Alibaba executive Patrick Liu Chunning arrested by Chinese authorities in corruption probe July 10, 2015 Senior Alibaba executive Patrick Liu Chunning has been arrested over allegations of corruption during his time at Tencent, a rival Chinese internet firm. Read more: Alibaba wants to create China's HBO and Netflix equivalent In a statement Alibaba insisted the Chinese authorities' probe had "nothing to do with" its own operations. Liu is vice president of [...]
How do you make your iPhone battery last longer? New Waldio technology extends smartphone life and makes it up to 20 times faster July 10, 2015 Let’s face it, we’re all addicted to our smartphones, and there is there are few things more irritating than seeing your phone’s battery slowly drain away – or worse, having it die on you halfway through the day. Luckily, there’s a new technology to the rescue, promising to improve both the speed and the battery [...]
UK renewables on the rise – but we’re far behind other EU countries July 9, 2015 The UK’s renewable energy consumption is on the rise – but we’re still lagging far behind other EU countries. Renewable and waste sources account for 5.6 per cent of the UK’s total energy in 2013, according to new figures released by the ONS today, suggesting that the UK’s economy is getting greener. This means renewables [...]
The healthiest people in the UK speak English “proficiently” as a second language July 9, 2015 In England and Wales, the healthiest people are the ones who have a firm grasp of English but don't speak it as their first language, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Using data from the 2011 census, they compared ability to speak English with the proportion of people falling into the “good health” [...]
Cisco is making $1bn investment in UK tech including $150m IoT startup venture backing July 9, 2015 Cisco is making a major long-term investment in UK tech with $1bn of investment and the creation of hundreds of jobs. The tech company which already employs 7,000 people in the UK – its biggest market – is also eyeing up acquisitions here, continuing a spree that has seen the company buy up five tech [...]
Metformin: The world’s first drug to increase life expectancy could go on trial next year July 9, 2015 A drug designed to treat diabetes has been found to delay the ageing process as well – and it could be trialled in humans as soon as next year. Read more: Britain’s ageing population could boost economic growth – if we adapt Metformin, which has been prescribed as a human diabetes medicine for decades, was [...]
A machine has identified galaxies on its own for the first time July 9, 2015 Looks like Skynet draws nearer yet again – although on this occasion, it's a bit more literal. UK researchers have taught a computer how to “see”, turning it into a machine that doesn’t just scan the night skies, but can also recognise galaxy types without any human help. Astronomers and computer scientists at the University [...]
How fitness apps can help boost your workout July 8, 2015 No 1 Fitness personal trainer Mark Hallam tells us how technology can take your health regime to the next level – but will never replace a human touch. Thanks to the Apple Watch, wearable technology that can monitor your heartrate and calorie intake has moved well and truly into the mainstream, while fitness-tracking apps [...]
5 of the best July 8, 2015 MyFitnessPal This is one of the top food-tracking apps out there, with a vast database (more than 5m) of meals with pre-loaded calorie counts. Eating less is far easier if you’re faced with a list of all your indiscretions every day. It’s also free, albeit with optional upgrades. Free, iOS and Android The Training Notebook [...]
July Budget 2015: Shares dive for green energy firms as Osborne scraps tax exemption July 8, 2015 In today's Budget, chancellor George Osborne announced that the government is scrapping a green tax exemption enjoyed by renewable energy companies since 2001. Read more: George Osborne cuts corporation tax and bank levy as he tells firms "Britain is open for business" Currently, tax is not paid on renewable electricity supplied to businesses under renewable [...]