- NewsAssociated Press
Group opposed to 5G networks targets Cyprus' mobile antennas
A small group of people who oppose 5G mobile telephone technology is likely responsible for arson attacks against four mobile telephone antenna installations in Cyprus' coastal town of Limassol, a Cypriot police official said on Friday. Police spokesman Christos Andreou told The Associated Press that law enforcement authorities have agreed with telecommunication service providers to step up security measures around antenna installations including stronger fencing and more frequent police patrols. A statement issued by state-owned Cyprus Telecommunications Authority said that authorities are “greatly troubled” over the overnight arson attacks against antennas in three different parts of the city this week.
PoliticsReutersSenator warns of political pressure on U.S. probe into hackers of green groups
A Democratic U.S. senator says he has written to Attorney General William Barr outlining his concerns about potential "political interference" by the Trump administration in an investigation of a private espionage firm that targeted environmental groups in the United States. Last month Reuters reported https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-cyber-mercenaries-exclusive/exclusive-obscure-indian-cyber-firm-spied-on-politicians-investors-worldwide-idUSKBN23G1GQ that U.S. law enforcement was investigating aspects of a seven-year-long hack-for-hire operation carried out by a New Delhi-based firm called BellTroX InfoTech Services on behalf of unknown clients. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a letter https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6980750-20200702-Letter-from-Whitehouse-to-Barr.html to Barr and in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that the investigation was being carried out by prosecutors in New York and that unnamed sources had alerted his office that the Department of Justice has taken what he said was "an interest in this matter which seems inconsistent with ordinary procedure."
BusinessAFP RelaxApple Card owners can now make payment on their computer, too
Instead of relying on Apple's mobile Wallet app to make payments on their Apple Card, the company launched a complementary desktop site where they can manage their Apple finances, as well. Apple launched this week a web portal for Apple Card users that allows them to manage their account and payments from their computer. Previously, this could only be done from the company's mobile Wallet app despite the card launching last year.
EntertainmentBBCReckful: Twitch and gamers pay tribute after star's death
Streaming platform Twitch said it was "devastated" at the loss of a "streaming pioneer".
NewsThe TelegraphBacking technology which 'sucks' excess CO2 from the air could hurt UK's green ambitions
Plans to pump £100m of taxpayer cash into technology designed to "suck" carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere risks starving more immediate and commercially viable energy projects of cash, environmental groups have warned. A project which has the backing of Dominic Cummings, one of the Prime Minister's special advisers, is said to have received £100m from the Treasury to develop new carbon capture technology. It would work by using metal "air scrubbers", which would chemically strip carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The excess carbon could then be stored safely underground. However, environmental groups have warned against awarding the project the funds. They say there is a danger such long-term schemes could divert investment away from more realistic near-term solutions, such as improving energy efficiency in the UK. Mike Childs, head of science at Friends of the Earth, said it was a "large amount of money going on a speculative approach at dealing with a problem decades away while immediate things are being starved of cash". "It's a bit like sailing a ship towards an iceberg and the captain on the ship telling you not to worry about the iceberg as he would soon invent a machine that will help you fly. It's ridiculous. We shouldn't hope some magical solution will come in the future." Mr Childs' concerns were echoed by Fatima Ibrahim, the co-executive director of group Green New Deal UK, who warned that the technology was "unproven at the scale required to dent global emissions". She said it "could be a potential distraction and diversion of vital funds away from proven technologies that can bring emissions down overnight, in the here and now". "It’s a sign of a government that’s either not serious about climate change or does not understand the scale of action needed, likely both." Currently, it is extremely expensive to use carbon capture technology, due to the enormous amounts of energy needed to power it. The cost of removing a single tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere stands at about £500. There are hopes the cost could be reduced with more investment into the field.
TechnologyAFP RelaxJuly 3: lunar eclipse, Dodge Durango, Polk soundbar draw attention on Google's tech and science Search trends
On a regular basis, Google compiles a list of which science and technology topics are being queried the most by US users in its dedicated Search engine. Over the past 24 hours, an upcoming lunar eclipse, Adobe's Photoshop camera app, Dodge's new Durango SRT Hellcat plus a Polk soundbar were among the most trending topics.
