gadgets

Scientists have developed a low-cost sensor made from semiconducting plastic that can be used to diagnose or monitor a wide range of health conditions, such as surgical complications or neurodegenerative diseases. The sensor can measure the amount of critical metabolites, such as lactate or glucose that are present in sweat, tears, saliva or blood, and, when incorporated into a diagnostic device, could allow health conditions to be monitored quickly, cheaply and accurately. The device, described in the journal Science Advances, has a far simpler design than existing sensors, and opens up a wide range of new possibilities for health monitoring down to the cellular level. Semiconducting plastics are being developed for use in solar cells and flexible electronics, but have not yet seen widespread use in biological applications. "In our work, we've overcome many of the limitations of conventional electrochemical biosensors that incorporate enzymes as the sensing mate...

Revelations that an  Amazon Echo smart speaker inadvertently sent a family's private conversation to an acquaintance  highlights some unexpected risks of new voice-enabled technologies. According to Amazon, the fault was an "unlikely" series of inadvertent vocal cues that triggered the speaker, caused it to begin recording and then led it to interpret subsequent conversation as a "send message" request. There's no way to eliminate these sorts of privacy risks short of unplugging entirely. But you can minimise the odds of unpleasant privacy surprises with these tips: 1. Kill the mic Most smart speakers have a physical button to disable the microphone, so a private conversation can't be recorded to begin with. You can hit that when you're having sensitive conversations. The button on the  Echo  will turn red; other devices have similar cues. It doesn't make sense to keep the mic disabled throughout the day, though. If the Echo can't hea...

Raising fresh concerns about Facebook's privacy protection policies, a New York Times report has exposed how the social network allowed about 60 device makers, including Apple and Samsung, to access personal information of users and their friends. Even before Facebook apps were widely available on smartphones, Facebook had data-sharing partnerships with the device makers, the report said citing company officials, adding that most of the deals remain in effect. While the device partnerships allowed Facebook to expand its reach, it let the phone makers offer customers popular features of the social network, such as messaging, "like" buttons and address books. The deals raise concerns about the company's privacy protections and compliance with a 2011 consent decree with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), The Times said. Facebook, which is already under scrutiny for misuse of millions of its users' data after the Cambridge Analytica data leak scanda...

A bug is being forwarded via messages, which when tapped, could send not just the WhatsApp Android app crashing but possibly even the entire Android device as well, the media reported. "As with any message bomb, it involves sending and receiving a specially crafted message with hidden symbols in between spaces. Tapping on a portion of the text will basically make the app 'expand' the hidden symbols, potentially overloading the app and even the OS," SlashGear reported on Sunday. Such messages or "message bombs" are not new and not limited to Android. Even iMessage is not immune to bugs that could send the app crashing. There seem to be two variants of this WhatsApp message being forwarded. One involves an ominous black dot that comes with a warning on what will happen if you tap on it, which most curious cats will do anyway," the report added. Another "message bomb" which is causing the messaging platform to crash is more "...

The world's botanic gardens contain at least 30 per cent of all known plant species, including 41 per cent of all those classed as "threatened", a new study revealed on Monday. Through analysing datasets compiled by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the team led by researchers from the University of Cambridge cross-referenced the working list of known plant species — currently sitting at 350,699 — with the species records of a third of botanic gardens on the planet, some 1,116 institutions. This provides a "minimum estimate" for the plant diversity held in botanic gardens, Xinhua quoted the team as saying. The study found that the global network of botanic gardens conserves living plants representing almost two-thirds of plant "genera" (the classification above species) and over 90 per cent of plant families. But the team also pointed out that there is a significant imbalance between temperate and tropical regions. Some...

Following the launch of a separate  WhatsApp for Business  application and integrating  UPI Payments  in its native app, WhatsApp is reportedly testing a number of new features for Android through its beta program. A number of new features are spotted in latest WhatsApp beta versions for Android and iOS platforms. These features include group voice & video calling, group description, standalone iPad application, broader WhatsApp Pay support, and Facebook Messenger like Stickers. Let’s take a look at the features WhatsApp planning to introduce in the next updates. Add Group Description WhatsApp is  experimenting  a feature that allows administrators of a group chat on the app to add a description for the group. There will be a new “About Us” section for groups, and the description can be seen by all group members at the top of group info section. All members of the group chat will have the option to modify the description as per requirement by ...

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps globally with over 1.5 billion monthly active users. Its popularity is mainly driven by the ease of use, and the number of features the Facebook-owned platform offers to its users. For WhatsApp, last year was particularly important with the application adding a ton of new features including voice calling, video calling to name a few. One of the most prominent updates was the ability to recall messages. WhatsApp  called  the feature as ‘delete for all’, and it gives users a brief window to delete messages from both the ends of communication. WhatsApp allows its users to delete the message sent within seven minutes by deleting it for the sender as well as receiver. However,  The Next Web reports  that there is a way to retain the deleted messages. It notes that deleted messages can be retained as soon as the receiver gets the message or at any point between seven minutes, after which the message cannot be del...

Scientists have developed a new type of water-proof solar cell which can provide electricity even after being soaked in water or stretched and compressed. The finding could open the way for wearable solar cells, which will provide power to devices such as health monitors incorporated into clothing, researchers said. These could include sensors that record heartbeats and body temperature, for example, providing early warning of medical problems, they said. Researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo in Japan, developed extremely thin and flexible organic photovoltaic cells, coated on both sides with stretchable and waterproof films, based on a material called PNTz4T. They deposited the device in an inverse architecture onto a one-micrometre-thick parylene film. The ultra-thin device was then placed onto acrylic-based elastomer and the top side of the device was coated with an identical elastomer, giving it a coating on both sides to prevent water infiltra...

