San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple on Thursday confirmed what some conspiracy theorists suspected, that it intentionally slows performance of older iPhones as batteries weaken from age. The admission played into concerns that Apple was stealthily nudging iPhone users to upgrade to newer models by letting them think it …
Read More »Facebook promises personalized music in first label deal
New York, United States | AFP | Facebook announced a licensing deal Thursday with Universal Music Group, its first with a major label, as the social media giant promised more personalized, interactive music features for its two billion users. The move marks a new foray into music by Facebook, which despite …
Read More »Taxi or app? Uber faces big EU court decision
Luxembourg, Luxembourg | AFP | The EU’s top court will decide Wednesday if ride-hailing app Uber is an ordinary taxi company and should be regulated as such, in a decision that will be closely watched around the world. The case is yet another thorn in the side for scandal-rocked Uber, which …
Read More »France orders WhatsApp to seek permission for data transfer
Paris, France | AFP | France’s data protection agency on Monday told messaging app WhatsApp it needs to obtain users’ permission to transfer some information to its parent company Facebook and gave it a month to comply. “Should WhatsApp fail to comply with the formal notice within the specified timescale” the …
Read More »Artificial intelligence finds solar system with 8 planets like ours
Miami, United States | AFP | A solar system with as many planets as our own has been discovered with the help of NASA’s Kepler space telescope and artificial intelligence, the US space agency said Thursday. “Our solar system now is tied for most number of planets around a single …
Read More »Facebook moves to make more video ad money
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook on Thursday moved to bolster its appeal and money-making potential as an online platform for viewing video similar to YouTube. The leading social network will next year test showing short ads before videos on a new ‘Watch’ section devoted to just that …
Read More »Target buys same-day delivery service for $550 mn
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Target said Wednesday it was acquiring same-day grocery delivery service Shipt for $550 million, helping the US retail titan step up its challenge to Amazon and its recently acquired Whole Foods supermarket chain. The retailer said it planned to combine its network of stores …
Read More »Net giants ‘must pay for news’ from which they make billions
Paris, France | AFP | Nine European press agencies, including AFP, called Wednesday on internet giants to be forced to pay copyright for using news content on which they make vast profits. The call comes as the EU is debating a directive to make Facebook, Google, Twitter and other major …
Read More »Aubameyang puts Lamborghini up for sale
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Borussia Dortmund fans can now drive off in one of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s distinctive luxury sports cars after the Gabon international put it on the market for 279,980 euros ($329,096). German daily Bild report that the striker has put his silver-painted Lamborghini Aventador, advertised as a ‘celebrity …
Read More »MOTORING: Toyota RAV4
How does a car remain so popular for so long? Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Sometime in 1996, a new type of vehicle called the Toyota RAV4 – which stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-Wheel Drive – hit the American market. It was the start of a journey that …
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