Sci-Tech news

• Google expects partners for self-driving car project

  12-01-2016 23:49
  
  Google plans to partner with automakers on its self-driving car project, but is not yet ready to announce anything concrete, the head of the project said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Auto industry's green push challenged by low gas prices

  12-01-2016 23:40
  
  Beneath the hoods of the cars showing in Detroit this week lie engines that are as powerful as ever, but are smaller and, helped by direct injection, guzzle less gas.
  
  Read more

• 'Beastcam' Makes For Quick 3-D Portraits of Animals

  12-01-2016 23:15 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  If you're a biologist looking to capture a 3-D image of the critters you study, it pays to have a system that works fast — and works the first time.
  
  Read more

• Culture clash breaks up marriage of old, new media

  12-01-2016 23:10
  
  It looked like a marriage that could bring together the storied history of a century-old magazine and the culture-changing dynamism of Facebook.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The Surprising Reason Behind Google I/O's New Venue - Fortune

  12-01-2016 23:05
  Fortune
  The Surprising Reason Behind Google I/O's New Venue
  Fortune
  The details surrounding Google's annual developer conference may reveal the company's next big move. Google is always in a state of flux, so it's no surprise that after 10 years the company's premier annual event, Google I/O, is changing venues.
  Google sets I/O '16 conference for May 18-20Computerworld
  Google I/O's Location Hints at Self-Driving Car NewsPC Magazine
  Google I/O coming to Mountain View, May 18 - 20; what's on tap?
  

• Google forms virtual reality division as Facebook rivalry heats up - USA TODAY

  12-01-2016 23:04
  USA TODAY
  Google forms virtual reality division as Facebook rivalry heats up
  USA TODAY
  SAN FRANCISCO — Google has formed a division to focus on virtual reality, a move that comes in the face of growing competition from Facebook and its subsidiary Oculus. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has appointed one of his deputies, Clay Bavor, to run the ...
  Google tightens focus on virtual reality with executive shift, report saysMashable
  Google Takes Big Step In Its Virtual Reality PushFortune
  Google
  

• Long haul, night repairs for British, US spacewalkers

  12-01-2016 23:02
  
  The first-ever spacewalk on Friday for British astronaut Tim Peake will require a long journey outside the space station to replace a failed power unit while under cover of darkness, NASA said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• US zoo names penguin chick 'Bowie'

  12-01-2016 23:00
  
  A pygmy blue penguin born at a US zoo has been named "Bowie" in honor of British rock star David Bowie who died late Sunday.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• California regulators reject Volkswagen recall plan

  12-01-2016 23:00
  
  California regulators on Tuesday rejected Volkswagen's recall plan for some of the German automaker's most popular diesel models that used software to intentionally deceive government emissions tests, including the Beetle, Jetta, Golf and Passat.
  
  Read more

• The differences between the new online cable bundles

  12-01-2016 22:50
  
  Traditional cable providers are launching TV packages that don't require cable boxes—good for you because you save on monthly equipment fees and don't need a technician to come install it for you.
  
  Read more

• Gov't to announce new safety relationship with automakers

  12-01-2016 22:46
  
  Automakers have agreed to work on fundamental changes in their relationship with the U.S. government using the aviation industry as a model in order to get new safety technology to the marketplace faster, a top safety regulator said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Google Names Boss for Virtual Reality Initiative

  12-01-2016 22:44 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Google isn't going to let Facebook dominate the virtual reality market without a fight.
  
  Read more

• Review: New ways to get cable without an ugly cable box

  12-01-2016 22:40
  
  Getting cable service no longer requires a technician who'll come and install an ugly cable box.
  
  Read more

• Ocean current in Gulf of Mexico linked to red tide

  12-01-2016 22:30
  
  A new study found that a major ocean current in the Gulf of Mexico plays an important role in sustaining Florida red tide blooms. The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science research team suggest that the position of the Loop Current can serve as an indicator of whether the algal bloom will be sustained, and provide warning of possible hazardous red tide conditions in coastal areas.
  
