The future of computing is mobile. Paul Allen came to the Demo 2004 conference taking place here this week to launch FlipStart, a mobile computer designed by his company Vulcan Ventures of Seattle.

A controversial technique for identifying a criminal mind using involuntary brainwaves that could reveal guilt or innocence is about to take centre stage in a last-chance court appeal against a death-row conviction in the US.

A new, lightweight cooling vest, using ammonia and powered by hydrocarbon fuel, could soon be helping US soldiers cope with the heat of battle.

Women judge the attractiveness other women more harshly when at their most fertile, suggests a new study. The phenomenon could be a strategy to devalue potential rivals, says the psychologist behind the work - being bitchy about others could help a woman win the attention of a desirable man.

Gene injections in rats can double muscle strength and speed, researchers have found, raising concerns that the virtually undetectable technology could be used illegally to build super athletes.