A free-for-all but no crippling cyberattacks in Ukraine war

Russia has some of the best hackers in the world, but in the early days of the war in Ukraine, its ability to create mayhem through malware hasn’t had much of a noticeable impact.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/a-free-for-all-but-no-crippling-cyberattacks-in-ukraine-war/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa to start delivering doctor help

If there is no doctor in the house, Amazon’s Alexa will soon be able to summon one.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazons-voice-assistant-alexa-to-start-delivering-doctor-help/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Toyota’s Japan production halted over suspected cyberattack

Toyota says it is suspending production at all 28 lines of its 14 plants in Japan because of a “system malfunction” that a domestic supplier suspects is a cyberattack.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/toyotas-japan-production-halted-over-supplier-malfunction/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Fed up with Google, conspiracy theorists turn to DuckDuckGo

Praise for DuckDuckGo has become a popular refrain during the pandemic among right-wing social media influencers and conspiracy theorists.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/fed-up-with-google-conspiracy-theorists-turn-to-duckduckgo/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How tech could help out endangered languages like Cherokee

By itself, being able to read smartphone home screens in Cherokee won’t be enough to safeguard the Indigenous language, endangered after a long history of erasure.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/how-tech-could-help-out-endangered-languages-like-cherokee/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Amazon’s Astro home robot remains elusive 6 months after debut

Last September, Amazon debuted a household robot named Astro to usher in a Jetsons-like future. Customers are still waiting for Astro to arrive.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazons-astro-home-robot-remains-elusive-6-months-after-debut/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Space industry booming around Puget Sound

The Seattle area’s space industry has doubled its economic impact in recent years, and accounted for $4.6 billion in economic activity last year.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/space-industry-booming-around-puget-sound/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Ukraine crypto donations pour in after Russian invasion

Ukrainian officials are directly soliciting crypto donations, adding to crowdfunding efforts that have raised more than $5 million in Bitcoin, Ether and other tokens since Friday. 

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ukraine-crypto-donations-pour-in-after-russian-invasion/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How to fix an all-in-one printer, handle virtual RAM and upgrade a computer

Patrick Marshall tells readers how to handle a finicky printer, gets deep on virtual RAM and describes how best to upgrade a computer.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-to-fix-an-all-in-one-printer-handle-virtual-ram-and-upgrade-a-computer/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

War via TikTok: Russia’s new tool for propaganda machine

Russia is revving up its sophisticated propaganda machine as its military advances in Ukraine.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/war-via-tiktok-russias-new-tool-for-propaganda-machine/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How protesters in Russia and Ukraine are avoiding internet censorship — and jail

As Russia cracks down on antiwar protests, those voicing dissent face heightened danger. Social media companies have taken measures to address threats to users in those regions.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-protesters-in-russia-and-ukraine-are-avoiding-internet-censorship-and-jail/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Vacant Atlantic City airport could become car lovers’ dream

A $2.7 billion recreational, residential and retail project aimed at car lovers is being proposed for an historic but vacant former airport in Atlantic City.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/vacant-atlantic-city-airport-could-become-car-lovers-dream/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users

TikTok videos, propagandized headlines and tweets being shared on smartphones and screens around the globe are confusing millions about the reality of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is unfolding on the ground.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/propaganda-fake-videos-of-ukraine-invasion-bombard-users-2/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

WA companies prepare as threat of Russian cyberattacks increases

Some companies are stepping up security protocols while others argue they're already prepared and sticking to their "standard strategy."

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/wa-companies-prepare-as-threat-of-russian-cyberattacks-increases/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Jet-engine makers look for titanium supplies outside Russia

Engine makers for Boeing and Airbus jets are working to diversify sources of titanium away from major supplier Russia. 

