Tag: technology

  • Kalashnikov’s CV-1 electric car touted as Russia’s resolution to Tesla

    A prototype electric vehicle developed by Russian manufacturing company Kalashnikov, 22 August 2018 Image copyright AFP/Getty Photographs Symbol caption Kalashnikov’s resolution to Tesla was inspired by way of a Soviet hatchback created within the nineteen seventies

    Russian production company Kalashnikov has wheeled out a unfashionable-looking electrical automotive it says will provide Elon Musk’s Tesla a run for its money.

    The firm in the back of the famous AK-47 attack rifle presented the eggshell-blue prototype vehicle, the CV-1, at an event near the capital, Moscow.

    It stated the CV-1, impressed by a Soviet hatchback created within the seventies, was once a revolutionary cutting-area “supercar”.

    Kalashnikov used to be earlier ridiculed over its new fight robotic “little Igor”.

    The corporate said in a statement on Thursday that the CV-1 automobile featured a number of “advanced systems” with technology that might “allow us to stand within the ranks of worldwide electric automobile producers reminiscent of Tesla”.

    Image copyright Kalashnikov Media Symbol caption Many on-line have mocked the Kalashnikov robot for its clunky and antique-fashioned appearance

    Earlier this week, Kalashnikov unveiled Igorek (aka “little Igor”); a 4-metre (13 toes) tall, 4.5-tonne, manned robot designed for “finishing up engineering and combat tasks”.

    At a time whilst robots are competing to grow to be smaller, sleeker and smarter, the company was once mocked over the robot’s cumbersome antique-shaped design.

    Kalashnikov later stated it hoped to display a much better model of the robotic at an exhibition in 2020.

  • Twitter won’t ban InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones

    Alex Jones speaking outside of a Trump campaign event Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Jones and his InfoWars Twitter bills have shared ONE HUNDRED,000 tweets on the platform

    The CEO of Twitter says it’ll no longer ban InfoWars or its founder Alex Jones as a result of their debts don’t violate the social media platform’s rules.

    A choice of tech giants, including YouTube and Fb, deleted the conspiracy theorist’s content this week, bringing up hate speech.

    Mr Jones has accused the platforms of unfair censorship of his debts.

    The radio host is best recognized for spreading unsubstantiated allegations approximately tragic occasions, together with NINE/11.

    He is recently being sued for defamation via three oldsters whose kids were killed in the Sandy Hook Fundamental school assault, which he has many times claimed was once a “large hoax”.

    Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption Mr Dorsey stated it was essential the service remained independent “irrespective of political viewpoints”

    A Few right-wing commentators have urged tech firms’ talent to dam a writer pose a problem to the free speech regulations within the US.

    On Monday, Donald Trump Jnr implied the actions against Jones were a part of a bigger censorship marketing campaign to purge conservative media outlets.

    This isn’t the primary time Twitter has confronted similar controversy.

    Last year it suspended its verification gadget after being accused of amplifying the content of a long way-proper debts with legitimate “blue ticks”.

    In Tuesday’s tweets Mr Dorsey admitted the platform were “negative at explaining our selections in the prior” but mentioned it was once committed to fixing itself.

    A collection of neatly-identified some distance-proper figures together with Tommy Robinson were banned from Twitter in latest months as a part of a much wider crackdown on hateful and abusive content on the platform.

    Earlier this year, the CEO requested for the public’s assist with tackling on-line abuse.

  • Why is Samsung’s Galaxy S9 flagship suffering?

    Galaxy S9 Symbol copyright Getty Images Symbol caption The Galaxy S9’s advent of AR Emojis that appear to be their owners has no longer made the phone successful

    It wasn’t what Samsung or its buyers had been hoping for.

    The company’s electronics department has simply published a drop in its up to date net benefit – and it says “lower-than-anticipated gross sales” of its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone had been to blame.

    The handset introduced in February to a combined reception.

    Critics praised a few of its new digicam methods, together with the way in which it made it quite easy to seize key moments in “super-sluggish-movement” video.

