The record for the largest discovered prime number has fallen for the first time in nearly three years. The new largest runs to 22 million digits, five million more than the previous record. The number in question is 274,207,281-1 (known also as M74207281) and, as is often the case these days, was discovered through the […]
The annual list of the “worst passwords” has again failed to tell us anything useful about security, thought perhaps provided a little (predictable) detail about popular culture. As always happens this time of year, a publicity-seeking company behind a password manager application has put together a list of the 25 worst passwords by simply counting […]
Both fans and cast members of Stargate Universe are calling on Netflix to pick up the show. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition arguing that it’s a perfect fit for a streaming service. The show only ran for two seasons before being dropped by Syfy in 2010. Plans to conclude the story — […]
Actor Alan Rickman has died at the age of 69. Which of his many roles he was best know for may depend on your age and how highbrow you like your entertainment. While he played some traditional villain roles such as the Sherriff of Nottingham, Judge Turpin, Rasputin and Vicomte de Valmont, he also had […]
The head of T-Mobile has apologized for going on a profanity-laden rant against the Electronic Frontier Foundation. But John Legere continues to dispute the claim from the EFF that his company’s “Binge On” data program follows the ethos of net neutrality. The dispute follows T-Mobile launching a plan which excluded selected video apps from data […]
Employers in 47 European countries may have the right to read personal messages sent by staff using a work computer. That’s the result of a court ruling concluding a case that ran for nine years. The case involved a Romanian who was fired in 2007. His employer had told him to set up a Yahoo […]
The makers of a self-cleaning toilet say their next model won’t need human intervention for a year. Assuming, that is, that your aim is accurate. Manufacturer TotoUSA uses plenty of jargon and buzzwords in its description of the Neorest 750H (which will cost $9,800), including the unlikely “ewater+” but the short version is that its […]
TV makers showing off their wares at CES this week seem to have abandoned the race for ever more pixels. Instead “high dynamic range” seems to be the new buzzword. Having told everyone how great full HD is, only to then turn around and say 1080p is pretty much equivalent to a child’s drawing and […]
New York City is to replace pay phones with ultra-high speed Wi-Fi hotspots. The booths will still allow people without a cellphone to make voice calls, now without charge. The replacement program is set to cover 500 booths by this July with an eventual target of 7,500. That’s the vast majority of the 8,178 pay […]
Public transport officials in London are experimenting with bus stop timetable signs using electronic paper. The idea is to blend the benefits of paper and electronic screens. Most bus stops in the city have printed paper displays for timetables and route information. That brings two main disadvantages. Firstly, the sheer hassle of printing new sheets […]