Sci-Tech news

• US offers $3m for hacker's arrest

  24-02-2015 23:57 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US offers an unprecedented reward for information leading to the arrest of a Russian hacker, charged with major cybercrime theft.
  
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• Stunning 3D animation reveals how the Sahara fertilises the rainforests of the AMAZON with 182 million tones of DUST

  24-02-2015 23:31 via
  
  Nasa's Calipso satellite found dust clouds carry on average 182 million tons of dust each year between the Sahara desert and the Amazon rainforest.
  
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• 'Invest more' in protected areas

  24-02-2015 23:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The world's national parks and nature reserves receive eight billion tourist visits a year, generating around $600bn of spending, according to research.
  
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• States predict inmates' future crimes with secretive surveys

  24-02-2015 23:31 via
  
  Questionnaires often include more than 100 questions, and are used in dozens of states, including Arkansas.
  
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• Nasa astronaut Terry Virts tweets image of his 'space cheeseburger'

  24-02-2015 23:19 via
  
  The image was tweeted by Baltimore-born Nasa astronaut, Terry Virts, who is living on the ISS. Ingredients included beef patties, Russian mustard, tomato paste, cheese paste and tortilla.
  
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• Peruvian mummies' hair reveals ancient last meal

  24-02-2015 23:02 via
  
  A team of archaeologists at Arizona University used well-preserved hair strands to study the diets of 14 individuals unearthed at the Paracas Necropolis of Wari Kayan, on the coast of Peru.
  
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• Solar eclipse could see 84% of sunlight blocked out over London

  24-02-2015 21:55 via
  
  The eclipse on 20 March will see 84 per cent of the sun covered in London and 94 per cent in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. It will be the biggest event of its kind since August 1999 (shown).
  
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• Pebble launches smartwatch to take on Apple and Google

  24-02-2015 21:51 via
  
  Called Pebble Time, the firm has turned to Kickstarter, where it funded its original watch, for the £$199 colour version.
  
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• UK approves three-person babies

  24-02-2015 21:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK has now become the first country to approve laws to allow the creation of babies from three people.
  
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• Obama vetoes oil pipeline bill

  24-02-2015 21:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  US President Barack Obama vetoes a bill that would have approved construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, White House officials say.
  
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• Cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol, claims study

  24-02-2015 21:28 via
  
  The research, led by the Chemical and Veterinary Research Office in Karlsruhe, Germany, suggests that the risk of cannabis may have been overestimated in the past.
  
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• Pebble launches new smartwatch to take on Apple and Google - and says it can last a WEEK on a single charge

  24-02-2015 20:42 via
  
  Called Pebble Time, the firm has turned to Kickstarter, where it funded its original watch, for the £$199 colour version.
  
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• Marijuana is 'significantly' SAFER than thought: Cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol, claims study

  24-02-2015 19:55 via
  
  The research, led by the Chemical and Veterinary Research Office in Karlsruhe, Germany, suggests that the risk of cannabis may have been overestimated in the past.
  
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• Asians angered by Apple's 'racist' yellow emoji

  24-02-2015 19:53 via
  
  The tones include an option that turns a character yellow - a shade that the the Cupertino-based company says it intended to be ethnically neutral. Asian users claim the colour is offensive.
  
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• US sea level rise 'very unusual'

  24-02-2015 19:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sea levels along the northeast coast of the US rose dramatically during 2009-2010 in an event scientists describe as "very unusual".
  
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• Always spilling your morning coffee? Order a LATTE instead: The more foam a drink contains, the less likely it is to slosh around

  24-02-2015 19:07 via
  
  Scientists from Princeton University found that just a five layers of bubbles or foam on a drink, such as a latte or beer, significantly dampens the motion of liquid and prevents it from overspilling.
  
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• Kickstarter - now just a store?

  24-02-2015 19:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Does the new Pebble smartwatch belong on Kickstarter?
  
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• Asians angered by Apple's 'racist' yellow emoji: Firm comes under fire for use of characters with six different skin tones

  24-02-2015 18:48 via
  
  The tones include an option that turns a character yellow - a shade that the the Cupertino-based company says it intended to be ethnically neutral. Asian users claim the colour is offensive.
  
