Sci-Tech news

• Sex toy from 18th Century is discovered in Poland by archaeologists

  15-04-2015 23:41 via
  
  GRAPHIC WARNING: The eight inch, 250-year-old sex toy was found in an ancient toilet.
  
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• Netflix shares rise on record users

  15-04-2015 23:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Shares in internet television service Netflix rise over 13% after the firm said it added a better-than-expected five million users in the first quarter of 2015.
  
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• Cats chat with us through meows, blinks and roving whiskers

  15-04-2015 23:10 via
  
  Cats really do communicate with their owners, a new book written by a San Diego cat expert has claimed - and says it can tell owners what each purr and tail wag means.
  
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• Street fashion: Tokyo Camera Style

  15-04-2015 22:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Tokyo photographers resist going digital
  
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• Tinder teams up with Instagram to allows users to show off their photos

  15-04-2015 22:48 via
  
  Los Angeles dating site Tinder has added the ability to let people add their latest Instagram snaps to their profile.
  
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• How the 'love hormone' makes a mother: Oxytocin changes the way the brain deals with social information, claims study

  15-04-2015 22:48 via
  
  Scientists at NYU Langone in New York have shown oxytocin injections can permanently change the nerve pathways in the brain that control certain social behaviours.
  
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• 3D map reveals 1.4m square miles of Mars in unprecedented detail

  15-04-2015 22:48 via
  
  The stunning mosaic, pieced together by the German Aerospace Center in Köln, could help scientists better understand how water and lava once flowed across Mars.
  
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• The battery powered rocket powerful enough to blast satellites into orbit

  15-04-2015 22:11 via
  
  Rocket Lab, which is based in Los Angeles and has a launch site in New Zealand, will charge $5m per launch for its electric electron rocket.
  
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• Gray whale smashes mammal migration record swimming almost 14,000 miles

  15-04-2015 21:29 via
  
  Varvara swam from the east coast of Russia to breeding grounds off the coast of Mexico, and back, without stopping to eat, experts claim. Stock image of gray whale is pictured
  
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• They've cracked it! Scans reveal what that popping sound is when someone clicks their knuckles

  15-04-2015 21:10 via
  
  The popping sound is created when the joints in the finger pull apart, creating a cavity or a bubble in the fluid between them, researchers from the University of Alberta found.
  
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• Why 60 is the new middle age: Our longer, healthier lives means we aren't classed as elderly until at least 70

  15-04-2015 21:10 via
  
  People shouldn't think of themselves as old until they are 10 to 15 years away from dying. So 'elderly' only begins at 73 for women and 70 for men, say the Austrian researchers.
  
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• The secret of the popular kids: Researchers find 'mind reading; abilities make children more likeable 

  15-04-2015 20:46 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Queensland said empathy was the common factor in maintaining friendships in 20 separate studies involving 2,096 children from two to 10 years old.
  
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• Grocery app lets you scan items at home and plots your purchases on a map as soon as you enter the store

  15-04-2015 20:46 via
  
  The Sainsbury's app is in development and will be trialled in Wandsworth later this year, allowing customers to be guided around the store with a map. The current Scan-and-Go app is pictured.
  
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• Gray whale smashes mammal migration record: 'Varvara' swam almost 14,000 miles from Russia to Mexico and back without stopping to eat

  15-04-2015 20:46 via
  
  Varvara swam from the east coast of Russia to breeding grounds off the coast of Mexico, and back, without stopping to eat, experts claim. Stock image of gray whale is pictured
  
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• Women are better at DIY (in chimps at least): Female primates can master and use tools more easily than males

  15-04-2015 19:39 via
  
  Primatologists at Iowa State University recorded 300 hunts by chimps in Fongoli, Sénégal, and found female chimps were using tools to capture prey in 60 per cent of the observations.
  
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• From power napping giraffes to lazy bats and birds that doze off while flying: Graphic reveals strange sleeping habits of animals

  15-04-2015 19:39 via
  
  The chart (pictured) maps the liveliest to the idlest creatures to reveal that Little brown bats, which are found in the US, are most lethargic, sleeping for around 19.5 hours a day.
  
