List of All Articles with Tag 'tech'

By Josh Ye HONG KONG Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings said that it will look for domestic source

Google has warned billions of WhatsApp users that backup storage for old chats, photos and videos will soon no longer be free. Messages and media on the hugely popular messaging app will now count towards a user’s Google Account cloud storage limit if they use an Android device. Personal Google Accounts come with 15GB of free storage, however that is shared across Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. This means any additional photos, videos and audio files from WhatsApp may force many users to pay for additional storage space. “As an important heads up, WhatsApp backups on Android will soon start counting toward your Google Account cloud storage limit, similar to how WhatsApp backups are handled on other mobile platforms,” a Google community manager wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. “WhatsApp backups on Android will continue to work, as long as you have available space within your Google Account storage. If you hit your storage limit, you’ll need to free up space to resume backups by removing items you do not need.” The change will begin rolling out to WhatsApp Beta users next month, before coming to all WhatsApp users on Android in early 2024. Of the roughly 3 billion WhatsApp users around the world, an estimated 73 per cent of them access the app on Android. There are several price options for additional Google storage, with the cheapest monthly plan for 100GB of data starting at $1.99. This would cover all but the most data intensive WhatsApp users. The update comes amid a major overhaul of how Google manages online accounts and data, with all personal accounts that have been inactive for more than two years set to be deleted in December. The move is intended to improve security for active users, though some have noted that it may inadvertently impact people who have set up accounts for young children in order to share memories and milestones, as well as users who are in control of the accounts of deceased relatives. Read More Gmail: Google issues three-week warning to account holders

TikTok has launched a feature to make it easier for users to save viral songs to music apps like Spotify and Apple Music. The “add to music app” feature will be rolled out in the UK and US over the coming weeks. It will enable users to save songs they discover on the video platform directly to their preferred music streaming app. Viral trend videos have helped popularise tracks such as Kylie Minogue’s dance anthem Padam Padam, and Raye, Casso and D-Block Europe’s collaboration on the single Prada. Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, said: “TikTok is already the world’s most powerful platform for music discovery and promotion, which helps artists connect with our global community to drive engagement with their music.” The new feature creates a “direct link” between music discovery and consumption, “thereby generating even greater value for artists and rightsholders”, Mr Obermann said. A button that says “add song” next to a track name at the bottom of a TikTok video in a user’s feed will allow them to save the song to a default playlist – including the “TikTok Songs” playlist on Amazon Music or the “Liked Songs” list on Spotify. The feature will start testing in additional markets soon, TikTok said. Last month, TikTok confirmed its first European data centre as part of its ongoing response to data privacy concerns around the app’s links to China. The centre in Dublin is the first of three in Europe to be built and will house data from TikTok users across the region. The UK Government earlier this year banned TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, from being used on ministers’ work phones following a security review. Read More Urgent appeals for missing people to appear on Trainline app Data protection watchdog offers tips on buying smart devices on Black Friday Meta to allow users to delete Threads accounts without losing Instagram

Ancient clay tablets unearthed from ancient ruins in Turkey by archaeologists have revealed a language lost to the passages of time. The new language was discovered in the ancient capital of the Hittite Empire at Hattusa (known as Boğazköy-Hattusha). The well-preserved tablets are among many incredible artworks found at the site - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the past four decades, researchers have dusted off nearly 30,000 unique tablets - with most written in Hittite. New research, however, shows that some of the tablet haul shows that they are written in a language previously unknown to modern man. Of course, the meaning and words of this language have not been deciphered, but it appears from early inspection to branch off from languages used within the Hittite Empire - and is being referred to as Kalašma. archaeologist Interestingly though, researchers from the Istanbul Department of the German Archaeological Institute have noted that the new language is found within a recitation in a 'cultic ritual text'. While that's usually the basis of a middling horror movie, we're certain that there's nothing to worry about - it stems from an ancient Hittite practice. Professor Daniel Schwemer explains that the discovery wasn't unexpected. "The Hittites were uniquely interested in recording rituals in foreign languages," he said. These ritual texts provide insight into little-known languages, and thanks to this discovery, one more has been added to the list. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Researchers have come up with a new form of glass-infused paint that they claim can reduce vast amounts of electricity used by air-conditioning units. The E-Coating paint, invented by Hoi Fung Ronaldo Chan and Can Jovial Xiao, uses recycled waste glass to create a reflective cooling cover that can be applied to roofs and walls to reflect the Sun’s rays. The innovation was among the 2023 James Dyson Award global winners, announced on Wednesday, which grants £30,000 to support the next stages of its development. “We invented E-Coating with a desire to help tackle the serious environmental problems our planet is facing,” said inventor Ronaldo Chan. “The prize money will allow us to further our research and development goals and start a company to take our invention to the next level.” Mr Chan and his fellow inventors plan to use the money to improve the E-Coating’s adhesion and ease of application, as well as investigate new formulas for indoor use. “Ronaldo and Can Jovial Xiao have come up with a clever way to turn waste into something much more valuable,” said James Dyson. “It is a dual solution that is good for the environment and saves money.” Other winners of the awards include a hands-free IV device that allows medics in disaster zones to transport patients without having to hold up IV packs, as well as a ‘Life Chariot’ that serves as an off-road trailer that can be used for medical evacuations. The success of the E-Coating comes just one week after scientists demonstrated a new ultra-white ceramic material that can reflect 99.6 per cent of sunlight – a record high. An experiment with the material on a house roof was able to reduce electricity consumption for cooling by more than 20 per cent. The development of the ceramic is still in the experimental stages, with a study published in the journal Science on 9 November, however the researchers claim it could be easily mass produced using common materials. Read More Scientists invent device to keep brain alive while severed from the body

(Reuters) -JD.com on Wednesday reported quarterly revenue below estimates, but posted a surge in profit as supply chain challenges eased.

