Sci-Tech news

• Skeletons with shackles unearthed during excavation of Roman graves in France

  04-12-2014 23:48 via
  
  The incredible excavation is located at a building site about 250m west of the Saintes amphitheatre, which was once used for battles between gladiators and wild animals.
  
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• Pandas aren't as picky as we thought: Researchers find endangered species is actually far more adaptable (as long as they've got bamboo)

  04-12-2014 23:33 via
  
  Michigan researchers studied pandas in China's Wolong Nature Reserve (pictured) and found they were more adaptable than had been thought.
  
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• Electric eels 'remotely control prey'

  04-12-2014 23:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Electric eels' high-voltage strikes can actively control the muscles of the fish they hunt, research reveals.
  
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• Chimpanzee 'has no human rights'

  04-12-2014 22:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A chimpanzee is not entitled to the same rights as people and does not have to be freed from captivity by its owner, a US court has ruled.
  
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• Study warns huge 1,000km long fault where megaquake will originate is 'eerily quiet'

  04-12-2014 22:28 via
  
  Oregon researchers are baffled by the lack of activity at the 1,000km long Cascadia fault off the California coast.
  
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• Nasa releases image of circular area on Mars that looks like a BRAIN

  04-12-2014 21:51 via
  
  The huge circular area is nearly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide, and is in the Athabasca region of the red planet.
  
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• Bungie's new content will change Destiny for everyone

  04-12-2014 20:55
  
  BUNGIE have promised the new content heading for Destiny this month will change the experience of playing it for all.
  
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• Why was Psy nearly too much for YouTube?

  04-12-2014 20:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Why Gangnam Style was nearly too much for YouTube
  
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• Electric eels control their prey WITHOUT touching it

  04-12-2014 20:31 via
  
  A study by Vanderbilt University in Nashville showed that electric eels (pictured) were able to detect fish through a thin gelatine barrier by making them 'twitch' using less powerful shocks.
  
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• Polar ice is melting quicker than thought, study claims

  04-12-2014 20:30 via
  
  Waters around glaciers (sock image shown) in West Antarctica are warmer than thought, causing polar ice to melt quicker than expected, according to researchers.
  
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• Heart rate monitor reveals what men go through when they propose

  04-12-2014 20:11 via
  
  One Reddit user wore a heart rate monitor throughout his proposal day in Rome - and admitted his biggest worry was losing the ring before he asked the question.
  
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• Uber taxi business valued at $40bn

  04-12-2014 20:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Taxi booking firm Uber has raised another $1.2bn from investors, a deal that values the technology business at $40bn (£25.5bn).
  
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• Deprived children are 6 IQ points worse off than wealthy peers - and the gap widens with age

  04-12-2014 19:52 via
  
  Scientists from Goldsmiths, University of London compared data on almost 15,000 children and their parents as part of the Twins Early Development Study (Teds).
  
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• Stop ripping us off! PS4 fans anger at price difference for games compared to Xbox One

  04-12-2014 19:27
  
  PS4 fans have hit out at a recent price comparisons between the Playstation and Xbox online stores.
  
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• Nasa's historic Orion launch is postponed

  04-12-2014 19:12 via
  
  The space agency's new countdown clock got a workout as a series of problems cropped up in the final four minutes of the launch sequence at Cape Canaveral in Florida,
  
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• This futuristic Decos office in Noordwijk is powered by wind and has BANNED toilet paper

  04-12-2014 19:09 via
  
  The office (pictured) was built for Noordwijk-based technology firm Decos by Inbo Architects. It has removed all paper such as letters, files and even toilet roll - replacing them with 'shower toilets.'
  
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• Google to create child-friendly versions of Chrome and YouTube

  04-12-2014 18:57
  
  Google is revamping some of its most popular and successful
  products to be suitable for a younger generation.
  
  The company is currently working on adapting products so that
  they would be more safer and more enjoyable for under 12s. The
  likes of Chrome and YouTube will be reexamined to see what can be
  done to make them more child-friendly.
  Continue reading...
  
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• Are giant armadillos the ultimate 'full nest syndrome' sufferers? Young mammals stay at home 11 times longer than first thought

  04-12-2014 18:56 via
  
  Biologists for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland captured intimate relationship between mother giant armadillo and her baby (pictured) as she raised him in the Pantanal tropical wetlands of Brazil.
  
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• Is deep space travel LESS dangerous than we thought?