    However in addition they forged doubt over whether or not the company had given shoppers sufficient reasons to improve.

    Image copyright Samsung Image caption The Galaxy S9 – proven at the proper – strongly resembled the S8 – observed on the left

    “However now there may be a flood of gadgets which might be very identical and sometimes better priced.”

    What threat do Chinese opponents pose?

    China as soon as presented Samsung with an enormous opportunity. these days, it poses a threat.

    The South Korean company used to be the bestselling cellphone brand in China’s massive cellphone market.

    Now, it has been relegated to the “others segment” of market share charts and it is household corporations that dominate.

    Image copyright Getty Pictures Image caption Xiaomi lately floated its stocks in Hong Kong

    What’s more, those same Chinese Language firms are making great strides in a foreign country. Had it now not been for the US’s resistance to letting Chinese phones into its personal marketplace, the S9’s gross sales can have been a lot worse.

    “Xiaomi, in particular, is doing an overly excellent job of bringing the specs related to top class telephones like Samsung’s right down to less expensive price points,” stated Mr Stanton.

    “And it’s doing that inside approximately six to nine months of a up to date innovation coming to market.

    “on the flipside, we’re seeing Huawei going past the applied sciences that Samsung provides.

    “It has AI embedded in its chipsets, triple cameras on the again of its P20 Pro – it’s in point of fact raising the bar.”

    Image copyright Samsung Image caption Samsung has mocked the layout of the iPhone X’s monitor

    “Such unprovoked aggressive behaviour is rarely standard of the successful aspect; it is typically exhibited through the shedding team, which, realising that the general seconds of the match are ticking away, begins enjoying in a rough and determined… way,” stated the news site Phone Enviornment in a up to date editorial.

    To be truthful, Apple wasn’t beyond making fun of the competition in its I’m-a-Mac/I Am-a-COMPUTER commercials from yesteryear. however the distinction was once that it was once the underdog at the time.

    “Samsung should almost definitely go away this technique behind and center of attention more on the features that make its own merchandise unique,” stated Ms Cozza.

    What’s Samsung doing to deal with the problem?

    in the quick-time period, Samsung mentioned it had brought forward the release of its Galaxy Be Aware NINE, as a way to make its debut on 9 August in New York.

    In addition, it said it intended to add new features to its lower-finish handsets to increase their enchantment.

    Symbol copyright Samsung Symbol caption Samsung confirmed off this idea symbol of a foldable telephone in 2013

    “We Will additionally reinforce price competitiveness,” brought the chief of the company’s mobile trade, KyeongTae Lee – which appears like a touch of decrease prices.

    Longer time period, Samsung said the advent of flexible smartphones should “deliver new energy” to its line-up.

    “We have been engaged in research and development of the foldable smartphones for a few years,” an unidentified govt discovered all over its convention name.

    “We Are within the technique of stabilising the efficiency besides as sturdiness by way of working along with a parts company.”

    The comment backs up an earlier report by way of the Wall Street Journal, which stated Samsung planned to unencumber a telephone in 2019 whose monitor could fold like a wallet.

    within the interim, there is the launch of the S10 to return later this yr, which may be the primary to add a new “unbreakable” reveal announced through Samsung Show closing week.

    And it is price remembering that whatever the S9’s struggles, Samsung is thought to remain the world’s bestselling telephone-maker via a wide margin.

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  • Fb stocks slump 20% after growth warning

    Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of Facebook logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. Image copyright Reuters

    Fb shares opened sharply lower on Thursday, after the social media network warned traders of slowing revenue profits and increased spending.

    The firm’s shares opened 20% down, a drop that wiped more than $100bn (£76bn) off Facebook’s market value.

    The fall also dragged down the tech-rich Nasdaq share index, which used to be virtually 1% lower.

    Fb’s forecast got here as the company faces a backlash over its handling of fake information and user data.

    The corporate mentioned it anticipated to boost spending by way of 50% or extra, as it tries to improve the best way it displays content, tracks advertisers and treats user data – areas where it has confronted regulator scrutiny.

    Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption Fb boss Mark Zuckerberg has seemed sooner than regulators this 12 months

    Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, and likewise depends on virtual promoting, used to be down less than 1%, whilst song streaming provider Spotify gained almost 1%, after reporting stronger than expected user enlargement.

    Many of the criteria affecting Facebook are distinctive to the corporate, said Daniel Ives, chief era officer at GBH Insights.

    The company has been in the spotlight for its involvement with knowledge firm Cambridge Analytica.

    Fb has additionally modified the inside track feed to emphasize posts from family and friends, tweaks that chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had up to now counseled could have an effect on profitability.

    Analyst Richard Greenfield of BTIG Research wrote in a observe that buyers were “overreacting”.

    He said Fb remained a wealthy chance for advertisers, and the investments it is making must drive long run enlargement.

    “We had been pretty stressed out right through Fb’s Q2 2018 conference name and will feel the fear/panic in buyers voices afterwards,” he wrote.

    However, he delivered: “Cell is consuming the sector and Fb is a center maintaining to profit from that shift.”

  • First Israeli spacecraft to land on moon next yr

    July 10 (UPI) — For the primary time in its historical past, Israel will have a spacecraft at the moon subsequent 12 months, the SpaceIL employer introduced Tuesday.

    A Falcon 9 rocket built through SpaceX will raise the craft to the moon from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. THIRTEEN, 2019. IT IS GOING TO cut loose the rocket at 37,000 miles above the Earth and enter an elliptical orbit and slowly enlarge until it is captured through lunar gravity.

    SpaceIL, a nonprofit founded in 2010, said on its site it’s the only Israeli team collaborating within the Google Lunar XPrize competition — a contest to land the primary privately-funded unmanned spacecraft on the moon.

    the chance to win $30 million during the festival led to March, however now maintains without a cash prize. Different countries also have groups within the competition, including the U.s.a., Japan and India.

    Israel would change into simply the fourth usa to make a lunar touchdown after the United States Of America, the former Soviet Union and China.

    A goal of the venture is to spark interest in area among young Israelis.

    “It Is about building ourselves a better future,” mentioned SpaceIL co-founder Yariv Bash. “Projects like the Google Lunar XPrize pageant in area are had to push humanity forwards.”

    Another objective of the challenge is to find the magnetic mysteries of moon rocks, officers stated. Billionaire businessman and SpaceIL challenge funder Morris Kahn said he’d additionally love to see the 2019 launch create an “Apollo Impact” — the thrill within the United States Of America after the 1969 moon touchdown that spurred further medical analysis.

    SpaceIL has so far spent about $89 million at the mission.

  • Tesla to open new production manufacturing facility in Shanghai

    July 10 (UPI) — Tesla will open a brand new electrical automobile manufacturing plant in Shanghai, ultimately doubling its production, CEO Elon Musk announced Tuesday.

    The Auto plant, Tesla’s first outdoor the United States, is anticipated to produce 500,000 automobiles a 12 months someday in the next decade, Shanghai authorities said.

    The Shanghai municipal government stated it will “totally fortify the construction of the Tesla factory.”

    Production on the Shanghai factory is expected to start out years after the beginning of development on the factory and will ramp as much as the objective of 500,000 cars in keeping with year two to three years later.

    The Five Hundred,000-car-in keeping with-yr production plan for the Chinese manufacturing unit is equal to the manufacturing from Tesla’s Fremont, Calif., manufacturing unit.

    “Modern-Day statement will not affect our U.S. production operations, which proceed to grow,” a Tesla spokesman said.

    China is Tesla’s 2d biggest marketplace after the America. the company bought 17,000 automobiles within the united states closing 12 months, to boot as 50,000 in the U.S. and 103,000 globally.

    The move comes after China announced plans to ease laws on foreign makers, which compelled them to fabricate automobiles with Chinese Language companions to avoid paying steep import tariffs.

    Earlier this month, Tesla met a objective to produce FIVE,000 Type 3 electrical cars at its California manufacturing facility.

