Rogue drones prompt major airports to spend millions on protection
Drones are great fun, but the occasional ne'er-do-wells do their best to ruin it for anyone. An incident in December 2018 that brought one of the world's busiest airports to a standstill for 36 hours has prompted two U.K. hubs to invest millions of dollars in tech to prevent drone flights in restricted areas.
Japanese monks hit Twitter to protest driving ticket in the most brilliant way
Cops in Japan told a monk recently that he shouldn't drive a car wearing his traditional robe because its long length and long sleeves might affect his ability to handle the vehicle safely. In solidarity, his fellow monks took to Twitter to post amusing videos with the hashtag: "I can do this in robes."
Some lucky fliers just bagged $16,000 first-class seats for only $1,100
An error on Cathay Pacific's website on Monday let people book first- and business-class seats on flights between the U.S. and Vietnam at a fraction of the usual cost. Airlines don't always honor such bookings, but the good news for the passengers concerned is that in this case Cathay has agreed to do so.
Still haven’t upgraded your iPhone? Apple says that’s causing poor sales
Apple didn't sell as many iPhones as it expected toward the end of 2018, prompting the company to revise down its sales forecast for the holiday quarter by billions of dollars. CEO Tim Cook cited a slew of factors, including "economic deceleration" in China and fewer phone upgrades than expected.
Waymo’s autonomous cars are coming under attack in Arizona
It's not just technological challenges that autonomous-car firms have to overcome. Waymo's testing of self-driving cars near Phoenix, Arizona, shows that they still have to win over some members of the public, too. Reports highlight a series of incidents where Waymo's cars and safety drivers have faced abuse.
Rain ruined the NYPD’s first chance to use security drones at a major event
The NYPD had been hoping to use its camera-equipped quadcopters as part of its security operation at Times Square on New Year's Eve, but rain and wind forced it to cancel the plan. The NYPD unveiled its crime-fighting drones in December 2018, and plans to use them for a range of operations.
Google Assistant now lets you donate to charity with a few spoken commands
A new feature for Google Assistant makes it easier than ever to donate to charity. By way of just a few spoken commands, Google's digital assistant lets you choose the charity of your choice, and the amount you'd like to donate. The contribution is then automatically deducted from your linked account.
Samsung may already be working on a second Galaxy Home smart speaker
Samsung hasn't even released its first smart speaker yet and there's already talk of it prepping a second, more affordable one. Its Galaxy Home speaker seems like an Apple HomePod competitor, but reports suggest the second device will offer fewer features.
Amazon reportedly planning major Whole Foods expansion with Prime Now delivery
Amazon is reported to be exploring sites for new Whole Foods stores across the U.S., partly as a route to expanding Prime Now, the company's speedy delivery service for Prime members. The news comes 18 months after Amazon acquired the Whole Foods grocery business for $13.7 billion in 2017
Google Fit wants to help you remember your New Year’s resolutions
Indulge over the holiday season? Of course you did. Want to kick off the New Year with an incentive to get fit? No, not really? But just in case you do, the Google Fit app has a challenge lined up that's designed to "kick-start your journey to a healthier, more active life." Go sign up today!
Amazon says it’s broken its holiday sales record … again
Amazon has broken its holiday sales record again, with more items ordered via its online shopping site than ever before. Popular tech items included its Echo speaker and the Ring Video Doorbell 2. It added that that "tens of millions of people worldwide" signed up to Prime for a free trial or began paid memberships.
Drone delivery testers reveal their main gripe about such a service
Anyone who's been within earshot of a drone won't be surprised to learn that people are concerned about the noise associated with drone delivery services. Alphabet's Wing project, which is testing a service in a community in Australia, says it's looking at ways to make its drone quieter.
‘Alexa, are you OK?’ Amazon’s smart assistant crashes on Christmas
It seems that it all got a bit too much for Alexa on Christmas Day. Amazon's digital assistant temporarily stopped working for a number of users across Europe on December 25, possibly overwhelmed by the sudden uptick in new users playing with their Alexa-powered Echo speaker.
We could explore this astonishing 195-gigapixel panorama of Shanghai all day
We've seen some amazing gigapixel panoramas over the years, and this 195-gigapixel image of Shanghai is one of the best. Created by Chinese firm BigPixel, the final image comprises thousands of shots that have been stitched together. You can explore it by zooming in to see everything in amazing detail.
