Miscellaneous

Washington, Jul 13: Scientists have designed a new solar cell that converts direct sunlight to electricity with 44.5 per cent efficiency, and may potentially be the most efficient solar cell in the world. The prototype integrates multiple cells stacked into a single device capable of capturing nearly all of the energy in the solar spectrum, researchers said. The approach developed by researchers

Melbourne, Jul 11: The University of Adelaide has become Australia's first varsity to offer a professional course to train people to fly drones or remotely piloted aircraft. The five-day intensive commercial drone course will lead to the award of a Remote Pilot License, certified by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia (CASA). Under Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, the operation of

Washington, Jul 9: Scientists, including those of Indian origin, have invented the first battery-less cell phone that consumes almost zero power and runs by harvesting energy from ambient radio signals or light. The team also made Skype calls using its battery-free phone, demonstrating that the prototype made of commercial, off-the-shelf components can receive and transmit speech and communicate

Washington, Jul 4: Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a smart headlight system for the first time that can help drivers see through heavy rain or snowfall and safely navigate roads during stormy nights. The system invented by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the US improves visibility by constantly redirecting light to shine between particles of

Washington, Jul 1: Hackers can guess a user's passwords by monitoring their thoughts, according to scientists including those of Indian origin who suggest that brainwave-sensing headsets need better security. Electroencephalograph (EEG) headsets allow users to control robotic toys and video games with the mind. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the US found that a person

Jun 30: Google has introduced a new app called The Triangle, which aims to better manage mobile data usage and block unwanted background data. As of now, this app is only available in the Philippines. It is aimed at prepaid customers in the country who can purchase only a certain amount of prepaid data. Of course, carriers also offer unlimited prepaid data packs, but usually, once the user crosses

New Delhi, Jun 30: If you are a glutton for McDonald’s burgers, get ready for some serious heartburn. As many as 43 of the 55 outlets belonging to the American fast food chain in Delhi temporarily suspended operations from Thursday, after its North and East India licensee failed to renew eating-house permits. As soon as news of the development spread, Delhiites rushed to their nearest McDonald’s

New York, Jun 27: Facebook is deleting about 66,000 posts a week as the social media giant cracks down on what it considers to be hate speech. The company said in a blog post today that deleting posts can "feel like censorship," but that it is working on explaining its process better. Facebook says it defines hate speech as attacks on people based on their race, sexual orientation and other

Jun 28: Eating a tasty meal with chana dal or doenjang washed down with a gin daisy could well foster a nice feeling of hygge. Just hope you don’t find any zyzzyva on your plate. If you need to look up any of those words, the unofficial custodian of the English language now has the answers. In its latest update, the Oxford English Dictionary identified more than 600 words, phrases and senses that

San Francisco, Jun 27: Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube has announced the launch of an anti-terror partnership aimed at thwarting the spread of extremist content online. The "Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism" intends to share engineering, research and knowledge to help "continue to make our hosted consumer services hostile to terrorists and violent extremists," the companies said