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Facebook stops apps being pre-installed on Huawei phones ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright Reuters Facebook has taken steps to stop its apps being pre-installed on Huawei smartphones, Reuters reports. The ban covers the main Facebook app, as well as apps from its subsidiary companies WhatsApp and Instagram. The action was taken in response to US government action in May to bar US companies from using foreign telecom firms it regards as a security risk.People who already own a Huawei phone and have the relevant apps installed can still continue to use them. Facebook said they would also continue to supply updates to existing users on Huawei phones.Huawei has not commented on the Facebook decision. The decision only applies to pre-installed apps and does not stop Huawei smartphone owners downloading and installing the apps once they receive their phones. However, this option will no longer be available if Google restricts access by Huawei phones to its Play store in the future. The decision is another blow to Huawei, which this week learned that Google will no longer let the company use its core Android software after mid-August. For now, the Play store for Android and all Google apps will continue to be available to Huawei.Many other nations have imposed restrictions or outright bans on the use of Huawei equipment. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/07/facebook-stops-apps-being-pre-installed-on-huawei-phones/

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The 3D-printed house that runs off-grid ##drapersolutions #technology This house is designed to be installed in less than a day, and so well insulated that it only needs solar power to heat or cool it. Is this what the pre-built homes of the future will look like?This is part of the BBC's Disruptors series. You can read the full article here.Camera: Cody Godwin; Producer: Ben King Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/04/the-3d-printed-house-that-runs-off-grid/

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Xbox: Keanu Reeves and other highlights from Microsoft’s E3 event ##drapersolutions #technology Microsoft delighted Xbox gamers at its E3 press event with an unexpected appearance from movie actor Keanu Reeves.The star of John Wick and the Matrix trilogies was at the Los Angeles event to reveal he is starring in one of the most highly anticipated video games.And there was plenty of other action at the event including the first details of a forthcoming games console.Read more Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/09/xbox-keanu-reeves-and-other-highlights-from-microsofts-e3-event/

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Goggles ‘give back’ sight to Maisy so she can read again ##drapersolutions #technology Maisy is about to be able to read for the first time in years. She lost most of her vision six years ago due to a brain tumour. What vision she has, is limited to a tiny blurry circle in her right eye.She joined BBC Click's Spencer Kelly at the recent Hay Festival to put some new goggles to the test in front of an audience.See more at Click's website and @BBCClick. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/10/goggles-give-back-sight-to-maisy-so-she-can-read-again/

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E3: Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda sequel confirmed ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright Nintendo Image caption Nintendo showed a trailer for the sequel of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at E3 Nintendo has revealed it is working on a sequel to the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the best-selling games for its Switch console.Breath of the Wild was praised by critics when it launched in 2017 and it won several awards.Nintendo showed a short trailer for the sequel during its presentation at the E3 gaming show in Los Angeles.However, it also said its highly anticipated Animal Crossing game had been delayed until March 2020.The company said it wanted to make sure the game was of the "right quality".The Legend of Zelda series started in 1986. The action-adventure games follow hero Link in his quest to save the kingdom of Hyrule.In its presentation, Nintendo also highlighted several third-party games that were being brought to the Switch in the coming months."Switch hardware sales are currently leading the US market in a big way," said Mat Piscatella, gaming analyst for NPD Group."Nintendo is the leading software publisher - and neither of these facts show any signs of slowing any time soon."In a related development, Polish studio CD Projekt Red has announced that it will release its action role-playing game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, for the Switch later this year. Image copyright CD Projekt Red Image caption The trailer for the Switch version of The Witcher 3 indicates that it will feature less detailed graphics than the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions The fantasy title was released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and is known for offering one of the largest open-world experiences. The Nintendo version will contain several sections that were originally sold as expansion add-ons, potentially offering hundreds of hours of gameplay in total. There had been doubts that the Switch offered enough storage to make this possible. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/11/e3-nintendos-legend-of-zelda-sequel-confirmed/

