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Spyware Accountability Initiative, with seed funding from Apple and leading philanthropies, announces $4 million in grants to address the harms of spyware on civil society

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NEW YORK, March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, leading philanthropies in partnership with Apple announced over $4 million in grants through the Spyware Accountability Initiative to address the harms of the global spyware industry on civil society. The nearly two dozen organizations supported by these grants will leverage regulation, litigation, and investigation to ensure that governments and corporations cannot use state-sponsored mercenary spyware to harm or unjustly surveil the civil society organizations that keep them in check.

The Ford Foundation’s Dignity and Justice Fund, fiscally sponsored by the New Venture Fund (NVF), launched the Spyware Accountability Initiative with a founding contribution by Apple and additional support from Open Society Foundations, Okta for Good, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. Grantees of the Dignity and Justice Fund’s Spyware Accountability Initiative were recommended to the board of NVF by the Fund’s advisory board, which consists of members of the Ford Foundation leadership team. An independent, global technical advisory committee advised on the Fund’s grantmaking strategy. Over the next five years, the Spyware Accountability Initiative will support a growing community of researchers and advocacy organizations investigating, exposing, and bringing accountability to the global mercenary spyware trade.

“Addressing the global spyware industry cannot be the work of any one company or funder or government; it requires an approach as interconnected as our world is today,” said Lori McGlinchey, director of Ford Foundation’s Technology and Society program. “Ford Foundation is proud to be a part of the Spyware Accountability Initiative, which harnesses the resources and technical prowess of Apple, the funding and social justice acumen of philanthropy, and the cutting edge research and advocacy of civil society worldwide. The Spyware Accountability Initiative is a major step towards confronting and neutralizing the threat mercenary spyware poses to human rights defenders, journalists, and dissidents around the globe.”

In recent years state and non-state actors have used spyware to track and intimidate human rights defenders, political dissidents, and environmental activists, leading to hundreds of acts of physical violence and psychological harm. There is not a single company or piece of malicious software behind these attacks, but a burgeoning and lucrative industry whose footprint extends to virtually every region of the world, and notably the Global South, where the harms of mercenary spyware are most pronounced.

“Holding mercenary spyware firms and their government clients accountable for their harms will require a collaborative effort and a growing community of organizations and individuals dedicated to the problem,” said Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab. “By supporting initiatives in this area, the Spyware Accountability Initiative will help ensure a growing and vibrant space for digital accountability research and advocacy for years to come.” 

The aim of the Spyware Accountability Initiative is to grow a global field of civil society organizations who are advancing threat research, advocacy and accountability to address the use and trade of spyware. Half of the grants announced today support organizations in the Global South. The Initiative’s first wave of grants focuses on three key areas: international advocacy and litigation; investigations and research; and Global South regional field building and organizational strengthening. Groups supported by grants through the Spyware Accountability Initiative include:

Access Now (Global), Amnesty Tech (Amnesty International) (Global), Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (Global), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (USA), The Citizen Lab (Canada), Data Privacy Brasil (Brazil), Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan), Epicenter.works (Europe), Hiperderecho (Peru), International Justice Clinic at the University of California, Irvine School of Law (USA), Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University (USA), Lighthouse Reports (Netherlands), Media Defence (UK), Media Diversity Institute (Armenia), Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D) (Mexico), Red Line for Gulf (UK), SocialTIC (Mexico), Spaces For Change (Nigeria), Unwanted Witness (Uganda).

To learn more, visit the homepage of the Spyware Accountability Initiative.

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SOURCE Ford Foundation

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Kontron Launches Two New KBox F-Series Industrial Computers To Bring Greater Flexibility and Scalability to Industrial Edge Computing

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October 21, 2026

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TAIPEI, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), expands its KBox F-Series with the KBox F-203-RPS and KBox F-204-RPS, two compact industrial computers designed to address diverse requirements in intelligent Industry 4.0, edge computing and industrial IoT applications.

Both systems are powered by 12th, 13th or 14th Gen Intel® Core™ i9/i7/i5/i3 S-Series socket-type processors with a TDP of up to 65 W and support up to 96 GB DDR5 memory, providing a scalable computing foundation for demanding industrial applications requiring flexible performance configuration and long-term deployment.

The KBox F-203-RPS offers two LAN configurations with either two or four GbE ports, allowing customers to select the connectivity level that best fits their applications. The dual-LAN configuration provides an efficient solution for general industrial computing, equipment control and edge applications, while the four-LAN configuration offers additional network connectivity for applications involving multiple devices or network segments, such as machine vision, industrial automation and IoT gateways.

For applications requiring greater system expandability, the KBox F-204-RPS provides one PCIe x16 or two PCIe x8 expansion slots, offering the flexibility to integrate graphics, networking, AI acceleration or other add-on cards according to specific application requirements. With support for up to four 2.5-inch SATA HDDs/SSDs, it also provides extensive storage scalability for data-intensive workloads. These capabilities make the KBox F-204-RPS particularly suitable for industrial edge computing, machine vision, video processing and applications requiring additional functionality or large local data storage.

Together, the KBox F-203-RPS and KBox F-204-RPS enable customers to select the configuration that best matches their requirements, from a slimmer, network-focused industrial computer to a highly expandable edge computing platform.