  • India lynchings: WhatsApp units new rules after mob killings

    This file photo taken on March 22, 2018 shows apps for WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and other social networks on a smartphone in Chennai. Indian police urged people on June 27 not to believe false rumours on WhatsApp after five fresh incidents of crazed mobs attacking people left one woman dead and a dozen hurt Symbol copyright AFP Image caption Many Indians are first uncovered to the web via low-cost smartphones

    WhatsApp has mentioned it’s going to restrict what number of occasions messages will also be forwarded in India to lessen the spread of fake knowledge on its platform.

    The statement comes after a spate of mob lynchings have been linked to messages that circulated on WhatsApp groups.

    The government on Thursday reissued a caution to the corporate that it would face prison outcomes if they remained “mute spectators”.

    With greater than 2 HUNDRED million users, India is WhatsApp’s biggest market.

    WhatsApp mentioned its customers in India “forward extra messages, footage, and videos, than every other u . s . a . within the international”.

    Groups on WhatsApp may have a maximum of 256 other people. a lot of the messages which are believed to have prompted violence were forwarded to a couple of teams which had greater than 100 participants each.

    In a weblog published on its website, the company announced that it was once “launching a take a look at to restrict forwarding so they can practice to everyone using WhatsApp”.

    For Indian customers, alternatively, the forwarding choice shall be limited even additional. A WhatsApp spokesperson for India instructed the BBC that this implies a unmarried individual can be able to forward one message only five occasions.

    However, this doesn’t prevent other individuals from a bunch from forwarding the message to an extra 5 chats of their own.

    WhatsApp brought that they was hoping this degree may cut back the frequency of messages being forwarded.

    The company also mentioned it could be taking away the “quick forward button” next to messages that contained footage or video.

    Who can forestall India WhatsApp lynchings? How WhatsApp helped flip an Indian village right into a lynch mob India ‘WhatsApp child abduction rumours’: 5 extra lynched

    Those changes come within the wake of a chain of mob lynchings that killed at least 18 other folks throughout India due to the fact April 2018. Media studies placed the collection of useless higher.

    The violence has been blamed on rumours of child kidnappings, unfold over WhatsApp, which have led people to assault strangers.

    Police say it is proving hard to get people to imagine that the messages are false.

    In a contemporary lynching within the north-japanese state of Tripura, the victim used to be a man employed through the local govt to head round villages to dispel rumours being spread on social media.

    India’s federal executive had prior to now mentioned that the Fb-owned corporate cannot avoid “accountability and duty” for the content material its customers are sharing.

    Media playback is unsupported to your instrument

    Media captionThe India WhatsApp video using other folks to murder

    WhatsApp had answered through saying it used to be “horrified through these negative acts of violence”, and that the situation was a “challenge that calls for executive, civil society and era companies to interact”.

    The messaging app is the one greatest internet-based provider available to people in India. It has tremendous reach, allowing messages to spread exponentially and permitting mobs to gather quickly.

    Earlier within the month, the company outlined steps it used to be taking to help address the problem, which incorporated permitting users to depart teams and block other people more simply.

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  • In photos: Israel at 70 – seven top moments

    Image gallery Israel at 70 – seven leading moments
  • Elon Musk apologises to Thai cave diver for Twitter assault

    Elon Musk Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption Elon Musk mentioned he had “spoken in anger”

    Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has apologised to a British cave diver he referred to as a “pedo guy” in a row over the cave rescue in Thailand.

    He mentioned he had “spoken in anger” after Vern Unsworth ridiculed a mini-submarine he had commissioned for the rescue attempt as a “PR stunt”.

    Mr Unsworth informed newshounds on Monday he used to be taking into account legal action.

    “His movements in opposition to me don’t justify my actions against him, and for that I apologise,” Mr Musk mentioned.

    Thailand’s cave boys to leave medical institution the whole tale of Thailand ’s ordinary cave rescue

    Twelve boys and their football train had been rescued from deep within a cave in advance this month after being trapped for more than weeks.

    Mr Unsworth’s knowledge of the cave complicated is said to have performed a key function within the rescue effort.

