Pete Lau, Oppo’s chief product officer (and OnePlus CEO), introduced Oppo Find N, the company’s first foldable smartphone, in a blog post. On the second day of Oppo’s annual Inno Day, December 15th, the gadget will be unveiled. In his blog post, Lau concedes that other companies had commercialized foldable smartphones before Oppo. However, he … Read more
In Badaguas, Spain, two police officers from the Guardia Civil went into a frozen reservoir to rescue a dog caught in the icy waters. The officers were shown on video stripping down to their waist and marching into the cold waters to bring the animal back to safety on the shore. Here’s the link to … Read more
BERLIN, Dec 10, 2021 (AFP) – Germany’s lower house of parliament passed a draft law Friday requiring healthcare workers and soldiers to get inoculated against Covid-19, a first step toward possible mandatory jabs for all adults. A large majority of Bundestag MPs voted for the measure requiring staff at hospitals, doctors’ offices and care homes to be … Read more
PRAGUE, Dec 10, 2021 (AFP) – The Czech Republic has made Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for people aged 60 and above from March 1, the government said on Friday, as it battles one of the highest infection rates in the world. The obligation will also apply to health workers, police officers, firefighters and the military. “We see that people … Read more
WASHINGTON, Dec 9, 2021 (AFP) – Facebook’s parent firm opened its Horizon Worlds virtual reality platform on Thursday to the public in North America, in a step toward building its metaverse vision for the future. Horizon Worlds is far from a fully realized metaverse, a future internet where online experiences like chatting to a friend would … Read more
PARIS, Dec 10, 2021 (AFP) – There is only one Earth… that we know of. But outside our own solar system, other stars give warmth and light to planets and, possibly, life. Soon to offer a better look at these so-called exoplanets is NASA’s new James Webb telescope, which is set to launch this month and … Read more
PARIS, Dec 10, 2021 (AFP) – Peering into deep space and billions of years back in time, the James Webb telescope promises to offer the clearest glimpse yet of the Universe’s cosmic dawn, when the earliest galaxies began to form. The largest and most powerful telescope ever to be launched into space, which will take … Read more
PARIS, Dec 10, 2021 (AFP) – It’s been three decades in the making: the largest and most powerful telescope ever to be launched into space is finally ready to take up its orbit and beam back new clues to the origins of the Universe and Earth-like planets beyond our solar system. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, … Read more
WASHINGTON, Dec 10, 2021 (AFP) – The James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space observatory ever built, is finally set for launch in late December after decades of waiting. An engineering marvel, it will help answer fundamental questions about the Universe, peering back in time 13 billion years. Here are five things to know. Giant … Read more
Iskander Utebayev, a 3D artist from Kazakhstan’s Nur-Sultan, has created his own version of Hogwarts Express in honour of the 20th anniversary release of the first Harry Potter film. His visual creation resembles a more modern Hogwarts Express. One of Potterheads’ most cherished wishes is to ride the Hogwarts Express. The train’s inside has been … Read more
In the next two to four years, the information technology sector will earn up to $7 billion. On Sunday, the Board of Investment hosted an Investment Promotion seminar to educate international investors about Pakistan’s investment policies and prospects. The focus of the event was on investment potential in Pakistan’s education and innovative technology industries. The … Read more
The two Santas was seen dancing to the beat of drums in a viral video with Christmas approaching, carol groups have begun to venture out, adding to the festive spirit. With their amusing dance routines, two Santas in Kerala’s Kattakada have been the buzz of the town. The video, which was published on Instagram by … Read more
THE HAGUE, Dec 9, 2021 (AFP) – The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said Thursday that cases of Omicron so far appear to be “mostly mild”, but cautioned it was still investigating whether the variant could cause severe disease. “Cases appear to be mostly mild, however we need to gather more evidence to determine whether the spectrum … Read more
BEIRUT, Dec 9, 2021 (AFP) – The Lebanese health ministry said Thursday that it had confirmed th country’s first two cases of the Omicron variant of Covid in passengers tested upon arrival at the airport. “Two cases detected in airport testing” were confirmed to be of the Omicron variant, Health Minister Firass Abiad told a press conference. He said both … Read more
GENEVA, Dec 9, 2021 (AFP) – The World Health Organization said Thursday it remained unclear whether additional Covid-19 vaccine doses are needed to protect against the new Omicron variant, and urged wealthy countries to avoid hoarding the jabs. The UN health agency’s vaccine advisors warned that a rush to stockpile more jabs, especially without clear evidence they are needed, would … Read more
