Month: May 2019
Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches 60 ‘broadband’ satellites
SpaceX has begun to roll out a network of orbiting satellites that will beam internet coverage down to Earth as part of a new broadband scheme. The space company has successfully deployed 60 satellites to space, in a network which is expected to eventually cover the entire planet in providing internet coverage. The multibillion-dollar Starlink…
Virtual Reality better at detecting Alzheimer’s than conventional tests
A new virtual reality system developed by a team of UK scientists is better at spotting the early signs of Alzheimer’s than “gold standard” tests currently use by doctors, research suggests. Pioneered by a team at the University of Cambridge, the technology was even able to sort patients with early signs of Alzheimer’s from those…
BT Sport app to show both European football finals in HDR
BT Sport is to show the Champions League and Europa League finals in High Dynamic Range (HDR) via its official app as part of trials of the picture quality technology. Both European finals, which will be contested entirely by English sides for the first time, will also be free to watch on TV, the BT…
Xiaomi announces Mi MIX 3 5G smartphone with Vodafone
Chinese firm Xiaomi has announced the UK arrival of its first 5G smartphone, Mi MIX 3 5G. Launching via Vodafone UK, the 6+128 GB variant is available in Onyx Black, becoming one of the first 5G smartphones in the UK. The price will be announced by Vodafone very soon. Since the launch of Mi MIX…
Vodafone confirms 5G rollout on July 3, excludes Huawei handsets
Vodafone will introduce 5G in seven UK cities in July as the telecoms firm revealed its plans to launch its version of the next generation mobile network. The firm said it will also be the first network to launch 5G roaming overseas. Vodafone’s 5G network will launch in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and…
Satellite-tracked trolleys is winner of UK Space Agency competition
Innovative ideas from young people to track abandoned supermarket trolleys by satellite and an app to find public toilets are among the winners of a space competition. (more…)
Ford creates Digit, a robot that delivers to the door
Ford is testing a two-legged robot that is able to independently carry parcels from a self-driving delivery vehicle to the front door. Called Digit, the slightly scaring looking humanoid can walk up and down stairs, as well as on uneven ground, holding items weighing up to 18kg, with the aim of one day easing pressure…
Apple pledges to be ‘more upfront’ over iPhone battery life
Apple has formally committed to be “clearer and more upfront” with iPhone users about battery health and performance as part of a new agreement with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The authority raised consumer law concerns with Apple last year after it said iPhone users were not being clearly warned that their phone’s…
EE becomes first to launch 5G network in UK on May 30th
EE is to launch its 5G mobile network in the UK on May 30. The BT-owned telecoms giant said it will be the first operator in the UK to launch the new, high-speed mobile network. 5G technology is the next generation of mobile network and is expected to offer internet speeds several times that of…
Female-voiced AI assistants reinforce gender bias, claims UN study
AI virtual assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant reinforce gender stereotypes which portray women as “subservient” by relying on female voices, a UN report has said. The UNESCO paper criticised voice-powered digital speakers and devices for making it appear that women are “obliging, docile and eager-to-please helpers, available at the touch of a button…