Sci-Tech

Microsoft halts development of Minecraft update

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Microsoft has halted development of an ambitious update to Minecraft, throwing in the towel after concluding it was technically too complicated, according to a blog post by the team responsible for the hit adventure and construction game. Microsoft had unveiled the project, dubbed “Super Duper Graphics Packs,” to great fanfare in 2017, at E3, the world’s biggest video game trade show. “Unfortunately, the pack proved too technically demanding to […]

‘Majestic’ WWII Spitfire takes off on round-the-world flight

by Robin MILLARD © Agence France-Presse CHICHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) — An original Spitfire plane took off from Britain on Monday on an unprecedented attempt to fly the iconic World War II fighter around the globe. The gleaming silver aircraft set off from Goodwood Aerodrome outside Chichester near the south coast of England for the first leg of the epic four-month journey. The restored 76-year-old fighter served in World War II but has been de-militarized, […]

S.Korea tests drone delivery in remote regions

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Seoul began testing delivery by drone in the country’s remote regions Wednesday, with the hope of improving residents’ quality of life, the government said. The project, jointly launched by the interior and safety ministry and Korea Post, among other government agencies, aims to establish a “public drone delivery system” to serve the country’s dispersed population. A test operation on Wednesday transported medical relief items from Dangjin, a city 80 kilometers […]

Huawei still number two smartphone seller despite US sanctions

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Huawei remained the number two global smartphone vendor in the past quarter despite tough US sanctions imposed on the Chinese technology giant, market trackers said Wednesday. The Chinese firm managed to boost its sales even as the overall market declined, remaining on the heels of sector leader Samsung and ahead of US-based Apple. According to Strategy Analytics, overall global smartphone sales fell 2.6 percent to 341 million units in […]

Flying Frenchman to attempt pioneering Channel ‘flyboard’ crossing

SANGATTE, France (AFP) — A daredevil French inventor is Thursday to attempt a flight across the Channel standing on a jet-powered “flyboard”, in an ambitious crossing he sees as following in the footsteps of the aviation pioneers. Franky Zapata, a former jet-skiing champion, aims to soar above the Channel “like a bird” in the crossing from northern France to southern England, in a scene likely to resemble a science fiction film. In a tribute to […]

Hawaii plays important role in America’s space program, then and now

By Alfred Acenas EBC Hawaii Bureau KANEOHE, Hawaii (Eagle News) – Did you know that the Hawaiian Culture is known for its quest for explorations, both in the oceans and in space? Hawaii’s Windward Community College in Kaneohe hosted the Apollo 11 Family Spacefest on July 20, 2019, exactly 50 years to the day when astronaut Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This one-day exhibit showcased moon rocks […]

Cradle of Aviation in NY celebrates Apollo at 50

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (Eagle News) — It has been 50 years since 600 million people around the world watched Apollo 11 land on the moon, considered one of the greatest technological achievements of mankind. The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Long Island, New York celebrates this achievement as well as the contributions of 9,000 Grumman workers who helped make it possible. (Eagle News Service)

‘One giant leap’: US marks Apollo mission 50 years on

  by Leila Macor with Issam Ahmed in Washington   CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) — Fifty years after a mighty rocket set off from Florida carrying the first humans to the Moon, a veteran of the Apollo 11 crew returned to its fabled launch pad Tuesday to commemorate “one giant leap” that became a defining moment in human history. “We crew felt the weight of the world on our shoulders, we knew that everyone […]

French inventor soars above Champs-Elysees on flyboard at Paris parade: AFP

PARIS, France (AFP) — A French inventor and entrepreneur on Sunday soared above the Champs-Elysees on a turbine-engine-powered flying board in front of President Emmanuel Macron and other EU leaders. Former jet-skiing champion Franky Zapata, grasping a rifle in a sign of the possible military uses of his device, took to the air in a futuristic showpiece of the annual Bastille Day parade, an AFP reporter said. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told France […]

At 82, NASA pioneer Sue Finley still reaching for the stars

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Sue Finley began work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as the US prepared to launch its first satellite into orbit in 1958, racing to match the Soviet Union, which had accomplished the feat months earlier. Now 82, she is one of NASA’s longest-serving women, starting out as one of its “human computers,” whose critical yet long-hidden contributions to the space program, including the Apollo missions to the […]

PHIVOLCS launches app to help people prepare for quakes, and volcanic, hydro-meteorological hazards

(Eagle News)–The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Tuesday, July 16, launched an application that aims to help people prepare for earthquakes, and volcanic and hydro-meteorological hazards. In a statement, PHIVOLCS said HazardHunterPH is “the first one-stop shop online application that generates initial hazard assessment report for seismic, volcanic, and hydro-meteorological hazards with explanation and recommendation from mandated government agencies in just a few clicks.” According to PHIVOLCS, it worked together  with Philippine Atmospheric, […]

Twitter revamps website in bid to mimic mobile app

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — Twitter on Monday began rolling out an overhauled version of its website, making it more similar to the mobile version of the one-to-many messaging platform. The revamp to the Twitter page accessible on computer web browsers comes as the San Francisco-based company seeks to ramp up engagement while managing abusive content. “We are starting to roll out a new  Twitter.com — a refreshed and updated website that is faster, easier to navigate […]