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DannyB writes:

SpaceX is adding a glass dome on Crew Dragon for 360° views of space:

A Crew Dragon version tailored for tourists gets a better view

The Crew Dragon capsule poised to fly four civilian astronauts to space this year is getting an upgrade: a glass dome will be added at the top to give space tourists a 360-degree view of the cosmos. Plans for the window were announced on Tuesday as SpaceX and the team managing the tourist mission, Inspiration4, revealed the full crew for the upcoming expedition.

The glass dome-shaped window replaces Crew Dragon's docking adapter at its nose since the spacecraft won't be docking to the International Space Station. It's similar to the famed cupola aboard the International Space Station, but Crew Dragon's appears to be an uninterrupted sheet of glass, with no support structures dividing the window's view.

[...] Crew Dragon's protective aerodynamic shell that shields the hatch door area during launch will pop open to expose the glass dome once the craft is safely in orbit.

Left unanswered was whether flash photography will be permitted.

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

The Radioactive Diamond Battery That Will Run For 28,000 Years:

In two years, one startup says you'll be able to buy its diamond nuclear-powered battery. Even cooler: The battery will last for up to 28,000 years.

We know—that sounds wild. The potential game-changer comes from the U.S. startup NDB, which stands for Nano Diamond Battery, a "high-power diamond-based alpha, beta, and neutron voltaic battery" its research scientist founders say can give devices "life-long and green energy."

Could NDB's bold claim actually become a reality?

[...] You're probably wondering what the catch is. The diamond battery uses nuclear waste, lasts thousands of years, and involves layers of only the tiniest possible diamonds? That all sounds fantastic. But the truth is more complicated. Each battery cell will produce only a minuscule amount of energy, so the cells must be combined in huge numbers in order to power regular and larger devices.

[...] NDB addresses these questions on its corporate site:

[...] After working on its battery since 2012, NDB says it will finally have a working product in 2023. The world will be waiting.

Yet another tech, potentially within 10 years !!

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Feared Apophis Impact Ruled Out – Asteroid Will Pass Close Enough to Earth to See With Naked Eye:

New observations of asteroid Apophis – thought to pose a slight risk of impacting Earth in 2068 – rule out any chance of impact for at least a century. After 17 years of observations and orbit analysis, ESA is removing the enormous asteroid from its Risk List.

Estimated at about 350 m across[*] – equivalent to the length of three football fields – Apophis has been in and out of the headlines for years as astronomers have tried to pinpoint its precise orbit and the possibility of any future impact.

Soon after its detection in 2004, astronomers predicted two impact possibilities in 2029 and 2036, but additional observations of the near-Earth object (NEO) thankfully ruled these out. Until now, a small but concerning chance of impact in 2068 remained.

[...] New radar observations of Apophis were taken in early March by NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California and the Green Bank Observatory, West Virginia. They have provided enough data on the orbit of the infamous asteroid to finally rule out, with certainty, any Earth impact for at least 100 years.

[...] The next and closest of these swing-bys will take place on Friday, April 13, 2029, when Apophis will pass less than 35,000 km from Earth and be visible to the naked eye. At ten times closer than the Moon, Apophis will be closer than satellites orbiting in the Geostationary ring.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

EMPLOYERS CAN MANDATE A COVID-19 VACCINE

COVID-19: An Employer's Role in Vaccination:

As cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) decrease and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more prevalent, employers face the daunting task of creating safe return to work plans. These plans often involve encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and, in some cases, mandating vaccination before employees may return to in-person work.

EMPLOYERS CAN MANDATE A COVID-19 VACCINE

On Dec. 16, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance clarifying that employers are lawfully permitted to require employees to be vaccinated before returning to work, subject to several exceptions.

These exceptions include:
1. Disability considerations
2. Religious accommodations
3. Mandatory vaccination policies trigger additional obligations under the ADA and other laws

[...] Many employers are currently encouraging but not requiring vaccinations. This is especially the case in jurisdictions where vaccinations are not available to all adults. A policy of encouragement relieves the employer of the obligation to conduct disability and religious related accommodation analyses. Nevertheless, if employers offer incentives to employees to get vaccinated, like additional paid time off, gift cards, etc., accommodations may need to be made for those employees who are not eligible for the incentive due to a disability or religious belief that prevents them for receiving the vaccine.

[...] Whether or not an employer elects to mandate vaccines now, it is advisable for employers to communicate with their workforce on their proposed strategy and expectations with respect to vaccinations. Employers should also keep in mind that they can change their vaccination policy in the future, converting from a non-mandatory policy to a mandatory one if warranted for the particular workforce.

