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.
Be My Eyes app lets sighted people help blind people with quick queries
If you’re blind, and especially if you live alone, there could be dozens of situations where you need to ask a sighted person for help: to check if the milk in your fridge is out of date, find out what a street sign says, or make sure the photo you’re framing is the right way…
Will Bethenny Frankel really make ‘Skinnygirl Marijuana?’
You can’t accuse former Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel of letting business opportunities pass her by. Having created a successful brand with her ‘Skinnygirl’ range – because how can you enjoy yourself knowing your favourite cocktail has more than 1 calorie? – according to Us magazine, she’s now turned her attention to another intoxicating substance: marijuana.…
Psychologists say Twitter, Instagram, and email relax us… but Facebook doesn’t
Social media’s been blamed for everything from riots to loneliness to Ched Evans not being able to get a new football contract (no, really, I’m crying on the inside). The Oxford Dictionary added #FOMO as proof that Instagram makes us feel like we never do anything fun anymore, and if you aren’t complaining about having…
Could a temporary tattoo replace needles in monitoring diabetes?
Many diabetes patients have to monitor their blood sugar daily, sometimes several times a day. But the standard finger prick test can be painful, which can put people off doing it every day, making it harder to keep their condition under control. A group of American scientists investigated other ways to measure glucose levels, and…
Robotbase’s Personal Robot wants to be the personal assistant of your dreams
A U.S company called Robotbase is developing a personal robot in part thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, which has already raised $74,701 (of a $50k goal) with twenty days still to go. Informatively (if not imaginatively) called Personal Robot, their design consists of a 1m 27cm stand on a round base, with a round screen…
Fujitsu’s smart ring can translate air writing into action
Fujitsu have developed a new smart ring that’s the first wearable to be able to turn in-air ‘handwriting’ into text. The nifty wearable can translate finger-waving into different alphabets, including Chinese characters, and apparently reproduced numbers with 95% accuracy even when people had no instructions on how to use it. It’ll let users save memos,…
Could a dishwasher and table combination be the future of kitchens?
On one hand, it seems a bit entitled and lazy to complain about what a hassle it is to fill and unload the dishwasher, given that some people don’t even have access to running water and all. On the other… well, there’s a lot of bending, isn’t there? But maybe there’s another way. Treehugger spotted…
DNA can ‘glue’ 3D printed organs together
Scientists in the U.S have found that strands of DNA molecules can stick together 3D printed materials that could be used to make lab-grown organs and tissue. Andrew Ellington and colleagues from the University of Texas published their results in the American Chemical Society journal Biomaterials Science & Engineering. They found that coating polystyrene or…
A blood test could tell you the best way to stop smoking
Want to stop smoking this year? It can be one of the hardest addictions to break, but new research suggests that testing how quickly smokers break down nicotine in the body could make it easier for people to give up, by determining what the best method for them would be. As the BBC reports, a…
Amazon won its first Golden Globes for Transparent
In a step forward for both Amazon’s original content and LGBTQ representation on screen, the site won two awards for its show Transparent at the Golden Globes last night. It bagged ‘Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy’ (the serious drama award went to Joshua Jackson’s slow-burn Showtime show, The Affair) and best actor for Jeffrey…
