Airbus A350 successfully completes maiden test flight
The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus has successfully completed its maiden test flight. The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world’s airlines [...]
Motorola’s password in a pill and electronic tattoo
Always forgetting your password? Tech company Motorola is working on some rather unusual solutions! They’ve unveiled an electronic ‘tattoo’ that sticks to your skin. It has a circuit so gadgets can identify you. The electronic tattoo shown off at a conference this week Another experimental idea is a password pill you swallow – that transmits [...]
Cockroaches lose their ‘sweet tooth’ to evade traps
A strain of cockroaches in Europe has evolved to outsmart the sugar traps used to eradicate them. American scientists found that the mutant cockroaches had a “reorganized” sense of taste, making them perceive the glucose used to coat poisoned bait not as sweet but rather as bitter. A North Carolina State University team tested the [...]
Brain stimulation promises ‘long-lasting’ maths boost
Applying high-frequency electrical noise to the brain can boost maths skills up to six months later, say Oxford University researchers. It could help those suffering with neurodegenerative illness, stroke or learning difficulties. An expert said the technique could have “real, applied impact.” Transcranial random noise stimulation (TRNS) involves applying random electrical noise to targeted areas [...]
Sex and the City author targeted by ‘Guccifer’ hacker
The first 50 pages of a new book by author Candace Bushnell have been leaked by a hacker known as “Guccifer”. After accessing her email, the hacker uploaded screenshots of the draft manuscript onto Google Drive and tweeted them via her Twitter account. Also uploaded were emails between Bushnell and her publisher, Grand Central Publishing, [...]
US Cellular embraces iPhone after rejecting it
NEW YORKÂ — U.S. Cellular, the only major U.S. wireless carrier to resist the iPhone, says it’s going to start selling it this year. CEO Mary Dillon announced the reversal Friday on a call with investors and analysts. She didn’t specify exactly when the company would start selling Apple’s phone, or what models it would [...]
Microsoft beats Street, readies new mobile devices
NEW YORKÂ — Microsoft is working with manufacturers to produce a line of small touch-screen devices powered by Windows, apparently intended to compete with 7-inch tablets like the iPad Mini and Amazon Kindle Fire. Peter Klein, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, told investors and analysts on a conference call Thursday that the new devices will be [...]
Suitors back away from Dell bids amid PC slump
Buyout specialist Blackstone Group LP is dropping its effort to acquire Dell, and billionaire investor Carl Icahn is reportedly unlikely to follow through on his preliminary acquisition offer, as suitors digest studies showing a staggering decline in PC sales. The Wall Street Journal said Icahn will now likely wait to see if shareholders approve a [...]
Smart bracelet protects aid workers
A hi-tech bracelet could soon be helping civil rights and aid workers at risk of being kidnapped or killed. When triggered, the personal alarm uses phone and sat-nav technology to warn that its wearer is in danger. Warnings are sent in the form of messages to Facebook and Twitter to rally support and ensure people [...]
Facebook releases ‘home’ software for Android phones
Facebook is releasing software that puts feeds from the social network on the home screen of Android phones. The software will act like a “wrapper” for the Android operating system and become the main way to use a phone. Notifications, images and messages will appear on the main screen of the phone instead of being [...]