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"exec" writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Microsoft's build 18362.356 (KB4515384​​​​​) for its Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903) rolled out on Tuesday with security improvements for Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, networking tech and input devices – and a CPU usage fix that, for some, has broken desktop search.

The security tweaks address a variety of speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities known as microarchitecture data sampling (MDS) for 32-bit x86 versions of Windows. Intel dealt with the CVEs at issue – CVE-2019-11091, CVE-2018-12126, CVE-2018-12127, CVE-2018-12130 – in May.

The update, released concurrently with Build 17763.737 for the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (v1809), also includes security enhancements for assorted Windows components.

Microsoft says its update fixes a high CPU usage problem associated with SearchUI.exe reported by a small number of users who disabled searching the web via Windows Desktop Search.

But its fix has nixed SearchUI.exe for some. Those griping claim SearchUI.exe, a part of Cortana, won't launch after installing KB4515384.

"What a mess – I had the original issue with SearchUI.exe and it sending my CPU to unparalleled heights and showing a big black pane of nothing," wrote Reddit user cyrenaic101 in a complaint thread. "So I uninstalled that turd. And then here comes the 'fix' KB4515384. Search completely broken..."

-- submitted from IRC

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

The Japanese environment minister says Japan may have to dump the radioactive water from the destroyed nuclear power plants at Fukushima into the sea.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-fukushima-water/japan-will-have-to-dump-radioactive-fukushima-water-into-pacific-minister-says-idUSKCN1VV0CC

Tokyo Electric, or Tepco, has collected more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the cooling pipes used to keep fuel cores from melting since the plant was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

"The only option will be to drain it into the sea and dilute it," the minister, Yoshiaki Harada, told a news briefing in Tokyo.

"The whole of the government will discuss this, but I would like to offer my simple opinion."

The government is awaiting a report from an expert panel before making a final decision on how to dispose of the radioactive water.

[...] The utility says it will run out of room to store the water by 2022. Harada did not say how much water would need to be dumped into the ocean.

Any green light from the government to dump the waste into the sea would anger neighbors such as South Korea, which summoned a senior Japanese embassy official last month to explain how the Fukushima water would be dealt with.

An unreliable source noted that Cthulhu have muttered something along the lines of "fools ... godzilla ..." something or other.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow2718

Most of the robocalls you get aren't coming from AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile numbers

Most of the robocalls you get aren't coming from AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile numbers

A new report suggests that the United States' top mobile carriers are making headway in the fight against annoying robocalls.

The data analytics company Transaction Network Services (TNS) released its bi-annual "Robocall Report" on Thursday, and some of the emerging unwanted call trends included an increase in hijacking mobile numbers and a shift to spoofing toll-free numbers.

However, the most promising news for consumers was that only 12% of high-risk calls received during the first six months of 2019 originated from numbers owned by AT&T, CenturyLink, Comcast, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

These carriers account for 70% of the nation's overall call volume.

Bill Versen, the chief product officer at TNS, said in a statement that means top-tier carriers are successfully blocking more robocalls. He added that regulatory and policy action, as well as the adoption of AI and advanced data analytics, have made it "more difficult for bad actors to place scam and fraud robocalls."

Versen also warns that it's too soon to call that a victory.

"The report suggests the need for diligence as the battlefront may shift to smaller regional and rural carriers further behind on their path to a call authentication framework and utilizing call data analytics," Versen said.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Now with even greater light-absorbing ability!

Engineers develop 'blackest black' material to date

With apologies to "Spinal Tap," it appears that black can, indeed, get more black.

MIT engineers report today that they have cooked up a material that is 10 times blacker than anything that has previously been reported. The material is made from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, or CNTs—microscopic filaments of carbon, like a fuzzy forest of tiny trees, that the team grew on a surface of chlorine-etched aluminum foil. The foil captures more than 99.96 percent of any incoming light, making it the blackest material on record.

The researchers have published their findings today in the journal ACS-Applied Materials and Interfaces. They are also showcasing the cloak-like material as part of a new exhibit today at the New York Stock Exchange, titled "The Redemption of Vanity."

