Sci-Tech news

• 2nd security firm raises concerns about Cruz and Kasich apps (Update)

  25-04-2016 23:43
  
  Another computer-security firm raised concerns Monday about the potential for hackers to glean users' personal data from phone apps released by the campaigns of Republican presidential contenders Ted Cruz and John Kasich.
  
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• 2nd security firm raises concerns about Cruz and Kasich apps

  25-04-2016 23:43
  
  Another computer-security firm is raising concerns about the potential for hackers to glean users' personal data from phone apps released by the campaigns of Republican presidential contenders Ted Cruz and John Kasich.
  
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• Feds won't designate critical habitat for threatened bat

  25-04-2016 23:41
  
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided against designating any caves, mines or forests as critical habitat for the northern long-eared bat, the agency said Monday.
  
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• Time Warner Cable deal gets OK, with online video conditions (Update)

  25-04-2016 23:07
  
  Federal regulators will impose several conditions meant to protect online video services as they back Charter's bid to buy Time Warner Cable and create the country's second-largest home Internet provider.
  
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• Champs-Elysees to be pedestrianised once a month to combat smog

  25-04-2016 23:07
  
  Paris' most famous boulevard, the Champs-Elysees, will be off-limits to cars on the first Sunday of every month starting in May, Paris city hall said Monday.
  
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• Changes in 'microbiome' during canine atopic dermatitis could lead to antibiotic-free therapies

  25-04-2016 23:06
  
  Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin condition and the most common form of eczema, is estimated to afflict as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population, and is much more common now than it was 50 years ago. Veterinary clinical estimates also show that approximately 10 percent of dogs have atopic dermatitis. How AD arises isn't yet fully understood, but a new study from researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's School of Veterinar
  
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• Delivery services vie to offer instant —or at least same-day —gratification

  25-04-2016 23:00
  
  Not long ago, two-day delivery was considered a premium service. And fast, too. Fast enough, it seemed.
  
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• Innovation making waves pulling water from air

  25-04-2016 22:30
  
  Researchers in Simon Fraser University's School of Mechatronics Systems Engineering are tackling the world's water crisis by pulling water out of the air.
  
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• Flipping a chemical switch helps perovskite solar cells beat the heat

  25-04-2016 22:11
  
  Thin films of crystalline materials called perovskites provide a promising new way of making inexpensive and efficient solar cells. Now, an international team of researchers has shown a way of flipping a chemical switch that converts one type of perovskite into another—a type that has better thermal stability and is a better light absorber.
  
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• How retail stores are using virtual reality to make shopping more fun

  25-04-2016 22:00
  
  The next item you try on at the mall might be a virtual reality headset.
  
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• Role of life's timekeeper—a novel theory of animal evolution

  25-04-2016 21:42
  
  This article presents a new theory of animal (metazoan) evolution, suggesting that it was partly mediated through a biochemical oscillator (cycler), named Life's Timekeeper, present in all animal cells. The cycler controls cell maintenance and repair, thereby determining how long cells survive (longevity). It originated in the single-celled ancestor of all animals, which had very short cell longevity. Animal evolution progressed by extending cell longevity, and this was mediated by extended cycl
  
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• Patterns of glowing sharks get clearer with depth

  25-04-2016 21:41
  
  A team of researchers led by scientists from the American Museum of Natural History has found that catsharks are not only able to see the bright green biofluorescence they produce, but that they increase contrast of their glowing pattern when deep underwater. The study, conducted with a custom-built "shark-eye" camera that simulates how the shark sees underwater, shows that fluorescence makes catsharks more visible to neighbors of the same species at the depths that they live and may aid in comm
  
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• US absorbed carbon dioxide despite drought

  25-04-2016 21:00
  
  In the US, spring 2012 was the warmest on record. The subsequent summer was dryer and hotter than any summer since the 1930s, a period that became known in the history books as the 'Dust Bowl'. In 2012, drought and heat afflicted almost the entire contiguous United States.
  
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• New structure identified in membrane of disease-causing bacteria

  25-04-2016 21:00
  
  Mycobacteria cause a number of dangerous, difficult-to-treat diseases including leprosy and tuberculosis, and progress has been slow in eradicating them. But new strategies for combating these bacteria may eventually emerge from better understanding their basic structure and mechanisms, say molecular microbiologist Yasu Morita and his doctoral student Jennifer Hayashi at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
  
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• Controlling RNA in living cells: Modular, programmable proteins can be used to track or manipulate gene expression

  25-04-2016 21:00
  
  MIT researchers have devised a new set of proteins that can be customized to bind arbitrary RNA sequences, making it possible to image RNA inside living cells, monitor what a particular RNA strand is doing, and even control RNA activity.
  
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• Dubai pushes the pedal to the metal on driverless cars (Update)

  25-04-2016 20:56
  
  Already home to the world's biggest skyscraper, Dubai has another tall order to fill: By 2030, its leader wants 25 percent of all trips on its roads to be done by driverless vehicles.
  
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• Do successful leaders produce more successful leaders?

