Sci-Tech news

• Burger King's Google Home Stunt Backfires

  12-04-2017 23:25 via nbcnews.com
  
  Google Home no longer responds to an actor's voice in the commercial when he say, "OK Google, what is the Whopper burger?"
  
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• Qualcomm to refund BlackBerry $815 mn in royalties

  12-04-2017 23:00
  
  US mobile chip giant Qualcomm is to refund BlackBerry $814.9 million in royalties overpaid by the Canadian company, according to a tentative arbitration award announced on Wednesday.
  
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• Graphene 'phototransistor' promising for optical technologies

  12-04-2017 22:57
  
  Researchers have solved a problem hindering development of highly sensitive optical devices made of a material called graphene, an advance that could bring applications from imaging and displays to sensors and high-speed communications.
  
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• Endangered right whales deliver fewest births in 17 years

  12-04-2017 22:55
  
  Endangered North American right whales gave birth last winter to the fewest calves seen off the U.S. coast in 17 years, troubling scientists who say the low births support other evidence that the imperiled species' population may be declining.
  
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• Astronomers piece together first image of black hole

  12-04-2017 22:54
  
  After training a network of telescopes stretching from Hawaii to Antarctica to Spain at the heart of our galaxy for five nights running, astronomers said Wednesday they may have snapped the first-ever picture of a black hole.
  
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• New night lights maps open up possible real-time applications

  12-04-2017 22:49
  
  NASA scientists are releasing new global maps of Earth at night, providing the clearest yet composite view of the patterns of human settlement across our planet.
  
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• A simple sniff: Nanoparticle research tested in locusts focuses on new drug-delivery method

  12-04-2017 22:43
  
  Delivering life-saving drugs directly to the brain in a safe and effective way is a challenge for medical providers. One key reason: the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from tissue-specific drug delivery. Methods such as an injection or a pill aren't as precise or immediate as doctors might prefer, and ensuring delivery right to the brain often requires invasive, risky techniques.
  
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• New method for 3-D printing extraterrestrial materials

  12-04-2017 22:42
  
  When humans begin to colonize the moon and Mars, they will need to be able to make everything from small tools to large buildings using the limited surrounding resources.
  
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• Researchers release first chemical map of dyes from historic dye library

  12-04-2017 22:41
  
  Researchers from North Carolina State University have released the first chemical "map" of dyes from the Max A. Weaver Dye Library, which contains almost 100,000 samples of unique dyes and fabrics. The information could assist researchers in developing dyes with desirable properties.
  
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• The Latest: Man who assumed dead baby's ID regrets judgment

  12-04-2017 21:03 via abcnews.go.com
  The attorney for a Pennsylvania man charged with stealing the identity of a Texas baby who died in 1972 says her client regrets the poor judgment he used
  
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• DMSO Treatment Could Transform Solar Cells, Boosts Efficiency

  12-04-2017 20:30 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Researchers at the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science have discovered a modification to perovskite solar cells, which could lead to a new generation...
  The post DMSO Treatment Could Transform Solar Cells, Boosts Efficiency appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Study identifies effects of EU expansion on labor, research

  12-04-2017 20:00
  
  Rather than a brain-drain, the 13-country European Union (EU) expansion initiated more than a decade ago triggered a brain-reconfiguration—the rising circulation of knowledge through the increased mobility of highly skilled workers in high-demand fields.
  
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• Naked DNA in water tells if fish have arrived

  12-04-2017 20:00
  
  For the first time, scientists have recorded a spring fish migration simply by conducting DNA tests on water samples.
  
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• Geography and culture may shape Latin American and Caribbean maize

  12-04-2017 20:00
  
  Variations in Latin American and Caribbean maize populations may be linked to anthropological events such as migration and agriculture, according to a study published April 12, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Claudia Bedoya from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and colleagues.
  
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• Ants rescue their injured

  12-04-2017 20:00
  
  The African Matabele ants (Megaponera analis) are widespread south of the Sahara and are a specialised termite predator. Two to four times a day, the ants set out to hunt prey. Proceeding in long files, they raid termites at their foraging sites, killing many workers and hauling the prey back to their nest.
  
