From some surprising revelations about supermassive black holes to the best STEM-themed Halloween costumes, here’s everything you need to know from the world of science and tech this Friday morning.
1. The 10 biggest developments in space exploration in the past year
We’ve had a rather breathless 12 months of space travel, taking us from the moon to Pluto and beyond. In this article, we look at the 10 greatest developments of recent times.
2. Supermassive black hole erupts, beaming out a giant X-ray light
NASA has witnessed a new first, spotting the moment a supermassive black hole shot a giant beam of X-ray light out of its core, lending further clues to how coronas are shaped.
3. 15 years of the IEDR in Ireland (infographic)
The total number of registered .ie domains stands at 209,432, the IEDR revealed in an infographic to mark its 15th anniversary.
4. Gigantic tablet from another galaxy — Samsung reveals 18.4in screen
If you thought Apple was pushing the boundaries with a 12.9in iPad Pro, Samsung has gone about half a foot further with an 18.4in Galaxy View, which is optimised for primarily watching video.
5. Digital nation fail: 91pc of Irish businesses still can’t do e-commerce
On International Internet Day, stark findings have revealed how Irish businesses are in danger of being left behind, with 91pc of SMEs unable to process sales online and 54pc with websites that are not optimised for mobile.
6. Project Loon set for Indonesia, will circle globe next year
Google’s ambitious plan to send hundreds of internet-beaming balloons into the sky to provide good internet access to people in every corner of the planet just took a major step forward after the tech giant reached a deal with the major mobile network providers in Indonesia to trial its network there next year. The team at Google hopes to have a continuous ring of balloons circling the globe next year.
7. Apple and U2 team up for 360-degree VR music video
Apple has finally revealed some of its VR work to the masses, after years of behind the scenes projects, with U2’s Song for Someone now available in all its virtual glory.
8. CurrencyFair to create 50 new jobs in Dublin
Person-to-person money exchange service CurrencyFair is to create 50 new jobs at its Dublin headquarters. CurrencyFair currently employs around 80 people in Ranelagh, Dublin but is about to move into new offices in Ballsbridge.
9.Hostelworld valued at €245m in IPO in Dublin and London
Hostelworld, the online site for tourist accommodation founded by Ray Nolan in 1999, has been valued at €245m after announcing the pricing of its IPO on the London and Irish Stock Exchanges.
10. 15 good, great and terrible sci-tech costume ideas
The Silicon Republic team decided to brainstorm some Halloween costume ideas for science and technology fans. This is what we came up with. You’re welcome.
Woman using mobile phone in cafe image via Shutterstock
