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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

The detailed manual used by U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to land on the moon in 1969 is going up for auction in July and could fetch up to $9 million, New York auctioneers Christie's said on Wednesday.

The 44-page ring-bound Apollo 11 lunar module timeline book details every procedure that was needed to undock, land and rendezvous the Eagle with its Columbia command module when Armstrong and Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.

"These are step-by-step instructions that cover the entire portion of the Eagle flight. It is a series of instructions on everything from 'don your helmets' to 'check your power system,'" Christina Geiger, head of books and manuscripts at Christie's, told Reuters.

Along with technical data, the book, which was carried aboard the Eagle, contains drawings and almost 150 check marks and annotations written in real time by Armstrong and Aldrin.

Since there was no audio or video recording of what happened in the cockpit of the Eagle, the manual is regarded as a unique witness to space history. It also marks the first writing by a human being on another celestial body.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-auction/first-moon-landing-manual-could-fetch-9-million-at-auction-idUSKCN1S749H

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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for mrpg

A small fish somehow evolved resistance to the heavily polluted water of the Houston Ship Channel by mysteriously acquiring genes from another fish from thousands of miles away, according to a new paper.

The researchers captured killifish from 12 increasingly polluted sites along the Houston Shop[sic] Channel and in Galveston Bay. They had the fish spawn in a laboratory and tested how the embryos fared against a pollutant called polychlorinated biphenyl. Fish from the most polluted sites could withstand concentrations 1,000 times higher than normally harmful levels, according to the paper published in Science.

But the incredible realization of how this fish evolved its pollution resistance came from genetic testing. A pair [of] genes from the pollutant-resistant Gulf killifish, including a segment with deleted DNA that seemed to account for the resistance, appeared to come directly from another species, the Atlantic killifish. The researchers estimated that this little bit of genetic material entered the Gulf killifish's gene pool no more than 34 generations ago, after a Gulf killifish hybridized with an Atlantic killifish.

Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish

Source: https://gizmodo.com/this-fish-has-evolved-to-thrive-in-intensely-polluted-w-1834473178

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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

Men are "scientific," women are "lovely" and underrepresented minorites are "pleasant" and "nice." If those sound like stereotypes, they are. But they're also words commonly used to evaluate medical students, a study finds.

Analysis of nearly 88,000 evaluations of third-year medical students written from 2006 to 2015 revealed evidence of implicit bias. White women and underrepresented minority groups were more often described by words about their personalities, while men were evaluated with more words describing their competancy.

The results, published online April 16 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, give "a good idea of what kind of words are being used," says Carol Isaac, an education researcher at Mercer University in Atlanta not involved in the study.

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/medical-student-evaluations-skewed-race-gender-biases

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takyon writes:

Denver's Initiative 301 would decriminalize the use and possession of mushrooms containing the psychedelic compound psilocybin by making shrooms Denver's "lowest law enforcement priority". The vote is on Tuesday, May 7, alongside general elections for mayor, city auditor, city clerk and recorder, and all 13 city council seats. The initiative is supported by Decriminalize Denver, the Denver Green Party, and the Libertarian Party of Colorado. Opponents include the Centennial Institute, a conservative think tank from Colorado Christian University.

Will Denver Vote to Decriminalize Magic Mushrooms?

In 2005, Denver residents voted to become the first major U.S. city to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Two years later, they voted to decriminalize cannabis entirely. For the city's elections this spring, they're being asked if they want to do the same thing for psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms.

If passed, Initiative 301 would decriminalize the possession and use of a drug that is illegal in all states and at the federal level. No matter the result, it marks the first time in United States history that the legal status of psilocybin has been challenged, and it's putting Denver once again at the center of a debate on drug policy.

[...] State laws would remain unchanged, meaning state prosecutors could continue to bring psilocybin cases to court in Denver. While this type of decriminalization law may reduce drug arrests, drug policy experts consider it more of a symbolic gesture that could precede full legalization, much as cannabis laws did in the mid-2000s.

That fact hasn't been lost in Denver's debate over the issue. Opponents say decriminalization of psilocybin could eventually lead to full legalization, putting Denver—a city already known for its embrace of recreational marijuana—down the path toward becoming a drug haven.

takyon writes:

Former Google engineer reveals the secret YouTube plot to kill Internet Explorer 6

Nearly 10 years ago, YouTube started displaying a banner to Internet Explorer 6 users, warning that support for Microsoft's browser would be "phasing out" soon. It was a message that appeared on all YouTube pages, at a time when IE6 users represented around 18 percent of all YouTube traffic. Frustrated by supporting the aging browser, a group of YouTube engineers had hatched a plan to kill Internet Explorer 6.

"We began collectively fantasizing about how we could exact our revenge on IE6," reveals Chris Zacharias, a former Google and YouTube engineer. "The plan was very simple. We would put a small banner above the video player that would only show up for IE6 users." A group of engineers implemented this banner, knowing that most YouTube employees using the company's staging environment wouldn't even see it. At the time, Google had acquired YouTube a few years prior to the IE6 banner and the video sharing site hadn't really fully adapted to Google's infrastructure and policies.