The artwork, a collaboration between Brian Wardle, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, and his group, and MIT artist-in-residence Diemut Strebe, features a 16.78-carat natural yellow diamond, estimated to be worth $2 million, which the team coated with the new, ultrablack CNT material. The effect is arresting: The gem, normally brilliantly faceted, appears as a flat, black void.

Wardle says the CNT material, aside from making an artistic statement, may also be of practical use, for instance in optical blinders that reduce unwanted glare, to help space telescopes spot orbiting exoplanets.

"There are optical and space science applications for very black materials, and of course, artists have been interested in black, going back well before the Renaissance," Wardle says. "Our material is 10 times blacker than anything that's ever been reported, but I think the blackest black is a constantly moving target. Someone will find a blacker material, and eventually we'll understand all the underlying mechanisms, and will be able to properly engineer the ultimate black."

Wardle's co-author on the paper is former MIT postdoc Kehang Cui, now a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49550263

It's a short article describing the strange materials people are experimenting with to make clothing. There is mushrooms, pineapple, PVC, and others. It's light on details (maybe there are other better articles with more technical information), but I thought it was interesting and worth sharing and discussing.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The field of astronomy has been revolutionized, thanks to the first-ever detection of gravitational waves (GWs). Since the initial detection was made in February of 2016 by scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), multiple gravitational events have been detected. These have provided insight into a phenomenon that was predicted over a century ago by Albert Einstein.

As it turns out, the infrastructure that is used to detect GWs could also crack another astronomical mystery: dark matter. According to a new study by a team of Japanese researchers, laser interferometers could be used to look for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), a major candidate particle in the hunt for dark matter.

To recap, WIMPS are a theoretical elementary particle that interacts with normal matter (baryonic) only through the "weak" force gravity. As with other elementary particles that are part of the Standard Model (of which WIMPS are not), they would have been created during the early universe when the cosmos was extremely hot.

WIMPs are essentially the microscopic candidate particle, which puts them at the opposite end of the spectrum from the other major candidate—the macroscopic massive compact halo objects (MACHOs). So far, multiple experiments have been conducted to find these particles, ranging from particle collisions and indirect detections to more direct methods, but the results have been largely inconclusive.

As Dr. Satoshi Tsuchida, a professor of physics at Osaka City University and the lead author of the study, told Universe Today via email:

"[Most] MACHOs are believed to consist of baryonic matter, but baryons account for only 5 percent of the universe. Thus, we cannot explain the structure of the present universe if all of dark matter consists of MACHOs. On the other hand, WIMPs are non-baryonic matter, and we have no reason to exclude [them] from dark matter… Therefore, WIMPs can be promising dark matter candidates."

Original Submission

martyb writes:

Google Chrome 77 Breaks Login Pages on Netgear Devices:

Google Chrome 77, released yesterday, has broken the login pages on modern Netegar[sic] devices, according to an avalanche of complaints on the company's official forum.

Devices like Nighthawk routers [1, 2, 3], Orbi WiFi meshes/routers, N600 modems, and ReadyNAS network-attached storage (NAS) systems [1, 2] appear to have been impacted.

According to reports, users trying to access their devices' admin page are either being redirected to the password page instead, or seeing an access denied error message.

While most people don't need to access their routers or modems' administration pages on a daily basis, the issue has had a more significant impact on owners of Netgear NAS equipment.

Netgear suggests using Firefox or Edge as a workaround.

Personally, I've never been a fan of automatic updating. Feel free to remind me to check, but it should be my decision to actually perform the check and/or update

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

California is close to adopting strict Obama-era federal environmental and worker safety rules that the Trump administration is dismantling. But as the legislative session draws to a close, the proposal faces fierce opposition from the state's largest water agencies.

To shield California from Trump administration policies, lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow state agencies to lock in protections under the federal Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Fair Labor Standards Act and other bulwark environmental and labor laws that were in place before President Donald Trump took office in January 2017.