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• Uber Is Losing Another Key Executive

  12-04-2017 19:54 via nbcnews.com
  
  And another one bites the dust at Uber.
  
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• Your Brand New Galaxy S8 Will Be Missing This Killer Feature

  12-04-2017 19:44 via nbcnews.com
  
  Bixby, the artificially intelligent assistant coming to Samsung's Galaxy S8, won't be completely ready when the new phones go on sale.
  
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• Meet the congressman who is pushing for a Charles Darwin Day

  12-04-2017 19:40 via abcnews.go.com
  
  Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes has taken on the role of promoting Darwinism in the U.S. House of Representatives
  
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• Mouse epigenetic aging clock uncovered

  12-04-2017 19:08
  
  Ageing in humans (and animals) can be seen as either an inevitable process of wear and tear or as an inherent biological programme by which the lifespan of each species is more or less predetermined. Recent research has shown that DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification which alters how DNA is read and expressed without altering the underlying sequence, can show age-related changes.
  
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• Earth-sized 'Tatooine' planets could be habitable

  12-04-2017 19:07
  
  With two suns in its sky, Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine in "Star Wars" looks like a parched, sandy desert world. In real life, thanks to observatories such as NASA's Kepler space telescope, we know that two-star systems can indeed support planets, although planets discovered so far around double-star systems are large and gaseous. Scientists wondered: If an Earth-size planet were orbiting two suns, could it support life?
  
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• Prescribed fires consume Kansas landscape

  12-04-2017 19:01
  
  Most if not all the fires in this image taken by Suomi NPP satellite's VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument on April 11, 2017 are controlled fires set by farmers to manage land.
  
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• Russian cosmonaut says he has taken relics of saint to space

  12-04-2017 19:00
  
  A Russian cosmonaut who has returned to Earth after a mission on the International Space Station said on Wednesday he had taken a relic of a Russian Orthodox saint with him.
  
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• How to color a lizard: From biology to mathematics

  12-04-2017 19:00
  
  From the clown fish to leopards, skin colour patterns in animals arise from microscopic interactions among coloured cells that obey equations discovered by the mathematician Alan Turing. Today, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics report in the journal Nature that a southwestern European lizard slowly acquires its intricate adult skin colour by changing the colour of individual skin scales using an esoteric computational system i
  
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• Discovery of early, 'croc-like' reptile sheds new light on evolution of dinosaurs

  12-04-2017 19:00
  
  A new species of ancient reptile has been described by scientists at the University of Birmingham, filling a critical gap in the fossil record of dinosaur cousins and suggesting that some features thought to characterise dinosaurs evolved much earlier than previously thought.
  
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• New NASA Study Shows Dynamo at Lunar Core May Have Formed Magnetic Field

  12-04-2017 18:15 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Newly published research reveals that heat from crystallization of the lunar core may have driven its now-defunct magnetic field some 3 billion years ago. The...
  The post New NASA Study Shows Dynamo at Lunar Core May Have Formed Magnetic Field appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Tool checks computer architectures, reveals flaws in emerging design

  12-04-2017 18:06
  
  With backing from some of the largest technology companies, a major project called RISC-V seeks to facilitate open-source design for computer chips, offering the possibility of opening chip designs beyond the few firms that dominate the space. As the project moves toward a formal release, researchers at Princeton University have discovered a series of errors in the RISC-V instruction specification that now are leading to changes in the new system.
  
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• Surprisingly long lifetime of high adhesion property of plasma-treated PTFE

  12-04-2017 18:05
  
  Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or Telfon as it is better known, is used in a variety of daily products, from cookware to carpets, because of its non-sticky property. However, this very same non-stickiness has limited its application to other fields including medicine. Scientists at the Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering in collaboration with Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Technology have reported how heat-assisted plasma treatment can modify PTFE to solve this problem. The report c
  
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• Gene salad: Lettuce genome assembly published

  12-04-2017 18:04
  
  Today (April 12), UC Davis researchers announced in Nature Communications that they have unlocked a treasure-trove of genetic information about lettuce and related plants, releasing the first comprehensive genome assembly for lettuce and the huge Compositae plant family.
  
