Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Samsung shares plunged Monday after the South Korean electronics giant urged global consumers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone due to a spate of exploding batteries that raised alarm around the world. Stepping up its warnings, the world’s largest smartphone maker on …
Read More »Airlines ban use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on flights
Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Saturday that it has joined other airlines in banning the inflight use of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phones after reports of exploding batteries in some units. “The powering up and charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones is prohibited …
Read More »The hajj in numbers as the spiritual goes virtual
Mecca, Saudi Arabia | AFP | The Muslim hajj pilgrimage which begins on Saturday in western Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest annual gatherings. Here are some figures illustrating its scale, according to officials and local media: – More than 1.4 million foreign pilgrims from around the …
Read More »Google parent Alphabet unit to drop burritos by drone
San Francisco, United States | AFP | A team at Google parent Alphabet working on unmanned aerial systems this month will try out delivering burritos by drone on a college campus in Virginia. Astro Teller, playfully referred to as the ‘Captain of Moonshots’ at an X lab created at Google …
Read More »Apple makes splash with waterproof iPhones
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple is out to make a splash with new waterproof iPhones, a smartphone game starring Nintendo’s beloved “Mario” and a push on wireless headphones. The iPhone 7 and larger iPhone 7 Plus, with sophisticated camera technology, improved water resistance and other features, were …
Read More »Web TV aims to boost youth interest in African farming
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP | With the logo of his internet TV station on his black T-shirt, Inoussa Maiga energetically plucks corn stalks in northern Burkina Faso for a programme on farming in Africa. Maiga, 30, launched Agribusiness TV in May in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou, determined to change …
Read More »Uganda endorses Masambu for top job at international satellite body
The Government of Uganda has endorsed the candidature of Patrick Masambu for election as Director General of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO). Masambu, a former head of the Uganda Communications Commision (UCC), is currently the Deputy Director General and Director of Technical Affairs at ITSO, a position he has held since May …
Read More »Missing comet lander Philae spotted at las
Paris, France | AFP | Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft has finally spotted the tiny lander Philae stuck in a dark crack on the surface of its comet home — the first glimpse since the robot lab crashlanded in 2014, ground controllers said Monday. The European Space Agency (ESA) released a photograph …
Read More »Laundry-folding washing machine: eye-catching gizmos at IFA fair
Berlin, Germany | AFP | From curved televisions and futuristic virtual reality headsets to intelligent kitchens, Berlin’s mega consumer electronics show offers a mind-boggling array of the latest in high-tech gizmos. Here are a few of the most eye-catching gadgets at IFA: IT NOT ONLY WASHES AND DRIES This …
Read More »Hewlett-Packard Enterprise to sell software business
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Hewlett-Packard Enterprise is looking to sell its software division, perhaps for as much as $10 billion, according to media reports on Friday that cited sources close to the matter. The move would include HPE shedding the operations of Autonomy Corp, a British software …
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