Jamie Condliffe

UN Aviation Agency Demands Real-Time Airplane Tracking in Emergencies

The UN’s panel on aviation has announced that airplanes should now be fitted with autonomous distress tracking devices which allow them to transmit their location during emergencies. The International Civil Aviation Organization announced the new provisions yesterday—a year to the day since the MH370 disaster. The new devices should be able to transmit “information at…

A New Durable Superhydrophobic Material Was Inspired by Shrinky Dinks 

Take a sheet of shrinkable plastic, like the stuff you find in Shrinky Dinks. Add a dash of of Teflon and—voila!—you have an incredibly simple new kind of superhyrdrophboc material. That’s pretty much what a team of researchers form the the University of Sydney has done. The team had been playing shrinkable plastics—just like the…

Seagate’s New 10GBps SSD Will Be the World’s Fastest

Seagate’s new SSD will be very, very fast indeed. In fact, able to transfer data at up to 10GBps, it’s 6GBps faster than its previous best—and it’s claimed it will be the fastest in the world. Designed for enterprise use—so don’t expect it to be in your desktop just yet—there are few extra details at…

Use Flickr’s automatic photo upload service on your computer? Not anymore if you have a free account: The Uploadr tool will know require you to be a paying Pro subscriber. Well, there’s always Google Photos.

The Latest Job for IBM’s Watson Is as a Hotel Concierge

Next time you check in at a Hilton, your welcome may be even more automated than usual. That’s because the hotel chain has been working with IBM to create a robotic concierge that it call Connie. Connie—named after the hotel chain’s founder, Conrad Hilton, and not its role—is actually a Nao robot imbued with Watson’s…

Google’s AI Has Won Its First Match Against Go World Champion Lee Sedol

In the first of a series of matches, Google Deepmind’s powerful artificial intelligence AlphaGo has beaten the world champion of Go, Lee Sedol. The match between Sedol and DeepMind—in fact the first of five—was broadcast live on YouTube beginning March 9th. According to Google, it was a “close first game.” AlphaGo won by resignation after…

The World’s First Silicon-Based Laser Will Light Up Computing

As optical computing becomes a more realistic prospect, lasers will be required to connect components inside our devices. Now, a new silicon-based laser could make it far easier for researchers to replace wires with beams of light. Researchers have been trying to build a working laser using silicon for years now. That’s because so many…

You Can Watch Amazon’s First Live Show Tonight—If You Can Bear It

Amazon’s first-ever live TV show will air tonight. Called Style Code Live, it will features three exuberant presenters attempting to sell Amazon’s clothing stock. Yes, it’s a shopping channel. No, you probably won’t be able to endure it. The first show will air at 9pm EST this evening and you’ll be able to watch it…

This Bionic Fingertip Lets Amputees Feel Rough and Smooth

Most of us take the the subtle difference between rough and smooth beneath our fingertips for granted. But a new device could allow amputees to rediscover the same sensation. Developed by researchers from Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, the device uses a series of sensors to detect undulations in the surface beneath them, converting the…

FCC Finalizing Proposal to Give Poor Households $9 per Month Toward Internet Bills

The internet is an essential part of daily life for most US citizens—but poor households struggle to afford it at home. Now, the Federal Communications Commission is said to be close to finalizing plans for a subsidy that will help the poor pay for an internet connection. The New York Times reports that the FCC…

Watch Steve Wozniak’s Take on Apple Versus the FBI

Steve Wozniak appeared on Conan last night and predictably gave his take on the ongoing battle between Apple and the FBI. Perhaps unsurprisingly as a founding figure of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, he sides with Apple. [Conan]

Tim Cook and Elon Musk Reportedly Holed Up With Senior Republicans to Stop Trump

Most of us can do little more than grumble about Donald Trump. But according to Huffington Post, the world’s tech elite have joined billionaires and senior Republicans at a secretive meeting to “stop [the] Republican front-runner.” The website claims that Tim Cook, Larry Page, Sean Parker, and Elon Musk all descended on a private island…

Justice Department Wants to Overturn New York iPhone Unlocking Ruling

The Justice Department has announced that it wants to overturn a ruling that currently protects an iPhone in New York from being unlocked. Just last week, Judge James Orenstein rejected the government’s requests to unlock an iPhone that was involved in a New York drug case. The government had argued the phone should unlocked under…

You’d Never Spot These Hidden Card Skimmers That Are on the Rise

Watch where you put your card. The ATM security organization EAST has published a new report pointing out that the use of s0-called Throat Inlay Skimming devices—which are hidden within the card slot—is rising. These kinds of devices, pictured above, are “placed inside the card reader throat in front of the shutter,” according to EAST.…

The Best Biomedical Images of the Year Reveal the True Beauty of Biology

Every year, the Wellcome Trust rounds up the best biomedical images of the last twelve months as part of its Image Awards. This year, the pictures are a reminder of just how beautiful biology can be. There are20 winning images in the awards this year and we’ve chosen a handful to show you here. Our…

A Creepy Topless 3D-Printed Portrait: The Ideal Gift for a Person You Hate

Who wouldn’t want to receive a small and realistic replica of you without your clothes on? Our British counterparts at Gizmodo UK report that you can order one of these terrifying Nudee models from Firebox right now. All you have to supply is a pair of pictures of the head you’d like immortalized—one from the…

Rare Glimpse of Aurora Borealis Spotted in Southern England Last Night

The Aurora Borealis may be a common site in some parts of the world, but England rarely gets to witness it in its full, saturated glory. Last night, however, the country was treated to an impressive multicolor light show. The BBC reports that the Northern Lights could be seen strongly as far west as Anglesey…

This Flexible Film Uses Liquid Metal to Absorb Radar and Cloak What It Covers

If you want to fly under the radar, you could do with a sheet of this material. Using a series of liquid-metal absorbers, the new film can soak up radar in order to cloak whatever it happens to be covering. Developed by researchers from Iowa State University, the material is made up of a series…

Apple VP Craig Federighi Says FBI Demands Overlook Criminal Innovation

The fight between Apple and the FBI over unlocking an iPhone continues. Now, Apple’s VP for software engineering, Craig Federighi, has spoken out, warning that legal arguments overlook the fact that criminals—as well as tech companies—continue to innovate. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, he writes that his “team must work tirelessly to…

There Might Be Clouds on Pluto

Pluto’s atmosphere might be more complex than we thought. New Scientist claims that scientists reckon these images could actually show individual clouds floating above the surface of the planet. The magazine claims to have seen emailssent between researchers discussing the formation of clouds above Pluto. One snippet from an email sent by John Spencer of…