Tag: world

Pope cautions youths about social media’s “false image of reality”

Enlarge / Pope Francis holds his homily during his weekly audience Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis is warning the world’s youth to be wary of the “false image of reality” portrayed in social media and on reality television shows. In a written message the Vatican issued Tuesday, the pontiff cautioned followers not to let the Internet dilute the church’s message. The speech will be released in video format on World Youth Day on April 9. “History teaches us that even when the Church has to sail on stormy seas, the hand of God guides her and helps her to overcome moments of difficulty. The genuine experience of the Church is not like a flash mob, where people agree to meet, do their thing, and then go their separate ways,” Francis wrote. Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Pope cautions youths about social media’s “false image of reality”

US Navy decommissions the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

It’s the end of an era for the US sea power, in more ways than one: the Navy has decommissioned the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The vessel launched in 1961 and is mainly known for playing a pivotal role in several major incidents and conflicts, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War and the 2003 Iraq War. However, it also served as the quintessential showcase for what nuclear ships could do. Its eight reactors let it run for years at a time, all the while making more room for the aircraft and their fuel. As you might guess, the decommissioning process (which started when the Enterprise went inactive in 2012) is considerably trickier than it would be for a conventional warship. It wasn’t until December 2016 that crews finished extracting nuclear fuel, and the ship will have to be partly dismantled to remove the reactors. They’ll be disposed of relatively safely at Hanford Site, home of the world’s first plutonium reactor. It’s hard to know what the long-term environmental impact of the ship will be — while there’s no question that the radioactive material is dangerous, this isn’t the same as shutting down a land-based nuclear power plant . Whatever you think of the tech, the ship leaves a long legacy on top of its military accomplishments. It proved the viability of nuclear aircraft carriers, leading the US to build the largest such fleet in the world. Also, this definitely isn’t the last ( real-world ) ship to bear the Enterprise name — the future CVN-80 will build on its predecessor with both more efficient reactors and systems designed for modern combat, where drones and stealth are as important as fighters and bombers. It won’t be ready until 2027, but it should reflect many of the lessons learned over the outgoing Enterprise’s 55 years of service. Source: US Navy

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US Navy decommissions the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

Amber’s sensors aim to save farmers’ grain from spoilage

CES is most known as a show for computers , cars and seriously strange stuff , but there’s no shortage of people here trying to solve big problems the rest of us have never heard of. Take Amber Agriculture for instance: run by students at the University of Illinois, the startup as developed a finger-sized sensor meant to be stuck inside silos to help farmers monitor the quality of their stored grain. What’s more, Amber’s approach falls in line with other big trends at the show. You’ve heard of the smart home — the Amber team is trying to help build the smart farm. The idea is simple enough — these sensors monitor temperature and humidity, along with the volatile compounds that signal how moist a farmer’s grain is. Since this is 2017, those farmers will be able to monitor that key data from their smartphones, and that sort of easy access should help them figure out the ideal time to sell and ship their crop. Here’s the thing, though: there’s more to this idea than just helping the world’s farmers demand the best possible prices. Amber co-founder Lucas Frye also believes that some serious long-term good could be possible if the company could work with farmers in countries where grain spoilage has been a pressing issue. Frye, a competent, low-key pitchman, said the startup’s vision is on some level about protecting our food supply. That said, smart moisture management won’t be able to fix every grain spoilage problem around the world. Consider India: spoilage and grain rot is a recurring problem there, but that’s thanks in large part to logistical issues like finding places to actually store those huge crop hauls. For now, though, global problems are taking a back seat while Amber makes sure everything works the way it’s supposed to. There’s no firm word on pricing yet, but that’s to be expected — after finalizing some design elements and striking some deals, the startup’s leaders are gearing up for its first set of field trials in early 2017. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

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Amber’s sensors aim to save farmers’ grain from spoilage

