Tech

Millions of employees think their company is “stuck in the past” when it comes to technology and working practices. A study of 1,500 UK office workers found 31 percent believe slow internet speeds are a sign of an old-fashioned office - and a quarter cite out-of-date fax machines as the ultimate sign of being behind the times. Meanwhile more than one in five think companies using Microsoft tools like Word or Excel - from 2003 - are stuck in the past. But it’s not just technology that is leaving some companies trailing - as, despite huge strides being taken in mental health awareness at work, 49 percent feel their own company is behind the times when it comes to wellbeing. A tenth feel their employers still frown upon staff taking personal phone calls, and a little under one in five still have no flexible hours. A spokesman for communication solutions specialists Enreach, which commissioned the report, said: “Our research shows how many …

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When it comes to Christmas presents, tech gifts are always a winner. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the latest bit of smart kit in their stocking? And 2021 has been full of fabulous tech releases, from fitness tracker watches to foldable phones. Read on below for our roundup of the best tech gifts for gadget fans… Google Nest Cam Indoor Wired Designed specifically for use inside the home, the Next Cam sends alerts that help you keep an eye on everything that goes on, from pets to people. The mic and camera with an extra wide view (and night vision) means nothing goes uncaptured. Perfect for nosy family members. £89.99, store.google.com Kindle Paperwhite Treat your favourite bookworm to the latest Kindle Paperwhite. The updated model has an improved 6.8inch display, 20% faster page turns and up to 10 weeks battery life. £129.99, amazon.co.uk Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless in-ear buds Sennheiser have built a reputation for superior …

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Automotive startup Faraday Future has unveiled a self-driving vehicle capable of accelerating faster than any other electric car on the market. In a video demonstration at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Faraday Future's FF 91 reached 60 miles per hour in 2.39 seconds. Tesla's Model S accelerated to the same speed in 2.5 seconds on the same track used by the FF 91, although a recent software update will improve the acceleration by 0.1 seconds. "FF 91 represents a bold step forward for the automotive industry, a new breed of electric mobility that combines supercar performance, precise handling, the comfort of an ultra-luxury passenger vehicle, and a unique collection of intelligent internet features," says a spokesperson for Faraday Future. Similar to Tesla vehicles, the FF 91 features self-driving capabilities that allow the vehicle to autonomously park itself, while the 378-mile range stated by Faraday Future is more than 50 miles more than Tesla's. …

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Almost one month after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, technology firms like Tesla are stepping in to fill the relief-effort void that many say President Donald Trump has created. Following through with a pledge by Elon Musk that his company could solve Puerto Rico's energy crisis with solar panels and batteries, Tesla Powerwall battery packs were spotted at San Juan airport on the island over the weekend. The Category 5 storm decimated Puerto Rico's electrical grid, with a website maintained by the office of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló estimating that 85 percent of the island is still without electricity. Tesla's shipment will help homes, businesses, schools and hospitals on the island make use of their existing solar panel installations by providing energy storage. The effort, led by Cal Lankton, Tesla's vice president of global infrastructure operations, means Rosselló now foresees a relatively rapid recovery for Puerto Rico's energy crisis. Rosselló …

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3D printing pioneer Sanjay Mortimer has died, according to the company he co-founded. Mortimer's cause of death and his age were not specified. He was born in 1989, meaning he was in his early thirties when he died. Mortimer was a well-known figure in the 3D printing community, and a number of specialist news outlets and companies expressed sadness at his death. 3D printing is a manufacturing process where a three dimensional object is created from a digital file using a machine called a 3D printer. The technology has been in development since the 1980s. Financial website Investopedia notes that while it has not yet been adopted as a method of mass production on a global scale, it has the potential to disrupt manufacturing industries. 3D printing has been used as a way for companies to rapidly produce models or prototypes of products. Outside of industry, it has also amassed a community of hobbyists who 3D-print things for fun. Mortimer was one of the founding …