Rolls-Royce sails into 2019 with the successful test of an autonomous ship
Rolls-Royce wants to create self-sailing ships. It said it recently conducted "the world's first remote and autonomous ferry voyage" as part of tests carried out in Finland. Using its Ship Intelligence technology, the company believes it can one day "transform shipping as we know it.”
Just imagine if these wacky ‘Apple products’ launched in 2019
It's an Apple product launch unlike any you've ever seen. That's because it's the work of Bad Lip Reading, who "likes to put words into other people's mouths" and has done so here in a most brilliant way. Check out all of the crazy products, among them the Apple Skin Twist and the Lickamaforbus.
Snapchat’s new lenses for dogs will make your mutt the star of Christmas
Snapchat has launched lenses for dogs, making it easier than ever to make your dog look silly. Overlay a pair of glasses, have a blue butterfly fluttering on its nose, or transform it into a cute reindeer. The rollout of lenses for dogs comes just a couple of months after Snapchat launched the same feature for cats.
Japan’s new ‘vomit vacuum’ hard at work during end-of-year party season
End-of-year parties can be a real headache for those in charge of public places, with at least a few inebriated revelers guaranteed to throw up as they make their way home. Just as well, then, that a Japanese cleaning company has created the "vomit vacuum" to deal with such unfortunate accidents.
Apple’s cut-price battery offer only has one more week left to run
If you've been meaning to replace your iPhone battery but haven't gotten around to it, you'd better hurry. Apple's battery replacement fees for all out-of-warranty iPhones are set to rise at the end of the year. From January 1, the cost will increase by between $20 and $40, depending on the iPhone model.
Here’s how to track Santa during his busiest night of the year
It's that time of year again when Santa and his team of reindeer head out to deliver gifts to expectant kids around the world. A couple of popular online services let you follow Santa's progress on December 24 as goes about his business. Just make sure you're tucked up in bed before he arrives!
Snap, snap, hooray! Google Photos doubles Live Album limit to 20,000 images
Google Photos' Live Albums feature lets you automatically create albums containing particular people or pets. The object-recognition feature launched in October 2018, but it seems that some users have already been hitting the album capacity of 10,000 images. So Google has just increased it to 20,000.
No, ‘volcano selfies’ are not a good idea (especially during eruptions)
A report from the Royal Geographical Society has noted how more people are traveling around the world to erupting volcanoes in a bid to snap dramatic shots for their social media followers. But it's not always such a great idea, as the formidable force of nature can often place them in danger.
Drones force one of the world’s busiest airports to suspend all flights
There was major disruption at Gatwick Airport in the U.K. on Wednesday night, and going into Thursday morning, as two drones forced it to suspend and divert all flights for at least 11 hours. The incident began at 9 p.m. local time following "multiple sightings" of at least two drones near the airfield.
Here’s a Leica that won’t break the bank, though there is a catch
Leica cameras are renowned for their solid build, impressive performance, and attractive design, but they cost more than most people can afford. Second best option? How about this $45 Lego Leica, which lets you build a plastic-brick version of the $6,000 Leica M camera.
Google’s new Street View backpack offers better imagery in a lighter package
Higher-quality imagery is coming to Street View thanks to a new design for Google's Trekker backpack. The kit, which enables Street View to capture imagery from more places, now has better-quality camera sensors and is lighter than before. Google rebuilt the kit after listening to feedback from users.
Lovot is a cute companion robot that wants to give you affection
It won't do the housework or cut the grass, but it might make you happy. We're talking about Lovot, a new companion robot out of Japan. It's been designed by Tokyo-based Groove X, whose CEO Kaname Hayashi worked extensively on SoftBank's Pepper robot before he left to set up his own company.
Twitter makes it easier than ever to switch between latest and top tweets
Twitter has finally delivered on its promise to give users more control over their timeline. It comes in the form of a new button on the main screen that lets you switch between an algorithm-generated timeline or, as some people like to have it, a timeline that shows the most recent tweets first.
Google to expand New York City presence with $1 billion campus
Google is following in Amazon's footsteps with its own plans to significantly expand its presence in New York City. The company announced on Monday, December 17 that it's investing $1 billion on three sites in Manhattan for more than 7,000 workers. The first buildings will be open for business by 2020.
Holiday shopping: Here are the final dates for Amazon’s free shipping promotion
If you're shopping with Amazon this holiday season, time is fast running out if you want your gifts delivered before December 25. Tuesday is the final day for some of Amazon's free shipping options, and then those options start falling away — for Prime members, too. Here are the dates you need to know.