Know-it-alls know the least when it comes to spotting fake terms July 21, 2015 Pre-rated stocks, fixed-rate deduction, annualised credit – all of these are completely made up financial terms, but if you consider yourself an expert you'd probably be easily tricked into thinking they were real, according to new research published in the journal Psychological Science. Read more: One in 10 parents think their children are "too clever" [...]
Storyline app: Shark Tank entrepreneur Mark Cuban wants to reinvent Twitter and give users “social media zero” July 21, 2015 People think Twitter has a problem. Whether it's the "sloppy" handling of chief executive Dick Costolo's exit or slowing growth in the number of users and a lack of product innovation – everyone has an opinion. Now there's one person who's decided to put his money where his mouth is and take some action. The [...]
The blockchain won’t just change banking – it could help you buy your house July 21, 2015 There’s been a lot of attention focused on Bitcoin in recent years but arguably the most intriguing aspect of this crypto currency is the technology that underpins it – the blockchain. The blockchain facilitates Bitcoin and works by sequentially ordering blocks of transactions into a chain which is distributed to and can be viewed [...]
PayPal valued at just under $50bn as it soars past EBay on Nasdaq July 21, 2015 After its first day back as an independent company, PayPal is valued just under $50bn (£34bn). Read more: EBay revenue jumps 7pc as PayPal spinoff draws near The online payments company's share price closed up 5.43 per cent on its first day of trading after splitting from parent eBay, after initially soaring 11 per cent in [...]
Is Apple planning an iCar? Tim Cook hires Chrysler executive Doug Betts as it eyes Tesla, Google and Uber over electric cars July 21, 2015 Not content with taking over our ears (Apple Music) and wrists (Apple Watch) this year, Apple may now have its sights set on taking over our roads. Tim Cook has hired the an executive from Chrysler, fueling speculation that there may be an iCar coming down the road. Doug Betts, a former senior vice president [...]
Nasa’s extraordinarily detailed photo reveals what Earth looks like from a million miles away July 21, 2015 For the first time ever, humans can see what the entire sunlit side of the Earth looks like from a million miles away, and the quality is staggering. This morning, Nasa released a photo taken by a camera attached to its Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite, which was sent up into space in [...]
Can’t stop eating? You may have a binge-eating gene July 21, 2015 It's not just greed that keeps some people heading for the snack cupboard – a certain gene could play a major role in our over-indulgence, according to researchers at University College London. Read more: Why diet is more important than exercise when you're trying to lose weight The gene, found at the FTO gene [...]
Queue jump app Charity Wait lets you skip the queue if you donate to charity July 20, 2015 Waiting in a never-ending queue for a popular restaurant, it might feel tempting to slip the waiter some cash in return for a table. But queuing has just got a little smarter. Now you can queue-jump guilt-free, with an app that lets you donate money to a chosen charity – in exchange for being seated [...]
Russian billionaire Yuri Milner promises $100m to search for alien life July 20, 2015 Venture capitalist investor slash Russian billionaire Yuri Milner has got into the race to find alien life, pledging $100m (£64.3) of his own money to help answer the question of whether we are alone in the cosmos. In a philanthropic(ish) effort, the internet entrepreneur announced through a live webcast at The Royal Society in London that [...]
Scientists have identified a sixth taste, and it could be the reason we become fat July 20, 2015 Carrying a few extra pounds? Blame oleogustus – which scientists reckon is the "taste of fat", according to a new study in the journal Chemical Senses. In fact, along with sweet, salty, bitter, sour and savoury, the study suggests oleogustus should be factored in as a key part of the human taste palate. Read more: Fat [...]