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It was the best of pelotimes, it was the worst of pelotimes. If the graph of Peloton’s stock-price fluctuations were the blueprint for a new roller coaster, it would be a terrifying ride for anyone brave enough to strap in. The line undulates with disasters: Since the fitness-tech company went public in late 2019, it has weathered a virally bad holiday ad campaign , pandemic delivery delays so extensive that it bought up tons of pricey cargo-plane space, and a recall of one of its treadmills following dozens of injuries and the death of a child. Between those precipitous drops, the company had a better pandemic than nearly all other businesses on the planet. With gyms closed, Peloton’s stock price skyrocketed alongside sales of its spin bikes and treadmills, increasing more than eightfold from March to December 2020. By August 2021, the company had 2.3 million users paying nearly $40 a month to take classes on its “connected fitness” products—more than quadruple the number it …

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The Omicron variant of COVID could potentially have come from an animal, according to a theory proposed by a researcher. Little is known about Omicron, the variant that has dominated headlines for the past several days after scientists voiced concerns about its vast number of mutations compared to previous forms of COVID. Experts believe Omicron is concerning because it has over 30 mutations on the part of its genome that codes for its spike protein, which it uses to invade cells. It is feared this could make it better and spreading and resistant to immunity. Laboratory research is underway to determine if that is the case. It is also unclear where Omicron emerged, and how. The earliest known sample was detected in South Africa on November 8 according to data uploaded to the GISAID virus reporting network as of Thursday, but it could have been circulating unnoticed before then. Some scientists have suggested that Omicron could have evolved due to a persistent infection in …

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Male caimans have been filmed singing to their prospective lovers as part of new Discovery+ series The Mating Game . Narrated by David Attenborough , the series looks at the different strategies animals use to attract a mate. In one episode, the crew follows the exploits of caimans, a smaller relative of alligators . This species is found in Central and South America in swamps, marshes, mangroves and lakes. They can grow to around 13 feet in length and weigh around 500 lbs. In the scene, a male newcomer starts to grunt. He then disappears beneath the surface of the water and starts to grumble, making the water above ripple. The low frequency of the caiman's call makes the water dance. "This song contest may be inaudible to us, but not to female caiman," Attenborough says. "It attracts them from far and wide." Soon after, the male is seen with a partner. Jeff Wilson, series producer on The Mating Game , told Newsweek he did not know caimans had a special mating song …

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Say hello to Attenborough's black-eyed satyr, or if you prefer, Euptychia attenboroughi . This striking new butterfly species lives in in the upper Amazon basin in Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. Its territory is fairly small; the creature can be found only in a few sites, all relatively close to one another. The researchers who located and described the insect decided to dedicate it to Sir David Attenborough, who is best known for writing and presenting in the BBC Life series and other nature programs. "Although we are a large team from several countries from across four continents and speaking different languages, we have all been deeply influenced and inspired by Sir David's fascinating and informative documentaries," said Andrew Neild of London's Natural History Museum in a statement . The species has eight bright eyes spots, used for scaring away prey, and it looks quite different from other species in its appointed genus (the taxonomic grouping above species). DNA …

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Little is known about Africa's largest butterfly, the giant African swallowtail . But scientists do know that Papilio antimachus is in decline due to habitat destruction and it is also poached by insect collectors, who seek it for its beautiful, orange and black wings. One specimen recently sold for $1,000 on eBay, says Szabolcs Sáfián, who studies butterflies at the University of West Hungary. As it glides about on elegant wings that can measure 10 inches or more tip to tip, the swallowtail almost looks like a bird, Sáfián says. It uses these wings to fly high above the canopy of rain forests in western and central Africa during much of the year, making it difficult to study. During the course of a recent expedition to study butterflies in the Nimba Mountains, in north-central Liberia, Sáfián noticed that during the breeding season, male swallowtails congregate on grassy hilltops. He realized that this presented a rare opportunity to learn more about the swallowtails. What …

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