technology

Driver license application (photo credit: Graphicstock)

Could a smartphone app replace your driving licence?

Drivers in the US could soon be using a mobile app as their official driver’s licence, it has been reported. Transport officials in the American state of Iowa have revealed that the app will be available in 2015 at no extra cost. The digital licence will be accepted by Iowa law enforcement officials during traffic stops and by security officers screening travellers at the state’s airports, reported the Des Moines Reporter newspaper website. Motorists will be able to stick with…

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5 gadgets that could be great Xmas presents from 7dayshop.com

5 gadgets that could make great Christmas presents

Here’s just 5 “buyable” items from 7dayshop.com. They include a smart way to watch TV, extending your Wi-Fi easily, tiny-sized storage for your movies and music, a high-spec great price tablet and how to avoid your phone running out of juice at the worst moment. They could make great Christmas presents for friends and family who love a bit of handy technology or perhaps a gift to yourself. Freeview TV on your phone You can watch Freeview TV on your smartphone,…

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Three smartphones (photo credit: Graphicstock.com)

iPhone 6 boosts Apple’s share of smartphone market

Apple reaches its highest share of Britain’s smartphone market thanks to the iPhone 6, says research. It had 39.5% of UK sales for the three months to October 2014, compared to 29.1% in the same period in 2013. The research by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that Android sales are still ahead at 52.3%, although that’s a fall compared to the 54.6% market share for the three months to October 2013. Windows is in third place, but has seen a decline in market share. The most recent…

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Tablets & touchscreens could help boys read, research

Boys reluctant to read could be helped by touchscreen technology, says the National Literacy Trust. The technology can be more effective in engaging children aged 3 to 5 with reading than books – and is particularly beneficial when it comes to helping poor children and boys where literacy is a concern. The findings in the Early Years Literacy Survey have been published by the National Literacy Trust and publisher Pearson. Key findings: Twice as many young children from low-income backgrounds read…

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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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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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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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