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takyon writes:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has announced that Cloudflare is one of its clients in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of National Security Letters:

We're happy to be able to announce that Cloudflare is the second courageous client in EFF's long-running lawsuit challenging the government's unconstitutional national security letter (NSL) authority. Cloudflare, a provider of web performance and security services, just published its new transparency report announcing it has been fighting the NSL statute since 2013.

Like EFF's other client, CREDO, Cloudflare took a stand against the FBI's use of unilateral, perpetual NSL gag orders that resulted in a secret court battle stretching several years and counting. The litigation—seeking a ruling that the NSL power is unconstitutional—continues, but we're pleased that we can at long last publicly applaud Cloudflare for fighting on behalf of its customers. Now more than ever we need the technology community to stand with users in the courts. We hope others will follow Cloudflare's example.

16-16082 Notice to Court Concerning NSL

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takyon writes:

A drone was filmed crashing into Seattle's Space Needle viewing platform on New Year's Eve, where pyrotechnics were being assembled:

Video footage confirms that a drone aircraft flew directly at and crashed into the Space Needle's utmost viewing platform on New Year's Eve. The craft, which was subsequently recovered by the staff, was handed over to the Seattle Police Department on Tuesday.

Space Needle representative Dave Mandapat has provided Ars Technica video recovered from the drone, a camera-mounted DJI Inspire 1. The three-minute clip, which includes a few fade-to-black edits, shows the perspective of a craft ascending from an area east of the Seattle Center district (without identifying footage of a takeoff or origin point), then hovering above and around the Space Needle's top platform while pyrotechnic experts arranged and worked on the tower's annual New Year's fireworks show.

Roughly two minutes into the video, the drone shifts perspective to aim its camera view directly at the tower's topmost platform, at which point it apparently flies at an incredibly high speed until ramming into a spotlight. The collision took place mere feet away from both the pyrotechnic experts and their various arrays of electronics and fireworks equipment.

It's time for another round of FAA restrictions!

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TheronB writes:

From the paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering:

In a global-health context, commercial centrifuges are expensive, bulky and electricity-powered, and thus constitute a critical bottleneck in the development of decentralized, battery-free point-of-care diagnostic devices. Here, we report an ultralow-cost (20 cents), lightweight (2 g), human-powered paper centrifuge (which we name 'paperfuge') designed on the basis of a theoretical model inspired by the fundamental mechanics of an ancient whirligig (or buzzer toy; 3,300 BC). The paperfuge achieves speeds of 125,000 r.p.m. (and equivalent centrifugal forces of 30,000 g), with theoretical limits predicting 1,000,000 r.p.m. We demonstrate that the paperfuge can separate pure plasma from whole blood in less than 1.5 min, and isolate malaria parasites in 15 min. We also show that paperfuge-like centrifugal microfluidic devices can be made of polydimethylsiloxane, plastic and 3D-printed polymeric materials. Ultracheap, power-free centrifuges should open up opportunities for point-of-care diagnostics in resource-poor settings and for applications in science education and field ecology.

The lead inventor, Manu Prakash, is the recipient of a MacArthur "genius grant", and deservedly so. He also has an elegant portal web page on the Stanford site.

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takyon writes:

King's College London researchers have found a method of stimulating the stem cells inside of teeth in order to generate new dentine mineral, potentially reducing the need to use man-made materials to treat cavities:

A new method of stimulating the renewal of living stem cells in tooth pulp using an Alzheimer's drug has been discovered by a team of researchers at King's College London. Following trauma or an infection, the inner, soft pulp of a tooth can become exposed and infected. In order to protect the tooth from infection, a thin band of dentine is naturally produced and this seals the tooth pulp, but it is insufficient to effectively repair large cavities. Currently dentists use man-made cements or fillings, such as calcium and silicon-based products, to treat these larger cavities and fill holes in teeth. This cement remains in the tooth and fails to disintegrate, meaning that the normal mineral level of the tooth is never completely restored.

