Sci-Tech news

• Scientists create variable vectoring technique for propeller-powered unmanned aerial vehicles

  31-12-2015 21:16
  
  The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) designed for plateau missions are usually installed with high span chord ratio wings, which provide more lifting force at a relatively low airspeed. Such UAVs, however, tend to lose their maneuverability. Hence, they usually need a larger turning radius and are unable to maintain altitude during sharp slope turning, as the lifting force produced by the wings decreases dramatically when the bank angle is large. This may pose a risk to flight safety in plateau mo
  
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• Image: Hubble views two galaxies merging

  31-12-2015 21:13
  
  This image, taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the galaxy NGC 6052, located around 230 million light-years away in the constellation of Hercules.
  
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• Twitter Restores Archive of Politicians' Deleted Tweets

  31-12-2015 20:43 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Politwoops had been a popular social media destination for political junkies and others looking to unearth social media gaffes by politicians.
  
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• The billion dollar game of strategy: The effect of farmers' decisions on pest control

  31-12-2015 20:00
  
  Researchers say that the actions of individual farmers should be considered when studying and modelling strategies of pest control.
  
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• Team reprograms social behavior in carpenter ants using epigenetic drugs

  31-12-2015 20:00
  
  In Florida carpenter ant colonies, distinct worker castes called minors and majors exhibit pronounced differences in social behavior throughout their lives. In a new study published today in Science, a multi-institution team anchored at University of Pennsylvania found that these caste-specific behaviors are not set in stone. Rather, this pioneering study shows that social behavior can be reprogrammed, indicating that an individual's epigenetic, not genetic, makeup determines behavior in ant col
  
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• New genes born by accident lead to evolutionary innovation

  31-12-2015 20:00
  
  Novel genes are continuously emerging during evolution, but what drives this process? A new study, published in PLOS Genetics, has found that the fortuitous appearance of certain combinations of elements in the genome can lead to the generation of new genes. This work was led by Jorge Ruiz-Orera and Mar Albà from Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona (IMIM-ICREA).
  
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• Human-machine superintelligence can solve the world's most dire problems

  31-12-2015 20:00
  
  The combination of human and computer intelligence might be just what we need to solve the "wicked" problems of the world, such as climate change and geopolitical conflict, say researchers from the Human Computation Institute (HCI) and Cornell University.
  
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• 'Stargazer Lottie' Joins Astronauts Aboard Space Station

  31-12-2015 19:59 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  The doll was inspired by a real 6-year-old girl's passion for astronomy and space exploration.
  
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• Friends for 46 Years? No, It's a Facebook Glitch

  31-12-2015 19:09 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  A Facebook glitch is causing some users to discover long-lasting friendships.
  
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• Seeing DROSHA for the first time: Lab team gets the first glimpse of elusive protein structure

  31-12-2015 18:00
  
  Our bodies are made up of many different types of cells, with each of their identities determined by different gene expression. Cancer and genetic diseases occur when this gene expression goes wrong. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important regulator in gene expression, and they play crucial roles in almost all biological contexts including development, differentiation, inflammation, aging, and cancer. In the nucleus, miRNA start their process as a tiny, folded over hairpin structure called primary m
  
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• BBC Websites Taken Down by Cyberattack

  31-12-2015 17:35 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  The broadcaster reported it had been hit by a "distributed denial of service (DDoS)" attack.
  
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• AT&T to Ditch Two-Year Contracts

  31-12-2015 17:23 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  AT&T was one of the last carriers to offer two-year contracts and now it's getting rid of them.
  
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• Watch: Apple iPhone 6S Wins Top Smartphone Award

  31-12-2015 15:14 via abcnews.go.com
  
  Yahoo names Apple iPhone 6S smartphone of the year.
  
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• Fin24.com | Microsoft to warn email users about govt hacking attempts

  31-12-2015 11:48
  
  Microsoft says it will tell users of its email and cloud storage services when government-backed hackers may have targeted them.
  
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• Indonesia to appeal rejection of $565 mn haze lawsuit

  31-12-2015 09:52
  
  The Indonesian government will appeal a court's rejection of a $565 million lawsuit against a pulp and paper company accused of failing to prevent fires that blanketed Southeast Asia in toxic haze, an official said Thursday.
  
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• Japan zoo recovers missing red panda after frantic search

  31-12-2015 09:51
  
  A Japanese zoo scrambled all of its staff Thursday to track down a missing red panda, a zoo spokesman said, finally recovering her in a nearby area.
  
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• Freak heatwave pushes temperatures at North Pole above freezing

  31-12-2015 09:51
  
  Temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing point Wednesday, 20 degrees Celsius above the mid-winter norm and the latest abnormality in a season of extreme weather events.
  
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• Japanese research institute earns right to name element 113

  31-12-2015 09:50
  
  A world scientific body says Japanese scientists have met the criteria for naming a new element, the synthetic highly radioactive element 113.
  
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• China says it is building its second aircraft carrier

  31-12-2015 09:50
  
  China is building its second aircraft carrier, this time entirely with domestic technology, its Defense Ministry said Thursday.
  
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• Brazil defends treasures of its 'Blue Amazon'

  31-12-2015 09:46
  
  Hundreds of years ago, Brazil's southern Atlantic waters were sailed by pirates in search of plunder. Now these remote depths, dubbed the "Blue Amazon", hold richer treasures for scientists.
  
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• Fin24.com | Russia lauds Elon Musk's cheap space rockets

  31-12-2015 07:56
  
  Elon Musk’s successful launching of reusable space rockets means Russia must make its own projects cheaper, says the country’s defence industry chief said.
  