Six amazing all-electric motorcycles

Zero-emissions cars are popping up left and right, but motorcycle design has been a little late to the game. Yet, all-electric motorcycles and are zooming down the streets in increasing numbers. With varying engine sizes, charging times and driving ranges, each new electric motorcycle that hits the market offers something unique. From far-out futuristic designs that look like something Batman would ride to bikes that could have driven off a Star Wars set , cutting-edge electric motorcycles have broken the early trend that suggested EVs ought to look like dorkier versions of their fossil fuel counterparts. Other electric motorcycles target ambitious performance standards — from blistering top speeds to longer driving ranges and even some fun features like built-in LED effects . BMW Motorrad VISION NEXT 100 Leave it to BMW to create an electric motorcycle fit for the world’s most popular superhero. The self-balancing BMW Motorrad VISION NEXT 100 is an all-electric, zero emissions ride that looks like it was designed for Batman himself than your average biker, with a sleek, matte black frame and futuristic style. Unveiled last month in Los Angeles, BMW’s newest electric motorcycle features a triangular design similar to the luxury automaker’s previous bikes, but this time it is comprised mostly of carbon fiber and polished aluminum. The Motorrad’s ability to stand on its own aids in the ride’s stability and safety — BMW is even suggesting that riders can go without a helmet. While we wouldn’t recommend that approach, BMW created a smart visor for the rider to wear, which replaces both the windshield and rearview mirrors while enabling the rider to access navigational data and other information on bike performance. AP Works Light Rider The world’s first 3D-printed electric motorcycle came hot off the presses earlier this year. Light Rider was created by APWorks, a subsidiary of Airbus, and the fully electric bike boasts a 37-mile range and a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The prototype sports a frame that looks more akin to an alien skeleton than a standard cycle, and it weighs only 13 pounds — around 30 percent less than the average e-bike. With the motor and all its wiring hidden inside the casing, this bike looks like something straight out of a science fiction film. Only 50 of these futuristic high-end bikes will be created, and each will be sold for a whopping $56, 000. Concept Honda Chopper A few years back, someone created a concept motorcycle that would get the attention of any Stormtrooper in its vicinity. The Honda Chopper stems from the mind of designer Peter Norris, who typically works in video games. The Chopper concept calls for a different approach to motorcycling, and Honda seems like the carmaker that might be able to get away with a launch of something this wild. With electric motors mounted right on the wheels, the Chopper has a lower center of gravity than the standard motorcycle, which lends to its stability and handling. No word on whether Honda R&D is actually considering production on such a thing, but the concept is pretty intriguing. Johammer J1 The Johammer J1 electric motorcycle has promised to do what none before could deliver: 125 miles of all-electric range on a single charge. The bike is able to exceed the energy storage capacity of the average e-bike thanks to a larger, enclosed compartment for its larger batteries. Manufactured in small quantities in Austria, the Johammer J1 runs on high-density batteries created specifically for this all-electric cycle. The e-bike initially sold for $31, 860. Voxan Wattman Upon its release in 2013, the Voxan Wattman was known as the world’s most powerful electric motorcycle, thanks to its 12.8kWh battery pack. The all-electric motorcycle can go from zero to 60 mph in a mere 3.4 seconds for a quick, emissions-free getaway. Perhaps one of its best features, though, is that the battery can be fully charged in about half an hour – and that gives the bike a range of around 111 miles. Launched as a concept bike, the Voxan Wattman was primed to take on the motorcycle market, but the company dropped the project after it was plagued by a host of complications. The Tron Lightcycle In 2011 Parker Brothers Choppers created the Lightcycle : an all-electric motorcycle that doubles as a moving light show. Outfitted with an array of LEDs, the Lightcycle is capable of traveling as fast as 100mph and has a 100-mile driving range after just 35 minutes of charging time — but its makers insist that isn’t the point. The motorcycle’s contoured frame and wheels are all lined with glowing LEDs, which accent its hardened steel frame, and a carbon fiber and fiberglass body. Driving an emissions-free chopper like this at night would be a sure-fire attention-getter in any urban environment.

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Six amazing all-electric motorcycles

Oxford University will offer free online courses in 2017

The highest ranked university in the world will soon join prestigious institutions like Berkeley, Harvard and MIT in offering free massive open online courses (MOOCs). Starting in February 2017, Oxford University will partner with nonprofit online learning platform edX to teach a freely available economics class titled, ” From Poverty to Prosperity: Understanding Economic Development .” While the idea of free online learning has started to catch on in the United States — the New York Times declared 2012 ” the year of the MOOC ” — Oxford has held out on such programs until now. Appropriately enough, this particular course is a perfect fit for promoting accessibility in places of higher education: it will be taught by Oxford Economics and Public Policy professor Sir Paul Collier, and will “examine the vital role that governments play in boosting economic development, ” according to a statement from the university . “The School’s mission is to improve government around the world through research and education, and this requires better educated public officials, teachers, entrepreneurs, journalists and citizens, ” Professor Ngaire Woods, the Dean of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government said. “We see this first massive open online course as an effective way to expand access to knowledge beyond the classrooms of Oxford, and to help people understand how their community and country can flourish wherever they are in the world.” Enrollment is open now through edX’s platform and students can expect to spend about two to three hours per week on the six-week course. The materials will also be available to view after the course closes. Via: BBC Source: Oxford University

