Science & Technology

China’s Huawei set to unveil 5G phone with folding screen

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — China’s Huawei is set to take the wraps off a new folding-screen phone, joining the latest trend for bendable devices as it challenges the global smartphone market’s dominant players, Apple and Samsung.

The company on Sunday plans to unveil the device, which can be used on superfast next-generation mobile networks that are due to come online in the coming years.

Huawei will reveal the phone on the eve of MWC Barcelona, a four-day showcase of mobile devices, as the company battles U.S. allegations it is a cybersecurity risk.

Virgin Galactic takes crew of three to altitude of 55 miles

23 Feb 2019; AFP: Virgin Galactic's spacecraft reached an altitude of more than 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) on Friday, carrying for the first time a passenger in addition to its two pilots.

SpaceShipTwo, built by British billionaire Richard Branson to carry tourists into space, launched from California's Mojave desert and flew to an altitude of 55.87 miles (89.9 kms), the company said.

Cost-effective way to recycle glass: Aussie research

SYDNEY, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers said they have found a new way to recycle glass into everyday products, pointing to major cost and waste reductions for the environment.

The method extracts liquid silicate from waste glass and it can be used to make thousands of products ranging from concrete sealers and fertilizers to detergents and toothpaste, the University of Queensland said in a statement about its researchers' work late on Friday.

Israel's first Moon mission blasts off from Florida

22 Feb 2019; AFP: An unmanned rocket took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday night carrying Israel's Beresheet spacecraft, aiming to make history twice: as the first private-sector landing on the Moon, and the first from the Jewish state.

The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) Beresheet, which means "Genesis" in Hebrew, lifted off at 8:45 pm (0145 GMT Friday) atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the private US-based SpaceX company of entrepreneur Elon Musk.

World's biggest bee rediscovered in Indonesia

SYDNEY, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- You might think it would be too big to miss - but it took scientists 38 years to rediscover the world's biggest bee, hiding out in the remote forests of Indonesia.

With a wingspan of six centimetres, Wallace's giant bee is the largest in the world, but since it was last spotted in 1981 scientists had believed it may have gone extinct.

China vows to step up scientific, technological cooperation with all parties

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday it will grasp the development opportunities brought by a new round of scientific and technological advances and strengthen technological exchanges and cooperation with all parties, including in 5G.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the comments at a news briefing when asked about some countries' remarks that Chinese enterprises should be excluded from the construction of their 5G networks due to the "security risks" of Chinese products and devices.

Japanese spacecraft to attempt landing on distant asteroid

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese spacecraft began its approach Thursday toward a distant asteroid on a mission to collect material that could provide clues to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth.

Hayabusa2′s descent was delayed for about five hours for a safety check, but the unmanned craft is still due to touch down as scheduled on Friday morning, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.

Russia may start delivering Mi-171A2 helicopters to India late 2019

BANGALORE /India/, February 21. /TASS/. The Russian Helicopters company (part of the Rostec State Corporation) plans to begin the delivery of the Mil Mi-171A2 helicopters to India in late 2019, the company’s CEO Andrei Bogisnky told TASS on the sidelines of the Aero India Show 2019.

"We expect that India will validate the certificate for the helicopter’s civilian version in the first half of the year so that we can start the delivery process in the fourth quarter," he said.

Artificial intelligence system on Mi-28N helicopters to destroy targets

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. A source in the aircraft industry said that the new AI system analyzes targets in the field, establishes whether they belong to the enemy, picks the appropriate weapon from the helicopter's equipment.

The new onboard system with artificial intelligence capable of destroying targets selected by pilots without their participation is being tried on Russia's Mi-28N attack helicopters, a source in the aircraft industry told TASS on Thursday.

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