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/jet-engine-makers-look-for-titanium-supplies-outside-russia/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users

TikTok videos, propagandized headlines and tweets being shared on smartphones and screens around the globe are confusing millions about the reality of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is unfolding on the ground.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/propaganda-fake-videos-of-ukraine-invasion-bombard-users/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Rocky Mountain states to team up on hydrogen tech proposal

The governors of four Rocky Mountain states say they will cooperate on developing ways to make hydrogen more available and useful as clean-burning fuel for cars, trucks and trains.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rocky-mountain-states-to-team-up-on-hydrogen-tech-proposal/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Sleng Teng: How a Japanese woman influenced Jamaica’s reggae

A musical revolution in Jamaica has a connection with a rhythm pattern that came off a portable electronic keyboard that’s the brainchild of a Japanese woman.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/sleng-teng-how-a-japanese-woman-influenced-jamaicas-reggae/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Activision undergoes executive shakeup at its Candy Crush division

King division President Humam Sakhnini and Chief Creative Officer Sebastian Knutsson are both leaving, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/activision-undergoes-executive-shakeup-at-its-candy-crush-division/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Ukraine hit by more cyberattacks, destructive malware

Ukraine’s parliament and other government and banking websites have been hit with another wave of distributed-denial-of-service attacks, and cybersecurity researchers say unidentified attackers have also infected hundreds of computers with destructive malware.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ukraine-hit-by-more-cyberattacks-destructive-malware/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Space Station ‘largely isolated’ from tensions over Ukraine

The former head of the National Space Council tells The Associated Press that tensions in eastern Ukraine – and heightened Western fears of a Russian invasion – should not have a significant impact on the International Space Station or U.S.-Russia cooperation in space.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/space-station-largely-isolated-from-tensions-over-ukraine/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

WHO works to spread COVID vaccine technology to more nations

The World Health Organization is creating a global training center to help poorer countries make vaccines, antibodies and cancer treatments using the messenger RNA technology used to make COVID-19 vaccines.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/who-works-to-spread-covid-vaccine-technology-to-more-nations/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How tech can (and can’t) help you fight soaring energy bills

Thermostats like Nest go a long way toward helping you use less energy, but the real problem-solvers are people.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-tech-can-and-cant-help-you-fight-soaring-energy-bills/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

IRS will allow taxpayers to forgo facial recognition amid blowback

The IRS, dealing with a controversy over facial recognition software, said it would allow taxpayers to authenticate their accounts with a live, virtual interview.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/irs-will-allow-taxpayers-to-forgo-facial-recognition-amid-blowback/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Trump’s Truth Social is poised to join a crowded field

Truth Social, the former president’s hard-right alternative to Twitter, could open its doors next month. But as businesses go, outrage may not be the best moneymaker.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/trumps-truth-social-is-poised-to-join-a-crowded-field/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Tonga’s internet finally restored 5 weeks after big eruption

Tonga’s main internet connection to the rest of the world has finally been restored more than five weeks after a huge volcanic eruption and tsunami severed a crucial undersea cable.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tongas-internet-finally-restored-5-weeks-after-big-eruption/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Big Tech makes a big bet: Offices are still the future

Big tech companies were among the first to let employees to work from home permanently, but they have also been spending billions expanding their offices.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/big-tech-makes-a-big-bet-offices-are-still-the-future/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Standard General taking Tegna private in $5.4B cash deal

Standard General is taking television station owner Tegna private in an all-cash deal valued at about $5.4 billion.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/standard-general-taking-tegna-private-in-5-4b-cash-deal/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Office lobbies get security makeover, but not one you will see

As workers begin to trickle back into the office, the lobby is changing again, this time with an emphasis on health and safety.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/office-lobbies-get-security-makeover-but-not-one-you-will-see/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Thom Hartmann reveals how Big Brother is watching you

Syndicated talk show host and author Thom Hartmann chats with The Seattle Times about his new book on the death of privacy and rise of surveillance.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/thom-hartmann-reveals-how-big-brother-is-watching-you/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Beekeepers turn to anti-theft technology as hive thefts rise

About a thousand beehives worth hundreds of thousands of dollars have been reported stolen across California in the past few weeks.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/beekeepers-turn-to-anti-theft-technology-as-hive-thefts-rise/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Trump’s social media app launches year after Twitter ban

Former President Donald Trump’s social media app has launched as he seeks a new digital stage free of Big Tech limits on speech a year after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/trumps-social-media-app-launches-year-after-twitter-ban/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Storm helps Poland hit wind energy record: 30% of power

Poland's power distribution operator says the deadly high winds that struck last week generated a record level of wind energy, covering some 30% of the demand in Poland, where most of the electricity comes from coal.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/storm-helps-poland-hit-wind-energy-record-30-of-power/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Big Tech has a new ally: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The business group hasn't previously made competition policy a priority, but says it's taking on the issue because the antitrust framework is being turned upside down.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/big-tech-has-a-new-ally-the-u-s-chamber-of-commerce/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Flying cabs steal thunder at air show as clean future beckons

