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bob_super writes:

Covered pretty much everywhere (front page of CNN/FOX/younameit).

With the main swing vote in the U.S. Supreme Court leaving, and a replacement nominated by President Trump, the right wing of the court should become clearly dominant, allowing Roe v. Wade opponents, and other right-wing causes, a new chance at victory.

takyon: SCOTUSblog has a round-up of coverage:

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement today, effective July 31, 2018. Amy Howe covered the news for this blog; her coverage first appeared at Howe on the Court. Other early coverage comes from Richard Wolf of USA Today, Michael D. Shear of The New York Times; Bill Mears of Fox News; Robert Barnes of The Washington Post; Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire.News; Nina Totenberg of NPR; Lawrence Hurley of Reuters; Greg Stohr of Bloomberg; and Pete Williams of NBC News. Analysis of Justice Kennedy's legacy comes from Noah Feldman of Bloomberg; Wolf of USA Today; Mears of Fox News; and Reuters staff. Coverage of the reaction from Congress and the President comes from Carl Hulse of The New York Times; Alex Pappas and Mears of Fox News; Seung Min Kim and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post; and Alex Seitz-Wald and Rebecca Shabad of NBC News. Patrick Gregory of Bloomberg has a piece looking at potential replacements for Kennedy.

Early commentary comes from Jill Lawrence for USA Today; Bill Blum in The Progressive; Emily Bazelon for The New York Times; Elizabeth Slattery for The Daily Signal; Garrett Epps for The Atlantic; Richard Hasen for Slate; Ian Millhiser of Think Progress; and Joshua Matz for The Washington Post. Another piece in the Post comes from Philip Bump, who focuses on control of the Senate. More commentary comes from Scott Lemieux for NBC News and Matt Ford for The New Republic. Andrew Cohen writes for TNR, and he also has a piece in Rolling Stone. Commentary from Vox comes from Dylan Matthews, Andrew Prokop and Matt Yglesias. Pieklo and Imani Gandy released an emergency podcast reacting to the news. Various law professors give their analysis for Stanford Law School Blog.

Anthony Kennedy was sworn in on February 18, 1988.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 632, 439 and 429 - Expanding the Low-Mid-tier

A month ago we saw Qualcomm release a new "upper mid-range" SoC with the announcement of the Snapdragon 710 – the emphasis was on the fact that this was a new market tier aiming slightly below the top-tier flagship chipsets. Today, we're seeing Qualcomm expand the traditional mid-tier and also what can be considered the low-end for smartphone devices. The Snapdragon 439 and 429 follow in the footsteps of the 435 and 425 and bring FinFET to the low-end; the Snapdragon 632 is more akin to the Snapdragon 652 as it's now the first time we see big cores brought down to the lower mid-tier successor to the Snapdragon 630.

The new systems on chips (SoCs) support dual rear cameras:

The octa-core 632 is unsurprisingly the headliner, and can support two 13-megapixel rear cameras for those all-important portrait and telephoto shots. It's up to 40 percent faster in raw computational power than the Snapdragon 626, and that means enough power for 4K video capture and "FHD+" resolution displays. Its cellular modem can handle LTE Advanced, too. The Adreno 506 graphics are only about 10 percent faster, but you're still looking at a chip that can handle at least some modern 3D games without flinching. And this being Qualcomm, AI processing plays a big role with support for neural network-assisted tasks like face unlock and object detection.

The octa-core Snapdragon 439 and quad-core 429, meanwhile, are focused more on stepping up the baseline quality for lower-cost devices. They make do with support for dual 8-megapixel cameras and won't handle 4K, but they should deliver up to 25 percent more CPU performance over their forebears (the 430 and 425) on top of the AI-related functions. The best bang for the buck comes with the 429 -- while the Adreno 505 graphics in the 439 are a respectable 20 percent faster, the Adreno 504 inside the 429 is a whopping 50 percent faster.

Finally, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Wear 2500, a smartwatch SoC... for kids.

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Fnord666

Second pilot ejected and survived, and the crash is under investigation.

On June 22, an A-29 Super Tucano participating in the US Air Force's Light Attack Experiment (OA-X) program crashed while flying over the Red Rio Bombing Range—part of the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. US Navy Lt. Christopher Carey Short, from Canandaigua, New York, died in the crash. Another pilot ejected and suffered only minor injuries.

The Super Tucano, a joint entry into the OA-X program by Brazil's Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corporation, is one of two aircraft designs being tested as part of the second phase of OA-X by pilots attached to the Air Force's 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base. The goal of the testing is to determine whether the aircraft matches the Air Force's needs for flying close air support and reconnaissance missions for combat and counterinsurgency in "uncontested environments" (that is, operational areas where the enemy lacks air defenses). Such a niche is currently occupied by the A-10 and other more advanced aircraft.

