Tech Roundup: Beats Electronics, GDF11 & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• Paratarsotomus macropalpis, a species of mite endemic to southern California, is declared the fastest animal on Earth relative to body size; can travel 322 body lengths in a second (1,300 miles per hour in human terms!)
• United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) warns growing antibiotic resistance is a global threat; implications devastating unless significant action taken.
• Transfusions of young blood could reverse the ageing process and 'recharge' the brain by forming new blood vessels thereby improving memory and learning, reveals a new Harvard study; another similar study shows that injections of a protein known as GDF11 - responsible for keeping the brain and muscles young and strong, and found to be present in the bloodstream in large amounts when young but declines as we age - in mice exhibited anti-ageing effects.
• Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere making crops less nutritious; will likely reduce the levels of zinc, iron, and protein in wheat, rice, peas, and soybeans.
• The city of Delhi is the most polluted city on Earth, reports a new WHO study.
• Scientists at Imperial College find that acetate released in the colon during digestion of fibre finds its way to the brain's hypothalamus, causing it to control hunger; discovery of this anti-appetite molecule could pave way to tackle obesity.
• The present moment, which is the very instant you are in right now, is a chunk of the recent past, and is influenced by what we've been seeing for the previous 15 seconds (called a continuity field).
• Apple is all set to acquire Beats Electronics for US$3.2 billion dollars, making it the company's biggest acquisition till date.
• Microsoft Windows Phone to get a dedicated file manager app by the end of this month, reveals Windows Phone chief Joe Belfiore.
• Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts officially joins Apple as retail head after she was hired last year.
• Yahoo! joins the likes of Google to not honour Do Not Track setting in web browsers that prevents websites from tracking user movements online; says the program has not been widely adopted across the tech industry.
• Microsoft's officially takes over Nokia's handset business, rebranded as Microsoft Mobile.
• Mozilla releases Firefox OS 1.3 with dual-SIM support, continuous autofocus and flash support and many other improvements.
• LG takes home automation to the next level; launches Smart Fridge, Lightwave Oven and Washing Machine that can interact with your (LG) smartphone via HomeChat messaging service to take care of your grocery purchases, washing and recipe searches.
• Apple withdraws relaunched iPhone 4 in India; iPhone 4s to be the starting model instead.
• Amazon now lets you add items to your shopping cart by replying to a tweet that has an Amazon product link and adding the hashtag #AmazonCart.
• 44% of the total 974 million Tweeples have never sent a tweet, shows a new report once again highlighting Twitter's user engagement troubles.
• Instant messaging app WeChat plays it smart by offering 1GB free cloud storage to save pictures, voice notes, videos and text messages.
• Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone launched in India for Rs. 49,990; HTC One M8 available for Rs. 49,900.
• Popular Chinese company known for its cost-effective and stunning smartphones, Xiaomi, plans its international reach later this year; all set to come to 10 countries, including India and Russia.