Tech and Auto

Millions of motorists are suffering from a fear of parallel parking - or so called 'parallelophobia'. Almost a third of drivers admit the prospect of trying to manoeuvre their motor into a parallel space drives them to distraction, and 34 per cent confessed they think it’s the hardest parking technique. What's more, over half of drivers have gone past an empty space because it meant they would have had to carry out the procedure they fear the most. Three in ten...

Following the emergence of quick-fire dating apps such as Tinder, happn and Grinder, a clever business app has taken off using the same premise that aims to build productive business relationships rather than fleeting encounters. Meet Shapr, a free networking app (iOS and Android) that suggests a daily batch of 10 to 15 nearby professionals who are also interested in expanding their professional networks. It’s like LinkedIn, but a lot cooler and much less formal. If a formalised ‘networking breakfast...

A dilapidated Aston Martin is expected to sell for more than £350,000 despite being partially buried in leaves after languishing in a wood for more than 40 years. The Aston Martin DB4 was the first production car capable of doing 0-100-0mph in less than 30 seconds when it was launched in 1958. It was built to compete with sports cars from Ferrari and Maserati - but this particular model hasn't moved in almost half-a-century. The car was manufactured in the...

The strength of reindeer's antlers could inspire indestructible robots of the future, according to a new study. Male deer use their iconic crown of bones to fend off competitors and woo females, then shed them once mating season is over. Now scientists have discovered the secret behind their toughness and how they can resist breaking during fights, and they hope to turn the natural phenomenon into developing unbreakable building materials and even armour. Study lead Paolino De Falco said the...

It’s mid-December and we’re up to our necks in Listmas. Look at your social feeds. Everyone from the loftiest critic to your grandmother is blurting their Top 5s all over our screens to the point of meaninglessness. Still, they’re fun, aren’t they? And when it comes to videogames in 2016 we were spoiled for awesome releases. This year saw long-anticipated projects burst into life in the form of Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian. Uncharted 4 closed out Nathan...

When possible tube strikes were once again announced this week, I rolled my eyes. The subject has become an all too familiar commuter gripe and is a topic that we can’t resist commenting on. Angry commuters take to Twitter and social media every day to relieve their frustration over delays, strikes and being close to smelly armpits. I myself was thrust into the pit of a gentleman just the other day while riding the tube and words cannot describe the...

It seems simple; take a mega popular movie and tap into a ready made audience consisting of hordes of game fanatics. Unfortunately, this basic formula doesn’t always pay off; some movies don’t translate successfully into games, and some are adapted and altered to such a degree the gamer expecting a good facsimile of the film they’ve seen ends up very disappointed. It doesn’t stop game developers trying though, and amongst the misses have been some hits so they’re either considered acceptable...

Jogging is toil. Jogging is pain. Jogging is, ultimately, failure. You’re either outdoors in the rain dodging prams and traffic, or in the gym looking at your starkly-lit face in the mirror as you run in place. Time passes. Sweat falls. You go nowhere. Enjoy that runner’s high, because tomorrow it’s back to the cubicle, to the grind, where your juiced calves will remain hidden under formica desks and H&M trousers. The singular joy anyone can glean from exercise, besides...

Driverless cars are on course to generate €17 trillion for the European economy by 2050, according to new research. Fully ‘autonomous vehicles’ are predicted to be providing fully ‘hands-off’ door-to-door transport on the road within the decade. A poll of 6,000 people in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Norway found almost a quarter of those planning to buy a car in five or more years would consider an autonomous car, which will add 0.15 per cent to Europe’s annual growth rate...