  Read more

• Auto Show: Some see sales slowdown; fuel economy quandary

  12-01-2016 22:30
  
  The North American International Auto Show opens to the public Jan. 16 in Detroit. Here are some of the things we learned at this week's media preview:
  
  Read more

• Clouds, like blankets, trap heat and are melting the Greenland Ice Sheet - Phys.Org

  12-01-2016 22:29
  Phys.Org
  Clouds, like blankets, trap heat and are melting the Greenland Ice Sheet
  Phys.Org
  A new study shows clouds are playing a larger role in heating the Greenland Ice Sheet than scientists previously believed, raising its temperature by 2 to 3 degrees compared to cloudless skies and accounting for as much as 30 percent of the ice sheet melt.
  Scientists just found an unexpected factor that could be driving Greenland's ...Washington Post
  Clouds, like blankets, trap heat and are melting the Gr
  

• PC sales fall for fourth consecutive year

  12-01-2016 22:21
  
  The PC industry had another down year in 2015, as global shipments fell for the fourth-consecutive year despite new models and the release of Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.
  
  Read more

• European court rules employers can monitor online communication

  12-01-2016 22:19
  
  Employees in Europe will have to think twice about using the Internet to send private messages during office hours after Europe's top rights court ruled Tuesday that companies could monitor workers' online communications.
  
  Read more

• Gravitational wave rumors ripple through science world - Phys.Org

  12-01-2016 22:14
  Phys.Org
  Gravitational wave rumors ripple through science world
  Phys.Org
  Rumors are rippling through the science world that physicists may have detected gravitational waves, a key element of Einstein's theory which if confirmed would be one of the biggest discoveries of our time. There has been no announcement, no peer ...
  Rumor of gravitational wave discovery is just that, source saysScience /AAAS
  What Are Gravitational Waves And Why Do They Matter?Popular Science
  Here's why discovering gravit
  

• Twitter adds live Periscope broadcasts to timelines

  12-01-2016 22:13
  
  Twitter on Tuesday began weaving live Periscope video broadcasts into timelines streamed to its application tailored for Apple mobile devices.
  
  Read more

• Gravitational wave rumors ripple through science world

  12-01-2016 22:13
  
  Rumors are rippling through the science world that physicists may have detected gravitational waves, a key element of Einstein's theory which if confirmed would be one of the biggest discoveries of our time.
  
  Read more

• UW computer scientists to make financial products better and more available for the poor

  12-01-2016 22:10
  
  In Kenya, the ease of transferring money via mobile phone has increased incomes in rural areas, enabled small businesses to thrive and reshaped the country's economy.
  
  Read more

• New geological evidence aids tsunami hazard assessments from Alaska to Hawaii

  12-01-2016 22:08
  
  New data for frequent large tsunamis at a remote island near Dutch Harbor, Alaska provides geological evidence to aid tsunami hazard preparedness efforts around the Pacific Rim. Recent fieldwork in Alaska's Aleutian Islands suggests that a presently "creeping" section of the Aleutian Subduction Zone fault could potentially generate an earthquake great enough to send a large tsunami across the Pacific to Hawaii.
  
  Read more

• Team demonstrates that high-latitude water bodies represent some of the largest natural sources of methane

  12-01-2016 22:06
  
  Not all sources of methane emissions are man-made. A new study shows that northern freshwaters are critical emitters of this greenhouse gas.
  
  Read more

• Girl Scouts Want to Take the Tech Industry by Storm

  12-01-2016 22:05 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  From their Digital Cookie online platform to collaborations with NASA, the Girl Scouts of the USA seek to launch their members into careers in science and tech, and bridge the gender gap in those industries.
  
  Read more

• Real-time fishery management significantly reduces bycatch

  12-01-2016 21:50
  
  Using real-time management policies to regulate fisheries can reduce the accidental bycatch of juvenile fish and endangered species with substantially less economic impact on fishermen, a new Duke University-led study finds.
  
