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takyon writes:

Revealed: more than 1,000 metric tons of microplastics rain down on US parks and wilderness

Microplastic particles equivalent to as many as 300m plastic water bottles are raining down on the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree and other US national parks, researchers have found.

In a survey of 11 remote western locations, also including the Great Basin and Craters of the Moon national parks, researchers discovered [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz5819] [DX] more than 1,000 metric tons of microplastic particles that had traveled through the atmosphere like rain or water particles.

Most microplastics are fragments from larger pieces of plastic. Since plastics aren't biodegradable, plastics that end up in waste piles or landfills break down into microparticles and make their way through the Earth's atmosphere, soil and water systems.

[...] Scientists have also linked [open, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01339] [DX] microplastic particles to fluctuations in soil thermal properties, leading to losses in plant life.

Some stay dry and others feel the pain.

Original Submission

canopic jug writes:

HaikOS version R1/beta2 has been released! The highlights include improved NVMe, XHCI, and HiDPI support, deskbar improvements, new input preferences, more ported software, better kernel stabilization and performance, and installation improvements. HaikuOS is a free and open source software operating system inspired by the Be Operating System which introduced progressive concepts and technologies that represent the ideal means to simple and efficient personal computing.

From the release notes:

The second beta for Haiku R1 marks twenty months of hard work to improve Haiku’s hardware support and its overall stability. Since Beta 1, there have been 101 contributors with over 2800 code commits in total. More than 900 bugs and enhancement tickets have been resolved for this release.

Please keep in mind that this is beta-quality software, which means it is feature complete but still contains known and unknown bugs. While we are mostly confident in its stability, we cannot provide assurances against data loss.

To download Haiku or learn how to upgrade from R1/beta1, see “Get Haiku!". For press inquiries, see “Press contact".

System Requirements:

This release is available on the x86 32-bit platform, as well as the x86_64 platform. Note that BeOS R5 compatibility is only provided on the 32-bit images.

takyon writes:

The CHAZ Has Become America's Fascination

The Stranger describes it as an "anti-capitalist police-free Vatican City inside Capitol Hill." The New York Times deems it "part street festival, part commune." President Donald Trump alludes to it, via tweet, as a bastion for "anarchists" who "must be stooped [sic]."

Seemingly overnight, the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone—or, "the CHAZ," as everyone's calling it—has become a local and national fascination. It was only Monday that the Seattle Police Department loaded up trucks and ditched the East Precinct at 12th and Pine, the site of tear gas-clouded confrontations between officers and Black Lives Matter-inspired protesters in the days after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Protesters have since barricaded and transformed a cluster of city blocks into a mostly peaceful enclave of free food, face coverings, resistance art, educational town halls, and even some live music. Seattle Police Department chief Carmen Best says she's heard of armed people patrolling the area and businesses having to pay "protection" fees, but as of this writing, no formal police reports related to either situation have been filed.

At a time when cities are mulling the defunding and, in a few cases, abolition of their police departments, some people might be looking at Seattle's police-free movement with a mix of amusement and genuine curiosity: Is this communal version of the American experiment a blip, or is it a preview of what's to come in other population hubs this summer? For many, however, the questions are more fundamental: How long will the CHAZ (or the People's Republic of Capitol Hill, or Free Cap Hill, depending on your sign preference) stick around? And what are its aims?

Meet Raz Simone, The So-Called "Terrorist Warlord" Rapper Who Briefly Ran Seattle's "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone"

Raz Simone, a local rapper, has apparently taken a leading role in declaring a several-block area of a residential Seattle neighborhood to be an independent revolutionary state called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (The CHAZ). Simone and a few friends, armed with several guns and a megaphone, have declared themselves the new police. He came to national attention on Wednesday when a video of him assaulting someone over graffiti came to light online.

[...] The president tweeted Wednesday and Thursday morning that the area has been taken over by a "Terrorist Warlord" and "Domestic Terrorists."

See also: The Future of Capitol Hill's New Autonomous Zone Is Predictable
Businesses Extorted? Armed Checkpoints on Capitol Hill? Yes, and Also Mercer Island Is for Sale
An Exceedingly Chill Day at the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Jim Keller Resigns from Intel, Effective Immediately

Intel has just published a news release on its website stating that Jim Keller has resigned from the company, effective immediately, due to personal reasons. Jim Keller was hired by Intel two years ago to the role as Senior Vice President of Intel's Silicon Engineering Group, after a string of successes at Tesla, AMD, Apple, AMD (again), and PA Semiconductor. As far as we understand, Jim's goal inside Intel was to streamline a lot of the product development process on the silicon side, as well as providing strategic platforms though which future products can be developed and optimized to market. We also believe that Jim Keller has had a hand in looking at Intel's manufacturing processes, as well as a number of future products.

