Tech

Here is the new video in our series of original videos about Apps. Today we wanted to share with you a sort of "game", dedicated to everyone who can't afford […]

Swiss researchers have created a flexible quadcopter that recoils during a crash, influenced by Mother Nature. Wasps in particular have special joints that allow their wings to reversibly crumple during an accident. This transition into a flexible state during times of stress drastically minimizes any sustained damage.

Roboticists from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed a new drone to mimic the elasticity and durability of insects. Researchers achieved this by using a "squishy" material that’s able to be rigged while flying but become malleable when it comes in contact with something. This flexibility absorbs potentially damaging impacts and eliminates them.

Online luxury retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter said it’s developing technology to allow well-to-do customers to buy products directly through WhatsApp as the e-commerce market for Prada and Versace goods becomes more competitive.
As the Independent reported, the platform’s personal shoppers already message clients on the Facebook-owned service and Chief Executive Federico Marchetti says that the Milan-based company plans to expand its use of the app but did not set a date for the launch of the feature.

Uber Technologies’ self-driving cars could be returning to California soon after state authorities permitted the company to test the vehicles. The ride-hailing company is now listed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles as one of over 20 companies, including Waymo, Tesla and Baidu, that have been issued autonomous vehicle testing permits as of Wednesday.

Uber received a permit to test two Volvo SUVs on public roads, the California Department of Motor Vehicles said. Regulators also approved 48 people as backup drivers who must sit behind the wheel in case the prototype cars malfunction, according to agency spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez.

The European Patent Office (EPO) granted a record number of European patents in 2016, while the US led the charge for applications. According to a report released on Tuesday, the EPO granted 96,000 European patents in 2016, an increase of 40% year-on-year, which is due to “effective measures” to improve the EPO’s productivity.

“The figure is an indicator of the growing demand for patent protection from businesses worldwide,” said the EPO. It also recorded an “unprecedented” level of patent filings in 2016, reaching more than 296,000, an increase of 6.2% compared with 2015.

Swatch Group R&D and the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) have created the smallest Bluetooth chip on the market, which consists of more than 5 million transistors on a surface measuring just 5 square milimetres, has been certified as meeting the latest Bluetooth standard, version 5.0.

The chip is not just smaller than any other on the market, Swatch claims, it also has lower energy consumption compared to competitors on the market today.

The tech industry in the city of Wellington, New Zealand, is looking to recruit tech experts from around the world, offering a free holiday to the country for anyone who can prove their merit.

In a bid to supplement Wellington’s technology pool, the city is offering "the ultimate tech career trip" by flying 100 people from all around the world to New Zealand to fill 100 jobs. The Wellington Regional Reconomic Development Agency and Workhere New Zealand are paying for all flights and accommodation for the international techies.

This is the second part to our interview with Carlo Terreni, co-founder and board member of NetComm Suisse Association. MarketPlus will be a media partner to the event e-Commerce meets Fashion […]