To learn more about KBox F-203-RPS and KBox F-204-RPS, refer to https://www.kontron.com/en/products/kbox-f-203-rps/p301099 and https://www.kontron.com/en/products/kbox-f-204-rps/p311867.

About Kontron

At Kontron, we champion IoT and Industry 4.0, by creating secure, state-of-the-art solutions that span hardware, software and services. Our approach speeds market entry, reduces the cost of ownership, and offers longevity, ensuring our role as your trusted partner in the integration of smart technologies. For more information, please visit www.kontron.com, dial +886-2-2799-2789 or email SalesAsia@kontron.com.

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SOURCE Kontron

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Mouser Electronics Brings Smart Sensing Solutions to PSECE 2026

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October 21, 2026

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MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorized global distributor with the newest electronic components and industrial automation products, announces its participation in the 21st Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Convention and Exhibition (PSECE 2026) from October 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Philippines. This event underscores Mouser’s commitment to supporting the region’s growing electronics design community with immediate access to cutting-edge technologies.

Visitors are invited to meet the Mouser team at Booth #110-111 to explore new products and practical design resources. The booth features a live demonstration of Würth Elektronik’s smart sensing and visual indication solutions, integrating environmental and motion sensing with programmable visual feedback and wireless connectivity. This interactive display illustrates how modern devices can detect physical conditions and translate them into clear, immediate visual data, addressing the critical need for reliable intelligence in connected systems.

“As we advance into an era of interconnected intelligence, Mouser remains committed to bridging the gap between cutting-edge components and real-world application,” said Daphne Tien, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Mouser APAC. “Our presence at PSECE 2026 underscores our dedication to empowering engineers with the tools they need to innovate. We look forward to fostering a vibrant ecosystem where technology translates into tangible progress for the Philippines and beyond.”

Mouser’s participation highlights its strategic objective to strengthen ties with local partners and accelerate the adoption of advanced semiconductor technologies. By providing a platform for knowledge exchange, the company aims to help design communities turn promising prototypes into practical applications.

Attendees will have the opportunity to gather invaluable insights, learn industry best practices, and connect with professionals from across the region. The booth also features interactive activities where visitors can win premium gadgets and engineering tools, making innovative technology more approachable for everyone.

To learn more about Mouser’s presence at PSECE 2026, visit https://www.mouser.ph/psece-seipi/. 

For more Mouser news and our latest new product introductions, visit https://www.mouser.com/newsroom/.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/mouser-electronics-brings-smart-sensing-solutions-to-psece-2026-302914806.html

SOURCE Mouser Electronics

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Workato Launches Self-Serve Platform in Singapore, Opening Enterprise AI to a Broader Community of Builders

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October 21, 2026

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New offering gives developers, students, and customers access to the full power of Workato’s enterprise-grade engine to build AI agents and MCP servers

SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Workato®, the leading Control and Execution Platform for Enterprise AI, today announced the launch of a new self-service offering that gives customers, developers, and students across Asia access to the Workato platform to govern and scale their AI initiatives, including building and productionizing AI agents and MCP servers.

Making AI accessible has been at the heart of Workato’s mission the past several years. Through the AI Institute Alliance, unveiled in September 2025, Workato partnered with leading institutes of higher learning across Singapore, including Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and the National University of Singapore. The initiative equipped students and educators with automation and AI skills.

The AI Lab, which opened a year later, extended that commitment further into the public sector through its partnership with EDB, and into inclusive hiring through SG Enable.

The newly launched self-serve platform will provide users access to:

A free account to start building immediately, with the option to upgrade to a paid plan, no contract required, as projects growThe ability to build recipes, Agents/Genies, and MCP servers directly on the platformThe same governed, enterprise-grade engine that powers Workato’s largest deploymentsA path built for independent developers, students, and small teams, as well as large enterprises

Since launching in 2026 in North America, Workato has seen rapid growth in the builder community. The platform is enterprise grade, but free to get started. As builders solve problems for their business, they can grow by upgrading to a paid plan. With this launch in Singapore, Workato is making an investment in the local builder community.

“The next era of AI won’t be defined by who has access to intelligence, but by who can turn it into action. We’re putting the same enterprise-grade power trusted by the world’s largest companies into the hands of every builder. We want everyone to be able to transform how their business operates,” said Rishi Mallik, Chief Growth Officer, Workato. 

Workato showcased its self-serve platform and broader community initiatives at World of Workato (WOW) 2026 in Singapore.

Builders can sign up now at https://app.trial.workato.com/users/sign_up_trial?utm_content=sg_wow2026.

About Workato

Workato is the leading Control and Execution Platform for Enterprise AI — the neutral platform enterprises trust to put AI to work across their business. Workato unifies data, applications, and processes into a single platform so AI can reliably orchestrate business processes in production at enterprise scale. Built on more than a decade of running mission-critical processes for over half the Fortune 500 — including Nasdaq, Cisco, Vodafone, Atlassian, and Lucid Motors — Workato turns over 17,000 enterprise systems AI needs to act on into one governed execution layer. For more information, visit workato.com.

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SOURCE Workato

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