Intel's press release today states that Jim Keller is leaving the position on June 11th due to personal reasons. However, he will remain with the company as a consultant for six months in order to assist with the transition.

[...] Jim Keller's history in the industry has been well documented – his work has had a significant effect in a number of areas that have propelled the industry forward. This includes work on Apple's A4 and A5 processors, AMD's K8 and Zen high-level designs, as well as Tesla's custom silicon for self driving which analysts have Tesla's competitors have said put the company up to seven years ahead.

Jim Keller (engineer).

Also at Reuters, Phoronix, Bloomberg, and Business Insider.

See also: Why Intel is betting its chips on microprocessor mastermind Jim Keller
Exclusive: Internal Memo Shows Murthy’s Remarks Over Jim Keller’s Departure, Details About New Structuring, Raja Koduri To Head Architectural Roadmap

Related: Intel's Jim Keller Promises That "Moore's Law" is Not Dead, Outlines 50x Improvement Plan

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

CallStranger vulnerability lets attacks bypass security systems and scan LANs:

A severe vulnerability resides in a core protocol found in almost all internet of things (IoT) devices.

The vulnerability, named CallStranger, allows attackers to hijack smart devices for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, but also for attacks that bypass security solutions to reach and conduct scans on a victim's internal network -- effectively granting attackers access to areas where they normally wouldn't be able to reach.

According to a website dedicated to the CallStranger vulnerability published today, the bug impacts UPnP, which stands for Universal Plug and Play, a collection of protocols that ship on most smart devices.

Also at Ars Technica.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Researchers in the USA have developed a graphene-based electrochemical sensor capable of detecting histamines (allergens) and toxins in food much faster than standard laboratory tests.

[...] The team created high-resolution interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) on flexible substrates, which they converted into histamine sensors by covalently linking monoclonal antibodies to oxygen moieties created on the graphene surface by a CO₂ thermal annealing process.

They then tested the sensors in both a buffering solution (PBS) and fish broth, to see how effective they were at detecting histamines.

Co-author Kshama Parate, from Iowa State University, said: "We found the graphene biosensor could detect histamine in PBS and fish broth over toxicologically-relevant ranges of 6.25 to 100 parts per million (ppm) and 6.25 to 200 ppm, respectively, with similar detection limits of 2.52 ppm and 3.41 ppm, respectively. These sensor results are significant, as histamine levels over 50 ppm in fish can cause adverse health effects including severe allergic reactions—for example, scombroid food poisoning.

[...] Senior author Dr. Jonathan Claussen, from Iowa State University, said: "This type of biosensor could be used in food processing facilities, import and export ports, and supermarkets where continuous on-site monitoring of food samples is needed. This on-site testing will eliminate the need to send food samples for laboratory testing, which requires additional handling steps, increases time and cost to histamine analysis, and consequently increases the risk of foodborne illnesses and food wastage.

"It could also likely be used in other biosensing applications where rapid monitoring of target molecules is needed, as the sample pre-treatment is eliminated using the developed immunosensing protocol.

Journal Reference:
Jonathan Claussen, Kshama Parate.Aerosol-jet-printed graphene electrochemical histamine sensors for food safety monitoring - IOPscience, 2D Materials (DOI: 10.1088/2053-1583/ab8919)

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Plundering of crypto keys from ultrasecure SGX sends Intel scrambling again:

On Tuesday, two separate academic teams disclosed two new and distinctive exploits that pierce Intel's Software Guard eXtension, by far the most sensitive region of the company's processors.

Abbreviated as SGX, the protection is designed to provide a Fort Knox of sorts for the safekeeping of encryption keys and other sensitive data even when the operating system or a virtual machine running on top is badly and maliciously compromised. SGX works by creating trusted execution environments that protect sensitive code and the data it works with from monitoring or tampering by anything else on the system.

Key to the security and authenticity assurances of SGX is its creation of what are called enclaves, or blocks of secure memory. Enclave contents are encrypted before they leave the processor and are written in RAM. They are decrypted only after they return. The job of SGX is to safeguard the enclave memory and block access to its contents by anything other than the trusted part of the CPU.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Honda pauses production and closes offices following ransomware attack:

Honda's global operations have been hit with a ransomware attack and the Japanese automaker is still working to get everything back online. The company said Tuesday that it had to temporarily shut down some production facilities, and its customer and financial services operations are closed.

"[T]here is no current evidence of loss of personally identifiable information," Honda says in a statement to The Verge. "We have resumed production in most plants and are currently working toward the return to production of our auto and engine plants in Ohio."

