TECH REPORT: Facebook cuts ban on cryptocurrency ads, Amazon battles fraudsters

Amazon said it was hit by extensive fraud, revealing that unidentified hackers were able to siphon funds from merchants over the last year.

Amazon believes it was the victim of serious hack attack by hackers who broke into about 100 seller accounts and funneled cash from loans or sales into their own bank account.

FACEBOOK LOOSENS BAN

Facebook on Wednesday said it is loosening its ban on ads related to blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies.

The change in policy comes amid reports that Facebook is ramping up efforts to build its own cryptocurrency.

Facebook first started blocking ads promoting cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings in January 2018 over concerns that users might be scammed.

ROBOT RESEARCH

A new video shows a humanoid robot crossing a balance beam with ease.

Robots struggle to walk across difficult terrain but that’s changing fast.

Researchers from the institute for human & machine cognition say the robot carefully moves across a series of narrow cinder blocks and a balance beam, revealing a degree of body control that many humans would struggle to maintain.

NASA is eyeing soft robots for dirty jobs on the moon and mars.

These robots don’t have the sharp angles and hard surfaces of most sci-fi robots. The researchers are building robotic actuators with soft silicone exteriors that can bend, flex and expand.

They move based on the amount of air in their chambers. The researchers see a future where soft robots move across the surface of the moon and work together to create temporary shelters.

-Jane King