Technology

eSIMs: what are they and how could second-home owners and travellers to France benefit?

An eSIM can be linked to a mobile phone contract to provide access to overseas networks

French iPhone users bring group action against Apple for ‘spying on them via Siri’

People can add their name to the case if they believe their device is implicated

How to check if fibre internet is available where you live in France

Detailed, interactive maps can help you see how the new rollout is progressing near you

practical

Tested for you: Google’s free AI personalised French lessons

The ‘experimental’ Little Language Lessons platform generates exercises and vocab guides - but failed to woo our writer

Fines issued as AI identifies people who do not sort their rubbish correctly

Badly-sorted rubbish can cost millions so communes are turning to high-tech solutions

French Google website google.fr will soon be replaced

Technology advancements have made local searches obsolete

French initiative transforms hotel waste into lifesaving soap

Unisoap's innovative recycling enterprise collects soap from 390 hotels in 110 cities in France to help those in need

French inventor develops new air purifier after daughter’s asthma attack

Particles in the air attach themselves to ionised air from the machine causing them to fall to the ground

French innovation leads development of electric planes

Five innovative projects aim to revolutionise air travel by 2026

Drive to bring 100% fibre coverage to Brittany

Copper-based internet is being phased out even on remote islands

‘Brain stethoscope’ helps diagnose neurological conditions in France

Goggles developed by French inventors can recognise early stages of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

French firm makes first ‘fibre-to-fibre’ recycled polyester T-shirt

Advance means that tonnes of clothes normally thrown away could be re-used

Speed, advantages, price, how to benefit: launch of widespread ‘5G+’ for public in France

Some will be able to access service for free via their current phone contract

French Alps ski resort uses AI piste to teach beginners

The indoor device ‘places’ people onto the resort's slopes on a screen and they learn twice as fast as on usual beginner slopes, claims instructor

Telecoms company Free set to launch prepaid mobile phone card in France

These SIM cards are popular with occasional phone users and second-home owners. We explain

Visually impaired fans get hi-tech goggles to watch sports in France

The technology is not yet widely available but remains free to use at certain venues thanks to partnerships

Full steam ahead for eco-friendly French drones

Inventors are transforming infrastructure inspections with the Hylight, a helium-filled drone dirigible, and the Aéronde, an innovative balloon aircraft

Digital carte Vitale begins in many areas: where and how will it work?

Smartphone application can be used at medical appointments instead of physical card for payments and reimbursements

How to continue listening to BBC radio in France

Longwave support has ended but alternatives exist, even for those who may struggle with technology

Seven essential apps hikers must have in France

From identifying the local flora and fauna, to ensuring you know your route, we highlight six top apps for hikers taking to French trails this spring

What is the ‘FranceConnect’ button used for on websites?

The button appears on over 1,000 French websites

Doctolib to launch AI medical assistant to free up doctors in France

Artificial Intelligence will be used during appointments to take notes and filter information

Delivery of medicines by drone tested in south-west France

The French-made drone test now shows the ‘potential for medical deliveries’ to people in isolated areas

Beware new scams involving QR codes in France

We look at how to avoid being caught out as more and more fraudsters use this method to trick people

When will universal phone and tablet charger be obligatory in France?

New electronic devices will have the same charging port, meaning one cable can charge all

QR codes to replace paper medicine leaflets in new trial in France

The trial is intended to help reduce paper waste and digitise the healthcare industry

French digital telescopes give stargazers Nasa-quality view of space

Images captured by amateur astronomers using the French designed telescopes are feeding into scientific research

Toulouse tests using AI to reduce driver wait at traffic lights

The system connects to cars automatically to help its AI algorithm interpret the road conditions

What the new digital law will change for people in France

The new rules will ‘protect citizens, children, and businesses’, the digital minister has promised

How to get financial help to repair a smartphone in France

The national ‘bonus réparation’ scheme is set to include broken smartphones from next year

iPhone12 users in France to get free update over ‘electrowave issue’

Phones were removed from sale earlier this week due to breaking EU regulations with strength of electromagnetic waves

Apple’s iPhone 12 is removed from sale in France due to wave issue

The company has two weeks to fix the problem

Village tries out AI cameras - and stops 8 fires in south of France

The technology, which is also in use in the US and Canada, takes photos every five seconds and monitors for changes

Steep rise in use of medical video-chat booths in French pharmacies

The booths are aimed at patients with minor complaints and link the user to a doctor remotely. There can be added charges to use one

Insoles with reversible aircon is latest from French serial inventor

We ask how 6mm silicon can keep feet warm in winter and cool in summer using the energy of your steps

Tax authorities discover 120,000 undeclared swimming pools in France

Aerial photography and artificial intelligence were used to help identify homeowners who had not declared their swimming pools

App available in France lets you take ID photos at home

This mobile app makes it easier to take official photos for passports, driving licences, and other administrative documents, even if you are out of the country

French towns offer free app to boost social links for over-55s

The app lets older people find events in their area, and connect with others who share the same hobbies, in a bid to combat social isolation

‘Forget raising retirement age in France, AI will lead to job losses’

It makes no sense for France to raise the pension age, with AI set to replace many jobs, says scientist Simon Thorpe

Invisible ‘smart tooth’ monitors chronic disease, says French dentist

The new technology sends bio-markers from saliva to your phone or GP to help detect and control illness

Idea to revitalise rural areas in France: the ‘smart village’

The trend for ‘smart cities’ could be applied to villages to revitalise rural communities

Will MPs back draft bill to ban digital advertising panels in France?

