Silicon Valley & Technology
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At World Mobile Congress, Smart Tech Promises to Change Lives

We are in the midst of a mobile tech revolution that promises to change the way we live, say industry experts at this week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, where the ‘Internet of Things’ and superfast 5G technologies are all the rage. But even the most basic mobile technology is changing lives in some of the world’s most remote parts.

The exhibit is a showcase of the latest technology — and a glimpse of what the future holds. And industry insiders at the MWC 2017 say  there is a lot more to come.

Pibo, for example, is a mobile-connected robot designed to help families connect and express their emotions in the digital age.  On the other hand, they could invest in a digital hang drum — a traditional instrument used in yoga, updated for the 21st century so it syncs with your smartphone.

U.S. technology giants AT&T and General Electric have come up with smart street lamps, with cameras, sensors and microphones connected to 4G mobile networks. Over three thousand are being installed in the western U.S. city of San Diego, California and will be used for traffic analysis.

But AT&T product manager Trey Winter, said the makers have bigger ambitions.

“You are going to be able to detect smart parking solutions, gunshot detections inside of a city infrastructure. Environmental features detecting weather, smog, pollution,” he said. “Really bringing to life the intelligence inside of the city.“

5G networks

Much of the buzz at this year’s show is around super-fast 5G networks — with faster download speeds and almost zero delay.

Roger Chen of CNET magazine explained that this means a “real-time connection.”

“The best example someone has given to me is a surgeon performing a surgery in one country with robotic hands in another country,” he added.

 

Apps offer solutions for Africa

Mobile technology is transforming the economies of many African countries, with smartphone apps ranging from herding cattle in Kenya and connecting dirty laundry to mobile washerwomen in Uganda.

Eneza, for one, uses basic mobile technology to offer access to a huge range of education. Two million students are signed up to its ‘virtual classroom‘ — and the better their grades, the more mobile airtime the parents receive.

The company’s chairman, Stephen Haggard said “they are able to access all the education they want for a subscription that’s about 10 U.S. cents per week.”

“That covers the full curriculum and will get them everything they need to do from around age eight to finishing school,” he said. “The reality in most of Africa is that mobile technology is actually the only way that you can reach huge numbers of people at low cost with any kind of content.”

 

A recent report by consultants McKinsey predicted that by 2025 half of sub-Saharan Africa’s billion strong population will have internet access, over two-thirds via smartphones.

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Silicon Valley & Technology
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At World Mobile Congress, Smart Technologies Promise to Change Lives

We are in the midst of a mobile tech revolution that promises to change the way we live, say industry experts at this week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, where ‘Internet of Things’ and superfast 5G technologies are all the rage. But even the most basic mobile technology is changing lives in some of the world’s most remote parts. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.

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Silicon Valley & Technology
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Forecast: US Demand for Gasoline to Peak in 2018, for World in 2021

Demand for gasoline in the United States, which accounts for a tenth of global oil consumption, is expected to peak next year as engines become more efficient, WoodMackenzie analysts said.

Global demand for gasoline, which accounts for more than a quarter of the world’s oil consumption, is set to peak as early as 2021 even in the face of relentless growth in the vehicle fleet, according to the Edinburgh-based consultancy.

Hybrid, electric cars 

A rise in the number of hybrid and electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius and Tesla as well as tighter fuel standards in Europe and the United States will contribute to a historic shift in consumption.

The United States saw spectacular growth in gasoline demand following the collapse in oil prices in 2014 and as its economy recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, reaching a record of 9.326 million barrels per day (bpd) last year.

U.S. gasoline demand is expected to grow to a peak of around 9.45 million bpd in 2017 and remain largely unchanged in 2018 before slipping to 9.28 million bpd the following year, according to WoodMac.

“We expect gasoline engine efficiency to continue to improve through better deployment of batteries in hybrid vehicles,” WoodMac analyst Alan Gelder said.

Asia demand to increase

An expected recovery in oil prices in coming years is also expected to curtail demand growth, he added.

At its peak, global gasoline demand is expected to reach 25.89 million bpd in 2021, accounting for roughly a quarter of oil demand.

The decline in U.S. and European gasoline consumption will mask a steady expansion in demand in Asia, where most of the global increase in the vehicle fleet will take place.

While engine efficiencies increase, the global gasoline car fleet is expected to grow by more than 10 percent by 2025 to above 1 billion vehicles, according to WoodMac.

Vitol, the world’s top oil trader, last month said it expected global demand for gasoline and diesel to peak in 2027-2028.

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Science & Health
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On World Wildlife Day, Campaigners Warn of Extinction Threats

Friday is U.N. World Wildlife Day, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. This year’s theme is “Listen to the Young Voices,” but many campaigners warn that future generations may never see many of the species around today because they are on the brink of extinction, mostly because of human activity.

That includes the hidden wildlife beneath the oceans, at increasing risk from the huge amount of plastics filling our seas — from microbeads in cosmetics to industrial-scale waste.

“Twelve million tons of plastic is entering the oceans every year, which is about a rubbish truck’s worth of plastic every single minute,” said Louisa Casson of Greenpeace’s London office. “Plastic is entering every single level of the ocean food chain, and marine creatures from zooplankton up to blue whales are choking on plastics. They are ingesting it, and they are getting tangled up in it.”

