The kids are alright: Ecigarettes “aren’t a gateway to smoking” for young people August 17, 2015 Vaping isn't a "gateway" to smoking for the yoof, a new study has found – suggesting fears over the effects of ecigarettes are misplaced. Read more: A smoking ban in pub beer gardens? Stop persecuting smokers The study, by anti-smoking charity Ash, found there was "no evidence" young people were being enticed towards real-life fags by [...]
It’s official: The smarter you are, the fitter you are in your forties and fifties August 17, 2015 Everyone's aware of the phenomenon of middle-age spread – but it turns out the clever ones do something about it. A study by the University of Copenhagen's Centre for Healthy Ageing has found that the higher a person's IQ, the fitter they are likely to be when they hit middle age. The study, of Danish [...]
Investec Comment: Why UK investors have warmed to tech firms August 16, 2015 London has all the ingredients to remain an attractive location for technology companies to grow and seek investment. The capital has thriving public markets that have warmed to tech stocks. More and more VCs are putting money into London startups. There’s a greater number of incubators and accelerator programmes around. UK investors have also [...]
You could soon travel into space via this space elevator – and it would be 20 times higher than any building on earth August 16, 2015 Unless you're an astronaut or extremely wealthy, travelling into space is practically impossible. But that could soon change, thanks to a Canadian company that hopes to build the world's first space elevator. Read more: A history of human space travel: Here's what we've achieved since the first trip into space Thoth Technology has just [...]
Smartphone battery life: MIT researchers develop battery that charges in minutes and lasts for three days August 13, 2015 A smartphone battery that charges in minutes and lasts for three days? Sounds like a dream, right? But MIT researchers reckon they can turn it into reality, having developed a smartphone battery that could hopefully solve that impossibly frustrating first-world problem of having your phone die on you halfway through the day. The battery lasts [...]
Ofcom mobile signal checker: One simple map showing UK’s mobile coverage by poscode for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three’s voice calls, 3G and 4G August 13, 2015 Where has the best and worst mobile signal? We already know that London's kitchens are officially dead zones, but when you're heading on holiday, moving house or considering switching network, it's pretty difficult to tell. Now Ofcom has put together possibly the most comprehensive map of the state of the UK's mobile network coverage, including voice calls, [...]
Consumers, beware the consequences of blocking ads August 13, 2015 Blocking the ads we see on the Internet may sound like a very appealing prospect to many readers, but the reality is that there are long-term consequences that the majority of people simply aren't aware of. People don’t expect to pay to access to internet services they so dearly love, such as Facebook, Twitter, emails, [...]
Your future commute: Forget wearables, the tech trend of the moment is rideables August 13, 2015 ZBOARD From $1,199, zboardshop.com This weight-sensing electric skateboard is the brainchild of five US engineers from the University of Southern California who wanted a device that’s easier to ride than a skateboard, but less taxing than a bike. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $600,000, there’s even a Zboard 2 out now [...]
Twitter drops 140 character limit on direct messages August 13, 2015 Behold, social media fans: a revolution has taken place, after Twitter announced plans to scrap its 140-character limit. Well, on direct messages, anyway… Read more: Jack Dorsey just bought $875,000 of Twitter shares Yep: in a blog post last night, Sachin Agarwal, a product manager at the company, confirmed Twitterers can now "chat on (and on)" [...]
Finally, the world’s first reversible micro-USB cable is here, from startup MicFlip August 12, 2015 Android users, you know the struggle: Trying to connect your phone to a charger in the dark, but always getting it wrong side up. Well, now you can wave goodbye to that first-world problem, as a company called MicFlip has designed the world’s first reversible micro-USB charger, meaning there is no more “right” or “wrong” [...]