Science and Technology

Wednesday, 09 October 2019 05:48

There’s a new cellular tech that could lower call/data rates. Here’s it

Your wireless carrier is usually beholden to using proprietary cellular network tech from the likes of Ericsson or Nokia, but there may soon be a more universal technology that could benefit your bank account. Vodafone has started the first European tests (specifically, the UK) for OpenRAN, an Intel co-developed open access radio system that harmonizes hardware and software in cellular infrastructure. It doesn't sound exciting, but it effectively opens the door to lower-cost cell networks -- and that, in turn, could lower the costs of your calls and data. Vodafone has so far only deployed OpenRAN in Turkey, where it…

Tuesday, 08 October 2019 05:47

How we spy on each other every day - Thorin Klosowski

A couple of years ago, my garage was broken into while I was in the house. I heard footsteps and ran out to find someone trying to steal a bike. Cue some yelling, and the would-be thief was quickly gone, but I was so anxious I ordered a security camera within an hour. Since then, the camera has picked up nothing more than my comings and goings, mail delivery and the occasional rat. I recently decided to take it down. I briefly spoke about this over email with Elizabeth Joh, a University of California, Davis, School of Law professor, who…

Sunday, 06 October 2019 05:44

Why you need to update your WhatsApp right NOW

You better update WhatsApp right now. A researcher has discovered a nasty vulnerability in the Facebook-owned privacy-oriented messenger that made it possible to for attackers to gain access to your files and messages ⁠— by sending you a malicious GIF. The danger stems from a double-free bug in WhatsApp, according to a researcher going by the nickname Awakened. For those unfamiliar with the term, a double-free vulnerability refers to a memory corruption anomaly that could crash an app, or worse ⁠— open up an exploit vector that attackers can abuse to obtain access to your device. All it takes to…

Thursday, 03 October 2019 05:51

AI working against you? How artificial intelligence bias can block you

Businesses across almost every industry deploy artificial intelligence to make jobs simpler for staff and tasks easier for consumers. Computer software teaches customer service agents how to be more compassionate, schools use machine learning to scan for weapons and mass shooters on campus, and doctors use AI to map the root cause of diseases. Sectors such as cybersecurity, online entertainment and retail use the tech in combination with wide swaths of customer data in revolutionary ways to streamline services. Though these applications may seem harmless, perhaps even helpful, the AI is only as good as the information fed into it,…

Tuesday, 01 October 2019 05:22

How risky is eating red meat? New papers provoke controversy

Eating red meat is linked to cancer and heart disease, but are the risks big enough to give up burgers and steak? A team of international researchers says probably not, contradicting established advice. In a series of papers published Monday, the researchers say the increased risks are small and uncertain and that cutting back likely wouldn’t be worth it for people who enjoy meat. Their conclusions were swiftly attacked by a group of prominent U.S. scientists who took the unusual step of trying to stop publication until their criticisms were addressed. The new work does not say red meat and…

Monday, 30 September 2019 05:47

Every cat in Britain could be microchipped under new govt plans

All Britain's 11million cats would have to be microchipped under Government plans. The chips, containing the owner's name and address, will help ensure missing pets are returned to their homes. The plan is one of a range of animal welfare measures to be put forward at the Conservative Party conference today. A ban on keeping monkeys as pets and stopping live exports of farm animals for slaughter are also on the cards. Hunters will be banned from importing endangered animals shot overseas – a measure promoted by Boris Johnson's girlfriend, Carrie Symonds. The charity Cats Protection says around eight in…

Sunday, 29 September 2019 05:24

Facebook will be forced to reveal encrypted messages from some crime suspects

Police will now be able to read encrypted messages from suspected terrorists, paedophiles and other serious criminals on WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media. Home Secretary Priti Patel will sign an agreement between the UK and the US next month which which will force the tech giants to hand over information to the police. Downing Street views the data access agreement as an invaluable tool in the fight against terrorism and sexual abuse. Ms Patel and former head of counterterrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Richard Walton, say that the social media companies were previously empowering terrorism. Currently police are only…