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• Watch the sun set on MARS in new Nasa video

  24-02-2015 18:37 via
  
  Dust in the Martian atmosphere scatters red light making the sunset appear blue. Opportunity has experienced 3,940 sunsets during its mission to Mars.
  
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• Send a text message to get ANYTHING you want: 'Magic' service promises to place orders - as long as they're legal

  24-02-2015 18:31 via
  
  Users can sign up to Magic’s service, which is currently only available in the US, by texting 408-217-1721 and store the number on their phone for future use.
  
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• Dragonflies see in Ultra HD: Winged insects have the best vision in the animal kingdom

  24-02-2015 17:12 via
  
  Scientists from four universities in Japan, have discovered dragonflies have up to 30 different types of light sensitive proteins, meaning that they see in the equivalent of UltraHD.
  
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• Scientists grow replica CROWN JEWELS using chemicals

  24-02-2015 17:00 via
  
  Physicists at the University of Oxford have grown a replica of the Imperial State Crown and the Duchess of Cambridge’s engagement ring, in a simple experiment that can be tried at home.
  
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• Gmail autocomplete bug means emails are being sent to the wrong people

  24-02-2015 16:59 via
  
  Twitter users began complaining about the bug with the Californian firm's email service at the weekend and more reports emerged yesterday. Google has apologised and said it is investigating.
  
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• Watch the sun set on MARS: Opportunity rover captures the red planet's deep blue sky as our star 'dips' below the horizon

  24-02-2015 16:58 via
  
  Dust in the Martian atmosphere scatters red light making the sunset appear blue. Opportunity has experienced 3,940 sunsets during its mission to Mars.
  
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• Britain's 'chocolate greenhouse' is saving the world's cocoa

  24-02-2015 16:46 via
  
  The International Cocoa Quarantine Centre in West London is designed to nurture quarantined cocoa plants so that they can be shared with cocoa-producing countries.
  
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• Ford plans collapsible bike made from car parts

  24-02-2015 16:40 via
  
  Car giant Ford has applied for a patent for designs of a bicycle that is made from components of a car that can be fitted together to allow commuters to get around cities more easily.
  
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• Concept pancake printer uses facial recognition to cook your portrait

  24-02-2015 16:06 via
  
  The concept (illustrated) was designed by Bristol-based Kinneir Dufort uses Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology to convert online designs into numbers, similar to coordinates on a graph.
  
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• Pebble crowdfunds new smart watch

  24-02-2015 16:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Pebble is returning to crowdfunding to release its second smartwatch - which it claims will have colour e-paper display and seven day battery life
  
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• Europe's biggest solar eclipse since 1999 is on its way - and 84 per cent of sunlight could be blocked out over London

  24-02-2015 16:01 via
  
  The eclipse on March 20 will see up to 84 per cent of the sun covered in London and around 94 per cent in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, astronomers predict.
  
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• Human settlements like London and New York have grown in similar way for millennia

  24-02-2015 16:00 via
  
  Scientists at Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico studied 4,000 Mayan and Aztec settlements to find that they appear to have expanded according to the same socioeconomic rules as modern cities.
  
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• Britain's 'chocolate greenhouse' is saving the world's cocoa: Disease-resistant plants are shipped abroad to keep crops healthy

  24-02-2015 15:18 via
  
  The International Cocoa Quarantine Centre in West London is designed to nurture quarantined cocoa plants so that they can be shared with cocoa-producing countries.
  
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• Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay battle to take over your CAR

  24-02-2015 15:10 via
  
  The first car to be sold with a fully-functioning version of Apple's CarPlay (pictured) was Ferrari's FF. California-based Google has teamed up with 28 brands and the first cars should arrive this year.
  
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• Gmail autocomplete bug could leave you red-faced: Flaw causes emails to be sent to the WRONG people

  24-02-2015 15:04 via
  
  Twitter users began complaining about the bug with the Californian firm's email service at the weekend and more reports emerged yesterday. Google has apologised and said it is investigating.
  
