Today on New Scientist: 11 January 2013

Largest structure challenges Einstein's smooth cosmos One-twentieth the diameter of the observable universe, a group of galaxies dents the cherished idea that the cosmos is uniform at large scalesStraitjacket drug halts herpes virus's escape stunt Herpes infections recur as the virus is adept at evading our defences, but a new drug that suppresses enzymes exploited by the virus seems effectiveZoologger:...

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WP says its focus is to offer choice to Punggol East voters

SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party (WP) has stated categorically that its focus continues to be fulfilling its promise to offer a choice to voters in Punggol East.The party made this point in response to a question from Channel NewsAsia with regards to its response to the latest proposal from the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).At a news conference on Friday night,...

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ZTE readies itself for U.S. expansion in 2013

Lixin Cheng, the CEO of ZTE USA, at CES 2013. (Credit:Lynn La/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Lixin Cheng and the rest of his division are determined to make it in America.Cheng is the CEO of ZTE's U.S. division, and in addition to strengthening the company's carrier relationships, Cheng also has big plans in the near future to increase ZTE's presence in the U.S."There are a lot of things already in the pipeline,"...

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Pictures: Civil War Shipwreck Revealed by Sonar

Photograph by Jesse CancelmoA fishing net, likely only decades old, drapes over machinery that once connected the Hatteras' pistons to its paddle wheels, said Delgado.From archived documents, the NOAA archaeologist learned that Blake, the ship's commander, surrendered as his ship was sinking. "It was listing to port, [or the left]," Delgado said. The Alabama took the wounded and the rest of the crew...

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CDC: Flu Outbreak Could Be Waning

The flu season appears to be waning in some parts of the country, but that doesn't mean it won't make a comeback in the next few weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Five fewer states reported high flu activity levels in the first week of January than the 29 that reported high activity levels in the last week of December, according to the CDC's...

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Personal assistant for your emails streamlines your life

IT'S one of the luxuries of the corporate elite: a personal assistant who takes your overflowing inbox and turns it into a simple to-do list. Many people would love such help, if only they could afford it. But what if the cost was less than $2 a day? That's the idea behind software that uses crowdsourced workers...

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India's industrial output dips 0.1% in November

MUMBAI: India's industrial output dipped marginally by 0.1 percent in November from a year ago, data showed on Friday, raising hopes that the central bank will soon cut interest rates to boost sluggish growth.The figure matched market expectations but was well below the previous month's 8.3 percent growth figure and underlines the challenges the government faces as it seeks to kickstart...

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Top tech at CES 2013

Winners of CNET's Best of CES awards include the Razer Edge gaming tablet, the YotaPhone sporting an e-ink back screen, and the CubeX high-end 3D printer. CNET Update breaks down the winners from CNET's 2013 Best of CES Awards: Watch CNET Update in the video above, or subscribe to the podcast via the links below. Subscribe:iTunes (HD) | iTunes (SD) | iTunes (HQ)RSS (HD) | RSS...

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Google and Twitter Help Track Influenza Outbreaks

This flu season could be the longest and worst in years. So far 18 children have died from flu-related symptoms, and 2,257 people have been hospitalized. Yesterday Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a citywide public health emergency, with roughly 700 confirmed flu cases—ten times the number the city saw last year."It arrived five weeks early, and it's shaping up to be a pretty bad...

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Judge: Holmes Can Face Trial for Aurora Shooting

Jan 10, 2013 8:45pm (Arapahoe County Sheriff/AP Photo)In a ruling that comes as little surprise, the judge overseeing the Aurora, Colo., theater massacre has ordered that there is enough evidence against James Holmes to proceed to a trial.In an order posted late Thursday, Judge William Sylvester wrote that “the People have carried their burden of proof and have established...

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Smartphones make identifying endangered animals easy

Everyday mobile tech takes the legwork out of tracking hard-to-find animals, and makes life easier for field biologists FIELD biology is notoriously laborious. In one famous 1982 study, Smithsonian entomologist Terry Erwin counted by hand the number of insect species in one hectare of forest canopy in Panama. By extrapolation...

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I 'liked' NUS law professor 'as a friend' at that time: Ex-student

SINGAPORE: The National University of Singapore law student at the centre of the sex-for-grades corruption trial was the first witness who took to the stand on Thursday morning.Ms Darrine Ko told the court that she knew law don, Associate Professor Tey Tsun Hang, well and this was the reason why she bought a Mont Blanc pen worth S$740 and gave it to him.She said that it was a "belated...

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Google's Schmidt presses North Korean officials for open Web

Google's Eric Schmidt (right) upon his arrival in North Korea earlier this week with former N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson.(Credit:CBS News/Screenshot by CNET)Eric Schmidt wrapped up a controversial visit to North Korea on Thursday, saying that his private delegation warned officials that global Internet access was key to developing its economy."As the world becomes increasingly connected, their decision...

