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owl writes:

A New Artificial Intelligence Traffic Light Could Help Shorten Your Commute Times:

Ask any nerd and they'll say artificial intelligence is taking over. That may not always be for the best, but finally it seems the tech is being put to good use – in traffic lights.

A new study out of Germany says having traffic lights use AI technology may keep traffic flowing faster and smoother. That means I won't have to wait at intersections longer than I have to, which is a plus if you're as impatient as I am.

One of the partners in the study with an aggressively German name – the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation – recently installed high-resolution cameras and radar sensors at a busy intersection with a traffic light in the city of Lemgo, according to New Atlas. The setup recorded the number of vehicles waiting for the light to change, the amount of time each of them had to wait and the average speed a vehicle drove through the intersection.

Science wizardry was then used to train a machine-learning based computer algorithm. It experimented with different light-changing patterns. They would continuously adapt to real time traffic conditions and see which ones worked best to keep wait times down.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Humans and other primates have evolved less sensitive noses:

Everyone experiences smells in their own unique way—the same scent can be pleasant, too intense or even undetectable to different noses. Scientists can combine these differences in scent perception with a person's genetics to discover the role of various scent receptors. In a new study, researchers screened the genomes of 1,000 Han Chinese people to find genetic variations linked to how the participants perceived 10 different scents. Then they repeated the experiment for six odors in an ethnically diverse population of 364 people to confirm their results. The team identified two new receptors, one that detects a synthetic musk used in fragrances and another for a compound in human underarm odor.

Participants carried different versions of the musk and underarm odor receptor genes, and those genetic variations affected how the person perceived the scents. In combination with previously published results, the researchers find that people with the ancestral versions (the version shared with other non-human primates) of the scent receptors tend to rate the corresponding odor as more intense. These findings support the hypothesis that the sensitivity of humans' and other primates' sense of smell has degraded over time due to changes in the set of genes that code for our smell receptors.

[...] The new results from East Asian and diverse populations suggest that the genetics underlying the ability to detect odors remains constant across people from different backgrounds.

Journal Reference:
Bingjie Li, Marissa L. Kamarck, Qianqian Peng, et al. From musk to body odor: Decoding olfaction through genetic variation, PLOS Genetics (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009564)

Original Submission

upstart writes:

The definitive guide to getting tall:

There are many genes, or at least markers of one sort or another within our DNA sequences, that have been associated with height. By some estimates the number could be thousands. However, finding those select genes that have a readily apparent and significant function in height has proven difficult.

One exciting new gene, at least for Chinese horses, was just described in the current issue of Current Biology. The researchers found that a transcription factor known as TBX3 plays a critical role in driving body size differences between Chinese ponies and horses. TBX3 is one of perhaps two dozen proteins in our own genomes that all share a highly conserved DNA binding domain known as a T-box. This domain is a big part of the protein and consists of several hundred amino acids that are typically coded over many exons. The DNA sequence bound by the T-box domain is also, conveniently I suppose, known in the literature as a T-box. The canonical sequence and overall reported length estimates of the the T-box element also come with a lot of variance. Some reports have it nailed at a length of 200 nucleotides, while others offer a shorter, and partly palindromic consensus sequence of "TCACACCT."

takyon writes:

Introducing Wolvic

Today Igalia announces Wolvic, a new browser project with an initial focus of picking up where Firefox Reality leaves off.

XR (eXtended Reality, an umbrella term for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and similar technologies) systems have advanced quite a bit recently, and experiencing them today is eye-opening. Mozilla invested a lot into R&D in XR in the late 2010s, and in late 2018 they released an experimental browser called Firefox Reality. It was a great entry into the XR field, helping establish what a browser in these devices really looks like, and figure out the unique challenges. Today we're excited to take up this experiment and continue this work as a complete project.

We at Igalia believe the Web is important to the XR space in a large number of ways. XR systems which provide an immersive OS need web browsers to be part of that. Entering a "reality" without access to everything that already exists on the Web would be pretty terrible.

Igalia is known for its work on open source graphics drivers.

Also at Phoronix.

Previously: Mozilla Launches "Firefox Reality", a VR Web Browser

Original Submission

owl writes:

http://www.slackware.com/releasenotes/15.0.php

Slackware 15.0 release notes. Wed Feb 2 18:39:59 CST 2022

Good hello folks, nice to see you here again. :-)

Historically, the RELEASE_NOTES had been mostly technical information, but once again Robby Workman has covered the important technical details in CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT. Thanks!