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• Guinea seizes shark fins from Chinese ships

  12-04-2017 17:57
  
  Guinea has seized a haul of shark fins and carcasses from Chinese ships fishing illegally off the coast of the west African country and fined the owners.
  
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• Researchers seek new ways to improve earthquake risk communications

  12-04-2017 17:56
  
  The public wants to know more about earthquake risk and how best to manage it, surveys show, but scientists and engineers must adapt their communication skills to meet these public needs, researchers will report at the 2017 Seismological Society of America's (SSA) Annual Meeting.
  
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• On-the-range detection technology could corral bovine TB

  12-04-2017 17:55
  
  A research breakthrough allowing the first direct, empirical, blood-based, cow-side test for diagnosing bovine tuberculosis (TB) could spare ranchers and the agriculture industry from costly quarantines and the mass slaughter of animals infected with this easily spread disease.
  
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• Seismologists offer detailed look at New Zealand's Kaikoura earthquake

  12-04-2017 17:53
  
  The magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake that struck the South Island of New Zealand last November was the largest on-land recorded earthquake in the country's history. In a special session at the 2017 Seismological Society of America's (SSA) Annual Meeting, researchers will gather to describe their findings on the quake and its implications for further seismic activity in the region.
  
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• Developing a microinsurance plan for California earthquakes

  12-04-2017 17:53
  
  Nine out of ten Californians are uninsured against earthquake risk, which could slow economic recovery in neighborhoods and cities around the state after a damaging quake. On-demand or use-based small insurance policies—sometimes called microinsurance—could help fill in that financial gap, according to a presentation at the 2017 Seismological Society of America's (SSA) Annual Meeting.
  
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• Oklahoma is laboratory for research on human-induced earthquakes

  12-04-2017 17:52
  
  In 2016, a spate of earthquakes in Oklahoma resulted in significant damage to homes and businesses, occurring as part of an unprecedented increase in the regional earthquake rate that is likely caused by an increase in wastewater injection from oil and gas production.
  
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• NASA’s Mars Orbiter Views a Small Mesa in Noctis Labyrinthus

  12-04-2017 17:52 via scitechdaily.com
  
  The HiRISE instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured a great view of a small mesa on the surface of Mars. In this newly...
  The post NASA’s Mars Orbiter Views a Small Mesa in Noctis Labyrinthus appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Anticipating hazards from fracking-induced earthquakes in Canada and US

  12-04-2017 17:52
  
  As hydraulic fracturing operations expand in Canada and in some parts of the United States, researchers at the 2017 Seismological Society of America's (SSA) Annual Meeting are taking a closer look at ways to minimize hazards from the earthquakes triggered by those operations.
  
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• Look to lactate to help predict ill cats' prognoses, vet study says

  12-04-2017 17:51
  
  Many factors go into evaluating the prognosis of a critically ill animal, usually involving a combination of objective metrics, such as blood pressure or blood oxygenation, and more subjective clinical signs, such as alertness or lethargy.
  
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• Researchers studying how to disrupt bacteria to better treat infections

  12-04-2017 17:50
  
  Bacteria are everywhere. And despite widespread belief, not all bacteria are "bad." However, to combat those that can cause health issues for humans, there has been an over-reliance on the use of antibiotics - so much so, that many of them are now proving ineffective due to bacteria developing increased resistance to them.
  
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• Potential new applications stem from controlling particles' spin configurations

  12-04-2017 16:46
  
  Fermions are ubiquitous elementary particles. They span from electrons in metals, to protons and neutrons in nuclei and to quarks at the sub-nuclear level. Further, they possess an intrinsic degree of freedom called spin with only two possible configurations, either up or down. In a new study published in EPJ B, theoretical physicists explore the possibility of separately controlling the up and down spin populations of a group of interacting fermions. Their detailed theory describing the spin po
  
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• Is there something up with stinky inflatable pool toys?

