Tech
Tokyo Coding Club introduces virtual tech lessons to help parents cope with kids not able to attend school
Right now is an opportunity to try something new. With education centers and schools worldwide closing because of the Covid-19 outbreak, parents are presented with the challenge of keeping their children sharp for the next few weeks and potentially for months. Online learning, which many parents may have frowned upon… Read
Mother of invention: the new gadgets dreamt up to fight coronavirus
Driving to work at his factory to the west of London last week, designer Steve Brooks had coronavirus on his mind. What could he make that would let him open a door without touching the handle? "Everyone has to use their little finger or find the bit of the door… Read
Toyota, China's BYD announce electric car venture
Toyota Motor Co and Chinese electric automaker BYD Co announced a partnership Thursday to develop battery-powered vehicles, adding to a flurry of industry tie-ups to share soaring development costs. Automakers are spending billions of dollars to create low-cost models that appeal to Chinese buyers and meet government-imposed sales quotas following… Read
Auto industry races to make ventilators during virus crisis
The automotive industry is offering its expertise and manpower to the hospital sector as it gears up to build mechanical ventilators during the coronavirus pandemic, an initiative that is being met with some skepticism. American auto manufacturers General Motors and Ford, French car companies PSA and Renault, and Formula 1… Read
Apple will stop taking cut of some Amazon video purchases on App Store
Apple Inc said on Wednesday it would stop taking a cut of some sales for "qualifying" streaming video services on iPhones and other Apple devices, including Amazon.com's Prime Video. To make purchases inside apps on its App Store, Apple requires the use of Apple's own payment systems and takes a… Read
Zoom under scrutiny in U.S. over privacy, porn hacks
Video conferencing app Zoom, which has seen its popularity skyrocket in the coronavirus pandemic, is in hot water after users complained to the FBI of being startled by porn during meetings. New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to the in-vogue California enterprise "with a number of questions… Read
NEC, Kagome to provide AI-enabled services that improve tomato yields
NEC Corp on Tuesday announced the conclusion of a strategic partnership agreement with Kagome Co Ltd to launch agricultural management support services utilizing AI for leading tomato processing companies. The new service uses NEC’s AI-enabled agricultural ICT platform, CropScope, to visualize tomato growth and soil conditions based on sensor data… Read
AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients get deadly 'wet lung'
Researchers in the U.S. and China reported Monday they have developed an artificial intelligence tool that is able to accurately predict which newly infected patients with the novel coronavirus go on to develop severe lung disease. Once deployed, the algorithm could assist doctors in making choices about where to prioritize… Read
Why the coronavirus became a social media nightmare
The biggest reputational risk Facebook and other social media companies had expected in 2020 was fake news surrounding the U.S. presidential election. Be it foreign or domestic in origin, the misinformation threat seemed familiar, perhaps even manageable. The novel coronavirus, however, has opened up an entirely different problem: the life-endangering… Read
Microsoft says Skype users surge 70% amid coronavirus outbreak
The number of people using Microsoft's Skype video calling system has surged by 70% in a month to 40 million people presently, as more individuals stay home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company said on Monday. Skype-to-Skype calling minutes jumped 220% from a month earlier, the company said in… Read