We've actually built over 400 different Linux kernel versions over the years it took to finally declare Slackware 15.0 stable (by contrast, we tested 34 kernel versions while working on Slackware 14.2). We finally ended up on kernel version 5.15.19 after Greg Kroah-Hartman confirmed that it would get long-term support until at least October 2023 (and quite probably for longer than that). As usual, the kernel is provided in two flavors, generic and huge. The huge kernel contains enough built-in drivers that in most cases an initrd is not needed to boot the system. The generic kernels require the use of an initrd to load the kernel modules needed to mount the root filesystem. Using a generic kernel will save some memory and possibly avoid a few boot time warnings. I'd strongly recommend using a generic kernel for the best kernel module compatibility as well. It's easier to do that than in previous releases - the installer now makes an initrd for you, and the new geninitrd utility will rebuild the initrd automatically for the latest kernel packages you've installed on the system.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Havana Syndrome could be caused by pulsed energy devices – US expert report

A US intelligence report by a panel of expert scientists has named pulsed electromagnetic energy and ultrasound as plausible causes for the mystery Havana Syndrome symptoms suffered by US diplomats and spies in recent years.

The report found that a group of cases could not be explained by health or environmental factors or by psychosomatic illness. It also said that devices exist with “modest energy requirements” which were concealable and could produce the observed symptoms and be effective over hundreds of meters or through walls.

The panel, established last year by the director of national security, Avril Haines, and the CIA director, William Burns, said the investigation was not tasked to identify a culprit, but in a statement accompanying the report, Haines and Burns said it would help sharpen the search for the origins of they mysterious ailments.

“We will stay at it, with continued rigor, for however long it takes,” they said.

Also at BBC and CNN.

Previously:
"Havana Syndrome": U.S. Baffled After New Cases in Europe
CIA Finds No Evidence of a Foreign Adversary Causing "Havana Syndrome"

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Australia to spend a record $35 million to protect koalas:

"Koalas are one of Australia's most loved and best recognised icons, both here at home and across the world, and we are committed to protecting them for generations to come," Morrison said in the statement.

The fund will be used for "restoring koala habitat, improving our understanding of koala populations, supporting training in koala treatment and care, and strengthening research into koala health outcomes," Morrison said.

Alleged 'koala massacre' prompts hundreds of animal cruelty charges

Australian authorities on Wednesday charged a landowner and two companies with more than 250 counts of animal cruelty over the deaths of dozens of koalas during a clearance operation last year.

According to a statement from Victoria state's Conservation Regulator, 21 koalas were found dead and dozens more injured at a timber plantation in Cape Bridgewater, about 377 kilometers (234 miles) southwest of the state capital, Melbourne, in February 2020.

Authorities euthanized 49 of the wounded koalas, with many suffering from starvation, dehydration and fractures, the statement said.

With the new investment, the Australian government will have dedicated $74 million Australian ($52 million US) on koalas since 2019, it added.

Since 2018, about 30% of Australia's koalas have been lost due to bushfire, drought, and land clearing for development, according to an Australian Koala Foundation statement in September 2021. That includes the severe losses of the population after the catastrophic ​bushfires of 2019, which destroyed more than 12 million acres (48,000 square kilometers) of land across New South Wales alone.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

North Korea Hacked Him. So He Took Down Its Internet:

For the past two weeks, observers of North Korea's strange and tightly restricted corner of the internet began to notice that the country seemed to be dealing with some serious connectivity problems. On several different days, practically all of its websites—the notoriously isolated nation only has a few dozen—intermittently dropped offline en masse, from the booking site for its Air Koryo airline to Naenara, a page that serves as the official portal for dictator Kim Jong-un's government. At least one of the central routers that allow access to the country's networks appeared at one point to be paralyzed, crippling the Hermit Kingdom's digital connections to the outside world.

[...] But responsibility for North Korea's ongoing internet outages doesn't lie with US Cyber Command or any other state-sponsored hacking agency. In fact, it was the work of one American man in a T-shirt, pajama pants, and slippers, sitting in his living room night after night, watching Alien movies and eating spicy corn snacks—and periodically walking over to his home office to check on the progress of the programs he was running to disrupt the internet of an entire country.

Just over a year ago, an independent hacker who goes by the handle P4x was himself hacked by North Korean spies. P4x was just one victim of a hacking campaign that targeted Western security researchers with the apparent aim of stealing their hacking tools and details about software vulnerabilities. He says he managed to prevent those hackers from swiping anything of value from him. But he nonetheless felt deeply unnerved by state-sponsored hackers targeting him personally—and by the lack of any visible response from the US government.

upstart writes:

Musicians are furious at website HitPiece, which listed their music as NFTs without permission:

Musicians have taken to Twitter today to complain about a website that is ostensibly selling their music as NFTs without permission. HitPiece claims to sell one-of-one NFTs, meaning each one is singular and unique (as opposed to the endless iterations of ugly monkeys we are now subjected to).

