Could Remote-Controlled Cyborg Insects Be Used As Spies?
Forget micro camera systems, insanely-compact audio surveillance devices and night-vision goggles – scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are currently researching a probe that can be implanted into moths to control their flight, alluding to the possibility of insects being used in the future as spies. Though it's the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that has invested heavily in a programme to develop 'machine-insect interfaces' for years, Joel Voldman and colleagues of MIT have collaborated to design a unique, flexible neural probe that attaches directly to an insect's ventral nerve cord (VNC) which, alongside the brain, makes up the central nervous system.
Background Investigation On Steve Jobs Released By FBI
1991 was an odd time for exiled founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, as he was up for a position on the export council (a foreign trade committee) under US President George H. W. Bush. Of course, any kind of job within Government means a required background check FBI, the findings of which have been made public today, 20 years later.
BBC Tracks Down An Internet Troll
Trolling. We're all victims (and some of us perpetrators) of such internet activity. And while there is a wide variation of severity on the scale of what would be considered to be trolling, it became part of the discourse in yesterday's campaign against cyber-bullying, titled 'Safer Internet Day.' This expanded to an episode of Panorama, which managed to trace the location of infamous troll Nimrod Severn, and track the real man down for an 'ambush' interview.
Skyrim Gets A Hint Of Portal With 'Fall of the Space Core' Mod
To celebrate the release of Bethesda's new Skyrim Creation Kit, Valve have created a small mod which drops the Space Core from Portal 2 into the fantasy world of Dragon slaying and the taking of arrows to one's knee. It goes without saying, we love both Portal 2 and Skyrim; but at no point have we ever comprehended the Earth-shaking combination of the two.
Newly Discovered Super-Earth Is 'Best Candidate' For Supporting Life
22 light years away, you'll find a planet which has been given the categorically dull name of GJ 667 Cc, or as it's being synonymously named: The 'super-Earth.' The planet, orbiting a nearby star, has been detected and analysed, with findings giving a solid prediction that it may support life and human inhabitance.
Design Project Visualises How Well You Know Your Facebook Friends
Out of all the Facebook friends you have, their probably is a good chance that you may not physically know a good percentage of them. So the question would be just how many of them are what you'd call 'real' friends? This is what designer Colin Pinegar answered in his project, simply titled 'Best Friends.'
Researchers Create Universal Earphones That Can Tell Which Ear They Are In
Japanese researchers have developed a set of prototype headphones that use proximity sensors to detect the left and right ear, eliminating the need for user differentiation between earbuds, along with some other pretty nifty uses for the technology.
3D-Printed Lower Jaw Used In Jaw Transplant Surgery
Showing the technology is not just limited to producing physical 3D models of your in-game avatar or other worldly creations – as our look at Mineways delves into; recreating your favourite Minecraft builds into model form – 3D printing continues to astound us in its real-world applications. Now, said to be the first operation of its kind, doctors in the Netherlands have successfully completed an 84-year old woman's jaw transplant by replacing her existing lower jaw - said to be inflicted with chronic bone infection - with a patient-specific, 3D-printed, titanium-based replacement.
Anonymous Intercept Phone Call Between FBI And Scotland Yard
Hacktivist group Anonymous have released a recording of a telephone conversation between the FBI and Scotland Yard, in which they discuss ongoing investigations into activities surrounding the aforementioned hacking network.
Facebook IPO: The Staggering Facts And Figures Behind The Scenes
Microsoft Slams Google Privacy Policy In Newspaper Ad
Microsoft is scheduled to run a series of newspaper adverts throughout this week, which exploit Google's recent privacy concerns surrounding it's universal policy update. It's set to run in papers such as Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and criticises the business for their purposes of using your data for advertisers' target market data, while promoting Microsoft's alternatives to the affected products.
RIM Calls On Superheroes To Save Them. Twitter Campaign Backfires
So if you've had your ear to the ground for rumblings surrounding RIM, you'll have figured out that the company aren't doing so great. A big CEO switcharound, ever-reducing confidence in their lack of innovations, and a tablet that's failed to take off.
It's in these situations where we regress into our somewhat geek-ridden imaginations and conjur a super hero, well that's exactly what the company has done. 'The Bold Team' infographic was created off a Twitter campaign they did surrounding #BeBold resolutions, analysing 35,000 tweets worth of data and collating them into four cartoon personas.
New Mobile Device Privacy Act To Expose And Regulate Tracking Software
In light of all the Carrier IQ controversies that have accrued since the software capabilities were exposed to the world, Congress has introduced a draft bill titled "The Mobile Device Privacy Act," which looks to disclose all details about tracking software like the aformentioned, and what information it will be taking.
Ship-mounted Railgun To Become A Reality For US Navy In 2025
Defence technology company Raytheon has just received an investment of $10 million to further it's research and development of the world's first railgun, bringing electromagnetic weaponry out of the pages of science fiction into the real world.
The First Lego Man Sent To Space
Mixing both out love of space and LEGO, Toronto-based high school students Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad have been successful in sending a lego figurine 80,000 feet above sea level, using a weather balloon.
US Detains And Deports Two Britons For "Destroy America" Tweets
Well this was going to happen at some point for sure. Brits Leigh Van Bryan and his friend Emily Bunting have been barred from America by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two tweets about "diggin' up Marilyn Monroe" and "destroying America."
If anything, it shows the DHS' systems work in picking up possible 'social' terrorist threats; but we feel as if context may be missed somewhat. According to the two, who claim complete innocence, it's innocent British slang, and the Miss Monroe comment was a Family Guy reference. But, to be fair, in a country that has really stepped up it's security, saying “free this week for a quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America? x” is pretty damn stupid.
iPhone 4 Vs HTC Desire HD. Which Makes A Better Skipping Stone?
So we look at smartphone comparisons on Youtube, and they cover the usual suspects of specifications: camera, speed, build quality, etc. The last thing we (and probably you) expected to see was a test of just how well these handsets skip across a lake.
That's exactly what this Chinese fellow did on Youtube.
Monty Python Stars Re-unite For Sci-Fi Comedy
So this was the bright side of life that they were singing about. Some of the members of Monty Python are reportedly teaming up for a science-fiction spoof going by the title of Absolutely Anything.
The classics are back: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones (director); but a question mark floats around Idle, who has held out so far. However, anything can happen between now and summer, when production begins in UK.
Facebook Takes Clickjacking Suspect To Court
Ever clicked on a Facebook link and found it shared to your profile, projected to your reems of friends without your prior permission to share said link? Clickjacking has been a rather nasty thorn in the sides of many-a-user of the social network, and Facebook aren't going to take it anymore, as they take Washington-based marketing company Adscend Media to court over accusations of unwanted spam-causing practice.
Likebelt: Dry Hump Your Surroundings For Facebook Likes
We have a feeling that NFC (Near Field Communication) was probably not invented with this resulting device in mind. Presenting DeepLocal's LikeBelt: taking the simple action of tapping your smartphone against tags, and replacing it with an awkward thrust of the connected belt buckle.