However, in a paper published today in Scientific Reports, scientists from the Dental Institute at King's College London have proven a way to stimulate the stem cells contained in the pulp of the tooth and generate new dentine – the mineralised material that protects the tooth - in large cavities, potentially reducing the need for fillings or cements.

Promotion of natural tooth repair by small molecule GSK3 antagonists (open, DOI: 10.1038/srep39654) (DX)

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takyon writes:

Increased activity in the amygdala may be linked to a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease:

The effect of constant stress on a deep-lying region of the brain explains the increased risk of heart attack, a study in The Lancet suggests. In a study of 300 people, those with higher activity in the amygdala were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease - and sooner than others.

Stress could be as important a risk factor as smoking and high blood pressure, the US researchers said. Heart experts said at-risk patients should be helped to manage stress. Emotional stress has long been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which affects the heart and blood vessels - but the way this happens has not been properly understood.

This study [DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31714-7] [DX], led by a team from Harvard Medical School, points to heightened activity in the amygdala - an area of the brain that processes emotions such as fear and anger - as helping to explain the link. The researchers suggest that the amygdala signals to the bone marrow to produce extra white blood cells, which in turn act on the arteries causing them to become inflamed. This can then cause heart attacks, angina and strokes.

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Blank writes:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jack_horner_shape_shifting_dinosaurs/transcript?language=en - Video Script / Subtitles

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Phoenix666 writes:

The New Jersey State Legislature is considering an act to make state government data freely available online. Enacting similar policies in government everywhere has long been a cherished goal of Open Data advocates. Having free and easy access to reliable data is a boon to software entrepreneurs and app creators.

The text of the Act begins:

1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey Open Data Initiative."

2. The Legislature finds and declares:

a. In recent years, the idea that certain data should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents, or other mechanisms of control, has become prevalent;

b. This concept, which is generally referred to as open data, applies to data generated by government departments and agencies, some of which may already be public and available electronically;

c. It is in the interest of this State to increase public awareness and access to data and information created by and available from State departments and agencies, enhance government transparency and accountability, encourage public engagement, and stimulate innovation with the development of new analyses or applications based on the unique data provided by the State;

d. A significant benefit of open data is that it can spur economic development, as it enables private–sector companies to build upon such data to produce innovative and creative items and services that benefit society;

e. The intent of this act is to require the State to conduct a multi-year, multi-phased open data initiative program;

f. The intention is not to impede or delay the ongoing efforts of State government to move data online, nor to limit or expand a person's ability to access a public record; and

g. This act would protect the State from any liability for making open data available to the public, except in the case of gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, or intentional misconduct.

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n1 writes:

Research on interbank networks and systemic importance is starting to recognise that the web of exposures linking banks' balance sheets is more complex than the single-layer-of-exposure approach suggests. We use data on exposures between large European banks, broken down by both maturity and instrument type, to characterise the main features of the multiplex (or multi-layered) structure of the network of large European banks. Banks that are well connected or important in one network, tend to also be well connected in other networks (i.e. the network features positively correlated multiplexity).

The different layers exhibit a high degree of similarity, stemming both from standard similarity analyses as well as a core-periphery analyses at the layer level. We propose measures of systemic importance that fit the case in which banks are connected through an arbitrary number of layers (be it by instrument, maturity or a combination of both). Such measures allow for a decomposition of the global systemic importance index for any bank into the contributions of each of the sub-networks, providing a potentially useful tool for banking regulators and supervisors in identifying tailored policy responses. We use the dataset of exposures between large European banks to illustrate that both the methodology and the specific level of network aggregation may matter both in the determination of interconnectedness and in the policy making process.

Source: Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

http://www.bis.org/publ/work603.pdf

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Phoenix666 writes:

The BBC is abandoning linear exclusivity as it goes for broke to make the iPlayer a global Netflix rival. The corporation says it will throw entire series on to the on-demand streaming service before the first episode in a series is even broadcast on terrestrial TV.

