10 things we remember about MSN Messenger

MICROSOFT’S chat is finally being switched off so we reminisce those late night convos, emoticons and the moment our parents found out we were still on the phone line.



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Think spring starts today? Wrong

SPRING has sprung. Or has it? The b-a-a-a-a-d news is that September 1 is not the start of spring. Here’s why.



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iCloud: Are your personal pics safe?

JENNIFER Lawrence had a number of private pictures allegedly stolen from her iCloud account. But is Apple to blame? Here’s what you can do to protect your digital security.



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This is what life on Mars will look like

IT has killer dust storms, radiation and temperatures which plunge to -56C. And no air. To support life this is what a settlement on the Red Planet will look like.



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Major Ice Bucket Challenge fail

A WOMAN has been hospitalised after screaming so hard during the Ice Bucket Challenge that she dislocated her jaw.



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Apple’s credit card deal for iPhone 6

CUT up the credit cards — Apple has reportedly done deals with American Express, Mastercard and Visa to turn the iPhone 6 into a mobile wallet.



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Apple’s credit card deal for iPhone 6

CUT up those credit cards — Apple has reportedly done a deal with American Express and Visa that will turn the iPhone 6 into a mobile wallet.



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How to survive the end of the world

EARTHQUAKE, volcano eruption or tsunami? No-one really knows how the world will end, but when it does, an expert says you need to know these seven things.



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Facebook restores $14K ring to owner

A WOMAN thought she’d lost her $14,500 wedding rings forever — until a man who found them with his metal detector shared a picture on Facebook.



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Meet Japan’s real-life Batman

JAPAN has its own real-life Batman rolling around the streets on a Batcycle with a full Christopher Nolan styled suit.



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Drones provide terrorists with a DIY air force

The cost of air power is coming down dramatically with the advent of drones. Before long, every country and terrorist organization will have its own DIY air force.



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Intel Haswell-E review: The best consumer performance chip you can buy – with some caveats

Today, Intel is launching its long-awaited update and refresh of its top-end enthusiast platform: Haswell-E. It's a refresh that's been a long time coming -- the old X79 chipset was long in the tooth 12 months ago, while the top-end six-core Ivy Bridge didn't overclock well and wasn't a huge improvement over the six-core Sandy Bridge. Will the new hardware put a fresh coat of paint on a lackluster lineup? Let's take a look.



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Run Android apps on your Windows PC

You don't need an Android phone to run apps designed for the platform—with a few software downloads and a couple of tweaks, you can explore them on your PC.



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DARPA’s tiny implants will hook directly into your nervous system, treat diseases and depression without medication

DARPA, on the back of the US government's BRAIN program, has begun the development of tiny electronic implants that interface directly with your nervous system and can directly control and regulate many different diseases and chronic conditions, such as arthritis, PTSD, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease), and depression. The program, called ElectRx (pronounced 'electrics'), ultimately aims to replace medication with "closed-loop" neural implants, which constantly assess the state of your health, and then provide the necessary nerve stimulation to keep your various organs and biological systems functioning properly.



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Google X reveals Project Wing, autonomous drones that can deliver things ‘in just a minute or two’

Google X, the web titan's secretive special projects lab, has revealed that it's working on a drone-based delivery system called Project Wing. Outwardly, the Google X project sounds a lot like Amazon's Prime Air, but a closer inspection reveals that Google has loftier goals than air-dropping emergency bottles of sriracha.



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The best anti-ice bucket challenge memes

IT was cool for a while but now the internet is getting sick of seeing the ice bucket challenge. Here’s how it’s responding.



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Google tests home delivery drones in Queensland, Australia video

Google has been testing drones in Queensland, Australia, that are able to fly on their own and deliver everything from candy to medicine. Google said it would be years before Project Wing could become a service with multiple vehicles making multiple deliveries a day. It represents Google's latest effort to expand beyond the web, with projects including self-driving cars and solar-powered balloons. Continue reading...



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SWAT team raids gamer’s office

AN online gamer who was live streaming himself to 3000 followers became the latest victim in the dangerous new ‘Swatting’ craze.



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Apple won’t fix all faulty iPhones

THERE’S more fine print in Apple’s iPhone 5 battery replacement program. Even if your handset is on its list, Apple may refuse to swap its power source.



