Technology

  Relaxnews Gartner forecasts global sales of just under two billion mobile phones each year until 2018. On the whole, the research institute estimates flatlining sales of smartphones, tablets and even PCs in the coming years. In 2016, total sales of such devices are expected to fall by around 3% to an equivalent 2.329 billion unit sales, comprising 265 million ...

  Relaxnews LinkedIn has just made it easier for disgruntled employees to put themselves on the market without their current employer finding out. The professional networking site is launching a new feature called “Open Candidate” which allows members to privately signal to recruiters that they’re open to new job opportunities. Users can specify the types of companies and roles they’re ...

  Bloomberg Twitter Inc., struggling to find new users, will need to rely more heavily on its live video streaming strategy after top potential bidders were said to have lost interest in making offers amid pressure from their investors. Twitter once saw interest from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Salesforce.com Inc. and Walt Disney Co., all of which consulted with banks on ...

  Bloomberg Facebook on Thursday worked to ramp up enthusiasm for its virtual reality line, unveiling new gear including a lower-end wireless headset prototype. The company’s Oculus virtual reality division is set to release in coming months a new “Touch” controller and a more affordable computer for powering virtual experiences using Rift headsets. “We are here to make virtual reality ...

Bloomberg Talk of a Twitter Inc. buyout has been rampant in recent days, with companies including Salesforce.com Inc., Walt Disney Co., and Google all reported to be considering bids. While the search giant hasn’t officially confirmed its interest, analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. say Google’s the best of the likely buyers. Calling Google parent Alphabet Inc. “the one acquirer ...

  Bloomberg Does your home really need a “smart speaker” that can answer questions, call you an Uber, turn off the lights or play music when you ask? You may be about to find out. Two years ago, Amazon introduced the Amazon Echo, an unassuming, $180 cylinder that sits atop a kitchen counter or bookshelf, acting as a personal assistant ...

  Bloomberg If allowing your smartphone to run out of power during the day doesn’t make you feel silly enough, consider this: Every hour it’s idle in your pocket or bag, the sun is bathing the earth in enough energy to run the world economy for a year. The obvious fix here is to turn every square inch of your ...

  Chicago / AFP A US flight was evacuated prior to takeoff when a passenger’s Galaxy Note 7 — reportedly a replacement in Samsung’s global recall — caught fire, landing the company in new controversy. Samsung has been struggling with a recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets due to complaints of exploding batteries, a problem the replacement phones ...

  AFP A shiny new cohort joined the workforce in Taiwan on Thursday — a troop of mini robots all going by the name “Pepper”, enlisted to entertain customers and give them the hard sell. Chinese-speaking Pepper was introduced into two banks and an insurance company in the capital Taipei, dancing to music, playing with children in lobbies and leading ...

  Bloomberg Google published research this week detailing how its software enables robots to learn from one another. To demonstrate, the company’s scientists showed videos featuring robotic arms whirling inside its labs. Google’s robotics group built those machines and wanted to sell them to manufacturers, warehouse operators and others. However, executives at Google parent Alphabet Inc. nixed the plan because ...