[...] While Honda says some factories are opening back up, owners are unable to make online payments or access the company's customer service website, according to complaints on Twitter. And an employee in one of the company's biggest North American customer and financial service offices tells The Verge that temp workers (who make up a significant portion of this part of the company's workforce) are not being paid while the office is closed.

Also at Ars Technica.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Terahertz lasers could soon have their moment. Emitting radiation that sits somewhere between microwaves and infrared light along the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz lasers have been the focus of intense study due to their ability to penetrate common packaging materials such as plastics, fabrics, and cardboard and be used for identification and detection of various chemicals and biomolecular species, and even for imaging of some types of biological tissue without causing damage. Fulfilling terahertz lasers' potential for us hinges on improving their intensity and brightness, achieved by enhancing power output and beam quality.

Sushil Kumar, associate professor in Lehigh University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his research team are working at the forefront of terahertz semiconductor 'quantum-cascade' laser (QCL) technology. In 2018, Kumar, who is also affiliated with Lehigh's Center for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (CPN) reported on a simple yet effective technique to enhance the power output of single-mode lasers based on a new type of "distributed-feedback" mechanism.

[...] Now, Kumar, Jin and John L. Reno of Sandia are reporting another terahertz technology breakthrough: they have developed a new phase-locking technique for plasmonic lasers and, through its use, achieved a record-high power output for terahertz lasers. Their laser produced the highest radiative efficiency for any single-wavelength semiconductor quantum cascade laser. These results are explained in a paper, "Phase-locked terahertz plasmonic laser array with 2 W output power in a single spectral mode" published yesterday in Optica.

"To the best of our knowledge, the radiative efficiency of our terahertz lasers is the highest demonstrated for any single-wavelength QCL to-date and is the first report of a radiative efficiency of greater than 50% achieved in such QCLs," said Kumar. "Such a high radiative efficiency beat our expectations, and it is also one of the reasons why the output power from our laser is significantly greater than what has been achieved previously."

More information: Yuan Jin et al, Phase-locked terahertz plasmonic laser array with 2 W output power in a single spectral mode, Optica (2020). DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.390852

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

In the future, camera lenses could be thousands of times thinner and significantly less resource-intensive to manufacture. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, now present a new technology for making artificial materials known as metasurfaces, which consist of a multitude of interacting nanoparticles that, together, can control light. They could have great use in the optical technology of tomorrow.

Metasurfaces can be used for optical components in portable electronics, sensors, cameras or space satellites. The Chalmers researchers' new technology for making such planar surfaces is based on a plastic that is already used today to create other microstructures.

"We put a thin layer of this plastic on a glass plate and, using a well-established technique called electron-beam lithography, we can draw detailed patterns in the plastic film, which, after development, will form the metasurface. The resulting device can focus light just like a normal camera lens, but it is thousands of times thinner—and can be flexible too," says Daniel Andrén, a Ph.D. student at the Department of Physics at Chalmers and first author of the scientific article recently published in the journal ACS Photonics.

[...] "Our method could be a step toward large-scale production of metasurfaces. That is the goal we are already working toward today. Metasurfaces can help us create different effects and offer various technological possibilities. The best is yet to come," says Ruggero Verre, a researcher at the Department of Physics at Chalmers and co-author of the scientific article.

Journal Reference:
Daniel Andrén, et al. Large-Scale Metasurfaces Made by an Exposed Resist [open], ACS Photonics (2020). (DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.9b01809)

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Amazon announces one-year ban on police use of facial recognition tech

Amazon is instituting a one-year moratorium on police use of Rekognition, its facial recognition software, the company announced on Wednesday.

"We've advocated that governments should put in place stronger regulations to govern the ethical use of facial recognition technology," Amazon wrote in its blog post announcing the change. "Congress appears ready to take on this challenge. We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules."

Amazon says that groups like the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children will continue to have access to the technology.

Sounds like a job for Palantir.

Also at CNBC, Ars Technica, and (older) Amazon Says The Face Recognition Tech It Sells to Cops Can Now Detect 'Fear'.

Previously:
(2019-12-14) Palantir Wins New Pentagon Deal With $111 Million From the Army

IBM Will No Longer Offer, Develop, or Research Facial Recognition Technology

Original Submission

takyon writes:

ARM Faces a Boardroom Revolt as It Seeks to Remove the CEO of Its Chinese Joint Venture

ARM, the British silicon ship designer backed by SoftBank, is currently embroiled in a nail-biting boardroom conflict, equipped with an equally appropriate dramatic flareup.

