Facts About World Records

The fastest bird is the peregrine falcon. It can fly at aspeed of 168-217 miles per hour. Hans Langseth had the longest beard at a record length of 17 1/2 feet long! When he died, his beard was given to the Smithsonian Institute. The deadliest disease was thepneumonic form of the Black Death of 1347-1351. It had death rate of 100%. The largest egg laid by a living bird is that of the North African Ostrich. It is 6 to 8 inches in length and 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The smallest is that of the hummingbird. It is less than 0.39 inches in diameter. The hottest continent on earthis Africa, where a record high of 136.4 degrees F was once recorded. Antarctica is the coldest continent on earth, where a temperature of 126.9 degrees F below zero was once recorded. Chicago is home to three of the five tallest buildings in the world — the Sears Tower, Standard Oil Building, and John Hancock Center. The hottest place on earth is in Dallol, Ethiopia, which is a sizzling 94 degrees in the shade on a typical day! Angel Falls in Venezuela is 20 times taller than Niagara Falls. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived (it couldreach 100 feet long and weight up to 150 tons!) Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a basketball game in 1962, when he played for the Philadelphia Warriors. The longest bout of hiccups lasted 69 years! The longest conga to this dateincluded 119,986 people. The smallest cat is the Singapuras and weighs only 4 pounds. The longest movie made lasts 85 hours and is fittingly titled “The Cure for Insomnia.” Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, standing 29,028 feet high. Did you know that there is a world record for seeing how many times you can attempt a world record?! The smallest dog recorded was a Yorkie and was only 4 inches tall. The biggest dog weighed 344 pounds- more than two full grown men! The largest baby to be born so far weighed in at 15 pounds, 5 ounces! The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.

Facebook IS adding video to its Instagram app to rival Vine by letting users record and share clips

Rumours suggest that Facebook is about to add video tools to the photo-sharing app Instagram, which it bought last year. The new tools will compete with Vine, which lets users record and share six-second clips.

Shameless smirk of the paedophile teacher: Jeremy Forrest leaves court after being found guilty of abducting schoolgirl lover, 15

The jury at Lewes Crown Court took less than two hours to find him guilty of one charge of child abduction, and the disgraced 30-year-old (pictured today) now faces jail.Forrest then persistently seduced the child in her school uniform, first kissing her in a classroom and within weeks had told her: 'I love you', his victim said. Over the next four months they had sex in his car, home and at hotels, sometimes up to eight times a night, and often without contraception, before he took the teenager to France in September last year.before he left her.

One has won! Delighted Queen celebrates with Beatrice and Eugenie as her horse romps to Gold Cup victory at Ascot

The Queen became the first reigning monarch in history to win the Gold Cup as her dark bay thoroughbred filly Estimate, an 80th birthday present from the Aga Khan and the 7/2 favourite, won the prestigious race by a length today. The Queen's grandson Peter Phillips revealed that Her Majesty was 'thrilled' to have won the race, fulfilling a long-held ambition. Joining the Queen in the Royal box at Ascot were her granddaughters Beatrice and Eugenie who looked thrilled to see the win, with Beatrice leaping up and down as she roared the horse on.

Hackers 'using webcams to spy on people in their own homes'

Computer hackers have been gaining access to users' webcams and spying on their victims in their own homes, an investigation has found. A BBC Radio 5 Liveprobe uncovered an underground market for selling footage of people who have been filmed without their knowledge through a process known as 'ratting'. Hackers involved in this practise usually target young women, but the report also states that Paedophiles have used the technique to target children. Victims - referred to as 'slaves' - are tricked into installing a rogue piece of software called a remote administration tool (RAT), which is usually disguised as alink to download music, view pictures or access an article. The sender is granted access to theuser's computer, including its webcam, if the rogue programme is successfully installed. Computer security experts have offeredadvice on how users can protect themselves against ratting, suggesting that webcams be covered up when not in use and all PCs equipped with anti-virus software. Tony Neate, of the Government's Get Safe Online campaign, said: "As more cases of "ratting" come to light, there is a serious need to educate the public about the methods hackers use to access the private lives of innocent people. "The most at-risk computers are those running older software, and those without up-to-date anti-virus software installed." Gaining remote accessto another person's machine without their knowledge is a criminal offence underthe terms of the Computer Misuse Act.