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• Forget glass, solar panels could soon be made from GRASS: Moss-powered clock demonstrates how plants can supply our homes with energy

  15-04-2015 19:39 via
  
  A University of Cambridge scientist has revealed his green source of energy. By using just moss he is able to generate enough power to run a clock (shown). And panels of plant material could power our homes.
  
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• Huawei phone gets 'pro' camera

  15-04-2015 19:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Huawei says a new type of sensor and image stabilisation technology allows its new flagship phone to outclass other premium rivals.
  
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• How does new dark matter evidence fit together?

  15-04-2015 18:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What does the flurry of new studies say about dark matter?
  
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• Motorola strikes gold: Firm will launch £250 champagne-coloured version of its Moto 360 the day before the Apple Watch

  15-04-2015 17:55 via
  
  The Gold Moto 360 (pictured) is available to pre-order online from UK operator O2 and any customers making orders before 10pm BST on 20 April will receive the watch on the 21 April.
  
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• Did YOU guess Cheryl's birthday? Maths problem designed for children that baffled the internet is finally answered

  15-04-2015 17:55 via
  
  A maths problem set for 14-year-olds in a maths olympiad in Singapore left people around the world baffled as they tried to work out the date of Cheryl's birthday from a series of statements.
  
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• YouTube graffiti tracks cave water

  15-04-2015 17:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists are using YouTube videos to study a spectacular cave just outside Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
  
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• Apple takes on HTC's Duo Camera: Phone maker buys technology that lets you refocus photos AFTER you've taken them

  15-04-2015 17:18 via
  
  Apple bought Israel-based LinX in a deal said to be worth $20 million (£13.5 million). An example of how similar technology works is pictured. This shot was taken using Intel's RealSense 3D camera.
  
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• HBO angered by Game of Thrones leaks

  15-04-2015 17:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Games of Thrones broadcaster HBO sends "take down" notices to Periscope, the live-streaming app owned by Twitter, after users broadcast episodes of the hit show.
  
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• Images reveal kaleidoscope of colours created by fire and flare deep underground

  15-04-2015 16:58 via
  
  Photographer Denis Budkov, 35, has captured images of amazing caves near a volcano in the Russian Far East - including one of him breathing fire (shown).
  
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• The rainbow stuck inside an ICE CAVE: Amazing images reveal a kaleidoscope of colours created by fire and flare deep underground

  15-04-2015 16:39 via
  
  Photographer Denis Budkov, 35, has captured images of amazing caves near a volcano in the Russian Far East - including one of him breathing fire (shown).
  
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• Ventus X mouse keeps your hand cool while playing video games

  15-04-2015 16:21 via
  
  The mouse, designed by Taiwan-based ThermalTake, has a built-in honeycomb grill to let the skin breathe and a rugged coating so sweaty gamers can continue to the accessory.
  
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• Why is the EU gunning for Google?

  15-04-2015 16:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The EU's case against the search giant
  
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• TrackYourDose app tracks your 'personal dose' of cosmic radiation from air travel

  15-04-2015 15:59 via
  
  The TrackYourDose app (pictured) was developed by Germany-based firm esooka and uses a mathematical model developed by scientists and meteorologists.
  
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• World's oldest tools discovery may rewrite evolutionary history

  15-04-2015 15:39 via
  
  Archaeologists at George Washington University discovered 20 stone flakes and anvils locked in sediment on the west shore of Lake Turkana in Kenya.
  
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• Scientists warn that world must begin preparing for explosive global catastrophe

  15-04-2015 15:39 via
  
  Scientists at the European Science Foundation estimate there is a 5-10% probability of a large volcanic eruption by the the end of the century and the world needs to be more prepared.
  
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• HighThere! app connects cannabis lovers for romance and friendship

  15-04-2015 15:39 via
  
  Denver-based Founder and CEO of High There, Todd Mitchem, said that the app doesn’t encourage the sale of marijuana but is simply a social network for people who consider it part of their lifestyle.
  
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• How much radiation are YOU exposed to when you fly? App tracks your 'personal dose' of cosmic radiation from air travel

  15-04-2015 15:36 via
  
  The TrackYourDose app (pictured) was developed by Germany-based firm esooka and uses a mathematical model developed by scientists and meteorologists.
  
