TECH NEWS

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A British video that could one day provide footage of individual people on earth from orbit in high definition and is capable of gathering 50 frames of images per second has been launched. If the pre-production prototype performs well the British manufacturer will create another …

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Friday it will ask its two billion users to rank their trust in news sources, in its latest attempt to combat the spread of misinformation on the social network. The change comes as the online giant seeks to address charges that …

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Twitter on Friday said the number of Russia-linked accounts firing off tweets evidently aimed at the US election in 2016 was more widespread than initially determined. The social media company found, and shuttered, an additional 1,062 accounts associated with the Internet Research Agency, …

Paris, France | AFP | A man whose body rejected a face transplant he received seven years ago has been given a second donor face after living nearly two months without one, French medical agencies said Friday. It is the first time in transplant history that doctors have replaced one …

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Facebook has emerged as the top site for wildlife trafficking in the Philippines, a watchdog said Friday, with thousands of endangered crocodiles, snakes and turtles illegally traded in just three months. Monitoring network TRAFFIC said Facebook had not done enough to shut down the trade, …

Shanghai, China | AFP | Internet titans Google and Tencent on Friday signalled possible future collaboration on developing new technologies as the US and Chinese firms announced a long-term patent-sharing agreement. The companies gave no details on the scope or nature of the potential cooperation but said in a joint …

Washington, United States | AFP | Terrorists and hate groups continue to get their propaganda onto social media platforms despite efforts by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to shut them down, a US Senate panel heard Wednesday. Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and others have stepped up their use of bots and other …

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple announced Wednesday it would pay some $38 billion in taxes — likely the largest payment of its kind — on profits repatriated from overseas as it boosts investments in the United States. The iPhone maker said in a statement it plans to use …

Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | From high-end sports cars to your everyday minivan, plastics have revolutionised the automotive industry. Some of the newest, most cutting-edge vehicles can give a glimpse at how plastics will continue to “drive” future automotive innovation. These vehicles represent significant advances in manufacturing, safety, design, performance, and …

Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | Germany’s Volkswagen said Wednesday it sold a record number of vehicles in 2017, putting it on track to hold on to the title of world’s largest carmaker two years after its “dieselgate” emissions scandal. Some 10.74 million vehicles from VW or its subsidiaries …