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Aug12019 by adminNo Comments

MPs write to Facebook over contradictory evidence

Technology

By Alexander J Martin, technology reporter MPs have written to Facebook after a legal filing by the US government suggested the company may have misled parliament about the Cambridge Analytica scandal.The letter, which is addressed to former British deputy prime minister and current head of global affairs at Facebook, Sir Nick Clegg, raises several concerns about Facebook's evidence to parliament. Two weeks after the US Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $ 5bn (£4bn) over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, another American regulator filed an additional complaint against the company. Image: Sir Nick Clegg joined Facebook in 2018 The complaint from the Securities and Exchange Commission accused F...

Dec212018 by adminNo Comments

L Devine: 'Girls can write about more than being sexy'

Entertainment

Christmas came early for L Devine this year. Six weeks early, to be precise.In mid-November the 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Whitley Bay was named on YouTube's list of ones to watch for next year, alongside BBC Sound of 2019 listees Mahalia, Octavian, Grace Carter and Slowthai. Remarkable really, considering - unlike all of the above - she'd never even played a proper live gig.That all changed just two weeks later when, by popular demand, the newcomer - who doesn't use her full name, Olivia Devine, to avoid confusion with the porn star - made a short-but-startling two-song solo live debut at the Great Escape's First 50 showcase.The set included an intimate guitar rendition of her ode to young gay love, Daughter (see below), and an energetic performance of the title track from her new...

Feb72018 by adminNo Comments

Game of Thrones creators to write new Star Wars

Entertainment

A new series of the Star Wars films will be written and produced by the creators of Game of Thrones.David Benioff and DB Weiss will take the lead on the new films, an announcement on the franchise's website said.The films will be separate from the current episodes and the trilogy being developed by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, which is owned by Disney, said: "David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today."Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting."Benioff and Weiss said they had been dreaming of being part of the Star Wars franchise since the first film, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, was released in the...

Dec62017 by adminNo Comments

Ashes: Joe Root refuses to write off England’s hopes despite Australia taking 2-0 series lead in Adelaide

Sports

Joe Root insists England are still "massively" in the Ashes series despite falling 2-0 behind with a 120-run defeat in the second Test.England arrived on the final day at the Adelaide Oval with an outside chance of sustaining their revival in the inaugural pink-ball Ashes encounter.But after conceding a 215-run first-innings deficit, even James Anderson's maiden five-wicket haul in Australia and then a battling half-century from the England captain himself could not truly turn back the tide.DAY FIVE REPORT: England hope quickly extinguished as Australia storm into 2-0 series leadRoot was unbeaten at stumps on the penultimate night, with 178 still needed and six wickets intact to pull off a national-record run chase of 354 to level the series.Instead, he followed nightwatchman Chris Wo...

Jul12017 by adminNo Comments

Tempo proves key as Japanese children learn to write

Science

June 30 (UPI) -- Most research suggests handwriting is combination of acquired skills: the understanding of how different letters are shaped and the hand-eye coordination used to replicate those shapes with a pen.New research, however, suggests timing is an important part of the learning process -- at least for Japanese first-graders learning hiragana script.As Japanese students practiced painting the phonetic symbols, researchers from Kobe University had the first-graders focus on the stroke patterns and rhythm required to replicate each symbol.When scientists observed the handwriting, they found distinct strokes emerged -- stop, sweep or jump -- for each symbol. They also observed the emergence of distinct timing patterns for different symbols.The findings -- detailed in the journal Deve...