The flight over the Red Rio range was one of multiple scenario test missions, including close air support, combat search and rescue, and "armed overwatch" (combat reconnaissance). Both the A-29 and the other aircraft being flown in the OA-X tests—the Textron Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine—are turboprop aircraft based on similar versions of Pratt & Whitney's PT6A-68 engine.

[...] The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and no preliminary findings have been released. In a statement, an Embraer spokesperson said, "The SNC/Embraer team is fully cooperating with the USAF in its investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available."

Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/06/air-force-light-attack-test-aircraft-crashes-on-bomb-range-killing-pilot/

Related: Air Force Tests Two Turboprops as Potential A-10 "Replacements"

Original Submission

DeathMonkey writes:

North Korea has continued to upgrade its only known nuclear reactor used to fuel its weapons program, satellite imagery has shown, despite ongoing negotiations with the US and a pledge to denuclearise.

Infrastructure improvements at the Yongbyon nuclear plant are "continuing at a rapid pace", according to an analysis by monitoring group 38 North of commercial satellite images taken on 21 June.

The cooling system for the plutonium production reactor has been modified and at least two new non-industrial buildings have been built on the site, possibly for use by visiting officials. A new engineering office building has been completed and construction has continued on support facilities throughout the complex, according to a blog post written by Frank V Pabian, Joseph S Bermudez Jr and Jack Liu.

"Infrastructure improvements continue at Yongbyon," Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, wrote on Twitter. "Underscores reason why an actual deal is necessary, not just a statement of lofty goals."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/27/north-korea-nuclear-reactor-upgrades-summit-pledges

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Fnord666

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) wants to know if cell-site simulators, also known as Stingrays, have the potential to interfere with mobile communications, and he's asked the FCC to share any research it has done into the matter. In a letter sent to Chairman Ajit Pai today, Wyden asked what steps the agency had taken to ensure the devices -- which track mobile devices by mimicking cell towers -- don't interfere with the communications of targeted and non-targeted devices or calls to 911, specifically. "The FCC has an obligation to ensure that surveillance technology which it certifies does not interfere with emergency services or the mobile communications of innocent Americans who are in the same neighborhood where law enforcement is using a cell-site simulator," he wrote.

Wyden asks for information about any testing conducted by or required by the FCC regarding the disruption of communications and if no tests have been performed, he wants to know why. Along with 911 call interference, he also asks about the potential disruption of wireless internet access, effects on the battery life of mobile devices as well as interference with Real Time Texting devices, hearing aids, cochlear implants and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security informed Wyden that it found what appeared to be Stingrays in Washington DC, though the agency failed to say how many they found evidence of, who might be operating them or why. In his letter to Pai, Wyden said that DHS also told him that it doesn't conduct any tests of the cell-site simulators it uses, nor does it fund outside testing of communication interference. He added that the Department of Justice refused to provide any publicly accessible information on the matter.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/26/senator-fcc-stingray-interfere-911-calls/

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Fnord666

In a first, the US has used a nationwide dark web bust to arrest more than 35 black market dealers.

[...] A slew of agencies (the Department of Justice, Homeland Security Investigations, the Secret Service, the DEA and the Postal Inspection Service) have announced the first-ever national-level undercover bust of dark web outfits selling drugs, weapons and other contraband. HSI agents pretended to be money launderers on multiple sites in an operation that resulted in arrests for "more than" 35 vendors and seizures worth $23.6 million.

Among the seizures were opioids, over 100 guns (including a grenade launcher), $3.6 million in gold and cash, and 2,000 bitcoins. Law enforcement also grabbed bitcoin mining devices and cars bought using the ill-gotten income. Officials didn't name all the those facing charges, but examples ranged in age from 21 to 34 and included multiple people in New York and California.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/26/undercover-dark-web-bust-leads-to-35-arrests/

Original Submission

"exec" writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Back in 1905, the Colorado River, swollen with heavy rainfall and snowmelt, surged into a dry lake bed along California's San Andreas Fault and formed the Salton Sea. The flood waters submerged most of the small town of Salton, along with nearby tribal lands. The inundation also covered a key, seismically active stretch of the San Andreas Fault's southern tip in silt, hiding evidence of its potential volatility.

Utah State University geologist Susanne Jänecke began hypothesizing the location and geometry of the sediment-obscured fault zone more than a decade ago. After securing funding from the Southern California Earthquake Center in 2011, she, along with USU graduate student Dan Markowski and colleagues, embarked on the painstaking task of documenting the uplifted, highly folded and faulted area with geologic mapping and analysis.

