SoylentNews

takyon writes:

India goes RISC-V with VEGA processors

One of the main advantages of RISC-V architecture is that it is open, so any organization with the right skills can develop its own cores, and India's government has taken up this opportunity with the Microprocessor Development Programme (MDP) helping develop VEGA RISC-V cores locally.

Thanks to funding by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) managed to design five RISC-V processors ranging from a single-core 32-bit RISC-V microcontroller-class processor to a Linux capable quad-core 64-bit out-of-order processor.

[...] We should not expect a processor for desktop Linux anytime soon, as AS4161 [the 64-bit quad-core] mostly targets storage and networking applications.

Vega Microprocessors

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Controversy erupts over Aussie museum's identification of HMS Endeavour wreck:

The HMS Endeavour is famous for being sailed by Capt. James Cook to the South Pacific for a scientific expedition in the late 18th century. But the Endeavour (by then renamed the Lord Sandwich) met its demise in the Atlantic, when it was one of 13 ships the British deliberately sank (or "scuttled") in a Rhode Island harbor during the American Revolution.

Now, the Australian National Maritime Museum has announced that its researchers have confirmed that a shipwreck proposed as a likely candidate in 2018 is indeed the remains of the HMS Endeavour. However, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP)—the museum's research partner in the project—promptly released a statement calling the announcement premature. RIMAP insists that more evidence is needed and that its own final report is still forthcoming.

bart9h writes:

The article at sci-news.com says:

Mosquitoes track odors, locate hosts, and find mates visually. The color of a food resource, such as a flower or warm-blooded host, can be dominated by long wavelengths of the visible light spectrum (green to red for humans) and is likely important for object recognition and localization. However, little is known about the hues that attract mosquitoes or how odor affects mosquito visual search behaviors. A new University of Washington-led study shows that after detecting a telltale gas that we exhale, yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) fly toward specific colors, including red, orange, black and cyan, but they ignore other colors, such as green, purple, blue and white.

"Mosquitoes appear to use odors to help them distinguish what is nearby, like a host to bite," said Professor Jeffrey Riffell, a researcher in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington.

"When they smell specific compounds, like carbon dioxide from our breath, that scent stimulates the eyes to scan for specific colors and other visual patterns, which are associated with a potential host, and head to them."

In the new experiments, Professor Riffell and his colleagues tracked behavior of female Aedes aegypti, when presented with different types of visual and scent cues.

Like all mosquito species, only females drink blood, and bites from Aedes aegypti can transmit dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika.

Journal Reference:
Alonso San Alberto, Diego, Rusch, Claire, Zhan, Yinpeng, et al. The olfactory gating of visual preferences to human skin and visible spectra in mosquitoes [open], Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28195-x)

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Climate change: Satellites map huge methane plumes from oil and gas:

Huge plumes of the warming gas methane have been mapped globally for the first time from oil and gas fields using satellites.

Plugging these leaks would be an important step in buying extra time to curb climate change. The new research found plumes covering vast areas, sometimes stretching to 200 miles - the leaks are thought to be mostly unintended.

Last year, about 100 countries promised to cut methane emissions by 2030.

"We knew about individual gas blow-outs before, but this work shows the true methane footprint of oil and gas operations around the planet," explains Riley Duren, an author of the paper and CEO of Carbon Mapper which tracks methane emissions.

upstart writes:

Apple shocks iOS developers with 27% commission on third-party payments:

Apple has surprised iOS app developers by announcing a plan to charge 27 percent commissions on third-party payments—nearly as high as Apple's standard in-app payment cut of 30 percent. While Apple is applying the 27 percent commission only to dating apps in the Netherlands in order to comply with a government order, critics worry that Apple will charge commissions in any country where it's required to allow third-party payments unless such commissions are specifically forbidden.

In a new support document for developers, Apple said the 27 percent commission will apply even when a developer simply links to their own website. "To comply with an order from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), Apple allows developers distributing dating apps on the Netherlands App Store to choose to do one of the following: 1) continue using Apple's in-app purchase system, 2) use a third-party payment system within the app, or 3) include an in-app link directing users to the developer's website to complete a purchase," the document's introduction said.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

MIT Engineers Create the "Impossible" – New Material That Is Stronger Than Steel and As Light as Plastic

Using a novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel and as light as plastic, and can be easily manufactured in large quantities.