YouTube engineers had created a special set of permissions called "OldTuber," so they could bypass Google's code enforcement policies and make changes directly to the YouTube codebase with limited code reviews. Zacharias and some other engineers were granted OldTuber permissions, allowing them to put the banner in place with very little oversight. "We saw an opportunity in front of us to permanently cripple IE6 that we might never get again," admits Zacharias.

[...] YouTube engineering management eventually realized what had happened, but it was too late and they "begrudgingly arrived at the conclusion that the ends had justified the means." The rebel YouTube engineers succeeded with their secret plan to kill Internet Explorer 6, and by April 2012 IE6 usage had dropped below one percent in the US. Even Microsoft was celebrating IE6's death.

Related: Is Google Using an "Embrace, Extend..." Strategy?
Google Denies Altering YouTube Code to Break Microsoft Edge

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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Fnord666_

Police from around the world shut down the biggest active black market on the dark web this month, according to announcements from law enforcement agencies in the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands released on Friday.

Wall Street Market, as the black market site was known, was the target of a 1.5-year-long multinational investigation. Three Germans were arrested on April 23 and 24 inside Germany for their alleged role in creating and administering the site that sold illegal drugs, documents, weapons, and data.

"WSM was one of the largest and most voluminous darknet marketplaces of all time," FBI Special Agent Leroy Shelton wrote in the criminal complaint released on Friday.

Source: https://gizmodo.com/one-of-the-largest-dark-net-markets-of-all-time-falls-1834511568

Original Submission

realDonaldTrump writes:

foxnews.com/tech/microsoft-teams-up-with-the-va-to-help-wounded-warriors

As part of a new pilot program, 22 VA facilities around the country will be receiving a gift from Microsoft: X-Box Adaptive Controllers, which are specially designed for gamers with mental or physical disabilities. "We owe so much to the service and sacrifice of our Veterans, and as a company, we are committed to supporting them," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a press statement. "Our X-Box Adaptive Controller was designed to make gaming more accessible to millions of people worldwide, and we're partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to bring the device to Veterans with limited mobility."

The military hospitals will be using them to help rehabilitate wounded warriors, and X-Box chief Phil Spencer says if it's successful - the program could expand. The collaboration aims to improve rehabilitation and recreation for veterans by challenging muscle activation and hand-eye coordination, and encouraging greater participation in social and recreational activities. That will include participation in e-sports as well as traditional solo gaming.

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow0152

A new deep learning algorithm can generate high-resolution, photorealistic images of people — faces, hair, outfits, and all — from scratch.

The AI-generated models are the most realistic we've encountered, and the tech will soon be licensed out to clothing companies and advertising agencies interested in whipping up photogenic models without paying for lights or a catering budget. At the same time, similar algorithms could be misused to undermine public trust in digital media.

The algorithm was developed by DataGrid, a tech company housed on the campus of Japan's Kyoto University, according to a press release.

In a video showing off the tech, the AI morphs and poses model after model as their outfits transform, bomber jackets turning into winter coats and dresses melting into graphic tees.

Specifically, the new algorithm is a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). That's the kind of AI typically used to churn out new imitations of something that exists in the real world, whether they be video game levels or images that look like hand-drawn caricatures.

Source: https://futurism.com/ai-generates-entire-bodies-people-dont-exist

Generative Adversarial Network

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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow0152

It looked like yet another weird symptom of San Francisco tech culture: a cluster of people sitting on the side of a road, working at desks placed within the boundaries of a parking space.

But WePark—a project led by San Francisco-based web developer Victor Pontis—was actually a manifestation of an idea that has become more popular in the last few years: Cities use space inefficiently and prioritize cars over people. The people at the desks were attempting to reclaim a sliver of space for human use. "Car parking squanders space that can be used for the public good—bike lanes, larger sidewalks, retail, cafes, more housing," Pontis said. "Let's use city streets for people, not cars." (There are also WePark franchises in France as well as Santa Monica.)

Pontis said he got the idea from a Twitter exchange in which Github's Devon Zuegel pointed out that eight bicycles could fit in one park spot instead of a car. Urbanist Annie Fryman, responded, suggesting that the metered parking spot be used as a coworking space instead.

Source: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pajgyz/rogue-coder-turned-a-parking-spot-into-a-coworking-space

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for ErnestTBass

A security researcher discovered that AMC Networks had inadvertently exposed more than 1.6 million records of subscribers to the company's two premium streaming video platforms, Sundance Now and Shudder. The publicly accessible database included the names and email addresses of subscribers as well as details about their subscription plans. It included more than 3,000 invoices processed by Stripe that listed the last four digits of a user's credit card.

In addition to the user records, which didn't contain any full payment data or information that would be considered sensitive, the database also contained video analytics data collected by Youbora. There were more 441,943 records that included user IP addresses, country, city, state, ZIP code, location coordinates and details about what devices they use to watch streaming content. The information was intended to be used by broadcasters but could be accessed by anyone who discovered the database.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/03/amc-sundance-now-shudder-subscriber-exposed-database/

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow0152

Hundreds of developers have had had Git source code repositories wiped and replaced with a ransom demand.

