Technology

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will this week begin the process of selling unused telecom spectrum in an auction it hopes will raise around $1 billion and enhance network capacity, said three senior government officials familiar with the matter. The spectrum is in the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands typically used by operators for 4G LTE (long-term evolution) networks that offer faster video …

Microsoft said late Monday a recent change it introduced likely caused a major outage, affecting users’ access to multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams. The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not “observe an increase in successful connections” even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact. “A moment ago nothing was …

The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday it will launch an unmanned rover to the moon by 2024 as it seeks to expand its space sector. The UAE — a collection of seven emirates better known for its skyscrapers, palm-shaped islands and opulent mega attractions — is a newcomer to the world of space exploration but quickly making its mark. …

Epic Games will strive anew Monday to convince a judge that its hit title Fortnite should be restored to Apple’s App Store, despite sidestepping the tech titan’s standard commission on transactions. Apple does not allow users of its popular devices to download apps from anywhere but its App Store, and Epic is challenging its practice of taking a 30 percent …

SHANGHAI: The United States has imposed restrictions on exports to China’s biggest chip maker SMIC after concluding there is an “unacceptable risk” equipment supplied to it could be used for military purposes. Suppliers of certain equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing Intern­ational Corporation will now have to apply for individual export licenses, according to a letter from the Commerce Department dated Friday …

Apple is preparing to launch a small-screen iPhone 12 with a 5.4-inch display along with other devices next month. “According to a photo depicting alleged stickers from unreleased Silicone iPhone cases originating from Apple’s international distribution centre in Ireland, one of the iPhone is likely to be called iPhone 12 Mini,” read the article published in Mac rumours on Friday. The …

LONDON: Advertisers who boycotted social media are not all rushing back, despite an agreement by Facebook, YouTube and Twitter on how to curb harmful content online. Unilever, one of the world’s biggest advertisers, told Reuters the move this week was “a good step in the right direction,” but would not say whether it would resume paid advertising on Facebook in …

BEIJING: An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Clover Biopharmaceuticals appeared to be safe and able to trigger immune responses in animal tests, researchers have said. The result of the study on monkeys comes months after Clover began an early stage human trial in Australia in June, as global drug makers race to develop a safe and effective vaccine that …

WASHINGTON: A judge has urged the Trump administration to consider delaying a ban on new downloads of the popular video app TikTok and hinted he might block the government’s order set to take effect on Sunday. Judge Carl Nichols made the comments at a hastily called telephone hearing on Thursday where TikTok argued a ban, even if temporary, could cause …

LONDON: Robots that can kill the coronavirus with ultraviolet light have been brought in at one of London’s biggest train stations, St Pancras International, as it tries to restore customer confidence in the safety of travel hubs. Stations suffered a blow on Tuesday when Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people to work from home again where possible and also ordered restaurants …