Sci-Tech news

• Here comes the sun(spot) Nasa telescope captures berst ever picture of x-rays on the solar surface

  22-12-2014 23:42 via
  
  Nasa's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has taken its first picture of the sun, producing the most sensitive solar portrait ever taken in high-energy X-rays.
  
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• Tripadvisor fined by Italy regulator

  22-12-2014 23:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Italy's competition watchdog fines travel website Tripadvisor €500,000 (£392,000) for publishing misleading information in its reviews.
  
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• 'Body swapping' VR experiment allows people to see what it's like to be another person

  22-12-2014 22:05 via
  
  British experts used the brain's ability to bring together information from different senses to make white people feel that they were inhabiting black bodies and adults feel like they had children's bodies.
  
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• Google unveils final design of its self driving car

  22-12-2014 21:51 via
  
  The first version came under fire for looking like a toy car - and a new rooftop sensor means the second now looks like a toy police car. The firm says it testing the car in California.
  
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• Farming has turned us into WEAKLINGS compared with ancient ancestors

  22-12-2014 21:34 via
  
  Research from the University of Cambridge, covering 7,000 years of human evolution, has revealed modern skeletons are more fragile than those belonging to our ancestors (shown).
  
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• 'Problem solver' beer can get people just drunk enough to boost creativity

  22-12-2014 21:28 via
  
  University of Illinois at Chicago professor Jennifer Wiley recently concluded that the average man produces his most creative thinking with an alcohol level of 0.075%.
  
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• Virtual racism: 'Body swapping' experiment uses virtual reality headsets and rubber hands to allow people to see what it's like to be another person - and race

  22-12-2014 21:12 via
  
  British experts used the brain's ability to bring together information from different senses to make white people feel that they were inhabiting black bodies and adults feel like they had children's bodies.
  
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• Scientists discover genes that may have caused fish to grow limbs

  22-12-2014 21:05 via
  
  Scientists from the University of Chicago found that a fish called the spotted gar (pictured), has the basic genetics to evolve autopods, comprising wrists and fingers.
  
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• Ocean acidification affects the flavour of shellfish, study shows

  22-12-2014 20:41 via
  
  Biologists from Plymouth University and the University of Gothenberg conducted taste tests on shellfish raised in tanks of sea water that had their pH levels lowered.
  
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• Can this beer make you more creative? Researchers create 'problem solver' that can get people just drunk enough to boost creativity 

  22-12-2014 20:15 via
  
  University of Illinois at Chicago professor Jennifer Wiley recently concluded that the average man produces his most creative thinking with an alcohol level of 0.075%.
  
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• CONFIRMED: Arsenal beat Premier League rivals Chelsea and Man Utd in race to Twitter mark

  22-12-2014 20:13
  
  ARSENAL have beaten their English rivals Manchester United and Chelsea in the race to reach the 5 million follower mark on Twitter.
  
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• Climate change will leave a sour taste in our mouths - literally: Study shows ocean acidification affects the flavour of shellfish

  22-12-2014 19:19 via
  
  Biologists from Plymouth University and the University of Gothenberg conducted taste tests on shellfish raised in tanks of sea water that had their pH levels lowered.
  
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• WATCH: Battlefield Hardline multiplayer: Will it steal GTA 5 Online Heists' thunder?

  22-12-2014 18:34
  
  BATTLEFIELD Hardline isn't out until March 2015 but there is plenty to be getting excited about.
  
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• Cheap spyware used by stalkers

  22-12-2014 18:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Stalkers and abusers are increasingly using cheap spyware to monitor and harass their victims, a new charity claims.
  
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• North Korea threatens US over Sony

  22-12-2014 17:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  North Korea threatens unspecified attacks on the US as it escalates a war of words over the Sony Pictures cyber-attacks.
  
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• The GREY planet: True colour image reveals what Earth really looks like from space without any filters or editing

  22-12-2014 17:40 via
  
  An image taken by a Japanese satellite launch on 7 October 2014 has snapped the true colour of planet Earth (shown). The image from the Himawari-8 weather satellite shows Earth's natural colour.
  
