Tech
Major Japanese firms urge gov't to bolster 2030 renewables goal
Major firms including Sony, Panasonic and Nissan on Monday urged the Japanese government to make its 2030 renewable energy target twice as ambitious. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last year set a 2050 deadline for Japan to become carbon-neutral, but the country's shorter term renewables goal has long been criticised as… Read
U.S. urges Australia to abandon news payment plan for tech giants
The United States has urged Australia to abandon its plan to force Google and Facebook to pay media outlets for their news content, saying there could be "long-lasting negative consequences" for consumers and companies. Australia wants to force the U.S. tech giants to pay local media organizations for hosting news… Read
Apple CEO Cook says Parler could return to App Store with reforms
Parler, the social network popular among conservatives, could return to Apple's App Store if it changes how it moderates posts on the platform, the tech giant's CEO Tim Cook says. Apple suspended all downloads of the Parler app following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, citing postings… Read
Tech, health firms team up on digital vaccination certificates
A coalition of technology firms and health organizations have announced plans for a digital vaccination certificate, which can be used on smartphones to show evidence of inoculation for COVID-19. The Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI) includes the Mayo Clinic, Microsoft, Oracle and Salesforce. The companies said they were working on a… Read
Superfast 5G in the U.S. still a work in progress
Marketing pitches in the U.S. are bullish on superfast 5G telecom networks, but they remain more of a promise than reality. Promoters of the technology say it will bring such innovations as fast-thinking self-driving cars and rapid-fire video downloads. And nationwide coverage with 5G could add $1.5 trillion to GDP… Read
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit reaches space on 2nd try
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said. A 70-foot-long (21.34-meter-long) LauncherOne rocket was released from beneath the wing of a Boeing 747 carrier aircraft off the coast of Southern California, ignited moments later… Read
Zapping COVID: Tech sector takes aim at virus with new gadgetry
From virus-zapping drones to smart masks to disease-predicting wearables, the tech sector is showcasing ways to detect and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak. The health crisis which forced last week's 2021 Consumer Electronics Show online has also spawned innovations for fighting the pandemic. Drone maker Draganfly showcased its camera technology which… Read
Apple invests millions to back entrepreneurs of color, part of racial justice effort
Apple Inc is putting $60 million into a fresh round of projects aimed at challenging systemic racism, including its first foray into venture capital funding to back entrepreneurs of color. Apple said it would invest $10 million in a fund with Harlem Capital, a New York-based early-stage venture firm, with… Read
WhatsApp to delay launch of new business features after privacy backlash
Facebook Inc's WhatsApp is delaying an update aimed at increasing business transactions on the platform after a storm of concern from users who feared that the messaging platform was watering down its privacy policy in the process. WhatsApp users received a notification this month that it was preparing a new… Read
'Walkable chair' makes standing on the job an easier prospect
If you or your employees have a job that requires standing for long periods of time, Japanese startup Archelis may have the device for you. The archelisFX - whose name derives from the Japanese for "walkable chair" - is a wearable exoskeleton being showcased at this year's CES virtual tech… Read
