Francis Ford Coppola develops ‘Apocalypse Now’ video game
Francis Ford Coppola wants to make an “Apocalypse Now” video game and he’s hoping fans will help pay for it.
Samsung details the causes of Note 7 fires
Samsung says a thorough investigation into the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 phone has confirmed widely held suspicions that its batteries were to blame, marking a first but important step toward restoring consumer confidence.
TECH TALK
• The tiny Baltic nation of Estonia is experimenting with the idea of cyberconscription, a move that gives draftees with tech skills the chance to work shoring up their military’s electronic infrastructure, an Estonian defence official said Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia warns destructive computer virus has returned
Saudi Arabia is warning that a computer virus that destroyed systems of its state-run oil company in 2012 has returned to the kingdom, with at least one major petrochemical company apparently affected by its spread.
Six scientists simulate Mars in dome
Crammed into a dome with one bathroom, six scientists will spend eight months munching on mostly freeze-dried foods — with a rare treat of Spam — and have only their small sleeping quarters to retreat to for solace.
Cuba sees explosion in internet access
Two days before Christmas, Luis Gonzalez received a little Chinese modem from Cuba’s state-owned telecommunications company.
TECH TALK
• Baidu Inc., which operates China’s most popular Internet search engine, said Tuesday it has hired a former Microsoft executive and artificial intelligence specialist to improve its competitiveness in the field.
Nintendo Switch console unveiled
Nintendo is trying to Switch it up. The Japanese video-game company revealed details Friday about its hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch, a video game console that also serves as a hand-held gaming device, during a global rollout on Friday.
10 YEARS OF THE iPHONE: Apple proved a phone can change the world
Few people realised it at the time, but the world shifted fundamentally a decade ago when Steve Jobs pulled the first iPhone from Apple’s bag of technological tricks.
TECH TALK
• Ethiopia says it will launch a civilian satellite into orbit in three to five years to better predict weather conditions and for remote sensing activities inside the country.
Volvo gets real with self-driving
Volvo Cars is putting real people into its self-driving cars to better learn how they’re used.
Voice-control and AI to feature at 50th annual CES
The 50th annual Consumer Electronics (CES) show gets underway in Las Vegas this week with highlights expected to be an explosion of voice-controlled interfaces, subtle integration of artificial intelligence into everyday life and increasing digitisation in areas like health and wellness.
Tech Talk
• A self-driving car is hitting the streets of Boston for the first time.
Pepper the robot: Amusing, but is it practical?
While merrily chirping, dancing and posing for selfies, a robot named Pepper looks like another expensive toy at a San Francisco mall. But don’t dismiss it as mere child’s play.
