The world’s largest plane is a step closer to its first flight after passing another major milestone. Named Stratolaunch, the aircraft – which has a wingspan longer than a football field – sped down the runway at 40 knots (46mph/74kph) in its latest low-speed taxi test, firing all six of its 8,940lbs (4,000kg) engines. Once …

For years we’ve been scratching our heads and wondering. Does the cold weather really play havoc with our mobile phones, or is that just an old wives’ tale? Well guess what folks, as we head into a week of snow flurries and artic temperatures (one last hurrah before spring, WE HOPE), experts have confirmed that …

Sony is turning its focus to 4K high-definition video recording in its new Xperia XZ2 smartphones. The Japanese firm is hoping that its advanced imaging system will help the handset to stand out from rivals that have caught up in camera technology. In a world first it will record video in 4K HDR, a quality …

King penguins could be wiped out in the near future by climate change and overfishing, new research has warned. Melting ice will strip the birds of their breeding and feeding grounds, wiping out 70 per cent of the global population before the end of the century. Only a decade ago the total king penguin population …

Scientists will launch a 10-year, $7-billion project to identify unknown viruses after admitting just 260 of the Earth’s 1.7 million pathogens have been identified. Illnesses such as avian flu and Zika, which can be transmitted from animals to humans, have caused many of history’s pandemics, yet only around 0.01 per cent of the viruses behind …