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Why is building so slow and expensive? ##drapersolutions #technology While other industries have become vastly more efficient, construction has lagged behind. Now forward-thinking builders are looking at the ways technology can help.This is part of the BBC's Disruptors series. You can read the full article here.Infographic: Zoe Bartholomew; Reporter: Ben King Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/11/why-is-building-so-slow-and-expensive/

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5G sign-ups outpace 4G’s launch in South Korea ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Samsung has suggested attractive subscription deals have driven demand for 5G rather than faster speeds More than one million people have subscribed to a 5G mobile contact in South Korea, meaning demand for the high-speed technology has easily outpaced the country's adoption of 4G.The government has said it took 69 days for the landmark to be reached. That is much faster than the 80 days it took the last-generation, 4G, service to hit the same figure, in 2011.The country's networks claim to be the world's first to have commercially launched 5G mobile phone networks.However, US network Verizon has disputed this, claiming it managed to switch on its system in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis hours earlier on 3 April.Switzerland, Bahrain and the United Kingdom have all followed in the weeks since.5G offers faster download speeds and lower latencies - the lag between sending a command and receiving a response - among other benefits.About 85 South Korean cities will have 5G connectivity by the end of the year, and its Ministry of Science and ICT has said that local networks will begin installing kit at airports, train stations and large shopping centres from next week to boost coverage.However, earlier this week, Samsung suggested the industry had yet to deliver a "killer app" to take advantage of 5G's new capabilities, adding many consumers had signed up in such droves only because of attractive data packages and cut-price handsets offered to drive demand.The local Yonhap news agency has cast doubt over whether the industry can continue to offer similar deals without threatening its ability to make a profit .Even so, it said, companies had forecast there would be more than four million 5G subscribers in the country by the end of 2019. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/12/5g-sign-ups-outpace-4gs-launch-in-south-korea/

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Pokemon Sword and Shield: Hands-on with Dynamax power ##drapersolutions #technology New Pokemon games are among the highlights at Nintendo's E3 booth this year.Pokemon Sword and Shield introduce the Dynamax transformation, which allows trainers to grow their pocket monsters to giant size.Chris Fox tested how the innovation affects gameplay at the Los Angeles expo.Read and watch more of our E3 coverage Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/12/pokemon-sword-and-shield-hands-on-with-dynamax-power/

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Auction of Concorde nose cone to take place in Northamptonshire ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright Humbert & Ellis Auctioneers Image caption Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said said the nose cone was a hugely exciting item A rare piece of aviation history will be up for grabs when a nose from test specimen of a Concorde passenger plane goes to auction next week.The 25ft (7.5m)-long "droop" nose cone is currently in Kansas City, Missouri, housed in a specially-built glass unit.A guide price of between £200,000 and £300,000 has been set by auctioneers in Towcester, Northamptonshire.Concorde's last commercial flight took place on 23 October 2003. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Concorde's commercial operational life was between 1976 and 2003 The cone, which dates from the late 1960s, was last sold in 1995 out of the collection of aeronautical collector Wensley Haydon-Baillie.It comes complete with pilot's visor and internal hydraulic rams for its operation.A 11ft (3.35m) tall cone auctioned by the same auctioneers sold for £63,000 in February last year.Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said the auction "has already generated global interest".The auction will take place on Thursday, 20 June. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionA tour inside the last ever Concorde to flyConcorde factsConcorde was born out of separate French and British projects which joined forces in 1962 Its first flight took place on 2 March 1969 from Toulouse Concorde successfully completed its first supersonic flight on 1 October 1969 Its fastest speed was twice the speed of sound - 1,350mph (2,180km/h) The first commercial flights took place on 21 January 1976 when British Airways flew from London Heathrow to Bahrain and Air France from Paris to Rio The record transatlantic crossing was 2hrs 52mins 59secs The Concorde crash near Paris on 25 July 2000 killed 113 people and grounded the planes for a year BA and Air France announced the plane will be retired in 2003 Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/11/auction-of-concorde-nose-cone-to-take-place-in-northamptonshire/