  04-12-2014 18:53 via
  
  An experiment run by Esa on the ISS using a 'dummy' human (shown) finds radiation is less than thought. The findings suggest deep space travel for humans could be safer than expected.
  
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• Even DEAD geckos stick to walls

  04-12-2014 18:51 via
  
  Biologists at the University of California, Riverside examined the stickiness of live and dead geckos in the lab to conclude that it takes no effort for the lizards to scale slippery surfaces and even hang upside down.
  
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• Frankincense found in the graves of wealthy Romans buried across the UK - and the discovery shows how far the resin travelled

  04-12-2014 18:39 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Bradford analysed the coffins and bones of overlooked Roman graves to reveal the use of frankincense (pictured) in Roman Britain for the first time.
  
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• Emergency call system for new cars

  04-12-2014 18:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The European Parliament and EU member states have agreed that new cars must be fitted with an automated system to alert emergency services in event of a crash.
  
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• Software that analyses SPEECH could soon stop you drink driving

  04-12-2014 18:09 via
  
  Researchers in Germany have created the first library of drunk speech patterns called the Alcohol Language Corpus, which could be used to predict drunkenness in cars (illustrated).
  
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• Even DEAD geckos stick to walls: Adhesive toe pads allow lizards to grip effortlessly without any muscular support

  04-12-2014 18:01 via
  
  Biologists at the University of California, Riverside examined the stickiness of live and dead geckos in the lab to conclude that it takes no effort for the lizards to scale slippery surfaces and even hang upside down.
  
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• Crows are 'left-beaked' or 'right-beaked': Birds have a preference when it comes to holding tools - just like humans

  04-12-2014 18:01 via
  
  Scientists from Oxford University said the birds (pictured) may be trying to keep the tip of the stick in view of the eye on the opposite side of their heads in order to use it in the most dexterous way.
  
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• Why Apple's next iPhone could have incredible new unbreakable screens

  04-12-2014 17:39
  
  SMARTPHONE users have long dreaded seeing their handsets slip from their fingers and be left with an unusable smashed screen.
  
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• 'Giving Stephen Hawking a Voice': A Podcast Special

  04-12-2014 17:16
  
  
  Listen this week for a complete spoken word reading of WIRED's
  exclusive feature with Professor Stephen Hawking, Giving
  Hawking a Voice. In addition, we take a look at the
  most interesting technology and science stories from the last seven
  days.
  
  Episode 200 of the podcast will follow in one week's
  time.
  By: Nate Lanxon, Continue reading...
  
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• Reclusive artist turns to emoticon self-portraiture

  04-12-2014 17:13
  
    
  Emoticons are nifty things.
  They've become an extension of our digital selves, allowing us to
  communicate a range of emotions simply and effectively in our texts
  and emails. And given their ubiquity, efforts are even underway to
  make them more diverse -- both in terms of 
  the way they lookand the contexts in which they are
  deployed.
  
  For emerging British artist Matt Brown, who graduated with
  a Masters degree from the Royal College of Art in 2003, the emoji,
  how
  
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• Apple deliberately deleted rivals' music from iPods for YEARS, claim lawyers

  04-12-2014 17:09 via
  
  During 2007 and 2009, each time a user with non-iTunes music tried to sync their phones and iPods, the California firm is accused of telling them to reset their device, which wiped rival music files.
  
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• Scientists' greener future vision

  04-12-2014 16:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A global initiative bringing together researchers across scientific disciplines launches it 10-year strategy to identify key sustainability priorities.
  
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• Assassin's Creed fans tell Ubisoft they want a break after Victory leak

  04-12-2014 16:02
  
  ASSASSIN'S CREED is set to get another instalment next year set in Victorian era London, but some fans are not so keen to see such a quick return for the franchise.
  
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• Driverless cars launch in four UK cities next month

  04-12-2014 15:53
  
  Four UK cities have been chosen to test driverless cars,
  starting in January 2015. Thanks to £10 million of funding from
  Innovate UK, the trials are set to take place in Greenwich, Milton
  Keynes and Bristol.
  