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Apple announces iPhone 6 launch

APPLE has announced a September 9 launch for the iPhone 6. But why is it building a mysterious three-storey structure to launch a phone?



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Confusion after Instagram breaks

THOUSANDS have been left unable to share pictures of their breakfast this morning after Instagram went down.



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NASA’s Space Launch System is officially all systems go for Mars and Moon landings

NASA's Space Launch System, the USA's first exploration-class spacecraft since the Space Shuttle, has officially passed the whiteboard formulation stage and moved into full-scale development. The SLS, which will be the most powerful rocket ever built, will allow NASA to land astronauts on Mars and captured asteroids, and perhaps other planets and moons throughout the Solar System as well.



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Age-old mystery of Death Valley sailing stones finally solved

The age-old mystery of the Death Valley sailing stones has finally been solved, thanks to science.



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Fans shocked by Hello Kitty revelation

AFTER those behind Japanese icon Hello Kitty revealed she wasn’t a cat at all, internet users started questioning everything they used to believe.



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Turns out Hello Kitty isn’t a cat

HELLO Kitty is not a cat, the company behind Japan’s global icon has insisted, as internet users question everything they used to believe.



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Apple’s iWatch is finally coming in September: Are you ready for the wearable revolution?

After years of rumors, leaks, and false starts, it seems the stars are finally swinging into alignment this fall: Apple is now expected to unveil an iWatch smartwatch alongside its new large-screen iPhone 6 at an event on September 9. Presumably the iWatch would also be released alongside the iPhone 6, a week or two later. Previous rumors had pointed to an October unveil for the iWatch, but it seems Apple has moved it forward -- possibly in response to the Samsung Gear S, LG G Watch R, and the Moto 360, all of which will be released over the next month or two. Just as the iPhone and iPad popularized the smartphone and tablet, will the arrival of the iWatch signal the beginning of the wearable computing revolution?



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Samsung unveils standalone Gear S 3G smartwatch: Awesome, until the battery runs out after an hour

Whether you like it or not, it seems this fall will be all about the smartwatch. This morning, following LG's tease of the round-faced G Watch R, Samsung has unveiled the Gear S -- the first major smartwatch with its own 3G connection, allowing it to send/receive calls and generally act as an internet-connected smart device without being paired to a nearby smartphone. Is the world ready for a standalone smartwatch? Do we even have the battery technology to allow a 3G smartwatch to run for more than a few hours?



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Facebook rant gets boy expelled

A PRIVATE post about her four-year-old son’s school picture day has landed an angry mother in trouble with the headmaster.



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The whole world in six seconds

NASA’S Earth Observatory has released a remarkable video showing six months of satellite footage in just glorious seconds. It’s a small world, after all.



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Why Jackie Chan’s son is huge now

JAYCEE Chan has become the star of a viral Where’s Wally-style internet game, played by more than 60 million people. But it’s for all the wrong reasons.



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10 tech truths we’re all guilty of

WHAT that Facebook invite really means, why we use quirky email signatures and how we always try to get rid of mum on the phone. It’s time to name and shame the things we all do.



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Top 15 iPhone 6, iWatch rumours

TRUE, false or maybe? Here’s a round-up of all the rumours about the Apple iPhone 6 and iWatch which are likely to be revealed in just 12 days.



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The new way everyone is dating

YOU lock eyes as you walk past each other, there’s that instant spark, yet you never open your mouth to say hello. Immediate regret consumes you. Regret no more.



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Five of the quirkiest fitness gadgets

HEALTH and fitness gadgets are skyrocketing in popularity – and they’re also getting more unusual. Here are are five unexpected gadgets on the market.



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Canada is trolling Russia now

LOOKS like the world’s nicest country has a funny side. Canada’s NATO delegation has tweeted a handy map to remind Russia exactly where its borders lie.



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Apple ‘to unveil iWatch’ in 12 days

FOR Apple fans, it is the 12 days until Christmas. The tech giant reportedly plans to unveil the iPhone 6 and the iWatch on September 9.



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Microsoft offers $150 Kinect, but does anyone actually want one?

Starting on October 7th, the unbundled version of the Xbox One's Kinect sensor will go on sale for a whopping $150. That's right, one hundred and fifty American dollars for a peripheral that Microsoft has gone out of its way to distance itself from. With a price that high, who would consider buying this standalone Kinect?