New Battery Made From Wood Is Environmentally Friendly

Researchers at the Universityof Tokyo's Ishikawa Oku Labhave been hard at work on a camera system that can track fast moving objects incredibly well, and the technology may change the way sports like baseball and soccer are televised. Recently, the team building the system has entered the next phase of testing: taking it outside, to see if will perform as well as ithas in a lab setting. If all goesaccording to plan, they expectit'll be ready for broadcast use in roughly two years. Demos of the tech are pretty impressive, as you can see inthe video below showing the (warning: not recommended watching for those easily prone to motion sickness). To get the ping-pong ball-centric shots, the system uses a group of lenses and two small mirrors that pan, tilt and moveso the camera itself doesn't have to. The mirrors rely on aspeedy image tracking systemthat follows movement, rather than predicting it. Swapping the camera out for a projectoralso has some interesting applications -- it can paint digital pictures on whatever its tracking. Sounds like the perfect gadget for folks who wish their table tennis balls looked like emoji.

Children and lollipop lady injured after horror crash outside school

South Wales Police have described the the "major incident" near Rhoose Primary School in the Valeof Glamorgan as "very serious". Among the casualties is the school's lollipop lady, named locally as Karin Williams. Witnesses claim Karin wasploughed down by the caras she helped children cross the road minutes before school began this morning. Barry Cooksley, 77, who lives close to the school, said: "I walked past and saw the car upside down on the pavement. "It had hit the lollipop lady, Karin. She's been badly injured after someone lost control of their car. "She's been the lollipop lady for about 20 years. She lives just around the corner. She's a lovely lady. We always wave to her when we go past." Parents have flocked to the scene desperate for information about which pupils were involved in the crash. At the scene, a black Audiwas on its roof on the pavement, sandwiched between a green car and a line of trees, just yardsfrom a pelican crossing near the school.A lollipop stick lay on the ground nearby and various pieces of clothingwere strewn across the pavement. Eyewitness Glenys Watson, who works at a cafe on the same road as the school, said the scenewas "like a war zone." "I've never seen so manypolice cars," she added. She said there were reports of the car hitting a bollard and "going up inthe air" adding: "Parents heard the bang and thought it was a gun. They didn't know what happened. Michael Dimond, 71, who lives close the scene said: "I heard what I thought were sea gulls but then realised it was children screaming. "I went outside and saw Karin lying on the ground.She wasn't moving and was in the recovery position. People were treating Karin. "The ambulances turned up with spinal boards. Someone told me she been knocked over and went on top of the car." A South Wales Police spokesman said the ages of those involved are notyet known.

Microsoft Apologizes, but Is It Too Late?

Realizing that consumer sentiment was turning against its Xbox One gaming console in favor ofSony's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 4, the software giant is scaling back on the publisher-friendly initiatives that are rubbing die-hard gamers the wrong way. *.The requirement that an Xbox One connect with Microsoft's servers at leastonce every 24 hours is toast. After a one-time system setup that registersthe console, online players can play any disc-based game without having to dealwith Mr. Softy's authoritative ways. *.Just as Sony received a rousing round of applauseafter announcing that gamers will be able to trade in, lend, resell, gift, and rent games on disc the way that they are currently able to on the PS3, Microsoft is backing away from the limitations that it was allowing publishers to take advantage of in order to curb profitless software exchanges. *.Xbox One games will also be able to play on any XboxOne console no matter where that Xbox One may be. Regional restrictions have been zapped.

Microsoft Apologizes, but Is It Too Late?

Realizing that consumer sentiment was turning against its Xbox One gaming console in favor ofSony's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 4, the software giant is scaling back on the publisher-friendly initiatives that are rubbing die-hard gamers the wrong way. *.The requirement that an Xbox One connect with Microsoft's servers at leastonce every 24 hours is toast. After a one-time system setup that registersthe console, online players can play any disc-based game without having to dealwith Mr. Softy's authoritative ways. *.Just as Sony received a rousing round of applauseafter announcing that gamers will be able to trade in, lend, resell, gift, and rent games on disc the way that they are currently able to on the PS3, Microsoft is backing away from the limitations that it was allowing publishers to take advantage of in order to curb profitless software exchanges. *.Xbox One games will also be able to play on any XboxOne console no matter where that Xbox One may be. Regional restrictions have been zapped.

