Sci-Tech news

• Tesla losses mount over China woes

  11-02-2015 23:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Electric car maker Tesla reports a fourth-quarter loss of $108m (£71m), compared to a loss of just $16m during the same period a year ago, as investments ramp up and China sales disappoint.
  
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• Scientists reveal the secret of online dating: A 'humble and real' profile is key to success

  11-02-2015 23:32 via
  
  Iowa researchers said Most people in their study were drawn to individuals whose profiles were positive but not over-the-top glowing.
  
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• Porn on YouTube was hidden with IRISH words: 'Scannán' used as a secret phrase in an attempt to circumvent the site's ban

  11-02-2015 23:26 via
  
  The issue was highlighted after an Connemara-based media student searched for 'scannán' and the plural 'scannáin' only to find pornographic footage featuring Asian women.
  
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• Yellowstone says warm weather has caused bears to emerge a MONTH early

  11-02-2015 22:46 via
  
  The first confirmed report of grizzly bear activity in Yellowstone occurred on February 9, rangers confirmed today.
  
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• Researchers discover our 'internal GPS' adapts to our environment

  11-02-2015 22:46 via
  
  Scientists at University College London have discovered that grid cell patterns in the brain distort to align with our environment's shape, changing the distances between grid-regions.
  
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• Why you can never remember people's names at a party and get lost when the car radio is on: Music can impair memory

  11-02-2015 22:45 via
  
  Georgia researchers have found that music can hinder our ability to focus and remember names - especially as we get older.
  
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• Carbon dioxide released from ocean floor triggered warming, claims study

  11-02-2015 21:53 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Southampton, studying changes in ocean acidity recorded in the shells of fossilised plankton, found large amounts of carbon dioxide welled up from the deep.
  
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• Darwin finches' messy family tree

  11-02-2015 21:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  DNA analysis reveals frequent interbreeding between Darwin's famous Galapagos finches, and uncovers a gene linked to their different beak shapes.
  
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• Engineer who invented lithium ion cell is developing battery that is 60% more powerful

  11-02-2015 20:16 via
  
  Professor John Goodenough, an engineer who in 1979 first proved that it was possible to make a rechargable lithium ion cell, is working on a new battery that could hold up to 60% more energy.
  
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• Samsung's Galaxy S6 to have curved screens to take on Apple's iPhone 6

  11-02-2015 20:03 via
  
  Samsung's next generation Galaxy handset is set to come in two versions when it is unveiled in Barcelona - one with a curved screen that covers both its sides, Bloomberg has claimed.
  
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• Did deep sea currents end the ice age? Carbon dioxide released from ocean floor triggered warming, claims study

  11-02-2015 20:00 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Southampton, studying changes in ocean acidity recorded in the shells of fossilised plankton, found large amounts of carbon dioxide welled up from the deep.
  
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• Fake Tinder profile receives over 1,000 polite comments and no abuse

  11-02-2015 19:57 via
  
  Texan blogger, Karen Cheng, wanted to show that not all Tinder men are bad – and set up a trap to lure in men from San Francisco and New York to prove her point.
  
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• Birth of a multiple-star 'Tatooine' system captured in stunning images

  11-02-2015 19:55 via
  
  Researchers from The University of Manchester and Liverpool John Moores University were among those to look at the cloud of gas (shown) approximately 800 light-years from Earth.
  
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• EE to use DRONES and balloons to boost 4G in rural areas

  11-02-2015 19:42 via
  
  EE (logo shown) has revealed its manifesto to improve network coverage in the UK using ballons and unmanned drones. They want more than 99% of the country to have 4G by 2017.
  
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• Birth of a multiple-star 'Tatooine' system captured in stunning images as it forms 800 light-years from Earth

  11-02-2015 19:33 via
  
  Researchers from The University of Manchester and Liverpool John Moores University were among those to look at the cloud of gas (shown) approximately 800 light-years from Earth.
  
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• Google introduces illness tips

  11-02-2015 18:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Google begins providing doctor-checked medical guidance - including illustrations and possible treatments - alongside its search results.
  
