Tech and Science Daily | The Standard

We’re at day two of TechEX 2021 where we meet Socialblox, a Dutch startup taking on Facebook. We also speak to the maker of a smart bracelet that can help people avoid polluted routes. Plus, El Salvador is now accepting Bitcoin as legal tender, NASA’s Mars Rover has picked up its first ever rock sample – but can they get it back to Earth? Could we soon see the end of pop-ups asking you to accept cookies, and ducks in Australia have learned how to swear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are at TechEx 2021: Find out about shoebox-sized satellites controlling IOT devices back on Earth using tiny amounts of power, and the challenges of hosting a Covid-era conference. Firefly’s released a new video of the rocket that exploded in mid-flight last week. If you’ve been lurking on the comments pages of some newspaper’s websites, you may well have come across pro-Kremlin trolls trying to spread misinformation. Prospective parents in the UK may soon be able store eggs, sperm and embryos for up to 55 years. Vacuum killer...Dyson’s ‘developing a robot that can climb stairs’. Former PlayStation boss says PS5 development will cost about $200 million. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ABBA’s ‘revolutionary’ motion-capture concert will ‘de-age’ the group to their prime of 1979, how the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine technology used to design the jab could treat cancer, Joe Biden warns 'climate crisis is here' after 50 killed in Storm Ida. Virgin Galactic missions have been grounded, meanwhile, the Firefly rocket exploded after launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Plus, could those with brains less responsive to signals from their internal organs more likely to hold negative views about their appearance? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Facebook claims it played a part in helping 175 Afghan citizens flee from Afghanistan. Apple strikes a deal with Japan's Fair Trade Commission to allow links for signup websites not included in the App Store. Being double jabbed halves your chances of catching long Covid. A code to protect children’s data online and their privacy has come into full effect from today, and, if you thought you were going to be getting sporty with the Tesla Roadster this Christmas, you'll have to wait.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and vlogger Najma Sadeqi named among at least 183 people killed in the suicide attack. Instagram requires users’ date of birth but is it too little, too late to keep children safe on social media? Explicit trailers by adult performers make under-18s more vulnerable to inappropriate content, warns NSPCC. Hacker hands back nearly £250,000 ‘after selling a fake Banksy as an NFT’. Bitcoin: El Salvador backs $150m crypto fund. Denmark launches first high-tech DJ school that’s just for women and non-binary people. One of Europe’s oldest sloths celebrates very cute birthday at Bristol Zoo Gardens with a veggie cake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scientists have named the variant C.1.2, which they say is spreading with a concerning number of mutations. Internet addiction: young Chinese gamers are furious at Beijing’s tough new screen time rules. The Children’s Commissioner for England is calling for age verification to stop young eyes seeing explicit adult content. Salt substitute ‘could prevent thousands of strokes and heart attacks’. Can dogs give an early epileptic seizure warning by change in owner’s smell? Child mental health: actor Stephen Fry calls for walk-in centres for Mind charity appeal. British pigeons are ‘mistaking Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite dishes for bird baths’.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History is made as a test rocket honouring computing pioneer Ada Lovelace is fired as part of a project called Spaceport 1. A study reveals risk of blood clots ‘much higher’ with Covid than after jabs. Microsoft warns thousands of cloud computer customers are risk from security flaw. Small firms now rent-a-robot for half the price of a human worker...with no back-chat or tea breaks. Apple performs legal flanking manoeuvre ahead of Fortnite ruling as tech giant strikes App Store deal with small developers. Alright for sum...Apple chief Tim Cook enjoys $750 million payout. Thousands of spider crabs mass off Cornish coast in spectacular natural phenomenon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astronomers have discovered a new class of planets outside our Solar System, we speak to the lead researcher from the University of Cambridge. The World Health Organisation warns time is running out to discover origins of Covid-19. Fitbit unveils £170 post-pandemic fitness tracker. Facebook reportedly considering setting up commission to monitor election ads and misinformation. NFT sales surges but experts warn of Bitcoin-like bubble. Study reveals how light pollution from the modern world is killing insects. Spare a thought for this frog with the world’s worst nickname - what is it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Swedish climate activist urges the world’s press to push more stories about the growing climate crisis on to the front pages of newspapers and websites. Scientists develop “nanobubble” tech to boost water quality in Mexico City’s Aztec-era canals and cut toxic emissions. Could Covid-19 vaccine protection wane in those first jabbed as winter approaches? GameStop’s meme stocks soar in late day trading surge. More than 1,000 people test positive for Covid-19 after Latitude Festival starring Wolf Alice and Chemical Brothers. Is Virgin’s fabled 600mph Hyperloop one step closer to reality? Grumpy reindeer and a 1.6-ton rhino among 9,500 animals checked at Whipsnade Zoo’s annual weigh-in. Inventor’s device to rapidly stop blood loss from stab wounds wins Dyson design award. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NSPCC is calling for the government to toughen its plans for new internet laws after Freedom of Information replies from UK police forces showed a nearly 70 per cent increase in offences involving sexual communication with a child. Facebook’s most popular link read by Americans was a vaccine conspiracy. Extreme rain in Europe has been worsened by humans. Nearly 5,000 Covid cases linked to music festival starring Jorja Smith and Gorillaz. Cambridge University to lead UK’s largest autism study. Ex-Microsoft man’s warning to UK government and police over Exchange server hacking threat. Astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell is only second woman awarded world’s oldest science prize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.