Technology

  AFP BlackBerry Ltd. said it will work directly with Ford Motor Co. to develop automotive software, a move BlackBerry says will help it move into self-driving technology as the company looks beyond the smartphone market. Ford has been using software built by BlackBerry’s QNX unit for its Sync3 in-car infotainment system, but previously bought it through Panasonic Corp., QNX ...

  AP Ronald De Feo has watched robots take factory jobs for years. Now he sees them threatening a new class of worker: People who drive for a living. “I am in Pittsburgh; it’s a test market for Uber’s autonomous vehicle,” says De Feo, CEO of the industrial materials firm Kennametal. “We see all these (automated) Ubers running around the ...

  ANICK JESDANUN / AP Google’s new smart speaker is at once a secretary, a librarian and a radio. Ask about your day, and the Home speaker will give you the time, weather, estimated commute, the news and upcoming calendar appointments. It will convert miles into feet, and dollars into euros. Want to hear Adele or Coldplay? Home will fetch ...

  SEOUL / AP Samsung Electronics said on Sunday it will offer an artificial intelligence assistant service in the upcoming flagship smartphone, as the South Korean firm seeks recovery from its global smartphone recalls. The Galaxy S8 will let users order food or perform other tasks without going through a third-party application but by simply asking the phone’s virtual assistant, ...

  Relaxnews Google’s Android operating system captured a record-high 87.5 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter, a research firm said. The survey by Strategy Analytics found Android’s share increase from 84.1 percent in the same period a year ago, while Apple’s iOS saw its share slip to 12.1 percent from 13.6 percent. “Android’s leadership of the ...

  Relaxnews Before piloting competition-level kit in immersive flight mode with specially designed glasses, newcomers to the world of drones can have fun trying out their flight skills with an affordable model designed with beginners in mind. They also make great gifts for this season. Syma X5SC Explorers 2 Chinese manufacturer Syma makes a veritable clone of what drone market ...

  AP In another black eye for one of the world’s leading consumer brands, US authorities announced a recall of nearly 3 million Samsung washing machines following several reports of injuries — including a broken jaw — due to “excessive vibration.” The recall comes a month after the South Korean manufacturer recalled millions of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from ...

  Relaxnews We may be a full decade away from fully autonomous cars, but by 2018 there is a good chance that your next Ford Sedan or SUV will be able to take the strain, at least when it comes to parking. A 2016 BMW 7 Series can park itself, whether the owner is at the wheel or not, simply ...

  Relaxnews Internet usage from mobile devices (51.26%) overtook usage from desktop devices (48.74%) for the first time in October 2016, according to data from StatCounter. In fact, smartphones alone now account for 46.53% of web use, with traffic from tablets at 4.73%. While internet usage from tablets has remained relatively stable year on year, at around 5%, it’s smartphone ...

  Relaxnews Chinese electronics firm Huawei has unveiled its latest Mate 9 smartphone in Munich, designed to challenge global market leaders Apple and Samsung with features including a high-quality camera and higher- capacity battery. As Korea’s Samsung struggles with negative publicity following the high-profile recall of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in response to reports of it catching fire ...