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.
LINE releases new Selfie Sticker app
Belfies, relfies, shelfies, phonies... it seemed like there wasn't much left to do with the (not especially) humble selfie. But the makers of Japan-based messaging app LINE (which my dad uses daily – parents today, eh?) didn’t let that put them off. They’ve come up with a new app, Selfie Sticker, which, as you might…
London black cabbies are staging Uber protest this afternoon
Today’s the day London cabbies’ row with private taxi app Uber hits the streets. Commuters, tourists, and anyone aiming to step outside their front door in the capital this afternoon have been warned to expect delays and general inconvenience as black cab drivers stage a large-scale protest. As many as 12,000 cab drivers are expected…
The rise of medical apps and mobile diagnosis
Nobody likes going to the doctor. Sulky receptionists, a long wait with only a 10-year old copy of Practical Caravan to flick through, being sneezed and coughed at by fellow patients… Ugh. If only we could find out what’s wrong with us without leaving the house. Well, now we can. Or that’s the idea, anyway.…
Google reveals exciting details about its 3D-sensing tablet
Google has released the specs of its new prototype: a 7-inch tablet that has 128 GB of internal storage, 4 GB of RAM, and runs Android 4.4 KitKat, powered by a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. More importantly, it also comes with 3D sensors and a motion-tracking camera, allowing it to create realistic models of its…
Google launches email security challenge to make it safer
When it comes to email, my head-in-the-sand approach has always been that if someone's got nothing better to do than spy on my messages, then I feel sorry for them. But there are a lot of people sending a lot of sensitive information in the world, and taking a look at just how few messages…
Oops, sorry Apple: HealthKit might need a name change as it already exists
Looks like HealthKit, the software that runs Apple's new health and fitness tracking app Health, might have had a last-minute name change - one they forgot to check isn't already in use. I guess it's easily done. You know how it is when you're preparing for a keynote presentation that's attended by thousands of tech…
New bike could help kids learn to ride in an afternoon
A crowdfunding campaign for a new bike that apparently helps children learn to ride in a single afternoon has launched on Kickstarter. As a child, there are few things more satisfying than finally wheeling down the road with the wind in your hair and your stabilisers in the bin. The Jyrobike has been designed to…
Three-person IVF babies are closer to becoming a reality
It used to be strictly a two-person activity, but according to a new scientific review, three people will be able to have a baby in around two years' time - if the procedure is made legal. It would be used to prevent mitochondrial diseases, which are passed from mothers to children. Mitochondria are tiny organisms…
OwnFone: First ever Braille phone goes on sale in the UK
Smartphones are getting ever more advanced and impressive, but shiny new touch screens aren't always so easy to use for people who are blind or partially sighted, which is an estimated 285 million people worldwide. Now British inventor Tom Sunderland has designed the OwnFone to make things simpler. A Braille phone the size of a…
Samsung Galaxy Tab S images leaked – what do you think?
Photos of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab S line have leaked online ahead of the company's official introduction of the new line up on June 12th. Press pictures of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, which first appeared on @evleaks, show a thin, light tablet that looks very similar to the existing Galaxy Tab 10.1, although of…