The attacks started earlier today, appear to be coordinated across Git hosting services (GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab), and it is still unclear how they are happening.

What it is known is that the hacker removes all source code and recent commits from vitcims' Git repositories, and leaves a ransom note behind that asks for a payment of 0.1 Bitcoin (~$570).

The hacker claims all source code has been downloaded and stored on one of their servers, and gives the victim ten days to pay the ransom; otherwise, they'll make the code public.

Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-hacker-is-wiping-git-repositories-and-asking-for-a-ransom/

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

An Aeroflot passenger aircraft caught fire while crash-landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, after an onboard emergency. Forty-one people have died in the tragedy. RT recaps how the tragic events unfolded.

Source: https://www.rt.com/news/458454-superjet-plane-crash-moscow-details

See Also:

• https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/05/europe/russia-airplane-fire/index.html
• https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/05/several-injured-after-russian-passenger-jet-makes-emergency-landing-news-agencies-say

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2019/05/mindgeek/

Streaming services like Hulu and Netflix are well known for leveraging data, and characterizing users. They're household names. But you've probably never heard of another streaming giant who's just as ubiquitous. Mindgeek, the world's biggest porn company. With corporate holdings like Pornhub, Xvideos, Redtube, and YouPorn there's a good chance you've used their services. And just like Netflix, they're keeping tabs on your interests and lobbying their own. Coordinating a vast net of data collection using the power of monopoly and the state that's altogether uncomfortable.

Coining themselves a leader "in the design, development, marketing, SEO and management of highly trafficked websites." It's not readily apparent Mindgeek is a porn colossus involved in the same upselling, data collection, and curated advertising that sustains the digital economy. Even less obvious is Mindgeek's involvement in the proliferation of dystopian and draconian legislation. Including new legislation in the United Kingdom.

You may know the United Kingdom plans on implementing a system, called AgeID, which forces adult websites to ask users for age verification; via credit card, passport, or driver's license. Coined the 'Porn Pass' AgeID will offer a database by which users can verify their identities before viewing adult content. Guess who owns the AgeID verification system. Mindgeek.

Additional reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/style/britain-age-porn-law.html

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

A 1,110-foot-wide asteroid named for the Egyptian god of chaos (and possibly a Stargate SG-1 character) will fly past Earth in 2029 within the distance of some orbiting spacecraft, according to reports.

The asteroid, 99942 Apophis, will come within 19,000 miles of Earth on April 13, a decade from now, but scientists at the Planetary Defense Conference are already preparing for the encounter, Newsweek reported. They plan to discuss the asteroid's effects on Earth's gravity, potential research opportunities and even how to deflect an incoming asteroid in a theoretical scenario.

https://www.foxnews.com/science/1110-foot-asteroid-to-pass-near-earth-in-2029

Original Submission

Engineers create 'lifelike' material with artificial metabolism

As a genetic material, DNA is responsible for all known life. But DNA is also a polymer. Tapping into the unique nature of the molecule, Cornell engineers have created simple machines constructed of biomaterials with properties of living things.

Using what they call DASH (DNA-based Assembly and Synthesis of Hierarchical) materials, Cornell engineers constructed a DNA material with capabilities of metabolism, in addition to self-assembly and organization – three key traits of life.

Dynamic DNA material with emergent locomotion behavior powered by artificial metabolism (DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaw3512) (DX)

Original Submission by realDonaldTrump

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

Maybe it's the accent. When it comes to news, in a world where "fake news" has become an ideological battle cry rather than an oxymoron, Americans deem British media outlets more trustworthy than their U.S. counterparts.

The most trusted news source in the U.S. is the Economist — a venerable weekly magazine published in the U.K. — according, at least, to a recent survey conducted by the University of Missouri's Reynolds Journalism Institute.

The second most reliable news source, in the view of voluntary survey respondents, is public television (with the Public Broadcasting Service separately ranking sixth among survey respondents), followed by Reuters and BBC. National Public Radio placed just ahead of PBS at No. 5, while the U.K.'s the Guardian clinched the seventh spot. The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and the Dallas Morning News rounded out the 10 most trusted brands. The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corp. NWS, +0.49% NWSA, +0.65% , the parent of MarketWatch.

At the other extreme, Occupy Democrats — a political website with a self-professed agenda of counterbalancing the right-wing Tea Party — took the dubious honor of most untrustworthy.

BuzzFeed, Breitbart and Infowars also scored dismally on the trust-o-meter, with a BuzzFeed representative questioning the poll's merit and methods. "This is not a poll of how much trust Americans have in their news outlets. It's an open-ended, methodologically flawed survey of people who happen to fill out a form on the homepage of their local news outlet," said Matt Mittenthal, spokesman for BuzzFeed News. "No one familiar with how polling works would consider this to be reliable or scientific."

Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/these-are-the-most-and-the-least-trusted-news-sources-in-the-us-2017-08-03

Original Submission