Sunday, 29 September 2019 05:22

8,000 different things can kill you - but only one will succeed

Bill Bryson The human body is often likened to a high-performance machine. But it is so much more than that. It works 24 hours a day for decades without (for the most part) needing regular servicing or the installation of spare parts. It runs on water and a few organic compounds, is soft and rather lovely, reproduces itself with enthusiasm, makes jokes, feels affection and appreciates a red sunset. How many machines do you know that can do any of that? There is no question about it. You are truly a wonder. And how do we celebrate the glory of…

Friday, 27 September 2019 06:00

Nigeria’s CcHub acquires Kenya’s iHub to create mega Africa incubator

Two of Africa’s powerhouse tech incubators will join forces. Nigerian innovation center and seed-fund CcHub has acquired Nairobi based iHub, CcHub CEO Bosun Tijani confirmed to TechCrunch. The purchase amount is undisclosed, but Tijani said CcHub will finance the deal out of its real-estate project to build a new 10-story innovation center to replace its Herbert Macaulay Way building in Lagos. Details are emerging on how the two entities will operate together, but Tijani noted some degree of autonomy. “The names will stay the same…iHub will remain iHub…it is a strong brand…but iHub will be supported from the central CcHub,…

Wednesday, 25 September 2019 05:32

We need more doctors who are scientists - Mukesh K. Jain, Tadataka Yamada and Robert Lefkowitz

About a decade from now, public health statistics will begin to show a substantial decrease in cervical cancer in the United States and other developed countries. That’s because in 2006, young people began receiving vaccines against a sexually transmitted virus, HPV, that causes cervical cancer. By preventing HPV infections today, those vaccines have the potential to avert hundreds of thousands of cervical cancer cases. The HPV vaccine exists because Dr. Douglas Lowy, a physician, and his research collaborator Dr. John Schiller recognized the potential for it after more than a decade studying the family of infectious agents to which HPV…

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Friday, 20 September 2019 05:40

Toyota working on solar-powered electric car that can 'run forever' without charging

• Toyota, Sharp, and NEDO have teamed up to manufacture a unique car that could "run forever", according to Bloomberg. • There have been promising advances in developing thin enough solar panels for curved surfaces, as well as in tech for charging vehicles while they're in motion. • The solar cells the companies are working on attaching to the car are only 0.03 mm thick, so they can be attached to curved areas on cars like the roof, the hood, or the hatchback. • By pairing more efficient solar cells with high-capacity batteries to keep vehicles running at night, solar…

Wednesday, 18 September 2019 05:52

Scientists propose a method to connect Earth and Moon with a cable that will allow us to travel between the two

Two astronomers from University of Cambridge and University of Columbia have proposed a plan as an alternative for an elevator between the moon and Earth. According to their study, existing materials such as Zylon, a polymer carbon, would allow us to build a tower or cable between the moon and Earth. The researchers also suggested the cable could be the thickness of a pencil lead and could cost "billions" of dollars. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if we could just hop in an elevator, press a button, and head up to the moon? While it…

Monday, 16 September 2019 05:36

Here’s why you might get fatter as you grow older, according to science

Expanding waistlines are a major mid-life bugbear for many people as that expensive wedding outfit gets a bit tighter each time. Now, scientists believe they have pinpointed the primary culprit - and it's not the dry cleaner. They have found that the average person gains 20 per cent in weight during their adult life, assuming food intake, exercise and other weight-related factors remain constant. The weight gain, which can be offset by eating less and exercising more, occurs because the fat cells becomes less effective at removing accumulated fat, a new study finds. It's all about the fat cells Fat…

Friday, 13 September 2019 05:33

Why Israel has the most technologically advanced military on earth

In 1950, just two years after the state of Israel was founded, the country’s first commercial delegation set off for South America. Israel desperately needed trading partners. Unlike its Arab adversaries, Israel did not have natural resources to fund its economy. There was no oil or minerals. Nothing. The delegation held a couple of meetings but was mostly met with laughs. The Israelis were trying to sell oranges, kerosene stove tops and fake teeth. For countries like Argentina, which grew its own oranges and was connected to the electrical grid, the products were pretty useless. It’s hard to imagine this…

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