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Facebook changes ‘Real Name’ policy rules after public outcry

Facebook announced Friday that it is modifying the terms of its oft-criticised “real name” policy which demands users go by their “authentic name” when on the social network rather than a pseudonym. The trans and Native American communities have repeatedly protested the policy , citing its use by trolls as a weapon of harassment . Today’s announcement comes in response to an open letter penned by advocacy groups including the EFF and ACLU. Via: Buzzfeed Source: Facebook (scribd)

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Facebook changes ‘Real Name’ policy rules after public outcry

Nanofiber gel and snake venom work together to stop the bleeding

Researchers at Rice University announced a novel use for batroxobin , a hemotoxic component in the venom of two South American pit viper species. They’ve figured out how to leverage it as a potent anticoagulant — when combined with a nanofiber hydrogel called SB50 — that could save countless lives in surgery. Medical science has actually been employing batroxobin as a topical clotting agent and thrombosis treatment since the mid 1930s. But more importantly, it’s been shown to stop the flow of blood even if the patient is on heparin, a powerful anticoagulant administered before some surgeries. Via: Rice University Newsroom Source: Rice University

Facebook expands search to all 2 trillion of its posts

Facebook announced on Thursday that it will expand its search function to include every publically-available post in its archive, not just those of your friends and liked Pages. But this won’t simply be a firehose of information , Facebook will reportedly segregate and stack results depending on the source. The top of the search results will be dominated by trusted sources like professional news outlets (CNN and the like). Below that section will be posts from your friends, presumably providing color commentary and insightful discussion of the headlined news — or, if they’re anything like my friends, it’ll quickly devolve into GIF wars and poop jokes. And at the bottom of the stack will be a Digg-like section of aggregated links related to the search topic. The returned results are reportedly personalized for each user based on 200 search factors. These factors include what subjects and Pages you like as well as your personal information and search history. This change comes in response to criticism of FB’s existing search feature, which has been characterized as an “echo chamber.” By at least exposing users to thoughts and opinions beyond those of their immediate social circle, FB hopes to improve the overall discussion about breaking news. “You don’t just see what your friends and people around you are saying, ” Tom Stocky, VP of Search, told TechCrunch . “You see the stories of people on the ground. It gives us a different level of perspective.” Though, if this new search function is anything like the bedlam of breaking news that is Facebook’s Signal news service, you might want to just stick with Google. [Image Credit: Shutterstock] Via: TechCrunch Source: Facebook

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Facebook expands search to all 2 trillion of its posts

Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4

Vudu’s 1080p HDX streams were once considered high quality for streaming movies over the internet, (now they’re even watchable on phones ) but in the last year Amazon and Netflix surpassed them with 4K resolution and even HDR. Now Vudu is stepping up its game with some 4K flicks, currently available only through the new Roku 4 . For the moment it has 12 movies viewable in 4K (check the list after the break), with prices of $10 for a rental and $25 – $30 to purchase. According to Vudu, you’ll need an 11Mbps connection to stream the high-res versions that it’s marked Vudu UHD. The option will be coming to other platforms including Vizio’s 4K TVs soon, and for the ones that can handle it, there’s support for HDR and Atmos surround sound too. 1. San Andreas 2. Man of Steel 3. Edge of Tomorrow 4. The Lego Movie 5. Magic Mike XX 6. Jupiter Ascending 7. Sherlock Holmes 8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 9. The Great Gatsby 10. Into the Storm 11. Focus 12. Run All Night

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Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4

Scientists stretch metal to make it stronger

You’d think that stretching metal would make it weaker, but just the opposite is true… on a very small scale. Researchers have developed a technique that pulls nanoscopic metal crystals to eliminate defects. By gently and repeatedly stretching the crystal, scientists move “dislocations” (rows of atom-level defects) to free surfaces, where they’re ultimately forced out. The result is a metal that is considerably less likely to crack or otherwise fail over time. You may not see this technique used to improve larger (that is, visible) metal, like what you see in buildings or vehicles. The same trick that improves nanoscale metal tends to make things worse at the macro level. However, it could be very helpful for processors and any other device where even the tiniest breaks could cause big problems. Don’t be surprised if you’re one day using electronics that last for years longer than you’re used to. Source: Carnegie Mellon University , PNAS

Fitbit trackers can be hacked in ’10 seconds’

Fitbit trackers have a whopper of a vulnerability that can let somebody within Bluetooth range quickly hack them, according to security company Fortinet . Worse yet, once the attackers are in, the device will infect any computer that tries to sync with the device. Via Twitter , Senior Fortinet researcher Axelle Apvrille told Engadget “you don’t need physical access (to the tracker), but you do need to be close (Bluetooth range). It does not matter if it is paired (to another device) or not.” When in range, a bad actor could infect the device in as little as 10 seconds. Apvrille informed Fitbit of the vulnerability back in March, but the wearable outfit has yet to fix the issue, according to the Register . In addition, the vulnerability remains in the wearable even after it’s reset. Once infected, the device can install a virus, trojan or other vulnerability on your computer, even days later. “An attacker sends an infected packet to a fitness tracker nearby at Bluetooth distance then the rest of the attack occurs by itself, without any special need for the attacker being near, ” Apvrille said . While the Fitbit uses encryption, the Bluetooth transmitter itself is apparently wide open, allowing attackers in. If you want to find out more, Apvrille will present her findings via a video demonstration at the 2015.Hack.lu conference tomorrow in Luxembourg. @AaronIsSocial you don’t need physical access, but you need to be close (bluetooth range). It does not matter if it is paired or not. — Axelle Ap. (@cryptax) October 21, 2015 Via: The Register Source: Axelle Apvrille (Twitter)

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Fitbit trackers can be hacked in ’10 seconds’

