Science & Technology

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Two months with Windows Phone 7

HAVING used a Nokia Lumia 800 (running Windows Phone 7.5) for about two months now, the overall experience has been pleasing to say the least, with the exception of a few vexing elements which I think prevents the operating system from being on par...

A glimpse of the future of newspapers

IF you haven't heard by now, The Brunei Times have just recently launched its own iPad app for the masses last week, and me and the Mobiletech columnists have become the poster boys for its ad. This marked another milestone for our newspaper in this...

Samsung, Apple war continues

THE rumour mill has been going crazy the past two months about the successors of the two hottest phones currently in the market — Galaxy S II and iPhone 4S.Numerous online reports are going on about what screen size the phones will have, what are...

Taiwan-linked firm claims Apple infringing trademark in China

A TAIWAN-LINKED company which claims ownership of the iPad trademark in China has filed lawsuits and lodged complaints against Apple for infringement, according to a lawyer.Apple lost a legal battle against Proview Technology (Shenzhen) last year...

Neuroscience: new art of war

DIRECTED energy weapons that use wave beams to cause pain, and electrical brain stimulation that boosts a soldier's combat ability it may sound like science fiction warfare, but experts say advances in neuroscience mean it's on the horizon.Rapid...

Smoking linked to mental decline in men

MEN who smoke experience greater mental declines over time than men who never smoked, but the same link does not appear amongst women, said a British study published in the United States on Monday.The research suggested that the effects of long-term...

Economy class does not increase blood clot chances

GOOD news for budget-minded travelers: There's no proof that flying economy-class increases your chances of dangerous blood clots, according to new guidelines from medical specialists. Travelers' blood clots have been nicknamed "economy...

'Finger food' may help babies avoid obesity

INFANTS outgrowing a liquid diet who give themselves finger food rather than being spoon-fed puree are likelier to eat healthily and avoid getting fat during weaning, reports a study released yesterday.Researchers found that the technique, known as...

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Dealing with head lice

ALTHOUGH there is a stigma associated with having head lice, infestations with these small insects are common and nothing to be ashamed of, according to Dr Hannah Chow-Johnson, a pediatrician at Loyola University Health System.Chow-Johnson knows...

More kids breathe in secondhand smoke in cars

TEXTING while driving, speeding and back-seat hanky-panky aren't all that parents need to worry about when their kids are in cars: Add secondhand smoke to the list. In the first national estimate of its kind, a report from government...

Green tea drinkers show less disability with age

ELDERLY adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell...

Monday, 6 February 2012

Diabetes takes toll on women's hearing, says study

DIABETES is associated with hearing loss in women, especially if the blood sugar disease isn't well-controlled, new research indicates.The study, done by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, examined the medical records of 990 men and...

China's new rockets to debut in next five years

CHINA'S new generations of the Long March rocket family, Long March-5, -6 and -7 are expected to make their maiden flights in the next five years, a rocket scientist said.Yu Menglun, also academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in a...

Chinese supercomputer aids climate scientists

IF NOT for the deafening noise they made, one might have mistaken the nine mainframes positioned in a circle in east China's National Supercomputer Centre for employee lockers.The three-metre-tall machines are actually part of a single working unit...

Saturday, 4 February 2012

Smokers under increased risk of chronic skin condition

SMOKERS have an increased risk of developing the chronic skin condition psoriasis, and that appears to be true both for people who currently smoke as well as past smokers, according to a US study.The findings, based on a study of thousands of people...

Rare rhino pregnancy offers hope for species

A SUMATRAN rhino which is 10-months pregnant is receiving special medical care after suffering two miscarriages, a conservationist said Thursday, fuelling hope for the critically-endangered species.The nine-year old rhino, named Ratu (pic), is...

Deforestation threatens Brazilian wetland sanctuary

THE Pantanal, a stunning biodiversity sanctuary in central-western Brazil, is threatened by intensive farming and deforestation, a leading environmental group warned as the world marked World Wetlands Day on Thursday.Often referred to as the world's...

Friday, 3 February 2012

Scientists decode how the brain hears words

US SCIENTISTS said on Wednesday they have found a way to decode how the brain hears words, in what researchers described as a major step toward one day helping people communicate after paralysis or stroke.By placing electrodes on the brains of...

Australia island of the koala, kangaroo... and elephant

ELEPHANTS and maybe rhinoceroses could be introduced to Australia to chomp on an invasive African grass that also causes wildfires, according to an idea reported in a scientific journal on Wednesday."A major source of fuel for wildfires in the...

Mother Nature shows secret of 'tough' spider web: study

SCIENTISTS said on Wednesday they had unravelled the mystery of how spider webs can withstand multiple tears and even hurricane-force winds without collapsing.The findings should be of keen interest to engineers searching for shock-resistant...