Sci-Tech news

• Microsoft to unveil Windows 10 in January

  11-12-2014 23:43 via
  
  Microsoft is set to show off the next major version of its Windows software at a January 21st event at its Redmond HQ - but admits its release has already been delayed until fall 2015.
  
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• Hacking alert over Android WATCHES: Experts reveal gadgets can be infiltrated to read messages sent to your wrist

  11-12-2014 23:01 via
  
  A Romanian computer security firm has shown how messages sent to a watch running Google's Android Wear software can be intercepted and read.
  
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• Bloodhound SSC moves closer to record breaking blast off in 2015 

  11-12-2014 22:07 via
  
  The hybrid rocket engine the Bloodhound SSC car will use was being fired for the first time in Norway. The project has been seven years in the making.
  
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• Apple Watch mass production to begin in January

  11-12-2014 21:51 via
  
  Apple has solved production problems with the screen and processor of its Watch, a Taiwanese news site has claimed.
  
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• Google News to CLOSE in Spain over new law requiring aggregators to pay to link content

  11-12-2014 21:06
  
  GOOGLE today announced it will close Google News in Spain and block reports from Spanish publishers from more than 70 Google News international editions due to a new Spanish law requiring aggregators to pay to link content.
  
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• 'Big bang' of bird evolution reveals how modern flyers descend from dinosaurs - and shows birdsong evolved separately TWICE

  11-12-2014 20:21 via
  
  The project, which included researchers from the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute, decoded the genetic fingerprint of 45 species including the woodpecker and flamingo.
  
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• It's almost time for the Apple Watch! Mass production to begin in January after firm resolves production problems with $349 timepiece

  11-12-2014 20:11 via
  
  Apple has solved production problems with the screen and processor of its Watch, a Taiwanese news site has claimed.
  
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• Crocodiles are 'stuck in the past': Genetic study shows reptiles are closely related to birds but their evolution is 'unusually slow'

  11-12-2014 20:02 via
  
  Scientists from the University of California at Santa Cruz studied the genetics of crocodiles to reveal their unusually slow rate of genetic evolution, when compared to birds.
  
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• How penguins survive the world's coldest temperatures: Genetic study shows how the birds evolved to have more feathers, thick skin - and why their wings are so stubby

  11-12-2014 20:02 via
  
  Researchers studying emperor and Adélie penguins (pictured) in Antarctica have found the flightless birds have changed considerably compared to other birds in the past 60 million years.
  
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• Google to shut Spanish news service

  11-12-2014 19:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Online search giant Google is shutting down its Google News service in Spain before a new intellectual property law is introduced.
  
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• Canada police 'can search phones'

  11-12-2014 18:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Canadian police can search the contents of a mobile phone after arrest, the Supreme Court of Canada rules
  
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• Did the world's major religions arise due to wealth? Ancient groups became more religious as the standard of living improved

  11-12-2014 18:37 via
  
  Researchers at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris a sharp transition toward moralising religions when individuals in a society felt more secure with basic needs, such as food.
  
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• Netflix plans to launch 20 original series in the next five years - and the move will deal another blow to traditional TV networks

  11-12-2014 18:34 via
  
  Speaking at a conference in New York, chief content officer Theodore Sarandos said Netflix would unveil 20 shows in the next five years for the popular digital platform (stock image shown).
  
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• Selfie-help for conservation areas

  11-12-2014 18:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Images uploaded to social media websites hold valuable data that could be used to help protect or manage natural spaces, a study suggests.
  
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• How 'jelly' could save you money on your energy bills: Smart colour-changing windows use gel to track temperatures and monitor the heat in your home

  11-12-2014 18:00 via
  
  The research was carried out by Xuhong Guo and Yanfeng Gao from the American Chemical Society. The effect is achieved by using a jelly-like material between glass called a hydrogel (left).
  
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• You can now buy apps and Xbox games using Bitcoin: Microsoft allows account owners to top up using the digital currency

  11-12-2014 17:57 via
  
  While no official announcement has been made, the Redmond-based software giant has added a webpage explaining how the currency can be used to top up a Microsoft account.
  
