Jamie Condliffe

Toyota Is Recalling Millions of Prius Hybrids to Fix a Software Bug

Toyota is recalling 1.9 million Prius hybrids to fix a serious bug in the engine control unit which can cause transistors to overheat—and potentially cause the hybrid system to shut down while driving. The bug can see the car revert to failsafe mode in the case of overheating, and it can still be stopped—but it…

Does Stretching Before Exercise Actually Help?

Everyone tells us to stretch before exercise, but does it actually help improve performance and recovery? Turns out that it depends on the type of sport—and the person. Some sports, like figure skating or snowboarding, benefit from a good limbering up; those that use explosive muscle power, like the bobsleigh, are hindered. Either way, there’s…

FAA Rule Bans Personal Electronics in the Cockpit

While the Federal Aviation Authority recently changed its regulations to allow passengers to use gadgets more freely, it’s now done exactly the opposite in the cockpit: pilots won’t be able to use personal electronics during flights. Phew? The The Wall Street Journal reports that while cell phones, tablets or computers can be used in the…

The Science of Kissing

Kissing is great! Everyone loves kissing. But when you stop and think about it, the idea of rubbing your face and tongue up against those of another human being is actually a little… weird. This video tries to get to the bottom of the science of kissing. In truth, our love of kissing is a…

Report: Google and Foxconn Building Roboticized Factories of the Future

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google and Foxconn are working together to create a new vision of roboticized factories. We already knew that Andy Rubin, head of Google’s fast-growing robotics wing, is interested in the future of manufacturing and retailing automation. But the Journal reports that he recently met with Foxconn CEO Terry…

Flappy Bird Creator: I Pulled the Game Because It Was Too Addictive

Flappy Bird is dead. But Dong Ngueyn, the seemingly troubled developer of the game, has now explained, somewhat counter-intuitively, that he pulled the tortuous title because it was “an addictive product.” In an interview with Forbes, Nguyen explained that “it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem.” Despite the…

The AP Deleted Fidel Castro Images Photoshopped to Remove a Hearing Aid

At 87, Fidel Castro is not as young as he used to be, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that he wears a hearing aid—but that didn’t stop AP contributors photoshopping the device out of images of the ex-Cuban President. The Guardian reports that the Associated Press news agency has decided to remove…

Why Do We Cry?

Whether you’re happy to admit it or not, from time to time we all cry. But how? Why? And are all tears the same? In fact, no! You might be surprised to find out that there are in fact three different kinds of tears: basal, emotional and onion… no, just kidding, the final one is…

Chromecast can now play embedded YouTube videos on your TV—no need to mirror entire browser tabs any longer. Which is neat.

Virgin Atlantic Is Using Google Glass to Improve Check-Ins

Customer privacy be damned. Virgin Atlantic is kicking off a trial using Google Glass and Sony’s SmartWatch 2 to provide its employees with personalized data about its upper class passengers. The idea is to feed service staff custom data which will help them give travellers a more pleasant travel experience. In a rather breathy, enthusiastic…

Rumor: Microsoft Is Building an Xbox Reader App

Clearly, the future is (possibly) all about reading. A new Microsoft job listing suggests that the company is looking to build “a groundbreaking interactive reading app on Windows, which incorporates books, magazines, and comics.” The ad describes a position in the Xbox Music, Video, and Reading (MVR) team, which would help put together the reading…

How Does the Human Body Create Electricity?

The human body is just a bunch of humble biological compounds, strung together to form cells and, ultimately, you. So how the hell does it create electricity? Good question! Thing is, while it’s easy to think of electricity as batteries and power outlets, on the small scale the only thing you need to create electricity…

You Could Download and Print This Titanium Bike Frame

It may look like an alien desk tidy, but you’re actually looking at a bicycle frame hot off the 3D printer. The frame—shown below in its fully assembled form—is the brainchild of Renishaw, which makes metal 3D printers, and Empire Cycles. Based on Empire’s MX-6 mountain bike, it’s printed in titanium alloy which winds up…

Why Do We Get Nervous?

Fidgety.Increased heart rate. Butterflies in your stomach. There’s no doubt about it: you’re nervous. Buy why? It’s all part of the fight-or-flight response, which uses adrenaline to prime the human body for for stressful situations. In fact. the body reacts to danger on a sliding scale, though, so the stresses of a job interview illicit…

Report: NSA Relies on Unreliable Phone Data for Drone Strikes

According to a new report, the phone data from NSA phone surveillance is regularly used to carry out drone strikes—which have killed innocents along the way. The report, published in The Intercept—a new publication led by Glenn Greenwald, who broke many of the original NSA revelations last year—features commentary from an anonymous former drone operator…

Even The Most Serious of Updates Get Ignored If They Require a Restart

You computer may be at risk. Your privacy may be at risk. Hell, you may be at risk. But if you’ve got a lot of apps running and that update will require a restart? Forget about it. [XKCD]

Listen to the Sound of Atoms Bonding

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a large tuning fork, a nail, some Blu-Tack and a guitar amp sounded more like the contents of a DIY music studio than a science lab. But they are, in fact, all the ingredients required to listen to the sound of atoms bonding. No, really! In this video, Professor…

Big Companies Want You to Feel Like an Individual, But You’re Not

Man, I bet you can’t believe that someone got the same anonymous-looking lifestyle product as you. They’re such copycats. [Doghouse Diaries]

This Simple Disc of Metal Helped Change Science Forever

It might not look much, but this small disc of metal helped shape science—because it was the primary mirror in Sir Isaac Newton’s original reflecting telescope. Made from speculum—an alloy containing tin and copper with some arsenic thrown in—it was a crucial part of the telescopes of the day. And this one just happened to…

A Stunning Picture of the Earth’s Atmosphere Is Better Than Any Sci-Fi

This image may look like the opening scene from a high-budget sci-fi film, but it is in fact a real photograph, snapped by astronaut Koichi Wakata from the International Space Station. Captured on February 1st, it shows the crescent moon rising and the stunning cusp of Earth’s atmosphere. The beautiful oranges and blue hues are…