  25-04-2016 20:56
  
  "Black Monday" has become as much a part of the National Football League season as Draft Day. The Monday after the last game of the season is marked by the firing of a number of head coaches and the start of a frenetic search for new ones. Many NFL teams searching for a coach rely on "coaching trees" and turn to assistants of highly successful head coaches.
  
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• Watch: Obama and Angela Merkel Geek Out With VR Goggles

  25-04-2016 20:52
  
  President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel toured the Hannover Messe trade fair, where they both tried on virtual reality goggles.
  
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• Watch: Solar Impulse's Possible Flight Path After Pacific Crossing

  25-04-2016 20:49
  
  After touching down in San Francisco this weekend, the Solar Impulse plane could continue its journey across the United States as early as this week, making several pit stops before an Atlantic Ocean crossing.
  
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• Planned Intel job cuts create uncertainty in New Mexico city

  25-04-2016 20:31
  
  Intel's plan for massive job cuts is creating uncertainty in one of New Mexico's largest cities.
  
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• New apps help taxpayers report waste, fraud and abuse

  25-04-2016 20:20
  
  In Long Beach, Calif., six city employees were fired after people complained items had gone missing from inside impounded cars. In Philadelphia auditors found safety issues in a dozen rental properties as well as more than $350,000 in unpaid taxes. And in Richmond, Va., a city employee is on the hook for nearly $10,000 in bogus expenses.
  
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• Researchers discover fate of melting glacial ice in Greenland

  25-04-2016 20:18
  
  Over the past several decades, scientists have observed a significant increase in the melting of glacial land ice on the island of Greenland, spurring concerns about global sea level rise and the long-term effects of atmospheric warming. What has been less clear, however, is what happens to this meltwater once it enters the ocean.
  
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• LinkedIn's Lynda.com creates 'learning paths' for certain careers

  25-04-2016 20:00
  
  The road to becoming a music producer or small business owner through online courses may come with too many choices for some learners even on LinkedIn-owned Lynda.com.
  
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• Oakland drawing more tech startups

  25-04-2016 19:40
  
  When Uber opens its massive new headquarters near downtown Oakland next year, flooding the area with as many as 3,000 workers, it will become part of an already thriving tech scene.
  
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• Microsoft axes production of Xbox 360 consoles

  25-04-2016 19:20
  
  Microsoft will stop producing the Xbox 360, the decade-old video-game console that cemented the company's place in the living room.
  
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• A predator fish in California has lost its White House support

  25-04-2016 19:10
  
  A still-controversial 1992 law intended to boost California's striped-bass population can be scaled back, the Obama administration now believes.
  
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• 80s Flashback: When TV Watches Were All the Rage

  25-04-2016 19:09 via nbcnews.com
  
  Long before the Apple Watch, gadget-lovers of the 1980s were armed with a hot, new fad: the tiny TV.
  
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• New Study Shows Fructose Alters Brain Genes, Which Can Lead to Disease

  25-04-2016 19:06 via scitechdaily.com
  
  A new study by researchers at UCLA reveals that genes in the brain can be damaged by fructose, leading to diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A range of diseases — from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, and from Alzheimer’s disease to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — are linked to […]
  The post New Study Shows Fructose Alters Brain Genes, Which Can Lead to Disease appeared firs
  
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• Scientists make receptor discoveries that pave the way for new drugs to treat metabolic diseases

  25-04-2016 19:05
  
  New structural information obtained with the help of intense X-rays generated by Diamond Light Source, the UK's synchrotron science facility in Oxfordshire, has enabled scientists from Heptares Therapeutics ("Heptares", the UK-based subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation) to solve the high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of the glucagon receptor. This biological receptor plays a crucial role in the management of blood glucose levels and is considered to be an important target for drugs designe
  
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• Hollywood is pushing reset button on video game adaptations

  25-04-2016 19:00
  
  At long last, it seems Hollywood has pushed the reset button on its approach to video game adaptations.
  
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• Framing discourse around conservative values shifts climate change attitudes

  25-04-2016 18:44
  
  Conservatives' attitudes toward climate change and other environmental concerns shift when the issues are reframed in terms more closely aligned with their values, a new study from Oregon State University indicates.
  
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• Economic concerns drive sustainability in American cities and towns

  25-04-2016 18:37
  
  While environmental issues are often cited as a major factor in cities and towns in pursuing sustainability, a new study shows that economic concerns can be just as important to local governments in adopting concrete sustainability plans.
  
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• Can mountain-climbing bears rescue cherry trees from global warming?

  25-04-2016 18:35
  
  As the planet warms, one way for plants and animals to find their way to cooler territory is to move up higher into the mountains. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 25 have found that cherry trees are indeed making their way to the mountaintops with help from an unexpected source: mountain-climbing bears.
  
