Author: Diane Shipley
Staff Writer Diane is especially interested in high-tech medical advances, weird and interesting uses of science, new gadgets, and the intersection of tech and lifestyle. When not working, she reads the internet, listens to podcasts, watches American TV, and thinks about leaving the house.
This clever furniture can assemble itself
Imagine a world where you'd never have to try to decode one of those Ikea or Argos self-assembly instruction sheets ever again. ("Is this diagram upside down?") Where furniture doesn’t need you to make it because it can be shipped flat and then pull itself together. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Well, keep dreaming, because it’s…
Researchers say YouTube could encourage drinking too much
New research into YouTube has found that the majority of videos on the site that feature drinking glamourise being three sheets to the wind. (Probably because nauseous hangover videos tend not to rake in the big ad money…) Brian A Primack, an associate professor of medicine and paediatrics, and his colleagues at the University of…
Could walking football be as good for us as the real thing?
Walking football is a new form of exercise that could be ideal for anyone who’s new to exercise, trying to build their strength back up, or who just finds running around completely barbaric. (Hiya.) We all know how fit footballers have to be, and can imagine from the comfort of our sofas how exhausting it…
Oculus Rift’s virtual reality headset can help reduce neck pain
According to new research, the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset can help patients who are struggling with long-term neck pain. G Lorimer Moseley, Daniel Harvie, and their colleagues from the University of South Australia trialled the headset with 24 physiotherapy patients. All of them had chronic neck pain, but for different reasons, from traumatic injury…
Could coffee leaf tea be your next favourite drink?
If you’re still sipping coffee made from grounds, or tea made from leaves, I’m sorry, but you’re out of the loop. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee leaf tea. What? Yes. Coffee leaf tea could soon be the hottest (ha) trend in beverages. As Treehugger points out, brewing the leaves of the…
Binger wants to find you love based on your Netflix use
Binger is a new dating app concept based around Netflix. Sure, it’s nice going to fancy restaurants at the start of a relationship, but a few months in, all you want to do is slip into some yoga pants, snuggle on the sofa, and spend eight hours or so with your new favourite TV show.…
These artists made 3D selfies you can ‘paint’ on
Forget your filters and your Jennifer Aniston photobombs (although great work bagging a seat next to Meryl at the Oscars, JLo), here’s something that could really make selfies interesting. As part of their art installation Skin Deep, New York-based artists Alon Chitayat and Rosalie Yu created 3D-scanned computer models of themselves that people visiting the…
Your voice is more likely to get you a job than your CV
If you want to improve your chances of getting a new job, you should definitely think about sprucing up your CV and buying a new outfit. But it turns out that your time and money might be better spent at elocution lessons, because your voice is more likely to land you the gig. Researchers at…
HelloFlo’s next video is for new mums
Given that it's racked up over 30 million hits on YouTube since its debut last year, you probably remember HelloFlo’s ‘First Moon Party’ video. One of the funniest depictions of a girl getting her period ever, it introduced us to the term ‘Vagician’ and the concept of the uterus piñata. (I’ll take two, please.) Of…
The next Barbie will be internet-connected
Barbie’s not exactly known for being forward-thinking and modern – more regressive and gender-normative. But Mattel, the company who makes the ever-popular, ever-smiling miniature blonde bombshell, has announced a new, internet-connected version of the doll that will talk to its owner. They’re currently working on Hello Barbie alongside ToyTalk, an American start-up specialising in speech…
