Hasta La Gadget!

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s government reaffirmed support Sunday for possible talks with its Taliban foes, but demanded full explanations on how the group was allowed to raise its flag in Qatar and display other symbols that have stalled the U.S.-led effort.

The ongoing dispute over the Taliban compound in Doha – which the Afghan government said appeared as something akin to an embassy in exile instead of just a political outpost when it opened – underscore the extreme difficulties in just trying to launch dialogue after nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan.

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LONDON (Reuters) – Plants do complex arithmetic calculations to make sure they have enough food to get them through the night, new research published in journal eLife shows.

Scientists at Britain’s John Innes Centre said plants adjust their rate of starch consumption to prevent starvation during the night when they are unable to feed themselves with energy from the sun.

They can even compensate for an unexpected early night.

“This is the first concrete example in a fundamental biological process of such a sophisticated arithmetic calculation,” mathematical modeler Martin Howard of John Innes Centre (JIC) said.

During the night, mechanisms inside the leaf measure the size of the starch store and estimate the length of time until dawn. Information about time comes from an internal clock, similar to the human body clock.

“The capacity to perform arithmetic calculation is vital for plant growth and productivity,” JIC metabolic biologist Alison Smith said.

“Understanding how plants continue to grow in the dark could help unlock new ways to boost crop yield.”

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; editing by Keiron Henderson)

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You might not think that spinach knows what’s up, but the produce in your fridge is still alive and aware. Which is creepy. But kind of awesome. According to new research, fruits and vegetables still have circadian rhythms up to a week after being harvested. And they respond to light patterns by producing chemical compounds to protect themselves against herbivores.

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It’s been almost half a year since Vertu launched its first-ever Android phone, the TI, and now the company’s decided to throw in a couple of limited editions to lure the big spenders. As pictured above, the new Vertu TI Colours collection is wrapped in either “Sunset Red” or “Midnight Blue” calf leather, and only 1,000 units are made for each color. As per typical Vertu style, there’s a unique number etched on the back to indicate which of the 1,000 units yours is.

The rest of this hand-crafted, matt grey titanium phone remains unchanged otherwise, namely its 3.7-inch tough sapphire screen, Android 4.0, 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 64GB storage plus an 8-megapixel camera. And of course, the phone still comes with the famed Vertu Concierge, a “100 percent independent” service that CEO Perry Oosting is very proud of. To join this exclusive club, you’ll have to somehow fork out a whopping HK$90,000 or €8,900 (about US$11,700) — just a tad more expensive than the TI Titanium Pure Black edition, but also more flamboyant. This author already spotted these new phones at Vertu’s Hong Kong Airport store, and he’s currently accepting donations.

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Everybody loves a cool gadget, especially one which makes cooking at home easier and more fun. So get ready for a few of the best you can find at the moment, as well as those possibly arriving some time soon. From summer-enhancing BBQ revelations, to gadgets which may change everything we have ever known about toasting bread, they are all very very cool.