Transformer bug has tiny gears in its back legs

Just when you thought gears were a brilliant man-made invention mother nature comes out of nowhere to say ‘already did that’. Young planthopper insects found in backyards all over the world have been discovered to have tiny gears which interlock its back legs allowing it to jump far and straight. The gears are found on many young planthoppers but Gregory Sutton from the University of Cambridge first discovered them on...

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Three in four drivers 'would fail test'

Three quarters of drivers would fail their test if forced to take it again today, according to a new study. Among a group of 50 experienced motorists who were asked to sit a mock driving test, just 12 passed while the remainder committed an average of three major faults and 16 minors. In the worst case a participant recorded 10 majors – actions which put the examiner, public or property at risk – while another made 42 minor infringements. In...

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Apple agrees to buy headphone maker Beats for $3bn

Apple has confirmed it will buy headphone maker and music-streaming service provider Beats Electronics. The deal is worth a total of $3bn (£1.8bn), and is thought to be Apple's largest acquisition to date. As part of the acquisition, Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre will join the technology firm. Apple boss Tim Cook said the deal would allow the firm to "continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world". Continue...

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Google’s new car has no steering wheel or pedals

      Yep you read that right, Google’s new car has no steering wheel or pedals and can take you to your location at the push of the button. 2 years ago Google’s self-driving technology passed it’s driving test  with a modified Toyota Prius that guides itself using GPS and laser sensing technology mounted on the roof. Google revealed a new prototype on Tuesday led by CEO Sergey Brin during an onstage interview at...

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Structural supercapacitors take a load on

Stress and squeeze: the new structural supercapacitor design A solid-state supercapacitor that works under great stresses and vibrations has been developed by researchers from the US. Unlike traditional supercapacitors, the new design does not delaminate under stress and could lead to a variety of practical applications, from more-efficient devices to renewable-energy storage. Unlike batteries – which work through chemical reactions – supercapacitors...

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105-bit optical memory built on a chip

Two fully functional optical memories on single chips have been fabricated by researchers in Japan. The devices use bistable optical cavities to store the bits, and allow multiple bits to be controlled simultaneously by the same waveguide. The researchers hope that, in future, such a memory could be used for optical logic operations to increase the speed of computation. Today, optical fibres are the material of choice for transmitting data,...

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