The new material is a two-dimensional polymer that self-assembles into sheets, unlike all other polymers, which form one-dimensional, spaghetti-like chains. Until now, scientists had believed it was impossible to induce polymers to form 2D sheets.

Such a material could be used as a lightweight, durable coating for car parts or cell phones, or as a building material for bridges or other structures, says Michael Strano, the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and the senior author of the new study.

[...] The researchers found that the new material's elastic modulus — a measure of how much force it takes to deform a material — is between four and six times greater than that of bulletproof glass. They also found that its yield strength, or how much force it takes to break the material, is twice that of steel, even though the material has only about one-sixth the density of steel.

Irreversible synthesis of an ultrastrong two-dimensional polymeric material (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04296-3) (DX)

From the paper:

Further processing yields highly oriented, free-standing films that have a 2D elastic modulus and yield strength of 12.7 ± 3.8 gigapascals and 488 ± 57 megapascals, respectively.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

EC proposes new directive to improve gig economy work conditions:

Millions of people working for gig economy platforms in Europe could be reclassified as workers rather than self-employed, entitling them to a much wider range of rights and workplace protections, under a proposal put forward by the European Commission (EC).

The EC estimates that about 5.5 million people – working for the likes of Uber, Deliveroo, Amazon Mechanical Turk and others – could see their employment status change if the proposal is adopted by member states.

Based on the initial draft, which was originally presented by the EC in December 2021 and aimed at improving the working conditions of those working in the gig economy through digital labour platforms, the proposed directive would establish a set of five "control criteria" to determine whether or not a platform is an "employer".

upstart writes:

Earth has more tree species than we thought:

Of the 73,300 estimated species, the researchers predict there are 9,200 that are yet to be discovered.

But most rare species are in tropical forests, fast disappearing because of climate change and deforestation.

The study is based on a database of tens of millions of trees in more than 100,000 forest plots around the world.

The researchers used statistical techniques to predict the likely number of tree species, correcting for gaps in existing data.

The findings suggest more must be done to protect the incredible life forms needed for food, timber and medicine and to fight climate change by sucking carbon dioxide from the air.

[...] Lead researcher Dr Peter Reich, of the University of Minnesota in St Paul, said the findings highlighted the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity.

"Our data will help us assess where biodiversity is the most threatened," he told BBC News.

"This is in the tropics and subtropics of South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania and those are places where we discovered hotspots of known and unknown rare species.

"Knowing about these hotspots, hopefully, can help prioritise future conservation efforts."

upstart writes:

European oil facilities hit by cyber-attacks:

IT systems have been disrupted at Oiltanking in Germany, SEA-Invest in Belgium and Evos in the Netherlands.

In total dozens of terminals with oil storage and transport around the world have been affected, with firms reporting that the attacks occurred over the weekend.

But experts caution against assuming this is a co-ordinated attack.

The BBC understands that all three companies' IT systems went down or were severely disrupted.

[...] Some reports suggest the attack on Oiltanking is ransomware, where hackers scramble data and make computer systems inoperable until they get paid a ransom.

In May last year a ransomware attack on US oil supplier Colonial Pipeline saw supplies tighten across the US and multiple states declaring an emergency.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

UK government pushes back full fibre coverage target to 2030:

The UK government has watered down its broadband targets yet again, promising to deliver nationwide gigabit broadband coverage five years later than originally promised.

The Conservative manifesto ahead of the 2019 General Election promised nationwide fibre to the premise (FTTP) coverage by 2025 but the government has since backtracked. The revised target is 85%, with the government also backing down on its commitment to using full fibre.

Meanwhile, just £1.2 billion of £5 billion in promised funding will be delivered during this Parliament.

[...] The government’s Project Gigabit will attempt to cover hard-to-reach areas that aren’t covered by commercial rollouts, but the whitepaper did not provide any concrete details on any new initiatives.

[...] The government’s document also promises nationwide 4G coverage by the same date, citing the pre-existing Shared Rural Network (SRN), and 5G coverage for the majority of the population. EE has already promised to deliver 5G to 90% of the UK’s geographic area by 2028 and it is unclear what further government support will be offered to enhance that figure.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Gory footage confirms orca pods can kill adult blue whales:

Killer whales are skilled assassins, hunting everything from herring to great white sharks. Now, for the first time, scientists witnessed a pod of killer whales bring down the world’s largest animal: an adult blue whale.