  12-04-2017 16:08
  
  Inflatable toys and swimming aids, like bathing rings and arm bands, often have a distinctive smell which could indicate that they contain a range of potentially hazardous substances. Some of these compounds, which include carbonyl compounds, cyclohexanone, phenol and isophorone, might be critical when present in higher concentrations in children's toys, say Christoph Wiedmer and Andrea Buettner, who are authors of a study in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry..
  
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• Algal residue—an alternative carbon resource for pharmaceuticals and polyesters

  12-04-2017 16:08
  
  Microalgae have received much attention in biomass production due to many strains having a high biomass productivity per unit time and per unit area. Algae produce high levels of oil as well as carbohydrates, occurring mainly in the form of starch. They can survive in unfavorable, nutrient deficient conditions, and can be propagated industrially without using farmland. Oil derived from algae has recently been adopted for use in jet fuels and biodiesel. Previously overlooked, however, was the sta
  
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• Team develops world's first full-size IBC bifacial solar module

  12-04-2017 16:07
  
  The world's first full-size interdigitated back contact (IBC) bifacial solar module has been developed and fabricated in Singapore by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in collaboration with the International Solar Energy Research Center Konstanz, Germany (ISC Konstanz).
  
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• Collisions generate gas in debris disks

  12-04-2017 16:00
  
  By examining the atomic carbon line from two young star systems—49 Ceti and Beta Pictoris—researchers had found atomic carbon in the disk, the first time this observation has been made at sub-millimeter wavelength, hinting that the gas in debris disks is not primordial, but rather is generated from some process of collisions taking place in the debris disk.
  
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• Combining plasma processes to manufacture three-dimensional components

  12-04-2017 15:40
  
  Plasmas have long been used in industry to clean surfaces or to process them such that materials like paints or glues adhere to them more effectively. The advantage: Chemical pre-treatment with solvents or other substances can be dispensed with. This saves money and is environmentally friendly. The problem: Previously, only flat surfaces could be treated; the plasma simply slid over recesses, cavities or undercuts. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IS
  
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• Foldable silicon-based electronics overcome fragility problem

  12-04-2017 15:30
  
  (Phys.org)—Researchers have developed a method for fabricating silicon-based electronics that can be stretched and folded without damage, circumventing the problem of extreme fragility that ultra-thin flexible silicon materials traditionally face.
  
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• Evaluating cultural value of landscapes using geotagged photos

  12-04-2017 15:30
  
  Researchers have developed a new method for assessing the cultural value of landscapes using geotagged photos shared on a social-networking service. Data obtained with this method could help determine which locations should be used for tourism or targeted for environmental protection.
  
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• Abundance of DNA evidence not enough to prevent wrongful convictions

  12-04-2017 15:30
  
  As we enter an era in which DNA evidence is routinely used in criminal investigations, errors that led to wrongful convictions—including mistakes later corrected with DNA tests—may seem to be fading into history. This, however, isn't true, says law and criminal justice professor Daniel Medwed, who edited the book, Wrongful Convictions and the DNA Revolution, which was published last month.
  
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• The research on hot-desking and activity-based work isn't so positive

  12-04-2017 15:20
  
  A recent survey of 400 multinational corporations found that two-thirds plan to implement shared-desk workplaces by 2020. But research shows these arrangements have a range of outcomes, many of which are negative.
  
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• People find changes in user interfaces annoying

  12-04-2017 15:10
  
  Researchers modelled learning and visual search and predicted how users learn new or partially changed user interfaces. The model shows that even small changes can disturb visual search and impede use.
  
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• Amazon aims to help parents monitor - and talk to - kids

  12-04-2017 15:09
  
  Amazon is introducing new tools to help parents see what their kids are doing on the company's Fire tablets. As a bonus, the e-commerce giant says its service will also help spark discussions about the books kids read and the videos they watch.
  
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