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.
The oSnap app lets you smell the roses, literally
Most of us are stuck in offices all day, so there isn’t always time to get out in nature and literally stop and smell the roses. But that doesn’t mean we can’t smell the virtual roses. Yes, soon we could all be sending and receiving photos with scents attached, whether of a field of wildflowers,…
Turns out, texting actually improves spelling and grammar
Texting gets a bad rap. It might seem like a quick and easy way to contact friends without having to actually (ick) speak to someone, but according to some sources, it can ruin your relationship, make you racist, and even shorten your life. And of course, for years the use of abbreviations and emoji has…
PR firms pledge to stop unethical Wikipedia edits from now on
For some people, editing Wikipedia is a vocation: something they feel called to do to make sure anyone with access to an internet connection has free, unbiased, accurate information at their fingertips. For others, it’s a way to mess with people – either for a lark or to be mean. And of course, it’s also…
How did England fans fare in the Mirror’s first ever online penalty shootout?
The people of England got their chance to be part of a World Cup-inspired penalty shootout yesterday – no athletic ability required. Instead, football fans took turns taking control of a unique soccer robot, specially built for The Mirror. Using their computer, tablet, or smartphone, they lined up the robot and fired footballs at some…
Could this new shatterproof coating save you from a smashed phone screen?
Mobile phones have changed a lot in the last few years: they’re now faster and thinner (and wider) than ever, with sharp graphics and increased storage capacity... and screens that could shatter at a second’s notice. The fact that late-90s devices have had a recent resurgence has even been credited in part to the fact…
Samsung unveils its new Galaxy Tab S tablet
Last night Samsung showed off its Galaxy Tab S tablet at a launch event in New York, and the specs are very similar to what we expected. The device will come in two sizes, 8.4 inch and 10.5 inch, both 6.6mm thick and available in white or bronze. It has a 2560 x 1600 pixel Super…
Pinterest is now FINALLY available for Windows Phone
Poor Windows Phone users. For years they’ve been itching to share photos of their quirky weddings and instructions for hand-sewn bunting or seven-layered rainbow cakes they’re definitely probably possibly going to make. But they’ve been forced to do it all from their computers or not at all, while iPhone and Android users were happily pinning…
Prime Music: Amazon launches new music streaming service
Amazon has rolled out a new music streaming service on its US site this morning. Called Prime Music, it adds to Amazon Prime’s $99 a year subscription service for two-day delivery. Amazon Prime already included access to 40,000 films and TV shows and a Kindle lending library of 500,000 books. Now subscribers will also be…
New iPhone 6 photos leaked on Weibo, but are they real?
iPhone 6 photos have popped up on Chinese social networking site Weibo, courtesy of Taiwanese former pop star and race car driver Jimmy Lin. Lin previously leaked images of the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, so there’s no reason to believe they’re not genuine. Lin says that the iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display and that…
Facebook (almost) releases new messaging app Slingshot
Thanks to a slip-up, we now know that the rumours about Facebook’s photo and video messaging app Slingshot are true. The company accidentally added it to Apple’s app store and then quickly pulled it, but not before reporters from some tech sites had a look at it and took screenshots. (Facebook later released a statement…
