Sci-Tech news

• Facebook 101: Priscilla Chan to Head Private School

  22-10-2015 23:54 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Priscilla Chan, wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, will head a private school in East Palo Alto.
  
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• Pandora to pay $90 million to settle suit over pre-1972 hits

  22-10-2015 23:50
  
  Streaming music company Pandora has agreed to pay $90 million to settle a lawsuit brought by major record labels over its use of recordings released before 1972.
  
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• Pandora settles with music labels on old songs (Update)

  22-10-2015 23:50
  
  Internet radio leader Pandora on Thursday announced a $90 million settlement with music labels for playing songs dating before US copyright law took shape in 1972.
  
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• Instagram short 'Boomerang' videos aim to hook users

  22-10-2015 23:50
  
  Instagram unveiled a new feature allowing users to post one-second video "loops" in an effort to keep up with rivals offering animated images.
  
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• Construction site robot adapts as tools drop, plans change

  22-10-2015 23:50
  
  Robots engineered for construction sites are in the news this week. Namely, there is a robot called the In-situ Fabricator. Described as an autonomous construction robot, one can put the accent on autonomous.
  
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• Egypt panel approves using radar to find Nefertiti tomb

  22-10-2015 23:40
  
  An Egyptian panel of experts has approved using radar to search for a hidden chamber in King Tutankhamun's tomb, which may be the burial place of Queen Nefertiti, an official said Thursday.
  
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• Wasp that kills stink bugs found; could help fruit orchards

  22-10-2015 23:30
  
  Scientists from Washington State University have discovered a parasitic wasp in the state that kills its host like a scene from the movie "Alien." But the discovery is good news because the wasp kills a type of stink bug that harms fruit orchards.
  
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• Google's 3Q earnings surge 45 pct, Alphabet stock soars

  22-10-2015 23:20
  
  Google's third-quarter report is getting an "A'' from investors as the Internet search leader enters a new era under Alphabet, its new parent company.
  
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• Google opens Alphabet era with 3Q report that lifts stock

  22-10-2015 23:20
  
  Google received an "A'' from investors for its third-quarter report that ushered the Internet search leader into a new era under Alphabet, its recently formed parent company.
  
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• Big baby: Los Angeles Zoo's new giraffe is just under 6 feet

  22-10-2015 23:14
  
  The Los Angeles Zoo has a big baby.
  
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• Microsoft's new businesses shine, but PC software still sags

  22-10-2015 23:12
  
  Microsoft may still be suffering from lagging sales of personal computers, but the tech giant has taken some cues from rivals like Apple and Google—and it's now seeing substantial growth in more promising lines of business ranging from Internet apps and advertising to online games and cloud computing.
  
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• Facebook tweaks search to shine light on hot topics

  22-10-2015 23:12
  
  Facebook on Thursday boosted its search capabilities to let people find and dive into conversations about news publicly shared at the leading social network.
  
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• 'Despicable' conditions at China iPhone plant

  22-10-2015 23:10
  
  An Apple contractor factory in China houses its workers in overcrowded dormitories lined with mould and crawling with bed bugs, a labor watchdog alleged on Thursday.
  
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• Amazon has 3Q sales surge as holidays approach

  22-10-2015 23:02
  
  Amazon is Primed for success as the busy holiday season approaches.
  
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• Amazon 3Q results up on strong sales, cloud computing growth

  22-10-2015 23:02
  
  Amazon is Primed for success as the busy holiday season approaches.
  
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• Speedy evolution affects more than one species

  22-10-2015 22:56
  
  The concept that biodiversity feeds upon itself is not uncommon in the world of evolution. The problem is a lack of hard data that shows this process to be naturally occurring.
  
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• Language literacy in kindergarten important for success in learning English

  22-10-2015 22:47
  
  English learners are more likely to become proficient English speakers if they enter kindergarten with a strong initial grasp of academic language literacy, either in their primary language or in English, a new analysis from Oregon State University has found.
  
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• Discovery explains how Leishmania parasite boosts its infection

  22-10-2015 22:45
  
  A team of international scientists led by Dr. Martin Olivier from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) uncovered an important mechanism behind Leishmania, a deadly parasitic disease transmitted by sandflies that affects over 12 million people worldwide, and with more than 1.3 million new cases reported every year. In a new study published today on the website Cell Reports, researchers described how key molecules known as exosomes, boost the process by which the
  
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• NASA gets clear look into Typhoon Champi's 36-nautical-mile-wide eye

  22-10-2015 22:44
  
  When the eye of a tropical cyclone is 36 nautical miles (41.4 mile/ 66.7 km) wide, it's pretty easy to spot from NASA's Aqua satellite in orbit. On October 22, 2015, two instruments aboard Aqua saw the large eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. Champi's eye was very close to the island of Iwo To, Japan.
  
