Europe
Planck highlights the complexity of star formation
April 26, 2010 6:44 am | News | CommentsNew images from ESA’s Planck space observatory reveal the forces driving star formation and give astronomers a way to understand the complex physics that shape the dust and gas in our Galaxy. Star formation takes place hidden behind veils of dust but that doesn’t mean we can’t see through them.
New way to guide a car: With your eyes, not hands
April 26, 2010 6:40 am | News | CommentsTired of spinning that steering wheel? Try this: German researchers have developed a new technology that lets drivers steer cars using only their eyes. Raul Rojas, an artificial intelligence researcher at Berlin's Free University, said Friday that the technology tracks a driver's eye movement and, in turn, steers the car in whatever direction they're looking.
Vodafone to sell Google phone in UK from April 30
April 26, 2010 6:27 am | News | CommentsVodafone will be Europe's first carrier to sell Google's Nexus One phone, starting in Britain on April 30, in a boost for the operator beaten to Apple's iPhone by O2. Vodafone said on Monday it would give away Google's first own-branded phone for free to customers who take out a two-year, 35 pounds ($54)-per-month contract.
Biggest study on cellphone health effects launched
April 22, 2010 9:02 am | News | CommentsThe biggest study to date into the effects of mobile-phone usage on long-term health was launched on Thursday, aiming to track at least a quarter of a million of people in five European countries for up to 30 years.
Queen’s Award Presented to DuPont for Increasing Efficiency of Solar Cells
April 22, 2010 6:26 am | News | CommentsHer Majesty the Queen, head of state of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, has awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category to DuPont for the continuous development of DuPont Solamet photovoltaic metallization paste.
Startup ALGO claims trading software nears speed of light
April 19, 2010 10:27 am | News | CommentsNew software by startup company ALGO Technologies offers to cut trade execution time to levels close to the speed of light, giving exchange clients an edge in the high-frequency trading arms race. The system takes 16 microseconds, or millionths of a second, per round-trip for a trade from outside an exchange's firewall, compared with 250 microseconds on Nasdaq OMX...
Governments must tackle rising youth unemployment urgently
April 16, 2010 8:25 am | by OECD | News | CommentsReleased in advance of the G20 Labour Ministerial in Washington D.C. (20-21 April), which OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría will attend, this report looks at the impact of the crisis on young people. With youth unemployment set to keep rising in the months ahead, it says that more...
3 finalists in prize for technology breakthroughs
April 14, 2010 10:33 am | News | CommentsThree European inventors who helped create illuminated wallpapers, tiny fast processors in mobile phones, and cheap, high-performance cells used in solar panels are finalists in the euro1.1 million ($1.5 million) international Millennium Technology Prize.
Aid : Development aid rose in 2009 and most donors will meet 2010 aid targets
April 14, 2010 1:24 am | by OECD | News | CommentsNew OECD figures show continuing growth in development aid in 2009, despite the financial crisis. Total net official development assistance (ODA) from the donors in the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rose 0.7% in real terms, but the rise was 6.8% once debt relief, a...
Statistics - Unemployment rate broadly stable at 8.6% in February
April 13, 2010 2:24 am | by OECD | News | CommentsThe unemployment rate for the OECD area was broadly stable in February 2010 compared with January. The headline rate fell 0.1 percentage point but this reflected the partial unwinding of effects that led to a temporary increase in Korea's January rate.
New technical hitch delays Ariane rocket launch
April 12, 2010 10:32 am | News | Comments(Reuters) A new technical problem has delayed for the second time the launch of an Ariane rocket scheduled to launch two satellites from French Guiana late on Friday, the Arianespace company said. "We have had to stop the launch countdown
Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'' in Twitter twist
April 12, 2010 10:30 am | News | CommentsOne of Shakespeare's most famous plays gets a 21st century makeover in a new version of "Romeo and Juliet" which will unfold through Twitter messages and on the Youtube video website. Entitled "Such Tweet Sorrow," the experiment is a collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Mudlark, which produces entertainment on mobile telephones.
