Drones are now being used in “every conceivable application”, from military missions and law enforcement to commerce February 25, 2015 Drones have been making us feel uneasy for years – the unmanned machines are capable of spying on activities anywhere in the world, and with just a single command they can wipe out huge numbers of people. Not only that, but they mess up their targets pretty easily – a recent study by [...]
How to stop the spread of HIV? Scientists may have solved the problem with Truvada pill February 25, 2015 Scientists may have made a breakthrough in the quest to stop the transmission of HIV between gay men. Created by American biopharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences, a daily pill called Truvada is already used to treat people infected with the virus, but a new study across 12 NHS trusts in the UK shows it [...]
Smartphones and tablets keep luring shoppers to buy online February 24, 2015 Britons buying with their tablets and smartphones has reached 40 per cent of online retail sales after a boom in activity over the last three months to the end of January. Quarterly figures from industry analysts IMRG and Capgemini yesterday showed mobile sales rose at their sharpest rate since the same quarter last year, when [...]
Apple travels to Scotland to poach Edinburgh-based talent Camel Audio to bolster Logic Pro app February 24, 2015 Edinburgh-based Camel Audio, an audio software development house run by University of Edinburgh alumni Ben Gillett, appears to have been scooped up by US tech giant Apple. In January, Camel informed customers that its “award-winning… professional audio products” (Alchemy Synth, Sound Libraries and CamelPhat) would no longer be available for sale. Then, on Monday, the [...]
The number of sick days we take has plummeted – but the reason behind the ones we do take is worrying February 24, 2015 The number of sick days we take has plummeted, a new study has found – but the number of days we take due to depression, anxiety and stress has risen. Using data from 68 GP surgeries across the nation, researchers found fewer periods of sick leave were taken between 2011 and 2013 than [...]
Google buys Softcard to take on Apple Pay February 23, 2015 Google has signed a partnership with Softcard to buy some of its payment solutions software. In a deft move, the search giant has also struck a bargain with several of the US’s biggest mobile carriers, which will see Google Wallet app pre-installed on thousands of handsets. Apple arrived at the near-field-communications party with Apple [...]
“Machine learning”: Microsoft creates platform for analysing data in the cloud February 23, 2015 Microsoft has created a platform, located in the cloud, to allow people to analyse large quantities of data. Called Azure, it uses something called "machine learning", which has been around for over 20 years but not available to the masses. It involves using algorithms to look at past behaviour and make business predictions [...]
Your voice could get you your dream job – here’s how to perfect it February 23, 2015 Before Margaret Thatcher reached the pinnacle of her political career, her voice was both higher and faster. But her colleagues, concerned that she did not sound authoritative enough, suggested that she undergo voice coaching. Gradually, Mrs Thatcher lowered the pitch of her voice through a series of exercises. By the end of the [...]
Is Apple about to change its rules with its new mobile operating system? February 22, 2015 iPhone users could be about to get a developer’s view of Apple’s operating system. The tech giant is reportedly planning to open up its new iPhone software to all users, rather than just developers, as part of a plan to improve functionality and eliminate bugs before the final release. The beta launch may, however, be [...]
How Greek game theory could lead to a win-win situation in the Eurozone February 20, 2015 Meetings to discuss the future of Greece are no playtime for the leaders of Europe, but that doesn't mean the country's finance minister isn't using game theory to ensure the best possible outcome for his strugging economy. Yanis Varoufakis was an academic and researcher of the technique before he went into politics. In [...]