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Battery-powered toys set to dominate Christmas wish lists – stock up on batteries now

 Have enough batteries to avoid toys not working on Christmas Day. Whether it’s a robot dinosaur, a family game or a doll, the  Toy Retailers Association list of what the most popular toys are expected to be this Christmas reveals many in the top 12 use batteries. As youngster draw up Christmas lists, check if toys come with batteries and what type they need – eg alkaline batteries. Have enough batteries in reserve so toys don’t run out of power too soon. And don’t forget adults, their presents may need batteries. Watch:…

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Black Friday Sale (graphicstock.com)

How to bag epic deals on Black Friday

Shoppers get ready for super deals on Black Friday. Black Friday began in the US with shops offering on-the-day big discounts and special prices. The term is thought to have originated in Philadelphia to describe disruptive traffic on the day after Americans’ celebrated Thanksgiving. Then there’s Cyber Monday on 1 December, which could be the busiest online shopping day of the year. Black Friday and other deals at 7dayshop.com Black Friday has now finished for another year, but you can still get great deals at 7dayshop, click…

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Microsoft Windows 1.0 released on 20 November 1985

It was nearly called Interface Manager – but Windows won as it best described the boxes central to the new system Microsoft founder Bill Gates led the development of the graphic operating system, which was first announced in 1983. The Windows operating system went on to dominate the PC market for decades – with several generations growing up with Windows as computers became more and more central to our lives. The big difference to the previous MS-DOS system of tying commands was…

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Row of modern mobile phones on white (photo: graphicstock.com)

90% of world’s population over age of 6 “set to have a mobile phone”

Mobile phones will be available to vast majority by 2020, says communications firm Ericsson It forecasts that 90% of the world’s population over 6-years-old will have a mobile phone within 6 years. And smartphones are expected to soar in popularity. There have been 800 million new smartphone subscriptions in 2014 – bringing the total to 2.7 billion globally, according to the latest edition of the Ericsson mobility report, which is a comprehensive update on mobile trends. But this smartphone figure is predicted to…

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Just how cool is this? A real life HOVERBOARD!

Remember Marty McFly’s hoverboard in Back to the Future? You will love this! Check out the video of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk trying out a real-life hoverboard and read more about it here. Video credit: Hendo Hover, YouTube, Sterling Communications The hoverboard is pretty cool – and has foot pads for traction on top and four hover engine housings underneath for lift and stability. There is also 1 inch of ride height for taking on hover-ramps. It’s all to do with what has…

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Vape is “word of the year” 2014

Vape unveiled as word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. The verb means to “inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device”. The action and device can also be known as a vape. The word has been chosen because of an explosion in its use, according to a blog post by Oxford Dictionaries. Apparently, you are 30 times more likely to come across the word vape than you were two years ago, with usage doubling in…

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The “flying fungus” drone aircraft

The drone “melts” in water – ideal for spying and helping destroy the evidence. Scientists at NASA have led the development of the new aircraft, which is made from fungus and recently made its maiden flight. One use of the technology could be to fly covert spying missions and then once complete to crash the drone into water to avoid detection. The drone’s body is made from mycelium (the vegetative part of a fungus) covered by protective sticky cellulose “leather” sheets…

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Christmas 2014: 4 early ideas for presents

With Christmas fast approaching, here are 4 ideas for presents that will be appreciated by friends and family, but don’t have to cost a fortune: 1. Canvas Print Turn one of your beautiful photos, a favourite family snap, holiday picture or portrait of a pet into a stunning canvas print. Your nearest and dearest can then enjoy it and get a unique, thoughtful and lasting present from you. Snapmad.com is currently offering 25% off all canvas prints. You can find out…

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A pile of blue DVDs (graphicstock.com)

The future of storage: the DVD “with 40,000 HD films”

Scientists have reportedly found a way to create a DVD-sized disc that can hold 1,000 terabytes of data – enough to store 40,000 HD movies. It’s all to do with using lasers in a way akin to a fine tipped pen rather than a felt-tip pen – the old way – to write information to the disc, apparently. Two lasers have been used to massively increase the storage capacity of a DVD from 4.7 gigabytes. One beam partially blocks the light…

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Apple-1 computer sold by Steve Jobs could fetch $1m

It is the only known surviving Apple-1 documented as being sold directly by Steve Jobs to an individual from his parents’ garage in 1976. And there is speculation that it could be sold for $1m (£626,904) at auction next month. Auctioneers Christie’s have put a guide price of $400,000-600,000 on the computer – although another Apple-1 reportedly sold for $905,000 last month. The latest Apple-1 up for sale is also operational, one of a handful thought to survive, and has a fascinating story…

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