Technology

Google upset by S Korean refusal on mapping data

  Seoul / AP South Korea rejected a request by Google to use local mapping data in the company’s global maps service in a long-awaited ruling that had divided the country for months. The company said it was disappointed by the decision, which the land ministry said was based on concerns over national security. “We’re disappointed by this decision. We’ve ...

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Suppliers not ready for OLED screens in iPhones

  Bloomberg Apple Inc. has big plans to outfit its next iPhone with vibrant, energy-sipping organic LED displays, seeking to entice consumers with new technology that’s already been embraced by other high-end smartphone makers. The trouble is that the four main suppliers for such components won’t have enough production capacity to make screens for all new iPhones next year, with ...

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Daydream controller: The highlight of Google’s VR headset

  ANICK JESDANUN / AP The best thing about Google’s new virtual-reality headset isn’t the headset at all. In fact, Daydream View would pale compared with Samsung’s Gear VR headset were it not for Daydream’s controller, a handheld device that responds to gestures and other motion. With Gear VR, I have to move my head to point a cursor at ...

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Jaguar joins electric-car feat with long-range SUV

  Bloomberg Jaguar’s working on its first electric car, a sport utility vehicle with a large glass roof and cutouts in the hood, as the luxury brand joins the race to meet ever-tightening emissions rules. Scheduled for production in 2018, the I-Pace will go more than 500 kilometers (311 miles) on a single charge, manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover said in ...

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Nintendo to release iPhone Super Mario in December

  Bloomberg Nintendo Co. will release Super Mario Run worldwide for Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iPad on December 15 in US time zones, a highly anticipated launch that has a high bar for success after this summer’s Pokemon Go phenomenon. The game, the first mobile edition starring one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters, will be free to download initially, and ...

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BMW to expand ReachNow services

  Los Angeles / AFP German automaker BMW announced in Los Angeles that it is expanding its ReachNow program with new mobile tools and adding a city location: New York’s trendy Brooklyn borough. BMW ReachNow, launched in Seattle, Washington state in April, is adding services to its initial offering, the chief executive of the new program Steve Banfield said at ...

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WhatsApp suspends giving Facebook European user data

  San Francisco / AFP WhatsApp has temporarily suspended giving parent company Facebook information about users in Europe for ad targeting, responding to concerns there over privacy, a source close to the matter. Conversations with officials in Europe over the past few months resulted in the social network deciding to only tapping into WhatsApp user data there for purposes such ...

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An app that warns of dangers ahead on road

  Bloomberg Drivers in San Francisco, Manhattan and Tel Aviv may soon have another safety tool at their disposal: a mobile app that alerts them to dangers ahead in the road. Nexar Ltd., an Israeli startup whose app records video from a smartphone’s camera to capture hard brakes and collisions, will turn its users into a vehicle-to-vehicle network to prevent ...

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Twitter rolls out new tool to curb online abuse, bullying

  Washington / AFP Twitter has begun rolling out a new weapon in the fight against harassment by “trolls” whose often anonymous vitriol can make the messaging service an unwelcoming place. The move comes as online social networks struggle to balance free speech with intimidation and aggression that make many fearful of speaking freely. “The amount of abuse, bullying, and ...

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Apple to tap smart glasses in deeper wearables push

  Bloomberg Apple Inc. is weighing an expansion into digital glasses, a risky but potentially lucrative area of wearable computing, according to people familiar with the matter. While still in an exploration phase, the device would connect wirelessly to iPhones, show images and other information in the wearer’s field of vision, and may use augmented reality, the people said. They ...

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