Sci-Tech

Tesla aims to calm fears over Model 3 production

by Luc Olinga Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A day after launching one of its cars into space, Tesla moved Wednesday to ease concerns on earth over production delays for its Model 3, the key to future growth for the star electric carmaker. In its quarterly earnings update, the carmaker led by entrepreneur Elon Musk said it is moving ahead toward its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by […]

Smart home unit Nest is spun back into Google

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Google is taking back Nest, the smart home unit of parent firm Alphabet, as part of an effort by the tech giant to battle rivals like Amazon and its Alexa digital assistant. Nest Labs, known for its smart home Wi-Fi  thermostat, was acquired by Google in 2014 for $3.2 billion and later became an independent Alphabet “other bets” unit dedicated to connected devices. Wednesday’s announcement brings Google and Nest back together […]

Elon Musk, visionary Tesla and SpaceX founder

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — From cars to rockets, Elon Musk dreams big. On Tuesday, the South African-born entrepreneur combined both of those passions, blasting one of his Tesla electric cars into space aboard his own rocket. It was the latest feat for the 46-year-old Silicon Valley billionaire who has been hailed as a leading innovator and visionary. Born in Pretoria, on June 28, 1971, the son of an […]

SpaceX launches world’s most powerful rocket toward Mars

CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) — The world’s most powerful rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, blasted off Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk’s cherry red Tesla roadster to an orbit near Mars. Screams and cheers erupted at Cape Canaveral, Florida as the massive rocket fired its 27 engines and rumbled into the blue sky over the same NASA launchpad that served as a base for the US missions to Moon four decades […]

Trappist planets have water, may be ‘habitable’: researchers

by Mariëtte Le Roux Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Seven planets recently spotted orbiting a dim star in our Milky Way galaxy are rocky, seem to have water, and are potentially “habitable”, researchers studying the distant system said Monday. Though much remains unknown about the planets’ surfaces and atmospheres, the new measurements have not ruled out the possibility that they may harbour even rudimentary life, the scientists reported. “So far, no sign allows […]

SpaceX poised to launch ‘world’s most powerful rocket’

by Kerry SHERIDAN Agence France Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — SpaceX is poised for the first test launch Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world’s most powerful rocket in operation, capable of ferrying people to the Moon or Mars some day. The launch is the most ambitious yet for SpaceX, and has been hailed by industry experts as a game-changer because of its potential to propel the California-based company to […]

Waymo vs Uber trade secrets trial at starting line

by Glenn Chapman Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — A billion-dollar trial pitting Alphabet-owned autonomous driving unit Waymo against Uber starts Monday, in what could be a blockbuster case between two technology giants over the alleged theft of trade secrets. The San Francisco courtroom battle will take place as Waymo and Uber race to perfect self-driving cars that people could summon for rides as desired in a turn away from car ownership. The […]

Amazon patents could enable worker monitoring via wristband

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Amazon has received patents for electronic systems that could enable warehouse monitoring through electronic pulses that guide employees by location. The patent filings, first reported this week by the news site Geekwire, come amid concerns over workplace conditions for the company, which has seen rapid growth in its warehouses or “fulfillment centers” key to its logistics. The publicly available patent documents show how wrist-worn devices could deliver ultrasonic pulses […]

Russia to start offering spacewalks for tourists

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia is planning to send paying tourists on the International Space Station out on spacewalks for the first time, an official from the country’s space industry said Thursday. “We are discussing the possibility of sending tourists on spacewalks,” Vladimir Solntsev, the head of Russian space company Energia, told Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda. “Market analysts have confirmed this: wealthy people are ready to pay money for this,” Solntsev told the paper. He […]

Europe claims 100 million users for Galileo satnav system

PARIS, France (AFP) — The Galileo satellite navigation system, Europe’s rival to the United States’ GPS, has nearly 100 million users after its first year of operation, the French space agency CNES said Thursday. The system, seen as strategically important to Europe, went live in December 2016, having taken 17 years at more than triple the original budget to get there. Initial services offered only a weak signal, and some of the atomic timekeepers on […]

Tesla cars to have own motor racing competition

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Tesla electric cars, which have a passionate following around the world, will soon have their own racing competition, a global sports organizer said on Thursday. Electric GT Holdings said the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), motorsports’ governing body, has approved circuit races for the Tesla Model S P100D. “The Championship is the first all-electric circuit race series in the world and heralds the dawn of a new electric future,” […]

Facebook shares swing as changes trim time spent by users

SAN FRANCISCO, United States by Glenn CHAPMAN (AFP) — Facebook on Wednesday reported earnings that beat expectations, but shares swung as it stressed the goal of prioritizing personal interactions among users over the time they spend on the world’s biggest social network. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said changes cut time spent on the site by some 50 million hours per day, but its chief operating officer argued that having users engage more with friends’ posts could […]