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• LinkedIn settles password hack claim

  24-02-2015 14:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Business networking site LinkedIn has paid $1.25m (£810,000) to settle a legal claim filed after millions of passwords were stolen.
  
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• VIDEO: Global sinkholes explained - in 60 secs

  24-02-2015 14:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A brief look at some of the biggest sinkholes in recent history.
  
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• Google and Apple battle to take over your CAR: Vehicles running Android Auto and CarPlay will become mainstream this year

  24-02-2015 14:40 via
  
  The first car to be sold with a fully-functioning version of Apple's CarPlay was Ferrari's FF (pictured). California-based Google has teamed up with 28 brands and the first cars should arrive this year.
  
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• UN climate head Pachauri resigns

  24-02-2015 14:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The head of the United Nations climate change panel, Rajendra Pachauri, steps down amid sexual harassment allegations he denies.
  
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• Facebook privacy policy criticised

  24-02-2015 14:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Facebook is accused of breaking European data-protection laws, in a report written for Belgium's privacy watchdog.
  
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• Yahoo and NSA clash over encryption

  24-02-2015 14:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Yahoo's Alex Stamos challenged the NSA's director over whether encryption "backdoors" should be made available to the Russian and Chinese governments.
  
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• The Ford that transforms into a BICYCLE: Patent reveals collapsible bike made from car parts - including a seat made from a HEADREST

  24-02-2015 14:12 via
  
  Car giant Ford has applied for a patent for designs of a bicycle that is made from components of a car that can be fitted together to allow commuters to get around cities more easily.
  
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• Eat my face! Concept pancake printer uses facial recognition to cook your portrait

  24-02-2015 13:22 via
  
  The concept (illustrated) was designed by Bristol-based Kinneir Dufort uses Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology to convert online designs into numbers, similar to coordinates on a graph.
  
  Read more

• London and New York are like ancient AZTEC cities: Human settlements have grown in a similar way for millennia

  24-02-2015 13:19 via
  
  Scientists at Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico studied 4,000 Mayan and Aztec settlements to find that they appear to have expanded according to the same socioeconomic rules as modern cities.
  
  Read more

• $129 sleep monitoring orb Sense goes on sale after raising $2.5m on Kickstarter

  24-02-2015 13:01 via
  
  San Francisco firm Hello says its Sense contains sensors that can monitor everything from air quality to noise, and tell owners how they slept - and how to sleep better.
  
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• Scientists build invisibility cloak inspired by cuttlefish to hide you from infrared cameras

  24-02-2015 12:52 via
  
  Scientists at the University of California, Irvine, created a material that changes how it reflects infrared light when stretched. It could result in new camouflage clothing for soldiers.
  
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• Do your children suffer allergies? Your DISHWASHER could be to blame

  24-02-2015 12:42 via
  
  However washing dishes by hand leaves some bacteria on crockery, which helps keep a child's immune system strong, say scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
  
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• Google warns Blogger users over porn

  24-02-2015 12:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Google warns users of its Blogger platform that blogs containing sexually explicit material will be made private on 23 March
  
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• London and New York are like ancient AZTEC cities: Human settlements have grown in a similar way for millenia

  24-02-2015 12:40 via
  
  Scientists at Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico studied 4,000 Mayan and Aztec settlements to find that they appear to have expanded according to the same socioeconomic rules as modern cities.
  
  Read more

• Japan's Robear: Strength of a robot, face of a bear

  24-02-2015 12:38 via
  
  Robear was developed by the Riken-SRK in Nagoya, Japan. It can lift (pictured) a 12 stone 8lb (80kg) person and its sensors detect a person's weight so the arms know how much force is needed.
  
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• Yellow and PURPLE greenhouse could boost plant growth with LED lights

  24-02-2015 12:36 via
  
  British scientists have developed the houses that use specific wavelengths of light to improve the growing speed, taste and even the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
  
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• VIDEO: Teenager hails new bionic hand

  24-02-2015 10:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A teenage girl has spoken of the change in her life after being given a bionic hand - the technology for which is being developed by scientists on Tyneside.
  
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