Adobe confirms security hole in Flash Player which leaves users exposed to hackers October 16, 2015 As if Adobe Flash wasn’t already struggling enough. A massive security flaw has just been confirmed, which could leave all Flash users exposed to hackers crashing their computers, or even taking control over them. Adobe has confirmed the “critical” vulnerability, which apparently affects all versions of Flash Player, whether on Windows, Mac or Linux. The [...]
The government just made it easier to hire foreign tech talent with a new “tech nation” visa scheme October 16, 2015 The government is making it easier for the UK's growing technology industry to hire talent from outside the European Union by creating a new "tech nation" visa scheme. There are four key components to the new scheme: a fast-track route that will enable rapidly-growing companies easier access to the right candidates when it is most needed [...]
Antibiotic resistance: It’s farm animals that we should really be worried about October 16, 2015 We all know antibiotic resistance is on the rise and humans are set to suffer, but less understood is the huge role farm animals play in spreading the problem. In the US, agriculture accounts for almost 80 per cent of all antibiotic use, and most of the drugs used on farm animals are also used [...]
It turns out humans don’t actually need eight hours’ sleep – our ancestors got by on six and a half hours October 16, 2015 Eight hours' sleep: it might be a goal for many people, but the majority of us rarely get more than seven hours. We can all stop feeling bad about it, though, after new research suggested the idea of eight hours' sleep is actually a myth. In fact, our ancestors got by on about six and a half [...]
Barclays is teaming up with blockchain startups Chainalysis and Wave as the bank’s bitcoin experiment expands October 15, 2015 Barclays has signed contracts with two blockchain startups in what the bank is calling a “game-changer”. This is one of the first times a major bank has opened up for such a cooperation with blockchain clients, as many bitcoin companies have had difficulties gaining access to banking services. Barclays chief design and innovation officer Derek [...]
UK bioscience sector secured a record £1.2bn investment last year, but scientists warn cuts will hold Britain back October 15, 2015 Britain's biosciences sector netted a record amount of investment last year, according to research by the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and professional services firm EY. Over the 12 month period, it secured £1.2bn in public equity and venture capital funding – more than double the £498m it raised in 2013, and the highest level since the [...]
Peeple, the controversial human-reviewing app, has the right idea. Let’s start rating one another constantly October 15, 2015 Peeple, the controversial new rating app that’s been dubbed “Yelp for people”, launches this week amid concerns that giving star ratings to fellow human beings is unethical, creepy and will render us all vulnerable to a horrifying new realm of online abuse the likes of which the internet has never seen. Which is all well [...]
Rock Band 4 review: The plastic guitars are back October 15, 2015 Rock Band 4 | ★★★★☆ Xbox One, PS4 Remember all of those rhythm action music games? They were here for a while, and then they went away. But they were fun, weren’t they? With the pretend guitars and the pretend drums and the parties and the jumping around. It was the mid 2000s, we were younger, more [...]
Airbus designs next-generation Concorde 2 that can fly from London to New York in an hour October 14, 2015 Airbus has won a patent to design the next-generation “Concorde 2”, capable of flying from London to New York in an hour The “hypersonic” plane, which has the ability to travel at 4.5 times the speed of sound, would be fuelled by a system of ramjets, turbojets and a rocket motor. Read more: Airbus files patent [...]
Four things Jack Dorsey got right in his email to staff about layoffs October 14, 2015 Poor Jack Dorsey. Not even back with the Twitter flock on a permanent basis for more than a week, and he's already had to play the bad guy. Wielding the axe to chop eight per cent of its workforce is the kind of tough decision the social network needs to make in the face of sluggish [...]