Weekend takeaway: 10 tech stories you need to read right now

8 Jan 2016

Ten nuggets of knowledge to take away for the weekend, including: Apple buys into emotional intelligence; Facebook predicts demise of phone numbers, and, BT Young Scientist winners, where are they now?

1. Pioneering Young Scientist winners skyrocket to success

What happens when Young Scientists grow up? For many, successful careers in science and technology soon follow.

2. 10 movies to keep your eyes peeled for in 2016

It may only be January, but thanks to Hollywood studios’ very advanced planning, we already know 2016 will be a fantastic year for movies.

3. European Space Agency to land humans on the moon by 2030

The European Space Agency (ESA) has revealed plans that will see humans return to the moon before the end of the next decade.

4. SSE and Coillte sign €176m deal to build Ireland’s largest wind farm

A deal worth €176m has been signed between SSE and Coillte to construct the final stage of Galway Wind Park, the largest deal ever done for a single wind farm in Ireland.

5. No bones about it, Surgacoll plans to create 25 jobs by 2019

Surgacoll, which has created a bone regeneration product from technology developed at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), has received the CE mark, certifying it for sale throughout the EU and plans to create 25 new jobs in the next three years.

6. Apple plants seed for AI’s emotionally intelligent future by buying Emotient

Apple has acquired an artificial intelligence (AI) company called Emotient, which uses AI to use technology to read emotions through data and by analysng facial expressions.

7. Saks Fifth Avenue owner acquires Gilt Groupe for $250m in cash

Gilt Groupe, the e-commerce fashion site that employs more than 150 people in Ireland, has been acquired by North American department store giant Hudson Bay Company, the owner of iconic New York department store Saks Fifth Avenue, for $250m in cash.

8. Renault and Nissan to bring 10 self-driving cars to market within next 4 years

Self-driving cars will hit the streets sooner than you think and Renault and Nissan have revealed they plan to launch more than 10 vehicles with autonomous drive technology in the next four years.

9. Dinosaur mating ritual was less Rocky, more Flashdance

Offering answers as to where modern birds learned their mating rituals, a team of palaeontologists has discovered that male dinosaurs used their sweet dance moves to attract the opposite sex.

10. Facebook hints at death of SMS as Messenger hits 800m users

Facebook has predicted the disappearance of the old phone number and consequentially SMS as its Messenger multimedia communications platform hits 800m monthly users worldwide.

 

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com