Obama commits to tough push on global warming

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is planning a major push using executive powers to tackle the pollutionblamed for global warming in an effort to make good on promises he made at the start of his second term. "Weknow we have to do more — and we will do more," Obama said Wednesday in Berlin. Obama's senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plusexpand renewable energy. She also said the Environmental Protection Agency was preparing to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate heat-trapping pollution from coal-fired power plants. "The EPA has been working very hard on rules that focusspecifically on greenhouse gases from the coal sector," Zichal said. Zichal, speaking at a forum hosted by The New Republic in Washington, said that noneof the proposals would require new funding or actionfrom Congress. It has shown no appetite for legislation that would put a price on carbon dioxide after a White House-backed bill to set up amarket-based system died in Obama's first term with Democrats in charge.

iPhone 5

Five million units in the first three days of release[7]PredecessoriPhone 4SRelatediPod Touch (5th generation)TypeSmartphoneForm factorBarDimensions123.8 mm (4.87 in) H 58.6 mm (2.31 in) W 7.6 mm (0.30 in) DWeight112 g (3.95 oz)Operating systemOriginal OS:iOS 6 Current OS:iOS 6.1.4, released May 2, 2013 (2013-05-02)SoCApple A6CPU1.3 GHzdual coreGPUPowerVRSGX543MP3Memory1GBLPDDR2-1066RAMStorage16, 32 or 64 GBBattery3.8 V, 5.45 Wh (1,440 mAh)[8]Data inputsMulti-touchtouchscreendisplay Triplemicrophoneconfiguration 3-axisgyroscope 3-axisaccelerometer Digitalcompass Proximity sensor Ambient lightsensorDisplay4 in (100 mm) diagonal (16:9 aspect ratio), multi-touch display, LED backlitIPS TFT LCD, 640 × 1,136 pixelsat 326 ppi, 800:1contrast ratio(typical), 500 cd/m2max. brightness (typical),Fingerprint-resistantoleophobiccoatingon frontRear camera8MPback-side illuminated sensor,HD video(1080p)Front camera1.2MP,HD video(720p)SoundSpeaker, 3.5mmaudio jackConnectivity All models: Wi-Fi(802.11a/b/g/n) (802.11n: 2.4 and 5 GHz),Bluetooth 4.0,GPS&GLONASS,Quad-bandGSM/GPRS/EDGE(850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), Quad-bandUMTS/HSDPA+/DC-HSDPA(850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz). •GSM model (A1428): Dual-bandLTE(Bands 4, 17: 1700 (AWS), 700b MHz). •GSM model (A1429): Tri-band LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5: 2100, 1800, 850 MHz). •CDMA model (A1429): Tri-band2GCDMA(800 (CDMA overESMR), 850, 1900 MHz). Dual-band3GCDMA/EV-DO Rev. AandRev. B(850, 1900 MHz). Penta-band LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25: 2100, 1800, 850, 700c, 1900 MHz).OtherTalk time: Up to 8 hours Standby time: Up to 225 hours (9 days, 9 hours) Internet use: Up to 8 hours (3G), up to 8 hours (LTE), up to 10 hours (Wi-Fi) Video playback: Up to 10 hours Audio playback: Up to 40 hours (1 day, 16 hours)Websitewww.apple.com/iphone TheiPhone 5is atouchscreen-basedsmartphonedeveloped byApple Inc.. It is thesixth generationof theiPhoneand succeeds theiPhone 4S. The phone is a slimmer, lighter model that introduces a higher-resolution, 4-inch screen to the series with16:9widescreenaspect ratio. The phone also includes a custom-designedARMv7processor called theApple A6, an update to Apple's mobile operating system known asiOS 6, and support forLTE. Apple held an event to formally introduce the phone on September 12, 2012. Apple began taking pre-orders on September 14, 2012, and over two million were received within 24 hours. Initial demand for the iPhone 5 exceeded the supply available at launch on September 21, 2012, and has been described by Apple as "extraordinary", with pre-orders having sold twenty times faster than its predecessors. Following the launch, Samsung filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the iPhone 5 infringes eight of its patents. While reception to the iPhone 5 has been generally positive, the newMapsapplication featured on iOS 6 was negatively received and was reported to contain many serious errors. Consumers and reviewers have noted hardware issues, such as an unintended purple hue in photos taken by the iPhone 5, the phone's coating being prone to chipping, and the presence of light leaks on white variants of the device. Incompatibilities with LTE networks in some regions have also been noted.

10 Super Gadgets For Four High-Tech Home

There's a reason we flip through Skymall every time we board a flight, dog-earing catalogue pageswith giant floating trampolines and vibrating bath mats. We love novelty, and now we expect it from our gadgets, too. We carry around a ton of digital capability in our smartphones, so now we demand the same intelligence from our homes. These 10 gadgets will optimize, simplify and beautify your home ? that is, if you can afford the price tags. Yeesh. What is your favorite tech device for the home? Share your go-to products in the comments below.

