Sci-Tech news

• US Navy reveals its jeep mounted anti-UAV laser weapon

  16-04-2015 23:42 via
  
  The US Navy's system will be able to shoot drones out of the sky using a high powered laser mounted on top of a humvee.
  
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• San Francisco's map shows California's roadkill hotspots

  16-04-2015 23:42 via
  
  Interstate 80 and State Route 101 run alongside the bay, where high rates of wading birds and water birds are killed in a 'death ring', according to a map created by the University of California, Davis.
  
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• Moment Robosub has a close encounter with a sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico

  16-04-2015 23:42 via
  
  Researchers from the Ocean Exploration Trust were stunned when their robosub had an unexpected encounter with a sperm whale off the coast of Louisiana.
  
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• The 'cursed' disabled boy and the people of the sea

  16-04-2015 23:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The disabled boy struggling to find a role with the people of the sea
  
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• Wikileaks publishes Sony documents

  16-04-2015 23:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Wikileaks has published hundreds of thousands of emails and documents from a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment last year.
  
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• Beethoven's deafness was 'caused by a faulty gene' say scientists

  16-04-2015 22:29 via
  
  Scientist at the University of Southern California hope their discovery for the Nox3 gene, could help save a carrier's hearing by forewarning them of the dangers, allowing them to take protective measures.
  
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• Volvo's Life Paint is a hit with London cyclists as cans sells out

  16-04-2015 22:05 via
  
  The Swedish car manufacturer teamed up with a based start-up to make a temporary light reflective spray for cyclists, called Life Paint.
  
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• Google Handwriting Input will understand your handwriting

  16-04-2015 21:44 via
  
  The California search giantclaims the latest update to its Android handsets can understand handwriting in 82 languages in 20 distinct scripts.
  
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• Apple digs in on green with China solar, US forest projects

  16-04-2015 21:44 via
  
  Apple announced a new focus on using paper from trees harvested under environmentally sound conditions as part of a major new investment in green energy.
  
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• The Shoe that Grows that expands by five sizes could be a parents dream

  16-04-2015 20:39 via
  
  Charity worker Kenton Lee, from Nampa, Idaho, came up with the expandable shoe (pictured) after seeing orphans in Nairobi, Kenya, running barefoot and wearing shoes that were far too small for them.
  
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• Google files patent for a 'plurality of robotic devices' sparking robot army concerns

  16-04-2015 20:39 via
  
  In theory, the Californian firm's technology could let users command robots to do the housework, but it could also use the 'army' for military operations.Dystopian film I, Robot is pictured.
  
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• Volvo's reflective paint sells out: Spray-on 'light' is a hit with cyclists

  16-04-2015 20:19 via
  
  The Swedish car manufacturer teamed up with a based start-up to make a temporary light reflective spray for cyclists, called Life Paint.
  
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• Toshiba set to put its humanoid robot assistant to work in Tokyo department store

  16-04-2015 20:19 via
  
  The firm's humanoid robot is set to start workat the information desk of an upscale department store in Tokyo, to help customers find their way around.
  
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• Puppy dog eyes really do melt the heart: Canine expression triggers hormones in humans that boost happiness

  16-04-2015 20:19 via
  
  Researchers from the Japanese universities of Azabu, Jichi and Tokyo have found that eye contact between humans and dogs sparks a surge in affection-creating hormones.
  
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• Now there's no excuse not to do the dishes: Housework keeps adults physically and emotionally fit 

  16-04-2015 20:19 via
  
  Case Western Reserve University in Ohio claims cleaning the home is more vital to mental and physical health than other factors, such as the area you live in or the amount you earn
  
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• Could YOU live inside a ball on an ICEBERG for a year? Explorer to make metal sphere his home as the ground beneath him melts

  16-04-2015 19:51 via
  
  Italian Alex Bellini will live atop an iceberg in Greenland starting next year. He will live inside a contained ball (artist's illustration shown), with no means to escape for 12 months.
  