To wit, ARM issued a statement on Wednesday, disclosing that the board of its Chinese joint venture – ARM China – has approved the removal of the incumbent chairman and CEO, Allen Wu. Bear in mind that the British chip designer was purchased by the Japanese behemoth, SoftBank, in 2016 for £24.3 billion. ARM currently holds a 49 percent stake in its Chinese JV, with a consortium of investors led by the Chinese equity fund, Hopu Investment, retaining the residual 51 percent stake.

However, just hours after the initial statement by ARM, its Chinese JV issued a contradictory statement on Weibo, reiterating that Allen Wu "continues to serve as its CEO" and that ARM China was operating as usual.

See also: SoftBank's Arm Says China CEO Fired for Major Irregularities

"Following a whistleblower complaint and several other current and former employee complaints, an investigation was undertaken by Arm Limited," the company said in its latest statement, jointly issued with shareholder Hopu Investment. "Evidence received from multiple sources found serious irregularities, including failing to disclose conflicts of interest and violations of the employee handbook." Wu didn't respond to emails and a message sent via his LinkedIn profile seeking comment.

SoftBank's China Chip Venture Rejects Accusations Against CEO

Also at EE Times and TechNode.

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Nikola semi startup shines on Wall Street with $34BN valuation:

While Tesla's long been the poster child for stratospheric market value despite modest profits, electric truckmaker Nikola knocked on Wall Street's door this week with a huge number.

As Automotive News points out, Nikola's market value reached $34 billion this week after its debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week. The incredible value, which is higher than Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, comes with a big caveat. The startup hasn't yet posted a single dollar in revenue.

In fact, Nikola's grand plans are even lengthier than we're used to from Tesla. The massive plant Nikola plans to build in Arizona won't be fully utilized until near the end of this decade, the company has previously said. The company did announce a notable new hire on Wednesday in Mark Duchesne. The executive will become Nikola's global head of manufacturing after he spent five years at Tesla and 22 years at Toyota.

[...] With all these grand plans moving ahead, Nikola forecasts revenue in 2023 as its semis begin trickling into the world. Today, the company says it has 14,000 reservations for its fuel-cell semi trucks, which it needs to still transform into actual preorders.

Tesla has its own semi truck, the Semi, which is reportedly ready for "volume production" and scheduled for launch next year.

Original Submission

looorg made a story submission which became:

HBO Max Temporarily Removes ‘Gone With the Wind’ From Library

An HBO Max spokesperson says “Gone With the Wind” will eventually return to the platform with a discussion about its historical context and a denouncement of its racist depictions.

On Tuesday, HBO Max removed the 1939 film from its library in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd.

[...] Upon its release, “Gone With the Wind” broke theater attendance records and was the highest-grossing film of all time to that point. It still holds the record when adjusted for inflation. However, despite being considered one of the greatest films of all time, some film commentators have since criticized its depiction of slavery and Black people.

Original Submission

chromas writes:

Noise disturbs the brain's compass: Identifying causes for troubles in spatial navigation:

From visual stimuli to muscle feedback and signals relayed by the vestibular system -- the human brain uses a wide range of sensory inputs to determine position and to guide us through space. An essential part of the necessary information processing happens in the "entorhinal cortex." In this area, which is present in both brain hemispheres, there are special neurons that generate a mental map of the physical environment. Thus, information on real space is translated into a "data format," which the brain can process. "The human navigation system works quite well. But it is not without flaws," explained Prof. Thomas Wolbers, principal investigator at the DZNE, Magdeburg site. "It is well known that there are people with good orientation skills and those who find it harder to find their way around. This ability usually diminishes with age, because older people generally find spatial orientation more difficult than younger individuals, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. Therefore, the chances of getting lost increase with age."

To understand the causes of this decline, DZNE scientists led by Thomas Wolbers, in collaboration with experts from the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin, designed a specific experiment: A total of about 60 cognitively healthy young and older adults who were fitted with "virtual reality" goggles had to move and orient themselves -- separately from each other -- within a digitally generated environment. Simultaneously, participants also moved physically along convoluted paths. They were assisted by an experimenter who led the individual test person by the hand. In doing so, real locomotion led directly to movements in virtual space. "This is an artificial setting, but it reflects aspects of real situations," said Wolbers.

During the experiment, participants were asked several times to estimate the distance and direction to the starting point of the path. Because the virtual environment offered only a few visual cues for orientation, participants had to rely mainly on other stimuli. "We looked at how accurately participants were able to assess their position in space and thus tested what is known as path integration. In other words, the ability to determine position based on body awareness and the perception of one's own movement. Path integration is considered a central function of spatial orientation," explained Wolbers.

Journal Reference:
Matthias Stangl, Ingmar Kanitscheider, Martin Riemer, et al. Sources of path integration error in young and aging humans [open], Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15805-9)

Original Submission