Astronauts on International Space Station about to harvest first-ever space-grown food, as Nasa develops “Veggie” plant growth chamber August 9, 2015 Nasa astronauts have been growing lettuce in space, as the first-ever space-grown fruit and veg is about to be harvested on the International Space Station. Forget freeze-dried meals, astronauts are about to get a better deal. Nasa has developed a plant growth chamber dubbed “Veggie” and sent it into orbit. Produce from the mini-greenhouse is [...]
Facebook knows how you laugh online: Analysing digital laughter shows that “haha” is much more common than “lol” August 7, 2015 Do you “haha” or “lol”? Or even forgo words altogether, replacing them with an emoji as your digital laughter? Drawing from its database of over 1bn users, Facebook published figures on how we “write laughter” on the social media platform. It seems “haha” is the most common e-laugh out there, with over half of the [...]
Scientists produce robots that can artificially evolve and adapt to unfamiliar terrain with Darwinian thinking August 7, 2015 Here’s some news that might send you scrambling to sign that petition to ban killer robots: scientists have for the first time produced robots that can evolve and adapt to new situations. Using Darwinian selection, scientists at the Belgian University of Leuven found that they could artificially evolve robots, so they could self-organise the division of [...]
Facebook security chief Alex Stamos calls for internet companies to improve global cyber security at Def Con conference August 7, 2015 Facebook wants the web industry to do more for global cyber security, with the tech giant calling for internet giants to improve cyber security defences in emerging markets. Speaking at Las Vegas' Def Con cyber security conference, Facebook’s security chief Alex Stamos said consumer internet companies, including Facebook, could no longer rely on the cyber [...]
Can a smartphone be your new therapist? App Moodnotes uses cognitive behavioural therapy to act as a personal trainer for mental health August 6, 2015 Swipe or down on a digital smiley face to keep track of your moods and feelings – from happy to neutral to sad. Moodnotes, developed by London-based digital product studio ustwo, is a cross between a health journal, a therapist, and a good friend. The colourful faces change colour depending on your mood, but don’t [...]
Playtime starts now: The top computer games for Christmas 2015 August 6, 2015 Cologne's annual Gamescom unveils details on the hit titles we'll all be playing this Christmas and beyond. MAFIA 3 The latest entry into the Mafia franchise switches the action to 60s New Orleans, where you play Lincoln Clay, a mixed-race army vet who gets tied up with the mob. The game not only allows you [...]
Smartphone battery life: Joe’s Jeans launch jeans that will charge your iPhone August 6, 2015 Tired of your phone’s battery dying on you halfway through your commute, leaving you to suffer through withdrawal symptoms all the way home to the safety of your charger? Many hopeful companies have tried presenting solutions to this dilemma, from computer monitors that can charge your phone to new technology that makes your battery last [...]
Britain’s now a smartphone and selfie nation, Ofcom report finds August 6, 2015 If you feel like smartphones are taking over, you're not wrong. The nation is now using smartphones to get online more than any other device for the first time in history. The smartphone has snatched the crown from laptops as the device people said was the most important for getting online – 33 per cent [...]
Apple Music attracts 11m subscribers in first month, closing in on music-streaming rival Spotify August 6, 2015 Apple has attracted 11m users to Apple Music, its music-streaming service currently in free trial stage. The company revealed the first public figures in an interview with USA Today, as Eddy Cue, senior vice president of internet software and services, commented: We’re thrilled with the numbers so far. Apple Music launched on 30 June and [...]
Does the universe actually exist? We might all be living in one big computer game, scientists say August 6, 2015 We always talk about the robots replacing humans, but what if we actually are robots, with brains that are programmed just like computers to think in a certain way? Read more: Did the big bang happen? Scientists call theory into question Our universe behaves suspiciously similarly to a simulated computer, obeying a series of [...]