Sci-Tech

Facebook joins Europol talks to fight Islamist propaganda

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Facebook took part this week in key talks with European police agencies on how to stop and eliminate violent and terror-related Islamic jihadist posts, in an evolving battle against such propaganda. Representatives from the giant social network travelled to The Hague for Thursday’s unprecedented talks at Europol’s headquarters in the city, officials said Friday. They were also joined by Instagram officials and police from Britain, France and Belgium, aiming “to […]

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Man’s best friend goes high tech at gadget fest

by Glenn Chapman © Agence France-Presse LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Technology is going to the dogs. And to cats and horses, for that matter, as high-end gadgetry showcased at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show offered ways that smart devices can improve the lives of animals and their human friends — starting with a good night’s rest. US-based Petrics was at the show with what it billed as the first pet smart bed, capable of keeping […]

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Beyond the car: how tech firms are exploring the future of transport

by Glenn Chapman Agence France-Presse LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Carless commuting is cruising in the fast lane at the Consumer Electronics Show, with companies showing off electric bicycles, scooters, skateboards and more aimed at making the internal combustion engine a thing of the past. As the ranks of people around the world living in cities have grown, so too has the cost of car ownership as well as traffic congestion. Nowhere was this […]

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Yamaha motorcycle comes on command at CES event

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — With a wave, Kinji Asamura summoned a riderless motorcycle to his side in the Yamaha booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. The concept electric motorcycle, called ‘Motoroid,’ then balanced in position, holding its place even when Asamura tried gently to push it over. Nearby, a robot that might seem suited for a futuristic action film was astride a production model Yamaha super-bike that it […]

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Old dog, new tricks: Sony unleashes ‘intelligent’ robot pet

by Miwa Suzuki Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — As Japan celebrates the year of the dog, electronics giant Sony on Thursday unleashed its new robot canine companion, packed with artificial intelligence and internet connectivity. The sleek ivory-white puppy-sized “aibo” robot shook its head and wagged its tail as if waking from a nap when it was taken out of a cocoon-shaped case at a “birthday ceremony” held in Tokyo. Seven-year-old boy Naohiro Sugimoto from […]

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Deep, buried glaciers spotted on Mars

by Kerry Sheridan Agence France Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Buried glaciers have been spotted on Mars, offering new hints about how much water may be accessible on the Red Planet and where it is located, researchers said Thursday. Although ice has long been known to exist on Mars, a better understanding of its depth and location could be vital to future human explorers, said the report in the US journal Science. “Astronauts could […]

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Sony unleashes ‘intelligent’ robot pet

by Miwa Suzuki Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — As Japan celebrates the year of the dog, electronics giant Sony on Thursday unleashed its new robot canine companion, packed with artificial intelligence and internet connectivity. The sleek ivory-white puppy-sized “aibo” robot shook its head and wagged its tail as if waking from a nap when it was taken out of a cocoon-shaped case at a “birthday ceremony” held in Tokyo. Seven-year-old boy Naohiro Sugimoto […]

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New ’emotional’ robots aim to read human feelings

by Rob Lever and Julie Charpentrat Agence France Presse LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — The robot called Forpheus does more than play a mean game of table tennis. It can read body language to gauge its opponent’s ability, and offer advice and encouragement. “It will try to understand your mood and your playing ability and predict a bit about your next shot,” said Keith Kersten of Japan-based Omron Automation, which developed Forpheus to showcase […]

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New insights into mysterious, cosmic ‘fast radio bursts’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Astronomers have edged closer to solving the mystery of distant cosmic radio bursts according to a study Wednesday that offers insights into the blasts which emit more energy in a single millisecond than our sun does all day. International astronomers have spotted a few dozen fast radio bursts (FRBs) — and as many as 10,000 may occur daily — but only one has repeated sporadically, known as FRB 121102, allowing […]

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Forget the self-driving car, meet the self-driving suitcase

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Self-driving cars may take a while to arrive, but the self-driving suitcase is here now. Some of the technologies used in autonomous cars have been adopted in products unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, to help travelers with the weighty problem of dealing with baggage. The “robot suitcase” from California-based startup Travelmate can be controlled with a smartphone app and can roll alongside its owner […]

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Huawei setback in US market amid national security concerns

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei faces a major setback in efforts to expand in the US smartphone market following renewed national security concerns, documents showed. Huawei, which appeared to lose a deal with AT&T that would have given it an improved foothold in the handset market, faced criticism from US lawmakers over its intellectual property protection and its ties to Chinese intelligence, according to a letter seen by AFP this week. […]

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With pricey electric car, Fisker eyes comeback

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Henrik Fisker unveiled his $129,000 electric luxury car Tuesday, in a rebooted effort by the renowned auto designer to take on Tesla and other luxury automakers. The Fisker EMotion, which made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is part of a comeback effort for Henrik Fisker, a former BMW and Aston Martin designer whose first venture was halted in 2013 […]

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