Technology

  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 ...

  Bloomberg Computerized sensors that warn drivers they’re about to rear-end another vehicle or prevent other types of accidents are available on models made by every major auto manufacturer. The problem, according to a US safety agency and accident-prevention advocates, is that these life-saving technologies are optional equipment that makes its way onto a tiny minority of vehicles. “We’re not ...

  Bloomberg Hate doing laundry? Shin Sakane has a solution. The Japanese inventor received 6 billion yen ($53 million) from partners, including Panasonic Corp., last month to advance “the Laundroid” — a robot Sakane is developing to not only wash and dry garments, but also sort, fold and neatly arrange them. The refrigerator-size device could eventually fill the roles of ...

  Bloomberg One of the main hurdles to drones’ ability to zip around the country delivering packages is a requirement that they stay within their operator’s line of sight during daylight hours. Qualcomm Inc. is working on a solution that’s been right before our eyes: cellphone networks. The rules from the US Federal Aviation Administration exist to help prevent accidents ...

  Relaxnews Fitbit is close to buying the smartwatch-maker Pebble, known for its string of successful crowdfunding campaigns. Due to financial difficulties, Pebble is under pressure to find a buyer, although the brand itself risks being phased out after a potential takeover. Despite its original products, the American startup hasn’t managed to withstand growth in the smartwatch market, which has ...