Technology in Our Lives

Chinese firm Huawei in May said it sued Samsung in the United States and China, accusing its rival of infringement on patents for fourth-generation (4G) cellular communications technology, operating systems and user interface software. – Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has announced that its latest Windows operating system is powering 300 million devices around the world. The operating system is designed  to work on laptops, desktops, smartphones, Xbox One consoles and more. “We’re seeing people at home, at schools, at small businesses, at large companies, and other organizations adopt Windows 10 faster than ever, and use Windows 10 more than ever before,” Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group, said in a blog post. The adoption speed has likely been ramped up by Microsoft’s move to make Windows 10 available as a free upgrade through July 29. After that, it will be available pre-installed on new devices or for purchase separately, with a home computer version priced at $119, according to the Redmond, Washington-based company. The tech titan is hoping the new version — launched after a weak response to Windows 8 and aimed at integrating with a variety of devices — can help it gain traction in the mobile sector, where it lags behind Google Android and Apple iOS, and in emerging technologies for computing. Although Microsoft dominates the personal computer software market, Windows runs on only a tiny fraction of smartphones.

SAN FRANCISCO: A former member of Google’s autonomous car team and other Silicon Valley veterans on Tuesday introduced a startup devoted to self-driving trucks. Anthony Levandowski and Lior Ron, a fellow “Googler” who was once a top player at Google’s free mapping service, said they founded a company called Otto in San Francisco. The approximately 40 members of Otto include talent from Alphabet’s Google, Apple, and Tesla, according to a blog post by Levandowski and Ron. “We’re a team comprised of the sharpest minds in self-driving technology, and we are committed to reimagining transportation — not just improving it,” the post said. “At the heart of our vision is the belief that self-driving tech is the key for creating a more sustainable, productive — and above all, safer — transportation future.” Instead of trying to build self-driving trucks from the ground up, Otto is equipping trucks already on roads with sensors, software and other technology to take over for human drivers, perhaps when they need to sleep during long hauls. “To speed the adoption of self-driving technology, we began by equipping existing trucks on the road with our unique self-driving kit, designed to empower truck drivers to drive more safely and efficiently,” the blog post said.

Smartwatch market pioneers Pebble are introducing three new devices that demonstrate how you can manage without any smartphone at all while getting most of a phone’s benefits. All are set for release early next year Pebble Core, which starts at 69 dollars (about 62 euros), is aimed at runners. It is a small square resembling the iPod Shuffle and can be attached to the user’s clothing. It can play music from Spotify while also featuring GPS, voice notifications, contact to emergency services and 4 GB of memory. Pebble manager Benjmain Bryant told dpa that the company hopes other companies will start creating apps for the Pebble Core once it gains traction. Pebble will also bring out two new models of its smartwatch. Pebble 2 is a sporting watch with a built-in heart rate monitor with a high contrast display and microphone for voice replies. The Pebble 2 comes in five colours and is water resistant to 30 metres and has a battery life of seven days. It will cost 99 dollars. Pebble Time 2 is described as a premium smartwatch for active professionals. Coming in three different colour finishes, the Time 2’s display is 53 per cent larger than the original and the battery life is 10 days. It also has a microphone and heart-rate monitor and features an upgraded version of Pebble Health. Pebble Time 2 will be available for 169 dollars. All three devices are being offered on Kick-starter, the financing platform on which Pebble raised over 10 million dollars (nearly 9 million euros) for its first computer watch 4 years ago.

The social networking giant blocked the ad for Melbourne’s “Cherchez La Femme: Feminism and Fat” gathering, saying the image violated its advertising guidelines. When organisers questioned the decision, the Facebook Ads Team wrote back saying the ad did not comply with their health and fitness policy because “the image depicts a body or body parts in an undesirable manner”. “Ads like these are not allowed since they make viewers feel bad about themselves,” said the letter to organiser Jessamy Gleeson, who posted a screen-shot of it online. Gleeson said she was stunned that Facebook “seemingly has no idea that plus-sized, self-describing fat women can feel great about themselves”. She urged followers on the platform to “rage hard at anyone who tries to tell us that some bodies are more ‘desirable’ than others”. “Facebook has ignored the fact that our event is going to be discussing body positivity (which comes in all shapes and sizes, but in the particular case of our event, fat bodies),” she wrote. Facebook “has instead come to the conclusion that we’ve set out to make women feel bad about themselves by posting an image of a wonderful plus-sized woman.” Gleeson said Facebook later apologised for its actions, sending her a note admitting it had incorrectly reviewed the ad. “Our policies are in place to help protect the community from offensive ads that can damage their experience on our platform,” it said in a screen-shot Gleeson posted on Twitter. “This is not the case here and I’m sorry for our incorrect review. We evaluate millions of ads per week and there are instances that we incorrectly disapprove an image that does not violate our policies.”

