Sci-Tech

Tech firms rush out patches for ‘pervasive’ computer flaw

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Amid a frantic rush to patch a computer security flaw, experts struggled Thursday to determine the impact of a newly discovered vulnerability which could affect billions of devices worldwide. Cybersecurity researchers called for computer systems to urgently install updates a day after the release of details of the so-called Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities affecting the chips powering most modern PCs and many mobile devices. Researchers […]

Continue Reading →

Computer chip ‘flaw’ sparks security debate amid scramble for fix

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Technology giant Intel acknowledged a vulnerability Wednesday that could allow hackers to access stored data on most modern computer systems, but said the security risks were minimal. The computer chipmaker issued a statement amid a flurry of concerns voiced after researchers discovered what was described as a “flaw” which could allow privately-stored data in computers and networks to be leaked. Intel labelled as “incorrect” the […]

Continue Reading →

BlackBerry, Baidu announce autonomous vehicle partnership

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Canadian telecommunications software company BlackBerry and China’s web giant Baidu on Wednesday announced a partnership for autonomous and connected vehicles. “The two companies will collaborate to accelerate the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicle technology for automotive OEMs and suppliers worldwide,” they said in a statement. BlackBerry’s operating system will be “the foundation for Baidu’s Apollo autonomous driving open platform,” the statement said. In September, Baidu announced a $1.5 billion investment […]

Continue Reading →

Race for ‘smart’ hits fever pitch at electronics show

by Glenn Chapman, Julie Charpentrat with Rob Lever in Washington Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Giving gadgets brains will be a hot theme at the Consumer Electronics Show set to open in Las Vegas, with device makers big and small touting hardware with “smarts.” Whether it’s a doorbell or refrigerator, a TV set or a toothbrush, chances are it will be connected to digital assistants powered by artificial intelligence aiming to anticipate […]

Continue Reading →

Russia restores contact with Angolan satellite

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian specialists on Friday said they have restored communication with Angosat-1, the first national satellite it launched for Angola, days after they lost contact with it. “Specialists of Energia rocket and space corporation have received telemetry information from Angosat,” Energia said in a statement. “All parameters of the spacecraft systems are normal.” Energia is the maker of the satellite which Russia launched from its Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday evening. […]

Continue Reading →

Apple apologizes for slowing iPhones, offers discounted batteries

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple on Thursday apologized to its customers for slowing down the performance of older iPhone models and said it would discount replacement batteries for some of its handsets. The move by Apple responded to an uproar from iPhone users — and a series of lawsuits — after news of the battery problems stoked concerns the company was unfairly nudging consumers to upgrade. “We know that some of you feel […]

Continue Reading →

Epson, Apple face French legal pressure over planned obsolescence

by Anne LEC’HVIEN and Adam PLOWRIGHT Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — French prosecutors have launched a probe into Japanese printer maker Epson for alleged planned obsolescence in its products, using landmark consumer legislation that campaigners hope to turn against Apple as well. The investigation, confirmed to AFP by a legal source on Thursday, was opened in November and is being led by anti-trust and consumer protection specialists in the French economy ministry under the […]

Continue Reading →

Apple CEO must fly private aircraft for ‘security, efficiency’

SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States (AFP) — Apple’s board has instructed chief executive Tim Cook to use only private aircraft “in the interests of security and efficiency” at the world’s most valuable company, regulatory documents show. A filing with securities regulators this week said the board determined that its CEO must use private aircraft for “all business and personal travel.” The policy was implemented in 2017 “in the interests of security and efficiency based on […]

Continue Reading →

UPDATE: Russia loses contact with Angolan satellite

by Olga Rotenberg and Anna Smolchenko Agence France-Presse moscow, Russia (AFP) — Russia has lost contact with Angola’s first national telecoms satellite launched from the Baikonur space pad, its maker said Wednesday — a fresh embarrassment for Moscow’s once proud space industry. The incident involving the Russian-made Angosat-1 followed a similar one in November when Russia lost contact with a weather satellite launched from a new cosmodrome in the country’s far east. Energia, Russia’s top […]

Continue Reading →

Nintendo eyes 20 mn Switch sales

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Nintendo is expecting to sell more than 20 million of its new “Switch” consoles in the next fiscal year, the firm’s president said, with sales outpacing its smash-hit Wii console in some places. Tatsumi Kimishima told Thursday’s Kyoto Shimbun newspaper that the momentum for Switch is stronger in some markets than that of the Wii, a smash-hit household console that sold more than 100 million units worldwide. Kimishima said he expected […]

Continue Reading →

Self-healing glass: a cracking discovery from Japan

by Hiroshi Hiyama Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Japanese researcher has developed — by accident– a new type of glass that can be repaired simply by pressing it back together after it cracks. The discovery opens the way for super-durable glass that could triple the lifespan of everyday products like car windows, construction materials, fish tanks and even toilet seats. Yu Yanagisawa, a chemistry researcher at the University of Tokyo, made the breakthrough […]

Continue Reading →

US Library of Congress backtracks on complete Twitter archive

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States  — The US Library of Congress has scaled back plans to archive every message ever sent on Twitter, sparking debate on the importance of social media in historical records. The library, which is believed to be the largest in the world with a mission of preserving important national and global cultural records, announced this week it would stop collecting the entire Twittersphere’s tweets from January 2018. “Effective […]

Continue Reading →
1 … 112 113 114 115 116 … 204