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• Man Utd, are you crazy? Yaya Toure rules out rivals pick during Man City FIFA 15 clash

  22-12-2014 17:13
  
  MANCHESTER CITY players Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure and Dedryck Boyata have seen their club rekindle their Premier League title bid after a good run of impressive wins.
  
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• Titanfall 2: Respawn give update on PS4 and Steam releases after Xbox exclusivity

  22-12-2014 16:47
  
  REPAWN ENTERTAINMENT have given an update on new project Titanfall 2 and whether fans will see a release on the PS4 and Steam.
  
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• Think before you save! World could run out of computer hard drive space by 2020, expert warns

  22-12-2014 16:22 via
  
  Data storage firm, Seagate, based in Cupertino, California, said we are facing a a data capacity deficit of more than six zettabytes - nearly twice all the data produced in 2013.
  
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• Getting rid of human error will make roads much safer, company claims

  22-12-2014 16:12 via
  
  The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in Stevenage says driverless cars (shown) will make roads safer. For every 10,000 human errors, a computer makes one.
  
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• Sony could launch The Interview on YouTube

  22-12-2014 16:09 via
  
  During an interview with CNN, the California firm's boss Michael Lynton said the movie will be released. Sites such as YouTube and Crackle are among the options currently being discussed.
  
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• Internet problems hit food shoppers

  22-12-2014 15:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hundreds of online supermarket shoppers have been experiencing frustrating technical problems amid the rush for Christmas.
  
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• Destiny: Bungie reveal Holiday bonus and warn fans of impending 'noob' flood

  22-12-2014 15:32
  
  IT'S been a busy year for the guys at Bungie, with a lot of Destiny feedback to go through as fans make up their minds about the game's first expansion, the Dark Below.
  
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• Sony could launch The Interview on YouTube: Firm is considering releasing the controversial film online

  22-12-2014 15:29 via
  
  During an interview with CNN, the California firm's boss Michael Lynton said the movie will be released. Sites such as YouTube and Crackle are among the options currently being discussed.
  
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• The Last of Us 2: Proof that Naughty Dog are working on a sequel

  22-12-2014 15:19
  
  PROOF that Naughty Dog are working on a sequel to critically acclaimed Playstation title, The Last of Us, has surfaced online this week.
  
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• Nvidia Shield Review: The gamer tablet that can take on the Xbox One and PS4

  22-12-2014 15:11
  
  GAMERS who have been looking for an alternative platform to enjoy big titles away from the next-gen consoles and expensive desktop computers, may have found what they've been looking for.
  
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• 'Driverless cars will save hundreds of lives': Getting rid of human error will make roads much safer, company claims

  22-12-2014 15:07 via
  
  The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in Stevenage says driverless cars (shown) will make roads safer. For every 10,000 human errors, a computer makes one.
  
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• Meet Hector, the robotic BUG: Mechanical stick insect scales obstacles - and could be used to explore alien planets

  22-12-2014 14:54 via
  
  Scientists at Bielefeld University mimicked the movement of stick insects so each leg of the robot moves independently, using sensors and elastic joints to adapt to the surface it is on.
  
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• S Korea holds cyber drill after hack

  22-12-2014 14:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  South Korea's nuclear plant operator is to conduct drills testing its ability to withstand a cyber-attack, after a data leak and threats from a hacker.
  
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• VIDEO: How to get online in a desert

  22-12-2014 14:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The satellite communication tech which is bringing the price of remote connections down to earth
  
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• VIDEO: The robot that paints your nails

  22-12-2014 14:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A Japanese robot has been programmed to take on a range of tasks - from painting nails to cooking.
  
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• How much are YOUR old toys worth?

  22-12-2014 14:15 via
  
  This is according to an interactive quiz created by St Albans-based entertainment site, Two Little Fleas,who say people should dig out their old toys to make some extra cash.
  
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• Lizard uses its bright blue head to hide from hungry birds of prey

  22-12-2014 14:13 via
  
  Biologists at the University of Porto, in Portugal, have found that the Iberian emerald lizards' skin reflects light in different ways depending on what angle it is being viewed at.
  