TechnologyGizBotBoy Spends Parent's Rs. 16 Lakh Savings On PUBG Doing Micro Transaction
We have heard crazy stories on PUBG and how some people have gone to the extreme to play the game, all just to achieve an online chicken dinner and this one tops everything. Now, a new story has surfaced from Punjab,
TechnologyThe IndependentYouTube to let creators use Google AI to automatically reply to comments
YouTube is rolling out its "SmartReply" technology to YouTube, meaning that comments you see on the site might not actually have been written by a human.The technology analyses messages and then uses artificial intelligence to guess what a person might want to say in response to them. Users can then select that response and post it, without ever having to write anything out for themselves.
TechnologyBusiness Insider4 times that major tech companies, from Apple to Google and Amazon, tried and failed to break into video games
Despite nearly endless money and talent, most major tech companies have failed to break into video games. Here are four particularly notable failures.
- NewsReuters
Many Americans' July 4 celebrations go virtual as COVID-19 cases surge
The holiday marking the country's 244 years of independence comes four days into a month when at least eight states have seen record daily increases in coronavirus cases, leading several governors to toughen social distancing measures and urge people to celebrate from home. One notable exception to the weekend's lineup of remote festivities was a fireworks show scheduled for Friday at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, where U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to address a crowd of thousands. The organizers of the Macy's July 4th fireworks in New York City altered the traditional one-night extravaganza this year to prevent too many people gathering, instead running short nightly shows in each borough beginning June 29.
BusinessThe IndependentBMW will charge drivers subscriptions for heated seats
BMW is adding another subscription service to its cars, which would make users sign up in order to access services already built into their cars.This could include heated seats, or advanced driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control.
NewsReutersIndian video-sharing apps surge in popularity on TikTok ban
Indian tech and entertainment firms are looking to capitalise on sudden opportunities arising from a government ban on Chinese owned apps, including the wildly popular TikTok, with one rival video app saying it had added 22 million users in 48 hours. India this week outlawed 59 Chinese-owned apps including TikTok and Tencent's <0700.HK> WeChat, in what was described as a "digital strike" against China by the country's technology minister. The move followed a confrontation between India and China at a disputed Himalayan border site, which left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
NewsThe TelegraphWhy has the UK invested $500m in OneWeb’s satellites?
The collapse of low-earth-orbit satellite business OneWeb in March kickstarted a global bidding war for its assets as countries and businesses around the world scramble to get their hands on its valuable satellite technology. The UK bid won last night and an announcement could come as soon as midday, sources told the Telegraph. Here’s everything you need to know about the deal: What is OneWeb, and who owns it? OneWeb, founded in 2012 as WorldVu, has raised $1.7bn (£1.3bn) in funding to develop a cluster of satellites around the world. In 2015, it raised $500m in funding from Virgin Galactic and Qualcomm. The company later raised $1bn in funding from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank in 2016. Previous investors then ploughed another $200m into the business. Who was bidding for OneWeb? The Government's $500m bid for 45pc of OneWeb was part of a consortium of investors which also included Indian telecoms billionaire Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Enterprises.
TechnologyReutersSushi meets AI: Japanese inventor's app scopes out choice tuna cuts
If you've ever bought supermarket sushi, you may know the taste trauma that hit Kazuhiro Shimura one night. Shimura, a director at advertising firm Dentsu Group's <4324.T> Future Creative Center, came up with the concept for "Tuna Scope" AI as he chewed his raw dish while watching a television show on fish merchants who spend a decade mastering the skill of selecting high-quality tuna for sushi restaurants. Using a deep learning algorithm to crunch through grading data from merchants, Tuna Scope has now evolved into a smartphone app.