Director-General Tony Hall will call for the BBC to "reinvent public broadcasting for a new generation in order to compete against giants such as Netflix and Amazon" this morning.

Hall has set two targets: double the number of visits to iPlayer and quadruple the time a user spends on the iPlayer site by 2020.

Established broadcasters have faced increasing pressure from OTT providers in recent years. Netflix spent more on content (buying and licensing it) than the BBC or HBO last year. Netflix made "binge watching" series cheap and easy – previously you'd need to buy an expensive box set, and those usually sold to fans.

But for the BBC to follow suit and dump entire series on the internet at once means surrendering one of its key advantages: its ability to create artificial scarcity. Withholding episodes creates "event TV" – a common cultural experience – and results in increased attention. As Enders Analysis points out, live viewing has fallen 19 per cent since 2010 as time-shifted viewing making up about 40 per cent of the decline. "Linear remains vital," the consultancy warns.

Is "event TV" still a thing for non-sports programming?

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takyon writes:

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has hired Uber chief advisor and former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe to increase the LLC's political and policy influence:

If you want to cure all disease and educate everyone, you're going to need the government's help, even if you're as rich as Mark Zuckerberg. Today, he and his wife Priscilla's philanthropic vehicle the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced it's hired away Uber's chief advisor and former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe to lead its policy and advocacy team. Plouffe will remain on Uber's board.

Plouffe could help convince legislators to back or at least pave the way for CZI's programs. These include creating personalized educations systems so children are taught in the format they learn best, and its recent $3 billion investment to fight disease by supporting research collaboration through its "Biohub." The money comes from Chan and Zuckerberg pledging to donate 99 percent of Mark's Facebook shares, worth $45 billion at the time, toward improving life on earth.

Hiring Plouffe could also fan speculation that Zuckerberg wants to take a direct role in government some day. Last year, he pushed Facebook board members to allow him to retain control of the company even if he takes a leave of absence to work in government.

Also at NYT, The Verge, and USA Today:

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is also forming a public policy board that will be headed by Kenneth Mehlman, the head of global public affairs at private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts who managed President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign. The news was first reported by the New York Times.

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Phoenix666 writes:

Over the next four weeks, BBC News will be offering a snapshot of the day in the life of a city - looking at how technology is transforming our urban landscapes, now and in the future.

Their first snapshot? What it will be like to commute by jetpack.

We start as urban dwellers around the world begin the day - with the morning commute. In the future, that may mean hailing a jetpack.

"Jetpacks will be part of future cities," Peter Coker, vice-president of innovation at KuangChi Science, Martin Aircraft Company's major Chinese shareholder.

"I see it as being the Uber of the sky."

Martin Aircraft Company, based in New Zealand, already has a working prototype that can fly at 2,800ft (850m) at 45km/h (27mph) for 28 minutes.

And Mr Coker says commuters will be able to hail an unmanned jetpack via a smartphone app.

Futurism is always fun. How would you prefer to get to work, by jetpack, Hyperloop, or VR?

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-- OriginalOwner_ writes:

The The Center for American Progress reports

When applicants apply for a job with the New York State government, they will no longer have to worry about handing over a salary history.

As part of a slate of proposals in his State of the State address on [January 9], Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced he is issuing an executive order [PDF] that bans state entities from asking applicants for their salary histories or from evaluating candidates based on what they were paid in the past. Prospective employees can only be asked to provide the information after getting a job offer with compensation.

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Phoenix666 writes:

The egg-shaped flying river taxi is gaining support, as SeaBubbles seeks to close its third funding round in under a year and aims to firm up interest from potential customers, including the city of Paris and companies in the San Francisco Bay.

