Technology

TEHRAN: Iran has launched a capsule designed to carry living beings in a step towards sending astronauts into space, state media reported on Wednesday — the latest test of aerospace technology criticised by the West. The capsule was successfully sent up to a height of 130 kilometres, the IRNA news agency quoted Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour as saying. He said the …

Air New Zealand said Wednesday it aims to become the first airline to fly an electric plane after announcing plans to have a battery-powered aircraft join its fleet in 2026. The national airline said it has ordered an electric ALIA aircraft from US-based aerospace manufacturer Beta Technologies. It is expected to join Air New Zealand’s fleet initially as a cargo-only service …

ISLAMABAD: In a groundbreaking initiative, the Pakistan-Qatar IT Conference commenced at the JW Marriott Marquis City Center in Doha, Qatar, drawing active participation from prominent Pakistani IT firms and local Qatari businesses. The inauguration ceremony was led by the Caretaker Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Dr Umar Saif. During his address at the conference, Dr Umar Saif introduced the …

Bitcoin has broken above $40,000 for the first time since May 2022 as it rides a wave of momentum on broad enthusiasm about U.S. interest rate cuts and as traders bet on the imminent approval of U.S. stock market-traded bitcoin funds. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency hit as high as $41,748 on Monday, its highest since April 2022, seemingly casting off …

inDrive on Monday said it was partnering with Vlektra, an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, to introduce electric motorcycles to its fleet in the country. According to a press release, it said: “This marked a significant milestone in the nation’s transportation landscape, driving the country towards a sustainable future.” By doing so, InDrive said it has become the first ride-hailing company …

Music streaming giant Spotify said on Monday it would reduce the number of its employees by around 17 per cent in a bid to cut costs amid “dramatically” slower economic growth. The announcement comes on the heels of a rare quarterly net profit of 65 million euros in October, compared to a loss of 166m for the same period a …

MOUNTAIN VIEW: The defence chiefs of the United States, Australia and Britain met in California on Friday, touting high-tech cooperation on deep space radar, AI and quantum computing systems aimed at bolstering their armed forces in the face of growing global threats, including from China. The three men huddled in Silicon Valley — the heart of the US tech sector …

Time flows in a continuous stream — yet our memories are divided into separate episodes, all of which become part of our personal narrative. How emotions shape this memory formation process is a mystery that science has only recently begun to unravel. The latest clue comes from University of California Los Angeles psychologists, who have discovered that fluctuating emotions elicited …

Shares of crypto miners and bitcoin-tracking companies rose on Friday as the world’s largest cryptocurrency extended a recent rally to touch a near 19-month high on improving risk appetite. Bitcoin , up 1.6% at $38,337, has been gaining since October on optimism that a potential approval of a spot exchange-traded fund is likely to unleash more capital investments in the …

WASHINGTON: More than 50 years after the last Apollo mission, the United States will try once again to land a craft on the Moon on January 25, said the head of what could be the first private company to successfully touch down on the lunar surface. The lander, named Peregrine, will have no one on board. It was developed by …