How COVID-19 is accelerating the shift to a cashless society
Tom Ivory, the founder of the Baker Street Bread Co. in Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill section, fought a valiant effort for years to rein in bank fees by imposing a minimum credit card purchase of $10. But more customers wanted to go cashless, and Ivory eventually relented and accepted plastic for any transaction, no matter how […]
The (near) cashless society arrives
People have suddenly stopped using money — of the bill-and-coin variety — for fear it may spread the virus. Some worried shopkeepers have stopped accepting it, too. Why it matters: The coronavirus may have changed our buying and payment habits forever. Online shopping is through the roof, and consumers are rushing to get “contactless” credit and debit […]
‘Certain narratives were exposed’ in national ID systems, development experts tell ID4Africa webinar
Universal digital identity coverage could be achieved within the next two years, if shifts in political will and recognition of the mission’s importance are harnessed, according to an expert perspective shared during the latest ID4Africa webinar. “The Identity for Development Agenda in the Era of COVID-19” featured an intense panel discussion by development agencies and United Nations […]
SpaceX: We’ve launched 32,000 Linux computers into space for Starlink internet
Each of SpaceX’s monthly launches of 60 internet-beaming Starlink satellites carries 4,000 stripped-back Linux computers, SpaceX software engineers have revealed. SpaceX engineers disclosed the detail in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session over the weekend. Elon Musk’s rocket company last week launched 60 more internet-beaming satellites into space on a reused Falcon 9 rocket, bringing its total count […]
Brain Scans And Artificial Intelligence Invade Schools
Ultra-creepy technology that George Orwell could not have imagined in his most terrifying nightmares is invading government-school classrooms — and children’s minds — all around the world. While many of the Big Brother innovations are coming out of Communist China, they are making their way into American schools quickly as well. Parents, beware. In a video […]
Education app reveals users’ sensitive information, research finds
8Belts, a maker of language-learning apps, leaked sensitive personal information on hundreds of thousands of users around the world from an unsecured cloud database, researchers said in a report Friday. The information included national identity numbers, as well as names, email addresses and phone numbers. The database was accessible to anyone who had the right IP address, […]
Will Facial Recognition Compromise your Privacy?
Facial recognition is a technology that grows stronger every day. In fact, today it is part of a large percentage of our daily life when we interact with it through actions as simple as unlocking a cell phone. In countries such as China, for example, its application is massive in cities, reaching the point of […]
Digital Rights Group Asks EU to Ban Biometric Mass Surveillance
European Digital Rights (EDRi) is asking the European Union to ban all forms of biometric mass surveillance. The organization’s latest paper also calls for the suspension of any such programs that are already in place, noting that biometric surveillance is currently being explored in at least 15 EU member states. EDRi is a digital rights […]
Contact tracing by app: life-saving or invasion of privacy?
For many Americans, it’s only a matter of weeks before the cell phones in their pockets start measuring how close they’ve come to COVID-19. But advocates, scientists and researchers are monitoring the spread of something they deem to be important, too, and that’s how close these mobile applications come to invading privacy and encroaching on […]
Cashless transactions spike as Covid-19 forces public to adapt
The Covid-19 outbreak has drastically accelerated Singapore’s shift to a cashless world, with unprecedented growth in the number of e-payment transactions amid a sharp decrease in cash withdrawals and deposits. Not only are more people buying necessities using grocery and food delivery apps and paying for them using cards, they are also paying for goods […]