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Phoenix666 writes:

Phys.org:

Imagine cities equipped with flexible factories using local supply chains and locally sourced materials. These fabrication sites use waste materials, disassembled components and other sources to manufacture products digitally and customised for citizens. From prosthetic limbs to plastic waste used to create seating in city parks, to yes, a fridge, there are an increasing number of products being manufactured by local entrepreneurs.

Industrial manufacturing has begun this transition from degenerative to regenerative design (these are processes that restore and renew sources of energy and materials), also known as the circular economy. Waste, for example, is recirculated and fabricated to meet new needs such as energy production.

The fabrication city concept meets social, economic, governance and sustainable development goals. This is a tremendous incentive for cities to engage and establish new urban systems that are regenerative and restorative by design. The Fab City Global Initiative, begun in 2016, includes 27 participating municipalities and governments, among them Detroit, Amsterdam, Bhutan, Shenzhen, Ekurhuleni, Santiago de Chile, Boston and Paris.

In my day we called the "Circular Economy" "Garage Sale."

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Phoenix666 writes:

Phys.org:

The sightlines at Wrigley Field, the panorama from Navy Pier, the vantage points at the Adler Planetarium observatory—all structures built more than 100 years ago—are at least 4 inches lower now.

In the northern United States and Canada, areas that once were depressed under the tremendous weight of a massive ice sheet are springing back up while others are sinking. The Chicago area and parts of southern Lake Michigan, where glaciers disappeared 10,000 years ago, are sinking about 4 to 8 inches each century.

One or 2 millimeters a year might not seem like a lot, but "over a decade that's a centimeter. Over 50 years, now, you're talking several inches," said Daniel Roman, chief geodesist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "It's a slow process, but it's a persistent one."

While Chicago's dipping is gradual, this dynamic could eventually redefine flood plains and work against household sewer pipes that slope downward to the sewer main.

The subsidance could be after-effects of the disappearance of the ice sheet that once covered the area, or because the city is the location of the Hellmouth.

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takyon writes:

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reportedly exploring bankruptcy

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is exploring filing for bankruptcy to address potentially significant liabilities from thousands of lawsuits alleging the drug manufacturer contributed to the deadly opioid crisis sweeping the United States, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

The deliberations show how Purdue and its wealthy owners, the Sackler family, are under pressure to respond to mounting litigation accusing the pharmaceutical company of misleading doctors and patients about risks associated with prolonged use of its prescription opioids.

Purdue denies the allegations, arguing that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved labels for its opioids carried warnings about the risk of abuse and misuse associated with the drugs.

Filing for Chapter 11 protection would halt the lawsuits and allow the drug maker to negotiate legal claims with plaintiffs under the supervision of a U.S. bankruptcy judge, the sources said.

No "Big Tobacco" moment for Purdue Pharma. Cut and run.

Previously: City of Everett, Washington Sues OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma
OxyContin's 12-Hour Problem
South Carolina Sues OxyContin Maker Purdue
Tens or Hundreds of Billions of Dollars Needed to Combat Opioid Crisis?
Purdue Pharma to Cut Sales Force, Stop Marketing Opioids to Doctors
Colorado Attorney General Sues Purdue Pharma

Related: The Dutch Supply Heroin Addicts With Dope and Get Better Results Than USA
U.S. Opioid Deaths May be Plateauing

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Phoenix666 writes:

Phys.org:

A team of researchers led by Dr. Nazmul Karim and Prof Sir Kostya Novoselov at The University of Manchester have developed a method to produce scalable graphene-based yarn.

Multi-functional wearable e-textiles have been a focus of much attention due to their great potential for healthcare, sportswear, fitness and aerospace applications.

Graphene has been considered a potentially good material for these types of applications due to its high conductivity, and flexibility. Every atom in graphene is exposed to its environment allowing it to sense changes in its surroundings, making it an ideal material for sensors.

Smart wearable textiles have experienced a renaissance in recent years through the innovation and miniaturisation and wireless revolution.

What happens if a short develops in your underwear, though?

Shaping the Assembly of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles (DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b07783) (DX)

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canopic jug writes:

The state of Kerala, India, has opened Swatantra, the largest government FOSS center in the world. Swatantra falls under the auspices of Kerala's International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS). In 2001, Kerala adopted a formal, pro-FOSS technology policy.

