3D printer from Sheffield University can print products in less than a second using “high-speed sintering”. June 2, 2015 Sheffield University is building a 3D printer that should be able to spit out plastic products as quickly as a production line. The machine should be available in 2017 at a cost of £1m. It uses a new technique that uses less heat – meaning products are ready within seconds rather than hours. A single [...]
Facebook AI research: European robot lab opened in Paris to explore artificial intelligence June 2, 2015 Facebook has expanded its exploration of robot technology with the opening of a new European research centre. The Facebook AI research centre in Paris will be its third, building on existing teams in Silicon Valley and New York, and its first in Europe, looking into the application of artificial intelligence technology. "…[the] team will work [...]
The cost of cyber attacks on businesses has doubled in the last year June 2, 2015 The threat of cyber attacks on UK businesses is rising steeply, a government report has warned. Over the last year, the total cost of malicious attacks on business software and cyber breaches by employees came to £1.46m – over twice as much as the £600,000 they cost a year earlier. Nine out of 10 companies [...]
Have humans reached their maximum IQ? Intelligence is starting to plateau for the first time June 2, 2015 Over the last century, humans have become much, much cleverer. In fact, new research by the University of Vienna shows how across the world, the average IQ has risen by 30 points during that time. Why this has happened is not entirely clear, but the researchers say it's a combination of better food quality and [...]
Sit-stand desks and walkabouts: Experts say we should all be on our feet for four hours of the working day June 2, 2015 If you spend all day sitting in front of the computer at work, only to go home and sit on a sofa for a few more hours, it's time to reassess your lifestyle. People should aim to be on their feet for four hours of the working day, Public Health England has said – in [...]
Bad weather forces Solar Impulse 2 to take a break in Japan June 1, 2015 Solar Impulse 2 has had to take a short break from its round-the-world flight due to dangerous weather conditions. The fully solar-powered plane is landing at Nagoya airport in Japan before making its way across the Pacific ocean. The pilot was just 36 hours into a journey expected to take six days when the emergency [...]
Confirmed: Intel is buying Altera for $16.7bn June 1, 2015 Intel is buying Altera in an all-cash deal valued at around $16.7bn (£11bn), offering $54 per share, confirming earlier reports of an acquisition. “Intel’s growth strategy is to expand our core assets into profitable, complementary market segments,” said Intel chief Brian Krzanich. “With this acquisition, we will harness the power of Moore’s Law to make the [...]
On the path to curing cancer: Scientists say immunotherapy could open a “new era” of treatment June 1, 2015 For decades, chemotherapy has been the main treatment used to prolong the lives of cancer sufferers, but scientists believe a new kind of treatment could completely transform how we tackle the disease. Immunotherapy, which involves harnessing the body's own immune system to attack cancerous cells in the same way it would attack a virus, [...]
Windows 10 release date: Free update launches 29 July to suceed Windows 8 June 1, 2015 Microsoft will release the latest incarnation of its operating system (OS) at the end of July, it revealed today. Windows 10 (not Windows 9, despite it following Windows 8, the current version), will be available from 29 July as a free upgrade. The OS will be free to anyone currently using Windows 7 onwards, and [...]
Plus500 share price rises as Playtech buys trading platform for £460m June 1, 2015 Playtech has snapped up trading platform Plus500 for £460m, adding the spreadbetting platform to its online betting and gaming software business. Unperturbed by Plus500's recent headaches, which have seen UK customers' accounts frozen and its market value fall, Playtech chief Mor Weizer said the acquisition will help his company expand its wider offering. Plus500's share [...]