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Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/04/lineageos-18-1-brings-android-11-to-over-60-smartphones/

The Android community's biggest aftermarket distribution, LineageOS, is now up and running with Android 11. The new release is called "LineageOS 18.1," and builds for over 60 smartphones are hitting official servers for brands like OnePlus, Google, Xiaomi, Sony, Motorola, LG, and even some old Samsung devices.

New Lineage OS 18.1 contains, of course, all the Android 11 features from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), like a new notification panel with a persistent media player, floating "bubble" notifications, one-time permissions, new emojis, a new autofill system for the keyboard, and more. All the Lineage apps now support dark mode, and a fork of the FOSS "Etar" calendar app replaces what Lineage calls the "stagnant and largely unmaintained" AOSP calendar. The FOSS app SeedVault has been included as a built-in backup solution, and Lineage's screen recorder and music apps have been revamped.

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:

A Scientist Taught AI to Generate Pickup Lines. The Results are Chaotic.:

Artificial intelligence is finally learning to flirt. While romantic banter continues to elude the likes of Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, an advanced AI system out of the United States is being trained to seduce, churning out original pickup lines for the express purpose of scoring a date.

Janelle Shane, a research scientist and author from Colorado, created a squad of courtship bots using one of the most sophisticated text-writing AI algorithms in the world: a language model known as the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), which uses deep learning to produce human-like text. Researchers claim GPT-3's output is so advanced that it is often difficult to distinguish it from material written by a real, flesh-and-blood human—which, in this case, says some troubling things about the standards we've come to expect from real, flesh-and-blood humans.

"I'm losing my voice from all the screaming your hotness is causing me to do," reads one pickup line, which could all too easily have been lifted from a Tinder DM screenshot. "I will briefly summarize the plot of Back to the Future II for you," reads another.

[...] Of all the lines spouted by Shane's virtual pickup artists, one of the most memorable comes from one of the most primitive minds: a neural network she trained for the exact same purpose back in 2017.

"You look like a thing and I love you."

Hey sailor! Come here often?

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

Aussie private school bans mullets:

An elite private boys school in Western Australia has banned the mullet hairstyle after deeming the hairdo "not acceptable".

Trinity College in Perth outlined their ban on the retro haircut in its recent newsletter.

"It is without reservation that the College sets clear requirements that ensure health and safety, as well as setting a high standard for personal presentation," the newsletter states.

"The current trend of growing the hair at the back of the head and/or closely cropping the sides of the head to accentuate the 'mullet' style are untidy, non-conventional and not acceptable at Trinity College. As is the trend of long hair and fringes.

"The College expectations on hair styles can be found on Page 18 of the Student Diary."

Students who don't meet the school's grooming standards will be picked up by their parents and ordered to get a haircut.

[...] West Australian Premier Mark McGowan also weighed into the great mullet debate, claiming that while he was personally fond of mullets, rat tails were a step too far.

"I'm very pro mullet, it's a unique Australian invention – one which we've been selling to the world, but I'll let the school make their own decisions," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"I'm pro mullet, I'm not so pro-rat's tails — rat's tails are a bit beyond the pale."

Original Submission

Anti-aristarchus writes:

There is one city famous for building bridges across city streets, so the squirrels do not get run over. But no one took a survey before. Story at Phys.org. (Why, I have no idea. It is figuratively driving me nuts.)

Human disturbance in urban environments makes some squirrels fail, but others perform better in novel problem-solving.

Unlike natural environments, urban areas have artificial buildings, traffics, less greenery and, most prominently, more humans. Despite these seemingly 'harsh' or stressful characteristics, some wildlife like the Eurasian red squirrel have chosen to settle down in urban environments, and they thrive. Urban wildlife often show higher behavioral flexibility and increased ability to solve novel problems, and thus can exploit new resources. However, which characteristics of urban environments influence animals' performance, and their relative importance, have remained unclear.

In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a research team led by Itsuro Koizumi of Hokkaido University set out a novel food-extraction problem for wild Eurasian red squirrels in 11 urban areas in Hokkaido, Japan. This problem contains out-of-reach nuts on levers, and the successful solutions are counterintuitive: a squirrel has to push a lever if it is close to a nut, whereas it has to pull a lever if it is far away from the nut.

The researchers also recorded the environmental characteristics in each area, including direct human disturbance (mean number of humans present per day), indirect human disturbance (the number of buildings), green coverage, and squirrel's population size, and then correlated these with squirrels' novel problem-solving performance.

Ah, symbiosis, where we unwittingly train the rodents to be smarter than us, with the inevitable unpleasant outcome. All hail the squirrel named Caesar!

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

Longview, Washington, for those too lazy to google or duck-duck.