'Swatantra', an initiative of International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS), will house the FOSS incubation centre and training space. It is aimed at enhancing the government's agenda of promoting democratic access to information with the objective of sustainable economic development.

Earlier on SN:
Government of Indian State Fully Adopts FOSS in Schools; Saves $45M (2017)
Government of India Adopts FOSS Preferred Policy (2015)

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

A security researcher from Google's Project Zero has discovered that even though macOS' kernel, XNU, allows copy-on-write (COW) behavior in some cases, it is essential that any copied memory is not available for modifications from the source process. While COW is a resource-management technique that is not inherently flawed, it appears that Apple's implementation of it certainly is.

[...] This copy-on-write behavior works not only with anonymous memory, but also with file mappings. This means that, after the destination process has started reading from the transferred memory area, memory pressure can cause the pages holding the transferred memory to be evicted from the page cache. Later, when the evicted pages are needed again, they can be reloaded from the backing filesystem.

This means that if an attacker can mutate an on-disk file without informing the virtual management subsystem, this is a security bug. MacOS permits normal users to mount filesystem images. When a mounted filesystem image is mutated directly (e.g. by calling pwrite() on the filesystem image), this information is not propagated into the mounted filesystem.

[...] You can also view the proof-of-concept code that demonstrates the problem on the dedicated webpage here.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts. A writer says it's a workers' rights issue | CBC Radio

You may not give a second thought to the tunes spinning on a constant loop at your favourite café or coffee shop, but one writer and podcaster who had to listen to repetitive music for years while working in bars and restaurants argues it's a serious workers' rights issue.

"[It's] the same system that's used to ... flood people out of, you know, the Branch Davidian in Waco or was used on terror suspects in Guantanamo — they use the repetition of music," Adam Johnson told The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti.

"I'm not suggesting that working at Applebee's is the same as being at Guantanamo, but the principle's the same."

Earlier this year, irritated Starbucks employees took to Reddit to rage about how they had to listen to the same songs from the Broadway hit musical Hamilton on repeat while on the job. One user wrote that if they heard a Hamilton song one more time, "I'm getting a ladder and ripping out all of our speakers from the ceiling."

Johnson argues it wouldn't take years of research to understand that "yes, playing the same music over and over again has a deleterious effect on one's mental well-being."

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janrinok writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story at The Scientist:

The paper
I. Turgeman-Grott et al., “Pervasive acquisition of CRISPR memory driven by inter-species mating of archaea can limit gene transfer and influence speciation,” Nat Microbiol, 4:177–86, 2019.

Naturally occurring CRISPR-Cas systems in bacteria and archaea carry DNA memories of invasions by viruses or plasmids. These DNA sequences, called spacers, instruct Cas proteins to destroy the intruders should they enter the cell again. Curiously, several species of halophilic, or salt-loving, archaea isolated from water near Israel’s Mediterranean coast possess spacers matching the DNA of closely related species, report Tel Aviv University’s Uri Gophna and colleagues.

Archaea can mate by latching together with cytoplasmic bridges and exposing their genomes to each other to be recombined. To test whether archaea pick up spacers during mating, the researchers let two species of halophilic archaea mingle for 24 hours. Chromosomal markers allowed the team to identify archaeal spawn of two different parent species. Indeed, members of both species acquired spacers from each other during mating. “I was surprised to see that mating would really induce acquisition of spacers so broadly,” says Gophna. In further experiments, the team found that mating efficiency fell when archaea had spacers matching their would-be partner of the other species, suggesting the spacers thwart such pairings.

[...] Gophna’s team observed another oddity—that in the genetic scramble of interspecies mating, archaea sometimes acquired spacers that instruct their CRISPR systems to pull out chunks of their own DNA, encoding mostly nonessential functions. Gophna sees this “semi-random process” as a way that archaea purge their genome of possibly unhelpful DNA integrated long ago.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for chromas

Toyota, Carmera will create HD maps for self-driving cars using autobrake cameras

High-definition mapping is but one part of the very large equation being worked through as the auto industry prepares for autonomy. But creating those kinds of maps for every road in the world, as one might expect, takes a lot of work. Thankfully, Toyota and Carmera think they have a solution.

Toyota Research Institute and Carmera, a company focused on HD mapping, announced on Thursday that the two are developing a proof of concept of TRI's Automated Mapping Platform, which takes data from participating cars and turns that into HD maps that could be used to help autonomous vehicles navigate.