    He travelled into the caves in the first days after the men went lacking and helped usher in best global cave rescue professionals for the undertaking.

    Mr Musk, head of the SpaceX and Tesla companies, visited the command centre in Thailand in the course of the rescue, announcing he had left the rescuers a mini-submarine.

    What did Musk say?

    In a respond to some other consumer on Twitter, referring a piece of writing about his involvement within the rescue venture, he wrote that he was once apologising to both Mr Unsworth and the corporations he led.

    “The fault is mine and mine alone,” he declared.

    At the same time, he accused Mr Unsworth of telling “untruths” about his mini-submarine, which was once not used within the rescue.

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  • ONE HUNDRED Women: The Modern face of the ‘DIY abortion’

    Hand over tablet computer Image copyright Getty Photographs

    World online searches for abortion drugs have greater than doubled over the final decade, BBC research of Google searches presentations.

    The findings also suggest that during international locations the place abortion laws are more restrictive, there may be better seek passion in abortion capsules.

    By shopping for drugs on-line and sharing scientific recommendation thru WhatsApp teams, ladies are increasingly more turning to technology to keep away from felony barriers to abortion.

    This is the modern face of the so-known as “DIY abortion”.

    Countries with the strictest regulations, the place abortion is permitted only to avoid wasting a girl’s lifestyles or banned altogether, have over 10 instances upper search pastime in abortion pill Misoprostol in comparison to international locations and not using a regulations, BBC analysis displays.

    A medical abortion most often involves taking a combination of pills, Misoprostol and Mifeprostone, to urge a miscarriage. Misoprostol can also pass by means of emblem names like Cytotec.

    While women in nations such as the united kingdom will be prescribed this combination by way of a physician, girls in search of and buying the drugs on-line in international locations the place get entry to to abortion is restricted are sometimes breaking the legislation, risking critical punishments.

    Ghana and Nigeria are the 2 nations with the highest seek passion in Misoprostol, in keeping with the Google knowledge.

    Ghana most effective allows abortions in cases of rape, incest, foetal impairment or to maintain a girl’s mental health.

    Nigeria is stricter nonetheless: abortion is purely allowed in situations where a woman’s lifestyles is in peril.

    Of the 25 international locations with best search passion in Misoprostol, ELEVEN are in Africa and 14 in Latin America.

    All but – Zambia and Mozambique – both ban abortions altogether or allow them simplest to save a girl’s life or health.

    In Ireland, taking abortion capsules carries a 14-year jail sentence, but the referendum held in Would Possibly confirmed voters were overwhelmingly in favour of overturning the regulation.

    The taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar, who campaigned in favour of liberalisation, has said he hopes new rules shall be in place by the tip of the year.

    The BBC recently pronounced on a WhatsApp crew, running in Brazil, helping women get grasp of the pills and providing them advice through the process.

    Juliana (no longer her real name) used to be one among the ladies who sought the WhatsApp workforce’s lend a hand.

    “I did the process alone at my house and reported the time i was going to start out to the WhatsApp staff,” says the 28-year-vintage.

    “What I Believed was very nice, is how the other women within the group assist each other, sharing information, and discussing doubts and fears. This strengthened me, in some way.

    “it’s always just right to grasp that you’re not on my own. the crowd was crucial to me, for me to feel protected.”

    Alongside abortion pills, girls also are turning to their serps to supply alternative methods to self-set off abortions.

    Herbs like parsley, cinnamon, diet C, aspirin and abortion teas (herbal concoctions) all got here up as most sensible searched strategies.

    In half the international locations we looked at “home remedies for abortion” was once a top search associated with abortion.

    One study, which looked at the use of abortion teas in sub-Saharan Africa, discovered that even as a few plants did affect the uterus, there have been many drawbacks to this conventional method.

    Along with a lack of data round protection, the study recommended it used to be exhausting for practitioners to regulate dosage and aspect-effects.

    None of the “home therapies” listed above are thought to be secure abortion methods by means of the sector Well Being Agency.

