Microsoft has patched a critical bug in its software that had existed for 19 years.
Category: Technology
Google to lease former Nasa airfield for space research
Google latest “moonshot” is an apt one – it is investing in a Nasa-owned airfield to expand research into space exploration and robotics.
Rocket bicycle sets 207mph speed record
A cyclist has ridden a rocket-equipped push bicycle into the record books by attaining speeds of 207mph (333km/h) at a racetrack in France.
How to make a diamond from scratch
Every so often, Dan Frost hears a dull thud and his office floor vibrates.
‘Ghostly presence’ created in lab
To investigate, the researchers scanned the brains of 12 people with neurological disorders, who had reported experiencing a ghostly presence.
Huge raid to shut down 400-plus dark net sites
Silk Road 2.0 and 400 other sites believed to be selling illegal items including drugs and weapons have been shut down.
Apple malware affects mostly Chinese users
The BBC’s John Sudworth explains how the malware affects Apple products New malware targeting Apple products is mostly affecting Chinese users, warned an online security researcher.
Chris Bracey, neon sign designer and collector, dies at 59
Chris Bracey, the British artist and designer who owned one of the largest collections of neon signs and sculpture outside the US, has died aged 59.
Virgin Galactic crash: Pilots’ actions analysed
Investigators probing the Virgin SpaceShipTwo accident have established a “human performance” team to help them understand the actions of the pilots.
Pirate Bay co-founder ‘TiAMO’ arrested in Thailand
A co-founder of Swedish file-sharing website Pirate Bay has been arrested while trying to cross into Thailand from Laos, local police say.
Facebook sets up ‘dark web’ link to access network via Tor
Facebook has created the ability for users to connect directly to the social network via anonymising “dark web” service Tor. While it was already possible to access Facebook via Tor, the new set-up means all data is encrypted and Tor…
Sony sets up PlayStation plant in China
The deal, formed as two joint ventures with Shanghai Oriental Pearl, gives Sony access to an estimated 500 million gamers in China.
Bees! Birds! or Flying robots
By Victoria Gill In the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 14 research teams reveal their latest experimental drones.
Tiny KickSat Sprite satellites hitch ride into orbit
By Stephen Beckett With each galactic jaunt potentially costing hundreds of millions of pounds and demanding decades of planning, it’s hardly a surprise that we’re not all reaching for the nearest astrophysics textbook.
A brief history of plastics, natural and synthetic
By Laurence Knight Believe it or not, from a chemist’s perspective all these things are made of the same class of materials: Polymers. And the distinction between which ones we happen to call “plastics” and which ones we don’t is…
Researcher creates ‘holodeck’ with Oculus and Kinect
Oliver Kreylos has combined three Kinects with an Oculus Rift to import a 3D representation of himself into virtual reality.
Google hopes test drives steer Americans to embrace its robot cars
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California – Google Inc’s self-driving car technology likely will not be available for several more years. But the Internet company is already beginning the job of making the public comfortable with the futuristic vehicles.
Samsung pledges compensation for cancer sufferers
Samsung says it will compensate chip factory workers who developed cancer while working for the firm.
UK based company offers free airline tracking
By Jonathan Amos UK satellite operator Inmarsat is to offer a free, basic tracking service to all the world’s passenger airliners.
Mozilla to test sponsored tabs on Firefox
Mozilla has said it will test a plan that puts ads and sponsored content on the boxes that appear when Firefox users launch a new tab on the browser.
U.S. FDA approves ‘Star Wars’ robotic arm for amputees
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a robotic arm for amputees that is named for the “Star Wars” character Luke Skywalker and can perform multiple, simultaneous movements, a huge advance over the metal hook currently in use.
The father of 3D printing says it’s overhyped
In the 31 years since an engineer named Charles Hull invented 3D printing, it has gone from a way for car companies to quickly prototype plastic parts to something that’s touted as a technological cure-all.
Smart umbrellas ‘could collect rain data’
By Jonathan Amos Rolf Hut, from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, plans to turn our umbrellas into rain gauges. His prototype smart brolly has a sensor that detects raindrops falling on its canvas, and uses bluetooth to send this information…
Nasa shows off prototype spacesuit for journey to Mars
US space agency Nasa has been showing off the wardrobe essentials for future astronauts looking for a new outfit for their first flight to Mars.
Film download prices ‘to be determined by screen size’
Those who watched on a “movie screen” would pay the most while those using smartphones would only pay a small fee, Jeffrey Katzenberg said.
Cyborg glasses to control emotions
By Leo Kelion Rather than focus on what the owner sees, Prof Hirotaka Osawa’s kit shows computer-generated eye animations in place of the wearer’s real ones.
Giant 3D printers to make 10 full-sized single-storey houses in a day
A private firm, WinSun, used four 10m x 6.6m printers to spray a mixture of cement and construction waste to build the walls, layer by layer, officialXinhua news agency reported.
Pocket Printer secures Kickstarter cash
By Leo Kelion Zuta Labs is proceeding with the project after raising over $435,000 (£260,000) via a crowdfunding site.
Nanotechnology conference held at BRAC University
A conference on nanotechnology was held On Monday at the BRAC University, Dhaka. The Conference was organized by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The title of talk was ‘Recent Developments of Nanotechnology’ for the next generation manufacturing. The…
Emirati firm promises to send citizen into space
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — One lucky citizen of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates could soon get the chance to be rocketed into space. Government-backed Aabar Investments on Sunday announced the start of a competition to award an Emirati…