Sci-Tech news

• KFC 'Tray Typer' helps you text without getting phone greasy

  20-05-2015 23:55 via
  
  The 4mm-thick Tray Typers, which were made available for a limited time in Germany, allows you to tap messages mid-meal while keeping your phone screen grease-free.
  
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• World's oldest tools predate Homo by 700,000 YEARS could rewrite human history

  20-05-2015 23:38 via
  
  Almost 150 artefacts (one pictured) - including anvils and hammer stones - seemingly crafted long before modern humans, were recovered from the desert badlands of north-western Kenya.
  
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• Brainprint technology could let you unlock devices with thoughts

  20-05-2015 23:23 via
  
  Spanish scientists have managed to identify brain signatures of individuals with 94 per cent accuracy. They say the technique could lead to a device that unlocks gadgets using the power of thought.
  
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• Want fries with that keyboard? KFC reveals paper-thin grease-proof 'Tray Typer' so you can text and eat junk food at the same time

  20-05-2015 22:57 via
  
  The 4mm-thick Tray Typers, which were made available for a limited time in Germany, allows you to tap messages mid-meal while keeping your phone screen grease-free.
  
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• Natural sounds can help improve office productivity and brain power

  20-05-2015 22:00 via
  
  Playing natural sounds such as flowing water into open plan offices could boosts moods and improve employees brainpower, researchers have found.
  
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• Log into a computer with your BRAIN: Technology that identifies 'brainprints' could let you unlock devices with thoughts

  20-05-2015 22:00 via
  
  Spanish scientists have managed to identify brain signatures of individuals with 94 per cent accuracy. They say the technique could lead to a device that unlocks gadgets using the power of thought.
  
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• Dawn probe finds 'alien' lights on Ceres as never seen before

  20-05-2015 21:32 via
  
  Nasa says the image confirms earlier observations that the brights spots, originally thought to come as a pair, are in fact a series of several smaller lights grouped together.
  
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• Who was the petrified child of Pompeii? Restoration work begins on the body of the boy found at the House of the Golden Bracelet

  20-05-2015 20:38 via
  
  Experts at the laboratory of Pompeii Archaeological Site are readying the poignant remains (a small child pictured) for a forthcoming exhibition called Pompeii and Europe.
  
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• Uber's autonomous car project to take on Google and Apple in taxi war

  20-05-2015 20:38 via
  
  Uber is working with Carnegie Mellon University on the project, and has hired several of the key academics to work for the firm directly - and secured a massive Pittsburgh warehouse to house them.
  
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• Mountain peaks in world's greatest ranges are shaped like WORMS

  20-05-2015 20:38 via
  
  Scientists at Princeton University examined the surface area of mountains as they increased in height and found that only a third had the classic pyramid shape of peaks like the Matterhorn (pictured).
  
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• LightSail launches to test revolutionary solar technology in Earth orbit

  20-05-2015 20:38 via
  
  A new type of spacecraft propulsion has been launched from Florida. LightSail (illustrated) was developed by The Planetary Society, and will use a giant sheet of Mylar to ride the solar wind.
  
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• Java sparrow birds can beatbox by clicking beaks to a song

  20-05-2015 20:38 via
  
  Researchers from Hokkaido University in Japan say male Java sparrows (pictured) may 'beatbox' to attract a mate.
  
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• Deepwater Horizon disaster caused mass dolphin deaths

  20-05-2015 20:38 via
  
  More than 1,200 dolphins and whales have washed ashore since the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Tests on stranded dolphins (pictured) show many died as a result of the spill.
  
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• The war to kill off driving: Uber's secret lab for autonomous car project revealed in bid to take on Google and Apple

  20-05-2015 20:20 via
  
  Uber is working with Carnegie Mellon University on the project, and has hired several of the key academics to work for the firm directly - and secured a massive Pittsburgh warehouse to house them.
  
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• Mystery 'alien' lights on Ceres as never seen before: Dawn probe zooms in on bright flashes from 4,500 miles away

  20-05-2015 20:20 via
  
  Nasa says the image confirms earlier observations that the brights spots, originally thought to come as a pair, are in fact a series of several smaller lights grouped together.
  
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• Move over Justin Timberlake, birds can 'beatbox' too! Java sparrows click their beaks in time to their song

  20-05-2015 20:20 via
  
  Researchers from Hokkaido University in Japan say male Java sparrows (pictured) may 'beatbox' to attract a mate.
  
