Author: Diane Shipley
Staff Writer Diane is especially interested in high-tech medical advances, weird and interesting uses of science, new gadgets, and the intersection of tech and lifestyle. When not working, she reads the internet, listens to podcasts, watches American TV, and thinks about leaving the house.
New system makes spray-on solar panels a reality
Electrical engineers in Canada have developed a new, easy way to add solar panels to flexible surfaces. Illan Kramer is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto and IBM Canada's Research and Development Centre. He and his colleagues found that using tiny, light-sensitive materials called colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) could make spray-on solar cells…
10 Christmas presents inspired by our favourite shows
Want to get something for the box-set binger in your life, but aware they've already got every episode ever made, including the blooper reel? Not to worry, thanks to production companies recognising the enduring appeal (and money-spinning potential) of merch, you have lots of other options, whether a programme's still on air (or Netflix) or…
The new NT100 List highlights socially-conscious tech projects
Nominet Trust, which funds philanthropic technology projects, has just launched the 2014 NT100 List to recognise inspiring tech endeavours around the world. All the projects are using tech for social good, from improving educational opportunities to providing innovative health solutions. In fact, the latter category is especially full this year, in part inspired by advances…
Amazon’s suing a children’s TV company in ‘Kindle’ row
Ah, Amazon. Why must you make life difficult? We want to love you, but you keep testing us. You give SUCH GOOD DEALS on everything from TVs to DVDs, but warehouse workers say you make their lives miserable. You’re willing to spend cash on the weird and wonderful idea of drone deliveries, but seem to…
Time cloaks and lasers could be the best way to send secret messages
Right now, if you miss something that happens in front of you, it’s probably because you weren’t paying attention. In the future, though, it could be because a time cloak has concealed it from you. (Yes, this is real life and not Pottermore. I think.) As New Scientist reports, electrical engineer Joseph Lukens and his…
Hashtag Gloves will let you tweet without typing
A 24-hour hackathon at Mount Holyoke College in the U.S has inspired one of the most specific wearables yet, but one that could also be one of the most useful for this time of year: Hashtag Gloves. Using them, its inventors sent the first ever tweet via glove. (See them in action on YouTube.) As…
A new drug could protect the brain from binge drinking
Researchers have created a new drug that could reduce the side-effects of binge drinking. Professor Mike Page and his colleagues at the University of Huddersfield developed a new compound, ethane-beta-sultam, which enters the blood stream quickly so it can pass the blood-brain barrier before the body has the chance to try to deter it. Most…
It’s official: Brits have gone wild for Black Friday 2014
Called Black Friday because it puts retailers in the black, rather than because it's the one day in the shopping calendar when sense and manners go out the window, the day after Thanksgiving has been a traditional bargain-hunting time in the U.S for a long time. And, perhaps finally catching on that people would prefer…
There are even Black Friday deals on marijuana in the U.S
Although a recent bandwagon-hopping trend in the UK, in the U.S Black Friday is a long-established tradition: a chance for Christmas shoppers to snap up bargains while the memory of a delicious turkey dinner keeps them warm. Like Boxing Day sales, only with an air of anticipation rather than depression. And it turns out those…
Magnet smart jewellery lets you literally keep in touch
Wearables can do all kinds of things, from monitoring your dog’s health to diagnosing diseases. But Magnet smart jewellery offers something a bit different: the chance to literally keep in touch with someone you love. Only sold in pairs, it’s designed for two people to use. It can be worn on an attached bracelet, added…