    Image copyright Getty Images Symbol caption Abortion is prime up the political schedule in Argentina at the second, with other folks taking to the streets to campaign on both sides of the problem

    Around The World, approximately 25 million dangerous abortions take place every year, in keeping with the world Health Corporation, accounting for 45% of all abortions.

    These 25 million risky abortions are labeled even additional.

    Although Misoprostol is normally regarded as a secure approach to abortion while administered by means of a surgeon, whilst it is utilized by an untrained person it poses risks.

    Whilst it’s administered by an untrained person, the world Health Employer categories it as “less secure” and says this bills for almost one-3rd (31%) of the overall choice of abortions, both safe and dangerous.

    “even if the quality of the medicine is perfect and also you observe the protocol to the letter, there is nonetheless a failure charge,” says Dhammika Perera, the worldwide clinical director at Marie Stopes International.

    When a woman buys the pills online, or is equipped them by means of an untrained particular person, it will increase the chances of a failed abortion, he says.

    These ladies are also less more likely to go for post-abortion care if something is going improper.

    “Stigma, price, geographical get admission to can all make women hesitate and that places them in danger,” Mr Perera says.

    “It Is slow development, however that there’s development, is unquestionable.

    “Globally some backward steps had been taken, in the US as an example, however I stay hopeful.”

    The BBC recently heard the story of Arezoo, a law pupil, who was once residing in Iran when she came upon she was pregnant by way of her boyfriend of five years. they had at all times used birth control.

    “Each And Every gynaecologist’s place of job I saw I walked in,” she says.

    “When the medical doctors checked me and came upon i was unmarried and needed an abortion they rejected me straight away.”

    She faked documents suggesting she used to be divorced and yes a health care provider to help her.

    “He charged me an arm and a leg for 8 tablets,” she says. however the medicine had no impact.

    Arezoo went online and came across a charity that sends abortion tablets to girls in countries the place the process is specific. There she received advice and support.

    Ultimately the pills she got from the physician made her bleed closely however the abortion used to be no longer completed and Arezoo used to be rushed to a personal medical institution every week later accompanied by way of her sister.

    “I lied, I instructed them my husband used to be in France and that my files have been in a secure someplace and i needed to have a safe abortion.”

    Health Facility personnel have been reluctant and did not want to admit her.

    Arezoo says it used to be a miracle that they in spite of everything gave in and believed her.

    “in spite of everything that mendacity and making up stories, i was in spite of everything admitted and thirty mins later the suction procedure was once done. It used to be the worst nightmare of my existence,” she says.

    Approximately 14% of all abortions were “least secure”, because of this they had been equipped via untrained individuals the usage of bad strategies, corresponding to the advent of overseas objects and use of natural concoctions.

    Complications comparable to an infection and incomplete abortion can arise from those methods.

    When an abortion is incomplete, doctors might both advise further medicine, or a surgical possibility, depending on the situation.

    At least 22,800 ladies die every year from headaches of dangerous abortion, the Guttmacher Institute reports.

    Reporting by Amelia Butterly and knowledge journalism by way of Clara Guibourg. Additional reporting by way of Dina Demrdash, Nathalia Passarinho and Ferenak Amidi.

    What’s ONE HUNDRED Women?

    BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational girls across the world yearly. We create documentaries, options and interviews approximately their lives, giving more room for stories that put girls at the centre.

    Follow BBC 100 Ladies on Instagram and Facebook and sign up for the conversation.

    Methodology:

    All search data used covers the ultimate five years and is derived from Google Developments, which doesn’t supply exact search volumes, but relative seek interest in a topic from ZERO-ONE HUNDRED, the place ONE HUNDRED is the highest search passion for the given subject, time and geography. Searches made in numerous languages or the usage of other names for the drugs (e.g. “abortion tablet”, “Misoprostol” or “Cytotec”) are all included in the data.

    We looked at international search information for the full tendencies, and looked at 14 countries in additional detail: Ghana, Nigeria, Honduras, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Kenya, Mexico, US, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, India, and Ireland. The Information on abortion laws for every united states is from the center for Reproductive Rights.

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