  Read more

• Apple reveals more than 100 car models that support CarPlay - Computerworld

  12-01-2016 21:50
  Computerworld
  Apple reveals more than 100 car models that support CarPlay
  Computerworld
  Apple today released a complete list of car models that now natively support the use of its CarPlay iPhone mirroring interface. Apple's list of CarPlay-enabled vehicles includes over a hundred 2016 and 2017 models from 21 auto manufacturers, including ...
  Are You Prepared For Apple CarPlay?Radio Ink
  Here's the list of vehicles that support Apple CarPlayEngadget
  Apple releases complete list of car models supp
  

• Video: The unexpected chemistry of honey

  12-01-2016 21:37
  
  Honey is great. It's perfect for drizzling over your toast or stirring into your tea, it's also the special ingredient in your favorite lip balm. What most people don't know is that during the trip from the flower in the field to the jar on your table, honey spends an awful lot of time in a bee's gut.
  
  Read more

• Scientists just found an unexpected factor that could be driving Greenland's ... - Washington Post

  12-01-2016 21:37
  Washington Post
  Scientists just found an unexpected factor that could be driving Greenland's ...
  Washington Post
  There's been another breakthrough in the study of the Greenland ice sheet, whose increasing melt rate and growing contribution to global sea-level rise has captured the attention and concern of climate scientists in recent years. While changes in air ...
  Clouds, like blankets, trap heat and are melting the Greenland Ice SheetPhys.Org
  Greenland ice sheet melts more when it's clou
  

• Brain monitoring takes a leap out of the lab

  12-01-2016 21:35
  
  Bioengineers and cognitive scientists have developed the first portable, 64-channel wearable brain activity monitoring system that's comparable to state-of-the-art equipment found in research laboratories.
  
  Read more

• NASA and NOAA satellite data see North Atlantic system more concentrated

  12-01-2016 21:34
  
  NASA and NOAA satellites continue to monitor the North Atlantic Ocean's non-tropical low pressure system for hints of development into a subtropical storm. NASA's Aqua satellite provided cloud top temperatures that show where strongest storms are within the larger system, and the storm appeared more consolidated on NOAA's GOES-East satellite imagery.
  
  Read more

• Stanford researchers unveil technology that could prevent battery fires - Fox News

  12-01-2016 21:12
  Fox News
  Stanford researchers unveil technology that could prevent battery fires
  Fox News
  The quest to build a better mouse trap at Stanford has ventured into explosive territory. Or, more specifically, into lithium-ion battery explosion prevention territory. Related: 'Hoverboard' 'craze' hits Fox News. ADVERTISEMENT. Researchers at the ...
  Stanford researchers develop battery that shuts down before overheatingThe American Bazaar
  Stanford team creates Li-on batt that shuts down when overheatedA
  

• Relive Epic Falcon 9 Rocket Landing in New SpaceX Video

  12-01-2016 20:45 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  Want to see some excited rocket scientists? This video has about as many as you're likely to see in one place any time soon.
  
  Read more

• Drone Shoots Net to Safely Capture Rogue Drones

  12-01-2016 20:13 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  In the future, unmanned aerial vehicles could patrol the skies, hunting for other drones.
  
  Read more

• VLC comes to Apple TV with wide format support, 'Remote Playback' feature - Apple Insider

  12-01-2016 20:04
  Apple Insider
  VLC comes to Apple TV with wide format support, 'Remote Playback' feature
  Apple Insider
  VideoLAN on Tuesday released a tvOS version of VLC, making the video playback app native to the Apple TV for the first time. As on desktop and mobile devices, the new app lets users play formats that aren't natively supported by Apple. It also enables ...
  VLC Media Player Available on Apple TVPC Magazine
  VLC Arrives On Apple TV With Support For Casting, Playback Of Local And ...TechCrunch
  

• Google sets I/O '16 conference for May 18-20 - Computerworld

  12-01-2016 19:59
  ZDNet
  Google sets I/O '16 conference for May 18-20
  Computerworld
  Google has let slip some details about this year's I/O developers conference. Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted today that Google I/O '16 will be held May 18-20. The surprising part of Pichai's announcement is that the annual developer conference won't ...
  Google I/O's Location Hints at Self-Driving Car NewsPC Magazine
  Google announces I/O 2016, and it's high time to fix Android tablet appsExtremeTech
  Google I/O 2016 set for May 18
  

• GM Unveils Tech to Help Avoid Kid Heatstroke Deaths

  12-01-2016 19:51 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  General Motors said on Tuesday it will introduce a new safety system to remind drivers to check for children in the rear seats.
  