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• Researchers discover how CRISPR/Cas steals foreign DNA for the bacterial immune system

  22-10-2015 22:43
  
  The CRISPR/Cas9 protein system, which is central part to bacterial adaptive immunity, has soared to great prominence in recent years for its enormous potential as a genome editing tool. In studying this system, scientists have found it to be akin to a Russian doll in that the unlocking of one secret reveals another secret within. Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist with Berkeley Lab's Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) division, who has been at the forefront of unlocking CRISPR/Cas
  
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• NASA sees the 26th Northwestern Pacific Tropical Depression form

  22-10-2015 22:41
  
  It has been a busy season in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, tropically speaking. The twenty-sixth tropical depression of the western North Pacific Ocean hurricane season formed and NASA's Aqua satellite saw it come together.
  
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• Watch: YouTube Sees Red With Latest Offering

  22-10-2015 22:04
  
  The $10-a-month service allows subscribers to get exclusive content and watch videos without advertisements.
  
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• WikiLeaks Releases Second Batch From CIA Boss' Email

  22-10-2015 21:51 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  There is nothing classified in the hacked material.
  
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• Facebook Expands Search to Cover All Public Posts

  22-10-2015 21:18 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Facebook is updating its search function to better compete with the likes of Google, offering more news and live results from public pages.
  
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• Fitbit Says Owners Not at Risk of Malware Hack

  22-10-2015 20:24 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Fitbit is defending itself against claims by a security researcher that its fitness trackers can be hacked and infected with malware.
  
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• NASA’s OSIRIS-REx As

  22-10-2015 20:15 via pinterest.com
  
  NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sampling Probe Completes Instrument Install/Assembly, Enters ‘Test Drive’ Phase
  
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• Scientists discover ancient safety valve linking pollen to bacteria

  22-10-2015 20:00
  
  Like seeds, pollen loses most of its water during maturation, entering a state of suspended animation. This allows it to survive its journey from male to female organs of a flower, where it is rehydrated by sugary fluids secreted by the female organ, and springs into life again.
  
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• Researchers uncover a novel link between genetics and movement control

  22-10-2015 20:00
  
  A small molecule in cells that was previously believed to have no impact on animal behaviour could in fact be responsible for controlling precise movements, according to new University of Sussex research.
  
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• Obstacle avoidance by echolocating bats: It might be simpler than it sounds

  22-10-2015 20:00
  
  Echolocating bats can fly through complex environments in complete darkness. Swift and apparently effortless obstacle avoidance is the most fundamental function supported by biosonar. Despite the obvious importance of obstacle avoidance, it is unknown how bats perform this feat. New research published in PLOS Computational Biology suggests that bats compare the volume of an echo in both left and right ears, they then turn away from the side receiving the loudest echo, whereby avoiding the object
  
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• Cellular damage control system helps plants tough it out

  22-10-2015 20:00
  
  As food demands rise to unprecedented levels, farmers are in a race against time to grow plants that can withstand environmental challenges—infestation, climate change and more. Now, new research at the Salk Institute, published in Science on October 23, 2015, reveals details into a fundamental mechanism of how plants manage their energy intake, which could potentially be harnessed to improve yield.
  
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• Astronomers peer inside stars, finding giant magnets

  22-10-2015 20:00
  
  Astronomers have for the first time probed the magnetic fields in the mysterious inner regions of stars, finding they are strongly magnetized.
  
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• In Ancient DNA, Evidence of Plague Much Earlier Than Previously Known

  22-10-2015 19:42 via nytimes.com
  A new study suggests that Yersinia pestis, which causes plague, infected people as long as 5,000 years ago.
  
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• New study provides first field observations of rare Omura's whales

  22-10-2015 19:23
  
  An international team of biologists has made the first-ever field observations of one of the least known species of whales in the world—Omura's whales—off the coast of Madagascar.
  
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• Game on as Vivendi becomes Ubisoft's biggest shareholder

  22-10-2015 19:20
  
  French media company Vivendi on Thursday stepped up its bid to increase its interests in content providers by becoming the main shareholder in French video-game makers Ubisoft and Gameloft.
  
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• Deep-sea bacteria could help neutralize greenhouse gas, researchers find

  22-10-2015 19:15
  
  A type of bacteria plucked from the bottom of the ocean could be put to work neutralizing large amounts of industrial carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, a group of University of Florida researchers has found.
  