SAN FRANCISCO : Microsoft is out to use Windows software to do for altered reality what it did for personal computers: make them commonplace. The US technology giant on Wednesday announced that Windows software already powering a wide range of devices including HoloLens augmented reality headgear is being opened to partners interested in building devices for “mixed reality” experiences. Devices built on the Windows platform will be interoperable, meaning that someone wearing HTC Vive virtual reality gear would be able to virtually visit and collaborate with someone using HoloLens virtual reality goggles, Microsoft executives told AFP. The list of partners already working with Microsoft included HTC, Lenovo, Asus, and HP. Microsoft said it built HoloLens to showcase the potential for the technology, which is based on the same Windows operating system that powers computers, smartphones, Xbox consoles and more. Sharing the Windows platform will mean that augmented or virtual reality gear from various manufacturers will be able to work with one another, the same way Windows computers do. “We are bringing the software that lights up HoloLens to the entire ecosystem of mixed reality devices — and inviting partners to join us in this platform,” Microsoft spokesman Greg Sullivan told AFP. Walk on Mars While virtual reality devices such as those from Facebook-owned Oculus and Sony’s PlayStation unit immerse users in fantasy worlds, HoloLens “augments” reality by overlaying holograms on the real world in view. HoloLens lets users interact with virtual objects using hand gestures. Microsoft would not disclose details regarding how it will make money from the move. But it is expected to pursue the kinds of licensing deals it negotiates with companies that make Windows-powered computers. Creating a common platform for a wide range of companies to create and market mixed reality gear promises to bring down prices for altered reality gear while enriching variety in the marketplace. Microsoft in March began its first shipments of its HoloLens to application developers, staking its place in what is expected to be an emerging computing platform. At a recent Microsoft Build developers’ conference, the company showed some of the possibilities for HoloLens — such as giving users a view of Mars that up to now could only be seen by space vehicles, and an inside view of the brain by medical specialists aiming to deal with a cerebral tumor. Aiming to encourage new applications for the device, Microsoft noted that developers can create “new mixed reality” with holograms to enable users to see and experience things in new ways. The holographic capabilities in the Microsoft gear can open doors for developers to augment tasks from complex surgery to motorcycle design, according to the company. Marketers predict virtual headsets will soon top wish lists for kids and young adults from Silicon Valley to Hong Kong. But some analysts say virtual reality will be eclipsed by augmented reality within a few years.

China said on Thursday the purchase of German industrial robot maker Kuka by Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group Co Ltd should not be politicized as it is simply a commercial deal. Kuka is the latest and biggest German industrial technology group to be targeted by a Chinese buyer as the world’s second-largest economy makes the transition from a low-cost manufacturer into a high-tech industrial hub. German government sources have said Berlin would examine how critical Kuka’s technology is for the digitization of industry, an economic priority for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. Germany’s economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said this week German was trying to coordinate an alternative offer for Kuka. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said while she did not know anything about the deal, in principle the Chinese government supported and encouraged “win-win” cooperation between companies in accordance with market principles. “All countries’ governments have a responsibility to provide a good environment and conditions for that kind of win-win, mutually beneficial cooperation,” she told a daily news briefing. “Any normal commercial activity should not perhaps be politicized.” Despite its concern about losing German technology to China, the ruling coalition of Merkel’s conservatives and Gabriel’s Social Democrats usually does not like to meddle in takeovers. Merkel is expected to visit Beijing later this month.

It takes ambitions and a great deal of guts to enter a market which is already dominated by veterans like Sony, Bose, and JBL. RHA, a British company and a not-so-famous-name in the Indian market, recently launched two earphones - S500 and S500i. These are premium earphones, at least for a country like India where most people never step up from the bundled earphones they get with their phones. At least price-wise, it is.  Of the two, the RHA S500i is the pricier one at Rs 3,999. Now this won't be an earphone an average user would consider but there are some who do care a lot about the sound quality and are willing to pay a bit of premium for that, that is until the premium is worth paying. So is it worth paying in the case of RHA S500i? We find out.  Design and build quality The S500i looks like a work of fine craftsmanship at first appearance. And the feeling remains as you use it. The earphone sports a threaded cable of 1.35 meter length, but that is not the high-point. The big deal with the S500i are the metallic earplugs and the metallic covering over the gold-plated audio jack that makes the earphones look premium and classy. After using it for a while you start to notice how small things have made huge difference to the earphone's design.   It is something more and class apart. If you go by the design, the S500i is simple and classy. The subtle metal texture reflects refined taste, if you are into that kind of a thing  The metal is not just for show, it also plays an important role. The audio jack is built in a way so the actual wire-jack connection is hidden behind the metal. The metal covering helps the earphones withstand continuous usage and sudden tugs every now and then. The S500i comes with 3 pairs of silicon eartips, quite small from what I have used so far. But size here actually doesn't matter. There are three usual sizes, S, M, and L, of eartips that come with the S500i. And whatever size you go with, you'll find it to be extremely comfortable. The eartips don't get sweaty, don't feel itchy after a while, and don't cause any kind of pain either. Even after using the earphone for about four to five hours, I did not find any issues with its fit. The earphone carries a 3-button remote, which also works as a microphone. The remote module is long and slim, making it easier to get hold of. The buttons are soft to touch and responsive. The RHA S500i is not colourful, flashy, or even trendy. But it is something more and class apart. If you go by the design, the S500i is simple and classy. The subtle metal texture reflects refined taste, if you are into that kind of a thing. The S500i is everything an earphone needs to be. It is beautiful, it is strong, and it is comfortable to wear. 

