Could thumbprints replace PINs?

Thumbprints could be a future alternative to plugging in a personal identification number, as customers warm to the idea of using biometric information for security.

Stephen Karpin, from Visa, told Fairfax the company is working on standards that could make the thumbprint a viable alternative to PINs for purchases over $100.

They’re also considering a number of other options including as voice and facial recognition technology, which come with an added bonus of efficiency.

“In this world where you’re expected to have passwords for everything, it’s not going to be practical to remember all of those,” he said.

Visa is looking into replacing PINs with biometric data like thumbprints. Picture: Martin KeeneSource:Supplied

Body found in search for Melbourne hiker

The body of missing Melbourne woman Sophie Dowsley’s boyfriend has been found near a waterfall in Canada local media reports.

Sophie Dowsley, 34, and Canadian boyfriend Greg Tiffin, 44, have not been seen since their hiking day trip to Statlu Lake, about three hours west of Vancouver, on Saturday July 8.

Local media say Mr Tiffin’s body was recovered near a waterfall.

Ms Dowsley remains missing.

— full details in the Herald Sun

Melbourne woman Sophie Dowsley, 34, is still missing.Source:Supplied

The body of Canadian Greg Tiffin, 44, has been found.Source:Supplied

Train stranger picture goes viral

It’s a simple act of kindness, but one that helped make this guy’s day better.

A picture of a woman tying a young man’s necktie on a train in San Francisco is going viral on popular internet forum Reddit.

“Kid was desperately trying and failing to do it himself. Fellow passenger asked if he needed help,” read the caption.

“You know he had somewhere important to go if he thought he needed to wear a tie even though he couldn’t tie it. Very nice gesture here,” one person commented.

A number of users speculated that due to his age, he was on his way to a job interview — however, that has not been confirmed.

This heartwarming photo of two strangers on a train is going viral on Reddit.Source:Reddit

Fanning caught in another shark scare

Australian surfer Mick Fanning has been plucked from the water at Jeffreys Bay because of a three-metre great white shark in the line-up.

The incident is the second in two days at the notorious South African break.

Fanning, who was attacked two years ago by a great white in the event final, was surfing against Brazilian Gabriel Medina when their quarter-final was put on hold.

The great white was moving towards the surfers from around 700 metres away when they were taken to safety.

“Look at that thing, that thing is a beast, at least they saw this one. I am glad they got us out of the water,” Fanning said.

Discovery rewrites Australia’s history

The discovery of an ancient rock shelter near Kakadu National Park indicates humans reached Australia up to 18,000 years earlier than previously thought.

According to Chris Clarkson, from the University of Queensland, the world-first finding follows years of digging, and drastically alters the known history of the spread of modern humans around the globe from Africa.

The findings are causing tremendous excitement among archaeologists around the globe, and are published in the world’s most prestigious science journal, Nature.

The discoveries include the world’s oldest stone axes with sharpened edges, proving the first Australians were among the most sophisticated toolmakers of their time.

The discovery of an ancient rock shelter and trove of tools could rewrite history. Picture: Glenn CampbellSource:Supplied

Student suspended over graded apology

A student who graded a heartfelt, four-page apology note from his ex-girlfriend and then tweeted it has been suspended from university.

Nick Lutz found the note under the windscreen wiper of his car from an ex he had blocked on his phone and social media.

She wrote to say sorry, but since he was still feeling betrayed by the breakup, he savagely attacked her spelling and grammar.

He scrawled all over it in red pen, accusing her of “using useless fillers”, being “lackadaisical”, and having a “strong hypothesis with nothing to back it up”.

He ended up awarding her a 61/100 and it went viral, with more than 121,000 retweets and almost 338,000 likes.

The University of Central Florida, where he’s studying sports management, has suspended him for violating the student code of conduct and being “disruptive”.

Scary reality of North Korea

It might be possible to deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea through a mutual strategy of deterrence, experts say.

Royal United Services Institute research analyst for proliferation and nuclear policy, Cristina Varriale, said while she doesn’t think the US could accept a North Korea capable of carrying out a nuclear attack “yet” there is a scenario in future where mutual deterrence may be the main option.

Mutual deterrence is the maintenance of peace between opposing sides where each party has a sufficient strike power to deter the other from striking.

— click here to read more

North Korea isn’t believed to be ready to launch a nuclear strike ... yet. Picture: Korean Central News AgencySource:AP

Justine’s shooter feared ambush

A pounding on the police car led Minneapolis cop Mohamed Noor to believe he was being ambushed when he shot and killed Australian woman Justine Damond.

The independent investigation into Saturday night’s fatal shooting has revealed that when Mr Noor and his colleague Matthew Harrity responded to a 911 call from Ms Damond they were “startled by a loud sound” before Mr Noor shot her.

It’s understood the loud sound occurred on the driver’s side, and occurred while a young man rode past the scene on a bicycle on the passenger’s side.

A source told local news outlets the officers thought they were trapped.

— click here to read more

A makeshift memorial has been set up for Justine in Minneapolis. Picture: Stephen MaturenSource:AFP