Science and Technology

Tuesday, 03 September 2019 05:48

Facebook says it may remove Like counts

Facebook could soon start hiding the Like counter on News Feed posts to protect users’ from envy and dissuade them from self-censorship. Instagram is already testing this in 7 countries including Canada and Brazil, showing a post’s audience just a few names of mutual friends who’ve Liked it instead of the total number. The idea is to prevent users from destructively comparing themselves to others and potentially feeing inadequate if their posts don’t get as many Likes. It could also stop users from deleting posts they think aren’t getting enough Likes or not sharing in the first place. Reverse engineering…

Sunday, 01 September 2019 04:51

New Telegram feature will protect your identity

Telegram will roll out an update designed to protect Hong Kong protesters' identities in the coming days, according to Reuters. The upcoming feature will cloak users' phone numbers to prevent authorities from being able to look up the people participating in protesters' group chats. Telegram's security-focused features made it the go-to chat application for activists around the world. Hong Kong protesters are using it to share information on where they're holding demonstrations, to pass around the access codes of buildings where they can hide and to make sure fellow activists know the identities of undercover cops. Telegram founder Pavel Durov…

Tuesday, 27 August 2019 04:58

Here’s how to store and remember all your passwords

If you, like millions of other people, use the same password for just about every application you use, then I’m sorry to break it to you, but one of these days, you’ll probably get hacked, if you aren’t already. Although you probably imagine a hacker as a hooded, geeky man sat behind a laptop breaking into accounts by guessing people’s favorite movies and lucky numbers, surprisingly, that’s not how it works. In fact, hackers specifically target vulnerable sites and access its customer database where they can easily find your details. But, we’re not here to scare you (that much), we’ve…

Thursday, 22 August 2019 05:10

Company perfects tech to convert your petrol/diesel car to electric vehicle

With more and more electric cars on the road, many people are reflecting on whether it makes sense to continue owning a traditional car with a standard combustion engine. According to French company Transition-One, they can convert your existing car to an electric one for just $9,500. The first prototype was a 2009 Renault Twingo that has an electric driving range of 180 kilometers With more electric cars on the road and the negative environmental impact of traditional vehicle emissions on the forefront of many minds, some may struggle with their choice to drive a car with a standard combustion…

Wednesday, 21 August 2019 05:18

Scientists develop blood test which can predict whether you will die in the next 10 years

Alexandra Thompson Researchers have developed a blood test which could predict your chance of dying in the next 10 years. Scientists in uncovered 14 biomarkers in blood that appear to affect the risk of death, after analysing 44,000 people. The biomarkers are associated with everything from immunity and glucose control to circulating fat and inflammation. A trial of the biomarkers found they were 83 per cent accurate at predicting whether someone would die in the following two to 16 years. The methodology has yet to be rolled out in a conventional blood test, such as those used to check if…

Friday, 16 August 2019 05:26

High tech aircraft maintenance begins in Nigeria as Aero upgrades to ‘D Check’

Nigeria’s dream to conduct major aircraft maintenance locally and save a substantial part of the over $2 billion spent annually on overseas checks may have materialised with Aero Contractors’ approval to conduct D-check on Boeing B737 classic. Two years ago Aero received certification for Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to conduct C-checks on Boeing B737 Classics, which is the major aircraft fleet for scheduled commercial operation in Nigeria. But recently it received another approval from NCAA to conduct D-Check, which is the highest level of maintenance on any aircraft. What this means is that many…

Thursday, 15 August 2019 06:02

Facebook to feature Yoruba, Igbo languages in fight against fake news

Facebook has said it will fight fake news on its platform using Yoruba and Igbo languages. Facebook’s Head of Public Policy, Africa, Mr Kojo Boakye, said in a statement in Lagos yesterday, that the two languages were in addition to Hausa language, already supported by the platform. Boakye said that Facebook was collaborating with Africa Check to add new local language support for several African languages as part of its Third-Party Fact-Checking programme. He said that the programme would help to assess the accuracy of news on Facebook and reduce the spread of misinformation. According to him, the programme was…