The Indian Army is all set to test the DRDO-made 155 mm 52-calibre advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) in Sikkim. It would be the first high-altitude test of the indigenously-manufactured howitzer. The gun has been developed by DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in partnership with Ordnance Factories Board (OFB), Kalyani Group, and Tata Power. Designed to replace the army’s ageing guns, the ATAGS will be inducted once all the field trials are over. In September 2017, the ATAGS completed successful desert trials in Rajasthan. The gun performed better than expectations hitting targets approximately 48 kilometres away instead of the expected 40 kilometres. The high altitude test will be crucial for the gun as it will determine its effectiveness in mountainous areas. It should be noted that the entire stretch of the Indo-China border is mountainous as is the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The utility and need for better howitzers was especially und...

In a major achievement for the country, Indias premier research agency DRDO is now likely to achieve complete self-reliance in developing critical missile technologies by 2020, which will be two years ahead of the schedule. The expertise developed by the DRDOs missile complex in the field of seekers is also going to help the country save at least Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 crore in the near future, as the equipment forms 35-40 per cent of the total cost of missiles. Soon after coming to power in 2014, the NDA government had tasked the DRDO to develop critical technologies, such as seekers, by 2022 to achieve self-reliance and end imports. The recent success of the BrahMos land attack cruise missile, with an indigenously-developed seeker, proved the prowess of the indigenous technology development programme for tactical missiles. The DRDO is now moving ahead with this programme, and is likely to achieve self reliance in tactical missile systems by the year 2020 itself, government so...

Can this $12,000 smartphone protect you from mobile malware? Mobile security is a bigger concern considering that many of us use mobile phones to store sensitive information such as business documents, bank details, credit card information, make purchases and so on. While several security measures such as fingerprint scanners to full encryption are included by Google Android and the Apple iPhone for their devices, even mobile operators like Verizon and Sprint scan for threats on a regular basis. However, there are still chances of your mobile being hacked into. According to one HP report, 67 percent of employees in the U.S. now work remotely. A malware client called Pegasus has recently been found in the wild. For anyone who has been the victim of a phishing scam will be quite familiar with this fairly predictable attack strategy. You are fooled by a text message that makes you reply and install an app. As per Symantec reports, the malware can then jailbreak your smartphone, u...

Alphabet Inc's  Google  is betting this combination proves irresistible with the Tuesday launch of  Google Clips , a pocket-sized  digital camera  that decides on its own whether an image is interesting enough to shoot. The $249 device, which is designed to clip onto furniture or other fixed objects, automatically captures subjects that wander into its viewfinder. But unlike some trail or security cameras that are triggered by motion or programmed on timers, Clips is more discerning. Google has trained its electronic brain to recognize smiles, human faces, dogs, cats and rapid sequences of movement. The company sees big potential with parents and pet owners looking to grab candid shots of kids and animals. The Clip shoots seven-second videos, without audio, that can be edited into GIFs or high-definition photos. These images can then be downloaded and shared via smartphone. But Google's bigger ambition is the mastery - and commercialization - of art...

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully completed the test flight of its Rustom 2 drone at the Aeronautical Test Range. Rustom 2 is part of the Rustom line of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)  that includes Rustom-I, Rustom-H and Rustom-C. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully completed the test flight of its Rustom 2 drone at the  Aeronautical Test Range. Rustom 2 is part of the Rustom line of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that includes Rustom-I, Rustom-H and Rustom-C. The drone was developed for use by all three services of the Indian armed forces, primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The medium-altitude prototype can fly at over 22,000 ft and is a long-endurance (MALE) UAV that has an approximate flight time of 20 hours. The drone has been modelled on the Rustom-H UCAV with a light airframe. The Rustom 2 is propelled by two 3-bladed NPO saturn engines. It ...

MSPU Microsoft patents Surface Pen with touch-sensitive retention clip by  Surur   Feb 15, 2018 at 23:10 GMT Microsoft is constantly looking at refining their Surface Pen, and  their latest idea  would make the control device a better mouse replacement. Microsoft envisions adding a touch-sensitive retention clip (yellow) to the stylus, which can then be used in lieu of a scroll wheel. They note that a scroll wheel on a mouse makes it very easy to navigate long web pages while using a stylus normally means having to very precisely access the scroll bars. Microsoft also has a few other ideas for the technology, including putting the pen into a low power mode and only activating it when a touch on the clip is detected. Adding a convenient scroll function to the pen does appear to address one of the big issues I have using the pen as my primary input device day to day.

State-run telecom operator  BSNL  has introduced two “ Mini Packs ” data plans with single days validity, as tariff war in the Indian telecom sector intensifies. The data plans launched as part of BSNL’s limited period Special Tariff Voucher (STV) come with high-speed 3G internet. The new BSNL Mini Plans are Rs 7 and Rs 16. This new offering from BSNL comes right after the Maximum Plan of Rs 999 announcement. BSNL Rs 7 Plan The BSNL Rs 7 Plan comes with a 1GB of internet data valid for a period of the single day for prepaid customers. There’s no other benefits bundled with this pack. The price, however, may vary in the range of Rs. 7 to Rs. 9 from circle to circle based on market conditions. BSNL Rs 16 Plan The second is BSNL Rs 16 plan that offers 2GB of high-speed internet browsing for a period of one day. The price of this plan may vary from Rs 16 to Rs 19 depending upon the availability in the circle. These Mini plans are a great choice for customers who have ra...