Technology
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Top tweeters find influence in aphorisms
With millions of followers, today’s best tweeters are increasingly powerful cultural figures. Much of their appeal lies in wit and cleverness – but is this really the best form of expression?
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Geeks celebrate 100th birthday of tragic genius
Tomorrow marks the 100th birthday of Alan Turing, a mathematical genius who cracked Nazi codes, pioneered modern computing, but was also a victim of appalling prejudice and injustice.
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Top US universities to teach one billion students
Students pay thousands each year to study at MIT and Harvard. Now, these elite colleges will open their courses to everyone, for free, over the web. Could this learning revolution change the...
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Nukes, dictators and mad Vikings in virtual future
A gamer has become an online celebrity after playing the same game of Civilization II (a history simulation) for ten full years. His virtual world has now reached 3991 AD – and is an Orwellian...
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FUTURE SCIENCE: The internet invades reality
There are now more objects connected to the internet than there are people in the world. Our homes, vehicles and tools are increasingly communicating with us – and with each other.
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World’s most powerful cyber weapon is discovered
A complex computer virus, newly discovered by security experts, may be the most powerful piece of malware ever created. The find raises new fears over the potential of cyber warfare.
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Facebook becomes ‘Fadebook’ as share price falls
Exactly a week ago, Facebook started selling shares on the open market. Expectations were high. But today, prices are dropping and investors are furious. Is Facebook heading for extinction?
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Olympic flame lights London in cutting-edge style
The Olympic flame has touched down in Britain to embark on its ten week journey around the UK. Its destination: a state-of-the-art cauldron, built by Thomas Heatherwick, London’s hottest...
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Google hits the road in self-driving car
Google has been licensed to bring a driverless car to the roads of Nevada. The high-tech ride will mean fewer accidents and less stress – but do we want to give robots the wheel?
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Internet war intensifies over The Pirate Bay
In a landmark ruling, the British High Court has demanded a block of illegal file sharing site The Pirate Bay. It is a victory for the entertainment industry – but will internet freedom suffer?
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Boy, lost for 25 years, finds home on Google Earth
Saroo Brierley was five when he woke up alone on a train in Calcutta. He thought he would never see his family again. Two decades on, modern technology has helped him find his way home at last.
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Sixteen years after death, rapper set for world tour
Tupac Shakur was shot dead in 1996 – but last week he was digitally resurrected for a performance at a US music festival, and a world tour is planned. What ever happened to ‘rest in peace’?
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Social networks make us lonely, say critics
In less than a decade, Facebook has changed the way millions of people socialise. This week, one article caused a stir by questioning its impact. Are social networks making us lonelier?
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‘Avatar’ director dives to world’s murkiest depths
James Cameron has become only the third person in history to man a submarine to the lowest point of the world’s oceans. He described a ‘barren, desolate’ and entirely alien place.
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Hacker mastermind revealed as FBI mole
As ‘Sabu’, he was the powerful leader of international hacking collective LulzSec. But Hector Monsegur was an FBI informant – and his unmasking could spell the end of ‘hacktivism’.