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• Biologists find keys to driving a cockroach

  22-10-2015 19:11
  
  Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified neurons in a cockroach's brain that control whether the insect walks slow or fast, turns right or left or downshifts to climb.
  
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• Researchers transform slow emitters into fast light sources

  22-10-2015 19:10
  
  Researchers from Brown University, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard, have developed a new way to control light from phosphorescent emitters at very high speeds. The technique provides a new approach to modulation that could be useful in all kinds of silicon-based nanoscale devices, including computer chips and other optoelectronic components.
  
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• NASA's RapidScat looks at Hurricane Olaf's winds

  22-10-2015 19:09
  
  The RapidScat instrument aboard the International Space Station analyzed Hurricane Olaf's winds in the Central Pacific Ocean.
  
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• New NASA Study Shows That Hydrofluorocarbons Contribute to Ozone Depletion

  22-10-2015 18:37 via scitechdaily.com
  
  According to new research from NASA, chemical coolants known as hydrofluorocarbons that are found in refrigerators and in home and automobile air conditioners, contribute to ozone depletion by a small but measurable amount. The paper, published October 22 in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, is based on the results of […]
  The post New NASA Study Shows That Hydrofluorocarbons Contribute to Ozone Depletion appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Apple's iOS Update Includes Taco, Champagne Bottle Emoji

  22-10-2015 18:28
  
  At long last, the taco emoji is here.
  
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• New Chandra Image of Galaxy Cluster MS 0735.6+7421

  22-10-2015 18:24 via scitechdaily.com
  
  This new image of galaxy cluster MS 0735.6+7421 is part of a collection of new images released from the Chandra archive to celebrate American Archive Month. The galaxy cluster MS 0735.6+7421 is home to one of the most powerful eruptions ever observed. X-rays detected by NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory (blue) show the hot gas that […]
  The post New Chandra Image of Galaxy Cluster MS 0735.6+7421 appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Cybersecurity: US Senate takes first step to bill's passage

  22-10-2015 18:21
  
  The Senate has taken an initial step toward passing a bill aimed at improving cybersecurity. The bill is intended to encourage the sharing of threat information among companies and the U.S. government.
  
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• Cybersecurity: Senate takes initial step to bill's passage (Update)

  22-10-2015 18:21
  
  The Senate is set to pass a bill aimed at improving cybersecurity by encouraging the sharing of threat information among companies and the U.S. government.
  
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• Kepler Discovers a Planetary Object Being Vaporized by a White Dwarf

  22-10-2015 18:15 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Using the repurposed Kepler Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered evidence of a tiny, rocky object being torn apart as it spirals around a white dwarf star. This new discovery validates a long-held theory that white dwarfs are capable of cannibalizing possible remnant planets that have survived within its solar system. “We are for the first […]
  The post Kepler Discovers a Planetary Object Being Vaporized by a White Dwarf appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• NASA's New Horizons on new post-Pluto mission

  22-10-2015 18:13
  
  The spacecraft that gave us the first close-up views of Pluto now has a much smaller object in its sights.
  
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• NASA sees Tropical Storm Patricia's lopsided heavy rains along Mexican coast

  22-10-2015 18:12
  
  NASA's GPM satellite saw that the western side of Tropical Storm Patricia was packing most of the storm's moderate and heavy rainfall when it passed overhead in space. Patricia was close to the coast of western Mexico, and triggered warnings and watches. Patricia intensified into a hurricane on Oct. 22.
  
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• How can we build wildlife-friendly roads and railways?

  22-10-2015 18:11
  
  Scientists behind new research into the effects of transport infrastructure on biodiversity have developed much-needed approaches to protect wildlife.
  
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• Manduca sexta caterpillars' developed surprising detoxification mechanism against their host plant's sweet toxin

  22-10-2015 18:08
  
  Plants produce a large arsenal of toxic compounds in order fend off herbivorous insects. To make sure that the toxicity of these defensive substances will not harm the plants themselves, many plants add a sugar molecule to some of their toxins. Digestive enzymes called glycosidases in the insect gut usually cleave off this sugar to release the toxin—with harmful effects on the insects. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, now found the opposite mech
  
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• Vibrations tell bees where mates are from

  22-10-2015 18:00
  
  In choosing among potential suitors, red mason bee females pay attention to the specific way in which males of the species vibrate their bodies. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 22 have found that those vibrations carry important information about where their potential mates are from.
  
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• These social bees farm and eat fungus or die

  22-10-2015 18:00
  
  Researchers have discovered that a social, stingless bee from Brazil feeds its larvae on a special type of fungus grown in the nest. Without it, very few young survive, according to a report in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 22.
  
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