"Each HitPiece NFT is a One of One NFT for each unique song recording," said the HitPiece website. "Members build their Hitlist of their favorite songs, get on leaderboards, and receive in real life value such as access and experiences with Artists."

There's just one little snag with this plan. According to many of the artists whose songs are being offered as NFTs, HitPiece doesn't actually have any authority to do any of this.

[...] HitPiece's standard response to artists thus far has been to request they send a DM so it can explain how this is actually all fine and "definitely not a scam". However, HitPiece's website began to display a 404 error before seemingly being completely taken down for a period of time. The website's online status remained unstable at time of writing.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit Exits Lengthy Beta

February 2, 2022 marks the day that 64-bit flavor of Raspberry Pi OS moves from a rather lengthy beta, into the world at large. The news, announced via a blog post by Gordon Holingworth, Chief Product Officer at Raspberry Pi Ltd sees the 64-bit OS move to being released. But this new release isn't set to replace the 32-bit version just yet.

Originally released as a beta back in May 2020, Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit looks and feels the same as the venerable 32-bit version but under the hood we get a little more horsepower for the newer models of Raspberry Pi.

[...] At this time, there is no 64-bit support for Widevine DRM. This means that we cannot play media from sites such as Disney+ and Netflix. The current workaround, detailed in the blog post, requires us to install the 32-bit Chromium browser.

[...] We asked Hollingworth if the 32-bit OS will be phased out as more 64-bit compatible models are released? "While we manufacture hardware with 32-bit processors then we will still continue with the 32-bit recommended image. (We still make original Pi model B's because we always said we would continue to do so while it was possible)," he said.

Previously: Raspberry Pi 4 Gets 8 GB RAM Model, Also 64-bit OS and USB Boot (Both in Beta)
Raspberry Pi Raises Price for First Time, Reintroduces 1 GB Model for $35
Quad-Core Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Launched at $15

Original Submission

fliptop writes:

Despite confirming its purchase, the bureau claims Pegasus was never used in any FBI investigation:

According to the report, the deal struck between the FBI and NSO was a one-year test project worth around $5 million. Despite "not using it at all... like, not even switching it on," according to a source, the FBI renewed the contract for another year, bringing the deal up to $9 million.

The deal was agreed upon following a "long process" of disagreements on how much control NSO Group would retain over its software, a source told The Guardian. The FBI reportedly took issue with NSO's policy of keeping sensors on its technology in order to be alerted if it was moved by a government client and to keep track of its physical location.

In addition, the bureau was reportedly wary of allowing NSO engineers to install Pegasus on FBI computers, instead agreeing to keep the spyware in a large container.

The FBI stated it bought access to NSO's spyware in order to "stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft."

Previously on SN:

• Researchers Call NSO Zero-Click iPhone Exploit "Incredible and Terrifying"
• American Diplomats' iPhones Reportedly Compromised by NSO Group Intrusion Software
• Apple Sues NSO Group for Providing Software to Hack iPhones
• U.S. Places Sanctions on NSO Group, Peddler of Pegasus Spyware

Original Submission

takyon writes:

HoloLens 3 isn't happening and metaverse tie-in strategy is unclear, says report

Microsoft has done a lot with HoloLens and its successor, HoloLens 2, in the time both products have been available to the public. However, even with the line's accomplishments, a HoloLens 3 may not be in the cards.

According to a report by Business Insider, HoloLens 3 has been scrapped by Microsoft and the HoloLens team is trapped in a state of perpetual confusion and uncertainty over what the long-term goals of existing plans are. As a result, teammates are leaving Microsoft to pursue augmented reality positions at rival companies such as Meta, a development that was documented before this report.

Some of the HoloLens team believe the focus should remain on hardware innovation efforts, like has been seen with the U.S. Army's IVAS contract, which holds the potential to net Microsoft up to $22 billion in exchange for its delivery of soldier-attuned HoloLens variants. That project has been delayed, reportedly because Microsoft has been thus far unable to produce a combat-ready device.

Also at PCWorld and Engadget.

See also: Microsoft's HoloLens 3 's--t show' proves it still doesn't understand the consumer market

Previously: U.S. Army Awards Microsoft a $480 Million HoloLens Contract
Microsoft Announces $3,500 HoloLens 2 With Wider Field of View and Other Improvements
Microsoft Misrepresented HoloLens 2 Field of View, Faces Backlash for Military Contract
U.S. Army Shows Off Demo of HoloLens 2 System

Original Submission

NPC-131072 writes:

Apple CEO Tim Cook targeted by possibly armed stalker who came to his home and is still in the area, company alleges

Apple has been granted a restraining order against a Virginia woman it said has been stalking Apple CEO Tim Cook for more than a year, emailing him photos of a loaded pistol and trespassing at his home, according to court filings.