Written by one of the most powerful politicians in Sacramento, state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, Senate Bill 1 has strong support from some of California's most influential environmental and labor organizations, including some that helped get Gov. Gavin Newsom elected.

But several of California's water suppliers and agricultural interests, which also flex ample political muscle, oppose the measure. This coalition includes the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which has made SB 1 a top lobbying priority.

The water agencies fear the state would cement into law endangered species protections and pumping restrictions that would add to uncertainties about pumping water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow2718

World's first metal 3-D-printed bridge enters test phase

September 12, 2019

World's first metal 3-D-printed bridge enters test phase

The Netherlands will be testing the first metal 3-D-printed bridge in the world. Plans are to insert this bridge in its permanent location in Amsterdam at the start of 2020. The Dutch company MX3D produced the bridge after a design by Joris Laarman Lab in collaboration with lead engineer Arup. They used ground-breaking robot technology for 3-D printing. The bridge is remarkable thanks to both the revolutionary production method and its innovative design process. University of Twente, together with Imperial College London, will carry out the final construction tests. The bridge arrived by special transport at the UT campus and is placed near the de Horst building.

Initial testing will be on the total load-carrying capacity of the bridge to safeguard safety and functionality. The test will be supervised by Imperial College London. The bridge will remain at the campus for a further two months after the month planned for construction testing. University of Twente will work closely and actively with MX3D, Autodesk and Arup during this period, for the design, development and testing of the permanent sensor network to be installed on the bridge. MX3D and Autodesk are highly encouraging of creative and groundbreaking ideas for various aspects of the sensor network. This includes ideas for the types of sensors that could be incorporated in the network, safe and vandalism-proof sensors, data collection/communication/analysis, etc.

Original Submission

exaeta writes:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/amp/story/2019/03/20/pacer-court-records-225821

But I'm here to tell you that PACER—Public Access to Court Electronic Records—is a judicially approved scam. The very name is misleading: Limiting the public's access by charging hefty fees, it has been a scam since it was launched and, barring significant structural changes, will be a scam forever.

Somewhat old but still relevant today.

Original Submission

"exec" writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

An Australian scientist has proved that human bodies move around significantly for more than a year after death, in findings that could have implications for detectives and pathologists around the world.

After studying and photographing the movements of a corpse over 17-months, Alyson Wilson told AFP on Friday that she found humans don't exactly rest in peace.

In one case study, arms that began held close to the body ended up flung out to the side.

"We think the movements relate to the process of decomposition, as the body mummifies and the ligaments dry out," she said.

[...] Wilson and her colleagues were trying to improve a commonly used system for estimating the time of death using time-lapse cameras and in the process found that human bodies actually move around significantly.

Her findings were recently published in the journal Forensic Science International: Synergy.

A better understanding of these movements and the rate of decomposition could be used by police to estimate time of death more accurately.

-- submitted from IRC

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for chopchop1

The problem of 42 — at least as it relates to whether the number could be considered the sum of three cubes — has finally been solved. The question of whether every number under 100 could be expressed in this fashion has been a long-standing puzzle in the world of mathematics. Now, two mathematicians, Andrew Sutherland of MIT and Andrew Booker of Bristol, have jointly proven that 42 is indeed the sum of three cubes.

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

In the equation x³+y³+z³ = k, let x = -80538738812075974, y = 80435758145817515, and z = 12602123297335631. Plug it all in, and you get (-80538738812075974)³ + 80435758145817515³ + 12602123297335631³ = 42.

Source: https://www.extremetech.com/computing/298112-life-the-universe-and-math-42-proven-to-be-the-sum-of-3-cubes

Original Submission

martyb writes:

Toyota is Trying to Figure Out How to Make a Car Run Forever:

Put together the best solar panels money can buy, super-efficient batteries and decades of car-making know-how and, theoretically, a vehicle might run forever.

That's the audacious motivation behind a project by Toyota Motor Corp., Sharp Corp. and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan, or NEDO, to test a Prius that could revolutionize transportation.

