Science and Technology

I am about to start house hunting in France. I am looking to buy a second home and intend to rent a property for several months while I research the area. What are my best broadband options so I can search for properties on line when there?

Google may be the search engine of choice for many and the likes of DuckDuckGo and Nice-based Qwant offer alternatives that do not store data.

Living in tiny Paris studio flats while working as interns at a bank inspired two young French inventors to design a table-top dishwasher.

How do I get connected to phone and broadband if there has not previously been any in our property

I reported a fault on my line and was told if the fault was inside my property, then I would be charged €69. I never saw a technician outside my property, let alone inside my house, so queried it when I was charged all the same. I was told that the charge was regardless of whether or not the fault was inside my property.  They agreed to credit me the €69, but how can we be responsible for faulty Orange infrastructure? They told me the law changed recently. T.R.

Customers in one Paris arrondissement will have help taking their shopping home, as stores trial robot deliveries

French scientists watching approach of Nasa probe nervously as they hope it survives dangerous landing procedure so it can conduct their experiments

New products, designs and ideas from around France

France was one of the first countries to sign up to World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee’s Contract for the Web pledge to protect online freedoms and rights.

I am aware that France is in the middle of a major investment in its telecommunication network. How soon will this affect the average customer like me?

A French start-up has a fresh idea – to design a lightweight and thus fuel-efficient car which can easily be converted into an electric version and then to sell complete factories to make the cars to countries with no motor factories.

My broadband is slower than my neighbour’s, particularly having a weaker wifi signal. We use the same supplier. What can I do?

CONNECtivity is a big buzzword in business - and now it is bees that are benefiting.

A robot, intelligent rubbish bin that sorts and crushes cans, bottles and throwaway cups could help businesses and cafeterias clean up after customers – and boost recycling.

Transpod has set up a test track for its Hyperloop project in Limousin. But Yves Crozet, of Sciences Po Lyon’s LAET Transport, Urban Planning and Economics Laboratory, says speed-of-sound ‘train’ travel is a long way from reality.

As worse weather approaches, are there any steps we should take to avoid problems with our broadband internet?  J.I.