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Verizon’s VoLTE rollout will kill off CDMA – and allow unlocked LTE phones, too

On Tuesday, Verizon announced that it will launch HD Voice over LTE in the coming weeks. With this launch, Verizon is taking the first step toward shedding CDMA2000 as its primary network platform. With this, using unlocked phones on Verizon and have voice service will soon be possible!



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China’s supersonic submarine, which could go from Shanghai to San Francisco in 100 minutes, creeps ever closer to reality

Researchers in China are reporting that they've taken a big step towards creating a supersonic submarine. This technology, which could just as easily be applied to weaponized torpedoes as military or civilian submarines, could theoretically get from Shanghai to San Francisco -- about 6,000 miles -- in just 100 minutes. If all this doesn't sound crazy enough, get this: This new advance by the Chinese is based on supercavitation, which was originally developed by the Soviets in the '60s, during the Cold War.



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Giant sinkhole appears overnight

A GIANT sinkhole that opened up in north east England is so deep that its bottom cannot be seen, posing a serious danger to sightseers.



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Giant sinkhole appears overnight

A GIANT sinkhole that opened up in north east England is so deep that its bottom cannot be seen, posing a serious danger to sightseers.



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64-bit Chrome finally available to download: Faster, more secure, twice as stable

At long last, Google has released a stable 64-bit version of Chrome for Windows. It's faster, more secure, and more stable. Some tasks, such as decoding HD video on YouTube, are 15% faster under the 64-bit version of Chrome. The only major caveat seems to be a lack of support for 32-bit NPAPI plug-ins -- Silverlight and Java, and lots of lesser-known plug-ins, won't work on 64-bit Chrome. That's a small price to pay for increased speed, security, and twice the stability of 32-bit Chrome, though.



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Pixels of the universe: Experiment begins to see if the universe is a 2D hologram

The Fermi National Accelerator Lab near Chicago has a new toy: the Holometer. As its rather fancy name suggests, the Holometer is for testing whether our universe is actually a 2D hologram that's painted on some kind of cosmological horizon, popping into 3D whenever we attempt to observe it (i.e. always). The Holometer will gather data for the next year or so -- after which, there's a very good chance that it'll be able to tell us whether the universe is a hologram or not. And, of course, if the universe is a 2D hologram... what does that make us?



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Wearable technology finally gets cool

GOOGLE Glass may open up all sorts of exciting possibilities, but it sure looks geeky. Step in one of the world’s top designers.



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Is this the world’s scariest selfie?

IF you’ve got a fear of heights, look away now. This fearless group of teens balance on top of a skyscraper to take a nerve-racking video for the most extreme selfie.



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This man is going to live on an iceberg

N-ICE place you’ve got there. One adventurer is planning to spend an entire year living adrift on a melting iceberg to highlight climate change.



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Is this how you feel?

WHAT is this man scared of? It is the same thing that is making others nervous, worried, anxious and curious.



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Is this how you feel?

WHAT is this man scared of? It is the same thing that is making others nervous, worried, anxious and curious.



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Giant Hulk photobombs news coverage

GOLD. As floods hit Chicago, a news crew took to their helicopter to report live from the scene. What they didn’t expect, though, was this guy.



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Why we will never have a world-class web

IT WAS meant to provide lightning-fast internet speeds to virtually every home. But a report out today means it is unlikely we will ever see the world-class web we were promised.



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Drone helicopters take on ‘purple plague’

IT IS the invasive purple plague threatening to take over our land. Scientists are desperate to stop it and have unveiled their latest robotic weapon in this epic battle.



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Earth is breathtaking in new images from space

EARTH looks amazing from above. 10 new photos from China’s new high-resolution satellite camera will leave you in awe of our beautiful planet.



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Hackers hold Syrian president at ransom

HACKERS are holding Syria’s president at ransom, calling for the government to take action against the Islamic State.



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NBN winners and losers revealed

THE big winners of the NBN will be data-hungry households downloading TV shows, as research reveals the Coalition’s plan will save the country $18 billion.



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iPhone 6 or just a silly sausage?

IS this video the best look yet at the iPhone 6? Perhaps, or perhaps it’s a silly bloke with a thing for sausages.