The geologists' persistence revealed a nearly 15.5-mile-long, sheared zone with two, nearly parallel master faults and hundreds of smaller, rung-like cross faults. Dubbed the "Durmid Ladder" by the team, the well-organized structure could be the site of the region's next major earthquake. Jänecke, Markowski, USU colleague Jim Evans, Patricia Persaud of Louisiana State University and Miles Kenney of California's Kenney GeoScience, reported findings in the June 19, 2018, online issue of Lithosphere, a publication of the Geological Society of America.

The discovery of the Durmid Ladder reveals the southern tip of the San Andreas Fault changes fairly gradually into the ladder-like Brawley Seismic zone. The structure trends northwest, extending from the well-known main trace of the San Andreas Fault along the Salton Sea's northeastern shore, to the newly identified East Shoreline Fault Zone on the San Andreas' opposite edge.

"We now have critical evidence about the possible nucleation site of the next major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault," says Jänecke, professor in USU's Department of Geology. "That possible nucleation site was thought to be a small area near Bombay Beach, California, but our work suggests there may be an additional, longer 'fuse' south of the Durmid Ladder within the 37-mile-long Brawley Seismic zone."

Future earthquakes in that zone or near the San Andreas Fault could potentially trigger a cascade of earthquakes leading to the overdue major quake scientists expect along the southern San Andreas fault zone, she says.

-- submitted from IRC

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Microsoft improves facial recognition across skin tones, gender

Facial recognition is everywhere. The technology is used in China to make kids pay attention and in California to order burgers. You can of course use your face to unlock your iPhone, but the tech also has the potential to screen passengers at US airports and recognize criminals. These last two uses are problematic, as the tech isn't ready to handle darker skin tones and genders. Microsoft hopes to help fix this problem with improved facial recognition technology the company claims has reduced error rates for men and women with darker skin by 20 percent.

According to Microsoft, commercially-available software performs best on males with lighter skin and the worst on females with darker skin. The new software system the company has been testing was able to reduce error rates by nine times for all women and significantly improve accuracy across all demographics.

Also at The Verge and TechCrunch.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

LG says screw everything, we're doing five cameras for the V40

It's tough to stand out in the premium smartphone world, but LG may have a solution for its upcoming V40 flagship. There's a rumor from Android Police that says the company is throwing caution to the wind and putting five cameras on its new phone, a device that will surely succeed where last year's V30's (and its V35 variant's) paltry three cameras did not.

According to Android Police's source, the V40 will feature three cameras on the back of the device. It's similar to the Huawei P20 Pro, which was the first major smartphone to offer a triple-camera system. The V40 will also feature dual cameras on the front of the device (like the HTC U12 Plus), in what's rumored be a stereo system to follow for 3D face mapping and unlocking. While both the dual-front camera and triple-rear camera configurations aren't new, the five-camera system would the first time we've seen both on a single device. If the rumor is correct, this would be the most cameras on a smartphone.

Original Submission

martyb writes:

This may be old hat for some here, but I found this article at The New York Times to be eminently readable and informative. May prove useful to forward to a less than tech savvy relative or friend. Here's an excerpt:

You know your laptop is filthy. You can see the dirt and grime on your keyboard. You can see that circle of skin oils on the middle of the trackpad. So when's the last time you cleaned it?

[...] Gather Your Supplies

"You don't need much to clean a computer," said Jolie Kerr, New York Times contributor, cleaning expert and host of the podcast "Ask a Clean Person." "I use exactly four things to keep my laptop clean: Rubbing alcohol, microfiber cloths, cotton swabs and canned air." Ninety percent or higher isopropyl alcohol is ideal, since it won't damage the internal components. And if you have some particularly tough grime or oil, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or other melamine sponge) can also work wonders, though it should be a last resort since it's abrasive.

Don't bother with specialty cleaners you see at big box electronics stores — they'll work fine, but they're probably overpriced compared with what you have at home. "Some people like having them, or they feel better about using an Officially Sanctioned Product," Ms. Kerr said. "That is fine! They also make nice add-on gifts for people who are getting a new computer/tablet/phone for a special occasion." But don't feel like you need them.

The article includes these subsequent steps: "Start With the Inside", "Wipe Down the Outside", and "Get Rid of Nasty Smells".

I once used a vacuum cleaner with a bristle wand to suck dust out of a laptop keyboard. It worked great until one of the key caps came off. I'm a bit hesitant to give it a repeat attempt on my current laptop. Any suggestions?

