JANUARY 2021 | International Law Alerts | Biotechnology/ Technology

MANILA, Philippines — The dry run of the proposed zipper lane along Commonwealth Avenue, which will give way to the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), is set to resume on Saturday, Jan. 2.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) bared that China-based Sinopharm wanted the Philippines to either fund its COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in the country or recognize China’s approval or authorization of the vaccine.

To end 2020, Adobe Flash Player has finally bid goodbye to internet users as its services will no longer be available from now on.

German automaker Volkswagen announced that it is about to introduce augmented reality technology for head-up display in most of its electric range of vehicles. This technology, usually offered in premium cars, may become more and more widespread in the car maker’s range, as well as in other automakers’ in the near future, since it highly enhances driving safety.

MANILA, Philippines — Decrying attempts to derail the rehabilitation and transformation of Manila’s decades-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), The Passenger Forum, a respected organization advocating for the Filipino passenger rights and welfare, called on the public to decide on the future of NAIA.

The Japanese firm Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University have joined forces in the aim of developing a wooden satellite that would burn up more readily as its lifespan ends, without leaving debris or waste behind. The first ever wooden satellite could be launched from Japan in 2023.

5G smartphones look set to go mainstream in 2021. Qualcomm has just unveiled a new System on Chip (SoC) compatible with the latest cellular standard that’s less powerful, but also less costly than previous chips.

Korean scientists are working on the creation of transparent solar panels, which could be deployed on a large scale and integrated into everyday materials.

WASHINGTON — Robots that helped people survive and stay safe over the past year are touting their value at the tech industry’s annual extravaganza amid a pandemic which has given fresh momentum to the robotics sector.

MANILA, Philippines — The average cost of broadband in the Philippines per month was at $53.71, lower than the global average cost of $78.14 in 211 countries, a survey by consumer comparison website Cable.co.uk has shown.

Fisherfolks in the coastal areas of the Philippines can look forward to a brighter and safer year ahead with the development of ISDApp – the community app that allows fisherfolks to access useful weather information to help them plan their trips to the sea, even without a smartphone or an internet connection.

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s mobile internet speed has improved and jumped 14 notches higher than its previous ranking, according to a global speed test.

As the demand for data rises in the New Normal, the Philippines’ largest integrated telco PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have once again emerged ahead of competition in the second half of 2020, according to Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.

While Alphabet is shutting down its Loon program, which aimed to bring quality internet connectivity to entire regions of Africa using autonomous balloons in the stratosphere, other teams are working on an equally innovative project using light beams