Electric flying taxis took center stage at the Singapore Airshow as airlines invested in short, battery-powered hops to spur future growth.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/flying-cabs-steal-thunder-at-airshow-as-clean-future-beckons/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Nope to Metamates, Amazonians and Googlers | Commentary

Technology is so ingrained in our lives that company quirks seen as adorable in 2000 — like special names for workers — now come off as strained artifice.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nope-to-metamates-amazonians-and-googlers-commentary/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

At Olympics, cybersecurity worries linger in background

Warnings to use disposable “burner” phones and laptops.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/at-olympics-cybersecurity-worries-linger-in-background/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Roku’s record collapse expands list of fallen pandemic favorites

Roku's disappointing fourth quarter results sent its stock tumbling Friday. The streaming platform is struggling like other companies that capitalized on people staying home during the coronavirus pandemic.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rokus-record-collapse-expands-list-of-fallen-pandemic-favorites/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

BEIJING SNAPSHOT: As Olympics ebb, smartphone synchronicity

As part of the closing ceremony for the most locked-down and sequestered Olympics in human history, a carefully curated crowd watched as the famed Bird’s Nest stadium as a warm and humanistic show unfolded.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/olympics/beijing-notebook-as-olympics-ebb-smartphone-synchronicity/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

‘They think they can do anything’: Amazon psychologist describes on-the-job bullying, discrimination

A psychologist at an Amazon distribution center in Spokane claims he was fired for speaking up about bullying and inappropriate behavior.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/they-think-they-can-do-anything-amazon-psychologist-describes-on-the-job-bullying-discrimination/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Pompeii: Rebirth of Italy’s dead city that nearly died again

Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, is experiencing a kind of rebirth.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/pompeii-rebirth-of-italys-dead-city-that-nearly-died-again/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

How to extend a phone’s battery life, find troublesome shortcuts and stop speaker interference

Patrick Marshall answers reader questions about best practices to extend the battery life for smartphones and how to eliminate speaker interference on a PC.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/patrick-marshall-answers-questions-about-how-to-extend-a-phone-battery-life-and-speaker-interference-on-a-pc/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Fine-tune and prune your phone’s contacts list

Your phone's contacts app can be easy to treat as a simple address book, but the default versions usually included in Apple's iOS 15 and Google's Android 12 can be much more useful.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/fine-tune-and-prune-your-phones-contacts-list/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

US securities agency denies claims it’s harassing Elon Musk

U.S. securities regulators responded to allegations that they are harassing Tesla CEO Elon Musk, writing in a letter that they’re following a judge’s instructions in trying to speak with Musk's lawyers about his posts on Twitter.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/us-securities-agency-denies-claims-its-harassing-elon-musk/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

US, Britain accuse Russia of cyberattacks targeting Ukraine

The White House has accused Russia of being responsible for cyberattacks targeting Ukraine’s defense ministry and major banks.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/white-house-accuses-russia-of-cyberattacks-targeting-ukraine/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Hamilton wants social media companies to curb online abuse

Lewis Hamilton has called on social media companies to do more to stop the spread of online abuse after fellow Formula One driver Nicholas Latifi received death threats following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/auto-racing/hamilton-wants-social-media-companies-to-curb-online-abuse/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

IRS adds new ‘surge team’ as lawmakers fume over tardy refunds

The IRS is expanding its capacity to process tax returns following criticisms from members of Congress about taxpayers waiting months to get their refunds.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/irs-adds-new-surge-team-as-lawmakers-fume-over-tardy-refunds/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Do you know who that worker you just hired really is? Probably not

Remote hiring has given some job seekers the impression that they can get away with extreme forms of dishonesty.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/do-you-know-who-that-worker-you-just-hired-really-is-probably-not/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

A child’s TikTok stardom opens doors. Then a gunman arrives.

What began as an enterprising teenager’s lockdown venture has awakened a family of five to how online fame can fuel real-world violence.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/a-childs-tiktok-stardom-opens-doors-then-a-gunman-arrives/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology

Google creates $100 million fund for skills training program

Google's $100 million fund is a big bet on scaling up programs that have proved effective in lifting low-income workers into middle-class jobs and careers.

source https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/google-creates-100-million-fund-for-skills-training-program/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_technology