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Oxford University will offer free online courses in 2017

Get a look at the lost Super NES ‘Rayman’ game

When he isn’t busy cryptically teasing Beyond Good & Evil 2 , game developer Michel Ancel laments (above) past projects lost to the sands of time. Like the Super NES version of Rayman that was scrapped in favor of the disc-based iterations for the Atari Jaguar and original PlayStation. As noticed by Motherboard , Ancel managed to find an old prototype cartridge and fired it up. “It’s working !!! 4 people in the world have seen this . We thought it was lost , but somewhere in the cold electronic circuit, something was still alive . and running at full 60fps !!! should do a Switch version of this

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Get a look at the lost Super NES ‘Rayman’ game

Alan Turing’s groundbreaking synthesizer music restored

Alan Turing is known for a few small achievements, like helping end World War II , laying the groundwork for modern computers and developing the ” Turing test ” for machine intelligence. You may not be aware, however, that he paved the way for synthesizers and electronica by inventing the first computer-generated musical tones. A pair of researchers from the University of Cantebury have now restored the first-ever recording made from Turing’s “synthesizer.” Turing figured that if he rapidly played clicking sounds at set intervals, the listener would here them as distinct tones corresponding to musical notes. For instance, playing the click on every fourth cycle of a computers’ CPU produces a “C” tone, exactly like a modern synthesizer. He tested that theory on his Manchester Mark I, one of the world’s first programmable computers. Instead of making music, he used the tones to indicate computing operations like completed tasks and memory overflow errors (meaning he also invented notification sounds). Turing knew that he could program songs on his “synth, ” but had no interest in doing it. Luckily, talented programmer and musician Christopher Strachey got his hands on the Manchester Mark II’s operating guide, which was, by the way, the world’s first computer manual. Using that, he coded God Save the Queen , the longest program ever at the time. The next morning, he played it back to surprised onlookers at the lab, including Turing, who was uncharacteristically thrilled, saying “good show.” The BBC recorded it later in 1951, along with two other songs: Baa Baa Black Sheep and Glenn Miller’s In the Mood . However, the researchers found that the notes had shifted in pitch because of the crude recording equipment used. The key to correcting it, as it turned out, was in the pitches that the computer couldn’t play. For instance, rather than playing a true G at 196 Hz, it could only do a decidedly sharp 198.41 Hz. Knowing that, the team adjusted the playback to match those frequencies. They also filtered out noises and used pitch-correction software to edit out the fluctuating “wobble” in the recording. The result is a clean version of the synthesizer, which sounds like a cross between a viola and electronic bagpipes. While the music isn’t great, it is a small way to “hear” the genius of Turing. Like Nicolas Tesla, he was far too big for his time and suffered greatly for it, committing suicide at the age of 41. Via: The Guardian Source: Sound and Vision Blog

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Alan Turing’s groundbreaking synthesizer music restored

‘Mr. Robot’ star Rami Malek wins Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy

The USA series Mr. Robot has more than just surprisingly realistic hacking scenes , as it now can claim an Emmy win. Series star Rami Malek snagged the Outstanding Lead Actor award tonight, beating out Kevin Spacey, Bob Odenkirk and others. After double checking to make sure we were all seeing this too (good call), Malek said he wanted to “honor the Elliots…because there’s a little bit of Elliot in all of us.” What an #Emmys moment! @ItsRamiMalek of @whoismrrobot just won! pic.twitter.com/U4XdK2ue6V — Television Academy (@TelevisionAcad) September 19, 2016 One person can change the world. @ItsRamiMalek has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor. #MrRobot pic.twitter.com/CvHJrHw8G5 — Mr. Robot (@whoismrrobot) September 19, 2016 http://televisionacad.tumblr.com/post/150616888353/emmys-winner-for-outstanding-lead-actor-for-a Source: Emmys.com

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‘Mr. Robot’ star Rami Malek wins Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy

Tile’s slimmest Bluetooth tracker won’t bulk up your wallet

Tile , which raised over a million dollars on Kickstarter over three years ago, is a popular Bluetooth tracker that helps you find your missing stuff. Aside from Bluetooth, it also uses a crowd-finding feature where other Tile app users can ping you the whereabouts of a Tile that’s out of Bluetooth range. There was an update last year to Tile 2.0 , which has a louder alarm plus it’ll help find your phone as well. The problem with the existing Tile, however, is that it’s a little chunky. That’s why Tile has now introduced the Tile Slim, a much thinner version of the tracker that’ll fit more comfortably in tight spots like wallets and passport holders. But that’s not all. Tile has also announced a new initiative that just might bring Tile’s location-finding smarts to anything and everything. But let’s talk about the Slim first. As the name suggests, it is a lot wider and flatter than the original Tile, measuring 54 by 54 by 2.4mm (or as Tile says, about the width of two credit cards). The design is also a touch different. There’s a center Tile logo doubling as the button while the rest of the Slim surface has a pleasant embossed pattern. The rear is all grey, with a tiny cavity where the sound can get through. Unlike the original Tile however, there’s no loop, so you can’t use it as a keychain. But that’s because the Slim wasn’t designed to replace the original Tile; it’s just another product in the Tile stable. So you can have the original Tile for your keys, say, and the Slim for your wallet. I’ve used the original Tile with my wallet for over a year now, and it’s always left a pretty sizable dent. I switched to the Slim a few days ago and now I can barely tell it’s there. If you want, you can also adhere it to your laptop, your tablet, your ID badge or any place where a slim profile is key. Another feature that sets the Slim apart is that you can select one of four different ringtones for the alert. They’re called Bionic Birdie, Classic Call, Pep in your Step and Blues for Slim. This capability is only for the Slim and is mostly just for fun, though it could prove useful if you have multiple Tile trackers and want a way to differentiate them. To coincide with the announce of the Slim is also a redesigned app. It’s mostly just a brighter reskin to match the company’s current branding, but there’s also now a slightly different flow when adding new Tiles. It’ll ask you which Tile you’re adding — the Slim or the classic — and then it’ll coach you through the rest of the activation process. Slim works a lot like the original Tile, but here’s a brief primer in case you need a reminder on how it works. Once you’ve associated and attached a Tile tracker with an object — say your keys or your wallet — you can now use the app to find it. If the item is within Bluetooth range, the app will show it with a green circle. Tap it and the tracker will emit an alarm. If it isn’t, it’ll show you the location where it was last seen, so you can retrace your steps to look for it. Either that or you can select “Notify when Found, ” where it’ll now turn to the aforementioned crowd-finding feature to help you find it. If anyone with the Tile app running goes near the object, you’ll then get a location ping. There are around 6 million Tiles on the market in over 200 countries, so chances are pretty good that this will happen. The Slim will retail for $30/£30 each, which is $5/£10 more than the original. You can also pay $100/£95 for a 4-pack. The Slim has a guaranteed battery life of a year. We should note that, just like all the other Tiles, the battery is not replaceable — if the juice is running out, the app will let you know that you should replace it. The company does offer something called a reTile discount program that’ll let you replace your existing Tile with a new one at a discounted rate. So instead of paying $30 for a new Slim, you could just pay $21 to replace the old one. But imagine if you don’t need to buy a Tile at all. Imagine if that same Tile location-tracking smarts was simply just built into whatever it is that you don’t want to lose. That is the idea behind Tile’s other big announcement today: The Tile Platform. “We want to blanket the world in smart location, ” says Mike Farley, Tile’s CEO and co-founder. “Everything that moves should have smart location built into it.” So with that concept in mind, Tile is kicking off the Platform announcement today with three partners: EcoReco, an electric scooter company; Nomad, which makes a variety of backup battery packs and power banks; and Zillion, a maker of smartphone wallets with that battery pack built right in. Starting today, all three of these companies will start offering products with the Tile Platform. That means you would be able to use the Tile app to locate, say, a missing EcoReco scooter or a Nomad battery pack. Just add them to the app like you would with a Tile tracker and you can find them in the same way. Tile has already partnered with Land Rover to build the tech into the 2017 Discovery Sport . Eventually, Farley says he wants the Tile Platform to be in even more things. “Any product that’s mobile is fair game, ” he says. “The lowest hanging fruit is if it has Bluetooth in it already.” So, a pair of Bluetooth headphones would be ideal, or a fitness tracker like a Fitbit, or maybe a smartwatch. In the future, he could even see the Tile tech integrated into everyday items like a remote control, a car’s key fob, or perhaps a regular pair of glasses. “We spend so much time every day finding misplaced stuff. That doesn’t even factor in the cost and time it takes to replace them, nor the stress and anxiety, ” says Farley. “Our vision is that the world will be a simpler and happier place when the world has smart location.”

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Tile’s slimmest Bluetooth tracker won’t bulk up your wallet

Apollo Group Acquires Rackspace for $4.3 Billion

Apollo Group has acquired Rackspace (RAX) for $4.3 billion, which will effectively take one of the world’s largest managed cloud service providers private. The post Apollo Group Acquires Rackspace for $4.3 Billion appeared first on ChannelE2E .

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Apollo Group Acquires Rackspace for $4.3 Billion