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Apple’s next big thing revealed

With Apple believed to be just a fortnight away from releasing two bigger iPhones, now comes news a bigger iPad is also on the way.



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European regulators eye antitrust investigation against Qualcomm over modem market domination

European regulators may be about to take a closer look at Qualcomm's dominance of the 4G modem business, thanks to an old complaint from rival Icera. Did Qualcomm climb to the top with technological prowess or has it used its market position to take down challengers?



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World’s safest soccer mum car

The new Volvo XC90 is so safe the Swedish car maker says no-one will die or be injured in one by 2020.



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Instagram’s big new change

FORGET about photos of breakfast and bad, drunk selfies. Instagram has launched a new, one-of-a-kind service - and it’s pretty cool.



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Why are high-end graphics cards so big?

Sapphire revealed a compact version of a traditionally big graphics card, prompting us to ask the question -- why are GPUs so big to start with?



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Windows 9 may remove the Metro interface for desktop PC users, feature one-click upgrade process

According to new Windows 9 leaks and rumors, it seems we could be in for some dramatic changes by the time the first public preview of Windows 9 rolls around on September 30. The most recent leaked builds of Windows 9 (codename Threshold) indicate that Microsoft will finally fix the awful upgrade process that has plagued Windows for almost two decades, replacing it with a one-click upgrade system. Perhaps more excitingly, another source says that Windows 9 will formally split the Metro and Desktop interfaces: Tablets will be restricted to Metro, while laptops and desktops will be locked to the standard Desktop interface.



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US military’s experimental hypersonic weapon explodes seconds after launch

It must be the season for exploding rockets: The US Army's experimental Advanced Hypersonic Weapon, which will eventually be able to bomb anywhere in the world within an hour, exploded just four seconds after launch in Alaska. Similar to last week's self-detonating SpaceX rocket, the US Department of Defense detected an error within the system shortly after launch, and thus decided to detonate the entire thing rather than risk any extra collateral damage. No one was injured by the incident, though falling debris did damage the rocket's Kodiak Launch Complex.



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Is this the new iPhone 6?

NEWLY-leaked photos have surfaced, which seem to give a glimpse of the new iPhone 6.



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A fully transparent solar cell that could make every window and screen a power source

Researchers at Michigan State University have created a fully transparent solar concentrator, which could turn any window or sheet of glass (like your smartphone's screen) into a photovoltaic solar cell. Unlike other 'transparent' solar cells that we've reported on in the past, which are actually quite colorful and opaque, this one really is transparen. The team are confident that the transparent solar panels can be efficiently deployed in a wide range of settings, from "tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader."



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Witty church signs ignite social media storm

“DEAR Christians. Some people are gay. Get over It. Love God”. With that quote, Father Rod Bower suddenly rocketed to national stardom.



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Witty church signs ignite social media storm

“DEAR Christians. Some people are gay. Get over It. Love God”. With that quote, Father Rod Bower suddenly rocketed to national stardom.



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What we want in the iPhone 6

IT’S two weeks until Apple unveils the iPhone 6. While there have been plenty of rumours, here’s what it needs to really wow us.



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What life is really like in space

GERMAN astronaut Alexander Gerst has told of his time in the International Space Station over a live Q&A session from space.



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Is Instagram about to be ruined?

IT’S possibly to coolest of all social media. But what is Instagram about to do in Australia that could threaten its cachet?



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The nail polish that could prevent date rape?

A GROUP of university students who invented a nail polish which changes colour when drinks have been spiked say it could be used to ward off date rape attacks.



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Bizarre blue lobster found in ocean

A TEENAGER has caught an incredibly rare blue lobster, and will donate the one-in-2 million crustacean to an aquarium.



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China closes curtain on Windows

FIRST the Chinese Government banned Windows over fears of US spies. Now it’s set to launch its own operating system.



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Google’s Twitch acquisition falls through, Amazon steps in

After weeks of uncertainty and user revolt, the story surrounding Twitch just got more bizarre. Reports are coming in today claiming that Amazon will be acquiring the popular video streaming service, and that only adds to the confusion of the last month or so. This is an unexpected development, but considering other recent acquisitions, buying Twitch makes a lot of sense for Amazon.



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The final ISA showdown: Is ARM, x86, or MIPS intrinsically more power efficient?