[...] The program will start in downtown Tokyo. TRI notes in its press release that HD mapping has covered less than 1 percent of worldwide roads to date, most of which are highways. Urban and local roads are likely to see large shares of AVs in the future, so both companies believe this can speed up the whole mapping process. Of course, even if the proof of concept proves viable, it would take a lot of effort to get automakers on board with the idea -- after all, even if the data is anonymized, drivers and OEMs alike may not enjoy the idea of a camera beaming what's in front of your car to some random server farm across the globe.

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janrinok writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

BT has been ticked off for running a campaign claiming to have the UK's "most powerful" broadband, almost two years after it was hauled before the ad industry watchdog over the same issue.

Back in June 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rapped the former state monopoly on the knuckles for "misleading" and "inaccurate" boasts that its Smart Hub provided a "stronger signal" than all of its competitors. BT was clearly undeterred by the ASA.

Fast-forward to the here and now and the gummy-mouthed watchdog received a complaint from Virgin Media – itself no stranger to criticism about its own campaigns – about two BT promos: one for consumers and one for businesses.

The first, aimed at households, included the claim "UK's most powerful Wi-Fi vs major broadband providers" as part of the Unlimited Infinity bundle. The second made the same claim but was aimed at businesses via the BT Business Smart Hub.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Lyft files for IPO, says it 'represents freedom at your fingertips'

Lyft is the first US ride-hailing company to be heading to the stock market.

Filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday for its initial public offering, Lyft said it plans to "revolutionize transportation" and be the "defining brand of our generation."

It's unclear what the pricing of Lyft's shares will be when it finally does go public. But it's estimated the company will come in at a valuation of as much as $25 billion. Listing on the Nasdaq and using the ticker symbol LYFT, the IPO could arrive as soon as April.

"We believe that our brand represents freedom at your fingertips: freedom from the stresses of car ownership and freedom to do and see more," Lyft wrote in the filing. "We believe that cities should be built for people, not cars."

The move puts Lyft ahead of its rival Uber in the race to Wall Street. Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has publicly said the company is focusing on going public in the second half of 2019, but it's looking like that timeline may be flexible. Uber submitted paperwork to the SEC for an IPO in early December. 

While Uber and Lyft offer the same service, hailing a ride with a smartphone app, it's expected each company will point potential investors to different aspects of its business. Uber will reportedly showcase itself as a global company with diverse features such as food delivery and flying cars. Lyft, much smaller, with services only in the US and Canada, is focusing on being a stable company that hasn't experienced the same kind of turmoil as Uber.

"Unsurprisingly, Lyft advocates that its key success factors include founder leadership, culture and values, and a singular focus on transportation," Rohit Kulkarni, senior vice president of research for investment firm Forge. "Arguably, Lyft is taking a jab at Uber's miseries and general lack of exclusive focus on ride-sharing over the past couple of years."

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takyon writes:

Crew Dragon successfully conducts debut docking with the ISS

Following a successful launch early Saturday morning, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has successfully conducted a rendezvous and docking to the International Space Station for the first time. Docking was ahead of schedule at 5:51 AM EST (10:51 UTC) on Sunday, March 3.

[...] Dragon 2 was the first SpaceX vehicle to attempt an autonomous docking in orbit. Dragon 1, which has been flying cargo resupply missions to the ISS since 2012, only maneuvered close enough to be grappled by the station's robotic arm, which then moved the spacecraft into position to be berthed. Dragon 2, on the other hand, will not utilize the robotic arm, but rather use the onboard Draco thrusters to dock with the station. During a crewed mission, astronauts aboard the spacecraft will have the capability to intervene and fly the vehicle manually, if needed.

Crew Dragon docked to the forward port of the space station's Harmony module, which has been fitted with an International Docking Adaptor (IDA). The IDA was launched aboard Dragon 1 on the SpaceX CRS-9 mission. Crew currently aboard the ISS completed a checkout of the docking port in advance of Saturday's launch, and verified the docking system was "go" for docking.

[...] A single action item concerning Dragon's approach to the station was identified during the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) conducted before launch. A concern over Dragon's docking abort procedures was raised by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, one of NASA's international partners in the ISS program. While a scenario in which this issue would arise is unlikely, NASA and Roscosmos agreed to additional procedures to follow should Dragon encounter a problem during the rendezvous. No issues were suffered during the test objectives.