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• 'Uber for weed' app Eaze raises $10m to deliver cannabis to people's homes

  16-04-2015 19:37 via
  
  The Ease App (pictured) is the work of a Californian start-up that has just raised $10 million so that users can ‘find the perfect medicine’ in more states.
  
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• New VW Camper van to be ELECTRIC-powered

  16-04-2015 19:37 via
  
  Speaking at the New York International Auto Show, a Volkswagen board member revealed that a new version of the VW Camper would retain original design features and be electric.
  
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• Is Google planning a robot army? Tech giant files patent for a 'plurality of devices' remotely controlled over the web

  16-04-2015 19:37 via
  
  In theory, the Californian firm's technology could let users command robots to do the housework, but it could also use the 'army' for military operations.Dystopian film I, Robot is pictured.
  
  Read more

• Forget typing, Google says it can now understand your handwriting (and you can even draw emoji)

  16-04-2015 19:37 via
  
  The California search giantclaims the latest update to its Android handsets can understand handwriting in 82 languages in 20 distinct scripts.
  
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• A shoe that GROWS: Sandal that expands by five sizes could spell the end of spending a fortune on children's footwear

  16-04-2015 19:37 via
  
  Charity worker Kenton Lee, from Nampa, Idaho, came up with the expandable shoe (pictured) after seeing orphans in Nairobi, Kenya, running barefoot and wearing shoes that were far too small for them.
  
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• Instagram updates nudity rules

  16-04-2015 19:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The social network has updated its community guidelines with details on nudity and abuse.
  
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• It pays to be pretty! Attractive female fundraisers get up to four times bigger charity donations

  16-04-2015 19:21 via
  
  Researchers from University College London found that when the fundraiser was an attractive woman, a large donation increased other men’s gifts by an average of £38 ($56).
  
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• Is Google a fading force?

  16-04-2015 18:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Why is Bing gaining on Google in the US?
  
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• US Navy develops 'swarming' drones

  16-04-2015 18:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US Navy is developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, that can be launched from a cannon and "swarm" in a co-ordinated attack.
  
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• Stone Age man was a CANNIBAL: Flesh was cut and chewed off the dead in gruesome rituals, bones reveal

  16-04-2015 18:24 via
  
  Human bones found at Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, have been found to be covered in bite marks and cuts made by people living there 14,700 years ago.
  
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• Harry Potter books light up parts of the brain linked with strong emotions

  16-04-2015 18:24 via
  
  Researchers from Lancaster University read passages from Harry Potter books to people in an fMRI scanner. Results showed words had more of an effect on emotion than passages as a whole.
  
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• Could 50 galaxies be hiding advanced alien life? Infrared emissions suggest beings are using stars for energy, study claims

  16-04-2015 18:24 via
  
  Pennsylvania scientists find evidence that we might not be alone. They found 50 galaxies emitting unusually high levels of radiation - consistent with an advanced race (artist's illustration shown).
  
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• One dope ride! 'Uber for weed' raises $10 million investment to deliver cannabis to people's homes

  16-04-2015 18:10 via
  
  The Ease App (pictured) is the work of a Californian start-up that has just raised $10 million so that users can ‘find the perfect medicine’ in more states.
  
  Read more

• How octopuses coordinate their arms

  16-04-2015 18:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Researchers reveal the secret of an octopus's unique movement, revealing how the animals co-ordinate their eight, flexible arms.
  
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• Back to the future: Volkswagen Camper van is set for a comeback - and this time it'll be ELECTRIC

  16-04-2015 17:45 via
  
  Speaking at the New York International Auto Show, a Volkswagen board member revealed that a new version of the VW Camper would retain original design features and be electric.
  
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• Gravity boost to geothermal hunt

  16-04-2015 16:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Observations from space assist the search for new locations to site geothermal power stations.
  
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• Teachers more likely to label black students as troublemakers, study finds

  16-04-2015 15:34 via
  
  Psychologists at Stanford University have studied the impact that racial stereotypes can have on how teachers perceive students who have misbehaved in the past.
  
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• Underground freight travel tested

  16-04-2015 15:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A high-tech study to see whether underground freight deliveries could become reality in the UK is to be carried out in Northampton.
  