A new paper from the University of Wisconsin tackles the question of whether ARM or x86 is more power efficient with updated processors and results from China's Loongson processor. Does ISA still matter?



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2015 Kia K900 car review: Beats the Germans on paper if not on the road

The K900 a big luxury sedan with lots of tech. Others have more.



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UK embassy sorry for offensive cake

THE UK’s embassy in Washington has apologised after sharing photos of a flaming cake to commemorate the White House being burned by British troops.



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SpaceX rocket self-destructs after detecting an ‘anomaly’ – reusable space launchers are tricky business

At its test site in Texas, a new SpaceX rocket has exploded in mid-air. As far as we're aware, this marks the first major failure for SpaceX's commercial space launch program. In a statement, SpaceX says the rocket detected an anomaly and automatically initiated its self-destruct sequence. No one (and no cows) were harmed in the explosion. A commercial Falcon 9 launch, which was scheduled to put AsiaSat 6 into orbit on Tuesday, has been delayed while SpaceX analyzes the data from the failed test rocket.



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ISIS claims Sony cyber attacks

ISIS hackers have taken credit for attacks on Sony’s gaming sites, also claiming there were explosives on a plane carrying a company executive.



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Hackers take down PSN with DDOS, and Sony president’s plane with a bomb threat

In a rather bizarre twist of events, a group by the name of Lizard Squad has taken hacking to the next level: Not only did the hackers take down the PlayStation Network with a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack, but they also took down Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley's airplane with a bomb threat.



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Hey airlines, what’s with the backflip?

FOR the first time passengers will be able to use phones and tablets during takeoff and landing. Which begs the question, why did we need the rule in the first place?



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Headless seals found on SA beach

THE gruesome discovery of two headless seals on a South Australian beach has prompted an investigation.



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‘It’s not a Happy Meal if everyone’s miserable’

TO BE fair, all McDonald’s wants to do is keep its social media fans informed and happy. Instead its Facebook posts are being hijacked by consumers who aren’t lovin’ it.



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Glow-in-the-dark waves show the sea is alive

Manly’s waves glowed an eerie electric blue last night thanks to bioluminescence in a curious creature called a dinoflagellate.



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Did ISIS take down Sony’s network?

A GROUP of hackers has claimed to have taken down Sony’s PlayStation network this morning.



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Rich tech gurus ‘spoiling’ Burning Man

THE Burning Man festival begins today in the Nevada desert. But some say tech billionaires are killing the vibe with private chefs, hired help and luxury camps.



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Here’s what not to do on Facebook

IT SEEMED like a harmless prank at the time, but a teenager has landed in court after a threat he made on Facebook went viral.



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Sony’s PlayStation Network is down after attack

SONY has confirmed that the PSN is down following a series of attacks from hackers on the network.



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Your smartphone opens the door to scams

THE proliferation of smartphones has made consumers more vulnerable to scams, with fraudsters able to use mobiles like a personal computer.



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Samsung’s low iPhone challenge

SAMSUNG has been hit with a backlash for turning the ice bucket charity challenge into a cheap marketing shot at the Apple iPhone.



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Is your mobile phone secure?

Think your phone’s safe? Think again. Experts warn the apps you download mine personal and private data — meaning you could be a cyber theft case waiting to happen.



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Microsoft Research invented video game time travel to fix cloud gaming

Cloud-based gaming hasn't taken off largely because of lag. Delivering those frames takes time, but Microsoft's DeLorean might be able to get around that by rendering the future.



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Rocket explodes during test flight

ONE of eccentric billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets exploded after launching at a test facility, with images popping up on Twitter and videos on YouTube showing the full explosion.



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Mystery behind billions of jellyfish

BILLIONS of jellyfish-like creatures have washed up on numerous beaches on the West Coast of America, baffling scientists and locals alike.



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Intel’s NUC 2.0 leaks: The next unit of Steam Machines and home theater PCs

Thanks in large part to the Raspberry Pi, mini PCs are all the rage. In terms of power, none of them quite compare to, for example, a standard gaming rig, but they're slowly creeping toward that end. If some leaked slides are to be believed, then Intel's next NUC is creeping much faster than the competition.



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ET deals: Lenovo Erazer X510 Core i7 gaming PC with GTX 650 for $1049

Gaming rigs have a way of getting expensive, but for gamers who want a powerful machine without breaking the bank, Lenovo's Erazer X510 hits the sweet spot. With an overclockable Core i7 plus great specs, and on sale for $1049, it's a killer value.