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• Spotify adds video to take on YouTube and Netflix - and smart playlists that can match music to how fast you're running

  20-05-2015 20:20 via
  
  Spotify has signed up Amy Poehler and a host of music stars to front exclusive videos for the new video service, and announced it will now support smart playlists and podcasts.
  
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• Met Office confirms El Nino could cause harsh winter in Europe

  20-05-2015 19:37 via
  
  Professor Adam Saife from the Met's Hadley Centre confirmed last week's claims by Australian meteorologists. He said: '[El Nino] could be big, it’s possible. We’re getting a pretty strong signal.'
  
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• Oldest tools pre-date first humans

  20-05-2015 19:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Stones tools that are 3.3 million years old have been unearthed pre-dating the earliest-known humans in the Homo genus.
  
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• Amputees control bionic feet using their thoughts by tricking muscles

  20-05-2015 19:08 via
  
  Icelandic company Ossur revealed it has made controllable bionic feet (shown). Two patients have been testing the technology for the past year, with sensors implanted in their muscles.
  
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• 'Crazy crater' found beneath Switzerland's Lake Neuchâtel

  20-05-2015 19:06 via
  
  Geologists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology discovered the holes (pictured) while surveying the floor of Lake Neuchâtel close to the Jura Mountains in Switzerland.
  
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• Spotify adds podcasts and video clips

  20-05-2015 18:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Spotify adds non-music content to its streaming app including brief news bulletins and longer video and audio podcasts.
  
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• Brace yourself for snowstorms and freezing temperatures: Met Office confirms fears El Nino could cause a harsh winter in Europe

  20-05-2015 18:09 via
  
  Professor Adam Saife from the Met's Hadley Centre confirmed last week's claims by Australian meteorologists. He said: '[El Nino] could be big, it’s possible. We’re getting a pretty strong signal.'
  
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• Amputees control bionic feet using their thoughts: Sensors inside muscles trick the brain into thinking the prosthetic is part of the body

  20-05-2015 18:09 via
  
  Icelandic company Ossur revealed it has made controllable bionic feet (shown). Two patients have been testing the technology for the past year, with sensors implanted in their muscles.
  
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• Encryption flaw fix blocks websites

  20-05-2015 17:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Web-browser makers are updating their software to fix an encryption flaw, but the action will make some websites inaccessible.
  
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• Top secret space plane X-37B blasts off but we don't know it it will come back

  20-05-2015 17:10 via
  
  The X-37B space plane is a secretive, experimental program run by the Air Force. It is capable of remaining in space for almost two years and is due to blast off from Cape Canaveral at 11.05am ET.
  
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• Engineering prize names shortlist

  20-05-2015 16:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  2015's shortlist for the MacRobert Award
  
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• Google Maps search for 'N***** House' directs users to the White House

  20-05-2015 16:23 via
  
  The Washington Post first spotted that searches for a number of racist terms containing the n-word are directing users to The White House. Google has apologised and said it is working on the issue.
  
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• Neanderthal hunters became the hunted: Fossils found with puncture wounds suggest they were attacked by carnivores

  20-05-2015 15:33 via
  
  Scientists at the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeo-Ecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, Spain found skull fragments with puncture wounds from a big cat (pictured).
  
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• L'Oreal wants to start 3D printing SKIN: Cosmetics firm has teamed with bio-engineering experts to develop tissue

  20-05-2015 15:33 via
  
  Cosmetics giant L’Oreal is joining forces with a San Diego-based bio-engineering company called Organovo to print human skin that could be used to test make-up (stock image shown).
  
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• Child spy firm hit by blackmailers

  20-05-2015 15:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A company that sells software for parents to spy on their children denies the personal data of 400,000 customers has been leaked online.
  
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• US committee assigns $18.5bn to fund Nasa's search for alien life

  20-05-2015 14:57 via
  
  US Congress in Washington has revealed its budget for Nasa. It directs the agency to start an 'Ocean Worlds Exploration Programme' and search for life on Europa (shown).
  
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• Drunk Shopping app encourages you to buy 'useless' items

  20-05-2015 14:48 via
  
  The Drunk Shopping service sends US-based users pictures of useless items to buy in the very early hours of Sunday morning when worse-for-wear party goers are at their most suggestible.
  
