Sci-Tech

Trouble for Hubble: gyro fails on space telescope

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Hubble space telescope, which has been in orbit since 1990, has temporarily suspended operations because of a gyroscope failure, the US space agency said Monday. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said Hubble went into “safe mode” on Friday. “Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes actively being used to point and steady the telescope failed,” NASA said in a statement. “Safe mode puts the […]

Lockheed Martin unveils its lunar lander concept vehicle

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, responding to NASA’s plans to renew the exploration of the moon and Mars in the next decade, unveiled Wednesday a concept spacecraft able to land on the lunar surface. The US space agency said it plans to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 as the initial stage for a future trip to Mars — part of an official US policy […]

Japan space probe launches new robot onto asteroid

by Miwa SUZUKI Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Japanese probe launched a new observation robot towards an asteroid on Wednesday as it pursues a mission to shed light on the origins of the solar system. The Hayabusa2 probe launched the French-German Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, or MASCOT, towards the Ryugu asteroid’s surface, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said. “We can confirm that the MASCOT separated from the spacecraft as planned,” the […]

Up to 50 million Facebook accounts breached in attack

By Glenn Chapman Agence France Presse Facebook revealed on Friday that up to 50 million accounts were breached by hackers, dealing a blow to the social network’s effort to convince users to trust it with their data. The social network is investigating the extent of harm done when hackers exploited a trio of software flaws to steal “access tokens,” the equivalent of digital keys that enable people to automatically log back into the social network. […]

Facebook admits phone numbers may be used to target ads

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Thursday confirmed that advertisers were privy to phone numbers given by members of the social network for enhanced security. A study by two US universities, first reported by news website Gizmodo, found that phone numbers given to Facebook for two-factor authentication were also used to target advertising. Two-factor authentication is intended to enhance security by requiring a second step, such as entering codes sent via text messages, […]

Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket blasts off for 100th time

PARIS, France (AFP) — A European-made rocket has blasted off from French Guiana for the 100th time, in a symbolic landmark for its manufacturer as it comes under increasing pressure from Elon Musk’s SpaceX program. The Ariane 5 spacecraft took off from the Caribbean launch site on Tuesday at 19:38 (22:38 GMT), propelling two telecoms satellites into orbit. In service for more than two decades and capable of blasting heavy payloads into the sky, the […]

Instagram departures add to woes for Facebook

  by Rob Lever Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The departure of Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger adds to the woes of parent firm Facebook as it tries to repair its image hurt by privacy scandals and curb manipulation and misinformation. Instagram, created as a photo-sharing app and purchased by Facebook for $1 billion, has been one of the fastest-growing segments of the California tech giant’s “family” of applications and […]

Instagram co-founders resign from Facebook-owned company

  by Julie Charpentrat Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have announced they are leaving the photo-sharing app bought by Facebook six years ago, setting a new test for the parent company as it works to quell mounting turmoil. “Mike and I are grateful for the last eight years at Instagram and six years with the Facebook team,” Systrom said in a statement late Monday, […]

NASA sees its stalled Martian robot, but still no signals

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — NASA scientists can now see their solar-powered probe that was lost in a Martian dust storm more than 100 days ago — but the vintage robot hasn’t shown any signs of life. Thanks to a high-resolution camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA said Tuesday it can see the Opportunity rover in Perseverance Valley, on the edge of a huge crater. Opportunity was descending into the valley when a dust […]

Japan space robots start asteroid survey

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A pair of robot rovers have landed on an asteroid and begun a survey, Japan’s space agency said Saturday, as it conducts a mission aiming to shed light on the origins of the solar system. The rover mission marks the world’s first moving, robotic observation of an asteroid surface, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The round, cookie tin-shaped robots successfully reached the Ryugu asteroid a day after they […]

Google Mini captures top spot in connected speaker market: survey

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Google Home Mini has vaulted to the top spot in the global market for connected speakers, edging out a rival device from Amazon, a survey showed Wednesday. The Strategy Analytics report for the second quarter of 2018 showed the smallest device from Google captured 20 percent of the market with sales of 2.3 million. That was slightly ahead of the Echo Dot, the similarly sized device from Amazon, with […]