Image copyright DLR Image caption The map traces the variations in height across the Earth’s land surfaces The German space agency (DLR) has released a spectacular 3D map of Earth. Built from images acquired by two radar satellites, it traces the variations in height across all land surfaces – an area totalling more than 148 …
Researchers are studying whether “embodiment” – where you can see and control a virtual reality body – has effects in the real world. Some experiments have suggested that giving people a virtual body can improve cognitive abilities and enhance their interest in a particular subject or reduce racial bias and domestic violence. BBC Click finds …
Image copyright Softbank Robotics A robot is to be questioned by a panel of MPs in what they are claiming is a first for UK democracy (regular viewers of Parliament may beg to differ). Pepper – “a culturally aware” robot – was designed to assist with the care of older people. But next Tuesday she …
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Most weapons systems, including the F-35 jet, were found to be vulnerable to cyber-attack Some of the most cutting-edge weapons in the US’s military arsenal can be “easily hacked” using “basic tools”, a government report has concluded. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found “mission-critical” cyber-vulnerabilities in nearly all weapons …
Radio 1 Newsbeat’s had exclusive access to the team behind the new Call of Duty. They explain why they’ve introduced a Battle Royale mode for the first time, following the huge success of titles like Fortnite and PUBG. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday …
Image copyright Getty Images Watching your favourite show or listening to your playlist has never been easier. A virtually endless supply of film, music and TV can be streamed and downloaded almost instantly. But at what cost to the environment? Vast amounts of energy are needed to keep data flowing on the internet and demand …
Image copyright OpenWorks Engineering Image caption A New Orleans police officer shoulders a drone capture “gun” Rogue drones have nearly caused air accidents, have been used as offensive weapons, to deliver drugs to prisoners, and to spy on people. So how can we fight back? This summer a packed Airbus A321 came within 100ft (30m) …
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The bug made answering some video calls risky Answering a booby-trapped video call via the WhatsApp messaging service could force the app to crash and close, a security expert has found. The bug was a “big deal” said researcher Tavis Ormandy, who is part of the team that found it. …
Image copyright Microsoft Image caption Microsoft’s search engine has been suggesting people visit racist sites Microsoft has “taken action” to change its Bing search engine after it was found to give “horrifying” results for some terms. Journalist Chris Hoffman discovered Bing suggested racist topics when he looked up words such as “Jews”, “Muslims” and “black …
Image copyright Getty Images The price of electric and hybrid cars is set to rise after the government announced changes to the financial incentives for buying greener vehicles. Grants for cars which meet the toughest CO2 restrictions will be cut from £4,500 to £3,500, while discounts in two other categories will be scrapped. The Department …