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• VIDEO: To frack or not to frack?

  16-04-2015 15:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Graham Satchell explains why fracking is such a divisive subject.
  
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• Apple Watch memo reveals the device won't be available in stores until June

  16-04-2015 15:12 via
  
  The California firm's retail chief Angela Ahrendts said customers won't be able to buy an Apple Watch (pictured) in store 'through May' due to 'high global interest combined with initial supply.'
  
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• 'Dramatic' decline of birds linked to radiation from 2011 Fukushima disaster

  16-04-2015 14:51 via
  
  Researchers have found that bird species are continuing to drop in Fukushima (shown after the disaster in 2011). The barn swallow, for example, dropped from hundreds to dozens.
  
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• Don't bother queuing for the Apple Watch: Leaked memo reveals the device won't be available in stores until June

  16-04-2015 14:51 via
  
  The California firm's retail chief Angela Ahrendts said customers won't be able to buy an Apple Watch (pictured) in store 'through May' due to 'high global interest combined with initial supply.'
  
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• Indian companies shun Internet.org

  16-04-2015 14:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A group of Indian technology and internet firms pull out of Facebook's Internet.org initiative, fearing it threatens "net neutrality".
  
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• Immerse VR headset lets you journey through VR worlds and watch 3D movies on your phone

  16-04-2015 14:11 via
  
  The headset (pictured) is available from London-based Firebox for £29.99 ($45). It works with any Android and iOS phone running virtual reality apps and 3D movies.
  
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• Are schools still struggling with racism? Teachers more likely to label black students as troublemakers, study finds

  16-04-2015 14:11 via
  
  Psychologists at Stanford University have studied the impact that racial stereotypes can have on how teachers perceive students who have misbehaved in the past.
  
  Read more

• Warning over aerosol climate fix

  16-04-2015 13:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Any attempts to engineer the climate are likely to result in "different" climate change, rather than its elimination, new results suggest.
  
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• New luggage bins fit 50% more bags

  16-04-2015 13:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Boeing has shown off its 'space bins' that can hold 50% more luggage than existing designs.
  
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• Testosterone exposure as a developing baby affects whether you're superstitious

  16-04-2015 13:15 via
  
  For the study, psychologists from Swansea University measured participants’ fingers - a good indicator of the amount of testosterone a baby has been exposed to in the womb.
  
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• Human cells shed from skin and hair can cause dogs and cats to sneeze

  16-04-2015 13:15 via
  
  A vet from Washington State University said that dogs can be allergic to dander - the cells that shed from skin and hair - from cats and humans and vice versa.
  
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• Google users can remotely ring a handset directly from search engine's homepage

  16-04-2015 13:15 via
  
  The Californian firm announced the tool (pictured) on its Google+ page. It works with all Android phones but the user has to have the latest Google app for the tool to work.
  
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• Eye2TV adaptor improves television for the colour blind

  16-04-2015 13:15 via
  
  Cambridge scientists have developed an adaptor for colour-blindness (example image shown). It can be plugged into any HDMI port on a TV or a computer monitor.
  
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• Your belief in fate is decided in the WOMB: Testosterone exposure as a developing baby affects whether you're superstitious

  16-04-2015 12:51 via
  
  For the study, psychologists from Swansea University measured participants’ fingers - a good indicator of the amount of testosterone a baby has been exposed to in the womb.
  
  Read more

• The adaptor that improves television for the colour blind: £50 Eye2TV uses algorithm to enhance pictures

  16-04-2015 12:51 via
  
  Cambridge scientists have developed an adaptor for colour-blindness (example image shown). It can be plugged into any HDMI port on a TV or a computer monitor.
  
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• Is your pet allergic to YOU? Human cells shed from skin and hair can cause dogs and cats to sneeze, itch and lose their fur

  16-04-2015 12:51 via
  
  A vet from Washington State University said that dogs can be allergic to dander - the cells that shed from skin and hair - from cats and humans and vice versa.
  
  Read more

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