“This is the biggest predation event on the planet,” says Robert Pitman, a cetacean ecologist at Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute in Newport. “We haven’t seen things like this since dinosaurs were here, and probably not even then.”

[...] The coordinated attack was consistent with methods observed during other orca takedowns of large whales. Orcas will target the fins, tail and jaw, possibly to slow the whale. They will also push the whale’s head underwater to prevent it surfacing for air, while others below push it up so it can’t dive. “These are practiced large-whale hunters,” says study coauthor Pitman. “They know how to do this.”

Journal Reference:
John A. Totterdell, Rebecca Wellard, Isabella M. Reeves, et al. The first three records of killer whales (Orcinus orca) killing and eating blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), Marine Mammal Science (DOI: 10.1111/mms.12906)

Original Submission

Tesla Recalls More Than 817,000 Vehicles Over Seat-belt Chime Issue, Which It Will Address Remotely

upstart writes:

Tesla recalls more than 817,000 vehicles over seat-belt chime issue, which it will address remotely:

The electric automaker will remotely update 817,143 vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [(NHTSA)] said, after an issue where its seat-belt chimes go quiet on subsequent drives after having previously been interrupted — for example, when a driver exits the vehicle as the chime sounds.

"The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt," NHTSA wrote in an issue summary. The agency said the issue puts Tesla out of compliance with "occupant crash protection" requirements of federal auto safety regulations.

"The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash," wrote NHTSA official Alex Ansley, in a letter to Tesla describing the issue.

Tesla said a software release will address the issue over-the-air in February, meaning owners will not be required to bring their vehicles in for service to satisfy the recall requirements. Tesla is one of few automakers that make extensive changes to the way their vehicles operate using over-the-air software updates. The capability has occasionally landed it in trouble with regulators because it failed to notify them of changes that would otherwise be made through the recall process.

Tesla did respond to a request for comment. NHTSA spokeswoman Lucia Sanchez said the agency aims to ensure companies file necessary recalls — even if the fix can be initiated through a software update.

Also at CNN.

upstart writes:

Shocked zircon find a 'one-off gift' from Mars:

Curtin University researchers studying a Martian meteorite have found the first evidence of high-intensity damage caused by asteroid impact, in findings that have implications for understanding when conditions suitable for life may have existed on early Mars.

Published in leading journal Science Advances, the research examined grains of the mineral zircon in Martian meteorite NWA 7034. The meteorite, colloquially known as "Black Beauty", is a rare sample of the surface of Mars. The original 320-gram rock was found in northern Africa and first reported in 2013.

[...] "This grain is truly a one-off gift from the Red Planet. High-pressure shock deformation has not previously been found in any minerals from Black Beauty. This discovery of shock damage in a 4.45 billion-year-old Martian zircon provides new evidence of dynamic processes that affected the surface of early Mars," Ms Cox said.

"The type of shock damage in the Martian zircon involves 'twinning', and has been reported from all of the biggest impact sites on Earth, including the one in Mexico that killed off the dinosaurs, as well as the Moon, but not previously from Mars."

Journal Reference:
Morgan A. Cox, Aaron J. Cavosie, Kenneth J. Orr, et al. Impact and habitability scenarios for early Mars revisited based on a 4.45-Ga shocked zircon in regolith breccia, Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl7497)

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Apple's App Store will now let developers unlist apps:

The App Store will now allow developers to restrict their apps so they're only viewable by people with a direct link to the page. Apple foresees the ability to unlist apps being used for exciting purposes such as hiding a company's employee app or their sales tools. I suppose apparent exclusivity is one way to make people actually want an app.

"Unlisted apps don't appear in any App Store categories, recommendations, charts, search results, or other listings," wrote Apple on its Developer website. "They can also be accessed through Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager."

[...] In order to unlist an app, developers must submit a request and wait for approval. The app has to be completed and ready for release though, so it can't be in beta. If approved, the app will be unlisted and a link to the App Store listing will be generated, which developers can then write in lemon juice to slip to their secret club at recess.

Apps which were initially listed but then unlisted will still retain the same URL, so if your app was already live it won't suddenly disappear for people stalking its App Store page. Though if anyone is sitting on the page and staring longingly at a corporate app, maybe you should just let them in. Clearly they're in desperate need of some excitement.

Additional coverage at The Verge, MacRumors, and 9to5Mac.

Original Submission

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