Around the world, the United Nations warns, human activity is depleting biodiversity. In many parts of Africa, elephants and rhinos are under huge pressure from poachers.

From the skies above Tsavo National Park, the Kenya Wildlife Service has been conducting its annual survey of elephant populations covering 48,000 square kilometers of land during the past few weeks.

“We brought poaching down around 2014, so we expect the population possibly to have started picking up,” said Shadrack Ngene, head of the service’s ecological monitoring.

It is a dangerous job. Last month, a Kenyan ranger was shot dead by poachers. The wildlife charity Thin Green Line estimates that about 100 rangers are killed in the line of duty every year.

China, the world’s biggest ivory market, announced a ban in December on all ivory trade that takes effect by the end of 2017. It’s been hailed as a game-changer by conservationists.

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Silicon Valley & Technology
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Drones Being Developed for Emergency Medical Deliveries

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, better known as drones, are increasingly being used in emergency situations. But safety concerns in a congested airspace prompted the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, to limit their use. Researchers from the University of Maryland hope the regulations will be eased for drones making emergency medical deliveries. VOA’s George Putic reports.

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Arts & Entertainment
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Elvis Presley’s Graceland Opens New $45 Million Complex

Nearly four decades after Elvis sang his last tune, his legacy got a $45 million boost with the Thursday opening of a major new attraction at his Graceland estate — an entertainment complex that Priscilla Presley says gives “the full gamut” of the King of rock ‘n’ roll.

About 200 people streamed into “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” after the late singer’s wife cut a ribbon and allowed fans to see the $45 million complex for the first time.

Resembling an outdoor mall, the 200,000-square-foot campus sits across the street from Graceland, Presley’s longtime home-turned-museum. The complex features a comprehensive Presley exhibit with clothing he wore on stage and guitars he played; a showcase of the cars he owned and used; a soundstage; a theater; two restaurants and retail stores.

“You’re getting the full gamut of who Elvis Presley was,” Priscilla Presley said during an interview after the grand opening. “You’re getting to see and participate a bit in his life and what he enjoyed and what he loved to collect.” 

It’s part of a $140 million expansion, which also includes a $90 million, 450-room hotel that opened last year. The complex replaces the aging buildings that have housed Presley-related exhibits for years. An old, gray, strip-mall style visitor center will be torn down to make room for a greenspace along Elvis Presley Boulevard, the street that runs in front of the house.

Graceland has been updating its tourist experience. Visitors now use iPads for self-guided tours of the house. The new Guest House at Graceland, with modern amenities like glass-encased showers with wall-mounted body sprays and in-room Keurig coffeemakers, has replaced the crumbling Heartbreak Hotel, which is scheduled for demolition.

“We want to keep updating. … If you don’t keep up with what’s going on in the times, you get left out,” Priscilla Presley said. She was joined at the ribbon-cutting by Elvis Presley Enterprises CEO Jack Soden and Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Graceland Holdings.

The opening comes just before the 40th anniversary of Presley’s death on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42.

Adults pay $57.50 for a standard tour of the house and access to the complex. Visitors can also choose to tour just the house for a lower price. Discounts are offered for seniors and children. A self-guided tour of two airplanes owned by Presley is $5 more. 

From the ticketing area, people line up to wait for buses that take visitors to the museum, or they can move through the entertainment complex’s large, high-ceilinged buildings.

Gladys’ Diner — named after the singer’s mother — has the feel of a 1950’s eatery, complete with pictures of Presley, aqua-colored chairs and stations where patrons can order hot dogs, burgers and ice cream.

There’s also Presley’s favorite: Gladys’ World Famous Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, fried in bacon grease. Another PB&B sandwich is cooked in butter.

Across a wide walkway lies the automobile museum, filled with some of Presley’s favorite toys. Among them is a pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood — a custom painted model that he gave to his mother — and a sleek, black 1973 Stutz Blackhawk that he drove the day he died.

The walkway leads to the 20,000-square foot museum called “Elvis: The Entertainer,” which features white and purple jumpsuits he wore during concerts and gold-colored guitars he played on stage.

 Several retail stores line the complex. A second restaurant, a barbecue joint called Vernon’s Smokehouse — named after Presley’s father — will also open. So will an exhibition focused on Sam Phillips, the Sun Records producer and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer who recorded Presley for the first time.

The complex is still being finished. Priscilla Presley said there’s a warehouse full of artifacts, ready for display.

During the interview with The Associated Press, Priscilla Presley declined to comment about a court battle in Los Angeles between Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter she had with Elvis, and Lisa Marie’s estranged husband.

Among the fans eager to get a glimpse at the new exhibits Thursday was Carol Carey, a retiree who made the short trip across the state line from Southaven, Mississippi, with her son.

Wearing a pink shirt with the words “Wild About Graceland” on it, Carey beamed a wide smile as she talked about the complex.

“We couldn’t wait to see it,” she said. “We’ve been here every other day, checking it out. Getting used to saying goodbye to the old, and seeing friends who are all taking pictures of everything.”

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