Statistics : Composite leading indicators point to continued expansion
April 12, 2010 3:23 am | by OECD | News | CommentsOECD composite leading indicators (CLIs) for February 2010 continue to point to economic expansion, albeit at a different pace across countries and regions.
Facebook joins drive to get UK voters to polls
April 9, 2010 9:19 am | News | CommentsBritish election officials will for the first time use Facebook to encourage more people to register to vote on May 6 after turnout fell to historic lows in the last two ballots, a watchdog said on Friday. The Electoral Commission said every visitor to the social networking site on Saturday will be asked if they have already signed up to vote.
Successful launch for ESA’s CryoSat-2 ice satellite
April 8, 2010 9:24 am | News | CommentsESA PR 07-2010. Europe's first mission dedicated to studying the Earth’s ice was launched today from Kazakhstan. From its polar orbit, CryoSat-2 will send back data leading to new insights into how ice is responding to climate change and the role it plays in our 'Earth system'.
Poland : Ensuring balanced growth and preparing for euro adoption key challenges ahead
April 8, 2010 1:27 am | by OECD | News | CommentsPoland recorded a strong relative performance in 2009 given the global downturn. The survey looks at how to ensure balanced growth going forward, strengthen public finances, prepare for euro adoption and make the most of globalisation.
Vodafone to offer Web via Opera in emerging markets
April 7, 2010 4:36 am | News | CommentsBritish mobile telecoms group Vodafone said it will launch the Opera Mini browser on low-cost handsets so its millions of users in emerging markets can easily access the Internet, lifting Opera's shares. Vodafone said on Wednesday it had worked with Opera to develop an enhanced version of its Opera Mini 5...
Save the flat-headed cat, save the world
April 7, 2010 1:26 am | by European Commission | News | CommentsAnimal species worldwide find refuge in the rain forests that dot the globe. But as human activities play havoc with our planet, countless creatures worldwide are feeling the effects. A case in point is the flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) which makes its home in the rain forests...
Finland : Fiscal consolidation key to restoring growth
April 7, 2010 1:26 am | by OECD | News | CommentsHard-hit by the collapse in exports and faced with the costs of the recession and of population ageing, Finland will need to strengthen its public finances through reining in municipal spending growth and pursuing further labour market and retirement reforms. Improving the tax system and...
Global economy : Growth seen easing back slightly in US, Europe and Japan in first half of 2010
April 7, 2010 1:26 am | by OECD | News | CommentsThe pickup in activity seen in the G7 countries in the last quarter of 2009 is expected to ease back in the first half of this year, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment. Watch the webcast.
Archaeologists find clues to the appearance of modern human
April 6, 2010 9:21 am | News | CommentsNew findings from an excavation site in Spain are generating heated debate among palaeontologists and archaeologists about precisely when the Neanderthals disappeared and were replaced by the first anatomically modern human beings.
Tax: Revised OECD, Council of Europe treaty will boost multilateral cooperation
April 6, 2010 1:27 am | by OECD | News | CommentsThe OECD and the Council of Europe have agreed on an update to an international treaty that aims to help governments enforce their tax laws, as part of the worldwide drive to combat cross-border tax evasion.
Czech Republic : Strengthening public finances a key challenge for next government
April 6, 2010 12:26 am | by OECD | News | CommentsThe main challenge for the next Czech government taking over after the May elections will be to repair the deterioration in public finances caused by the economic crisis, says a new OECD report.
German minister criticizes Facebook on privacy
April 5, 2010 8:01 am | News | CommentsA German minister has sharply criticized Facebook's handling of personal data and is calling on the social network to upgrade its privacy settings. Consumer protection minister Ilse Aigner urges Facebook's CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg in an open letter "to revise the privacy policy without delay."
Fly us to the Moon…south pole to be precise
April 2, 2010 9:37 am | News | CommentsThe south polar region of the Moon, with dark craters and high ridges, is a world away from the relatively smooth terrain visited by Apollo astronauts four decades ago. This rugged moonscape is the target for Europe’s next leap into space.