According to TechCrunch, citing a leaked document, the Los Angeles-based company took in $59 million in revenue in 2015 but is projecting that will grow to $1 billion by 2017. –AFP

Employees at Microsoft Oy, a separate Microsoft sales subsidiary based in Espoo, Finland, would not be affected by the job cuts. –AFP

Built by Orbital ATK, the satellite will provide broadcast and data services to South Asia and Southeast Asia for a period of 15 years. –AFP

DAKAR: An app that allows rural doctors to seek advice remotely from experts on Tuesday won Africa’s first prize recognising new technology that boosts health on the continent. The award’s main sponsor, French international public radio station RFI, said the 15,000-euro ($16,700) grant had been awarded in Dakar to Cheick Oumar Bagayoko, “a young Malian doctor and computer engineer”. Bagayoko’s app Bogou beat more than 650 other candidates from francophone African countries for a prize that has also won support from tech giants such as Microsoft, Facebook and Orange. The winning app is a “tele-expertise tool available via a computer connected to the Internet”, RFI said in a statement. “Bougou allows doctors working in remote areas to ask for advice from specialists from a distance.” Doctors can post details of a patient’s problem to specialists logged into the secure app. RFI said the prize was designed to “support the development of innovative digital services that facilitate access to information and health services in Africa”. –AFP

MIAMI: The largest trove of planets outside our solar system -- 1,284 in all -- was announced Tuesday, more than doubling the number of known exoplanets found with the Kepler space telescope, NASA said Tuesday. "This announcement more than doubles the number of confirmed planets from Kepler," said Ellen Stofan, chief scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This gives us hope that somewhere out there, around a star much like ours, we can eventually discover another Earth." The unmanned Kepler space observatory, which launched in 2009, has been scanning 150,000 stars for signs of orbiting bodies, particularly those that might be able to support life. It works by observing a dimming in the light of star, known as a transit, each time an orbiting planet passes in front of it. "Of the nearly 5,000 total planet candidates found to date, more than 3,200 now have been verified, and 2,325 of these were discovered by Kepler," NASA said in a statement. Of the new trove of 1,284, nearly 550 could be rocky planets like Earth, based on their size, the US space agency said. "Nine of these orbit in their sun's habitable zone, which is the distance from a star where orbiting planets can have surface temperatures that allow liquid water to pool." The addition of these nine means that 21 exoplanets now are known to be possibly circling their stars in the habitable zone, and possible sources for life. –AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Shares of Apple sank below $90 for the first time in nearly two years Thursday, ceding the title of the world’s largest company by market valuation to Google. With investors souring on the outlook for sales of its market-leading iPhones and iPads, and no new blockbuster consumer electronics product in its offerings, Apple shares fell 3.3 percent to $89.47 in morning trade Thursday, before rebounding slightly back above the $90 threshold. That left the company’s stock off more than 14 percent since the beginning of the year and down one-third from the peak of $132.54 one year ago. Apple stock has slid sharply since mid-April, hit in part by the company’s disappointing fiscal second quarter earnings, which showed a decline in revenues and the first quarterly drop ever in iPhone unit sales since launching the smartphone in 2007. Thursday’s fall elevated Google parent Alphabet ahead of its Silicon Valley rival as the world’s largest company. At midday Apple’s market valuation was around $494 billion against Alphabet’s $498 billion. Worries were mounting over the pace of iPhone sales, the company’s top earner, amid reports that consumers worldwide are generally replacing their phones less often than before. Key Asian producers of components for Apple were also seeing their shares pummelled on the forecast for slower iPhone sales. And analysts at UBS cut their outlook for Apple’s share price on Wednesday to $115 from $120 on lower sales forecasts. –AFP

The solar-powered plane, which stores energy in batteries for when the sun is not shining, will stop in New York before a transatlantic flight to Europe. From there the pilots plan to make their way back to the point of departure in Abu Dhabi. –AFP

“‘Tay’ went from ‘humans are super cool’ to full nazi in