Tag: NASA
Tech Digest daily roundup: Singles Day fails to hit double-digit growth
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's Singles Day is known for being the world's biggest online shopping extravaganza. But this year it has been a more toned down affair as Beijing cracks down on businesses and economic growth slows. Sales for the 11-day event rose at their slowest rate since it was launched in 2009, up 8.5%…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Twitter claims social media reform plans ‘need more clarity’
Government plans for social media regulation need "far more clarity", a Twitter boss has told the BBC. Katy Minshall said the draft Online Safety Bill failed to answer key questions such as how to define legal but harmful material. Instead of simply targeting those who post offensive content, the bill would put more responsibility on…
Tech Digest daily roundup: WhatsApp fined €225m for breach
WhatsApp has been fined €225m (£193m) by Ireland's data watchdog for breaching privacy regulations. It is the largest fine ever from the Irish Data Protection Commission, and the second-highest under EU GDPR rules. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has its EU headquarters is in Ireland, and the Irish regulator is the lead authority for the tech…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Tesla to open up supercharger network
CEO Elon Musk confirms plans on Twitter to begin allowing access to rival EV brands at its US supercharger network later this year, with global network to follow suit. Tesla plans to open up its global charging network to allow rival brands of electric vehicles to power up their batteries in future, the company's CEO…
CubeSat Cameras Enhancing Earth Observation Capacity
As the saying goes, “knowledge is power”. Any industry that wants to effectively refine its processes and boost efficiency needs to base its actions on hard data. This is where CubeSat cameras come in. A CubeSat camera payload uses modular components to record geospatial imaging information. What’s more, it does this at a fraction of…
Tech Digest daily round up: Apple Watch ‘to monitor blood pressure and alcohol levels’
Apple is exploring advanced smartwatch technology that monitors wearers’ blood pressure, glucose and alcohol levels under a deal with a British electronics start-up. The US tech giant has been revealed as the largest customer of Rockley Photonics, which says its next-generation sensors could be in gadgets next year. The British company has developed ultra-accurate sensors…
Tech Digest daily round up: Dutch couple become first to move into 3D printed house
A Dutch couple has become Europe’s first tenants of a fully 3D printed house in a development that its backers believe will open up a world of choice in the shape and style of the homes of the future. Elize Lutz, 70, and Harrie Dekkers, 67, retired shopkeepers from Amsterdam, received their digital key –…
Tech Digest daily round up: Four astronauts blast off on SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and three crewmates are set to blast off Friday morning aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for a six-month stay at the International Space Station. The European Space Agency veteran joins two Nasa astronauts – mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur – along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide for…
Tech Digest daily round up: NASA instrument produces Oxygen from Mars
An instrument aboard Nasa’s latest Mars rover has produced oxygen from some of the Red Planet’s thin carbon dioxide rich atmosphere, an advance that could lead to new ways for future astronauts to produce breathable air on the planet. According to the US space agency, the breakthrough also opens new doors for future missions where oxygen…
Tech Digest daily round up: Ingenuity helicopter takes flight on Mars
A helicopter has made the first-ever flight on another planet, NASA has said. The Ingenuity helicopter took to the Martian skies this morning, the space agency said. It marks NASA's first attempt at a powered, controlled flight on another planet. Data from the flight will return from Mars to Earth in a few hours' time.…