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

Samsung's 512GB DDR5 module is a showcase for the future of RAM:

Samsung has unveiled a new RAM module that shows the potential of DDR5 memory in terms of speed and capacity. The 512GB DDR5 module is the first to use High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) tech, delivering 7,200 Mbps speeds — over double that of DDR4, Samsung said. Right now, it's aimed at data-hungry supercomputing, AI and machine learning functions, but DDR5 will eventually find its way to regular PCs, boosting gaming and other applications.

[...] With 7,200 Mbps speeds, Samsung's latest module would deliver around 57.6 GB/s transfer speeds on a single channel. In Samsung's press release, Intel noted that the memory would be compatible with its next-gen "Sapphire Rapids" Xeon Scalable processors. That architecture will use an eight-channel DDR5 memory controller, so we could see multi-terabyte memory configurations with memory transfer speeds as high as 460 GB/s. Meanwhile, the first consumer PCs could arrive in 2022 when AMD unveils its Zen 4 platform, which is rumored to support DDR5.

Previously:
SK Hynix Ready to Ship 16 Gb DDR5 Dies, Has Its Own 64 GB DDR5-4800 Modules
JEDEC Releases DDR5 Memory Specification
SK Hynix Announces Plans for DDR5-8400 Memory, and More

Original Submission

Anti-aristarchus writes:

Maybe. Story at "Extreme Tech", which is either extreme, or tech, but not both?

There are two enormous provinces of unusual rock that sit at the bottom of the mantle, just above the Earth's core. One of them is located underneath Africa and one is under the Pacific Ocean. They're called Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs) and they may shape hotspot formation and volcanic activity across the globe.

The LLSVPs are areas where seismic shear waves propagate much more slowly. They extend laterally for thousands of miles (we think), and they may be up to 1,000km "tall." Geologists have considered a variety of potential explanations for the origin of the LLSVPs, and now a team has put forth a new argument: The LLSVPs may represent the remains of Theia, the protoplanet thought to have smashed into the world some 4.5 billion years ago, creating the Moon. There are a number of hotspots around the world associated with the margins and boundaries of the LLSVPs:

[...] Qian Yuan, a Ph.D. student in geodynamics at Arizona State University (ASU), presented his hypothesis on the topic at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

[...] If the LLSVPs or ultra-low-velocity zones prove to be of extraterrestrial origin, it would mean the planetesimals that helped form the Earth have continued to shape its geology ever since. It's one thing to know the Moon was created in an impact some 4.5 billion years ago, and another to imagine that some of the core of the planetesimal that shaped our entire Earthly existence might still exist itself, trapped below an ocean of liquid rock.

One, of course, is in the Pacific, close to being between Australia and New Zealand, where being Ancient, it sleeps.

Thesis Paper:
Q. Yuan, M. M. Li, S.J. Desch and B.Ko, GIANT IMPACT ORIGIN FOR THE LARGE LOW SHEAR VELOCITY PROVINCES, Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration.

Original Submission

Anti-aristarchus writes:

For the photos, take a look at The New York Times article on

Divers practicing blackwater photography are helping marine scientists gain new insights into fish larvae.

Very interesting.

For most scuba divers, few places underwater match the visual thrill of a kaleidoscopic coral reef teeming with colorful fish. For Jeff Milisen, a marine biologist and photographer in Kona, Hawaii, there is no better place to dive than an open stretch of deep ocean. At night.

"There's a whole lot of nothing," he said. "There's no bottom, no walls, just this space that goes to infinity. And one thing you realize is there are a lot of sea monsters there, but they're tiny."

Of course, there are big monsters, too, like sharks. But the creatures Mr. Milisen is referring to are part of a daily movement of larval fish and invertebrates, which rise from the depths to the surface each evening as part of one of the largest migrations of organisms on the planet. The emerging hobby of taking pictures of them is known as blackwater photography.

Started as a hobby, but now the professionals are getting interested.

In a paper published on Tuesday in the journal Ichthyology & Herpetology, scientists from Hawaii, along with Dr. Johnson and others at the Smithsonian, have outlined how they hope to enlist more nighttime underwater photographers, most of whom have no scientific background, to participate in marine research. If the photographers could collect specimens of the tiny animals they photograph, DNA could be extracted and analyzed.

My personal favorite is A bony-eared assfish (Acanthonus armatus).Credit...Steven Kovacs. The larval cusk-eel, genus Brotulotaenia. is no slouch, either.