ScienceAFP RelaxNASA's ‘smell of space' has been converted into a perfume
The smell of space that NASA created to prepare astronauts for their missions beyond Earth's atmosphere is being turned into a perfume. As the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign organized by Matt Richmond, the scent of space, created decades ago by NASA to ready astronauts for their missions, is being converted into a perfume -- Eau de Space -- that will be mass produced. According to Richmond, this smell has been off limits to everyone but astronauts for years, but "Through sheer determination, grit, a lot of luck, and a couple of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, we got it out."
BusinessThe TelegraphUK wins bidding war for satellite firm OneWeb
The UK’s joint bid with India’s Bharti Enterprises to buy satellite operator OneWeb has won at an auction in New York, The Telegraph can reveal. The government has pledged $500m (£400m) in equity for the company, which went bankrupt in March after its biggest investors, including SoftBank, pulled out amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bharti Enterprises will invest another $500m. If the deal gains US regulatory approval on 10 July, it will give the UK a 45pc stake in the company along with a consortium of other private investors. “This deal underlines the scale of Britain’s ambitions on the global stage," said Business Secretary Alok Sharma. “Our access to a global fleet of satellites has the potential to connect millions of people worldwide to broadband, many for the first time, and the deal presents the opportunity to further develop our strong advanced manufacturing base right here in the UK.” The bid came after the intervention of Number 10 last week. Entered at the last minute, it was signed off by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and backed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and aide Dominic Cummings. Ministers hope the company can help it boost rural broadband coverage and launch a satellite navigation system that would rival the EU’s Galileo project and the GPS. The government is now in the process of securing additional financing to revive the business, which was planning to launch up to 650 satellites. Britain's consortium is understood to be in talks with a UAE fund and Japan's SoftBank. "We welcome Bharti Enterprises as a key investor and look forward to the innovation, opportunity and growth that space capability brings to a modern, globally facing UK," said David Morris, chair of the Parliamentary Space Group, which had supported the UK's bid. OneWeb, founded in 2012, has attracted billions of dollars for its plans to launch a constellation of hundreds of satellites that would bring internet connectivity to the most remote corners of the world, but saw its plans grind to a halt after funding dried up. UK Space Agency officials told the Government last week that investing in OneWeb to build a rival to the EU’s Galileo system could ultimately prove to be a failed endeavour as the firm's system is unable to provide accurate location signals, they claimed. OneWeb’s satellites currently orbit at around 1,200km, compared to over 20,000km and up for US GPS and the EU’s Galileo system. UK Space Agency officials said that OneWeb's system would require more satellites than the GPS system to cover the same ground and would require more ground monitoring stations. The company's manufacturing presence in Florida means the US committee on foreign investment in the United States has a veto on any deal involving a foreign buyer. Airbus welcomed the outcome of the auction. Managing Director Richard Franklin said: "The UK government's vision in backing this project will drive innovation and new ways of thinking about how space can contribute even more to the UK economy, and the country's defence requirements, as well as playing a part in delivering broadband internet to communities across the country."
StyleReutersThrough the looking glass: South Korean 'augmented reality' mirror allows touchless cosmetics shopping
An augmented reality (AR) mirror at the new Seoul flagship boutique of cosmetics powerhouse Amorepacific makes easy work of seeing if that scarlet shade of lipstick or long-lash mascara suits you - even if you're wearing a face mask. Customers can then see a computer-generated image of what they would look like wearing a wide range of foundations, blush, eye products and lipsticks. "Due to the coronavirus, it felt uncomfortable to test cosmetics after someone had used them," said shopper Cho Yu-lim, 24, as she peered into the full-length mirror, which has "Find Your Makeup Look" written on it.
TechnologyThe IndependentTrainline adds 'crowd alert' feature that will tell people if their train will be dangerously busy
The Trainline app will now alert people if their journey is going to be dangerously busy.A new feature added to the booking app will prompt people if their train is going to be so full that it will be difficult to safely socially distance.