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Astronauts find living organisms clinging to the International Space Station, and aren’t sure how they got there

Russian astronauts found actual living organisms in outer space. They were clinging to the side of the International Space Station, and the astronauts aren't sure how they got there.



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The first metamaterial superconductor: One step closer to futuristic physics-defying contraptions

In the realms of electronics, magnetism, and quantum mechanics, superconductivity has an almost mythical status. Some materials, when cooled to a critical temperature, electrical resistance instantly drops to zero and magnetic fields are completely ejected. Superconducting magnets are already used in MRI machines and particle accelerators like CERN's LHC, and are being considered for advanced maglev trains. Zero electrical resistance means that a current can flow around a superconducting coil indefinitely (at least 100,000 years) without any applied voltage -- a feature that could completely revolutionize power distribution, power storage, electric motors, computers, and more.



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Photorealism in Unreal Engine 4 in real-time: A sneak peek at next-gen games graphics

If you were wondering what kind of graphics we can expect from true next-gen games on the Xbox One, PS4, and PC, feast your eyes on the visual wizardry of French artist Koola. Do not adjust your screen: All of the images and videos that you see in this story were generated in real-time using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), at decent frame rates (~30-60 fps) on a mid-range gaming PC.



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Military plane made from ‘human skin’

FLYING machines of the future could be covered in a next-generation smart skin that will let them feel injury to give pilots vital feedback (and goosebumps).



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Google has built a Matrix-like simulation of California to test its self-driving cars

Google, it has emerged, has built a 'Matrix-style' simulation of the entirety of California to test its self-driving cars. While this in itself isn't massively surprising given Google's history as a software company (though it is a bit scary), the company is also petitioning California's state officials to allow safety testing within the Matrix, instead of testing on real roads. This might sound a little terrifying, but it makes quite a lot of sense for a self-driving car, where there are millions of conditions that need to be tested.



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Why ice bucket challenge is important

YOU may be tired of watching celebrities tip ice water on their heads but Anthony Carbajal tells us why it is making a difference in a moving video.



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Is this volcano ready to blow?

THE world holds its breath as another ice-covered volcano blast is threatening to disrupt the skies much like the eruption of Iceland’s volcano four years ago.



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Climate changing heat found hiding in ocean

DEEP below the Atlantic and Southern Ocean scientists have discovered a patch of warm water that could be the reason behind a supposed global warming hiatus.



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Technology could unmask killer

THE mystery militant who beheaded journalist James Foley could be identified thanks to digital clues in the shocking YouTube video.



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Turnbull: “Seeing is believing”

MALCOLM Turnbull has just shared the speeds of the first house connected to his new NBN network. But is all as it seems?



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Leak shows the iWatch is coming

LEAKED documents show Apple is making “jewellery”. Is this be the best evidence yet that the iWatch is coming?



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The day the earth opened up

SCIENTISTS and locals have been left stunned after a giant crack, almost one kilometre long, appeared in remote farmland in Mexico.



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Leak shows the iWatch is coming

LEAKED documents show Apple is making “jewellery”. Is this be the best evidence yet that the iWatch is coming?



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Xbox One now offers game pre-loading, full-game demos on the way

Microsoft can't stop releasing new features for the Xbox One. Hot off the heels of a brand new system update, news has surfaced regarding two new services available for the Xbox One: the ability to pre-load games before the official release, and the possibility of time-limited demos of full games for Gold members.



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iPhone 6 rumor roundup: Will the next iPhone have a 4.7-inch sapphire display, NFC, or a reversible USB cable?

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is next week, and rumors are flying fast about what the next iPhone is going to be like. It's been nearly nine months since the iPhone 5 launched, and consumers are starting to get antsy. Even if we don't get any substantial information directly from Apple at its keynote on the 10th, parts are starting to leak out, and industry speculation is going wild.



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ET deals: Lenovo Z50 laptop with Core i7 and 2GB GeForce 820M for $729

If you want a versatile laptop that does a little bit of everything, check out today's big discount on the newly updated Lenovo Z50. This laptop packs a Core i7 processor, dedicated graphics, great specs and respectable portability, all for just $729 after our coupon code is applied. That's $370 off the regular price.



