Robotic jellyfish fuelled by hydrogen invented

Engineers in the US say they have invented a hydrogen-powered robot that moves through water like a jellyfish.

Development of the robot, nicknamed Robojelly, is in the early stages but researchers hope it could eventually be used in underwater rescue operations.

Writing in Smart Materials and Structures, Yonas Tadesse said the jellyfish's simple swimming action made it an ideal model for a vehicle.

Being fuelled by hydrogen means, in theory, it will not run out of energy.

Mr Tadesse, the lead author of the study, said: "To our knowledge, this is the first successful powering of an underwater robot using external hydrogen as a fuel source."

By poking high-tech instruments through the wall of one priceless 16th-century mural in Italy, researchers announced Monday that they think they've located the first "encouraging" evidence that a second masterpiece—this one a lost Leonardo da Vinci—is hidden beneath.

Using a tiny camera, the researchers snapped pictures of a telltale hollow space behind Giorgio Vasari's "Battle of Marciano"—and a brick wall—in the Hall of the 500 in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's city hall. (Video: 360-degree laser scan of the Hall of 500.)

They also uncovered black pigment and lacquer used in painting—clues that the lost Leonardo may have long ago been saved from destruction.

The findings are inconclusive for now—the Leonardo da Vinci investigation was interrupted by political and public outcry—but they're the first tantalizing leads in a mystery that spans more than four centuries.

The lost work in question is "The Battle of Anghiari" and may stretch more than 20 feet (6 meters) long and 10 feet (3 meters) tall.

According to historical records, Italian statesman Piero Soderini in 1502 commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint the scene of Italian knights defeating Milanese forces in 1440 on Tuscany's plain of Anghiari.

Yahoo sues Facebook over 10 disputed patents in the US

Yahoo has filed an intellectual property lawsuit against Facebook.

Yahoo claims the social network has infringed 10 of its patents including systems and methods for advertising on the web. Facebook denies the allegation.

The move comes ahead of Facebook's planned flotation later this year.

Patent litigation has become common between the smartphone makers, but this marks a new front in the battles between the tech giants.

A statement from Yahoo suggested the web portal believed it has a strong case.

"Yahoo's patents relate to cutting edge innovations in online products, including in messaging, news feed generation, social commenting, advertising display, preventing click fraud and privacy controls," its suit said.

"Facebook's entire social network model, which allows users to create profiles and connect with, among other things, persons and businesses, is based on Yahoo's patented social networking technology.

The social network signalled that it believed that Yahoo had not tried hard to settle the matter without involving the courts. It described Yahoo's action as "puzzling".

"We're disappointed that Yahoo, a longtime business partner of Facebook and a company that has substantially benefited from its association with Facebook, has decided to resort to litigation," it added.

Ford puts phone apps in the driving seat

Not content with revolutionizing smart phones, mobile apps now appear to be in the driving seat of the auto industry as manufacturers increasingly surrender control of their vehicles to technology.

Signs of the increasing dominance of the app came on Monday with Ford's decision to launch its newest B-Max compact at Mobile World Congress -- a phone industry gathering in Barcelona -- rather than a motor show.

Bill Ford, the U.S. auto giant's executive chairman, told CNN his company chose the event to debut its tech-filled car as a statement of its intention to work with app developers in shaping the vehicles of the future.

The B-Max is the first car in Europe to feature SYNC, a voice-recognition system developed by Ford and already available in some U.S. cars. The system links audio, phone and GPS systems and will also call emergency services in the event of a crash.

The increasing dependence of vehicles on computers has raised concerns that manufacturers are trading technology for safety, exposing drivers to hazardous distractions and malicious hackers.
HTC launches new phones

Concern Over Rare Rhino Rouses Clean Energy Drive in Malaysia

Potential threats to the rare Sumatran rhino, coral reefs, and other fragile animals helped galvanize a highly publicized fight last year to stop a coal-fired plant from being built on the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia.

The activists were armed with evidence that renewable energy such as hydropower, geothermal, and waste from the region's abundant oil palm mills could compete with coal in costs.

Activists won the impassioned battle when government officials killed the plant in February 2011. But they haven't yet achieved their goal of getting this ecotourism destination—one of the most biologically diverse spots on earth—to go renewable and serve as a model for other environmentally sensitive areas around the globe.

Instead, a 300-megawatt natural gas plant, announced earlier this month, is slated to ease Sabah's power crunch. The capacity of the proposed plant dwarfs that of renewable energy plants in Sabah. Renewable energy has been progressing slowly, and a key financial incentive for new projects is in limbo.

"The natural gas plant is our only viable option at the moment," Masidi Manjun, Sabah state minister of tourism, culture and environment, said by email. Natural gas is readily available offshore, he noted, and will generate the reliable electricity needed for economic growth. "This includes the development of new resorts, especially beach resorts, that are in short supply at the moment." He predicted renewable energy will have a significant role—in the future.

Cornwall deer population increasing

Fallow deer There have been multiple sightings of roe, red and fallow deer species in Cornwall

The deer population in Cornwall has risen 10-fold in the past decade, experts have said.

The British Deer Society's South West branch said herds up to 20-strong were now regularly spotted.

The initial rise has been credited to deer having more roaming space since the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak led to livestock being killed or kept inside.

Trossachs barn owl numbers boosted by 'vole feast'

A massive increase in the number of field voles in the Trossachs is helping boost the barn owl population in the area, the national park has said.

Evidence last year indicated field vole numbers had swelled 10 times in Scotland - pushing their population into the hundreds of millions.

This was good news for barn owls, who hunt the tiny mammals.

Rangers in the Loch Lomond National Park said some of the owls had been stockpiling voles in nest boxes.

The national park started a project four years ago to increase the barn owl population in the area. Numbers of the nocturnal birds have started to decline because of changes in agricultural practices and more common use of pesticides.

Vole 'larders'

There are now 40 barn owl boxes on trees and in outbuildings and barns across the park, built with the help of Mike Steward, a retired Forestry Commission ranger.

Park ranger Steven Kenney said: "Despite a very cold winter and prolonged snow cover experienced in 2010, barn owls managed to breed, producing on average 3.3 owlets per breeding pair. Twelve out of 40 boxes were used for breeding, with many others used for roosting.

Review: 'Twisted Metal' delivers mindless mayhem

"Twisted Metal" introduces a new generation of gamers to the mechanical mayhem of the smash-'em-up series' previous games, while actually adding in a little bit of a story to tie all the action together.

The new game from creator David Jaffe and Eat Sleep Play not only brings back some familiar and twisted characters, but it also reworks a demolition-derby style of combat that pits vehicle against vehicle with explosive results.

The game sticks to the basic plot of the 1995 original -- winning a tournament to gain a granted wish. In single-player mode, gamers will play three of its classic characters -- Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm and Dollface -- in succession.

Vehicles for combat are chosen before each battle. Players can usually select three for each scenario and change them out at a garage, theoretically ensuring them a nonbusted ride at all times.

Starting with Sweet Tooth's iconic ice cream truck, the virtual garage includes a motorcycle, a helicopter, a semitruck and even an ambulance that vaguely resembles Ecto-1 from "Ghostbusters." Selection is limited at first, but more vehicles are unlocked as missions are completed.