Previously: SpaceX Conducts Static Fire Test, Unmanned Crew Dragon Test Expected No Earlier Than February 23
SpaceX, Boeing (and NASA) Push Back 1st Test Launches of Private Spaceships
SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Gets NASA Thumbs-Up for March Test Flight
SpaceX Set to Launch Critical Dragon Demonstration Mission Tonight (Mar. 2 @ 07:49 UTC; 2:49 AM EST)

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janrinok writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Microcontrollers are wonderfully useful things, but programming them can be a little daunting if you’re used to the simplicity of compiling for regular PCs. Over time though, this has become easier. Communities have strayed away from assembly code and created higher-level languages such as Micropython, to allow these devices to be programmed in a more accessible manner. Unfortunately, Micropython has historically lacked a decent high-level GUI library. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case, with [amirgon] porting LittlevGL to the platform.

Putting a GUI into a project with a screen seems simple, until one actually gets down to brass tacks. A simple button can consist of a background color, text, and a symbol – and that’s not even considering the use of shading or other visual effects. Having a library to handle the grunt work can massively cut down development time.

[...] There are other approaches to this problem, too – with MyOpenLab being a particularly versatile example.

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martyb writes:

Pac-Man: The Untold Story of How We Really Played The Game:

Released in America in October 1980 yet arriving in arcades closer to late November, Pac-Man rolled in like a guest at the wrong address. Since America was right in the middle of “the shooter craze”, when the competitive gaming scene was focused exclusively on mastering difficult multi-buttoned games, Pac-Man’s debut quite literally looked like a birthday party arriving on the front lines of World War III. Aesthetically, it didn’t fit in. Although some people migrated to it quickly, the press paid it little attention until full “Pac-Mania” finally hit in the Summer of 1981, its shift from a fad to a full-blown craze delayed by a historically brutal sub-arctic winter in many parts of America which kept millions of grade school gamers out of the arcades until things warmed up.

[...] If it’s been a while since you played Pac-Man on an original arcade game cabinet, let me refresh your memory:  Put in your quarter, hit the one-player button and grab the joystick. All you have to do is move Pac-Man through a series of tight cornered mazes, trying to eat all the dots and fruit on screen while also trying to out-maneuver a group of ghosts who will kill you as soon as they touch you. If you eat one of the energizer dots, though, you’ll have a short period of gameplay where the ghosts slow down and stop chasing you so you can eat the ghosts and pick up extra points. But something else happens, something I’ve never seen anyone ever mention in any article or video before.  It’s a physical response and it always occurs by the time the player reaches the second screen…

Pac-Man is more of a driving game than a maze game. As you’re playing, you’re jamming that joystick left  and right, up and down, movements that shifts your right shoulder forward and back, rocking your body side to side. When the going gets tough, and the ghosts start closing in, all of this rocking motion compels you to lean into the game and, whether you realize you’re doing it or not, you’re going to grab onto the game.  You actually need to get a grip…on something. You’re either going to lean hard against your left palm as it rests on the control panel which isn’t comfortable for very long or, like most people, you’re going to grab the side of the game and hold on tight.  You have to or you’ll lose your balance. You can’t take the sharp corners smoothly and quickly without doing this, ether. You need the extra stabilization to move Pac-Man around the corners accurately.

It's one of those things that I never thought of before, but seeing it pointed out, it seems obvious in retrospect. (The linked story has a plethora of pics showing the left-hand death grip. Get a load of the fashions back then, too.) I wonder how many other "obvious" things happen each day that I also fail to notice. Also, I rarely got past the second screen; how well could YOU play?

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mrpg writes:

Six of the eight border IT systems viewed as critical for a no-deal Brexit are at risk of failure, compounded by their reliance on each other and the fact delivery partners aren't ready.

[...] The report, prepared before Prime Minister Theresa May said she would allow Parliament to vote on a possible delay, treats 29 March 2019 as Brexit day – but it is clear some of the issues won't be resolved by a delay of just weeks.

The NAO said that six of the eight IT systems ranked as most critical for no deal by the cross-government Border Delivery Group are "at risk of not being delivered to time and to acceptable quality".

These include Defra's Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) and Automatic Licence Verification System (ALVS), both of which have their IT components listed as amber-red, and HMRC's CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight), which is ranked as amber.

Source: Three-quarters of crucial border IT systems at risk of failure? Bah, it's not like Brexit is *looks at watch* err... next[*] month

[*] Linked story was dated 2019-02-28, so it's this month. --Ed.

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