Technology

  Miami / AFP An agile jumping robot that was inspired by some of the animal world’s best leapers could one day help in rescue efforts after earthquakes or building collapses, US scientists said. Known as Salto, the 10-inch (26-centimeter) tall robot can jump higher than a bullfrog and almost as high as a galago, or bush baby, a small …

  Bloomberg Apple has blamed “external physical damage” for causing a handful of iPhones to explode or catch fire in China and insisted that its handsets posed no safety problem. Fresh on the heels of Samsung’s worldwide Galaxy Note 7 safety fiasco, a Shanghai consumer watchdog said it had received eight recent reports of iPhones that spontaneously combusted while being …

  Emirates business As holiday season and shopping goes into full swing, prepare for being stumped for choice with LG’s latest gift options that are sure to wow and spread the fun at any occasion. LG V20 – YOUR FESTIVE SELFIE PARTNER A recently launched addition to LG’s popular V Series is LG’s V20, the most premium in LG’s smartphone …

  Brussels / AFP EU and US consumer watchdogs announced they are filing complaints against a clutch of smart toys that can “spy” on children and their homes, for allegedly breaching privacy and data protection laws. The complaints target smart toys My Friend Cayla, i-QUE Intelligent Robot and Hello Barbie, according to the European Consumer Organisation BEUC and US groups …

  Bloomberg A plastic based on soft contact-lens technology may solve some of the biggest challenges facing electric vehicles by letting them recharge in seconds and travel from London to Edinburgh without stopping, scientists say. Researchers at the University of Surrey developed a polymer that may dramatically boost the performance of supercapacitors, lightweight electronic components that store and distribute high …

  Bloomberg The growth of digital advertising and how it affects TV ads were key themes on the first day of the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York. “Digital, particularly mobile, continues to take dollars away from print media as consumers use mobile apps and other outlets to consume content digitally,” Zenith said in its year-end forecast …

  Bloomberg Facebook Inc., Microsoft Corp., Twitter Inc. and YouTube are joining forces to improve their efforts to remove terrorist-related content from their online services, following pressure that tech companies might not be doing enough to deter extremists from using their platforms. The four companies said that they are creating a shared database of the most severe terrorist videos and …

  Bloomberg Apple Inc. plans to use drones and new indoor navigation features to improve its Maps service and catch longtime leader Google, according to people familiar with the matter. The Cupertino, California-based company is assembling a team of robotics and data-collection experts that will use drones to capture and update map information faster than its existing fleet of camera-and- …

  Relaxnews A new website allowing Gmail users to unsubscribe from most websites and online services linked to their email address is currently buzzing online. There are, in fact, several online tools that can help declutter your inbox and keep personal data safe. OPTING OUT OF THE INTERNET The website deseat.me works in a very simple way. Users connect using …

  San Francisco / AFP Apple has revealed it is investing heavily in autonomous vehicles in a letter asking the government to make it easier to develop self-driving cars. The company is “excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation,” Apple said in a November 22 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offering Apple’s …