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• New Study Traces the Impact of Volcanic Activity on Climate Change

  25-04-2016 18:09 via scitechdaily.com
  
  A newly published study shows that for the majority of Earth’s history, continental arc volcanism has been the main driver of long-term climate variability. A geology-based analysis of Earth’s climate history over the past 700 million years provides evidence that climate change has occurred traditionally through slow shifts in the release of carbon dioxide — […]
  The post New Study Traces the Impact of Volcanic Activity on Climate Change appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• NASA to Begin Historic New Era of X-Plane Research

  25-04-2016 17:57 via scitechdaily.com
  
  NASA’s aeronautical innovators are preparing to put in the sky an array of new experimental aircraft, each intended to carry on the legacy of demonstrating advanced technologies that will push back the frontiers of aviation. History is about to repeat itself. There have been periods of time during the past seven decades – some busier […]
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• Internet video portals do not control views well

  25-04-2016 17:47
  
  Video portals have counters that register the number of views, thus reflecting the success of the piece. This data can have economic implications, since with some online advertising campaigns that use videos, the portals can charge based on the number of registered views. And one of the problems with the fraud that exists in this area is that of "bots", computer programs that replicate the behavior of an Internet user, and which can therefore artificially increase the number of views.
  
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• Soy shows promise as natural anti-microbial agent

  25-04-2016 17:46
  
  Soy isoflavones and peptides may inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses, according to a new study from University of Guelph researchers.
  
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• Apple May Be Set for Its First Quarterly Dip Since 2003

  25-04-2016 17:39 via nbcnews.com
  
  Not since 2003, the year the third generation of the iPod was released, has Apple reported a year-over-year decline in quarterly revenue.
  
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• Scientists advance disease resistance in three of world's most important crops

  25-04-2016 17:26
  
  Today's advanced online publication of the journal Nature Biotechnology carries three important papers on crop disease resistance. They report the isolation of novel disease resistance genes and the successful transfer of resistance into wheat, soybean, and potato. The 2Blades Foundation supported the development of these efforts as part of the organization's mission to discover, advance, and deliver genetic improvements in crop disease resistance.
  
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• Environmental impacts of demand-side technologies and strategies for carbon mitigation

  25-04-2016 17:23
  
  As global leaders convened at the UN last week to sign on to the Paris climate agreement, they committed to a wide range of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Expectations are particularly high for two of the most widely recognized solutions to climate change: energy efficiency and renewable energy. But how much do we know about the environmental impacts of a large-deployment of these technologies—including the benefits or costs from a life-cycle perspective? And by how m
  
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• France fires up push for renewable energies

  25-04-2016 17:16
  
  France announced Monday it was raising its renewable energy goals and would become the first country to issue "green bonds" to fund projects which benefit the enviroment.
  
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• Engineers develop micro-sized, liquid-metal particles for heat-free soldering

  25-04-2016 17:15
  
  Martin Thuo likes to look for new, affordable and clean ways to put science and technology to work in the world.
  
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• Rare Earth atoms see the light: Promising route for combined optical, solid state-based quantum information processing

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  Tiny units of matter and chemistry that they are, atoms constitute the entire universe. Some rare atoms can store quantum information, an important phenomenon for scientists in their ongoing quest for a quantum Internet.
  
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• Physicists detect the enigmatic spin momentum of light

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  Ever since Kepler's observation in the 17th century that sunlight is one of the reasons that the tails of comets to always face away from the sun, it has been understood that light exerts pressure in the direction it propagates. Radiation pressure is produced by the momentum carried by light, and it plays a crucial role in a variety of systems, from atomic to astronomical scales.
  
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• Physicists demonstrate using non-polarized light to produce spin voltage in metal for first time

  25-04-2016 17:00
  With apologies to Isaac Asimov, the most exciting phase to hear in science isn't "Eureka," but "That's funny..." A "that's funny" moment in a Colorado State University physics lab has led to a fundamental discovery that could play a key role in next-generation microelectronics.
  
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• New technique accelerates isolation of potato late blight resistance genes

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  A team of scientists from The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) and The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) have developed a new method to accelerate isolation of plant disease resistance genes. The team have also identified a brand new source of blight resistance genes in Solanum americanum, a wild relative of the potato.
  
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• New gene-detecting technology brings new, resilient superwheat closer

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  Scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC) and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) have pioneered a new gene-detecting technology which, if deployed correctly could lead to the creation of a new elite variety of wheat with durable resistance to disease.
  
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• Modern DNA reveals ancient male population explosions linked to migration and technology

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  The largest ever study of global genetic variation in the human Y chromosome has uncovered the hidden history of men. Research published today (25 April) in Nature Genetics reveals explosions in male population numbers in five continents, occurring at times between 55 thousand and four thousand years ago.
  
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• CO2 fertilization greening the Earth

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  An international team of 32 authors from 24 institutions in eight countries has just published a study titled "Greening of the Earth and its Drivers" in the journal Nature Climate Change showing significant greening of a quarter to one-half of the Earth's vegetated lands using data from the NASA-MODIS and NOAA-AVHRR satellite sensors of the past 33 years. The greening represents an increase in leaves on plants and trees. Green leaves produce sugars using energy in the sunlight to mix carbon diox
  
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• Ancient marine sediments provide clues to future climate change

  25-04-2016 17:00
  
  Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was the major driver behind the global climatic shifts that occurred between 53 and 34 million years ago, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.
  
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