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HughPickens.com writes:

Erik Eckholm reports in the NYT that the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced that it has imposed sweeping controls on the distribution of its products to ensure that none are used in lethal injections, a step that closes off the last remaining open-market source of drugs used in executions. "Pfizer makes its products to enhance and save the lives of the patients we serve," the company says, and "strongly objects to the use of its products as lethal injections for capital punishment." "With Pfizer's announcement, all F.D.A.-approved manufacturers of any potential execution drug have now blocked their sale for this purpose," says Maya Foa. "Executing states must now go underground if they want to get hold of medicines for use in lethal injection." The mounting difficulty in obtaining lethal drugs has already caused states to furtively scramble for supplies. Some states have used straw buyers or tried to import drugs from abroad that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, only to see them seized by federal agents. Other states have experimented with new drug combinations, sometimes with disastrous results, such as the prolonged execution of Joseph Wood in Arizona in 2014, using the sedative midazolam. A few states have adopted the electric chair, firing squad or gas chamber as an alternative if lethal drugs are not available. Since Utah chooses to have a death penalty, "we have to have a means of carrying it out," said State Representative Paul Ray as he argued last year for authorization of the firing squad.

Original Submission

"exec" submitted from IRC:

The BBC has a story that might indicate that Americans are waking up with respect to their online privacy:

-- submitted from IRC

Almost half of American households with at least one internet user have been "deterred" from online activity recently because of privacy or security concerns, a survey has said.

Their concerns had stopped them either using online banking or shopping or posting on social media, the survey by a Department of Commerce agency said.

The study asked 41,000 households about their activity in the past 12 months.

A US official said mistrust about privacy was causing "chilling effects".

The agency that carried out the study, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), called for encryption and security to be improved.

The report, based on data collected by the US Census Bureau in July 2015, said 45% of online households had refrained from at least one of the activities identified in the survey, and 30% had refrained from at least two.

Original Submission

Gaaark writes:

Google has launched searching without a web browser:

Google this morning launched a new application for iOS devices called Gboard that puts the power of Google search directly into your mobile device's keyboard. This app (for iOS devices only) allows you to easily search for things like flight times, news articles, restaurant and business listings, weather and more right from your keyboard, then just tap to paste that information into your chat. (You'll need to give the app access to your location the first time you launch this feature. [emphasis mine])

The article has a gif that shows the app in progress.

More google goodness............?

takyon: What, no Android?

Original Submission

Nollij writes:

From Motherboard:

The Philadelphia Police Department admitted today that a mysterious unmarked license plate surveillance truck disguised as a Google Maps vehicle, which Motherboard first reported on this morning, is its own.

When reached for comment yesterday, Google confirmed it is investigating the unauthorized use of its Google Maps logo. The spokeswoman we reached suggested that the company might have more to say at a later time.

Can Google take action for trademark infringement?

[A different picture of the vehicle was posted to Twitter. -Ed.]

Original Submission

butthurt writes:

At the Harvard Medical Schoool, "about 150 scientists, lawyers and entrepreneurs" gathered in a closed-door meeting to discuss an incipient initiative called "HGP-Write: Testing Large Synthetic Genomes in Cells." The proposed project was originally to be called "HGP2: The Human Genome Synthesis Project"; "HGP" is an abbreviation for the Human Genome Project. The synthesis of long DNA sequences, possibly but not necessarily of human origin, is the stated goal.

Coverage:

• New York Times
• Gizmodo
• Engadget

related story:
Scientists Create Independent Synthetic Cell With Smallest Known Genome

Further information:
biography of Dr. George M. Church
biography of Dr. Jef D. Boeke

Original Submission

"exec" writes (submitted from IRC):

A video showing an extremely long Transportation Security Administration screening line at Chicago Midway airport has gone viral.

takyon: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson responded to reports of long lines:

Johnson's 10-point plan includes hiring more TSA officers, paying more overtime, deploying more canine teams and using airline workers to handle non-security functions at the checkpoints, such as moving bins. Congress agreed Wednesday to allow TSA to shift $34 million between its accounts to expedite the hiring of 768 new officers by June 15 and pay overtime for its 42,500 officers. "We want to keep people moving, but we want to keep passengers safe," he said. "There will be wait times as they move through aviation security checkpoints."