Critics of digital billboards say they waste energy and represent a new stage of the advertising invasion

Grub’s up: Insect farming for human food is French success story

How France has become a global leader in insect protein production and where you might eat it

Deaf people in France enjoy music concerts thanks to vibrating vests

The goal is for those who are hearing-impaired to join in with everybody else, says an association which supplies the vests for events

Meet Reachy, the French robot the world looks set to see a lot more of

The award-winning tech from a Bordeaux company could potentially ‘work’ as a waiter or helping people with disabilities

How France’s tax inspectors use technology to track fraud and evasion

The use of Google satellite images to spot undeclared pools is just one way in which IT is being used

More towns take away street advertising signs in France

Mayors say that the boards cause visual clutter and use too much energy

Tourist app uses AI to recognise French landmarks

The ‘Shazam’ of landmarks allows users to take photos of monuments in Paris and Rennes and have instant access to information about the site

Mobile app helps blind hikers explore France

The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail in the south of France is now fully accessible to visually-impaired people, thanks to an app which reads out regular directions

French fuel shortage: How to check stocks at your local petrol station

With strikes affecting supply at the moment, we suggest different websites and apps to check what stocks petrol stations have around the country

Patissiers watch out? Normandy start-up creates 3D-printed patisserie

The company’s ‘culinary printer’ creates biscuit-cake-like structures that patissiers can add to. It denies that it is trying to ‘replace the pastry chef’

'Paintings from Van Gogh were not designed to float around people'

Philosophers express concern over immersive art. Does it dumb down masterpieces and make us more anti-social?

Glow-in-the-dark marine bacteria trialled as lighting in French town

A French start-up is using bioluminescence technology in a town south west of Paris to create a ‘living laboratory’

French firm's needle-free injections win US government contract

The no-needle system uses space rocket technology to ‘shoot’ medicine into patient

Home heating system uses ‘sunshine’ paint invented in France

The revolutionary paint emits infrared waves which warm a room like sunshine - company says it is cheaper than traditional heating

Green news France: tobacco firm butt tax, 3D printed scuba reef

And an ice-rink in Niort is melted to water trees - we look at current initiatives aimed at supporting the environment

Driving in France: new super-precise speed radars given go-ahead

They are said to be 100% accurate and could remove need for 5km/h ‘margin of error’ before fines are issued, but drivers’ group are angry at zero-tolerance policy

Two mobile apps could help save heart attack victims in France

Both help members of the public give vital first aid in the first few moments while waiting for an ambulance

Driverless cars inspire French AI expert to build tool for blind

The car technology can be adapted to warn blind and partially sighted people of hazards in their path

Eight apps that could save you money on your French supermarket shop

These apps offer consumers cashback deals and price comparisons, as figures show the effect of inflation on shopping habits

Floating phone inventor relocates handset factory from China to France

Wage rises and Covid disruption in China prompted Crosscall’s French founder to build a smartphone factory in Aix-en-Provence

French cancer app to help with side-effects and treatment information

The free app has been designed with doctors and cancer specialists to support patients and is available in English

Health cabins: virtual GP visits becoming more popular in France

Some communes are installing fully equipped ‘health cabins’ that offer basic medical equipment and digital contact with a doctor

New French-invented green heat pump warms homes with sound waves

Developper Cédric François says it took 20 years of research to produce and is ecological, economical and easy to use

Father faces jail for blocking children's internet access in France

The homeowner used an illegal signal jammer that accidentally knocked out phone and internet coverage across two communes

New virus tracking tool estimates Covid contact risks in France

The online tool is developed by Covid data service CovidTracker which is government approved

How did the French government get my phone number?

Millions of people have received an SMS encouraging them to download the Covid-19 tracing application

EU plans to standardise smartphone and tablet chargers to reduce waste

If successful, the measures will prevent manufacturers from creating and supplying their own chargers, cutting down on waste and costs for consumers

Macron changes phone and number after Pegasus spyware scandal

Morocco’s ambassador to France has denied any spying by on Mr Macron, saying the country is a “victim” in this affair, and calling on its accusers to show their proof

Vibrating vests let hearing-impaired feel music at concerts in France

Devices designed to enhance sensation for gamers now being used to allow the hard of hearing to enjoy music by feeling the rhythm instead

France first EU country to adapt its highway code for self-drive cars

The rules explain drivers’ responsibilities when using self-drive cars, and will be in place from 2022

How is France tracking spread of Indian variant of Covid-19?

France has reported very few cases of the variant compared to the UK. Some UK media suggest it is because of its advanced sequencing capabilities, meaning it discovers more cases. Is this correct?

Blind Frenchman’s sight partially restored by pioneering gene therapy

The patient was able to count cups placed in front of him with a success rate of 63% in a test

Glitch turns France’s Tous Anti Covid app (temporarily) English

A technical problem hit the latest update of the country’s test and trace phone application resulting in users taking to social media to complain

Civil liberty groups question facial recognition France tech rollout

France is a world leader in surveillance technology and it is already widely deployed by security forces across the country