TECH TALK
• TWITTER is making big changes, at least in the context of its signature 140 characters or fewer.
Doom cursed and blessed by nostalgia
BEFORE there was “Halo” or “Call of Duty”, the first-person shooter video games “Wolfenstein” and “Doom” defined the trigger-happy genre in three dimensions. While the former received a thoughtful re-imagining in 2014’s “Wolfenstein: The New Order”, the same cannot be said for a new “Doom”.
Apple stores set for a major overhaul
APPLE is overhauling its nearly 480 stores worldwide, starting with its new two-storey location in San Francisco.
SMART HOTELS: Interactive digital walls offer art and information
IF YOU walk down a hallway in the new Renaissance New York Midtown hotel, the walls come alive.
TECH TALK
• YOUTUBE is testing a messaging feature in its smartphone app so people can share and discuss videos without resorting to other ways to connect with their friends and family.
Hyperloop One shows off super-speed propulsion technology
A LOW-profile block of aluminum zipping across a short stretch of what looked like railroad tracks before crashing into a tuft of sand seconds later in the desert north of Las Vegas last week marked the first public glimpse of the Hyperloop One propulsion system that its creators hope will rocket people and cargo through tubes at the speed of sound in five years.
Setting the trends on Facebook
FACEBOOK has revealed how its ‘Trending Topics’ feature works after a report in the tech blog Gizmodo claimed that the social media giant downplays conservative news subjects.
Cayman fights Zika with genetically modified mosquitoes
BRITISH biotech company Oxitec and the Cayman Islands government have announced plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the fight against a species that spreads Zika and other diseases.
Tech Talk
• AMAZON has launched a self-publishing platform for video creators, a move that could make money for the company and budding filmmakers in the same way YouTube has created a community of online celebrities.
Self-driving cars could be on roads in five years
FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) chief executive Sergio Marchionne says working with Google convinced him that self-driving technology is closer than he thought and could be on the road in five years.
Shooters and drivers make video games hall of fame
A VIDEO game that allowed players to zap marching aliens with dot lasers and another that gave them flamethrowers and put them in the driver’s seat in a violent 3-D world are among six games inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Oculus loses its VR headset edge
AFTER delaying orders because of component shortages and angering wannabe early adopters, virtual reality (VR) company Oculus is confronting another headache as it seeks to technologically and culturally establish the immersive medium.
Students show off science skills
STUDENTS of Tambearly School, Sandyport, showed off their scientific skills to parents and the public during the school’s science fair last week.
Smartphone Health: Apple releases software for medical apps
APPLE is edging its way further into health care with the release of new iPhone apps that patients can use to manage their own medical condition, from diabetes to pregnancy and even depression.
TECH TALK
• AN Australian man long rumoured to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin has publicly identified himself as its creator, a claim that would end one of the biggest mysteries in the tech world.