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• Facebook plans drunk photo filter

  11-12-2014 17:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Facebook is working on technology to prevent users posting photos they might come to regret.
  
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• WARNING: Can you watch this...Optical illusion video could make you hallucinate

  11-12-2014 17:07
  
  BE WARNED this video is so powerful it comes with a health warning
  
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• Is this the final nail in the wallet's coffin? App could soon replace your driver's license - so what is their left for your purse to hold?

  11-12-2014 17:00 via
  
  Iowa is to allow residents to display their driver's license on their phone (shown). Beginning next year all their details will be available in a free app, kept secure using pin verification.
  
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• Was Jackson Pollock art like Medieval masterpieces? Analysis shows evolution of colour and contrast in paintings through the centuries

  11-12-2014 16:54 via
  
  The study was led by Professor Hawoong Jeong, a statistical physicist at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Artist Jackson Pollock is pictured.
  
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• Now you can charge any phone UNDERWATER, even if it isn't waterproof: Protective case wirelessly powers devices through liquid

  11-12-2014 16:48 via
  
  Bavan Palasanthiran, Founder of FoneSalesman.com, based in Harrow, Greater London, conducted the experiment to prove the firm’s receiver can be used inside a sealed case.
  
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• Poor quality 2,400-year-old casket has strange and amateurish decorations

  11-12-2014 16:17 via
  
  An Egyptologist from Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum believes the strange coffin markings were made by junior artists, after master craftsmen were deported to Persia in 525 BC.
  
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• Sprint customers to have Uber automatically on homescreen from this month

  11-12-2014 16:12 via
  
  Sprint customers in the US that join the carrier this month will also get $20 (£13) of free credit to use for their first journey as part of the deal with the San Francisco-based app (pictured).
  
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• Ice XVI could be used to trap CO2 gas beneath the ocean floor

  11-12-2014 16:10 via
  
  Scientists from France and Germany hope to use the new form of ice to extract methane from beneath the ocean, convert it to useful energy, and replace it with the CO2.
  
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• GCHQ to help tackle 'dark net' abuse

  11-12-2014 16:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Intelligence experts and organised crime specialists will join forces to tackle child abuse images on the "dark web", David Cameron says.
  
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• Ebola vaccine trial 'interrupted'

  11-12-2014 15:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in Switzerland has been interrupted after some patients complained of joint pains in their hands and feet.
  
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• A world of lights outside the ISS: Breathtaking time-lapse pieces together stunning photos of Earth captured by astronaut Don Pettit

  11-12-2014 15:10 via
  
  From auroras to star trails, San Francisco-based filmmaker Anton Lorimer has created a captivating time lapse featuring some of Pettit's best photos taken from the ISS.
  
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• Uber suspends operations in Delhi

  11-12-2014 15:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Online taxi firm Uber accepts a ban on its service in Delhi after the alleged rape of a female passenger, saying it will review how it screens drivers.
  
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• Uber to be pre-installed on Android phones: Sprint customers to have app automatically on homescreen from this month

  11-12-2014 14:48 via
  
  Sprint customers in the US that join the carrier this month will also get $20 (£13) of free credit to use for their first journey as part of the deal with the San Francisco-based app (pictured).
  
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• Xiaomi phone sales stopped in India

  11-12-2014 14:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A patent dispute leads Indian authorities to tell Chinese phone maker Xiaomi to suspend sales of its handsets in the country
  
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• Will Kerry strike gold in Lima?

  11-12-2014 14:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  US Secretary of State John Kerry's appearance at the climate talks in Lima is being seen as evidence of America's new engagement with the UN process.
  
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• Net is 'less free and more unequal'

  11-12-2014 14:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sir Tim Berners-Lee calls for net access to be treated as a basic right, following a report suggesting great inequalities online.
  
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• Society must take action on how information is stored to save our identities, warns AI expert

  11-12-2014 14:43 via
  
  AI expert Dr Rasmussen from the University of South Denmark has warned of the rise of technology. Companies like Facebook and Google could rob us of our identity (stock image shown)
  
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• DRAGONFLIES are the world's deadliest hunters:

  11-12-2014 14:38 via
  
  Scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia, used slow-motion cameras to analyse the insect's (pictured) calculated movements to predict the path of its prey.
  