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Embryonic Sharks Freeze to Avoid Detection

Jane J. Lee Although shark pups are born with all the equipment they'll ever need to defend themselves and hunt down food, developing embryos still stuck in their egg cases are vulnerable to predators. But a new study finds that even these baby sharks can detect a potential predator, and play possum to avoid being eaten.Every living thing gives off a weak electrical field. Sharks can sense...

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Holmes 'Delighted' by Creepy Self-Portraits: Victims

After two days of apparent indifference, accused Aurora shooter James Holmessmiled and smirked at disturbing self-portraits and images of weapons shown in court today, according to the families of victims who watched him."When he sees himself, he gets very excited and his eyes crinkle," Caren Teves said outside of the courthouse, after the hearing. "Your eyes are the window...

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Time to nail the number one problem of green energy

ONE of the frustrating things about renewable energy is that there is so much of it available and yet we utilise so little. Every minute, enough solar radiation hits the earth to meet global energy needs for a year. Wind energy, too, could single-handedly power the planet. ...

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Restaurant patrons relieve stress by smashing beer mugs

SINGAPORE: We're only just into the new year.But if you're already stressed out and need some release - you might as well have a smashing good time while you're at it!Over at District 10 restaurant at Star Vista, patrons have the option to booze... and lose some steam.And without having to break the bank either!A glass of beer goes for S$8 dollars - and once it's washed down - just step...

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BlackBerrify your iPhone with Spike keyboard case

LAS VEGAS--No one likes typing on a touch screen. So what if your iPhone case had a very mini QWERTY keyboard?That's just what Spike from SoloMatrix is designed to be. When we heard about it last year, the Spike TypeSmart keyboard was part of a Kickstarter campaign that proved successful. The tactile keyboard swivels out from its case and its keys make contact with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard....

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Pictures: Wildfires Scorch Australia Amid Record Heat

Photograph by Jo Giuliani, European Pressphoto AgencySmoke from a wildfire mushrooms over a beach in Forcett, Tasmania, on January 4. (See more wildfire pictures.)Wildfires have engulfed southeastern Australia, including the island state of Tasmania, in recent days, fueled by dry conditions and temperatures as high as 113ºF (45ºC), the Associated Press reported. (Read "Australia's Dry Run" inNational...

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Dead Lotto Winner's Wife Seeks 'Truth'

The wife of a $1 million Chicago lottery winner who died of cyanide poisoning told ABC News that she was shocked to learn the true cause of his death and is cooperating with an ongoing homicide investigation."I want the truth to come out in the investigation, the sooner the better," said Shabana Ansari, 32, the wife of Urooj Khan, 46. "Who could be that person who hurt him?"It...

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Tony Fadell: From iPhones to sexing up thermostats

After quitting Apple, the tech guru behind the iPod wanted to revolutionise our homes – starting with the humble thermostat After you left Apple, you developed a "smart" thermostat. Was that always your plan?Not at all! The plan was to retire with my wife, who also worked for Steve [Jobs], and spend time with...

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C. African government, opposition head for talks with rebels

BANGUI, Central African Republic: Central African Republic government and opposition delegations left on Tuesday to join rebels for talks later in the week in the Gabonese capital Libreville to end the conflict in their volatile nation.A delegation of the rebels who have seized key towns in the impoverished country arrived Monday, while government, opposition and civil society representatives...

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Track your steps, sleep with Fitbit Flex wristband

LAS VEGAS--Who doesn't need a little more exercise? Fitbit wants to push you to get more active with its Flex wristband, shown off at CES 2013. It's a colorful pedometer that monitors how far you walk every day, as well as your time spent sleeping or tossing and turning. The Flex can track steps, distance, calories, and how many minutes you've been active. It also has a silent alarm to wake you up....

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Primitive and Peculiar Mammal May Be Hiding Out in Australia

It’d be hard to think of a mammal that’s weirder than the long-beaked, egg-laying echidna. Or harder to find.Scientists long thought the animal, which has a spine-covered body, a four-headed penis, and a single hole for reproducing, laying eggs, and excreting waste, lived only in New Guinea. The population of about 10,000 is critically endangered. Now there is tantalizing evidence that...

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Meet Obama's Defense Secretary Nominee

President Obama nominated former Senator Chuck Hagel as the next U.S. secretary of defense. To those who haven't followed the Senate closely in the past decade, he's probably not a household name.Hagel is a former GOP senator from Nebraska and Purple-Heart-decorated Vietnam veteran, but he wouldn't necessarily be a popular pick with Republicans in Congress.At age 21, Hagel and...

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West vs Asia education rankings are misleading

Western schoolchildren are routinely outperformed by their Asian peers, but worrying about it is pointless MATHEMATICS and science are as essential to modern economies as coal was to the industrial revolution. So when the results of international tests show Western schoolchildren lagging behind their peers...

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