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Windows 9 is set to be unveiled on September 30

Microsoft is planning to release a preview build of Windows 9 at a special press event on September 30, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. It's still unclear exactly how many of Windows 9's hotly anticipated features will actually make it into the September 30 release -- but hopefully we'll at least see the resurrected Start menu and Metro apps running on the Desktop. We wouldn't be surprised if you have to wait a little longer for the consumer preview of Windows 9 before you get to play with your new Cortana digital assistant, however.



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How can anyone reject this face?

THIS gorgeous baby Western lowland gorilla is being hand-reared by vets at Oklahoma City Zoo after her mother abandoned her.



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Circus camel bites baby’s head

A NEWBORN has multiple fractures after a camel clamped its mouth over his head at a circus.



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Rejoice, commuters and workers! The Chairless Chair exoskeleton lets you sit down anywhere, anytime

The Chairless Chair is an exoskeleton that attaches to your legs and lets you sit back, as if you're sitting on a chair -- but, in the words of Morpheus, there is no chair. Rather than relying on the tensile strength of solid wood or plastic and the gravity-defying nature of three or more supporting legs, the Chairless Chair uses clever battery-powered mechanics to achieve the same effect. When turned off, the Chairless Chair allows you to walk around normally. There are many uses, from production line work, to sitting on a crowded train.



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RISC rides again: New RISC-V architecture hopes to battle ARM and x86 by being totally open source

A new instruction set by the original creator of MIPS aims to reinvent the ultra-low power, high-efficiency processor -- and to do so with an architecture that's fundamentally open and available to anyone who wants to build a chip. Can that approach succeed in the modern era?



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Why going to the cinema in China sucks

USING your mobile during a movie is a big no-no, right? Not in China where cinemas are encouraging people to text their way through films by displaying messages on screen.



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Sony’s weird selfie camera is shaped like perfume bottle

EAU behave! Sony has teased a new camera designed for selfies and it’s shaped like a perfume bottle. If you’re asking why, you’re not alone.



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Why wait for an iPhone 6 when you can get this?

YOU might be hanging out for Apple’s latest device, but why keep waiting when you can buy this superphone right now?



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What’s happening to George Bush?

GEORGE W. Bush doesn’t look particularly comfortable in this picture. What’s the former US president doing?



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Flashing LEDs could create a mesh network for self-driving cars

Forget radar--it may be possible to create a mesh network for cars with a few flashing LEDs.



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ET deals: Dell Core i5 slim desktop with 8GB RAM for $500

Dell is offering a sizable savings on several of their most popular desktops today, highlighted by a well spec'd Core i5 slim tower for just $500, the lowest price we've seen. Killer deals are also available on Core i3 and Core i7 desktops too, with up to $501 in total savings.



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The demon core: A scary story of sloppy science from the Manhattan Project

I think we can all agree that the physicists, engineers, and chemists who worked on the Manhattan Project -- which ultimately ended World War II -- were consummate geniuses and paragons of professionalism. Except they weren't. The demon core of plutonium claimed numerous lives at Los Alamos due to sloppy science.



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Smartphone usage surges while PCs show startling decline in new worldwide study

Smartphones have surged in developing markets over the past few years, and it's been catastrophic for PC sales -- for the first time, we've got data on exactly how bad the worldwide damage is.



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NASA’s electric vertical-takeoff airplane takes first flight, aims to eventually replace the helicopter

It might look like some kind of crazy machination that adorned the cover of Popular Aviation back in the '60s, the flying machine pictured above is the real deal. Developed by NASA, GL-10 Greased Lightning is an unmanned hybrid-electric aircraft that can swivel its wings and engines -- into the vertical position for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and then horizontal for conventional flight. The fairly recent advent of electric propulsion -- thanks in large to the growing power and energy density of batteries -- allows for some very efficient hybrid-electric aircraft designs that could finally replace the current (massively inefficient) king of VTOL: the helicopter.



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Ice Bucket Challenge founder drowns

COREY Griffin, 27, the co-founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge has tragically drowned.