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Vodafone suffers faults across Europe ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright Getty Images Vodafone says it is working to tackle "disruption" to its mobile and fixed-line broadband services.It has experienced a fault with an international link used to transmit data between countries but is rerouting traffic to address the issue.Reports on the DownDetector website indicate that subscribers in the UK, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Germany are among those affected.The problem appears to have begun after 14:00BST.Some affected users have, however, reported that issues with email and other internet-based activities have been resolved. Skip Twitter post by @VodafoneUK We are aware that some customers are experiencing issues with their mobile data & broadband services. Our engineers are working hard to fix the issue, services are now being restored. This could take some time and sorry for any inconvenience caused. Andreas— Vodafone UK (@VodafoneUK) June 13, 2019 End of Twitter post by @VodafoneUK Skip Twitter post by @VodafoneIreland Update: Our service teams are currently working on resolving this issue and we will provide updates shortly. We thank you for your patience as we work to get this fixed.— Vodafone Ireland (@VodafoneIreland) June 13, 2019 End of Twitter post by @VodafoneIreland The fault comes a day after the firm announced that it had begun allowing users to link their accounts to Amazon's Alexa service, letting them call contacts via the US company's smart speakers. However, there is no suggestion that this was the cause of the outage. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/13/vodafone-suffers-faults-across-europe/

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Children use AI to try to survive Mars ##drapersolutions #technology Dozens of 11-to-18 year olds have come up with new ways to use artificial intelligence to solve some of the Earth's greatest problems - as well as other planets'.One team involved in the Teens in AI competition suggested how to tackle Mars' hostile environment. Tallulah Berry reports from London's CogX festival. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/13/children-use-ai-to-try-to-survive-mars/

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Japan outlaws flying drones while drunk ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright PA Image caption Drone use is growing in Japan as in many other nations Operating a drone in Japan while drunk could lead to a year in prison thanks to new legislation.The law, passed by the country's parliament this week, seeks to rein in growing use of the unmanned aerial vehicles. Those found to be intoxicated while flying a drone could also face a fine of up to 300,000 yen (£2,200).The law covers drones weighing more than 200g (7oz) and also puts limits on where drones can be flown."We believe operating drones after consuming alcohol is as serious as (drink) driving," a Japanese transport ministry official told the AFP news agency. As well as fines over drunken use, the legislation also levies fines on pilots who perform dangerous stunts with their drone. Those caught quickly plunging the craft towards crowds could face fines of up to 500,000 yen.Operators also face restrictions on where they can fly their craft under the new legislation. Drones are now banned from being flown within 300m (985ft) of Japan's armed forces, US military personnel and "defence-related facilities" without prior permission.This follows an earlier ban on them approaching nuclear power plants, Japan's parliament buildings and the prime minister's office. The stadiums and other sites for the 2020 Olympics are also off-limits to drone pilots.Anyone operating a drone in Japan does not need a licence but must abide by a series of regulations including:staying below 150m avoiding airports avoiding crowded areas only flying during daylight keeping the drone in sight at all times Anyone failing to abide by the established regulations could face a fine of up to 500,000 yen. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/13/japan-outlaws-flying-drones-while-drunk/

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Next-gen games may not need new console ##drapersolutions #technology Until now, big budget video games have most commonly been played by consumers who bought a physical copy of the titles or downloaded them to be run off local storage.But the console-makers and others - including Google - are pushing an internet-based alternative that promises faster start times among other advantages.Chris Fox reports from the E3 video games expo in Los Angeles.Read more of our E3 coverage Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/12/next-gen-games-may-not-need-new-console/