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• Google defends its business as EU sanctions loom

  15-04-2015 15:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Is competition really only a click away?
  
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• Hacking warning for US flight wi-fi

  15-04-2015 15:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Wireless systems used by passengers on planes in the US could be hacked to access flight controls, a federal watchdog agency warns.
  
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• 'Tinder for stoners' goes global: High There! connects cannabis lovers for romance and friendship

  15-04-2015 14:55 via
  
  Denver-based Founder and CEO of High There, Todd Mitchem, said that the app doesn’t encourage the sale of marijuana but is simply a social network for people who consider it part of their lifestyle.
  
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• Dean's Blue Hole explored by freediver Guillame Nery in video

  15-04-2015 14:55 via
  
  French free diver Guillame Néry jumped into Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas.He is seen at the edge of the 660ft (200 metres) hole (pictured) before taking the plunge.
  
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• Man tears tendon playing Candy Crush

  15-04-2015 14:51 via bbc.co.uk
  Experts think they may have found proof that video games can numb pain after a US man tears a tendon playing Candy Crush.
  
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• VIDEO: EU lodges complaint against Google

  15-04-2015 14:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  European Union competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has announced that a complaint has been filed against Google over its alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
  
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• Bardarbunga eruption gases estimated

  15-04-2015 14:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists quantify the emissions from Iceland's spectacular Bardarbunga-Holuhraun eruption.
  
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• Apple Watch's £120k luxury version is diamond encrusted and has a PYTHON skin strap

  15-04-2015 14:33 via
  
  London-based firm Goldgenie has unveiled its luxury brand of Apple Watches (one shown). The expensive devices are made with 24 karat gold, rose gold or platinum.
  
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• EU accuses Google of search 'abuse'

  15-04-2015 14:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The European Union's competition commissioner says Google has abused its dominance of search to promote its Shopping service.
  
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• Cannabis in DOG biscuit are being used to treat pet ailments

  15-04-2015 13:30 via
  
  Canna Companion, based in Washington, and Canna-Pet are among the firms that uses hemp from the Cannabis sativa strain in its capsules and biscuits for both cats and dogs (stock image pictured).
  
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• 'Antarctic BW29' signal is unlike any other noise made by beaked cetaceans

  15-04-2015 13:30 via
  
  The song heard in the Antarctic can’t be identified and doesn’t fit the pattern of noise generated by one of a few known species of beaked whale, such as Curvier's beaked whale (stock image).
  
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• Google accused of abusing its web dominance by the EU

  15-04-2015 13:23 via
  
  Brussels will say that Google has used its massive dominance as a search engine to divert internet users from rivals to its own services, which include YouTube and the Google+ social network.
  
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• Humans release chemicals in their sweat that convey joy

  15-04-2015 13:16 via
  
  Scientists at Utrecht University found that the odours produced by our bodies can communicate our joy to others – a phenomenon known as chemosignalling.
  
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• Will a volcanic eruption destroy humanity? Scientists warn that world must begin preparing for explosive global catastrophe

  15-04-2015 13:10 via
  
  Scientists at the European Science Foundation estimate there is a 5-10% probability of a large volcanic eruption by the the end of the century and the world needs to be more prepared.
  
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• Oldest evidence of human cremation in Britain unearthed

  15-04-2015 13:10 via
  
  The deposit containing the bone (pictured) was discovered during excavations ahead of a new pipeline in Landford, Essex and is thought to date to 5,600 BC.
  
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• Nasa's New Horizons releases first colour image of Pluto and Charon

  15-04-2015 13:10 via
  
  Nasa scientists in Maryland are preparing for the arrival of New Horizons at Pluto on 14 July - humanity's first-ever visit to the dwarf planet. This latest image (shown) reveals Pluto and Charon.
  
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• 'World's safest bike' Babel Bike boasts a roll cage, foot protectors and a SEAT BELT

  15-04-2015 12:26 via
  
  London-based designer Crispin Sinclair claims to have made the world's safest bike. Called the Babel Bike (shown) it has a host of features including a roll cage.
  
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