Journal Reference:
Characteristics of urban environments and novel problem-solving performance in Eurasian red squirrels, Proceedings of the Royal Society B (DOI: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.2832)

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

If you visit the RusMoloko dairy farm near Moscow, in Russia, you may think you've arrived at a bizarre futuristic film set. Here, cows supposedly roam around fitted with VR headsets.

The VR goggles aren't props for a film, however. They have been specially made for these dairy cows to help them relax in order to produce more milk, according to a press release from Moscow's Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

At least, that's what was reported in a press release from Moscow's Ministry of Agriculture and Food. But it turns out there are some reasons to be skeptical.

https://interestingengineering.com/cows-on-russian-farm-get-fitted-with-vr-goggles-to-increase-milk-production

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

Four Major Vehicle Manufacturers Agree on Swappable Battery Specification:

Just as electric cars are becoming ever more common, the alternative propulsion system is starting to make headway in the motorcycle sphere. Companies such as Harley-Davidson and Zero already have electric models on sale, but other established brands are preparing for the electric future.

[...] The four companies created an organization back in April 2019 for this sort of purpose called the Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles. And the group has now announced that the manufacturers have agreed on the specifications for motorcycle batteries that can be interchanged among each company's motorcycles.

[...] The manufacturers haven't said exactly what the specifications are for these interchangeable batteries, nor when they'll be implemented. But we'll be eagerly awaiting more information in the future.

[Ed. Note - The fine article says that the manufacturers both have and haven't agreed on a specification, so maybe they have agreed to agree on one?]

Original Submission

Anti-aristarchus writes:

According to Space.com, it is true, Uranus is putting out, X-rays. Chandra space telescope involved.

The more scientists study it, the weirder Uranus gets.

The newest mystery to add to the planet's repertoire? Astronomers have detected X-rays from the strange world — and while some of the signal may be reflected emissions from the sun, some appear to be coming from the planet itself, according to a NASA statement.

That's according to new research that analyzed observations of Uranus gathered by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in 2002 and 2017.

Important part:

Scientists hope that future observations by Chandra may help determine what's happening at Uranus. Missions yet to launch may also be able to study the planet's X-ray emissions, particularly the European Space Agency's Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (ATHENA), due to launch in 2031, or the Lynx X-ray Observatory mission that NASA is considering for launch after its Nancy Grace Roman Telescope.

The research is described in a paper published today (March 31) in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:

Falling sperm counts 'threaten human survival', expert warns:

Falling sperm counts and changes to sexual development are "threatening human survival" and leading to a fertility crisis, a leading epidemiologist has warned.

Writing in a new book, Shanna Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, warns that the impending fertility crisis poses a global threat comparable to that of the climate crisis.

"The current state of reproductive affairs can't continue much longer without threatening human survival," she writes in Count Down.

It comes after a study she co-authored in 2017 found that sperm counts in the west had plummeted by 59% between 1973 and 2011, making headlines globally.

Now, Swan says, following current projections, sperm counts are set to reach zero in 2045. "That's a little concerning, to say the least," she told Axios.

In the book, Swan and co-author Stacey Colino explore how modern life is threatening sperm counts, changing male and female reproductive development and endangering human life.

It points to lifestyle and chemical exposures that are changing and threatening human sexual development and fertility. Such is the gravity of the threats they pose, she argues, that humans could become an endangered species.

Original Submission

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

Protein Discovery in the Development of New Hearing Hair Cells Could Lead to Treatments for Hearing Loss:

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have conducted a study that has determined the role that a critical protein plays in the development of hair cells. These hair cells are vital for hearing. Some of these cells amplify sounds that come into the ear, and others transform sound waves into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at UMSOM and Maggie Matern, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, demonstrated that the protein, called GFI1, may be critical for determining whether an embryonic hair cell matures into a functional adult hair cell or becomes a different cell that functions more like a nerve cell or neuron.

[...] Hearing relies on the proper functioning of specialized cells within the inner ear called hair cells. When the hair cells do not develop properly or are damaged by environmental stresses like loud noise, it results in a loss of hearing function.

In the United States, the prevalence of hearing loss doubles with every 10-year increase in age, affecting about half of all adults in their 70s and about 80 percent of those who are over age 85. Researchers have been focusing on describing the developmental steps that lead to a functional hair cell, in order to potentially generate new hair cells when old ones are damaged.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:

VW accidentally leaks new name for its U.S. operations: Voltswagen:

Volkswagen accidentally posted a press release on its website a month early on Monday announcing a new name for its U.S. operations, Voltswagen of America, emphasizing the German automaker's electric vehicle efforts.

A spokesman for the company declined to comment on the release, which was dated April 29 and has since been taken down.

A person familiar with the company's plans confirmed the authenticity of the release to CNBC. They asked to remain anonymous because the plans were not meant to be public yet.

[...] Volts are the derived units for electric potential, also known as electromotive force, between two points. General Motors previously used Volt for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle between 2010 and 2019.

Original Submission

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