  The formal trials will last between 18 and 36 months and will
  help us to understand the role driverless cars can play in
  real-world environments. Milton Keynes and Coventry are set to work
  together on a single project, with Bristol and Greenwich conducting
  separate trials.
  By: Kat
  
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• Nasa's historic Orion launch is postponed: Test flight delayed after valve defect and heavy winds make lift-off dangerous

  04-12-2014 15:50 via
  
  The spacecraft was set to launch at 12.05 GMT (07:05 local time) today from Florida, but dangerously-high wind gusts and a problem with a valve on the rocket have delayed launch.
  
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• Facebook's launches simplified terms and conditions

  04-12-2014 15:43 via
  
  California-based Facebook has unveiled simplified privacy information on their site (screenshot shown), which uses infographics to explain how data is used by the social network.
  
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• Orion 'Mars ship' launch postponed

  04-12-2014 15:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The first test flight of the US space agency's Orion "Mars ship" is postponed by 24 hours, amid technical issues.
  
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• GTA 5: Rockstar respond to game ban

  04-12-2014 15:07
  
  ROCKSTAR have responded to the recent ban imposed by Target Australia on the newly re-released PS4 and Xbox One title, GTA 5.
  
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• Kenya breaks 'cyber crime network'

  04-12-2014 14:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Kenyan police say they have cracked a cyber crime centre run by 77 Chinese nationals from upmarket homes in the capital, Nairobi.
  
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• Shops ban 'sexually violent' GTA 5

  04-12-2014 14:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Target and Kmart have removed Grand Theft Auto V from shelves following complaints about its depiction of violence against women.
  
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• Software that detects slurring speech could be embedded in cars to immobilise them

  04-12-2014 14:20 via
  
  Researchers in Germany have created the first library of drunk speech patterns called the Alcohol Language Corpus, which could be used to predict drunkenness in cars (illustrated).
  
  Read more

• UK chipmaker reveals Raspberry Pi rival

  04-12-2014 14:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Chip designer Imagination has produced a barebones computer to compete with the Raspberry Pi.
  
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• Watch Youtube? Then you probably SEXT: Study finds link between people who view music videos and send explicit texts

  04-12-2014 14:08 via
  
  Researchers from the University of Antwerp studied sexting behaviour in 15- to 18-year-old students. The students were asked how often they use the web, watch music videos and view porn.
  
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• What is replacing Google's annoying ReCaptcha test?

  04-12-2014 14:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What's replacing Google's annoying ReCaptcha test?
  
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• Houston, we have a problem: Countdown to landmark Orion launch that could herald a new age of space exploration is delayed

  04-12-2014 13:59 via
  
  The spacecraft was set to launch at 12.05 GMT (07:05 local time) today from Florida, but wind gusts temporarily delayed the launch with less than four minutes left in the countdown..
  
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• Scotland lays down law on social media crime and revenge porn

  04-12-2014 13:49
  
  The Crown Office in Scotland has today released a set of social
  media prosecution guidelines to provide clarity about what kinds of
  online communication amount to criminal offences. It said that
  online crime would and should be treated as seriously as crimes
  committed in the offline world.
  By: Katie Collins, Continue reading...
  
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• Rovio lays off 110 people as Angry Birds hype fades

  04-12-2014 13:46
  
  Rovio has confirmed that 110 people will lose their jobs as the
  Angry Birds maker also shuts down its game-development studio in
  Tampere. The layoffs, first announced in October, amount to about
  14 percent of the company's workforce.
  By: James Temperton, Continue reading...
  
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• Is deep space travel LESS dangerous than we thought? 'Dummy' human experiment suggests radiation doses may be safe

  04-12-2014 13:34 via
  
  An experiment run by Esa on the ISS using a 'dummy' human (shown) finds radiation is less than thought. The findings suggest deep space travel for humans could be safer than expected.
  
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• Chester man discovers Anglo-Saxon 'grave marker' worth £10k in £50 stones

  04-12-2014 13:31 via
  
  The stone (pictured) was found by John Wyatt in Chester. It measures 21.5-inches high, 15-inches wide and 7.5-inches deep. The stone is said to date to the 9th century and is up for auction on Friday.
  
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• Climate plans for poorest 'on ice'

  04-12-2014 13:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hundreds of projects to help world's poor tackle climate change may be dropped
  
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• Apple 'wiped' rival music from iPods

  04-12-2014 13:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A trial looking into whether Apple abused its dominant position in the digital music business hears how it dealt with music from rival stores.
  
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• N Korea 'denies' Sony Pictures hack

  04-12-2014 13:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A North Korean diplomat in New York says his country is not behind a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures, according to reports.
  
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