Tuesday, 06 August 2019 04:16

How 5G will revolutionise communication

Caroline Frost • 5G paved the way for the UK's first holographic phone call, but the technology's improved speed and reduced latency will bring more everyday benefits for business owners. • 5G promises to eliminate awkward video conference calls, making for a more relaxed, intimate experience when dialling into the office. • The technology should also cut your commute time by allowing cars to talk to each other and with traffic lights in newly connected 'smart cities.' That sinking feeling when you're halfway through an important video conference call, the picture drops out or the sound starts to go, promises…

Monday, 05 August 2019 05:25

Now, women can delay menopause by 20 years and even have kids in between. This is how

Michael Powell and Lara Keay Women can delay the menopause by up to 20 years with a new 30-minute operation that tricks their biological clocks into thinking they are much younger than they are. The revolutionary procedure is set to transform the lives of thousands of women who suffer severe side effects of the menopause, such as osteoporosis and heart problems. For millions more, the appeal of delaying the menopause would be a reduction of often debilitating physical and emotional problems such as hot flushes, a reduced sex drive, night sweats and mood swings. The surgical procedure, devised by the…

Saturday, 03 August 2019 04:15

Digital ‘clothes’ could be the next big Instagram hit

Hip Scandinavian fashion retailer Carlings knew it had to make a big impression when it launched its first online store in 2018 — years after most other apparel brands. Carlings has more than 200 physical stores in Norway, Finland and Sweden and is known for its wide range of jeans and casual clothes. When it finally started selling online last year, it wanted to do something that would draw people to its website and make it stand out. Virtual “clothes,” pieces that were available only as digital items, turned out to be the answer. It turned to Virtue, the creative…

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Saturday, 27 July 2019 04:37

Feeling hot or cold? This pocket gadget the size of your ATM card provides sweet relief

Sony is crowdfunding a portable wearable air conditioner about the size of a bank card which blasts cool air down the back of your shirt. The Reon Pocket is a bluetooth device that uses thermoelectric cooling for the hot summer months or heating, for use during winter. This week, UK has been experiencing its hottest temperatures on record, with parts of the south reaching a staggering 39°C. It slips into a special undershirt with a pocket at the base of the neck, and connects to an app, which you can control on your phone. Sony says that it can cool…

Friday, 26 July 2019 05:26

Nigerian accent introduced on Google Maps

Commuters making their way through Nigeria can now hear travel advice in a local voice on Google Maps under new features aimed at attracting more users in Africa that were unveiled by the company on Wednesday. The local accents feature, unveiled at an event in the commercial capital Lagos and also available on Google Assistant, is the first move by the U.S. technology giant to offer such a service in Africa. Rapidly expanding populations, increased mobile phone penetration and crowded cities that are often poorly signposted have led technology firms to identify African countries as potential growth areas. They are…

Saturday, 20 July 2019 05:26

Deepfake videos pose a threat, but ‘dumbfakes’ may be worse

Sophisticated phony videos called deepfakes have attracted plenty of attention as a possible threat to election integrity. But a bigger problem for the 2020 U.S. presidential contest may be “dumbfakes” — simpler and more easily unmasked bogus videos that are easy and often cheap to produce. Unlike deepfakes, which require sophisticated artificial intelligence, audio manipulation and facial mapping technology, dumbfakes can be made simply by varying the speed of video or selective editing. They are easier to create and can be convincing to an unsuspecting viewer, which makes them a much more immediate worry. A slowed-down video of House Speaker…

Tuesday, 16 July 2019 04:32

Will ships without sailors be the future of trade?

On 7 May, customs officers in Ostend, Belgium, received a box of oysters from the UK. The molluscs had been caught in Essex and transported to Belgium on a 12m (39ft) aluminium-hulled vessel, which traversed the English Channel with no humans on board. It was the world's first unmanned commercial shipping operation. The crewless boat was carefully watched by four people in a control centre in Tollersbury, Essex, headquarters of Hushcraft, the company behind the design and development of the craft. UK and Belgian coastguards also monitored the oysters' progress. "You could actually listen to the waves hitting the boat,"…

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