Rolls Royce has finally joined the trend, it has revealed that it is developing its very own flying taxi. Unlike the competition though, Rolls Royce’s flying taxi has a unique selling point (USP) that we can really get behind. It’s quiet. With the expectation that in the future we’ll all have ditched our cars and be flying everywhere it’s interesting to note that very few of the companies developing these taxis have considered one unfortunate side effect: the noise. As anyone…
Science
We Can Now 3D Print Parts Of The Human Eye
In a groundbreaking development, scientists at Newcastle University have successfully 3D printed the cornea from a human eye. This is the first time that we’ve been able to 3D print such a complex part of the body and it’s thought that in just a few years it could be ready for human transplantation. The cornea is a vital part of the eye but unfortunately there are some 10 million people around the world requiring surgery there is a chronic shortage…
The Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Photographer Shortlist Is Absolutely Stunning
The Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has been running for a decade now and yet even after 10 years we’re still being treated to something new. The 2018 shortlist has, if it’s even possible, set the bar even higher with some truly incredible shots ranging from the ISS passing in front of the Sun to a truly astonishing picture of the solar eclipse. This year the competition received over 4,200 entries from amateurs to seasoned professionals spanning some 91…
Stephen Hawking, The Big Bang And The Birth Of Time
Hawking’s fascination was with cosmology, the science which deals with the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe. Einstein - never one to think small - had in 1917 applied his theory of gravity to the biggest gravitating system he could imagine: the whole Universe. Like Isaac Newton before him, he was wedded to the idea of a “static” universe, in which the stars and galaxies hung in space, unchanging, for all time. He therefore missed the message in…
Scientists Make Exciting Dinosaur Footprint Discovery On The Isle Of Skye
Scientists have discovered dozens of giant dinosaur footprints on the Scottish island of Skye that could help shed light on how dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus rex came into existence. The 170 million-year-old footprints were found in a muddy lagoon just off the north-east coast of the Isle of Skye. JON HOAD Most of what was found came from two types of dinosaur, the first being a theropod which at two metres tall would have been a distant cousin of the T. rex.…
MIT’s Wearable Headset Can Hear The Words You Say In Your Head
The idea of humans being able to read each other’s minds has almost exclusively been the domain of science fiction and fantasy, and yet in reality we’re closer than you might think. MIT researchers have created a wearable headset that when worn can actually hear the words you vocalise in your head. That’s right. The headset works by measuring the tiny neuromuscular signals that we create when we say words in our heads. They are completely imperceptible to the human eye,…
Watch Virgin Galactic’s New SpaceShipTwo Go Supersonic
VIRGIN GALACTIC has released footage showing the first successful powered test of its new SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity. Designed for tourists who want to head into space, the spacecraft can be seen in mid-rocket burn as it goes supersonic. While not technically entering space, the craft did reach an impressive altitude of over 80,000ft before cruising back down to ground and landing at Virgin Galactic’s base of operations. VIRGIN GALACTIC This was the first successful powered test of Virgin Galactic’s new…
We Can Now Trap Poachers Using A Technique Designed To Detect Distant Stars
The same technology that’s used to spot the most distant stars in our universe could soon be used to trap poachers here on Earth. The system uses a combination of flying drones, infrared thermal imaging and advanced AI to monitor animals at night when the majority of poaching occurs. Incredibly the team behind the technique have already seen success in South Africa where an early field trial was able to detect the elusive riverine rabbit, one of the most endangered mammals…
Uber ride-hailing comes to BBM — because some people in the world still use BBM
It’s been some time since Uber made its full service available inside messaging apps — most notably Facebook Messenger — but now it is rolling out to another one, BBM, with an eye on emerging markets. BBM is virtually dead in Western markets following the decline of BlackBerry phones, but it hasn’t died altogether. Now run by Indonesian telco Emtek, BBM still maintains a decentish following in Indonesia, other parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The ride-hailing company is rolling out…
France files supplier contract complaint against Amazon
The French government has filed a complaint against ecommerce giant Amazon alleging abuse of a dominant position with some of its suppliers, according to Reuters citing a report in La Parisien newspaper. The move apparently follows a two-year investigation by France’s consumer fraud watchdog, the DGCCRF. The news agency says the Economy Ministry is seeking a fine of €10M (~$11.8M). “The platform imposes unbalanced relations to its vendors,” DGCCRF official Loic Tanguy is quoted as telling Le Parisien. We reached out to Amazon but…
Reading On Electronic Devices May Interfere With Science Reading Comprehension
A little kid dressed in an elegant way is sitted on the top of a pile of books, reading something on a tablet People who often read on electronic devices may have a difficult time understanding scientific concepts, according to a team of researchers. They suggest that this finding, among others in the study, could also offer insights on how reading a scientific text differs from casual reading. In a study, a group of adult readers who frequently used electronic…
7 REASONS CHROME OS COMPUTERS ARE IDEAL FOR ENTERPRISES
Will 2018 be the year Chrome OS devices emerge as mainstream computers in the corporate world? Not a chance. Microsoft Windows is predicted to represent 85% of worldwide PC shipments next year, with macOS at 8% and Chrome at 6%, according to IDC. But consider this: In 2017, 5.5% of all PCs sold will be Chrome OS devices, according to IDC analyst Linn Huang. This marks the first time a third operating system has joined Windows and macOS in crossing…
MICROSOFT SUNSETS WINDOWS 10’S FIRST FEATURE UPGRADE
Microsoft today will deliver the final security update for Windows 10's first feature upgrade, the version released in November 2015. Windows 10 1511 -- Microsoft labels its feature upgrades in a yymm format -- will receive its last security patches, then fall off Microsoft's support list. The company had announced 1511's retirement several times in the past, notably in a support lifecycle fact sheet on Microsoft's website. Today is also October's "Patch Tuesday," the month's release of security updates for Microsoft's products. The company…
KOTLIN COULD OVERTAKE JAVA ON ANDROID NEXT YEAR
Kotlin is on its way to overtaking Java on that mobile platform, claims mobile database maker Realm. Realm performed an anonymized assessment of 100,000 developers using its database and which languages they were using, determined by developers’ selection of SDKs. Realm found that 20 percent of apps built with Java before Google’s May endorsement of Kotlin are now being built in Kotlin. Based on that data, Realm predicts Kotlin will overtake Java on Android by December 2018. Kotlin may even change how Java…
Facebook rolls out new shows to the entire U.S.
That was quick. Just a couple weeks after first introducing its new platform for TV shows, Facebook is now bringing the feature to everyone in the U.S. Called Watch, the social network is now working with dozens of publishers on original programming that lives in a dedicated section of Facebook's app and website. Facebook began testing Watch earlier this month, but the feature was only available to a handful of users in the U.S. Whatever the company was hoping to gauge in…
Mark Zuckerberg pens open letter to Donald Trump rebuking reported end of DACA
President Donald Trump's decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is nearing a critical crossroads, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants his stance — along with most of Silicon Valley's — on the Obama administration policy to be clear. In a Facebook post published Thursday night, Zuckerberg pledged his support of DACA, called "Dreamers" the future of the country, and urged other business leaders to join in signing an open letter addressed to Trump. The letter has…