  Read more

• Apple Already Owns Half of Smartwatch Market: Research

  12-01-2016 19:33 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  But analysts still have doubts over the long-term outlook for the nascent sector.
  
  Read more

• Tropical Cyclone Ula's winds, rainfall seen by NASA's GPM and RapidScat

  12-01-2016 19:13
  
  A weaker Tropical Storm Ula continued to move through the Southern Pacific Ocean on Jan. 11 after peaking at major hurricane status. NASA's RapidScat instrument looked at Ula's winds, while the Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission satellite measured rainfall in the storm.
  
  Read more

• Basic ratio capacity may serve as building block for math knowledge

  12-01-2016 19:11
  
  Understanding fractions is a critical mathematical ability, and yet it's one that continues to confound a lot of people well into adulthood. New research finds evidence for an innate ratio processing ability that may play a role in determining our aptitude for understanding fractions and other formal mathematical concepts.
  
  Read more

• Mountains west of Boulder continue to lose ice as climate warms

  12-01-2016 19:06
  
  New research led by the University of Colorado Boulder indicates an ongoing loss of ice on Niwot Ridge and the adjacent Green Lakes Valley in the high mountains west of Boulder is likely to progress as the climate continues to warm.
  
  Read more

• These Are the Space Missions to Watch in 2016 - Scientific American

  12-01-2016 19:02
  Scientific American
  These Are the Space Missions to Watch in 2016
  Scientific American
  While the coming year does not appear to promise anything quite as spectacular or awe-inspiring as 2015's signature moment—the July 14 flyby of Pluto by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft—there will still be a lot going on overhead. Here's a brief ...
  Air Force anticipates busy year of launches and landingsFlorida Today
  SpaceX uses Incubus to remind us just how awesome that Falcon 9 launch wasMashable
  

• Space bids farewell to Bowie, one of its own

  12-01-2016 19:00
  
  David Bowie's death has plunged fans around the world into grief, but his music lives on—not only on Earth but in space.
  
  Read more

• Time running out for comet probe Philae

  12-01-2016 18:49
  
  Scientists will send a few final prods to robot lab Philae, incommunicado on the surface of a comet hurtling through space, but hopes for a reply are running out, they said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Bottom beginning to fall out of ivory market: regulator

  12-01-2016 18:49
  
  Global efforts to crack down on illegal ivory trafficking are eating away at prices, a wildlife trade regulator said Tuesday, voicing confidence the bottom was falling out of the market.
  
  Read more

• How plants interact with beneficial microbes in the soil

  12-01-2016 18:46
  
  Scientists have wondered for years how legumes such as soybeans, whose roots host nitrogen-fixing bacteria that produce essential plant nutrients out of thin air, are able to recognize these bacteria as both friendly and distinct from their own cells, and how the host plant's specialized proteins find the bacteria and use the nutritional windfall.
  
  Read more

• Tiebreaks push competition—not only in sports

  12-01-2016 18:45
  
  The strategy used for resolving ties and determining bid limits decides on whether competition is pushed or not. In weightlifting, for instance, the tie is resolved in favor of the athlete with the lower body mass. In and outside of sports, competition is often pushed by letting the supposedly weaker competitor win in case of a tie. This is the result of a study on all-pay auctions by economists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
  
  Read more

• Grazing towards sustainability

  12-01-2016 18:44
  
  The first international Global Farm Platform conference hosted by the University of Bristol this week [12 to 15 January] will highlight the benefits of utilising pasture and robust cows over high-yield, intensive systems.
  
  Read more

• Spider web research shows promise for noninvasive genetic sampling

  12-01-2016 18:43
  
  Using web samples from black widow spiders fed with crickets, researchers at the University of Notre Dame have successfully used DNA samples to identify both the spider and the species of its prey. Such noninvasive sampling to obtain genetic information could have practical implications in several fields including conservation research and pest management.
  
  Read more

• CRIQ and INRS awarded a patent for a system that removes micropollutants from wastewater

  12-01-2016 18:41
  
  A US patent was recently awarded jointly to Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (CRIQ) and Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS) for a system and a process that remove emerging micropollutants from industrial wastewater.
  
  Read more

Follow @NewslockSciTech on Twitter!