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by Jean-Philippe Lacour Agence France-Presse FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) – German car makers are showing off their self-driving cars at the IAA international auto show in Frankfurt, but most people in the car-mad country have yet to be convinced by the technology. Curious visitors to the biennial trade fair, which lasts until September 24, can entrust their lives to a computer on a specially created car at a test track overlooked by Daimler and Volkswagen’s giant stands. […]
DUBAI, UAE (Reuters) — The Dubai Land Department has showed off a driverless car developed with Volkswagen at the much visited Cityscape Global exhibition. Dubai has already stated its intention to become one of the world’s smartest and most sustainable cities and the VW prototype car could help its ambitions. Although still just a concept, the driverless car, named ‘Sedric’ (self-driving car) by VW, will be sustainable and safe, convenient and easy to use, using […]
TEXAS, United States (Reuters) — The Canadarm2 robotic arm on the International Space Station (ISS) was used to release the SpaceX Dragon capsule, after it had been detached from earth on Sunday (September 17). Thrusts on the Dragon were then fired up as the capsule started its journey back to earth, where it is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean at 1014EDT (1414GMT) on Sunday. Recovery forces will be awaiting the splash landing […]
https://youtu.be/RR1g5dYAd98 (Reuters) — U.S. researchers have identified a genetic difference between dogs and their wild cousins, wolves, that could explain why dogs are so friendly. The study used both behavioral and genetic data. The behavioral side was led by Oregon State University animal behaviorist Monique Udell who showed that pet domestic dogs are more sociable and less afraid of strangers than wolves, even when those wolves were raised by humans. The genetic component came from […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (Reuters) — While scientists and campaigners worry about the westernization of robots, the defense industry is showing off the latest autonomous weapons systems at a major arms fair in London. Among the offerings is an unmanned ground vehicle from German defense manufacturers Rheinmetall, that can operate autonomously and be fitted with its own weapons system. And while unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are now commonplace in military arsenals, the unmanned ground vehicle, […]
by Jean-Louis Santini Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The National Aeronautics Space Administration’s Cassini probe is counting its final hours before one last plunge into Saturn on Friday that will cap a fruitful 13-year mission that greatly expanded knowledge about the gas giant. While orbiting Saturn nearly 300 times, Cassini made major discoveries, such as the liquid methane seas of the planet’s giant moon Titan and the sprawling subsurface ocean of Enceladus, a […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has touched off a public debate about banning phones in schools as he seeks to implement a campaign pledge by President Emmanuel Macron. In an interview with Express magazine, the minister suggested that pupils might be asked to deposit their phones in secure boxes when arriving at school or for classes. “At our cabinet meetings, we drop our phones in lockers before sitting down together. It […]
LONDON, England (Reuters) — Twin brothers Steve and Nick Tidball have created a solar-powered glow-in-the-dark, waterproof jacket that they hope will allow late-night runners and cyclists to safely exercise for up to twelve hours in the pitch black. The pair’s start-up Vollebak has already enjoyed success with previous innovative tech clothing, including the 100 Year Hoodie made from Kevlar. The Solar Charged Jacket contains an ultra-thin layer of a phosphorescent compound which absorbs and […]
CUPERTINO, United States (AFP) — Apple unveiled an updated version of its smartwatch Monday, as it claimed the device had become the top-selling watch in the world ahead of rivals such as Rolex and Fossil. The Apple Watch Series 3 has its own mobile connectivity which allows the user to remain connected without a smartphone for phone calls, music and other functions. “The Apple Watch is now the number one watch in the world,” Apple chief […]
by Kirill Kudryavtsev Agence France-Presse BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AFP) – Two US astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut docked at the International Space Station for a five month mission on Wednesday following a night-time launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said that the Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft “successfully docked” at the ISS at 0255 GMT in a statement on its website. The Soyuz rocket carrying Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos, NASA first-time flyer Mark Vande Hei […]
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AFP) — The anonymity afforded by the internet — especially in the dark web — is hindering efforts by organizations to fight human trafficking, especially the sexual exploitation of minors, experts from key groups said Tuesday. “The issue of the dark web, which for its form and configuration is extremely untraceable, is it makes it very difficult to find the criminals we are looking for,” Rosilyne Borland, a specialist on migrant […]
by Ella Ide Agence France Presse PISA, Italy (AFP) — Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s voice soars to the rafters of the Tuscan theater, but all eyes are on the orchestral conductor beside him — a robot with an apparent penchant for Verdi. The concert in the heart of Pisa is a world first, with two mechanical “arms” conducting live music at the grand finale of the first International Festival of Robotics. The Swiss-designed YuMi sweeps […]