To build the first battery-powered bubble-shaped ships that hover a few inches above the water and transport as many as six people at a time, founders Alain Thebault and Anders Bringdal last month raised 3.45 million euros ($3.6 million) from French insurer Maif and venture-capital fund Partech Ventures. 

[...] The river taxis rely on reducing the amount of drag on the water, thanks to a similar technique to the one that propelled Thebault and Bringdal's record-setting Hydroptere sailboat in the air.

The water taxis are mini-hydrofoils, which work great when the water is calm.

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Phoenix666 writes:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, for example, has just called on the Long Island Power Authority to approve a 90 megawatt offshore wind project 30 miles southeast of Montauk (out of sight of the Long Island beachfront), and he's also proposing a commitment to an impressive 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. As reported previously, a separate 800 megawatt offshore wind plant is due to be developed 17 miles south of the Rockaway Peninsular, and Norwegian oil giant Statoil recently shifted its investments from tar sands in order to win the auction to lease it for development.

All of this and more will be part of Governor Cuomo's push for an Offshore Wind Master Plan, which is slated to be completed by 2030 at the latest. Of course, there's a large elephant in the room in terms of the famously wind-skeptic (hostile?) President Elect Donald Trump, but Governor Cuomo's announcement suggests that states will continue to push things forward even if the federal government doesn't.

New York should learn from the fight over the Cape Cod offshore wind farm and push coal-fired plants first, with the offshore windfarm as a compromise.

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takyon writes:

Samsung's vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, aka Jay Y. Lee, has become a suspect in a corruption probe linked to the South Korean President:

A South Korean special prosecutor's office will question Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee as a suspect in a widening influence-peddling scandal that may force President Park Geun-hye from office. Prosecutors have been looking into whether Samsung payments of about 30 billion won ($25 million) for a business and foundations backed by Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, were connected to a 2015 decision by the national pension fund to back a controversial merger of two group affiliates.

Park could become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to leave office early after parliament voted in December to impeach her over the corruption scandal, which has triggered big weekly rallies calling for her to step down. The impeachment must be upheld or overturned by the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, protests against President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached but has resisted stepping down, are heating up:

A Buddhist monk in South Korea has died after setting himself on fire in protest over a 2015 deal struck with Japan on wartime sex slaves. The monk, named as Venerable Jung-won, 64, staged the protest on Saturday at a rally against President Park Geun-hye. He died on Monday night at a hospital in Seoul due to multiple organ failures caused by his burns.

[...] In 2015, Ms Park reached a deal with Japan which saw it promise to pay into a fund for South Korean women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War Two. As part of the deal, the two countries agreed that the compensation and an apology would "finally and irreversibly" resolve the matter.

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takyon writes:

Hours after the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report claiming that online classifieds website Backpage "knowingly concealed evidence of criminality by systematically editing its adult ads", Backpage shut down the U.S. adult advertising section of its site:

The online classified advertising site Backpage.com abruptly shut its "adult" section on Monday, yielding to a campaign by state and federal government officials to close a service they contend promotes prostitution and human trafficking. The unexpected move came hours after a U.S. Senate subcommittee released a report accusing Backpage of actively editing posts on the site to remove evidence of child sex trafficking.

In announcing its decision, Backpage said it was the victim of government censorship. Backpage attorneys said executives would appear at a subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, but would not testify.

U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Claire McCaskill, however, said their subcommittee found Backpage had been far more complicit in sex trafficking than previously known. "Backpage's response wasn't to deny what we said. It was to shut down their site," they said in a statement. "That's not 'censorship' — it's validation of our findings."

On the same day, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from three sex trafficking victims accusing Backpage of facilitating the exploitation of children. The Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that said Backpage is shielded from liability by federal law since the site's classified ads are posted by users.

Also at Washington Post, NBC, and USA Today.

Previously: Backpage's Dallas Offices Raided, CEO Charged With "Pimping"
"Pimping" Charges Against Backpage Executives Dismissed
California Attorney General Pursues New Charges Against Backpage CEO

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