Walking silly isn’t just a Monty Python sketch. It’s something that you’ll do naturally if you walk while browsing your phone, a study has shown.  Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University put a mobile eye tracker and motion analysis sensors on participants who walked and crossed a kerb-like obstacle on the ground while writing or reading …

It’s summer in Japan and, like humans, the cows are feeling the heat. To prevent heat stress — which could cause the cattle a ton of health problems — apparel company Gunze Ltd designed a shirt for cows that cools them down with water, reports The Japan Times. Called Ushi-ble, the shirt is made of a “feel-cool” material often found …

Weibo has succumbed to a request from Chinese authorities for it to stifle “negative talk” about local matters. The Chinese microblogging site said it “sincerely accepts the criticism” by authorities last week and detailed its course of actions in response to the order in a new statement published Wednesday. Last week, China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and …

Social media could help police maintain peace and order. Twitter can identify riots and other violent activities minutes or even over an hour before the police are notified, according to a study released Tuesday by Cardiff University. Researchers at Cardiff analyzed 1.6 million tweets relevant to the 2011 London riots. In the town of Enfield, police received reports of disorder an …

After being threatened with a ban, it looks like Telegram is playing ball with Russia’s government. Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov has agreed to register the company with the Russian government, but won’t comply with laws that are “incompatible with the protection of [user] privacy and Telegram’s policies on confidentiality.” Durov announced his decision on Wednesday via VK, the Russian version …

Russia could soon block Telegram, a messaging app used by 6 million in the country and over 100 million around the world.  Terrorists had used Telegram to plot a deadly suicide bombing in Saint Petersburg that left 16 dead, Russia’s FSB security service said in a statement on Monday, adding it had “reliable information” on the matter. The revelation came …

People are increasingly worried about fake news from Facebook, so they’re looking to other places to stay informed — like WhatsApp. No, really. This trend has “jumped significantly” and is demonstrated in “a number of markets,” according to the Digital News Report, a study from the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford which surveyed 71,805 respondents from 36 countries. While …

Being an internet business in China appears to be getting tougher.  Chinese broadcasters, including social media platform Weibo, streamer Acfun and media company Ifeng were told to shut down all audio and visual content that cast the country or its government in bad light, China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television posted on its website on Thursday, …

Unlike many of us, the Indian government doesn’t think much of Google‘s mapping services. The country’s mapping and surveying agency, Survey of India, urged citizens to stop relying on Google Maps and Google Earth, saying neither has been authenticated by the government, reported Business Standard. To encourage this, the SoI made its own maps available online for citizens to use …

Justin Bieber got his big break from singing on YouTube, and now a Chinese company is hoping to manufacture that same success.  Momo, one of China’s biggest livestreamers, inked a partnership with global music label BMG and three local entertainment companies on Monday to kickstart the “Momo Music Plan.” The $1.47 million deal will see BMG try to find a …