Sci-Tech

Scientists use brainwaves to help disabled gain mobility

South Korean researchers have developed a machine that could read the minds of the disabled and transform their lives. When used in combination with an exoskeleton that enables movement, the brainwave interface measures EEG signals and decodes them into motion control orders. Professor Lee Seong-whan and his team at Korea University are behind the development. “The exoskeleton robot reads the brainwaves of the user and removes unnecessary external noise through the signal processing system. Then, […]

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Apple on alert for Chinese malware in apps

A first-of-its-kind hack attack hits Apple. iPhone and iPad users are vulnerable to malware embedded in popular Chinese apps from Apple’s App Store. WeChat – one of the most popular messaging apps in China – is among dozens of legitimate apps infected with the malicious code. Rather than using the official release of the developer code from Apple’s U.S. servers, developers downloaded the hacked code – dubbed XcodeGhost – from a server in China because […]

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Beach mat charges phones and keeps drinks cool

Forgetting to charge your phone before heading to the beach need not mean social isolation anymore. This is Beachill – a beach mat that uses solar power to revive dead batteries. It also has a small in-built fridge to keep drinks cool. Beachill was originally a university project by Lebanese student Antoine Sayah. But after his tutors advised him to go into business he sold 60 Beachills in just two weeks. Inventor of Beachill, Antoine […]

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Apple’s new iPhone pre-orders boom in China

The demand for Apple’s latest addition – iPhone 6s is much stronger in China as compared to other parts of the world, including the U.S., according to the latest data unveiled by Apple’s news blog. The inventory blog of iPhone tracked the back-order status of various iPhone models by screen shots of Apple’s estimated waiting time. On Sept 12, shipping waiting time for the new iPhone 6s Plus in China stood at three to four […]

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A really ‘smart’ robotic monkey

Computers can figure out complex equations in a blink of an eye, but something as simple as programming a robot to pour a cup of water is incredibly difficult. Sangbae Kim, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT said that giving robots the ability to complete simple tasks that humans have been perfecting through millions of years of evolution could take decades or longer. But when designing a robotic monkey that can aid in search and […]

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Apple announces iPad Pro, with 12.9 inch screen

SEPTEMBER 10 (Reuters) — Apple Inc. on Wednesday (September 9) announced a bigger iPad with a new keyboard and stylus aimed at business customers. Chief Executive Tim Cook promised a day of “monster” news on Wednesday, but shares of the company remained nearly flat as executives showed off the iPad, which will be priced starting at $799. After various announcements about the Apple Watch, he rolled out the “iPad Pro” with a 12.9 inch screen […]

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NASA plans to land on Jupiter moon to look for aliens

MOSCOW, Sept. 9 (PNA/Sputnik) — In our search for life-harboring bodies in the solar system, the Jovian satellite of Europa may be our safest bet. While NASA previously announced a flyby mission to observe the moon from afar, the space agency now has plans to send a probe down to the surface, where life may exist in vast oceans beneath the ice. “All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there,” reads a […]

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Trial operation of driverless bus successful in China

ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 8 (PNA/Xinhua) — A Chinese bus maker announced Monday that its driverless bus has completed a successful trial-operation on an intercity road in central China’s Henan Province. The 10.5-meter hybrid bus by Yutong Bus Co., Ltd., ran around 32.6 kilometers on the intercity road linking Zhengzhou City with Kaifeng City in late August, according to Yutong. The driverless bus has passed all tests including identifying all 26 traffic lights on the road, automatically […]

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NASA’s New Horizons probe begins year-long data transfer after Pluto flyby

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (PNA/Xinhua) — Seven weeks after its historic flyby of Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons probe now began to transmit the tens of gigabits of data it collected about the dwarf planet back to Earth. The transmission rate of the July 14 encounter data, however, is especially slow, at only 1-4 kilobits per second, considering the spacecraft’s 4.8 billion-kilometer distance from Earth, which means a radio signal delay of 4.5 hours. As a result, […]

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Smart phone ingredient found in plant extracts

GERMANY, September 8 (Reuters) — Scientists in Germany have come up with a method for extracting the precious element germanium from plants. The element is a semi-conductor and was used to develop the first transistor because it is able to transport electrical charges extremely quickly. Nowadays, silicon-germanium alloy is indispensable to modern life, crucial in making computers, smartphones and fiber-optic cables. Transparent in infra-red light, germanium is also used in intelligent steering systems and parking […]

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Robot mother builds and improves its own children

(Reuters) Sept. 4 –   This robot is bringing a new sense to the term Mother Nature. Built by the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, this robot ‘mother’ was given a simple command to build ‘children’ capable of locomotion. Assembled from up to five plastic cubes with small internal motors, each robotic offspring is then placed on a surface where its performance is tested. By analyzing the data it collects, the mother robot ensures preferential traits […]

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German scientists’ high hopes for ‘budget’ moon rover

SEPT. 1 (Reuters) — German scientists want to prove that space travel needn’t cost the earth — as they prepare to send a home-made rover to the moon. The challenge is to place the robot on the moon’s surface and explore at least 500 meters while transmitting high-definition video and images back to Earth, and all of that at a limited cost of 30 million dollars — a snip compared to the cheapest NASA mission […]

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