What has your experience been with computer cleaning? What do you recommend [not] doing?

Original Submission

Molson Coors considers getting into marijuana business in Canada

Company looking to invest, collaborate on cannabis-infused beverages

Denver-based Molson Coors Brewing Co. is weighing whether to expand into the sector with Canada poised to legalize the drug for recreational use this October. The brewer is said to have held talks with several Canadian-based marijuana companies to invest and collaborate in cannabis-infused beverages in an attempt to halt declining beer sales, according to a Friday report from BNN Bloomberg, citing several unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Xbox One mouse-and-keyboard support could be rolling out soon

It has been just over two years now since Microsoft's Phil Spencer promised that mouse-and-keyboard support for the Xbox One was "not years away, it's more like months away." Though that's a promise Microsoft has echoed a few times in the years since, thus far Minecraft is the only game on the platform with official support for the PC player's controller of choice.

Over the weekend, though, Windows Central got its hands on a purported internal Microsoft presentation from earlier in the year detailing plans for the impending rollout of robust mouse-and-keyboard support for the Xbox One.

The developer-focused presentation, which also integrates lessons from Razer's living room-focused lapboard peripheral, suggested an April API rollout to developers ahead of a planned fall announcement of support for players.

[...] As reported, though, the presentation suggests that any Windows-compatible, non-Bluetooth USB mouse and keyboard (including ones that use USB wireless dongles) will soon be fully compatible with the Xbox One.

So it's an x86 gaming PC now. Except without the VR.

Also at The Verge and TechCrunch.

Original Submission

black6host writes:

The UK’s biggest wholesaler has begun rationing beer, cider and soft drinks as rising demand amid the heatwave and England’s World Cup campaign comes up against a shortage of food-grade carbon dioxide gas (CO2) which is hitting supplies.

Booker, which supplies thousands of convenience stores including the Londis, Budgens and Premier chains, as well as restaurant chains including Wagamama and Carluccio’s, is limiting beer and soft drinks purchases to 10 cases per customer and cider to five cases. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/26/beer-rationed-as-uks-food-grade-carbon-dioxide-runs-low

This is a serious problem as it reads as if they're limiting stores and restaurants. Not individuals though most would not need 10 cases. Unless there was a run on beer :)

Somehow, can't we fix climate change and the beer problem at the same time?

Original Submission

takyon writes:

It turns out that the $159 earbuds that Apple was selling weren't actually "high-end":

Apple Inc. is about to pump up the volume on its audio-device strategy, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod and studio-quality over-ear headphones for as early as next year, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Cupertino, California-based company is working on new AirPods with noise-cancellation and water resistance, the people said. Apple is trying to increase the range that AirPods can work away from an iPhone or iPad, one of the people said. You won't be swimming in them though: The water resistance is mainly to protect against rain and perspiration, the people said.

Slated for 2019, the earbuds will likely cost more than the existing $159 pair, and that could push Apple to segment the product line like it does with iPhones, one of the people said. Apple is also working on a wireless charging case that's compatible with the upcoming AirPower charger.

Related: "Finder for Airpods" Not Allowed in Apple's Walled Garden

See also: Google's Pixel Buds are the company's first wireless headphones

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

Researchers at Yale University have found that the more allies a country has, the less power it has. The authors say the findings have potential implications for current events.

The scientists published their results in the July issue of IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica (JAS), a joint publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the Chinese Association of Automation (CAA).

The scientists developed a simple, yet sophisticated, computer game to examine relationships between countries and the resulting strategic environments."We have developed a power allocation game to study countries' strategic interactions in a complex environment," said Yuke Li from Yale University. Dr. Li and Prof. A. Stephen Morse, the Dudley Professor of distributed control and adaptive control in electrical engineering at Yale University, used the game to ask if having more allies in a networked, strategic environment will always be beneficial to a country in terms of power allocation outcomes. "The answer is, surprisingly, no. This is especially so for a country without sufficient power to mediate between the conflicts among its potential allies."

https://phys.org/news/2018-06-allies-decrease-country-power.html

[Abstract]: The power allocation game on a network: a paradox

At the rate at which the current POTUS is alienating allies, the USA will become even more powerful, as per the above article.

Original Submission

cafebabe writes:

As reported in the Evening Standard, the Bank of International Settlements published an annual report with four criteria to continue economic growth. However, it was rather overshadowed by a statement in the appendix (reported here, here, here, here, here and elsewhere) where cryptographic currency was described as a "combination of a bubble, a Ponzi scheme and an environmental disaster".

I agree and so does a Canadian electricity company.

Original Submission