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• Egypt Officials Stop Facebook Program for Free Access to Internet - New York Times

  31-12-2015 02:58 via
  IBNLive
  Egypt Officials Stop Facebook Program for Free Access to Internet
  New York Times
  CAIRO — A program that provided more than three million Egyptians with free access to Internet services was abruptly shut down on Wednesday, according to Facebook, the social media company that provided the program in cooperation with an Egyptian ...
  IIT, IISc faculty slam Facebook's Free BasicsTimes of India
  Technopark takes a stand against 'Free basics'The Hindu
  Facebook's Free Basics service s
  

• Twitter faces backlash over its new diversity lead - Washington Post

  31-12-2015 01:49 via
  Washington Post
  Twitter faces backlash over its new diversity lead
  Washington Post
  It's safe to say that Twitter has a bit of an image problem when it comes to diversity -- and a recent hire to address those problems seems to be backfiring on the firm. In recent months, the company has become a go-to example of the lack of diversity ...
  #EpicFail? Twitter's New VP of Diversity & Inclusion is a White GuyNBCNews.com
  Twitter's diversity drive is falling flatCBS News
  Twitter Hires White Male Di
  

• AT&T Plans to End Two-Year Contracts in 2016 - USA TODAY

  31-12-2015 01:31 via
  USA TODAY
  AT&T Plans to End Two-Year Contracts in 2016
  USA TODAY
  AT&T will end two-year contracts for their cell phone carrier service starting next year. Though the new policy will officially begin a week into the New Year on Jan. 8, current and new customers can expect their next phone upgrade to be paid out ...
  Say sayonara to AT&T's two-year phone planCNET
  AT&T Killing Off Two-Year ContractsPC Magazine
  AT&T will no longer offer 2-year contracts starting Jan. 8Mashable
  kg
  

• Microsoft to Warn Email Users of State-Sponsored Hacking

  31-12-2015 01:24 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  The policy change at the world's largest software company follows similar moves since October by Facebook, Twitter and most recently Yahoo.
  
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• Samsung Galaxy S6 Marshmallow Beta Update In Photos - Android Headlines - Android News

  31-12-2015 01:06 via
  Android Headlines - Android News
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Marshmallow Beta Update In Photos
  Android Headlines - Android News
  Samsung recently rolled out a beta Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge for a limited crop of users in the U.K. Registration for the beta has ended with no word on a release date for the official update in the U.K. or anywhere else, or if ...
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Marshmallow Beta Update GalleryUbergizmo
  Samsung To Expand Mobile Payment ServiceCIO Today
  "Platinum rose pi
  

• LG SmartThinQ Hub is a wannabe Amazon Echo minus voice commands - Mashable

  31-12-2015 01:04 via
  Mashable
  LG SmartThinQ Hub is a wannabe Amazon Echo minus voice commands
  Mashable
  CES is right around the corner and LG's wasting no time announcing a few of its upcoming products early. The Korean electronics giant announced on Wednesday the SmartThinQ Hub, a cylindrical smart home device that connects with other smart ...
  LG's SmartThinQ connected-home hub will monitor and control appliances and sensorsMercury Daily (blog)
  LG Home Automation 'SmartThinQ' Hub Apes Amazon EchoWaltonian
  LG
  

• Twitter's updated Mac app wasn't made by Twitter - The Verge

  31-12-2015 00:40 via
  The Verge
  Twitter's updated Mac app wasn't made by Twitter
  The Verge
  Twitter's oft-neglected app for Mac got a much-needed update today, adding support for inline GIFs, videos, quote-tweets, and other features that mobile users have had for ages. But while many users were glad to see the app getting attention, others ...
  Twitter 4.0 for Mac Adds Inline Videos, GIFs, Dark Theme, Group DMsThe Mac Observer
  Twitter's long-neglected Mac app gets a big refreshMacworld
  Official Twitter for Mac app upg
  

• Uber takes billionth ride in sign of upheaval

  31-12-2015 00:09
  
  Uber said Wednesday it made its billionth trip in a new milestone for the global ridesharing service.
  
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• Grizzly bear deaths rise as Yellowstone population grows

  31-12-2015 00:06
  
  The number of grizzly bear deaths or removals in the Yellowstone region climbed to an all-time high in 2015, but biologists say they're not worried about the animal's long-term survival in the area.
  
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• Facebook investor class-action suit to move forward

  31-12-2015 00:06
  
  A US judge has cleared a class-action suit against Facebook from investors claiming the social network failed to fully disclose its risks at the time of its 2012 share offering.
  
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• NASA analyzes Paraguay's heavy rainfall

  31-12-2015 00:04
  
  Widespread flooding has recently affected South America and Paraguay has been especially hard hit. A NASA analysis showed locations in central and southern Paraguay that received the largest rainfall totals from Dec. 23 to 29.
  
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• Increasing LNG exports 'marginally positive' for US economy

  31-12-2015 00:04
  
  Increasing the United States' export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) above 12 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) would allow the U.S. to continue to provide a competitive advantage for domestic natural-gas-intensive industries relative to their counterparts overseas, according to a new report presented to the U.S. Department of Energy from the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and Oxford Economics.
  
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• Combining techniques provides new insight into bird migration

  31-12-2015 00:00
  
  Two complementary methods work together in a study forthcoming in The Auk: Ornithological Advances, producing more refined estimates of where individual Barn Swallows spend the winter. Using the methods separately comes with tradeoffs—one lets researchers precisely track a handful of birds, while the other provides data for larger numbers but with less detail—but together, they provide a fuller picture of an intercontinental migration.
  
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