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• Dead albatross is found with stomach full of bottle tops, oil caps and a fishing float

  11-12-2014 14:36 via
  
  Towed nets were used to scoop up plastic (stock image) from five sub-tropical 'gyres' - areas of circulating ocean currents - as well as coastal Australia, Bay of Bengal and Mediterranean Sea.
  
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• Hawkmoths emit sonic pulses with their genitals to confuse predators

  11-12-2014 14:35 via
  
  Hawkmoths (pictured) in Borneo create sonic pulses by rubbing their genitals on their abdomens. These pulses are designed to respond to high-frequency sounds created by bats.
  
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• BBC launch their best EVER app for older kids

  11-12-2014 14:34
  
  GO CBBC hits app stores today and is packed with fun for children
  
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• Shocking images reveal the devastating extent of plastic pollution: Dead albatross is found with stomach full of bottle tops, oil caps and a fishing float

  11-12-2014 14:13 via
  
  Towed nets were used to scoop up plastic (stock image) from five sub-tropical 'gyres' - areas of circulating ocean currents - as well as coastal Australia, Bay of Bengal and Mediterranean Sea.
  
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• Does this coffin show Ancient Egypt's decline? Poor quality 2,400-year-old casket has strange and amateurish decorations

  11-12-2014 14:06 via
  
  An Egyptologist from Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum believes the strange coffin markings were made by junior artists, after master craftsmen were deported to Persia in 525 BC.
  
  Read more

• Can YOU watch this optical illusion to the end?

  11-12-2014 14:03 via
  
  WARNING: Video contains images that can trigger strong hallucinations. The illusion causes what’s known as a motion after-effect (MAE) and is often called the ‘waterfall illusion’ .
  
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• Microphone based on SPIDERS could make mobile conversations clearer

  11-12-2014 13:46 via
  
  Scientists from Seoul National University have created a sensor that is so sensitive it can detect the beating of a ladybird's wings and pick out human voices from background noise of 92dB.
  
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• Mutations DOUBLE the chance of suffering heart attacks in middle age

  11-12-2014 13:37 via
  
  Scientists from the Broad Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital and other institutions analysed the genomes of 10,000 people, half of whom suffered a heart attack early in life.
  
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• Images reveal exactly what happens when we touch something

  11-12-2014 13:32 via
  
  Italian researchers say the technique will allow researchers to see nerve endings ,individual nerves, and touch receptors (pictured), for example - and will boost research into nerve disorders.
  
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• Microsoft to accept Bitcoin payments

  11-12-2014 13:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Software giant Microsoft starts accepting payments made with bitcoins for Xbox games and Windows phone apps.
  
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• Aviation chiefs warn of the consequences of a cyber attack

  11-12-2014 12:55 via
  
  The International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organisation recently signed a global cyber security agreement, formalising their front against cybercrime.
  
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• Spider-style sensor for vibrations

  11-12-2014 12:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  By copying organs found in spiders’ legs, engineers build a sensor that can detect tiny vibrations, including speech and blood flow.
  
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• Boeing video reveals six pieces of the puzzle needed to get to Mars

  11-12-2014 12:36 via
  
  Washington-based Boeing has revealed how to get to Mars. In a video they have outlined the six steps (shown) needed to land and return. These include the Orion spacecraft and an inflatable heat shield.
  
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• 'Hackers are a serious threat to aircraft safety': Aviation chiefs warn of the devastating consequences of a cyber attack

  11-12-2014 12:22 via
  
  The International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organisation recently signed a global cyber security agreement, formalising their front against cybercrime.
  
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• Army set to build $33m base where only DRONES will take off and land

  11-12-2014 10:59 via
  
  The US Army has awarded a $33 million contract to build the first drone airport at Fort Bliss in Texas. It will have more than a mile of runways for drones, along with a maintenance hanger to look after them.
  
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• iPod Classic which is THREE YEARS OLD is Apple's hottest item this Christmas

  11-12-2014 10:15 via
  
  Prices for the iPod Classic have reached $1000 as music fans clamor to get hold of the music players after Apple discontinued the traditional 'click wheel' models earlier this year.
  
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