In February, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (Wmap) satellite took the most detailed picture yet of the cosmic microwave background - an image of the infant cosmos when it was less than 400, 000 years old.

BBC: NEWS | Science/Nature | Dark energy tops science class

Persistent tap-to-track also adjusts the camera exposure depending on any movement, helping avoid under- or over-exposure of the image's subject or background.

ENGADGET: NVIDIA intros Tegra 4i with built-in LTE, details Chimera camera tech with HDR

Just draw roughly around the edge of the chosen picture with the digitizer stylus and Active Clip automatically detects edges and cuts out the background, allowing users to drop the cleanly-bordered image straight into documents or presentations.

ENGADGET: Sony's VAIO Duo 11 Windows 8 slider goes on sale this month, starts at $1,100

"It was a fundamental part of her image - emphasising the value of hard work, her background as a grocer's daughter, " says Prof Toye.

BBC: What is Thatcherism?

Combined with the COOLPIX P7700's powerful CMOS sensor, this bright, large-aperture NIKKOR lens provides reduced noise, beautiful background blurring, fast performance and high image quality whether shooting stills or Full HD video.

ENGADGET: Nikon intros flagship Coolpix P7700 for prosumers, diminutive Coolpix S01 for fashionistas