Light Start – Bacon is bad, space balloons, Sherlock, Xiaomi laptop, and Xbox One compatibility
Brett Venter
Bacon is now ranked as carcinogenic , but we’re not really listening
So it turns out that there’s evidence that bacon, that foodstuff of the gods (region dependent), might be carcinogenic. As are a whole bunch of other meats, according to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. That’s because bacon (and biltong, and sausage and most smoked meats) are considered processed, and processed meats have been rated Group 1 as being carcinogenic to humans. A whole bunch of other meats, including red meat, have been rated Group 2 but don’t panic too much. Group 1 means that there’s evidence that the substance (in this case, bacon and friends) can cause cancer in humans. Group 2 means that the substance (meat in general) probably causes cancer in humans but they’re not really sure. As for us? We’re sticking with our carnivorous ways, thanks.
Normally we’re in favour of DIY but this falls under the ‘don’t try this at home’ category. You don’t need Richard Branson or Elon Musk to get to space – a balloon will do it, as Red Bull have pointed out. And there’s a company that is testing what they call the Voyager Capsule, a balloon-lofted space vehicle. World View Enterprises successfully tested their capsule over the weekend, paving the way for one of the most sedate space trips we’ve ever heard of. It’ll still cost a pretty penny though, prices are around $75,000 (R1.02 million) for a trip to space. Or you could get your own damn balloon and some scuba gear, in which case it was nice knowing you.
Sherlock will hit screen again (at bloody last) on 1 January with The Abominable Bride
Sherlock, the series starring the dragon from Desolation of Smaug as well as Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, is finally going to be airing once again. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your patience) the 1 January 2016 air date for the 19th century throwback episode isn’t part of the main series – The Abominable Bride is instead set to be a once-off before Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return to the modern-day series at some unspecified time. Probably in 2017. Well, crap.
Xiaomi makes some good phones – How are they with laptops?
We’ve already seen what Chinese company can do with smartphones, the next question seems to be: What can they do with notebook computers? A report from Digitimes claims that Xiaomi will be putting their first notebooks, a unit that runs Linux, into production next year. The units, in 12-inch and 13.3-inch sizes, will reportedly be going into production in the first quarter of 2016, with a total of 750,000 units being ordered for the company’s first run. To be quite honest, we can’t wait to see what Xiaomi can do.
Backwards compatibility for the Xbox One is landing on 12 November
So you were waiting for your Xbox One to support (some of) your Xbox 360 games, were you? That time is night, according to an announcement by Microsoft’s Phil Spencer in the company’s Halo 5 launch presentation. Backwards compatibility will be landing come 12 November, as well Windows 10 for the Xbox One. So prepare yourself, both for some new features and for one heck of a download for your console. Hopefully your data cap is up for it.
