Tag: technology

From parcel delivery to security, Singapore bets big on drones

by Martin Abbugao Agence France Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Hi-tech Singapore is planning to roll out a swarm of drones for tasks that include delivering parcels, inspecting buildings and providing security, but safety and privacy concerns mean the initiative may hit turbulence. Companies have already started testing the devices for commercial use, mainly in an area of over 200 hectares (500 acres) dotted with high-rise buildings and shopping malls, specially designated by the government […]

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Silent plane with no moving parts makes ‘historic’ flight

by Patrick GALEY Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The blue glowing jets of science fiction spacecraft came a step closer to reality on Wednesday as US physicists unveiled the world’s first solid-state aeroplane powered in flight by supercharged air molecules. More than a century on from the Wright brothers’ first artificial flight, scientists hailed the “historic” test of the new technology, which could eventually slash greenhouse-gas emissions from aviation. Ever since Orville and Wilbur […]

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Virtual reality resurrects ancient Rome bit by bit

by Ella IDE Agence France Presse ROME, Italy (AFP) — Gazing upon the splendours of ancient Rome is no longer a luxury reserved for visitors to the Italian capital, as temples opened their doors internationally with a digital project launched Wednesday after decades of planning. The Rome Reborn tour is the first to show users over 7,000 buildings and monuments from the year AD 320, allowing both those with Virtual Reality goggles or just a computer […]

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Facebook says services tripped up by server problem

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook said Tuesday users had trouble accessing the social network and its other applications such as Instagram for a chunk of the day due to a server software problem. It was the second instance in the past two weeks in which technical issues appeared to affect access to Facebook. “Earlier today, a server configuration caused intermittent problems across all apps globally, creating a degraded experience for users,” a Facebook spokesperson […]

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Facebook to launch independent body for calls on content

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook announced Thursday it is creating an independent body to make potentially precedent-setting calls on what content should be yanked from the social network. The announcement came as Facebook reported it has ramped up its ability to quickly detect “hate speech” and other posts violating community rules, with the leading social network under pressure from regulators in various countries and activists to root out abusive and inappropriate content. “I […]

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‘Robocop’ on patrol at Singapore summit

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Hi-tech Singapore has deployed an autonomous robot with a swivelling camera for a head and flashing lights to patrol a summit venue — arresting the attention of amused passers-by who stopped to snap selfies. The white, four-wheeled buggy, measuring about five-feet (1.5 meters), trundled around the perimeter of a convention center in the city-state, providing additional security at a meeting of world leaders. The so far unnamed robot, decked out with […]

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Most Asian markets down as tech, energy firms take a hit

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Technology firms fell in Asia Tuesday, tracking a deep sell-off in New York where Apple was hammered by worries about demand for its iPhones, while energy firms also fell with oil prices. After last week’s US elections-inspired mini-rally, global equities resumed their months-long slide as investors fret over a number of issues from the China-US trade war and Brexit to rising US interest rates and slowing economic growth. The latest […]

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How to drive a robot on Mars

by Ivan Couronne Agence France-Presse GREENBELT, United States (AFP) — Some 78 million miles (126 million kilometers) from Earth, alone on the immense and frigid Red Planet, a robot the size of a small 4×4 wakes up just after sunrise. And just as it has every day for the past six years, it awaits its instructions. Around 9:30 Mars time, a message arrives from California, where it was sent 15 minutes earlier. “Drive forward 10 […]

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China steps up drone race with stealth aircraft

by Ludovic EHRET Agence France-Presse ZHUHAI, China (AFP) — China is unleashing stealth drones and pilotless aircraft fitted with AK-47 rifles onto world markets, racing to catch up to US technology and adding to a fleet that has already seen combat action in the Middle East. Combat drones were among the jet fighters, missiles and other military hardware shown off this week at Airshow China, the country’s biggest aerospace industry exhibition. A delta-winged stealth drone […]

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A machine makes water out of air – Israel-based tech company showcases technology in Vietnam

  HANOI, Vietnam (AFP-Services) — Imagine you could quench your thirst with water that doesn’t originate from a river, spring or lake, but comes directly out of the blue sky, from the air that surrounds you. What sounds like a science fiction movie is already a reality, and it is potentially for everyone. The new technology, developed by Watergen, an Israel-based tech company, is currently being showcased in Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi. And this is […]

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Twitter surges on profit, revenue growth

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Twitter shares flew higher Thursday after the social network reported a record quarterly profit that helped investors look past a drop in the number of users due to the weeding out of fake and abusive accounts. The San Francisco group delivered a $789 million profit, including one-time gains, compared to a net loss of $21 million in the previous year, as revenues grew 29 percent […]

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Facebook launches ‘war room’ to combat manipulation

by Julie CHARPENTRAT Agence France-Presse MENLO PARK, United States (AFP) — In Facebook’s “War Room,” a nondescript space adorned with American and Brazilian flags, a team of 20 people monitors computer screens for signs of suspicious activity. The freshly launched unit at Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters in California is the nerve center for the fight against misinformation and manipulation of the largest social network by foreign actors trying to influence elections in the United States […]

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