Tech and Science Daily | The Standard

As we approach Christmas we’re being reminded to look into the privacy of the tech we buy. The company behind Firefox, Mozilla, has released its annual list of tech products which may put users’ privacy at risk.Researchers have found the Omicron variant multiplies 70 times faster than the Delta Variant. The team in Hong Kong also found it replicates less well in human lung tissue which could indicate it causes a lower severity of disease. A ransomware attack on a payroll company could threaten the Christmas pay checks for workers at Tesla, Sainsbury’s and Honda, plus how it could be linked to a major software flaw leaving millions of web servers vulnerable to the attack. Cyberpunk 2077 developer will pay less than $2million in proposed class-action settlement. Intel believes the Metaverse will need a thousand-fold increase in computing capability.Also - Ubisoft working on a remake of the stealth classic Splinter Cell, the mars rover makes important rock discovery, and the first ever SMS message goes up for sale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NASA says its Parker Solar Probe has become the first to ‘touch the sun’. It’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully flown into the sun’s Solar Atmosphere, Dr Francisco Diego from UCL explains what the probe can learn from the sun, and why it’s so important. Plus - British astronaut Tim Peake issues a warning about space debris. Why Apple and Google have a ‘duopoloy’ over the smartphone market. Scientists find covid infection is more likely than vaccines to cause rare heart problems, and why seven crypto ads were banned by a watchdog. Plus the supermassive black hole altering the path of stars, and fast-food chain Applebee’s promoted the first ‘metaverse meal’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Experts at the University of Southampton are trialling a new covid vaccine that doesn’t require a needle, and could prove more effective than current jabs. Their vaccine instead uses a jet of air to give patients their dose. Scientists at the uni say it’s also designed to predict mutations in the virus, and could protect against future variants. MPs have called for ‘major changes’ to the draft Online Safety Bill. Poppy Wood from Reset discusses how important the legislation will be. Is WFH the future for workers? We speak with Zoom about how video-call tech has become so prevalent. Elon Musk announces Tesla accepting Dogecoin as payment, and the giant glacier which could crash into the ocean in 3-5 years. Plus, record temperature recognised for the Arctic, Nike invests in virtual trainer firm, and why Rocket Scientists and Brain Surgeons aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A UK robotics firm Elon Musk must sent viral on the weekend, now wants to work on his Tesla Bot project. Elon retweeted a video by Engineered Arts, showing off their hyper-realistic robot ‘Ameca’. We speak to Will Jackson from the company about their plea to Elon for a collaboration. Peleton have responded AGAIN to Sex and the City’s recent bombshell with their own parody advert. Crypto news: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi hacked on Twitter, and how maxnaut missed out on thousands of dollars selling his NFT. Asthma patients experience worse symptoms at night, scientists say. Robots will soon be cleaning train carriages, and all you need to know about the Geminid meteor shower. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An asteroid over 1,000ft tall is due to pass Earth this weekend at over 14,700mph. Omicron: masks are back almost everywhere indoors in England. Elon Musk: influencer? Botox jabs cheating row leads to bans at Saudi ‘Crufts for camels’ pageant. Squashed in space...how sleeping bags could stop damage to astronauts’ eyeballs. Species relying on hydrothermal ‘lungs of the deep sea’ at extinction risk from mining, study finds. And just like that, Peleton responds to SATC storyline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Health Organisation reports the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has now spread to 57 countries. UCL Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the government’s SAGE advisory group, warns the strain's doubling time of two to three days is “very fast” and we can expect “a very large peak”. Game Awards 2021: what game has impressed you for its technical capabilities? And why the computer scientist who claims he invented Bitcoin will get to keep crypto billions.Plus: Literally hotter than the Sun...a two-star space system has been discovered. We reveal Twitter's annual report on 2021, British archaeologists discover a crucifixion victim from nearly 1,900 years ago when Romans ruled Britain. And finally, the boss who sacked 900 staff on a Zoom call apologises. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Research by the University of Westminster and University College London suggests patients will more likely reveal delicate health conditions such as STIs to an AI chatbot, but still want an IRL doctor to discuss cancer. Matrix Resurrections title to be released at Game Awards, but is that really Keanu in trailer? Halo Infinite set for release - how much free storage space will you need? No digital romance for Tinder lovers after Amazon AWS cloud outage. Omicron: could UK reproduction rate be higher than thought? Would you shop on TikTok? App unveils first live e-commerce event. Ctrl>Alt>Delete...Hubble space telescope’s been rebooted. Life imitating art as hacker Gary Bowser hit with $10 million Nintendo fine in piracy case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is a new Sonic the Hedgehog game called Frontiers on the horizon? speculation for an announcement is around the Game Awards this week. Mina Smallman, the mother of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, has spoken out after two police officers were jailed for taking pictures of her dead daughters and sharing them on WhatsApp. Omicron: South Africa data ‘suggests variant results in less severe illness’. Coroner urges social media firms to make internet safer after schoolgirl death. The US Space Force is eyeing a base on the Moon to beat China. Has Trump’s new social media venture really raised $1 billion? Covid booster is Gold for Spandau Ballet’s Kemp as Santa in vaccine push.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, one of the inventors of the coronavirus Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, urges governments not to squander preparedness learning to fight future pandemics. We speak to TikTok on Year of 2021 who reveal the popularity of Nathan Evans and PinkPantheress...but is this a career option? Bitcoin bloodbath: crypto limps into Monday after weekend crash. Nasa approves $400 million funding, including human ‘space reef” after ISS dies. Is that a garden shed on the Moon? Chinese rover spots “mystery hut”. Plane powered by liquid hydrogen planned for transatlantic flights. Singer Grimes releases cold break-up track packed with digs at her ex Elon Musk.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SpaceX has broken its own record for the number of rockets sent to space in a single year. The latest Starlink launch from Florida marks the 27th for Elon Musk’s private space firm in 2021 - beating the 26 it achieved last year. Experts say booster jabs can offer a good level of protection against the new Omicron variant of coronavirus - a new study suggests it may provide protection from hospital admission and death.Meanwhile Germany introduces new restrictions for unvaccinated people - they’ll be barred from non-essential shops and public events. Scientists have found cooling after volcanic activity more than 400 million years ago ‘may have triggered a mass extinction event’. The battery design breakthrough that could make electric cars safer, cheaper and more sustainable, and Reddit reveals new ‘live features’ like voting and comment counts. Also, researchers use gene editing to create single-sex mice litters and how plastic pollution is creating new communities of life in our oceans. And - Microsoft Windows tells off users if they try to download Chrome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.