"The solar car's advantage is that — while it can't drive for a long range — it's really independent of charging facilities," said Koji Makino, a project manager at Toyota.

[...] But the current forecast is only partly sunny because there's still some work left to reach that level of efficiency.

"This is not a technology we are going to see widely used in the next decades," said Takeshi Miyao, an auto analyst at consultancy Carnorama. "It's going to take a long time."

[...] Toyota has been testing a new solar-powered Prius since July, though it acknowledges that cars running nonstop without connecting to a hose or plug are still far away. Even so, the Toyota City-based company said the research will pay off in other ways.

Indeed, there have been some breakthroughs, mainly due to advancements by Sharp. The prototype's solar panel converts sunlight at an efficiency level of more than 34%, compared with about 20% for current panels on the market.

[...] If the car is driven four days a week for a maximum of 50 kilometers a day, there's no need to plug into an outlet, NEDO's Yamazaki said.

Or only drive it on weekends.

Original Submission

martyb writes:

Cubed Wombat Poop, why Your Left Scrotum Runs Hot, Among Ig Nobel Winners:

Prizes honor "achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think."

Over the years, curious intrepid scientists have gleaned insight into why the wombat's poo is cube-shaped, explored the magnetic properties of living and dead cockroaches, and determined that a man's left testicle really does run hotter than the right. These and other unusual research topics were honored tonight in a ceremony at Harvard University's Sanders Theater to announce the 2019 recipients of the annual Ig Nobel Prizes.

Established in 1991, the Ig Nobels are a good-natured parody of the Nobel Prizes and honor "achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The unapologetically campy award ceremony features mini-operas, scientific demos, and the 24/7 lectures, whereby experts must explain their work twice: once in 24 seconds, and the second in just seven words. Acceptance speeches are limited to 60 seconds. And as the motto implies, the research being honored might seem ridiculous at first glance, but that doesn't mean it is devoid of scientific merit.

The winners receive eternal Ig Nobel fame and a ten-trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe. It's a long-running Ig Nobel gag. Zimbabwe stopped using its native currency in 2009 because of skyrocketing inflation and hyperinflation; at its nadir, the 100-trillion dollar bill was roughly the equivalent of 40 cents US. (Earlier this year the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced the "zollar" as a potential replacement.) The 2009 Ig Nobel Prize for Mathematics was awarded to the then-head of the RBZ, Gideon Gono, "for giving people a simple, everyday way to cope with a wide range of numbers — from very small to very big — by having his bank print bank notes with denominations ranging from one cent ($.01) to one hundred trillion dollars ($100,000,000,000,000)."

[...] If you happen to be in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, area on Saturday afternoon, September 14, most of the new winners will give free public talks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The lectures will also be webcast.

My personal favorite, in a just-how-do-you-stop-the-squirming kind of way was the Engineering Citation awarded to Iman Farahbakhsh "for inventing a diaper-changing machine for use on human infants."

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/12/20862352/youtube-algorithm-recommendation-social-campaign-mozilla-firefox

Mozilla is trying to shame YouTube into doing more to fix its numerous recommendation algorithm issues, many of which can lead users down dangerous content spirals.

With a new social media campaign called #YouTubeRegrets, Mozilla is asking people to submit their own experiences of falling down the recommendation rabbit hole, and discuss how they got from point A to point B. Everything is done through a Google Doc, which includes a little more information about the project.

"Once, at 2 a.m., you searched YouTube for 'Did aliens build Stonehenge?' Ever since, your YouTube recommendations have been a mess: Roswell, wormholes, Illuminati," Mozilla writes. "YouTube's recommendation engine can lead users down bizarre rabbit holes — and they're not always harmless."

If, somehow, you find insufficient distraction on YouTube, check out this oldie-but-goodie 19 Wikipedia Pages That'll Send You Into A Week-Long Wikihole. It's exactly what's on the tin; highly recommended. Unless you have too much to do; in that case do NOT go there.

Original Submission