China Daily

"Beijing to roll out more public bicycles"

Beijing will increase the number of bicycles for public use by 10,000 units this year, bringing the total number offered in the capital to 50,000.

The increase means those at major commercial and residential areas will be able to use the bicycles within 3 kilometers of their location.

More than 20 million people have used the public bicycles since they were made available 4 years ago.

Every bicycle has been used nearly 5 times on average on a workday, twice of that during weekends.

Use of the bicycles during rush hours accounted for 44 percent of the total.

Authorities say coordinated trips using the subway and public bicycles have also shortened travel time by 10 to 20 minutes on average.

China News Service

"Ancient Chinese classics underlined in high school textbooks"

It's reported high school textbooks on traditional Chinese culture will be published this September.

The set of textbooks, compiled by the China Sino Culture and Arts Center, consists of four volumes.

Last year, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines on boosting education of traditional Chinese culture, requiring a higher proportion of related content in high school textbooks.

Traditional culture is also expected to be part of college entrance examinations in China.

Experts advise that importance be attached to how candidates think about the philosophy and thinking contained in the classics, rather than definitions of words and phrases.

The Independent

"Gold Apple Watch buyers can skip queues"

If you thought that the act of wearing the 18 karat Apple Gold smart watch was ostentatious enough, the company has reportedly found a new way to make potential buyers of the luxury watch feel even more VIP.

An 18 karat Apple Gold smart watch sells at ?8k, or over 10,000 US dollars.

Sources say when a customer interested in buying this product enters the store, he or she will be given "no-wait access" to a dedicated expert, who will provide a personalized "journey" from the beginning of the appointment to the end.

This means that they will be able to walk right to the front of a queue.

Apple has described the gold Apple Watch Edition to employees as "the ultimate expression of extraordinary craftsmanship, incredible innovation, and design driven by functionality and end use."

Reuters

"Robotic ants could be future factory workers"

Robotic ants the size of a human hand that work together could be the future of factory production systems.

The developers, German technology firm Festo, say it's not just the unusual anatomy of real-world ants that inspired the bionic version - the collective intelligence of an ant colony was also something they wanted to replicate.

The ants are able to complete complex tasks, like transporting large, heavy loads by working together.

The robot features a stereo camera and a floor sensor that together allow the ant to work out its location and identify objects to be grabbed by grippers at the front of its "head". A radio module in the abdomen allows the ants to communicate with each other wirelessly. Just like their natural counterparts, the ants have six articulated legs.

Festo plans to exhibit its robotic ants in April at the world's biggest industrial technology fair, Hannover Messe.