Smart assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant, may one day be able to spot oncoming colds and chronic health conditions before they appear, according to a new report on the future of consumer technology. These gadgets will be able to monitor a user’s health by noticing differences in their breathing, voice and heart rate. The report, carried out by Vodafone, also predicted that in 2030 we will be wearing devices which allow us to control gadgets with our minds. “These will detect the brain signals made when people say words in their head and give commands without people having to speak,” explained The Times.
Fight Club given new ending in China
The movie Fight Club has been given a new ending in China. At the end of David Fincher’s cult film from 1999, Edward Norton’s character kills off his imaginary alter ego and then watches as multiple buildings explode. But in China, the exploding building scene is replaced by a black screen and a closing message which reads: “The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding.”
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Melania Trump’s auction falls flat
Three items put up for auction by former first lady Melania Trump failed to reach the desired monetary threshold of $250,000 for an opening bid. When the auction for the items – a custom, wide-brimmed white hat worn by Trump during an official White House state visit, a watercolour of Trump wearing the hat and a non-fungible token of the illustration – ended, only five bids appeared to have been placed.
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Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
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Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
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ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
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China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
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Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
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Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
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Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
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US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
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How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
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Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
