warning that recent incidents such as the SolarWinds hack and the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack showed

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Facebook Called On to Answer Criticism About Negative Effects
10/06/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook is in the hot seat again. A recent Wall Street Journal report cites internal knowledge of its harmful effects and the company’s reticence to act. A whistleblower, a former Facebook employee, came out in public this week to testify against the social media company, only adding to the scrutiny. Tina Trinh reports.  Produced by:

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US Lawmakers Pillory Social Media Giant Facebook
10/05/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Key U.S. lawmakers pilloried social media giant Facebook on Tuesday after Frances Haugen, an inside whistleblower who once worked at the company, alleged that Facebook’s products are harming young people, undermining democracy and helping to divide the country politically.  Haugen, who worked as a Facebook project manager for less than two years, held Facebook Chief

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US Senator: Facebook Whistleblower’s Allegations Should Be Investigated by Regulators
10/05/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Facebook took another pounding in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday and a senator called on federal regulators to investigate accusations by a whistleblower that the company pushed for higher profits while being cavalier about user safety. In an opening statement to a Senate Commerce subcommittee, chair Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said that Facebook knew

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Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Suffering Outages
10/04/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

An outage has left millions of people around the world unable to use Facebook along with its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms to connect with friends, family and others. “We’re aware that some people are having trouble accessing our apps and products. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible, and we

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Facebook Whistleblower Says Firm Chooses ‘Profit Over Safety’
10/04/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

The whistleblower who shared a trove of Facebook documents alleging the social media giant knew its products were fueling hate and harming children’s mental health revealed her identity Sunday in a televised interview, and accused the company of choosing “profit over safety.”  Frances Haugen, a 37-year-old data scientist from Iowa, has worked for companies including Google and

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Twitter Appeals French Court Ruling on Anti-Hate Speech
10/02/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Twitter has appealed a French court decision that ordered it to give activists full access to all of its relevant documents on efforts to fight hate speech, lawyers and a judicial source said on Saturday.   In July, a French court ordered Twitter to grant six French anti-discrimination groups full access to all documents relating

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How China’s Ban on Cryptocurrency Will Ripple Overseas
10/02/2021 iNews,iTechnology iMaster

Since China’s government declared all cryptocurrency transactions illegal last week and banned citizens from working for crypto-related companies, the price of bitcoin went up despite being shut out of one of its biggest markets. Experts say large-scale Chinese miners of cryptocurrency — the likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum — will take their high-powered, electricity-guzzling servers

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