In its application, Apple accused the woman of "erratic, threatening, and bizarre behavior." The company included in the application copies of photos, emails and tweets purporting to come from the woman. Apple said in the application that it believes the woman "may be armed and is still in the South Bay Area and intends to return to (Cook's) residence or locate him otherwise in the near future."

How to blur out your home in Apple Maps and Google Maps

Tim Cook's plush home in Palo Alto, California, has been blurred out inside Apple Maps and Google Maps -- likely because of an alleged stalking incident. If you enter his address, you'll see nothing but a gigantic, pixelated wall.

But this kind of digital scrubbing isn't reserved for top CEOs and celebrities. In fact, anyone can quite easily get their own home hidden from online maps. All you need to do is ask Apple and Google to conceal the locations. We'll show you how.

Original Submission

Intel Arc GPUs

takyon writes:

Intel Patches To Make It Easier To Run Their Discrete Graphics On Arm, Other Architectures

A change currently being evaluated for Intel's "i915" Linux kernel graphics driver would make it easier for building driver support for their forthcoming discrete graphics products for targeting other non-x86 CPU architectures like Arm.

Sent out today as a "request for comments" were patches that change the Intel Linux kernel graphics driver to allow it to optionally build without support for integrated graphics -- leaving the driver just capable of discrete graphics support. While Intel graphics have traditionally been about their integrated graphics on their processors, Intel is moving hard and fast on bringing up their discrete graphics support under Linux with DG2/Alchemist for Intel Arc graphics cards coming together as well as their Xe HPC accelerator.

Because of the integrated graphics being part of Intel's x86 CPUs, their driver really hasn't had to care about other CPU architectures since such combinations haven't been possible. But now with discrete graphics cards and their HPC accelerators, it will be possible to have Intel graphics on say an Arm, POWER, or RISC-V platform. The change being proposed by this RFC patch series would allow building the Linux kernel graphics driver with just that discrete graphics support included.

See also: Intel's Vulkan Linux Driver Adds Experimental Mesh Shader Support For DG2/Alchemist

Intel Arc GPUs Could Give Gamers a Reason to Drop Windows 11 for Linux

upstart writes:

Intel Arc GPUs could give gamers a reason to drop Windows 11 for Linux:

Intel's developers are working on bringing Resizable BAR (or ReBAR) to its upcoming ARC graphics cards for Linux, which is great news for PC gamers who are looking to jump ship from another operating system like Windows 11.

DannyB writes:

SpaceX rolls outs 'premium' Starlink satellite internet tier at $500 per month

SpaceX has quietly rolled out a new, more powerful "premium" tier of its Starlink satellite internet service that's targeted at businesses and enterprise customers.

The new product, which was added to the company's website Tuesday night, comes at five times the cost of the consumer-focused standard service. Starlink Premium requires a $500 refundable deposit, a $2,500 fee for the antenna and router, and the service costs $500 per month.

The standard Starlink service, which launched in October 2020, has a $99 refundable deposit, a $499 hardware fee and the service costs $99 per month.

[...] Starlink Premium also offers "unlimited service locations" flexibility. Unlike the standard product, which only guarantees service at a specific service address, SpaceX says Starlink Premium is capable of connecting from anywhere.

SpaceX's new Starlink Premium tier promises up to 500Mbps for $500 a month

SpaceX's satellite internet service Starlink is getting a pricey new high-performance tier called Starlink Premium. Announced by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, the new service includes a larger high performance antenna and advertises speeds of between 150 and 500Mbps (20 to 40ms latency), up from the 50 to 250Mbps (20 to 40ms latency) promised by its regular service. Premium also claims roughly double the upload speeds at 20 to 40Mbps, compared to 10 to 20Mbps for the standard tier.

This increase in performance doesn't come cheap. While the base Starlink service costs $499 for the hardware and $99 a month, Starlink Premium will cost $2,500 for the antenna, and $500 a month. Deliveries are due to start in the second quarter of this year. There's also a $500 deposit to reserve a Premium dish. Starlink's website says the new tier is targeting "small offices, storefronts, and super users across the globe."

A large enough constellation of satellites will ensure Starlink is a smashing success.

See Also:

SpaceX launches Starlink Premium internet plan, and it's not cheap

Original Submission