Journal Reference:
Ai Nonaka, Jeffrey W. Milisen, Bruce C. Mundy, et al. Blackwater Diving: An Exciting Window Into the Planktonic Arena and Its Potential to Enhance the Quality of Larval Fish Collections [open], Ichthyology & Herpetology (DOI: 10.1643/i2019318)

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

Godzilla vs. Kong: A functional morphologist uses science to pick a winner:

The 2021 film "Godzilla vs. Kong" pits the two most iconic movie monsters of all time against each other. And fans are now picking sides.

Even the most fantastical creatures have some basis in scientific reality, so the natural world is a good place to look to better understand movie monsters. I study functional morphology – how skeletal and tissue traits allow animals to move – and evolution in extinct animals. I am also a huge fan of monster movies. Ultimately, this is a fight between a giant reptile and a giant primate, and there are relative biological advantages and disadvantages that each would have. The research I do on morphology and biomechanics can tell us a lot about this battle and might help you decide – #TeamGodzilla or #TeamKong?

[...] Kong does have many gorillalike attributes as well, including long muscular arms, a short snout with large canine teeth, and a tall sagittal crest – a ridge of bone on his head that would be the anchor point for some exceptionally strong jaw muscles.

Strong, agile, comfortable on land and with the unparalleled ability to use tools and throw, Kong would be a brutal force in a fight.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:

Amazon loses effort to install camera to watch counting of ballots in pivotal union vote:

The National Labor Relations Board on Monday rejected Amazon's request to install a video camera to keep an eye on boxes containing thousands of ballots key to a high-stakes union election in Alabama.

The closely-watched union election in Bessemer, Alabama, concluded on Monday. Approximately 5,800 workers at the facility in Bessemer were eligible to vote to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Vote counting begins at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, but the final tally may be days or weeks away, as Amazon and the RWDSU can contest ballots.

Amazon had sought to place a video camera in the NLRB's Birmingham office, where votes will be tabulated, to keep an eye on the ballot boxes in the off hours between counting, according to an NLRB order denying Amazon's request. The camera feed would have been accessible by both Amazon and the RWDSU.

"Though the mail ballot election in this matter is large, it is not, as the Employer asserts, of a 'special nature,'" Lisa Henderson, acting regional director for the NLRB, said in the ruling. "The Region will conduct the ballot count within view of observers participating via virtual platform as well as in-person observers, and in accordance with Agency procedures and protocols, including those for securing ballot boxes."

[...] Counting will kick off Tuesday morning via a private video conference, presided over by the NLRB and with Amazon and the RWDSU allowed four observers each to monitor the count.

During this portion, the NLRB will read off each voter's name and both sides will be allowed to contest ballots, likely based on factors such as whether an employee's job title entitles them to vote or an illegible signature. Any contested ballots will be set aside.

Once this portion is complete, the NLRB will begin to count the unchallenged ballots in a public session open to members of the media. To win, the union needs to secure a simple majority of the votes cast at Amazon's Bessemer warehouse, known as BHM1.

Original Submission

We had a few hours this evening where there were issues we didn't notice with new submissions. We had been mothballing (setting the number of matches necessary beyond what would ever match anything) some spam filters exclusive to submissions and managed to somehow confuse one of the Apache web frontends. The offending filters are now just deleted entirely and incapable of confusing even MS Paint.

Please excuse the embuggerance. We now return you to your regularly scheduled arguments.

TMB

takyon writes:

Mafia fugitive caught after posting YouTube cooking video

A mafia fugitive has been caught in the Caribbean after appearing on YouTube cooking videos in which he hid his face but inadvertently showed his distinctive tattoos.

Marc Feren Claude Biart, 53, led a quiet life in Boca Chica, in the Dominican Republic, with the local Italian expat community considering him a "foreigner", police said in a statement on Monday.

He was betrayed by a YouTube channel in which he showed off his Italian cooking skills. The videos never showed his face, but the tattoos on his body gave him away, they said.

Biart had been on the run since 2014, when Italian prosecutors ordered his arrest for trafficking in cocaine in the Netherlands on behalf of the Cacciola clan of the 'Ndrangheta mafia.

The Washington Post adds:

It is unclear if he has retained a lawyer or if his videos are still online. He could not immediately be reached for comment by The Washington Post.

While film and TV depictions of the mafia have launched two other crime syndicates — Cosa Nostra in Sicily and Camorra in Naples — into international notoriety, the more quiet 'Ndrangheta has managed to transcend both organizations in wealth and political power.

With a vast network based on blood ties, the 'Ndrangheta's reach extends from South America to Canada and across Europe, where it reportedly controls most of the cocaine market, the Atlantic reported. A 2013 study found the group's business revenue, mostly from drug trafficking and a garbage disposal operation, amounted to 3.5 percent of Italy's GDP.

