Compiled by Alex Hum and Technology Department
Bing’s feeling lucky over Google changes
Google’s search engine just got worse. Instead of a typical relevance-based search, Google uses personal information from Google+ to find personalized hits when you use the site. Commentators are suggesting users take a second look at Bing. It has a new, clean interface and finds relevant results the way Google did before social networking. It may be time to reconsider Bing over Google, but who can take a name like “Bing” seriously?
With files from Gizmodo
Headphone brand Beats to manufacturer: “Let me ride”
Beats has decided not to renew their manufacturing contract with Monster after this year. Together they took a 53-per-cent share of the headphone market last year. With this news, shareholders are desperately waiting for Dr. Dre’s prognosis.
With files from Gizmodo
Earth has 100 billion neighbours, 100 billion cups of sugar
The odds are we have galactic neighbours. New research shows that each star in the Milky Way averages one planet. There are over 100 billion stars in the galaxy, with approximately that many planets, two-thirds of which are predicted to be Earth-sized. The odds are slim that there is not a single life form on any of those planets, but never tell me the odds.
With files from Wired
Expect worse winters, says scientist jerk
Global warming is going to make winters colder, says a scientist from University of Massachusetts. Spring, summer, and fall are going to get warmer, but that will have a cooling effect on North American winters. More moisture will be in the atmosphere, causing more snowfall as a result of warmer air and melting ice-water. If there’s anything Canadians want, it is definitely a harsher winter.
With files from CBC
Plants and animals: cell-mates
A near plant-animal hybrid is discovered in Denmark, with similar specimens appearing in Finland and Rhode Island. Mesodinium chamaeleon is a ciliate, a single-celled organism, that forms unique bonds with algae. It engulfs algae cells that produce sugars and protects and transport the algae. By doing so, it displays qualities of both plants and animals.
With files from New Scientist
Wikipedia goes offline, millions of students fail assignments
Dooming students worldwide, Wikipedia will be offline January 18 to protest SOPA and PIPA, proposed US laws that would heavily restrict linking on the internet. Expect heavier traffic at the library, as students try to research using “books.”
With files from Wikipedia