TechnologyReutersGoogle-backed groups criticize Apple's new warnings on user tracking
Apple last week disclosed features in its forthcoming operating system for iPhones and iPads that will require apps to show a pop-up screen before they enable a form of tracking commonly needed to show personalized ads. Sixteen marketing associations, some of which are backed by Facebook Inc <FB.O> and Alphabet Inc's <GOOGL.O> Google, faulted Apple for not adhering to an ad-industry system for seeking user consent under European privacy rules.
TechnologyThe TelegraphTwitter drops ‘master’ and ‘slave’ from coding language
Twitter is to stop the use of terms like “master”, “slave”, and “blacklist” in its coding language in favour of more inclusive words. The terms, which also includes “grandfathered”, “whitelist”, and “sanity check”, are used to describe things like databases, hard drives, and software projects. For example, the “master” code describes the main version of the code where duplicates - or slaves - are built from. Twitter also intends on changing the use of gendered pronouns like "he or him" and "guys" to "they or theirs" and "folks or people" in engineering documents and guides. The changes were spearheaded by a pair of engineers at Twitter, Regynald Augustin and Kevin Oliver, who said that the use of the phrases that hark back to darker times in American history must stop. Mr Augustin told CNET that an email that included the technical phrase “automatic slave rekick” had made him “madder than I ever thought I would be in the workplace”. The pair have been pushing for the changes since January but the desire to do so have been accelerated through the company since the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in police custody. “Inclusive language plays a critical role in fostering an environment where everyone belongs,” Twitter said. “At Twitter, the language we have been using in our code does not reflect our values as a company or represent the people we serve. We want to change that.” The social media giant intends on switching “whitelist” to “allowlist”, “blacklist” to “denylist”, “master/slave” to “leader/follower”, and “man hours” to “person hours”. Twitter released a list of preferred inclusive phrases for its coding and engineering documents.
EntertainmentAFP RelaxFacebook to advise use of masks amid latest virus spike
Facebook said Thursday it would offer reminders to its users to wear protective masks, responding to the latest surge in US coronavirus cases, which has sparked renewed fears of containing the pandemic. The social network giant said it would include the alerts at the top of feeds on Facebook and Instagram, starting in the United States with plans to expand in the future. "With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, we're putting an alert at the top of Facebook and Instagram to remind everyone to wear face coverings," the company said in a statement.
BusinessReutersLG Chem to produce Tesla batteries in South Korea this year as demand grows: source
South Korea's LG Chem Ltd plans to start producing batteries for Tesla Inc vehicles at a domestic factory this year after the U.S. electric carmaker raised orders to cope with demand, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday. "Tesla is asking not only LG Chem but other suppliers to increase supplies, as its cars are selling well," the person told Reuters. A second person with knowledge of the situation also said LG Chem is converting some of its production in South Korea to produce batteries for Tesla.
EntertainmentReutersTencent launches new U.S. game studio for global appeal
Tencent Holdings, China's biggest social media and video game company, launched a new California-based studio this week, as it looks to further expand its presence overseas. The new studio, LightSpeed LA, will be led by former Rockstar veteran Steve Martin and will focus on the development and publishing of AAA titles, Tencent Games' LightSpeed and Quantum Studios said in a statement to Reuters. "We're ushering in a new era of game culture by combining world-class development with a stress-free work environment," Martin said in the statement.
NewsReutersTaiwan's Foxconn says customs clearing procedures in India have been resolved
Apple supplier Foxconn said on Friday customs clearing procedures in India have been resolved, as additional scrutiny by the country of imports from China disrupted operations in some foreign firms amid tensions between the Asian giants. Foxconn's customs clearance for cargo logistics in India has been resolved and all local regulatory procedures have been complied with, Foxconn said in a filing to Taipei stock exchange. Customs officers at Indian ports have held back shipments from China and sought additional clearances after deadly clashes at the disputed Himalayan border last month.
BusinessBloomberg VideosTraders' Remote Working to Be 'Semi-Permanent': IPC CEO
Jul.02 -- Robert Santella, chief executive officer of IPC Systems, a technology and service provider for financial firms, discusses how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting the financial-services industry and his company. He speaks with David Ingles and Tom Mackenzie on "Bloomberg Markets: China Open."
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