Scientists use 3D printer to create microbatteries smaller than a single GRAIN of sand, paving the way for high-powered flying robot insects and mini medical implants

The revolutionary technology behind 3D-printed car parts, food and guns can also be used to print batteries smallerthan a grain of sand. Scientists have used a 3D printer to make linthium-ion microbatteries that can fit into tiny devices that had previously stumped engineerslooking to power them for longer periods. The batteries were constructed from interlaced stacks of tiny battery electrodes, which conduct electricity, that are each smaller than the width of a single human hair.Scientists from Harvard University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reported the results of their efforts in the journal Advanced Materials. 'Not only did we demonstrate for the first time that we can 3D-print a battery; we demonstrated it in the most rigorous way,' said the seniorauthor of the study, Jennifer A Lewis, according to a press release by Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, where Lewis is a professor.Many engineers have developed miniaturized electronic devices, such as miniscule medical implants, insect-like flying robots and audio and visual recorders that can fit on a pair of glasses. The batteries normally used to power such gadgets were too large, so manufacturers would use ultra-thin films of solid materials to build the electrodes. But these didn't provide enough power. Lewis and her colleagues realized they could pack more energy on a small scale if theycould create stacks of interlaced, ultra-thin electrodes built from plane. They knew 3D printing would allow them to precisely build the battery. The team expanded on the functional 'inks' the printer uses, designing some with useful chemical and electrical properties. The inks Lewis' group createdhad to function as electrochemically active materials, while also being capable of exiting a 3D printer's fine nozzle and hardening in its final form. The ink they developed for the anode part of the battery--or the 'negative' side in a Duracell--is made with nanoparticles of one lithium metal oxide compound. Ink for the cathode--the 'positive' side--was made from another compound.

Listening to lullabies can help premature babies feed and sleep better, it can also slow their heart rate and help them put on weight

However, the study authors at New York-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Centre for Children's Health also discovered that different types of music have different effects. They found that lullabies sungby a parent can influence a baby’s cardiac and respiratory function, while melodies have a positive effect upon a preterm baby’s feeding. ABC Newsreports that a previous study, by researchers at Florida State University, also found that babies who receive music therapy leave hospital earlier than those who do not.

We'll be uploading our entire MINDS to computers by 2045 and our bodies will be replaced by machines within 90 years, Google expert claims

In just over 30 years, humanswill be able to upload their entire minds to computers andbecome digitally immortal - an event called singularity - according to a futurist from Google. Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, also claims that the biological partsof our body will be replaced with mechanical parts and this could happen as early as 2100. Kurweil made the claims duringhis conference speech at the Global Futures 2045 International Congress in New York at the weekend.

Microsoft removes online DRM from Xbox One

Well, here's a thing. Microsoft has removed the always-online requirement from Xbox One. Initial rumours on GiantBombsuggested that Microsoft was removing the controversial requirement for an online check-in every 24 hours and certain restrictions on disc-based games. This wasseemingly confirmed by an update the company posted to the official Xbox One FAQ, although the detail is in a separate story that cannot be viewed, no doubt in part to most of the internet trying to read it. That the update has happened at all does suggest that the initial reports were correct, though. Giant Bomb claimed that these included the following: No more always online requirement The console no longer has to check in every 24 hours All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox360 An Internet connection is only required when initially setting up the console All downloaded games will function the same when online or offline No additional restrictions on trading games or loaning discs Region locks have been dropped All of which should be considered goodnews, given the rancour that theinitial announcement has attracted. More news as it happens.

10-year-old prodigy to enter Harvard University

He's only 10-years old but thanks to an IQ similar to Albert Einstein's, Luis Roberto Ramirez will begin the next school year studying applied quantum physics at Harvard University. "My dream is to create a company and sell my inventions," the boy said on a video aired by the Michoacan Radio and Television System. Ramirez, who lives in Zamora, Michoacan, taught himself English at 5 and is now learning to speak French and Chinese. He was identified as highly gifted just two years ago when his parents began to see he had problems relatingto other children, and that his priorities and tastes were unlike anything that might be expected of a kid his age. It was then he was determined to have an IQ of between 152 and 160, around Einstein's level. "It makes us very proud but it's also a big responsibility,"his father, Roberto Ramirez, said.