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Sony's factories are running non-stop due to high demand for image sensors

TechSpot News | Dec. 25, 2019, 11:45 p.m. | Original

What just happened? Sony’s smartphones might have been falling further behind the competition in recent years, but demand for its image sensors is so high that its chip factories have been running non-stop through the holiday season.

As reported by Bloomberg , this is the second year that Sony has had to run its factories around the clock throughout the holidays to try and keep up with component demand. “We are having to apologize to customers because we just can’t make enough,” said Terushi Shimizu, head

Check out the top-selling smartphones of Q3 2019

TechSpot News | Dec. 25, 2019, 10:35 p.m. | Original

In a nutshell: Industry analysis firm Counterpoint Research has released its report on the best-selling smartphones of Q3 2019. The number one entry isn’t too surprising, considering its been the top-selling model globally since Q4 2018: The iPhone XR. The most popular Android phone, meanwhile, was Samsung’s Galaxy A10.

Many reviewers have praised the cheapest of Apple’s 2018 iPhones as the most impressive of the three, thanks to

New Squadron 42 trailer shows off its stunning graphics

TechSpot News | Dec. 25, 2019, 9:25 p.m. | Original

Something to look forward to: It’s been a while since we heard much about Squadron 42, the single-player campaign element of Star Citizen. But on Christmas Day, developer Cloud Imperium Games released a new “visual teaser” trailer that shows off some incredibly good-looking graphics.

Back in October 2018, we saw a new trailer for Squadron 42 that featured some of the game’s star-studded cast: Gillian Anderson, Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Andy Serkis,

Russia successfully disconnected its homegrown RuNet from the Internet

TechSpot News | Dec. 25, 2019, 5:07 a.m. | Original

Through the looking glass: For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the "free internet" and "sovereign internet" concepts aren't mutually exclusive. The country recently performed several successful tests that simulated how it would respond in case of a foreign cyber attack.

News broke in February that Russia was planning to disconnect itself from the Internet to see what would happen in case of foreign aggression. To that end, the Russian government had to pass a law requiring internet service providers to make it possible to inspect all outbound traffic and

Rolls-Royce aims for the world's fastest all-electric plane under its ACCEL initiative

TechSpot News | Dec. 25, 2019, 3:30 a.m. | Original

Something to look forward to: Rolls-Royce announced the 'Accelerating the Electrification of Flight' (ACCEL) program earlier this year, for its contribution towards enabling zero-emission flights of the future, part of which is the recently unveiled ionBird aircraft designed to set a new top speed record for electric planes, currently held by the Siemens-powered 210 mph Extra 330LE.

Rolls-Royce wants to champion electrification for aerial transport and has partnered with aviation startup Electroflight and electric motor manufacturer YASA,

IBM claims to have made a new battery design that is environment friendly

TechSpot News | Dec. 24, 2019, 5:24 a.m. | Original

Forward-looking: It may seem like battery technology isn't improving as fast as our many devices, but IBM says the wait is almost over and worthwhile. Researchers are currently testing prototype pouch batteries that can outperform the best batteries we have today, while also being cheaper and safer.

IBM's research arm may have found a way to replace traditional lithium-ion batteries with a new solution that is better and safer in almost every way. The new technology combines quick charging capabilities and low flammability with the distinct

TechSpot News | Dec. 24, 2019, 3:19 a.m. | Original |

What just happened? Twitter has banned all animated PNGs (APNGs) from its platform to stop trolls using the images to trigger seizures in photosensitive people. The site has discovered a bug that lets users bypass its autoplay protections, allowing multiple animated images in a single tweet using the file format.

“We want everyone to have a safe experience on Twitter,” the company said in a tweet. “APNGs were fun, but they don’t respect autoplay settings, so we’re removing the ability to add them

San Francisco tweaks facial recognition ban that made it illegal for city employees to use iPhones

TechSpot News | Dec. 24, 2019, 1:43 a.m. | Original

In brief: The San Francisco administration's ban on the use of facial recognition has had the surprising side effect of making devices like newer iPhones illegal to use by municipal workers. Officials are now tweaking the law to allow their use while still maintaining a strict ban on using facial recognition features.

While San Francisco may have been the first US city to place a blanket ban on facial recognition , it's also the first to have learned that it isn't the best of ideas. The city's Board

Netflix's The Witcher show triggers spike in The Witcher 3's popularity

TechSpot News | Dec. 24, 2019, 12:30 a.m. | Original

In a nutshell: Have you been enjoying Netflix’s The Witcher show? You’re not alone. The TV adaptation is proving hugely popular, despite some mixed reviews, and has spurred viewers to return to one of the greatest video games of all time: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

According to Steam Chart analytics , around 38,000 people are currently playing the 2015 game. There’s also been a peak player count of 50,354 in the

Year in review: Eight stories that defined the tech industry in 2019

TechSpot News | Dec. 23, 2019, 11:23 p.m. | Original

A look back: As we end the year, it's interesting to see what was on our collective minds and revisit the stories that defined the year in tech. A lot happened in 2019, some good, some bad. Vox recently provided some interesting charts to put the impact of some of the biggest tech stories in perspective.

Several tech companies had their initial public offerings (IPO) in 2019, but most of them are floundering. Of the seven high profile IPOs Recode tracked

What just happened? Sony’s smartphones might have been falling further behind the competition in recent years, but demand for its image sensors is so high that its chip factories have been running non-stop through the holiday season.

Something to look forward to: It’s been a while since we heard much about Squadron 42, the single-player campaign element of Star Citizen. But on Christmas Day, developer Cloud Imperium Games released a new “visual teaser” trailer that shows off some incredibly good-looking graphics.

Through the looking glass: For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the "free internet" and "sovereign internet" concepts aren't mutually exclusive. The country recently performed several successful tests that simulated how it would respond in case of a foreign cyber attack.

In a nutshell: Have you been enjoying Netflix’s The Witcher show? You’re not alone. The TV adaptation is proving hugely popular, despite some mixed reviews, and has spurred viewers to return to one of the greatest video games of all time: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

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