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California’s new solar power plant is actually a death ray that’s incinerating birds mid-flight

What spans 1,600 hectares, cost $2.2 billion to build, and fries up to 28,000 birds per year? The new BrightSource solar power plant in California's Mojave Dessert. The plant, which uses some 350,000 garage-door-sized mirrors to focus sunlight on three boiler towers, also acts as a death ray, instantly igniting and killing any wildlife that happen to fly through the intense beam of light. Wildlife officials are concerned that this concentrated solar power plant, and others like it, could turn into “mega-trap” that decimates the ecosystem -- first attracting insects, and then attracting birds that eat insects.



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Fund manager’s sex deal outrage

NETWORKING with fund managers is nerve-racking for start-up founders. One woman got a proposition she did not expect — sex. She was not alone.



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Minecraft was a minefield for family

POLICE have issued a warning about popular kids’ computer game Minecraft after a Sydney family’s computer was hacked by an overseas player.



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Twitter revises policy on the dead

TWITTER said it will remove images of dead people if their family asks after a fake image of Robin Williams’ body and James Foley’s beheading were posted.



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The PS4 is still selling much faster than expected – and Sony doesn’t know why

Sony's PlayStation 4 console is lighting up sales charts, and even the company isn't sure why. Could a reversal or collapse strike the console? We think not.



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Mass UFO sighting over city

HUNDREDS of Texans reported seeing a UFO hovering in the clouds during a storm last week. And caught it on camera.



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Did Google Street View kill a dog?

IMAGES on Google Maps show what appears to be one of its Street View cars running over a dog. But is everything what it seems?



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Bakery gets its sweet reward over detractors

A MAJOR bakery chain has proved an online disaster can turn into the sweetest of victories. Here’s how to turn a PR disaster into a major win.



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How the ice bucket challenge went viral

EVERYBODY who’s anybody has been dunking buckets of water over their heads and posting it online. It’s swept the world but how has it managed to become such a hit?



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iPhone 6 goes back to the future

NEW photos claiming to be the iPhone 6 show that Apple has gone back to the original design unveiled by Steve Jobs.



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Liquid metal injected into a heart for high resolution imaging

Scientists from China have figured out a way to image the vasculature of the heart in unprecedented detail. Their secret is to inject a shot of liquid gallium metal.



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Roku takes aim at TV market with new Roku TV

Not content with producing the best media streaming box on the market, Roku has now set its sights on the television market by releasing an HDTV with all of the Roku's streaming capabilities built in.



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PlayStation Now is even better than I hoped it would be

I'll be the first to admit that there is plenty of room for improvement, but let me explain why PS Now is actually better than I expected it to be.



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AMD teams up with OCZ to launch its first SSDs, the Radeon R7 series

AMD is pushing into the consumer SSD space and partnering with OCZ to do it. Will consumers bite or is AMD bringing too little to an already saturated, and highly competitive, market?



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What are these green lights spotted from space?

COULD it be aliens or secret underwater cities? These lights bright enough to be seen from space have been mystifying astronauts, but what are they?



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10 things Facebook needs to be cool again

THE social network lost its edge ever since our mum tried to friend request us but there are some simple ways it can get its mojo back.



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Why get a job when you can do this?

FOR many, standing on the podium at one of the top race tracks in the world was only ever a dream. Not anymore.



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Spacecraft’s fiery return caught on camera

THIS fireball burning up in Earth’s atmosphere was once a spacecraft. Its final voyage back home ended in a spectacular display that was caught on camera.



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Journo mistakes earplugs for bullets

TWITTER users respond to a reporter’s mistake with their customary restraint and courtesy. Not.



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Chinese hackers steal millions of patient’s info

CHINESE hackers gained accessed to over 4.5 million hospital patients between April and June this year.



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Flappy Birds sequel set to launch

JUST when you thought it was safe to get back into the app store the creator of Flappy Birds is set to launch the sequel.



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Origami might change the way NASA builds solar panels

A new type of solar panel for spacecrafts blooms like a flower thanks to origami-inspired design.



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Google hits Apple Down Under

FOR the first time Apple, the company that created the tablet computer, no longer sells the most tablets in Australia.



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August Xbox One system update brings 3D, remote downloads

This month's Xbox One system update is rolling out today, and it adds some long-awaited features. 3D Blu-ray support, remote game downloads, and improved notifications are all being added. These frequent additions and refinements certainly aren't a panacea for the Xbox One's public perception problems, but these monthly updates go a long way in reassuring existing owners that Redmond isn't resting on its laurels.



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