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• Tim Cook declares 'sitting is the new cancer' as he plugs Apple Watch

  11-02-2015 18:25 via
  
  The Apple CEO says his smartwatch is set to vibrate intermittently to remind him to get up and move around.
  
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• Google adds professional health information to its results but will it encourage hypochondria?

  11-02-2015 18:08 via
  
  From this week onwards, people in the US will be able to use Google’s information to ask about their ailments. It is believed that one in every 20 Google searches are for health-related information.
  
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• Silver cutlery makes food tastes bad, expert reveals

  11-02-2015 18:02 via
  
  Dr Zoe Laughlin, of University College London’s Institute of Making, tested spoons made of seven materials - gold, silver, stainless steel, zinc, copper, tin and chrome.
  
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• CROCODILES play, give each other piggy backs, surf and even like pink flowers

  11-02-2015 17:55 via
  
  A biologist at the University of Tennesse observed playing behaviour in 10 different species of crocodile and alligator in the wild and in zoos around the world.
  
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• Dawn of the SUPER-BATTERY? Engineer who invented lithium ion cell is developing battery that is 60% more powerful

  11-02-2015 17:54 via
  
  Professor John Goodenough, an engineer who in 1979 first proved that it was possible to make a rechargable lithium ion cell, is working on a new battery that could hold up to 60% more energy.
  
  Read more

• Apple's EarPods can transform from earbuds into an iPhone remote in 14 ways in video

  11-02-2015 17:35 via
  
  The video (grab pictured) was created by New York-based producer Will Wei. It reveals how headphones can be used to skip songs, rewind tracks, put calls on hold and act as a selfie remote.
  
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• Time on Earth moves FASTER than in space

  11-02-2015 17:25 via
  
  A US physicist answered a question regarding time dilation. They said our motion around the sun and galaxy causes time to speed up by one second per week compared to intergalactic space.
  
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• Jeb Bush deletes leaked personal data

  11-02-2015 17:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US presidential hopeful released a cache of emails from his time as Florida's governor in the interests of transparency. But they included personal details in plain text.
  
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• Supermarket trolley 'GPS' could cut waiting times

  11-02-2015 16:57 via
  
  A device that fits invisibly into the wheel of a trolley, complete with sensors and Bluetooth connection, has been invented by product design firm Cambridge Consultants in East Anglia.
  
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• Samsung TVs put ads in others' apps

  11-02-2015 16:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Samsung is investigating why some of its smart TVs are repeatedly showing a silent Pepsi ad to users of third-party apps.
  
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• CROCODILES play, give each other piggy backs, surf and even prefer pink flowers

  11-02-2015 16:48 via
  
  A biologist at the University of Tennesse observed playing behaviour in 10 different species of crocodile and alligator in the wild and in zoos around the world.
  
  Read more

• End of the checkout queue? Supermarket trolley 'GPS' could cut waiting times and guide customers to special offers

  11-02-2015 16:27 via
  
  A device that fits invisibly into the wheel of a trolley, complete with sensors and Bluetooth connection, has been invented by product design firm Cambridge Consultants in East Anglia.
  
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• Europe's mini-space shuttle returns

  11-02-2015 16:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A prototype for a versatile mini-spaceplane has successfully completed its first test flight, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
  
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• Samsung's TV backlash continues as users complain of ads in movies

  11-02-2015 15:55 via
  
  Samsung smart TV users have complained the sets have started showing a Pepsi advert while watching movies on the Foxtel, and Plex apps.
  
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• VIDEO: How do you save an endangered pear?

  11-02-2015 15:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Students at a college in Bedfordshire are trying to save an type of cooking pear, which is through have been first cultivated in the 13th century.
  
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• Smartphones are as good at monitoring health as wearables, study says

  11-02-2015 15:48 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested 10 best-selling apps and fitness gadgets by using them to count the steps taken by volunteers walking on treadmills (stock image).
  
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• Kill switches cut 'smartphone crime'

  11-02-2015 15:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Anti-theft "kill switch" tools that prevent criminals from being able to use stolen smartphones appear to be cutting the number of phone thefts.
  
