This Week in Tech

This Week in Tech – 03/18/2018: Plugin Forces Users to Prove They’ve Read a Story Before They Comment

Plugin Forces Users to Prove They’ve Read a Story Before They Comment

The five-person team behind a simple WordPress plugin, which took three hours to code, never expected to receive worldwide attention as a result. But NRKbeta, the tech-testing group at Norway’s largest national media organization, tapped into a meaty vein with the unveiling of last February’s Know2Comment, an open source plugin that can attach to any WordPress site’s comment section…


The YouTube Kids App Has Been Suggesting a Load of Conspiracy Videos to Children

YouTube’s app specifically for children is meant to filter out adult content and provide a “world of learning and fun,” but Business Insider found that YouTube Kids featured many conspiracy theory videos which make claims that the world is flat, that the moon landing was faked, and that the planet is ruled by reptile-human hybrids…


An Ex-YouTube Recruiter Claims Google Discriminated Against White and Asian Men — Then Deleted the Evidence

Google stopped hiring white and Asian men to YouTube last year in favour of women and minority applicants, according to a civil lawsuit filed by a former YouTube recruiter. White and Asian men are historically over-represented in the tech world…


Russia Will Beat NASA to Mars and Find Water on the Moon, Says Putin

Russia will launch a mission to Mars in 2019 which if successful would beat NASA’s planned exploration of the red planet by a year…


Department of Citrus Employee Arrested When Caught Mining for Cryptocurrency, Agents Say

A Department of Citrus employee was arrested after he used state computers to produce virtual currency for himself, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement…


Never Get Sunburned Again With QSun, a Wearable Gizmo That Tracks UV Exposure

A new wearable device that’s just hit Kickstarter promises to help you keep track of harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, courtesy of some smart artificial intelligence technology. Called the QSun, the gadget not only aims to protect you from sun-induced skin damage, but also make sure that you’re still getting a healthy amount of vitamin D, which comes from sun exposure…


A Simple Artificial Heart Could Permanently Replace a Failing Human One

Nearly 4,000 people in the US are waiting for heart transplants. And on average, it takes about six months to get one, during which time some patients will die…