Credit: Lancaster University The popular Pattern Lock system used to secure millions of Android phones can be cracked within just five attempts – and more complicated patterns are the easiest to crack, security experts reveal. Pattern Lock is a security measure that protects devices, such as mobile phones or tablets, and which is preferred by many to PIN codes or text passwords. It is used by around […]
Researchers from the University of Adelaide have developed a high-tech medical device in an effort to increase safety during brain surgery. Called a “smart needle,” the device is a small imaging probe. Fitted inside a brain biopsy needle, it provides surgeons a look at at-risk blood vessels when the needle is inserted, helping prevent potentially fatal bleeding in the brain. Aside from offering surgeons a view of […]
Researchers have discovered a new phenomenon of so-called metastability in a liquid phase. This state is common in supercooled liquids, which are liquids that cool below the freezing point without turning into a solid or a crystal. These scientists report the first experimental evidence of creating a metastable liquid directly by melting a high-pressure solid crystal of the metal bismuth via a decompression process below its melting […]
At the 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, I recall a strong feeling of shame as I waited for then-Prime minister Stephen Harper and former President Barack Obama to emerge from a meeting. I was the designated pool reporter with The Canadian Press, killing time with my Associated Press counterpart. I sheepishly admitted that reporters were forbidden from asking the prime minister an unscheduled […]
In my 35 years covering the tech market, I have heard from executives—over and over—how their inventions will change the world. And while at times, this is true—the semiconductor, PC, and smartphone come to mind—I have been wondering lately if Silicon Valley should take stronger aim at solving the world’s major healthcare dilemmas. On cancer, Silicon Valley has been pretty active already. Nvidia, for example, […]
The discovery of a new type of quantum phase transition has been announced by researchers. This unique transition happens at an elastic quantum critical point, or QCP, where the phase transition isn’t driven by thermal energy but instead by the quantum fluctuations of the atoms themselves. (via WSJ)
McDonald’s Corp’s (MCD.N) U.S. comparable restaurant sales fell less than analysts had expected in the fourth quarter as strong demand for its all-day breakfast brought more people to its restaurants. The operator of the world’s largest fast-food chain posted overall quarterly revenue that beat analysts’ expectations. The company’s stock initially rose in premarket trading on Monday, before reversing course to trade down 0.38 percent at $121.95. Sales […]
LONDON Potatoes and bread cooked at high temperatures for a long time could increase the risk of cancer in people who eat them regularly, British government scientists said on Monday. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) said a substance called acrylamide, produced when starchy foods are roasted, fried or grilled for too long at high temperatures, has been found in animal studies to increase the risk of […]
Theoretical model reveals how droplets grow around tiny particles on a surface. A mathematical model that predicts how water condenses around tiny particles could help to improve chemical industrial processes, including the production of drug tablets, fertilizers and catalysts. Previous condensation models differ in their rate predictions, depending on factors such as the shape and composition of the surface that the droplet grows on. Fong Yew Leong […]
A research team has developed food ingredients from mealworms and crickets which, due to their promising structure and flavor, have the potential to be used in the manufacture of foods such as meatballs and falafel. EU legislation will change in the coming years, and the farming of insects and their processing for consumption will become a business activity also in Europe, they say. Source
By Tetsushi Kajimoto | TOKYO TOKYO Japanese companies believe that neither U.S. President Donald Trump nor Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe want to see the yen weaken significantly, a Reuters poll showed, a development they worry could spark an unwelcome political backlash. The Reuters Corporate Survey, conducted Jan. 4-17, also found that Japanese firms want Abe to push Trump hard on trade issues, while nearly a third […]
PayTM, the Alibaba-backed Indian smartphone payments platform, plans to enter the asset management market a month before it begins banking operations in the country. The group, which has attracted more than 170m users since it started seven years ago, told the FT that its aggressive strategy to disrupt traditional finance will soon extend to loans, wealth management and mutual fund products. The move could give PayTM an even […]
Vision deterioration in astronauts who spend a long time in space is likely due to the lack of a day-night cycle in intracranial pressure. But using a vacuum device to lower pressure for part of each day might prevent the problem, researchers said. (via WSJ)
In one of the first international phone conversations by the new US president since his inauguration, Israel PM Netanyahu is set to call Trump on Sunday afternoon: the civil war in Syria, the Palestinians and the nuclear agreement with Iran will be on the agenda Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting. PM Netanyahu: This evening there will be a telephone conversation between President Trump and myself. — […]
Britain’s security co-operation with EU countries will be on the table as part of the Brexit negotiations, Theresa May has said as she prepares to become the first world leader to meet new US president Donald Trump. The prime minister plans to discuss British-US co-operation on terrorism and Nato at the meeting in Washington on Friday, the prime minister said on Sunday — and sent a signal […]
Researchers have made a discovery in materials science that sounds like something from the old Saturday morning cartoon Super Friends: they’ve found a way to deactivate ‘nano twins’ to improve the high-temperature properties of superalloys that are used in jet engines. (via WSJ)
PENNE, Italy Twenty-four people are missing from the wreckage of a hotel in central Italy that was flattened by a deadly avalanche, with difficult research and rescue operations still ongoing, authorities said on Sunday. A statement from the national fire service said the number of people missing rose by one after a rescued person said that a hotel employee, of Senegalese origin, was inside the building at […]
Microbiologists report that they have discovered a new type of natural wire produced by bacteria that could greatly accelerate the researchers’ goal of developing sustainable ‘green’ conducting materials for the electronics industry. (via WSJ)
More than 90 percent of online populations now incorporate emojis and emoticons into their texts and emails, and researchers are wondering what the use of (~_^), (>_<), or =D can reveal about human behavior. Emojis and emoticons can be used as tools for evaluating how we relate to each other in the digital age. (via WSJ)
For some living in Singapore soon to be banned 2G phones are the only affordable or practical option When Singapore pulls the plug on its 2G mobile phone network this year, thousands of people could be stuck without a signal—digital have-nots left behind by the relentless march of technology. From technophobic pensioners to cash-strapped migrant workers, some 140,000 people in highly-wired Singapore still use the city-state’s second […]
A new study presents an unorthodox approach to protect the privacy of genomic data, showing how optimal trade-offs between privacy risk and scientific utility can be struck as genomic data are released for research. The framework can be used to suppress just enough genomic data to persuade would-be snoops that their best privacy attacks will be unprofitable. (via WSJ)
Researchers are on a quest to look for life in a nearby exoplanet which is in the “Goldilocks zone.” This is basically the area in the galaxy where the conditions are apt for water’s existence, a key element for life to be around. The latest research is being spearheaded by Stephen Kane, an astronomer, who has shared new information on the “Super-Earth” aka Wolf 1061c. This Super-Earth […]
One of nature’s greatest mysteries — the ‘Fairy Circles’ of Namibia — may have been unraveled by researchers. The study suggests that the interaction between termite engineering and the self-organization of vegetation could be jointly responsible for the phenomenon. Source
A little-remarked shift of how the cloud is used and who uses it is well underway – and it could be music to your ears. Low-hanging fruit When cloud services first started, and for some considerable time afterwards, cloud services providers concentrated, quite naturally, on the low-hanging fruit. The battleground was centred around key but generic applications such as email, office productivity and storage, which quickly became […]