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Huawei delays launch of folding smartphone ##drapersolutions #technology Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionWATCH: First look at Huawei's folding phoneHuawei has delayed the launch of the Mate X folding handset until September, having originally planned to launch it this summer.The firm said it wanted to conduct extra tests following screen problems reported by early reviewers of Samsung's Galaxy Fold.Both firms had unveiled the devices in February but Huawei said it now wanted to be "cautious". Samsung currently has no release date for the Fold.Huawei confirmed to the BBC that the Mate X is expected to launch in September 2019."We don't want to launch a product to destroy our reputation," it told CNBC."The Mate X was always going to come later than Samsung's Galaxy Fold, but the Korean phone-maker's problems have certainly given Huawei more breathing space," said Ben Wood from CCS Insight. "There is little doubt Huawei will have learned lessons from Samsung's problems and - given the extra scrutiny the Mate X will get as a result - Huawei is well advised to ensure it has every eventuality covered."Huawei has also scrapped a new laptop launch this week because of its current position on a US trade blacklist.It is accused of having committed bank fraud to evade Iran sanctions, and obstruction of justice, among other violations.The firm denies any wrongdoing. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/14/huawei-delays-launch-of-folding-smartphone/

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Twitter removes Iranian-backed accounts ##drapersolutions #technology Image copyright Reuters Image caption Iran has made wide use of Twitter to support its political and diplomatic goals Twitter has removed almost 4,800 accounts it claimed were being used by Iran to spread misinformation.The accounts were deleted alongside others from several different groups as Twitter tries to tackle interference.It revealed the deletions in an update to its transparency report that aims to expose the "spread of misinformation by insidious actors".Also removed were accounts used for Russian, Catalonian and Venezuelan propaganda.Social manipulationThe 4,800 accounts were not a unified block, said Yoel Roth, Twitter's head of site integrity in a blog detailing its actions. Mr Roth said one fraction, 1,666 accounts, cumulatively sent more than two million tweets that sought to spread views backing Iran's policies and actions. A smaller set, 248 in total, did similar work but were specifically aimed at skewing discussions about Israel.The biggest group, 2,865, used "false personas" to steer conversations about social issues in Iran and elsewhere. These accounts were deleted in May.Other accounts shut down included 130 set up by supporters of Catalonian independence, 33 run by a "commercial entity in Venezuela and four Russian accounts used by the notorious Internet Research Agency (IRA). The IRA is believed to have sought to influence the 2016 US presidential election via social media.Mr Roth wrote: "We believe that people and organisations with the advantages of institutional power and which consciously abuse our service are not advancing healthy discourse but are actively working to undermine it."Mr Roth said Twitter had collected all the suspect accounts it had removed since beginning its purge into a data set that it provided to researchers. Currently the data set contains more than 30 million tweets and more than one terabyte of images and video. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/14/twitter-removes-iranian-backed-accounts/

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Keanu Reeves and Cyberpunk 2077: Gaming doesn’t need legitimising ##drapersolutions #technology Keanu Reeves - one of the latest Hollywood superstars to lend his voice, face and performance to a video game character - says gaming doesn’t need legitimising.The star plays Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077, a futuristic action-adventure game which comes out in 2020. He’s already delighted fans by making a surprise appearance on stage at the E3 gaming conference in LA. Keanu sat down with Radio 1 Newsbeat’s gaming reporter Steffan Powell at the event - speaking about the relationship between gaming and movies, keeping secrets, and he almost, ALMOST - did a Marlon Brando impression. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/13/keanu-reeves-and-cyberpunk-2077-gaming-doesnt-need-legitimising/

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The robot that understands irony and other news ##drapersolutions #technology BBC Click's Paul Carter looks at some of the week's best technology stories including:Images of tens of thousands of people crossing the US border with Mexico have been stolen in a major hack, the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has said.Uber has said Australia will become the first international market for its flying taxi service Uber Air.Scientists have built a robot with a sense of irony - the idea was to make a robot that better mirrors how people talk in real life.See more at Click's website and @BBCClick. Read More...drapersolutions.com Link: https://drapersolutions.com/2019/06/13/the-robot-that-understands-irony-and-other-news/