Airport officials in the New York area and Atlanta have grown so frustrated with long lines that they have threatened to hire private security contractors to replace TSA screeners. Airlines for America, an industry group representing most of the largest carriers, created a website, www.ihatethewait.com, and hashtag #ihatethewait to encourage travelers to post pictures of long checkpoint lines.

TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger blamed the long lines on the loss of thousands of screeners in 2014.

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

When Max Weber composed "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" in 1905, it became a foundational text in modern sociology whose premise, that work-related cultural values in Europe were responsible for those societies' global economic ascendance, has been hotly debated since. You'll still find it in the syllabus of any college course on sociology.

Now, a new study challenges Weber afresh:

Researchers and businesses have often operated under the idea that work-related cultural values are defined by country - just think of stereotypes about countries that are known to have hard workers or are team-oriented. A new study finds that nationality is actually a bad proxy for work-related cultural values, and points to other groupings - such as occupation - as more reliable indicators.

[...] the researchers evaluated variation, both within each country and between countries, on four work-related cultural values:

        --Individualism, which measures the extent to which a society places emphasis on individuals as opposed to groups;
        --Power distance, which measures the importance of status and hierarchy in work settings;
        --Uncertainty avoidance, which measures the extent to which cultures are willing to accept ambiguity or the unknown; and
        --Quantity versus quality of life, which measures emphasis on competition and material wealth versus emphasis on societal welfare and well-being.

The researchers found that approximately 80 percent of variation in these values was within countries. For example, at the low end, only 16.6 percent of the variation on individualism was between countries - 83.4 percent of the variability was within countries. At the high end, 20.8 percent of variation on power distance was between countries - which still left 79.2 percent of the variability within countries.

"This told us that country does not equal culture on work-related values," Kirkman says.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

One of our solar system's largest unnamed dwarf planets, (225088) 2007 OR₁₀ , is bigger than previously thought:

A faraway object nicknamed "Snow White" is considerably larger than scientists had thought, and is in fact the third-largest dwarf planet in the solar system, a new study suggests.

Snow White is about 955 miles (1,535 kilometers) in diameter rather than 795 miles (1,280 km) wide as previously believed, according to the new study. That makes it the largest still-unnamed object in our solar system, NASA officials said. (The dwarf planet has not yet been formally named and currently goes by the placeholder designation 2007 OR10.) NASA released a new video of the dwarf planet Snow White along with its new size figures.

If the new measurement is accurate, the only known dwarf planets bigger than Snow White are Pluto and Eris, which are 1,475 miles (2,374 km) and 1,445 miles (2,236 km) across, respectively.

Release at JPL.

LARGE SIZE AND SLOW ROTATION OF THE TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECT (225088) 2007 OR₁₀ DISCOVERED FROM HERSCHEL AND K2 OBSERVATIONS (DOI: 10.3847/0004-6256/151/5/117)

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Stone tools and mastodon bones found in Florida have pushed back the origin of human settlers in the region:

Stone tools and bones from a butchered mastodon, found at the bottom of a river in Florida, are shaking up the known history of humans in the region. A four-year investigation of the site has firmly concluded that humans lived there and, in particular, made a meal of a mastodon 14,550 years ago. This is more than a millennium earlier than humans were thought to have settled the south-eastern US.

The findings are reported in the open access journal Science Advances [open, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1600375]. They reinforce the idea that humans settled the Americas well before the Clovis people arrived about 13,000 years ago. For many years, the Clovis were thought to have been "the first Americans".

Additional coverage on Ars Technica .

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

In his newest attack on Jeff Bezos, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says the Amazon chief executive and Washington Post owner has "a huge antitrust problem."

Trump has taken on Bezos before, but on Fox News' "Hannity" show on Thursday he accused Bezos of anticompetitive business practices. The attack... comes as Post investigative reporters dig into Trump's past for a forthcoming book.

"He's got a huge antitrust problem because he's controlling so much. He bought the Washington Post for practically nothing. He's using it as a tool for political power against me and other people. We can't let him get away with it," Trump said.

Internet connection, check. Popcorn, check. Let the live action... commence.