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• PayPal penalised for 'deception'

  20-05-2015 14:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  PayPal agrees to pay $25m following accusations that it deceived customers by signing them up to a credit-card-like scheme without their knowledge.
  
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• We're going to Europa! US committee assigns $18.5 billion to fund Nasa's search for alien life and a mission to Jupiter's moon

  20-05-2015 14:37 via
  
  US Congress in Washington has revealed its budget for Nasa. It directs the agency to start an 'Ocean Worlds Exploration Programme' and search for life on Europa (shown).
  
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• Will self-driving cars cut insurance bills? Report finds automatic systems can reduce accident claims by HALF

  20-05-2015 13:52 via
  
  The Thatcham Research Centre claims autonomous emergency braking cuts the number of car insurance claims by 45% for cars fitted with the system, like the new VW Golf (pictured).
  
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• Hide your credit cards! App encourages you to buy 'useless' items when it thinks you might be drunk

  20-05-2015 13:52 via
  
  The Drunk Shopping service sends US-based users pictures of useless items to buy in the very early hours of Sunday morning when worse-for-wear party goers are at their most suggestible.
  
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• Zero Energy Furniture table can save you money on your bills

  20-05-2015 13:43 via
  
  A Paris-based duo has designed a table (shown) that traps and releases heat. The Zero Energy Furniture does not require any electricity, and could reduce energy costs up to 60 per cent.
  
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• Advanced gravity hunt is green lit

  20-05-2015 13:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists hold a dedication ceremony to inaugurate the Advanced Ligo facilities, which will be trying to detect gravitational waves from some of the most violent events in the cosmos.
  
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• Save money on energy bills by heating your home with a TABLE: Layers of wax in the furniture regulate temperatures in any room

  20-05-2015 13:08 via
  
  A Paris-based duo has designed a table (shown) that traps and releases heat. The Zero Energy Furniture does not require any electricity, and could reduce energy costs up to 60 per cent.
  
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• UK among worst in wildlife league

  20-05-2015 13:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK is among the worst countries in the EU for protecting its wildlife habitats, says an official report.
  
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• Will Britain's Chirp be drowned out by Google Tone?

  20-05-2015 12:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A British app which transfers files using audio signals faces competition from Google's latest launch.
  
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• Plane crash linked to software fault

  20-05-2015 12:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Airbus suggests that a military plane crash might have been caused by a problem with the software that controlled its engines.
  
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• Google Maps directs people to the White House when they search for racist terms

  20-05-2015 12:24 via
  
  The Washington Post first spotted that searches for a number of racist terms containing the n-word are directing users to The White House. Google has apologised and said it is working on the issue.
  
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• Dolphin TV show suspends filming

  20-05-2015 12:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Animal protection groups and marine scientists say they have successfully suspended the recording of a TV series called "Dolphins with the Stars".
  
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• Crows spotted storing foraging sticks in 'toolboxes' to reuse them later

  20-05-2015 11:58 via
  
  University of St Andrews experts believe crows keep such a close eye on their tools (pictured) so they don't have to repeatedly manufacture new tools and can spend more time finding food.
  
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• SpaceX adverts promote the wonders of Mars and cable car trips up Olympus Mons

  20-05-2015 11:39 via
  
  California-based SpaceX has revealed posters of what a future colony on Mars might look like. The illustrations include a person using a jetpack in the giant martian canyon Valles Marineris (shown).
  
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• Martian travel posters promote the wonders of the red planet: SpaceX adverts showcase jetpack tours, views from the moons of Mars and cable car trips up Olympus Mons

  20-05-2015 11:03 via
  
  California-based SpaceX has revealed posters of what a future colony on Mars might look like. The illustrations include a person using a jetpack in the giant martian canyon Valles Marineris (shown).
  
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• Careful crows watch their tools: Corvids spotted storing their foraging sticks in 'toolboxes' to reuse them later

  20-05-2015 11:03 via
  
  University of St Andrews experts believe crows keep such a close eye on their tools (pictured) so they don't have to repeatedly manufacture new tools and can spend more time finding food.
  
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• White House given racist name on Google

  20-05-2015 10:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Searching a racist word and "house" on Google takes you to the home of the US President, Barack Obama.
  
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