Xiaomi brings Segway to the masses with $315 Ninebot mini

We’d be throwing money at our screen right now, if we could. Chinese company Xiaomi has launched a small Segway device, the Ninebot mini , for a mere $315 (£203), on the same day it revealed a $790, 60-inch 4K TV . If you’ll recall, Xiaomi is a major investor in Ninebot, the China-based company that recently purchased Segway . This is the first device the companies have launched since the acquisition, and while the self-balancing scooter looks a bit like the original , it costs less than a twentieth the price. The performance is nothing to sneeze at, though — it can move at up to 16km/h (10 mph), tackle 15 degree hills and run up to 22 km on a single charge. It’s portable at 12.8 kilograms (28 pounds) and “fits easily in the trunk of your car, ” according to Xiaomi. You can also upgrade the firmware and monitor your speed, traffic data and systems via a smartphone. Sure, Xiaomi’s marketing the Ninebot mini as a “cool youth toy, ” according to the rough translation — but it looks like it could get you around nicely, too. You’ll have to put your checkbook away for now, though. The self-balancing device is coming to China on November 3rd, but there’s no word on Xiaomi’s plan for a wider launch. That said, Ninebot has updated its French website with an offer to be “informed of the availability.” That means it’ll likely be sold in Europe, so it may come to the US after all. We’ve reached out to Xiaomi for more information. Via: Engadget Chinese Source: Xiaomi (translated)

Ultimate Hacking Keyboard splits in half, is fully programmable

If you want to go a step beyond mechanical keyboards, you’ll inevitably end up looking at the wild variety of ergonomic options. Now we have a new challenger: The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard by the Hungarian startup Ultimate Gadget Laboratories. It’s a mechanical keyboard that can be split apart for better ergonomic placement on your desk, and, true to its name, it also lets you completely remap the keys as you see fit. The company even included mouse support within the keyboard (which also lets you mimic touch gestures on smartphones and tablets). The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard is launching today on Crowd Supply with a funding goal of $200, 000, and it’ll start at around $200. It’s slated to begin shipping in the second half of 2016. Slideshow-330012 Laszlo Monda, the founder and lead developer of the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard project, says he focused on making the device portable when it’s in one piece. In a brief hands on time with a prototype unit, it didn’t feel as heavy as most mechanical keyboards, and it’s also compact enough to fit into most bags. The actual keys felt pretty great too, with just the amount of feedback you’d expect from a solid mechanical keyboard. Monda notes that the keys will be durable enough to last 50 million presses. You’ll also be able to choose from a variety of different mechanical switch options once the keyboard starts shipping. The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard feels just as sturdy split apart, as it does when it’s joined together. Its metallic connectors give it a particularly satisfying click when it comes together. Both halves are connected by a standard telephone cord along the top of the keyboard — you can also switch that out with a longer cable if you need any more room. While I didn’t get to spend any time with the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard’s configuration application, Monda describes it as something that will let you create application-specific key layouts, complete with fully customizable layouts. For the most part, the keyboard is targeted at people who just want to be more productive. It’s not exactly something meant for gamers, since it doesn’t have a dedicated row of function keys (they’re alternate options for the top number keys). That could make it tough to play games that rely heavily on function keys (though it’ll be just fine for most shooters). Source: Ultimate Hacking Keyboard

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Ultimate Hacking Keyboard splits in half, is fully programmable

Facebook’s ‘On This Day’ feature has controls to filter out sad times

Facebook’s On This Day tool is a nice feature when it recalls good times that may have slipped your mind. It has a tendency to bring up events and people that you might prefer to forget, though, and the social network added preferences to curtail the sadness. On This Day now has controls that’ll let you filter out specific people and dates so the feature doesn’t remind you of those bits of nostalgia you’d rather not revisit. Facebook has come under fire for toying with our emotions and digging up the past before, and there’s already been some criticism of On This Day since it launched in March. By adding preferences, Zuckerberg & Co. are offering a way to keep those bad memories at bay. It’s a nice touch, since you never know exactly when the memory machine will pop up in your News Feed. If you’ve noticed On This Day posts there, the new controls should be available for you to tweak. Via: The Verge

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Facebook’s ‘On This Day’ feature has controls to filter out sad times

DNA nanomachine detects HIV antibodies in minutes, not hours

Current methods for detecting the antibodies that indicate HIV infection are agonizingly slow and cumbersome. However a new DNA nanomachine developed by an international team of researchers (and funded, in part, by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) could shorten the process to a matter of minutes. The DNA-based nanomachine is designed and synthesized to recognize and bind with a specific target antibody, even within biologically-dense and complex samples like blood. When these “machines” do bind with the target antibody, the joining causes a structural change that generates a little burst of light. A test that used to require hours of careful, complex and downright expensive prep-work could now take as little as five minutes. And the sooner that doctors are aware of the infection, the sooner they can start treating it . What’s more, these nanomachines can easily be customized to detect a wide variety of antibodies. “Our modular platform provides significant advantages over existing methods for the detection of antibodies, ” Prof. Vallée-Bélisle of the University of Montreal, a senior co-author of the paper, said in a statement. “It is rapid, does not require reagent chemicals, and may prove to be useful in a range of different applications such as point-of-care diagnostics and bioimaging.” The team hopes to further develop the technology, making the signals even easier to detect. “For example, we could adapt our platform so that the signal of the nanoswitch may be read using a mobile phone , ” Simona Ranallo, University of Rome PhD student and first-author of the paper, said in a statement. “This will make our approach really available to anyone! We are working on this idea and we would like to start involving diagnostic companies.” [Image Credit: lede – LightRocket via Getty Images, inline – Marco Tripodi] Source: University of Montreal

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DNA nanomachine detects HIV antibodies in minutes, not hours