See also: Fugitive Italian mobster is arrested in Lisbon COVID clinic

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Cryptos Stride Further Into Mainstream As New Paypal Feature Lets Users Pay With Bitcoin, Ethereum & More:

The online payments giant has added a new 'Checkout with Crypto' feature, which is set to become available for US users from Tuesday. The service will allow those holding bitcoin, ethereum, bitcoin cash, and litecoin in their wallets to convert their tokens into US dollars or other fiat currencies while making purchases, with no additional transaction fees.

The option is set to automatically appear in people's PayPal wallets, but only one type of coin can be used for each purchase, according to the company. The fintech giant reportedly plans to enable the option at all of its 29 million merchants.

According to coinbase (as of 2021-03-30 20:35 UTC), Bitcoin was at $58,466 (+1.95%), Ethereum was at $1,840 (+2.04%), and BitCoin Cash was at $528 (+1.95%).

(Disclaimer: SoylentNews accepts Subscription payments using either PayPal or Stripe.)

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

Intel accused of wiretapping because it uses analytics to track keystrokes, mouse movements on its website:

Intel is among the growing list of companies being sued for allegedly violating American wiretapping laws by running third-party code to track interactions, such as keystrokes, click events, and cursor movements, on its website.

The plaintiff, Holly Londers, claims she visited Intel's website approximately a dozen times in the twelve months to January 2021, and during those visits the chip maker "utilized tracking, recording, and/or 'session replay' software to contemporaneously intercept [her] use and interaction with the website, including mouse clicks and movements," and information that she input, pages visited and viewed, and dates and times of visits.

The lawsuit has been brought under the 2020 Florida Security of Communications Act, which makes it a crime to intentionally intercept another person's electronic communications without prior consent.

Londers's complaint does not specify the session replay software involved but The Register understands from a conversation with one of the attorneys involved that it's believed to be Clicktale, which was acquired in 2019 by Contentsquare, a maker of similar analytics software.

[...] However, the attorney on the Florida case who spoke with The Register said the central issue is whether website visitors gave informed consent. And he voiced optimism that the Florida cases will survive motions to dismiss because Florida's wiretapping law is a strong consumer protection statute.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

DFI's Coffee Lake based "CS551" 3.5-inch SBC features an auto heat-up function that enables a -30 to 80°C range. The feature also appears on new, Whiskey Lake based, 2.5-inch "WL051" and Ryzen-based, 3.5-inch "GH551" SBCs.

[...] The heat-up feature enables the -30°C minimum by automatically heating the CPU when it drops below the chip's typical lower range of 0°C. On the high end, the systems supports up to 80°C instead of the usual 60°C in part by dynamically allocating computing resources between the CPU and GPU. On higher-TDP models, a fan option is required to achieve the range.

The auto heat-up function and -30 to 80°C support are also available on two other SBCs that are listed as new: an 8th Gen Whiskey Lake based, 2.5-inch WL051 and a Ryzen Embedded V1000/R1000 based, 3.5-inch GH551 (see farther below).

Now that is pretty damned nice. Beats the hell out of having to build and heat an enclosure.

Source: http://linuxgizmos.com/coffee-lake-whiskey-lake-and-ryzen-sbcs-run-at-30-to-80c-with-auto-heat-up-feature/

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

OpenAI's Text-Generating System Gpt-3 Is Now Spewing Out 4.5 Billion Words A Day:

The best-known AI text-generator is OpenAI's GPT-3, which the company recently announced is now being used in more than 300 different apps, by "tens of thousands" of developers, and producing 4.5 billion words per day. That's a lot of robot verbiage. This may be an arbitrary milestone for OpenAI to celebrate, but it's also a useful indicator of the growing scale, impact, and commercial potential of AI text generation.

OpenAI started life as a nonprofit, but for the last few years, it has been trying to make money with GPT-3 as its first salable product. The company has an exclusivity deal with Microsoft which gives the tech giant unique access to the program's underlying code, but any firm can apply for access to GPT-3's general API and build services on top of it.

[...] All this is good news for OpenAI (and Microsoft, whose Azure cloud computing platform powers OpenAI's tech), but not everyone in startup-land is keen.

[...] Like many algorithms, text generators have the capacity to absorb and amplify harmful biases. They're also often astoundingly dumb. In tests of a medical chatbot built using GPT-3, the model responded to a "suicidal" patient by encouraging them to kill themselves. These problems aren't insurmountable, but they're certainly worth flagging in a world where algorithms are already creating mistaken arrests, unfair school grades, and biased medical bills.

Original Submission