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• Are rappers better linguists than SHAKESPEARE? Complex rhymes are 'second nature' to hip-hop artists

  11-02-2015 15:17 via
  
  Linguists from Manchester University said that while Shakespeare had a better style when it came to rhyming couplets, rappers (Eminem pictured) excel at rearranging sentences using half-rhymes.
  
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• Time on Earth moves SLOWER than in space

  11-02-2015 15:16 via
  
  A US physicist answered a question regarding time dilation on Earth. They said our motion around the sun and galaxy causes time to slow by one second per week compared to intergalactic space.
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Driverless cars: UK rules explained

  11-02-2015 15:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News explains the framework for testing driverless cars on public roads announced by the UK government.
  
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• Driverless vehicles could have 'BOOZE-CRUISE control' for drunk motorists in future

  11-02-2015 14:57 via
  
  UK Government sets out its road map for allowing driverless cars on public streets as it gives the green light for the first trials to be carried out in Greenwich, Bristol and Milton Keynes.
  
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• Popcorn's perfect recipe revealed

  11-02-2015 14:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Physicists in France work out several details of what makes popcorn pop, including the critical temperature required.
  
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• Samsung's smart TV backlash continues: Firm responds to privacy concerns - but users are now complaining the sets play adverts in the middle of movies

  11-02-2015 14:17 via
  
  Samsung smart TV users have complained the sets have started showing a Pepsi advert while watching movies on the Foxtel, and Plex apps.
  
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• VIDEO: PM announces free train wi-fi from 2017

  11-02-2015 14:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  David Cameron announces the roll-out of free wi-fi on trains throughout the UK from 2017 in a £50m plan.
  
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• The Fun Lovin' CROCODILES: Deadly reptiles play, give each other piggy backs, surf and even prefer pink flowers

  11-02-2015 13:55 via
  
  A biologist at the University of Tennesse observed playing behaviour in 10 different species of crocodile and alligator in the wild and in zoos around the world.
  
  Read more

• Don't bother with expensive wearables - smartphones are just as accurate at monitoring health

  11-02-2015 13:54 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested 10 best-selling apps and fitness gadgets by using them to count the steps taken by volunteers walking on treadmills (stock image).
  
  Read more

• Rapidshare to close within weeks

  11-02-2015 13:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  It was once one of the most popular file-sharing sites, but Rapidshare will close down in March after users abandoned it.
  
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• Stirio gadget continuously stirs food as it cooks

  11-02-2015 13:09 via
  
  The Stirio clamp (pictured) was designed by a team of inventors at Oslo-based firm Unikia. The wireless gadget is rechargeable, can be taken apart to clean.
  
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• Toucan 'to get prosthetic beak'

  11-02-2015 12:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A toucan in Costa Rica, which lost part of its beak in an attack by youths, looks set to be fitted with a prosthetic replacement.
  
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• Nasa ice-box experiment confirms Comet 67P is like 'a deep fried ice cream'

  11-02-2015 12:46 via
  
  Nasa scientists in California say comets are like deep fried ice cream. The analogy was made after an experiment on Earth called Himalaya simulated comet like 67P (image shown).
  
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• How to find Where's Wally in the shortest time possible

  11-02-2015 12:39 via
  
  The strategy was designed by a Michigan-based computer scientist. He plotted Wally’s (pictured) locations and then used an algorithm to find the shortest path between these points.
  
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• 3D-printed knuckle dusters seized

  11-02-2015 12:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Police in Queensland, Australia arrest a 28-year-old man after finding 3D-printed knuckle dusters and suspected gun parts.
  
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• The science of 'Where's Wally?': Computer scientist uses an algorithm to find the character in the shortest time possible

  11-02-2015 12:29 via
  
  The strategy was designed by a Michigan-based computer scientist. He plotted Wally’s (pictured) locations and then used an algorithm to find the shortest path between these points.
  
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• Evertomb 'prepares you for the afterlife like a great digital pharaoh'

  11-02-2015 12:06 via
  
  The satirical US-based service costs from $1 a month and will let users add new features to them so tombs will ‘evolve to a great and probably creepy memorial of your online existence.’
  
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