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — The first live class from China’s space station was held on Thursday afternoon, given by Shenzhou-13 crew members Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu to students on Earth. The class began at 3:40 p.m. (Beijing Time), with a total of 1,420 students attending the lecture from five classrooms across … Read more
URUMQI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — Advanced technologies like drones, 5G and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) have been widely used in the power grid of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Thanks to over 1,000 sets of 5G-backed BeiDou terminals launched in October, a converter station in Xinjiang’s Changji City has turned to drones … Read more
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese scientists have developed a targeted delivery system that can bring gene-editing tools to colon cells, offering a precise cure for inflammatory bowel disease. The study, published on Thursday in the journal Science Advances, reported a CRISPR-Cas9 prodrug nanosystem that can transport a gene-editing protein exclusively to inflammatory lesions in … Read more
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — Futuristic self-driving vehicles– representing a new way of life behind the wheel — went into on-road commercial trial in late November in Yizhuang of Beijing. The feat is a major leap by China into developing its autonomous vehicle industry. The trial operation area in Yizhuang, also known as E-Town, registered … Read more
SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — South Korea’s health authorities on Thursday asked teenagers to receive COVID-19 vaccine amid the rising infection cases of minors. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a statement that it strongly recommends the vaccination of teenagers as the number of confirmed cases continued to grow among unvaccinated … Read more
The much-needed step of delivering high-speed internet would be done soon in Chitral, Kaghan, and other tourist spots in the northern provinces of Pakistan. Haris Mehmood Chaudhry, the CEO of Universal Fund, stated that high-speed internet will be available in Chitral, Naran, Kaghan, Neelum Valley, and surrounding areas within six months. Read more: Rain and … Read more
According to a new report from the media, neither of the two monthly subscription services available to PlayStation gamers can compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service’s collection of titles, but Sony aims to change that as soon as next year. PlayStation Plus members have access to online multiplayer gaming as well as two monthly … Read more
PARIS, Dec 7, 2021 (AFP) – French video game giant Ubisoft on Tuesday launched a platform allowing players to acquire and play non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in its games, in the gaming industry’s first large-scale experiment with blockchain technology. NFTs are unique digital items that can be traded and are shaking up the worlds of culture and entertainment, … Read more
FRANKFURT, Dec 8, 2021 (AFP) – The coronavirus vaccine developed jointly by BioNTech and Pfizer is “still effective” against the Omicron variant of the virus after three doses, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday. A laboratory study by its makers found the vaccine “is still effective in preventing Covid-19, also against Omicron, if it … Read more
GENEVA, Dec 8, 2021 (AFP) – Countries considering introducing vaccine mandates in the fight against Covid-19 must ensure they respect human rights, the UN rights chief said Wednesday, stressing that forced vaccination was never acceptable. “In no circumstances should people be forcibly administered a vaccine, even if a person’s refusal to comply with a mandatory vaccination … Read more
XINING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) — The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), a leading optical telescope project in China, will move from the northern province of Hebei to Qinghai in the northwest for better performance and clearer astronomical observation. The telescope, also known as Guo Shoujing Telescope, went into operation in 2008 to … Read more
BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) — A team of Chinese researchers has developed a legless soft robot capable of rapid jumping and agile turning. The robot, measuring 6.5 cm in length and 1.1 grams in weight, can jump 7.68 times its body height and hop forward continuously at a speed of 6.01 times its body length … Read more
HONG KONG, Dec 8, 2021 (AFP) – China’s Twitter-like social media platform Weibo fell during its debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange Wednesday as investors remain wary of tech during Beijing’s crackdown on the sector. Weibo finished 7.2 percent down from its initial listing price of HK$272.80, a poor showing compared with recent first-day trade by major … Read more