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• 6,000-year-old encampment at Blick Mead 'could rewrite British history'

  22-12-2014 14:12 via
  
  Carbon dating last week established the ‘first proof’ of a settlement at Blick Mead in Wiltshire, which predates famous Stonehenge nearby.
  
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• Rosetta to swoop down to just four miles of comet 67P in February

  22-12-2014 14:09 via
  
  Rosetta will attempt to make the move in February, according to flight engineers in Darmstadt, Germany (artist's impression pictured).
  
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• Atom-thick material could be used to create ultra-slim imaging devices

  22-12-2014 14:05 via
  
  Rice University scientists in Texas have created an ultra-thin imaging device (shown). Called copper indium selenide (CIS) it is just one atom thick but could be used to make very thin cameras.
  
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• Hack causes 'damage' at steel works

  22-12-2014 14:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A blast furnace at a German steel mill suffered "massive damage" following a cyber attack on the plant's network, says a report.
  
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• VIDEO: The 'first 3D video game' redeveloped

  22-12-2014 14:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The 1984 video game Elite - thought to be the first to produce genuinely 3D graphics - has been redeveloped for a modern audience.
  
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• Jail over Silk Road bitcoin deals

  22-12-2014 13:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Bitcoin trader Charlie Shrem has been sentenced to two years in jail for indirectly helping people swap cash for bitcoins on the Silk Road marketplace.
  
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• Is this the home of Stonehenge's forefathers? 6,000-year-old encampment  at Blick Mead 'could rewrite British history'

  22-12-2014 13:16 via
  
  Carbon dating last week established the ‘first proof’ of a settlement at Blick Mead in Wiltshire, which predates famous Stonehenge nearby.
  
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• Artist creates CGI image of what droids that can have sex might look like

  22-12-2014 12:52 via
  
  A French artist has created a depiction of futuristic 'sex robots' (shown). The bizarre - and creepy - images reveal the 'innards' of androids. They include artificial organs and a mechanical spine.
  
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• Lizards with bright blue heads use their own cloaking device to hide from hungry birds of prey

  22-12-2014 12:35 via
  
  Biologists at the University of Porto, in Portugal, have found that the Iberian emerald lizards' skin reflects light in different ways depending on what angle it is being viewed at.
  
  Read more

• Sunny autumn has made Brussels sprout a third larger in 2014

  22-12-2014 12:28 via
  
  Growers of Brussel's sprouts in Lincolnshire, say that extra sunshine in September and October, the right amount of rain and cooler temperatures later in autumn has led to a bumper crop.
  
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• Star threatened with sex tape release

  22-12-2014 12:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Iggy Azalea denies having a secret sex tape after hackers threaten to release a recording of the rapper.
  
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• Rosetta to swoop down on comet 67P: Daring manoeuvre will take probe just 4 miles above its surface - and provide even higher-res images

  22-12-2014 12:04 via
  
  Rosetta will attempt to make the move in February, according to flight engineers in Darmstadt, Germany (artist's impression pictured).
  
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• 2014, the year of the MONSTER SPROUT: Sunny autumn has made festive veg a third larger

  22-12-2014 11:53 via
  
  Growers of Brussel's sprouts in Lincolnshire, say that extra sunshine in September and October, the right amount of rain and cooler temperatures later in autumn has led to a bumper crop.
  
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• Big cat trade from Burma to China up

  22-12-2014 10:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A new study suggests that the trade in parts of tigers and other wild cats from Myanmar into China is growing.
  
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• Argentine zoo may be forced to release Sandra the orangutan

  22-12-2014 10:17 via
  
  The ape was born in captivity and has lived for 20 years in Buenos Aires Zoo, but animal rights campaigners argued it had a human's right to freedom and it could soon move to a sanctuary.
  
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• China 'is against cyber attacks'

  22-12-2014 09:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  China is "against all forms of cyber attacks", its foreign minister says in a conversation with John Kerry about the Sony hacking controversy.
  
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• Tech that wants to get inside your head

  22-12-2014 09:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  How tech can help you concentrate better
  
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