Original Submission

-- OriginalOwner_ writes:

The Center for American Progress reports:

Until [May 12] when Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill legalizing rain barrels, it was a crime to catch and use rainwater in the state of Colorado. That's right--the state legalized recreational use of marijuana before [legalizing] a commonplace water conservation tool.

[...] "This is a victory for Coloradans who care about their state's incredible rivers, lakes, streams, and waters. Rain barrels are an important educational tool and a great first step toward conservation and increasing awareness about the water challenges facing Colorado", said Pete Maysmith, executive director with the nonprofit Conservation Colorado.

[...] Senator Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling, CO), chair of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee was a vocal critic and tough opponent of the rain barrel bill. His concerns were grounded in a strict interpretation of western water law and the system of prior appropriation. He argued that rain barrel use will cut into "senior" water rights, especially for agricultural uses.

Supporters of the bill pointed to a study from Colorado State University demonstrating that the use of rain barrels would not decrease the amount of surface runoff going to downstream users, discrediting Senator Sonnenberg's argument. This year's version of the bill also included amendments to clarify senior water rights and even garnered support from the Colorado Farm Bureau.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Apple has invested $1 billion in Didi Chuxing, China's most popular ride-hailing application and an Uber competitor:

Didi Chuxing, previously known as Didi Kuaidi, is a major competitor of Uber, which is spending big to try to break into China. By investing in the company, Apple joins web giants Alibiba Group (an e-commerce company) and Tencent Holdings (a game and entertainment service), Didi Chuxing said in its announcement Friday. But Apple's investment is the single biggest infusion of cash in the company. The ride-hailing company says it has 300 million customers in 400 cities, and claims to hold "over 87 percent market share in private car-hailing and over 99 percent market share in taxi-hailing."

Also at The Register .

Original Submission

takyon writes:

A member of the 9/11 commission has broken his silence about some of the unreleased findings:

A former Republican member of the 9/11 commission, breaking dramatically with the commission's leaders, said Wednesday he believes there was clear evidence that Saudi government employees were part of a support network for the 9/11 hijackers and that the Obama administration should move quickly to declassify a long-secret congressional report on Saudi ties to the 2001 terrorist attack.

The comments by John F Lehman, an investment banker in New York who was Navy secretary in the Reagan administration, signal the first serious public split among the 10 commissioners since they issued a 2004 final report that was largely read as an exoneration of Saudi Arabia, which was home to 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11.

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

Climate change can often seem concerned mainly with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases far above the Earth—but researchers also want to know what role things on the ground play.

Yuki Hamada, a biophysical remote sensing scientist in the Environmental Science division at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory, studies the realities of climate change right on the Earth's surface. Instead of peering far into the troposphere, she measures how the atmosphere near ground is interacting with plant life and soil. And Hamada is hoping that the soybean plants she studies could be windows into how the climate is changing, how those shifts might affect Earth's other ecosystems and how ecosystem function feeds back on climate patterns.

[...] To measure the solar energy bouncing off soybean fields planted about 30 miles from Argonne, within the Fermi National Laboratory property, Hamada uses a so-called "hyperspectral" reflectance sensor, which measures sunlight reflected by the plants and soils from blue light to shortwave infrared wavelengths, mounted on 10-foot towers.

The hope is to correlate these measurements with plant health and activities by dissecting the relationships between the spectral data she collects and aspects of plant chemistry and physiology—such as moisture, nitrogen content and carbon flux—that other researchers are concurrently measuring.

Heat island effects have been reasonably well-studied. It's good to see the data map extending beyond the urban boundaries.

Original Submission

Phoenix666 writes:

We've seen many iPhone clones come out of China, like the Oppo R9 and the Meizu Pro 6. Now, that phenomenon enters the gaming arena.

Chinese company Fuze on Tuesday announced a new gaming console, the Tomahawk F1, and it shares some striking similarities to both Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One.

As you can see, the console itself is clearly inspired by the PS4, while the F1's controller is almost identical in design to the Xbox One's.

The console runs on Android, and will be priced from 899 yuan, which converts to roughly $140, AU$190 and £95, according to Chinese blogger ZhugeEx.

Not interested unless it plays "The East is Red" upon boot.

Original Submission