Tech Talk
• The German government is extending a system of incentives to buy electric cars by 18 months until the end of 2020.
In California, giant Stratolaunch jet flies for first time
A giant six-engine aircraft with the world’s longest wingspan completed what company officials called a superb initial flight over California’s Mojave Desert, bringing to life a dream held by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul G Allen.
New Samsung handset: Innovation hinges on folding screen
When Samsung said this year it would launch a smartphone with a folding screen, the big question was whether the innovation was something people actually wanted or needed.
Tech Talk
• An Israeli spacecraft crashed into the moon just moments before touchdown, failing in an ambitious attempt to make history last week as the first privately funded lunar landing.
First artificial intelligence Google Doodle features Bach
Google is celebrating composer Johann Sebastian Bach with its first artificial intelligence-powered Doodle.
School teaches students with video games
When eighth-grader Alyssa Lingen started her information and communications technology class this year at Patrick Henry Middle School, the art student was repulsed by anything related to computer science, she said.
TECH TALK
• NASA has nixed the first all-female spacewalk over a spacesuit sizing issue.
Virgin Galactic: Rocket reaches space again in test flight
Virgin Galactic’s rocket plane reached space for a second time in a test flight over California on Friday, climbing higher and faster than before while also carrying a crew member to evaluate the long-awaited passenger experience.
Huawei and Samsung reveal folding smartphones
China’s Huawei unveiled a new folding-screen phone on Sunday, joining the latest trend for bendable devices as it challenges the global smartphone market’s dominant players, Apple and Samsung.
TECH TALK
• One of the US’ aircraft carriers will spend the next two years in dry dock for some maintenance and state-of-the-art upgrades.
Tech Talk
• Twitter said yesterday it is tightening up rules for European Union political ads ahead of bloc-wide elections this spring, following similar moves by fellow tech giants Facebook and Google.
And now for the weather on Mars, courtesy of new NASA lander
And now for the weather on Mars: NASA’s newest lander is offering daily reports on the red planet’s frigid winter.
SpaceX to build Mars spaceship prototypes in Texas
SpaceX said last week that it will build test versions of its Mars spaceship in south Texas instead of the Port of Los Angeles in another blow to the local economy that comes days after the company announced massive layoffs.
Spain: Taxi drivers threaten to take strike to French border
Taxi drivers striking to demand tighter regulations for companies using ride-hailing apps blocked traffic for another day in Spain’s two major cities yesterday, while threatening to take their protest to the French border.
