Technology

  Washington / AFP Social pressures are forcing people to cut back on their sleep, contributing to a ‘global sleep crisis,’ according to a new study based on research collected through a smartphone app. It enabled scientists from the University of Michigan to track sleep patterns around the world — gathering data about how age, gender and the amount of ...

  Tobias Hanraths/ DPA Here’s the good news: prices have plunged for decent computers that provide all you need for internet search, occasional email and letter writing and storage of music and photos. “Even the low-end computers are not underpowered when you compare them to the level of a decade ago,” says Hans Stahl, professor of computer science at the ...

  Relaxnews Just as for virtual reality, 2016 is expected to be a pivotal year for wearable technology, particularly smartwatches and fitness trackers. Statistical data puts global sales of fitness trackers and smartwatches at 51 million units for 2015 and forecasts that this figure will jump to 84 million —38 million fitness trackers and 46 million smartwatches — by the ...

  Washington/ AFP Samsung kept the top spot in a global smartphone market which showed signs of flattening in the first quarter of 2016, a survey showed. The recent report by research firm IDC said the worldwide smartphone market saw its slowest growth on record of 0.2 percent, with shipments totalling 334.9 million. South Korean giant Samsung maintained its lead ...

  AP Apple is edging its way a little further into health care with the release of new iPhone apps that patients can use to manage their own medical conditions — from diabetes to pregnancy and even depression. While there are hundreds of health-related apps on the market, Apple wants to put its stamp on a new ecosystem of treatment ...

  Relaxnews A Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing has embraced technology and debuted a robot monk in a bid to attract new followers to the faith. The cartoon-like creation, dubbed Xian’er, wears a yellow robe and has a shaved head, and can recite mantras and answer 20 simple questions about Buddhism and the daily lifestyle at the Lonquan ...

  Relaxnews Consumers have officially fallen out of love with tablets and are having their heads turned by larger smartphones and more powerful 2-in-1 devices instead. Everyone laughed when Microsoft unveiled the first Surface Pro and claimed that the future was in touch screen PCs, not tablets. But the latest data from Strategy Analytics, published Thursday, shows that Microsoft was ...

  JASON DEAREN/ AP Wearing black headsets with tentacle-like sensors stretched over their foreheads, the competitors stare at cubes floating on computer screens as their small white drones prepare for takeoff. “Three, two, one … GO!” the announcer hollers, and as the racers fix their thoughts on pushing the cubes, the drones suddenly whir, rise and buzz through the air. ...

  Relaxnews The American startup Magic Leap has released a spectacular video showing a virtual screen superimposed over a real-world environment. This is seen used for work, entertainment and online shopping while the user moves around their home or office without being cut off from surroundings. Companies including Google, Alibaba and Qualcomm have already invested in the project. The somewhat ...

  Relaxnews The latest update to Microsoft’s Outlook Android app brings compatibility with Android Wear. Owners of Android-based wearables can now join their Apple Watch-wearing counterparts in receiving Outlook notifications directly on their watches. With Microsoft’s updated Outlook app, owners of smartwatches running Android Wear software can get email notifications, read messages and reply to them directly by voice or ...