Apple will give iPhone 14 and 15 owners another free year of satellite communications, answering one of the big questions around its recent models. Apple released its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature with the iPhone 14, last year. It allows the devices to call for help through satellites, letting people contact the emergency services even if they are out of traditional phone coverage. But when it released the feature, it said that it would only be available for free for one year, and gave no information about what it planned to do afterwards. That led to fears that customers could get stuck in perilous situations and be left without the coverage if they had not paid for it. Now Apple says that it will give iPhone 14 users another year of coverage. Once again, it did not explicitly say what would happen when that year is up. Apple said that “many lives” had been saved with the feature, pointing to a range of examples where people outside of usual connections are not available. “Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save lives around the world. From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free.” The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature was first launched in the US and Canada on 15 November, meaning that Apple’s announcement comes on the first day that anyone would be otherwise out of coverage. iPhone 14 users must have activated their device before today to be given the extra free year. The service is not free for Apple, since it must pay satellite operators for connections and also operates relay centres that pass on text messages from people’s phones to emergency service calls centres. It has not said how much the infrastructure to run the emergency SOS tool costs. As well as allowing people to contact the emergency services, iPhone users can also update the Find My app through the satellite signal. With the release of the iPhone 15, Apple also announced that satellite users would be able to get in touch with car breakdown services in the US. Read More You can finally use one feature of the Apple Vision Pro headset – sort of Setback for Ireland as EU legal adviser recommends revisit of Apple tax case Apple just released an iPhone update you should download right now

By Josh Ye HONG KONG TikTok owner ByteDance has been meeting up with potential buyers for a sale

BANGKOK Thailand will receive 300 billion baht ($8.46 billion) worth of investment from Amazon Web Services, Google and

By Ezgi Erkoyun ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkey's new rules to regulate the crypto market are likely to focus on licensing and

By Renju Jose and Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) -State-sponsored cyber groups and hackers have increased assaults on Australia's critical infrastructure,

A new initiative will aim to find missing people faster by issuing urgent appeals directly onto people’s phones via the Trainline app. The app will display images of people who have gone missing nearby and has the potential to reach millions of train travellers across the country, the charity Missing People has said. The project has been supported by relatives who are still searching for missing family members. The father of Andrew Gosden, who vanished more than 16 years ago, said anything that can help raise awareness of his son or any missing person is vital. Andrew, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was 14 when he disappeared on September 14 2007 and his case became one of the most high-profile missing person probes in the North. He emptied his bank account of about £200 and went to Doncaster station, where he bought a one-way ticket to London King’s Cross. His family and police believe he boarded a train at 9.35am, arriving at King’s Cross at 11.20am. CCTV images captured at the London station are the last known sighting of Andrew, with no further information about his movements corroborated by officers. In 2008 Andrew became the first person to feature in a new nationwide milk carton campaign aimed at tracing missing people. Two men were arrested in December 2021 by detectives investigating Andrew’s disappearance but they were eliminated from the police inquiry in September. Speaking about the Trainline project, Andrew’s father Kevin Gosden said: “If this had existed back in 2007, Andrew’s image could have been displayed to thousands of members of the public in the area where he went missing. “Anything that can help to raise awareness of Andrew, and the appeals for any missing person, is vital in keeping the search active and ensuring people are continuing to keep a look out for those who are missing”. Mr Godsen added: “It’s so important to have these appeals out there. You never know when someone might remember something, or may have seen a missing person. “It’s also important to know that there is help for anyone considering disappearing, including support that may help people take the step to return home, or think twice before leaving in the first place.” Paul Joseph, head of helplines at Missing People, said: “When someone vulnerable has disappeared, they can often use the transport network as a safe place. “Missing People is so proud to be working with Trainline to raise awareness of individual disappearances. “Together, we hope to raise awareness and potentially help find missing people. For the loved ones of those featured, knowing that action is being taken to find them, helps to keep hope alive.” A British Transport Police spokesperson added: “Rail passengers can play a vital role in alerting the authorities to people who are at risk. Your reports may help rescue someone from a dangerous situation or even save a life. “There are over 2,500 stations and 10,000 miles of track in Great Britain. These new alerts are so powerful because they can harness the eyes and ears of people who may be in the same train carriage as a missing person.” Read More Data protection watchdog offers tips on buying smart devices on Black Friday Meta to allow users to delete Threads accounts without losing Instagram AI among biggest threats to next UK election, cyber security agency warns AI can create Caucasian faces that look more real than actual humans – study AI among the biggest threats to the UK, cyber security agency warns Meta faces renewed criticism over end-to-end encryption amid child safety fears